OFFICERS' Pulse Coverage. The Hindu Economic Times PIB AIR & RSTV Down to Earth

une J2019

CURRENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY THE PULSE OF UPSC AT YOUR FINGER TIPS. Contents

SCHEMES 3 3. RANGANATHITTU BIRD SANCTUARY 8 1. JAN SHIKSHAN SANSTHAN (JSS) 3 4. POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PET) 9 2. JAL SHAKTI 3 5. PRACTICAL ROAD MAP FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES 9 3. AYUSHMAN BHARAT 3 6. UN MEETING ON LAND DEGRADATION 10 4. PRADHAN MANTRI FASAL BIMA YOJANA 4 7. LARGE HYDRO POWER PROJECTS 10 5. PRADHAN MANTRI KISAN SAMMAN NIDHI (PM- 8. HEAT WAVES 11 KISAN) 4 9. FOREST RIGHTS ACT 11 6. KISAN CREDIT CARD (KCC) 5 10. AGENDA 21 12 7. MERCHANDISE EXPORTS FROM INDIA SCHEME 11. POLLUTION CAUSED BY FERTILISER INDUSTRY (MEIS) 5 13 8. TRANSPORT AND MARKETING ASSISTANCE 12. SISHAM 14 (TMA) 6 13. CHILIKA LAKE 15 INITIATIVES 1 14. KHEONI SANCTUARY 16 1. DRAFT NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2019 1 ORGANISATIONS 17 2. DIGICOP 1 1. COUNCIL OF EUROPE 17 3. WORLD FOOD SAFETY DAY 2 2. FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE (FATF) 17 4. FLOOD HAZARD ATLAS 2 3. REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC 5. SEZ ACT 2 PARTNERSHIP (RCEP) 17 6. GO TRIBAL CAMPAIGN 3 4. UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL (UNSC)18 7. KHELO INDIA PROGRAMME 3 5. KIMBERLEY PROCESS (KP) 19 8. CYBER COORDINATION CENTRE (CYCORD) 6. QUAD 19 PORTAL 3 7. SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION (SCO) 9. SYSTEMATIC VOTERS EDUCATION AND ELECTORAL 19 PARTICIPATION PROGRAM(SVEEP) 3 8. ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE (ED) 20 10. INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE – INDIAN OCEAN 9. GST COUNCIL 20 REGION 4 10. FINANCIAL STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT 11. NEFT AND RTGS 4 COUNCIL (FSDC) 21 12. MISSION ON NATURAL LANGUAGE TRANSLATION 11. NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT 4 AUTHORITY (NDMA) 22 13. RASHTRIYA SANSKRITI MAHOTSAV 5 12. INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR INTEGRATED 14. MAKE IN INDIA INITIATIVE IN DEFENSE SECTOR MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT (ICIMOD) 22 5 13. FOOD CORPORATION OF INDIA (FCI) 22 15. INDIA NATIONAL PLATFORM ON PRIVATE ON 14. NITI AAYOG RECONSTITUTED 23 SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS 6 15. POPULATION RESEARCH CENTRES 24 16. CORPORATE AVERAGE FUEL FLORA AND FAUNA 25 EFFICIENCY/ECONOMY REGULATIONS 6 1. GOLDEN LANGUR 25 17. KALESHWARAM LIFT IRRIGATION PROJECT 6 2. KARIMEEN 25 18. INDIASTACK 7 3. IMPRESSED TORTOISE 25 ENVIRONMENT 8 AGRICULTURE 26 1. BANGKOK DECLARATION 8 1. SUGAR INDUSTRY 26 2. BHARAT STAGE 8 2. DIFFERENT CROPPING SEASONS 26 3. DOUBLING FARMERS INCOME 27 18. ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS SYNDROME (AES) 47 4. DECONTROLLING UREA PRICES 28 19. ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE 48 5. ONLINE WAREHOUSE-BASED TRADING 28 20. PROTON THERAPY 49 ECONOMY 30 21. COLORED WHEAT 49 1. REPO RATE 30 22. MISSION DRAGONFLY 50 2. LEVERAGE RATIO 30 23. RAAVANA-1 50 3. STRESSED ASSET RESOLUTION NORMS 30 REPORTS AND INDICES 51 4. PARAMETERS TO MEASURE THE HEALTH OF THE 1. HEALTHY STATES, PROGRESSIVE INDIA 51 BANKING SYSTEM 31 2. SDG GENDER INDEX 51 5. CREDIT RATING 32 3. NUTRITION SECURITY ANALYSIS REPORT 51 6. CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI) 32 4. TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT 52 7. INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION (IIP) 32 5. STATE OF GLOBAL AIR 2019 REPORT 52 8. WHOLESALE PRICE INDEX (WPI) AND PRODUCER POLITY 54 PRICE INDEX (PPI) 33 1. REMOVAL OF HIGH COURT JUDGE 54 9. FDI IN MULTI-BRAND RETAIL 33 2. ESSENTIAL SERVICES 54 10. ANTI-DUMPING 34 3. ANTI-DEFECTION 54 11. NON-BANKING FINANCIAL COMPANY (NBFC) 4. LEADER OF OPPOSITION 55 34 5. STATE FLAG DAY 55 12. WILFUL DEFAULTER 35 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 56 13. ASSET RECONSTRUCTION COMPANY (ARC) 35 1. INDIA MALDIVES BILATERAL 56 14. GUIDELINES FOR E-COMMERCE FIRMS 35 2. DOKLAM ISSUE 56 15. CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT AND FOREIGN 3. THE JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION EXCHANGE RESERVE 36 (JCPOA) 56 16. FISCAL DEFICIT 37 4. H1B VISA 57 17. ELEPHANT BONDS 37 5. THE GENERALISED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES 18. FUTURES ON COMMODITY INDICES 37 (GSP) 57 19. NATIONAL INVESTMENT AND MANUFACTURING 6. BREXIT 57 ZONES 38 7. EXERCISE GARUDA 58 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 39 8. TAX INFORMATION EXCHANGE AGREEMENT 58 1. 5G 39 9. STRAIT OF HORMUZ 58 2. DARK WEB 39 ART AND CULTURE 60 3. NIPAH INFECTION 40 1. CHAUKHANDI STUPA 60 4. REMDESIVIR 40 2. AMBUBACHI MELA 60 5. GESTATIONAL DIABETES 40 3. BANKIM CHANDRA’S STATUE 60 6. LONG MARCH-11 41 4. AMARAVATI SCHOOL OF ART 60 7. INDIAN SPACE STATION 41 DEFENSE 62 8. BLOOD TRANSFUSION 42 1. VARUNASTRA 62 9. GENE-EDITED BABIES 43 10. BT COTTON 43 11. BT BRINJAL 44 12. WASTE-TO-ENERGY 44 13. FUEL CELLS 45 14. CARBON QUANTUM DOT 45 15. PARKINSON’S DISEASE 46 16. TRICHOPUS ZEYLANICUS 46 17. CHIKUNGUNYA 47

SCHEMES

• Kisan Vigyan Kendras will be roped in 1. Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) to promote better crop choices for the About the scheme: farmers and efficient use of water for • Jan Shikshan Sansthan provide vocational irrigation. skills to non-literate, neo-literates as and Kisan Vigyan Kendras: school drop-outs by identifying skills that • Krishi Vigyan kendras was established by are useful in their region. ICAR (a autonomous body for education • The Scheme is under the Ministry of Skill and research under MOAFW) Development and Entrepreneurship. • It connects farmers and ICAR for the Target Group: purpose of training, technology transfer • Socio-economically backward and etc., educationally disadvantaged groups of Why in News? rural/urban population. • The Centre has initiated the Jal Shakti • Main target include non-literate, neo- Abhiyan for rainwater harvesting and literates, person educated up to 8th conservation efforts in water-stressed standard, and school drop-outs in the age districts. group of 15-35 years. • Priority will be given to women, SC, ST, 3. Ayushman Bharat OBC and Minorities in rural areas and Ayushman Bharat urban slums. • It is an umbrella of two major health Why in news? initiatives, namely • Fee for SC/ST candidates, who join o Health and Wellness Centers vocational training under Jan Shikshan o National Health Protection Sansthans has been waived off. Scheme. Health and Wellness Centers: 2. Jal Shakti • Under this 1.5 lakh health and wellness About the initiative: will be created to deliver primary health • It will look into the progress made in care services. harvesting, conserving and bore well • These centers will provide recharge activities under the comprehensive health care, including for o Mahatma Gandhi National Rural non-communicable diseases and maternal Employment Guarantee Scheme of and child health services. Ministry of Rural Development National Health Protection Mission: AB- o Integrated Watershed PMJAY (Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Management Program of the Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana): Ministry of Rural Development • AB-PMJAY provides a insurance cover of o Water body Restoration activities Rs. 5 lakh per family per year. of Jal Shakthi Ministry • This cover will take care of almost all o Afforestation program of the secondary care and most of tertiary care Ministry of Environment, Forests procedures. and Climate Change. • To ensure that nobody is left out (especially women, children and elderly) • Progress of all the works will be there will be no cap on family size and monitored real-time through a mobile age in the scheme. application and a web-based dashboard • The benefit cover will also include pre at indiawater.gov.in. and post-hospitalization expenses. • A defined transport allowance per • The scheme is mandatory for the farmers hospitalization will also be paid to the who have borrowed institutional loans beneficiary. from banks. and it is optional for the • Benefits of the scheme are portable farmers who have not availed across the country and a beneficiary institutional credit. covered under the scheme will be allowed • Coverage : It aims at covering the losses to take cashless benefits from any suffered by farmers such as pre- sowing public/private empanelled hospitals losses, post-harvest losses due to cyclonic across the country. rains and losses due to unseasonal rainfall Eligibility criteria: in India. It also covers losses due to • Entitlement will be decided on the basis localized calamities such as inundation, of deprivation criteria (poor in some hailstorm and landslide risks. indicators like education, income etc.,) in • Exclusions : The losses arising out of war the Socio-economic cast census and nuclear risks, malicious damage and database. other preventable risks are not covered Implementation: under this scheme. • National Health Authority has been set Implementation: up for this purpose. • The scheme is implemented by • It will be chaired by the Minister of Health empanelled general insurance & Family Welfare scheme. companies. Selection of Implementing • States/ UTs are advised to create Agency (IA) is made by the concerned respective State Health Agency (SHA). State Government through bidding. Why in the news? • The funds for the scheme come from the • Indian government with the help of Krishi Kalyan Kosh. expert doctors and consultants is revising Krishi Kalyan Kosh: (farmers’ welfare fund) about 1300 insurance packages to be will be used as an ‘emergency fund’ to included under Ayushman Bharat support farmers when they incur losses due Pradhan Mantri Jan arogya yojana to low rates of produce, crop damage due to (National health protection mission). natural disasters, and to assist them when there is a delay in payment of minimum 4. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima support price (MSP) by the Centre. Why in news ? Yojana • Under the scheme, crop yield information About the scheme: is mandatory for insurance estimation. • The scheme is being administered by the Currently, crop yield was estimated by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Laborious crop-cutting experiments welfare. (CCE) which consumes more time and • The crop insurance scheme for farmers this was the main reason for delay in suffering crop damage or loss arising out insurance settlements. of unforeseen events. • Now, the government is planning to • Crops covered : Oilseed crops ; all food introduce new-age technology in crops ; Annual commercial/horticultural Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to crops assess crop yield estimates for reducing • Premium : There will be a uniform delays in crop insurance claim premium of 2% to be paid by farmers for settlements. all Kharif crops and 1.5% for all Rabi crops. For annual commercial and 5. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman horticultural crops, the premium to be paid by farmers will be 5%. Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Eligibility criteria: About the scheme: • It aims to provide assured income of Rs. • The Self Help Groups (SHGs) or Joint 6000 per annum to the landholding Liability Groups (JLGs) are also eligible farmers at household level (not to each for availing benefits under the said farming individual). scheme. • The income will be transferred directly • KCC has been extended to farmers who into the bank accounts of beneficiary are involved in activities related to farmers, in three equal instalments of Rs. animal husbandry and fisheries. 2,000 each. • Under the KCC Scheme, a flexible limit of Eligibility : Rs.10,000 to Rs.50,000 has been provided • All landholder farmer’s families in the to marginal farmers (as Flexi KCC) based country are eligible for the PM-Kisan on the land holding and crops grown. Scheme subject to the prevalent exclusion Joint Liability Groups (JLGs): criteria. • To bring small, marginal, tenant farmers, • Farmers who do not own any land are oral lessees, etc. into the fold of not eligible for this scheme. institutional credit, Joint Liability • Excluded from the scheme Groups (JLGs) have been promoted by o Institutional land holders, banks. o Farmer families holding • Joint Liability Groups consists of an constitutional posts, informal group of 4 – 20 individuals who o Serving or retired officers and are engaged in similar business/ employees of state/central occupation, formed with the purpose of government as well as PSUs and availing loans through the group government autonomous bodies. mechanism against mutual guarantee. o Professionals like doctors, • In order to provide institutional loans to engineers and lawyers as well as small farmers NABARD came up with the retired pensioners with a monthly concept of Joint Liability Groups (JLG). pension of over Rs 10,000 and Why in news ? those who paid income tax in the • The Centre has directed the concerned last assessment year. banks to issue Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to • Identification of beneficiaries : The eligible farmers to bring them under the responsibility of identifying the eligible ambit of institutional credit. beneficiary farmers and uploading their data on PM-KISAN portal lies entirely 7. Merchandise Exports from with the state governments. India Scheme (MEIS) About the scheme: 6. Kisan Credit Card (KCC) • Under the scheme the government About the Scheme provides duty benefits (rewards/duty • The beneficiaries under the scheme will credit scripts) to exporters of notified be issued with a Smart card/ Debit card. commodity produced or manufactured in • It enables farmers to purchase India. agricultural inputs such as seeds, • Depending on the product and the fertilizers, pesticides, etc. and draw cash country the reward might vary (2%, 3% to satisfy their agricultural and or 5%). consumption needs. • This reward can be used for payment of Eligibility : various kinds of taxes including customs • Small farmers, marginal farmers, and duties. sharecroppers, oral lessee and tenant • The government introduced Merchandise farmers. Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) through the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) past five years and to justify how this 2015-20. scheme is consistent with the Nairobi • It is implemented by the Ministry of WTO Ministerial commitment of 2015 ( Commerce and Industry. a commitment for reducing such • It makes the exporters competitive in the subsidies which has the potential to international market including Europe, distort trades) The United States of America and Africa. • The incentives under MEIS are also available to units located in Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Why in news ? • The government has removed MEIS incentives (made zero from the current 10 per cent) for export of fresh and chilled onions due to rising prices in the domestic market.

8. Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) About the scheme: • Aim : To provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce. • The Scheme would be available for exports from March 2019 to March 2020. • Under the scheme, the government will reimburse a certain portion of freight charges and provide assistance for marketing of agricultural produce to boost exports of certain commodities. Coverage : • All exporters, duly registered with relevant Export Promotion Council as per Foreign Trade Policy, of eligible agricultural products shall be covered under this scheme. • It is likely to mitigate disadvantage of higher cost of transportation of export of specified agricultural products due to trans-shipment. Why in news ? • The US and Australia have raised raised concern over India’s Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) at the WTO. • In addition to this, Australia asked India to provide information regarding the average level of export subsidies provided for products under TMA scheme for the INITIATIVES

1. Draft National Education higher education including Policy 2019 professional education. o UGC is to be transformed into Highlights of the draft policy Higher Education Grants • The Draft Policy is built on the Commission and would foundational pillars on Access, Equity, overlook funding activities. Quality, Affordability, and Accountability. (HEGC). • Subjects: Arts, music, crafts, sports, yoga, • The private and public institutions will be community service, etc will be part of the treated on par, and education will remain curricula. a 'not for profit' activity. • Early Childhood Care and Education • The policy called for the proper (ECCE) as an integral part of school implementation of the three-language education(3-6 years). formula (dating back to 1968) in schools • The committee recommends amendment across the country. in Right to Education Act 2009 to cover • Language - Promotion of Indian and children of ages 3 to 18 (currently, 6-14). classical languages and setting up three • Schools will be re-organized into school new National Institutes for Pali, Persian complexes. and Prakrit were proposed. • Teacher education: A 4-year integrated What’s in the news? stage-specific B.Ed. program will be made • After the national education policy 1986, minimum degree qualification for the government at the recommendation teachers. of the Dr. Kasturirangan committee • Higher education Institutions will be have brought the draft national education restructured as three types - policy 2019. o Type 1: Focused on world- class research and high quality teaching 2. DigiCop o Type 2: Focused on high What is it? quality teaching across • It is an app launched by Chennai city disciplines with significant police. contribution to research • The police department is compiling a o Type 3: High-quality teaching database of mobiles reported stolen in focused on undergraduate southern States, which will be uploaded education in the app. • Rashtriya Shiksha Ayog : A new body is What is the current scenario? proposed, which will coordinate efforts • Till now, only sub-inspectors and between the Centre and states. inspectors could use the mobile • National Research Foundation, an apex application launched by the State Crime body, is proposed for creating a strong Records Bureau (SCRB) to detect stolen research culture. mobile phones using the International • Separate and independent institutions for Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) four functions of Standard Setting, number. Funding, Accreditation, and Regulation. How is the public benefitted? o National Higher Education • With DigiCop, any user can find out the Regulatory Authority will be status of mobile phones using its IMEI the only regulator for all number.

1 • It will also come in handy for prospective • Raman 1.0: It is a hand-held battery buyers and police to verify if a phone was operated device which performs rapid stolen. detection (in less than 1 minute) of • The objective is to reduce the demand in economically driven adulteration in the grey market. edible oils, fats and ghee. The equipment • Mobile sellers can install the app to avoid tests more than 250 samples per battery buying stolen phones. charge, collects and stores data on the cloud using a smart device. 3. World Food Safety Day • Food Safety Magic Box: It is an Why in news? innovative solution to take food safety to • Minister of Health and Family Welfare, schools. This do-it-yourself food testing inaugurated first-ever World Food Safety kit comprises a manual and equipment to Day. check for food adulterants, which school Initiatives launched: children can use in their classroom • State Food safety index: The Food Safety laboratories. and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) • Eat Right Awards: FSSAI has instituted has developed first State Food Safety the ‘Eat Right Awards’ to recognize the Index (SFSI) to measure the performance contribution of food companies and of States on five parameters of food individuals to empower citizens to choose safety. This is an effort to motivate states safe and healthy food options, which to work towards ensuring safe food for would help improve their health and well- citizens. being.

4. Flood hazard atlas inundation captured through satellite What is it? It is a map with demarcation of imagery. flood prone region. • The Atlas would serve as a useful What’s in the news? resource of information for policy • Odisha has come out with unique flood makers, planners and civil society groups. hazard Atlas on the basis of historic flood • A large number of satellites images acquired over 18 years were used to create the flood hazard atlas. 5. SEZ Act • SEZ is a specifically delineated duty-free Amendment: enclave and deemed to be foreign • An amendment was done to provisions of territory for the purposes of trade the SEZs Act, 2005 to include the operations and duties and tariffs. expression "trust or entity" in the • SEZs’ economic laws are more liberal definition of "person" to set up SEZ. than a country's typical economic laws. • The amendment will enable trusts to be India’s SEZ policy offers various fiscal and considered for grant of permission to set regulatory incentives to the developers up units in SEZs. within the zone like exemption from • The amendments will also provide customs duties, central excise duties. flexibility to the central government to • The idea was to create a level playing ‘include in this definition of a person’ or field to the domestic enterprises and any entity that the central government manufacturers to be competitive globally. may notify from time to time (no need of Objectives of SEZs new amendment to include new definition • The major objectives of setting up a SEZ of person). This will facilitate investments are in SEZs. • To attract FDI What are SEZs?

2 • Earn foreign exchange and contribute to • It is under the Minister of Youth Affairs exchange rate stability & Sports. • Boost the export sector especially non Why in news? traditional exports • President Ram Nath Kovind said that the • To create employment opportunities government has decided to widen the • Introduce new technology spectrum of the 'Khelo India Programme' • Develop backward regions etc. to cover the entire country.

6. Go Tribal Campaign 8. Cyber Coordination Centre What is it? (CyCord) portal • It aims to generate awareness and What is it? promote tribal arts and crafts. • The governmnent launched the CyCord • It strives for the socio-economic welfare portal in 2018. of more than 700 Indian tribes, by • It is a platform for the Law Enforcement promoting and making available tribal Agencies and other stakeholders to handcrafted textiles, jewelry, and other collaborate and coordinate their efforts to accessories via global online market resolve cybercrime, and for other cyber spaces. related issues. • It has been launched by Minister of State Why in news? for Tribal Affairs and TRIFED in • The Minister of state for Home affairs association with Amazon Global. highlighted the Cyber Coordination Centre About TRIFED (CyCord) portal as one of the major • The Tribal Cooperative Marketing initiatives of the government against Development Federation of India cyber related issues. (TRIFED) is a national-level apex organization functioning under the 9. Systematic voters education administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs. and electoral participation • TRIFED is engaged in marketing program(SVEEP) development of tribal products including What is it? tribal art and craft under the brand name • It is the flagship program of the Election “TRIBES INDIA”. Commission of India for voter education, spreading voter awareness 7. Khelo India Programme and promoting voter literacy in India. What is it? • It works towards preparing India’s • Under this programme, 2,500 talented electors and equipping them with basic players have been selected and are being knowledge related to the electoral trained. process.

• Talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by the Why in news?

High-Powered Committee will be ▪ A two-day National Conference of SVEEP provided annual financial assistance of Nodal Officers was organized by the INR 5 lakh per annum for 8 years. Election Commission of India to review the strategy and implementation of • The Khelo India programme has been outreach program during Lok Sabha introduced to revive the sports culture in Election 2019 and to chalk out the India at the grass-root level by building a blueprint for the next 5 years. strong framework for all sports played in

our country and establish India as a great sporting nation.

3 10. Information Fusion Centre – • With an aim to encourage digital transfer Indian Ocean Region of funds, the RBI has waived off all charges for transactions using National What is it? Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) and • IFC-IOR is an initiative of the Indian Navy, Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) located in Gurugram, Haryana. systems. • Through this Centre, information on • This move will benefit the small traders “white shipping”, or commercial who deal in small value transactions and shipping, will be exchanged with operate on small margins. countries in the region to improve maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean. 12. Mission on natural language • It acts as a dedicated center for exchange translation of information and understanding the What is it? concerns and threats which are prevalent • The mission tries to make science and in the region. technology accessible to all by facilitating Why in News? access to teaching and researching • The Indian Navy hosted a maritime material bilingually in English and in information sharing workshop under the one's native Indian language. aegis of the Information Fusion Centre — • To overcome the language barrier, the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at government planned to set up an Gurugram. ecosystem which involves the Central and State agencies and start-ups. 11. NEFT and RTGS • To achieve this, the government plans to National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) leverage a combination of machine • NEFT is a payment system facilitating translation and human translation. funds transfers from one bank account to Implementation: another. • The IT ministry along with Ministry of • One can access this service either by using Human Resource Development and Internet banking or by visiting the bank Department of Science and Technology. branch. What’s in the news? • Once we initiate the transfer, the money • Ministry of Electronics and IT is planning reaches the beneficiary account within to initiate the Natural Language hours. Translation mission which is one of the • There is no limit on the minimum or key missions identified by the Prime maximum amount you can transfer, Minister's Science, Technology and however, individual banks may put Innovation Advisory Council (PM- restrictions on a per transaction amount. STIAC). Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) PM-STIAC: • This is a facility used for transferring high • The PM-STIAC is an overarching body that value amounts. identifies challenges in certain areas of science and technology. • In RTGS, the minimum amount that can be currently transferred is Rs 2 lakh. • It then creates a road map to deal with these challenges and presents the • We can only transfer funds using RTGS on recommendations to the Prime Minister. any working day between Monday and Saturday either via internet banking or • Besides natural language translation, bank branch. other missions identified by the body Why in news? includes Quantum Frontier, Artificial intelligence, National Biodiversity

4 mission, electric vehicles, BioScience for Human Health and deep ocean • The focus of Make in India programme is exploration. on creating jobs and skill enhancement in 25 sectors and to create 100 million 13. Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav additional jobs by 2022 in manufacturing What is it? sector. • Under the initiative the government • It also aims at increasing the share of organizes various cultural activities every manufacturing in the country's Gross year throughout the country to promote Domestic Product from 16% to 25% by culture. 2022. • The objective is to protect, preserve & Make in India in defense sector: promote various forms of folk art and for • Defense Procurement Procedure (DPP) creating awareness among people about has been revised in 2016 wherein specific the cultural heritage of our country. provisions have been introduced for Implementing Agency stimulating growth of the domestic • There are seven Zonal Cultural Centers defense industry. (ZCCs) to promote cultural development o Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously programmes for which annual grant-in- Designed, Developed and aid is given to them by the Government of Manufactured): It has been India. introduced to promote indigenous Why in News? design and development of defense equipment. Any • This year Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav equipment manufactured under was organized in Kumbh Mela at this category will be given a top Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (January to priority for procurement for March, 2019). defense needs.

o Strategic Partnership (SP) 14. Make in India initiative in Model: The strategic partnership Defense Sector model seeks to identify a few What is Make in India? Indian private companies as • Make in India is a national program Strategic Partners who would designed to transform India into a global initially tie up with a few manufacturing hub. shortlisted foreign Original • It contains lot of proposals designed to Equipment Manufacturers urge companies (both local and foreign) to (OEMs) to manufacture big-ticket invest in India and make the country a military platforms. In the initial manufacturing powerhouse. For example, phase, the selection of SPs would below are some of the initiatives be confined to four segments: undertaken Fighter Aircraft, Helicopters, o Investor Facilitation Cell Submarines, and Armoured o Reforms in FDI Fighting Vehicles (AFV)/Main o Make in India web portal: It Battle Tanks (MBT). intends to answer all investor • Innovations for Defence Excellence queries. Apart from a set of (iDEX): An innovation ecosystem for comprehensive FAQs, the website defence research and development has also has a team of support, that been launched. answers all specific queries within • Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti: Aims to 72 hours provide boost to the IPR culture in indigenous defence industry.

5 • Defence industrial corridors: o Confederation of Indian Industry Government has decided to establish two (CII) and (in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) to o Federation of Indian Chambers of serve as an engine of economic Commerce and Industry (FICCI) development and growth of defence • It aims to establish and operate national industrial base in the country. accreditation structure and promote quality through National Quality Campaign. 15. India National Platform on • The Department for promotion of Industrial & Internal trade, Ministry of Private on Sustainability Commerce & Industry, is the nodal Standards ministry for QCI. What is it? • Chairman of QCI is appointed by the • It is a platform to facilitate dialogue Prime Minister on recommendation of between core public and private the industry to the government. stakeholders on how to maximize the • QCI has also been identified as the nodal sustainable development benefits. agency for PSS by the Government of • It is a platform to resolve issues in the India. domain of Private Sustainability Standards and help increase export 16. Corporate Average Fuel capacity of India. Why is it needed? Efficiency/Economy • In the Indian context, there are claims of regulations PSS’s positive impact on value chain What is it? sustainability, market access benefits and • CAFE or Corporate Average Fuel on livelihoods of people. Efficiency/Economy regulations aim at • But on the other hand they are perceived lowering fuel consumption (or to be non-tariff trade barriers due to the improving fuel efficiency) of vehicles by high cost of compliance. lowering CO2 emissions, thus serving the Stakeholders: twin purposes of reducing dependence on • INPPSS has been launched by the oil for fuel and controlling pollution. Ministry of Commerce and the United • In India, it was proposed by the Ministry Nations Forum on Sustainability of Power, in collaboration with the Standards – an initiative of 5 UN Bureau of Energy Efficiency. agencies: (UNCTAD, ITC, UNIDO, FAO, & • From 1 April 2017, India adopted CAFE UN Environment). norms, which require cars to be 30% or • It is under the sectorial oversight of more fuel efficient from 2022 and 10% or Quality Council of India (QCI). more between 2017 and 2021. About the Quality Council of India (QCI): Why in News? • Quality Council of India (QCI) is an • The government is looking to target autonomous body. cleaner air through stricter CAFE norms. • It was setup jointly by the Government of India and the Indian Industry 17. Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation represented by the three premier industry Project associations i.e. What’s in the news? o Associated Chambers of • Telangana Chief Minister K Commerce and Industry of India Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurated the (ASSOCHAM), Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project across the Godavari river.

6 • Touted as the world's largest multi-stage • The four distinct technology layers multi-purpose scheme, the project will provided are provide irrigation facility to 45 lakh acres o Presence less layer : Where a and support Mission Bhagiratha and universal biometric digital identity Mission Kakatiya schemes of the allows people to participate in any Telangana government which aim to service from anywhere in the provide drinking water to many villages country. and improve the capacities of tanks o Paperless layer: Where digital respectively. records move with an individual's What is Lift Irrigation? digital identity, eliminating the • Lift irrigation is a method of irrigation in need for massive amount of paper which water is not transported by natural collection and storage. flow, (as in gravity-fed canal) but is lifted o Cashless layer: Where a single with pumps or surge pools etc. interface to all the country's bank • The advantage of lift irrigation is the accounts and wallets to minimal land acquisition problem and low democratize payments. water losses. o Consent layer: Which allows data to move freely and securely to democratize the market for data. • The following APIs are considered to be a core part of the India Stack. o Aadhaar Authentication o Aadhaar e-KYC o eSign o Digital Locker o Unified Payment Interface (UPI), etc 18. IndiaStack Why in news? What is it? • UN in its ‘The Age of Digital • IndiaStack is a set of Application Interdependence’ report lauded the role Programming Interface that allows played by India Stack in helping governments, businesses, startups and government agencies achieve economic developers to utilise a unique digital inclusion in India. infrastructure to solve India's hard problems towards presence-less, paperless and cashless service delivery.

7 ENVIRONMENT emission of air pollutants from motor 1. Bangkok Declaration vehicles. • As the stage goes up, the control on What is it? emissions become stricter. • ASEAN countries have signed the • Thus Bharat Stage VI norms are two “Bangkok Declaration” on fighting stages ahead of the present Bharat Stage maritime waste. IV norms in regulating emissions. • It is a first of its kind which promises to • These norms are based on similar norms prevent and significantly reduce marine in Europe called Euro 4 and Euro 6. debris. How is BS6 different from BS4? What is the need? • A vital difference between BS6 and the • According to a 2015 report co-authored outgoing BS4 fuel is that the BS6 fuel by environmental campaigner Ocean contains 5 times fewer sulphur traces Conservancy ASEAN members Indonesia, (10 parts per million) compared to BS4 Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, along (50 ppm). with the worst offender China, throw the • NOx (Nitrogen Oxide) level will be most plastic waste into oceans. brought down by a staggering 70% for What is ASEAN? Diesel engine and 25% for Petrol Engines. • Association of South East Asian Nations • The BS6 brings along a plethora of (ASEAN) is a regional & changes, most significant being the intergovernmental organisation of 10 mandatory OBD (Onboard Diagnostics) countries of southeast Asia. for all vehicles. • Its members are Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, • RDE (Real Driving Emission) will be Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, introduced for the first time that will Myanmar, Philippines, Brunei and measure the vehicle’s emission in real- Vietnam. They work towards progress of world conditions against simulated the southeast Asia region. conditions. Other Conventions related to ocean: • Introduction of DPF (Diesel Particulate • Marpol convention: It is the main Filter) and SCR (Selective Catalytic international convention covering Reduction) for Diesel engines. prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or • So a transition from BS 4 to BS 6 requires accidental causes. modification both in the fuel and in the vehicle engine. • The convention was adopted in 1973 at What’s in the news? the International Maritime Organization. • The government is taking necessary steps • Solas convention: The International to implement Bharat Stage (BS)-6 Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea emission norms from 2020. (SOLAS), 1974, is an international maritime safety treaty. SOLAS requires • The vehicular pollution which is 28 to 30 flag states to ensure that their ships per cent of air pollution will be reduced comply with minimum safety standards in drastically after implementation of BS-6 construction, equipment, and operation. norms from 2020.

• India has ratified both the convention. 3. Ranganathittu bird sanctuary About: 2. Bharat stage • Ranganathittu Bird sanctuary is located in What are Bharat Stage norms? Mandya district of Karnataka. The • The Bharat Stage are standards instituted by the government to regulate the

8 sanctuary comprises of six islets in the Why in News? Cauvery river. • The devastating flood in river Cauvery in • The large cormorant, darter, spoonbill, 2018 destroyed the bird sanctuary by open-billed stork, painted stork, egret, uprooting trees and erosion of soil on the heron, and the lesser whistling teal are islets. some of the famous birds of this area. • The forest department has taken an Over 200 different migratory birds visit initiative to restore the sanctuary by this place every year. expanding the islets through soil • It is also declared as “Important bird stabilization using mud bags, boulders site” by Birdlife International (a non- etc. profit organisation working for the avian conversation).

4. Polyethylene terephthalate original. Down cycling is reuse of an item (PET) that results in something of lesser value than the original. What are PET plastics?

• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a general-purpose thermoplastic (plastic 5. Practical road map for electric which can be reused by heating and vehicles cooling). India’s agenda on vehicles • Polyester resins are known for their • The government is planning to ban sale of excellent combination of properties such internal combustion engine (ICE) three- as mechanical, thermal, chemical wheelers by 2023 as well as of less than resistance as well as dimensional 150 cc two-wheelers by 2025. stability. • India is jumping directly from Bharat • According to the United Nations, around Stage IV to Bharat Stage VI. The 300 million tonnes of plastic are gestation period to move is very less for produced every year. Of this, eight million manufacturers. tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the • Scheme for Faster Adoption and oceans. PET bottles are the main Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric contributors to plastic waste globally and Vehicles in India (FAME India) (under in India. ministry of heavy industries and public Why in News? enterprises) is already in place for the • The sportswear manufacturer ADIDAS is promotion of electric vehicles. establishing unit in Maharashtra which • The Centre launched the EV@30 can upcycle PET bottles to sportswear. campaign to set a collective aspirational The upcycling process consumes 86% less goal for all Electric Vehicles Initiative water and 75% less energy than (EVI) members to have EVs contribute to conventional manufacturing. 30 percent of all vehicle sales by 2030. • India has best PET material collection Why in News? rate at nearly 80%, but a good portion of • CII and SIAM have asked government to these bottles are down cycled. step up realistic targets in automobile Upcycling vs Down cycling sector. • There are two common methods of • They have asked for a well laid out recycling something: Upcycling and Down roadmap for an ambitious EV rollout over cycling. a practical time frame along with an • Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, integrated plan for setting up the is reuse of an item that results in necessary infrastructure across the something of greater value than the

9 length and breadth of the country, in ● It is an initiative started in 2011 by consultation with all stakeholders. Germany and IUCN to bring 150 million About SIAM hectares of the world’s deforested and • The Society of Indian Automobile degraded land into restoration by 2020, Manufacturers (SIAM) is a not for profit and 350 million hectares by 2030. apex national body representing all major ● It uses Forest landscape restoration vehicle and vehicular engine approach (FLR) aims to restore manufacturers in India. ecological integrity at the same time as About CII improving human well-being through • The Confederation of Indian Industry multifunctional landscapes. (CII) is a non-government, not-for-profit, Forest landscape restoration approach industry-led and industry-managed (FLR) organization, playing a proactive role in ● FLR is defined as a process that aims to India's development process. regain ecological functionality and • CII works with the government in policy enhance human well-being in making and provides businesses deforested or degraded landscapes. perspective. ● FLR is more than just planting trees – it is restoring a whole landscape to meet 6. UN meeting on land present and future needs and to offer multiple benefits and land uses over degradation time. What is Desertification? Why in News? ● Desertification is not the natural ● India is hosting the 14th CoP of UNCCD expansion of existing deserts but the in September 2019 in Delhi. degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, ● India has launched a flagship program and dry sub-humid areas. to integrate with Bonn Challenge and ● It is a gradual process of soil work towards FLR. productivity loss and the thinning out of the vegetative cover because of human activities and climatic variations such as 7. Large hydro power projects prolonged droughts and floods. What is it? What is UNCCD? ● Any hydropower projects which ● Established in 1994, the United Nations generates more than 25MW is Convention to Combat Desertification considered as large HEP (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding ● Previously it was not considered as international agreement linking renewable energy. Only the hydro power environment and development to projects under 25MW potential was in sustainable land management. the renewable energy category. ● The Convention addresses specifically Inclusion of Large Hydropower in the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid renewable energy areas, known as the dry lands, where ● The renewable enegr sector accounted some of the most vulnerable for 20.6 per cent of India’s total energy ecosystems and peoples can be found. production, but the next day, the share ● The Convention’s 197 parties work jumped to over 33 per cent. together to improve the living ● This became possible because on March conditions for people in drylands, to 7 the Union Cabinet brought all hydro maintain and restore land and soil projects of more than 25 MW capacity productivity, and to mitigate the effects under the renewables category. of drought. Reviving the sector What is the Bonn Challenge?

10 ● This would help revive the ailing ● Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, is a people- hydropower sector as the Discoms and centric law for forests, which “recognises” other big users will be forced to buy the rights of forest- dwelling communities hydropower through Hydropower to use and manage forest resources. Purchase Obligations (HPOS)—a tool ● With more than 150 million forest to make Discoms and power plants buy dwellers, the scope of FRA is immense to hydropower. protect their livelihoods, and engage them Hydropower Purchase Obligations in sustainable forest management. (HPOS) Rights under FRA: ● HPOs have been conceptualised along ● Title rights – Ownership to land that is the lines of Renewable Purchase being farmed by tribals or forest dwellers Obligations (RPOs), which were subject to a maximum of 4 hectares; introduced in 2008 in the form of ownership is only for land that is actually Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). being cultivated by the concerned family, ● All Discoms and power plants are meaning that no new lands are granted. obligated to buy a certain amount of ● Use rights – to minor forest produce renewable power every year (the (also including ownership), to grazing percentage varies annually) and if they areas, to pastoralist routes, etc. do not buy it, they have to purchase ● Relief and development rights – to equivalent RECs. HPOs have been rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or announced as a separate entity within forced displacement; and basic amenities, non-solar RPOs. subject to restrictions for forest protection. 8. Heat Waves ● Forest management rights – to protect Why in news? forests and wildlife. ● Heat wave has intensified in several parts Eligibility: of the country like Odisha, Maharashtra, ● Eligibility to get rights under the Act is Telangana, etc. confined to those who “primarily reside What is a Heat Wave? in forests” and who depend on forests ● A Heat Wave is a period of abnormally and forest land for a livelihood. high temperatures, more than the ● Further, either the claimant must be a normal maximum temperature that member of the Scheduled Tribes occurs during the summer season in the scheduled in that area or must have been North-Western parts of India. residing in the forest for 75 years. ● Heat Waves typically occur between Process of recognition of rights: March and June, and in some rare cases ● The Act provides that the gram sabha, or even extend till July. village assembly, will initially pass a ● The extreme temperatures and resultant resolution recommending whose rights to atmospheric conditions adversely affect which resources should be recognised. people living in these regions as they ● This resolution is then screened and cause physiological stress, sometimes approved at the level of the sub-division resulting in death. (or taluka) and subsequently at the ● There is no universal definition for heat district level. wave. It is generally defined as a ● The screening committees consist of prolonged period of excessive heat. three government officials (Forest, Revenue and Tribal Welfare 9. Forest rights Act departments) and three elected members of the local body at that level. These Forest Rights Act (FRA): committees also hear appeals. Issue in FRA:

11 ● But getting legal right to dwell in the Odisha and Madhya Pradesh are being forest included an official process of used through top-down and heavy- settling the land claim. handed decision making, sidelining ● Considering that 13 years is a long time to mining-affected people and their most complete the official trail, the apex court pressing needs. inferred that people whose settlement PESA: rights had not been accepted must be ● In addition, the Panchayats (Extension to evicted. the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) 1996, ● It also ordered states to give a report on emphasises people’s engagement for the action taken against the claimants governing natural resources through local whose claims had been rejected. level institutions such as gram sabhas. Why in news? ● Implementation of FRA and DMF is tied to ● Ironically, the order for eviction comes PESA, requiring gram sabhas’ active from a case on the validity of the Forest engagement. Rights Act (FRA), which for the first time, Way forward: 13 years ago, granted tribal communities ● The main reason for passing of such the right of settlement in forest areas. Till eviction order is to save the forest then, they were regarded as resources from exploitation. “encroachers”. ● But it should be noted that these forest ● In February, the Supreme Court ordered dwellers were able to live in harmony the eviction of lakhs of people belonging with nature for a long period of time. to the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other ● Thus appropriate action now would be to Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) strengthen the community rights and to categories across 16 States, whose claim include them in the governance process. as forest-dwellers has been rejected under the Forest Rights Act. 10. Agenda 21 ● The court directed that the eviction be What is it? carried out by July, 2019. ● In 1992, 178 countries adopted Agenda

21 that emerged from the Earth Summit Other rights available to the forest or United Nations Conference on dwellers: Environment and Development District mineral foundation(DMF): (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. ● Similarly, in recognition of the rights of ● Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of local communities to benefit from mineral action to be taken globally, nationally and resource extraction, the Mines and locally by organizations of the United Minerals (Development and Nations System, Governments, and Major Regulation) Act (MMDR 1957) was Groups in every area in which human amended in 2015 to institute District impacts on the environment. Mineral Foundation(DMF) as a ● It is a global partnership to encourage mechanism of benefit sharing. countries to make a transition to ● DMFs must work for the interest and sustaining life on Earth. benefit of people in the areas affected by ● It is not a binding resolution. mining, through an inclusive and About the resolution:. participatory process. ● It pointed at the unsustainable patterns ● With mandatory contributions from of production and consumption, and mining companies, currently there are recognised the need to develop effective more than 27,000 crores in DMFs across ways to dispose mounting waste. all mining districts. ● It stressed on revisiting the root cause of ● Problem: DMF funds in many top mining changing consumption patterns and districts in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh,

12 focussed on reducing waste, apart from groundwater and surface water pollution, environmentally-sound recycling. if not treated properly Important for India: Categorization of industrial sectors based ● Developed countries started discussing on pollution by CPCB: ways to move from a linear flow of Pollution Index Category materials (resource-product-waste) to a circular flow (resource-product-recycled 60 and above Red resources). ● But the picture is different in India, still 41 to 59 Orange struggling to manage its waste. Poor implementation of rules is creating a 21 to 40 Green waste burden which may soon become a huge liability. State of India’s Environment 2019: Upto 20 White ● 46% of India’s solid waste remains Why in news? untreated. ● Centre for Science and Environment’s ● 22 States have reported protests against innovative Green Rating Project (GRP) waste dumping in the past three years. assessed the fertiliser manufacturing Regulatory framework: sector in 2018- 19. ● The country has a near-perfect regulatory ● All of India’s 23 operational urea plants framework on waste. were surveyed for the project. GRP rated ● Under the Environment Protection Act them on six categories comprising 54 (EPA), 1986, seven rules on waste have indicators covering their entire life been notified. cycle— from environmental impact of ● But on all the waste issues, lack of raw material sourcing to the final enforcement is the biggest problem. product. ● The sector as a whole received an average score of 43% in energy use and GHG 11. Pollution caused by Fertiliser emissions, but some of the plants are comparable to the global best. Industry Green rating project: Pollution from fertilizer industry: ● The Green Rating Project (GRP) is an ● The fertiliser sector is a significant effort to rate industrial units within a contributor to India’s GHG emissions. specific sector on the basis of their ● Natural gas is the major raw material for environment friendliness. ammonia manufacturing and hence for ● The project aims at encouraging urea. companies to adopt better environment ● The urea industry, with 30 per cent, is the management policies. biggest consumer of natural gas in India. Green leaves award: Natural gas is commonly used as ● Also, the Centre for Science and feedstock and fuel, a cleaner fuel Environment has been rating industrial compared to naphtha. But the sector still sectors through its Green Leaves Award. has three naphtha based plants. ● “5 Leaves”are for best performers. Fertilizer industry by CPCB: ● The urea sector as a whole received “3 ● It is classified under the “red category” Leaves”—an average performance. of polluting sectors by CPCB. ● Of the 23 plants rated, only one managed ● Wastewater generated at urea plants to bag “4 Leaves” Award. contains ammoniacal and Kjeldahl ● About two-thirds of the plants received “3 nitrogen, and cyanides in varying Leaves” concentrations, which can lead to

13 ● Four plants received just “1 Leaf”. in 2017 by the Convention on Centre for Science and Environment: International Trade in Endangered ● Centre for Science and Environment Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or (CSE) is a not-for-profit public interest CITES. research and advocacy organisation ● Data collected from 2017 to 2018 by the based in New Delhi. Export Promotion Council for ● It works as a think tank on environment- Handicrafts shows that India’s development issues in India, poor international trade in shisham (Dalbergia planning, climate shifts devastating sissoo), a type of rosewood, was `617 India's Sundarbans and advocates for crore, against the potential of 1,000 policy changes and better implementation crore. of the already existing policies. Illegal trade: Central pollution control board: ● The reason for the dip is the decision to ● The Central Pollution Control Board include the entire Dalbergia genus under (CPCB) of India is a statutory Appendix II of CITES, which has species organisation under the Ministry of where trade must be controlled to avoid Environment and Forests (MoEF). overexploitation. ● It was established in 1974 under the ● The decision was taken at the last CITES Water (Prevention and Control of conference of the parties (CoP 17) after pollution) Act, 1974. several African and Latin American ● CPCB is also entrusted with the powers countries said illegal international trade and functions under the Air (Prevention in rosewood, fuelled primarily due to and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. rising Chinese demand, was decimating ● It serves as a field formation and also rosewood populations throughout its provides technical services to the range. Ministry of Environment and Forests ● The countries added that because all under the provisions of the Environment types of rosewood look alike, the entire (Protection) Act, 1986. genus should be included to curb illegal ● It Coordinates the activities of the State trade. Pollution Control Boards by providing Why in news?: technical assistance and guidance and ● India has sent a proposal to CITES ahead also resolves disputes among them. of the upcoming CoP 18 that trade of individual species should be regulated, 12. Sisham and not the entire genus, based on their What is it? conservation status. ● Shisham is a medium to large deciduous ● India has two species of Dalbergia, of tree, native to India. which D latifolia (Indian rosewood) is ● Shisham is best known internationally as classified as vulnerable, while shisham a premier timber species of the rosewood is widely grown by farmers. genus. ● India wants to deregulate the trade of ● After teak, it is the most important shisham. cultivated timber tree in India, planted on Convention on Illegal Trade in Endangered roadsides, and as a shade tree for tea Species (CITES): plantations. ● It is an international agreement aimed at ● It is also used to make various kinds of ensuring that international trade in artifacts. specimens of wild animals and plants Dip is exports: does not threaten their survival. ● Rosewood artisans in India have been ● It is also referred to as Washington badly hit by trade regulations introduced Convention(Washington resolution adopted during IUCN meet).

14 ● It is legally binding on the Parties, but it ● Freshwater comes from 52 small and does not take the place of national laws of large rivers that drain into the lake, parties. States have to adopt their own largely from Daya and Bhargavi rivers. domestic legislation to implement its ● The lake’s salinity varies—from 0 in the goals. northern sector, where there is complete ● It is administered through the United freshwater, to 33 in the mouth, which is Nations Environment Programme complete saltwater. (UNEP), Geneva, Switzerland. ● This delicate salinity gradient between Appendix I: different parts of the lake supports a wide ● Most endangered plants and animals. variety of ecosystems. ● Examples include gorillas, giant pandas ● Any disturbance to this salinity gradient etc.,. either by incursion of more freshwater, ● They are threatened with extinction and polluted water or seawater can be CITES prohibits international trade in detrimental to the health and survival of specimens of these species except when myriad species of plants and animals that the purpose of the import is not Chilika supports. commercial, for instance for scientific Chilika in Montreux record: research. ● For its wealth of biodiversity, Chilika was Appendix II: recognised as the first site in India under ● Not necessarily now threatened with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of extinction but that may become so unless International Importance in 1981. trade is closely controlled. ● But in 1993, it was included in the ● Most CITES species are listed in this Montreux Record as a threatened Appendix. ecosystem whose character was changing ● It also includes "look-alike species", i.e. due to heavy influx of freshwater from the species whose specimens in trade look rivers upstream. Between 1975 and 2001, like those of species listed for the water level in Chilika had risen by 1 conservation reasons. metre to 1.5 metres, which was mostly ● International trade in specimens of due to freshwater ingress. Appendix-II species may be authorized by About Montreux record: the granting of an export permit or re- ● The Montreux Record is a register of export certificate. wetland sites on the List of Ramsar Appendix III wetlands of international importance ● List of species that are included at the where changes in ecological character request of a party. have occurred, are occurring, or are likely ● Trade is allowed with the presentation of to occur as a result of technological documents. developments, pollution or other human interference. 13. Chilika lake ● It is a voluntary mechanism to highlight About the lake: specific wetlands of international ● Chilika is the largest brackish water importance that are facing immediate lake in Asia. challenges. It is maintained as part of the ● The salt content or salinity, comes from List of Ramsar wetlands of international seawater that enters the lagoon from a importance. small inlet that runs parallel to the sea ● Currently Keoladeo National Park and and opens up at a place known as the Keibul lamjao national park are being mouth. kept under the record for taking appropriate steps for ecological restoration. Restoration

15 ● To counter this, the Chilika Development Chilika lake, Odisha. Now there are totally Authority (CDA) opened up a new mouth six mouths. This might again change the to the sea in 2001, successfully ecological character of Chilika. restoring its character. ● The dredging of the new inlet and mouth 14. Kheoni sanctuary increased fish production and gave a new About the sanctuary: lease of life to almost 0.2 million fisher ● Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary is located in folk who are dependent on Chilika for Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh. survival. For example, between the 1950s ● It is connected to Ratapani Tiger and the 1980s, there was no water Reserve through corridors. Its dry hyacinth in Chilika, but after the new deciduous forest consists of teak, tendu inlet was opened the plant flourished, and bamboo. creating a positive cascading effect for ● It has fauna of Nilgai, Palm civet, Striped aquatic species that live around Hyena etc. hyacinths. Why in News? ● After a range of interventions, primarily ● For the first time 5 tigers were spotted in the successful dredging of lake-mouth, it the sanctuary. was removed from the Montreux Record ● ‘Being breeding ground of herbivores in 2002. animals, it provides a suitable Why in news? environment for tigers. ● Due to waves of intense energy lashed by the extreme severe cyclone, Fani, on May 3, four new mouths have opened up in the

16 ORGANISATIONS

1. Council of Europe Commission and the Gulf Cooperation About Council of Europe: Council. • The Council of Europe is a leading human Grey list of FATF: rights organization whose aim is to • Member countries that have deficiencies uphold human rights, democracy and the in their anti-money laundering and rule of law in Europe. counter terrorist financing (AML/CTF) • Founded in 1949, it includes 47 member regimes but they commit to an action states, 28 of which are members of the plan to address these loopholes European Union. • Now, 12 countries are on the grey list, Background: including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria and • Russia was stripped of its voting rights Yemen. after Russia's annexation of Crimea in Black list of FATF: 2014. • Member countries that have deficiencies • Russia responded by boycotting the in their anti-money laundering and assembly. It had threatened to quit the counter terrorist financing (AML/CTF) body altogether if it is not allowed to take regimes and those that do not end up part in the upcoming election. doing enough. Why in News? • As of now there are only two countries in • Despite strong opposition from Ukraine, the blacklist — Iran and North Korea. the Parliamentary Assembly of the Why in News? Council of Europe has voted in favor of • Pakistan has been under the FATF’s restoring Russia's voting rights, five years scanner since last June, when it was put after they were revoked. on the grey list for terror financing and money laundering risks. 2. Financial Action Task Force • The FATF President said that Pakistan could be put on the blacklist if it did not (FATF) follow the 27-point check-list on bringing About Financial Action Task Force in stricter laws to curb the access of funds • It is an intergovernmental organization to terror groups inside the country. that designs and promotes policies and • Pakistan has already missed two standards to combat financial crime. deadlines and decision in this regard • Recommendations created by the FATF would be taken in October 2019 where target Pakistan will be assessed on the actions o Money laundering they have taken. o Terrorist financing How will it affect Pakistan? o Other threats to the global • While grey list includes countries which financial system. are considered as safe havens for • The FATF has developed a series supporting terror funding and money of recommendations that are recognised laundering, blacklisting will mean severe as the international standard for strictures on the country’s banks and combating of money laundering and the credit rating, as well as access to loans financing of terrorism and proliferation of and foreign investments. weapons of mass destruction. • The FATF was created in 1989 by the G7 3. Regional Comprehensive countries and is headquartered in Paris. • There are 39 members, including India Economic Partnership (RCEP) and two regional organisations- European What is RCEP?

17 • Regional Comprehensive Economic prefer to conclude the RCEP pact with 13 Partnership is an economic grouping of countries that are willing to join the ASEAN’s 10 members, plus India, immediately, and allow outliers India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Australia and New Zealand to join the New Zealand. pact at a future date. • Once concluded, RCEP will create a zero- • Other countries in the grouping have also customs duty zone that contributes 34% been nudging India to show progress on of GDP and 40% of world trade. The RCEP negotiations in time for a proposed region is also home to almost half of the final declaration in November this year. world’s population. Note: In November 2019, India • Negotiations have been going on since announced its decision to exit the RCEP 2013, with one of the major issues being agreement. India’s reluctance to open up its markets. Concerns of India 4. United Nations Security • Imbalance in the negotiations between goods and services is the main concern Council (UNSC) for India. Member countries are putting About UNSC pressure on India to commit to zero • The United Nations Security Council tariffs on more than 90 percent of (UNSC) was established in 1946 as one of tradable goods with few exemptions. the six principal organs of the UN. It is • However, they remain reluctant to India’s generally viewed as the apex of the UN proposal to allow free movement of system. Indian skilled professionals in the RCEP • It is responsible for the maintenance of region. They are not ready to go beyond international peace and security. 60% of services to bring unde;r the pact. • Its powers include the establishment of • Indian industries are worried that with peacekeeping operations, the RCEP allowing a wide range of goods to establishment of international import at zero tariffs, Chinese goods will sanctions, and the authorization of flood India. It will cause serious damage military action through Security Council to the “Make in India” programme. resolutions. • Already India’s trade deficit with China • It is the only UN body with the authority is unsustainable at $63 billion in 2017-18. to issue binding resolutions to member India has trade deficits with other RCEP states. nations, too, such as South Korea ($11.9 Membership billion) and Australia ($10.2 billion). • UNSC consists of 15 Members and each Opportunities for India member has one vote. • Despite these concerns, RCEP will offer • The council has five permanent India an opportunity to engage with members (P-5) United States, Russia, China. China, United Kingdom and France. • It will give India a chance to stall some of • These permanent members can veto any its unfair practices such as giving substantive Security Council resolutions, subsidies unethically and stalling Indian including those on the admission of new products, such as pharmaceutical, on the member states. pretext of quality control. • The Security Council also has 10 non- • RCEP will give Indian exporters a window permanent members, elected on a to be a part of global value chains. regional basis. Each year the 193-member Why in News? UN General Assembly (UNGA) elects five • Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir non-permanent members for a two-year Mohammed said that Malaysia would term.

18 • The body's presidency rotates monthly • Indo-Pacific Quadrilateral is a closed among its members. group consisting of India, Australia, Japan Why in News? & USA. • India's candidature for a non-permanent • Japan pioneered the initiative about a seat at the UNSC for a two-year term has decade ago as a coalition of maritime been unanimously endorsed by the 55- democracies. member Asia-Pacific grouping at the • Securing a rule-based global order, United Nations, including China and liberal trading system and freedom of Pakistan. navigation are believed to the guiding • Elections for five non-permanent principles. members of the UNSC for the 2021-22 • It is being viewed as response to terms will be held around June next year. increased Chinese economic and military • India will need the vote of two-thirds of power. the 193 UN General Assembly members to win a non-permanent seat on the UNSC. • India has already held a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for seven terms.

5. Kimberley Process (KP) About Kimberley Process

• The Kimberley Process (KP) is a multilateral trade regime established Why in News? in 2003 with the goal of preventing the • Australia’s High Commissioner in India flow of conflict diamonds. asserted that there is a need for flexibility, • The core of this regime is the Kimberley agility and speed in solving regional Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) problems and the Quad is one of many under which States implement such small groupings in solving them. safeguards on shipments of rough • Australia expressed its willingness to diamonds and certify them as “conflict India in joining the Malabar Naval free". Exercise (a trilateral naval exercise What are conflict diamonds? involving the United States, Japan and • “Conflict” or "blood" diamonds are India). illegally traded to fund conflict in war- • But India has not responded positively to torn areas, particularly in central and Australia’s request to join the Malabar western Africa. exercises. • Apart from the innocent people caught • However, the two countries have up in the conflicts that the trade fuels, expanded bilateral military cooperation thousands of men, women and children over the last few years. in countries such as Sierra Leone are • The latest edition of the bilateral naval used as slaves to extract diamonds. exercise AUSINDEX in April saw the Why in News? largest deployment of Australian military • India hosted the Kimberley Process assets to India in peacetime. Inter-sessional Meeting-2019 in Mumbai. • India is also the KP chair for 2019. 7. Shanghai cooperation organization (SCO) 6. QUAD About SCO About QUAD

19 • SCO is a permanent intergovernmental o Foreign Exchange Management international organisation established in Act, 1999 (FEMA). 2001. • Apart from investigating and prosecuting • It’s a Eurasian political, economic and the cases of money laundering and FEMA military organisation aiming to maintain act, it also gives the cooperation to peace, security and stability in the region. foreign entities in the matter of money • Prior to the creation of SCO in 2001, laundering and restoration of assets. Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and Tajikistan were members of the • The Government enacted PML Act to Shanghai Five. prevent money-laundering and to provide • Following the accession of Uzbekistan to for confiscation of property derived from the organisation in 2001, the Shanghai or involved in, money-laundering. Five was renamed the SCO. • The Directorate of Enforcement in the • India and Pakistan became members in Department of Revenue, Ministry of 2017. Finance is responsible for investigating • The SCO Secretariat, based in Beijing, is the offences of money laundering under the main permanent executive body of the the PMLA. The authority has the power to SCO. carry out measures like survey, search, Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure and seizure and arrest the accused. • The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (RATS) is a permanent organ of the SCO • In India, all transactions that include which serves to promote cooperation of foreign exchange are regulated by member states against the three evils of the Foreign Exchange Management Act terrorism, separatism and extremism. (FEMA), 1999. • It is headquartered in Tashkent. • It repealed the Foreign Exchange • The head of RATS is elected for a three- Regulations Act (FERA),1973. year term. • FEMA has been enacted to facilitate Why in News? external trade and payments and to • Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and promote the orderly development and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in maintenance of foreign exchange market. Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, where • Enforcement agency: Directorate of they will participate in the summit of the Enforcement Shanghai Cooperation Organisation What is Money laundering? (SCO). During the meet they decided to • Money laundering is the process of speed up the Boundary negotiation making large amounts of money process. generated by a criminal activity, such as drug trafficking or terrorist funding, 8. Enforcement Directorate (ED) appear to have come from a legitimate What is the Directorate of Enforcement source. (ED)? • It is the process through which illicit • Directorate of Enforcement is a non- money (black) is converted into statutory, specialized financial accounted money (white) investigation agency under the Why in News? Department of Revenue, Ministry of • The Enforcement Directorate has filed a Finance. charge-sheet against Zakir Naik in a • It enforces, money laundering case. o Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) 9. GST Council

20 About GST Council lakh in case of North-Eastern States). A • It is a constitutional body created by service provider can opt for the scheme if Article 279A (1) his taxable turnover is up to ₹50 lakh. • It is a joint forum of the Centre and the • The applicable tax rates under the States with regards to GST. composition scheme are 1 per cent of Composition of GST turnover in case of manufacturers and • Chairperson – Union Finance Minister traders, 5 per cent in the case of • Members: Union Minister of State, in- restaurants (not serving alcohol) and 6 charge of Revenue or Finance per cent for other service providers. • Other Members: The Minister in- • Businesses with inter-State supplies, charge of finance or taxation/any other manufacturers of ice cream, pan masala Minister nominated by each State. and tobacco, and e-commerce players Voting cannot opt for the composition scheme. • The state governments have a share of • Companies opting to file only four tax 2/3rd of the total votes and the centre returns in a year (a normal taxpayer has to file 37 returns under GST), thereby has the remaining 1/3rd. reducing the tax compliance burden and • Each state has one vote irrespective of cost of small firms. their size. • However, a Composition scheme firm is • Decisions of GST council are made by not allowed to avail input tax credit of th voting with a 3/4 majority. GST. Why in News? • The GST Council at its latest meeting has 10. Financial Stability and decided to use Aadhaar as the identity and address proof required for Development Council (FSDC) registration for GST. What is FSDC? • The GST registration limit threshold is • Financial Stability and Development increased from Rs 20 Lakh to 40 Lakh. Council (FSDC) is an apex-level body constituted to strengthen and • The Composition scheme is extended for small service providers (turnover institutionalize the mechanism for up to Rs 50 lakh). Till recently, it was maintaining financial stability. applicable only to manufacturers • It is chaired by the Union Finance whose taxable business turnover is up Minister of India. to Rs 1.5 crore. • Its members include the heads of financial sector regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA, • In addition, the tenure of the National IRDA), Finance Secretary and/or Anti-Profiteering Authority has been Secretary, Department of Economic extended by two years to near the end of Affairs, Secretary, Department of 2020. The anti-profiteering authority Financial Services, and Chief Economic deals with complaints by consumers Adviser. against companies for not passing on What it does? GST rate cut benefits. What is Composition scheme under GST? • The Council deals with issues relating to financial stability, financial sector • The Composition scheme is an easy, low development, inter–regulatory procedure and compliance friendly tax coordination, financial literacy, financial scheme for small and medium inclusion and macro prudential enterprises. supervision of the economy, including the • The composition scheme is applicable to functioning of large financial manufacturers or traders whose taxable conglomerates. business turnover is up to ₹1.5 crore (₹75

21 • No funds are separately allocated to the • The 20th Meeting of the Financial Council for undertaking its activities. Stability and Development Council (FSDC) Why in news? was held under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister of Finance.

11. National Disaster • Formed in 1983, it serves eight regional Management Authority member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region— (NDMA) Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, About NDMA: India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. • NDMA is the apex authority to look after • It is based in Nepal. the disaster management in the country. Why in News? • It is a statutory body under the Disaster • The International Centre for Integrated Management Act, 2005. Mountain Development (ICIMOD) • It is headed by the Prime Minister. recently released the Hindu Kush • Other members: a Vice Chairman with the Himalaya Assessment report. status of Cabinet Minister, and eight Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment report members with the status of Ministers of • More than 1.9 billion people across 8 State. countries are dependent on the rivers • It is mandated to lay down the policies, flowing from the Himalayan region. plans, and guidelines for Disaster • As temperatures soar the Himalayan Management to ensure a timely and region is more vulnerable due to its effective response to disasters. higher altitude. National Crisis Management Committee • A global temperature increase of 1.5ºC • It looks after the effective implementation could mean at least a 1.8ºC temperature of the plans formed for mitigation and rise in the Hindu Kush Himalayas. management of the disaster. • The melting of glaciers can make • It is headed by the Cabinet Secretary. flooding severe, affect the monsoon, National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) expose permafrost fields etc. • NDRF is the specialized force for disaster • This could bring water scarcity as well as response created under Disaster a loss of biodiversity in the region. Management Act, 2005. • This should be monitored and nations • It works under the overall supervision should put better research on and control of NDMA. implications. Why in the news? • The national crisis management 13. Food Corporation of India committee reviewed preparatory measures to deal with cyclone VAYU. (FCI) What is FCI? 12. International Centre for • FCI was set up under the Food Corporation Act 1964 against the Integrated Mountain backdrop of major shortage of grains, Development (ICIMOD) especially wheat, in the country. About ICIMOD • FCI was mandated with three basic • The International Centre for Integrated objectives: Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is a o To provide effective price regional intergovernmental learning and support to farmers knowledge sharing center. o To procure and supply grains to PDS for distributing subsidized

22 staples to economically • It is operated under the joint vulnerable sections of society responsibility of the Central and the o To keep a strategic reserve to State/Union Territory (UT) Governments. stabilize markets for basic food • The Central Government is responsible grains. for procurement, allocation and Why in news? transportation of food grains up to the • The government is planning to revamp designated depots of the Food and restructure Food Corporation of India Corporation of India. with few of the Shanta Kumar • States/UTs hold the operational committee recommendations. responsibilities for allocation and distribution of food grains. Shanta Kumar committee: • Under the NFSA Act, food grain is • It was constituted in 2014 chaired by allocated @ 5 kg per person per month Shanta Kumar, who had given several for priority households category and @ recommendations as how to make the 35 kg per family per month for entire food grain management system Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families more efficient by reorienting the role of at a highly subsidized prices of Rs. 1/-, Rs. FCI in MSP operations, procurement, 2/- and Rs. 3/- per kg for nutri-cereals, storage and distribution of grains under wheat and rice respectively. Targeted Public Distribution System • Coverage under the Act is based on the (TPDS). population figures of Census, 2011. Major Recommendations • FCI should hand over all procurement 14. NITI Aayog reconstituted operations of wheat, paddy and rice to NITI Aayog states that have gained sufficient • The National Institution for Transforming experience in this regard and have India (NITI Aayog) was formed via a created reasonable infrastructure for resolution of the Union Cabinet in 2015 procurement. to replace the Planning Commission • FCI should accept only the surplus (after instituted in 1950. deducting the needs of the states under • NITI Aayog is the premier policy ‘Think NFSA) from these state governments (not Tank’ of the Government of India, millers) to be moved to deficit states. providing both directional and policy • FCI should focus on eastern parts of the inputs. country like UP, Bihar, West Bengal and • While designing strategic and long term Assam where second green revolution is policies and programmes for the expected. Government of India, NITI Aayog also • FCI needs to be proactive, mobilizing provides relevant technical advice to the state and other agencies to provide Centre and States. benefits of MSP and procurement to Composition of NITI Aayog larger number of farmers, especially small • Prime Minister of India as the and marginal ones Chairperson National Food Security Act, 2013 • Vice-Chairperson: To be appointed by the • It gives legal entitlement to 67% of the Prime Minister population (75% in rural areas and 50% • Governing Council comprising the Chief in urban areas) to receive highly Ministers of all the States and Lt. subsidized food grains to achieve Governors of Union Territories Targeted Public Distribution System • Regional Councils to address specific (TPDS). issues, convened by the Prime Minister. Chaired by Prime Minister or his

23 nominee, regional councils include Chief • Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Ministers of States and Lt. Governors of (MoHFW) has established a network of Union Territories in the region. 18 Population Research Centres (PRCs) • Experts, specialists and practitioners with spread over 17 major States/UTs, with relevant domain knowledge as special the mandate to provide critical research invitees nominated by the Prime Minister based inputs related to the Health and • Part-time members: Maximum of 2 from Family Welfare programs and policies at leading universities research the national and state levels. organizations and other relevant • The PRCs are autonomous in nature and institutions in an ex-officio capacity administratively under the control of • Ex Officio members: Maximum of 4 their host University/Institutions. members of the Union Council of • PRCs are provided 100 per cent central Ministers to be nominated by the Prime assistance in the form of grant-in-aid on Minister. a year-to year basis. • Chief Executive Officer : To be appointed Why in News? by the Prime Minister for a fixed tenure, • Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the rank of Secretary to the organized a workshop for PRCs. Government of India. Why in News? • The Central government has approved the reconstitution of NITI Aayog

15. Population Research Centres

About PRCs

24 FLORA AND FAUNA

1. Golden Langur 2. karimeen About Golden Langurs Karimeen/ Pearl Spot • They are primate species, living in ● It is the brackish fish found in Kerala. western Assam and foothills of Bhutan. ● It is vulnerable as per IUCN • According to IUCN classification it is in classification. the ‘endangered’ category. Why in News? • They play a vital role in the dispersion of ● The authorities have made reserves in seeds and pollination which helps to Vembanad and Ashtamudi Lakes to maintain the forest ecosystem. save karimeen. • They are found in Manas National park ● The population of karimeen is declining and in nearby forests. fast. This act will help in retrieval of • Communities in Kakoijana reserve other species too. forest, near Chakrashila Wildlife Ashtamudi Lake Sanctuary, Assam, have helped to ● It is a backwater in Kollam district, conserve the species and maintain their Kerala. population. ● Kallada River is a major river discharging into the Ashtamudi Lake. ● Munroe Island is present in this lake. ● It is one of the Ramsar sites of India. (Wetland of International importance) Vembanad Lake ● The longest lake in India. Located in Kerala. ● It is one of the Ramsar sites of India. (Wetland of International importance) ● The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is conducted in a portion of the lake. Manas National Park

• Manas is a national park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a 3. Impressed Tortoise Project Tiger reserve, an elephant Impressed tortoise (Manouria Impressa) reserve and a biosphere reserve ● They are small tortoises found in Burma, in Assam. Thailand, cambodia etc. • Located in the Himalayan ● Their IUCN status is vulnerable. foothills, it is contiguous with the ● Males are smaller than females. Royal Manas National Park in ● They are killed for meat and their golden Bhutan. shells. Why in News? Why in the news? • For the first time in India, Bongaigaon ● For the first time impressed tortoise was district authorities in Assam have used discovered in Arunachal Pradesh. MGNREGA to conserve the golden langur. ● The discovery has added a great value to • Labour and funds will be used to plant the Indian chelonian (group which grow fruit plants to reduce the food represents reptiles like turtles, terrapins shortage for langurs. and tortoises) diversity.

25 AGRICULTURE

1. Sugar industry Commission of Agricultural Costs & Prices Issues plaguing sugar industry (CACP): • The consistent increase in Fair and • It is an attached office of the Ministry of Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. results in over-production of cane and • It is an advisory body whose sugar, which in turn causes sugar prices recommendations are not binding on to fall below cost levels. The mills incur Government. losses, leading to defaults in payments of What is Minimum Indicative Export farmers. Quotas? • The estimated sugar production this • Government use MIEQ to clear surplus sugar season (October 2018 to September stocks of sugar and to improve cash flow 2019) is 32.9 million tonnes as against to millers for making payment to the domestic consumption of 26 million sugarcane farmers. tonnes. The sugar season is expected to • Under MIEQ, mills are required to export end with a high closing stock of nearly a fixed quantity of sugar within a 14.5 million tonnes. specified period, failing which the mills • To mitigate the situation of surplus stock, shall be deemed to be violating the the Government has taken several steps directives of the government. including allocated mill wise Minimum Issues with exports: Indicative Export Quota (MIEQ), fixed • The government had not only fixed mill- Remunerative Price of ethanol derived wise export quota, but also linked some from molasses as well as from sugarcane of the subsidy schemes to exports. juice, etc. • Yet, almost 35% of the industry did not What is Fair and Remunerative Price participate in exports for various reasons (FRP)? such as low prices in the global sugar • The FRP is the minimum price at which market, stringent conditions to avail the sugarcane is to be purchased by sugar subsidy, etc. mills from farmers. • There are mills that are unable to meet • It assures margins to farmers, the export quota and some mills that irrespective of whether sugar mills want to export more than the quota. generate a profit or not. • Therefore the industry has requested the • It is announced each year by the Cabinet government to make the export quota as Committee on Economic Affairs, which an industry-wide quota, rather than mill- is chaired by Prime Minister, on the specific. advice of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and after consultation with State Governments. 2. Different cropping seasons Kharif crops ( Monsoon crops) • This will be uniformly applicable all over the country. • Sown : April and May • Note : There is a term called State • Harvest : September to October Advised Prices (SAP) which are • These are crops which are grown during announced by key sugarcane producing the monsoon or rainy season (June to states (such as Punjab, Haryana, October). Uttarakhand, UP and TN). The SAP is • Major crops : Paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, generally higher than FRP. cotton, sugarcane, groundnut, pulses etc.

26 • Major factor : Monsoon - It decides the individual farms to help farmers output of Kharif crops. to improve productivity. • Variation in sowing : In southern states ○ Prampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana: like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, the seeds are To increase soil fertility and usually sown towards the end of May and thereby helps in production of in northern states like Punjab, Haryana healthy food through organic the seeds are sown in the month of June. practices without the use of agro- • Note : Paddy is the key kharif crop in nine chemicals. states—Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, • Crop Insurance and Income Loss: Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana Nadu, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Assam. • Price Volatility: ‘Operation Greens’ to Rabi crops (Spring/ Winter crops) address price volatility of perishable • Sown : September and October commodities like Tomato, Onion and • Harvest: March to April Potato (TOP). • These are crops that are grown in the • Food Processing : PM Kisan SAMPADA winter season (October or November). Yojana (Scheme for Agro-Marine • Major crops : Wheat, gram, oat, barley, Processing and Development of Agro- potato, and seeds like mustard, linseed, Processing Clusters) sunflower, coriander, cumin, etc. • Unified national market : The National • Major factor: Irrigation - They are Agriculture Market (eNAM) is a pan-India cultivated in the dry season so timely electronic trading portal which networks irrigation is required to grow these crops. the existing APMC mandis to create a Zaid crops unified national market for agricultural • These are summer season crops grown on commodities. the sub-continent on dry lands which do • Technology mission not have to wait for monsoons. ○ Technology mission on cotton • They grow in between Rabi and Kharif which aims to increase the income crop season, mainly from March to June. of the cotton growers by reducing • Major crops : Seasonal fruits and the cost of cultivation as well as vegetables (Cucumber, Water melon, by increasing the yield per hectare pepper, tomato, etc) through proper transfer of • Requires warm & dry weather for growth technology to the growers. and a longer day-length for flowering ○ Mission for Integrated Why in news ? Development of Horticulture • Due to delayed and deficient monsoon (MIDH) It is a scheme for the kharif sowing was delayed. holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, root & tuber crops, mushrooms, 3. Doubling farmers income spices, flowers, aromatic plants, Measure taken by India for Doubling coconut, cashew, cocoa and Farmers Income bamboo. • To raise output and reduce cost: ○ Sugar Technology Mission : It ○ Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai aimed at reducing the cost of Yojana: To ensure access to some production of sugar and means of protective irrigation to improving sugar quality through all agricultural farms in the steps for improvements in country. productivity, energy conservation ○ Soil health card: Crop-wise and improvements in capital recommendations of nutrients output ratio. and fertilisers required for the

27 ○ National Mission on Sustainable 4. Decontrolling urea prices Agriculture : It aimed at Background: promoting sustainable agriculture • In India, the government is giving more through a series of adaptation subsidies to urea, which is a Nitrogen measures focusing on ten key based fertilizer. The government has also dimensions encompassing Indian fixed a ceiling on the prices of urea agriculture namely; ‘Improved fertiliser. crop seeds, livestock and fish • This makes urea cheap for farmers who cultures’, ‘Water Use Efficiency’, use it more than other chemical ‘Pest Management’, ‘Improved fertilisers. Farm Practices’, ‘Nutrient • The current consumption ratio of Management’, ‘Agricultural nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium insurance’, ‘Credit support’, (NPK) in the country is 6.7:2.4:1 against ‘Markets’, ‘Access to Information’ their desirable ratio of 4:2:1. and ‘Livelihood diversification’. • It creates an imbalance in fertiliser usage • Information to farmers due to which the yield either goes down ○ The government is providing or is stagnant. information through focused • Many environmentalists have been urging publicity campaigns, kisan call the government to promote phosphorus centres, agri-clinics and agri- and potassium based fertilisers to attain business centres of balanced fertilization of soil. entrepreneurs, agri fairs, Nutrient based Subsidy scheme: exhibitions and kisan SMS Portal. • To promote balanced fertilization of soil, ○ Kisan Suvidha mobile Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme has been application : The information implemented. about critical parameters like • It comes under the Ministry of weather, market prices, plant Chemicals and Fertilizer. protection, input dealers, farm machinery, soil health are known • Under the scheme, a fixed amount of to farmers by this app. subsidy decided on an annual basis, is provided on each grade of subsidized • Farm support : Krsihi Vigyan Kendra Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) fertilizers (KVK) : They are agricultural extension depending on its nutrient content. centres created by ICAR (Indian Council Why in news ? for Agricultural Research) and its affiliated institutions at district level to • The government has recently refused to provide various types of farm support to decontrol prices of urea in the market. the agricultural sector. • Decontrolling prices may lead to an • Role of technology : The deployment of increase in the cost of urea and will affect technologies like artificial intelligence, big a large number of farmers. data analytics, block chain technology and internet of things (IoT) are important for 5. Online warehouse-based the success of schemes. trading What’s in the news? APMC (Agricultural Produce Market • To double farmers’ income, the Committee): government is also considering giving • They are established by the state status of farmers to landless beekeepers governments under the Agricultural while recognizing honeybees as inputs to Produce Market Committee Act in order agriculture and diversifying the basket of to eliminate the incidences exploitation beekeeping products. of the farmers by the intermediaries.

28 • Under APMC act, the whole geographical Market Committee (APMC) established by area in the State is divided and declared the state governments. as a market area wherein the markets are • Through auction, all food produce will be managed by the Market Committees brought and sold here. E-NAM portal constituted by the State Governments. enables buyers from all over India to • To overcome shortcomings such as participate in local trading. monopoly, cartelization, entry Why in news ? barriers, etc in APMC, e-NAM is • The government is planning to start introduced. trading of agricultural produces on National Agriculture Market (e-NAM): electronic national agriculture market • It is a pan-India electronic trading (eNAM) platform directly from godowns portal which networks the existing APMC or warehouses. mandis to create a unified national • Warehouse trading is an alternative market for agricultural commodities. marketing channel for Agricultural • Implementing Agency : Small Farmers produce. Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) • Here, the trading will initially start from • It comes under the Ministry of Agriculture state owned warehouses of Warehousing and Farmers’ Welfare Development and Regulatory Authority • It promotes better marketing (WDRA), which regulates and promotes opportunities for farmers to sell their orderly growth of the warehousing produce through online competitive and business. There are nearly 1,000 transparent price discovery system and warehouses across the country. online payment facility. • The move is aimed at boosting E- NAM and APMC profitability of farmers by taking care of • E-NAM is an online portal which is having logistics issues. a physical Mandi at the back end (i.e., simply like Amazon or Flipkart). These physical Mandis are Agricultural Produce

29 ECONOMY

1. Repo rate • The Basel Committee on Banking What is Repo rate? Supervision (BCBS) introduced a leverage • Repo rate is the rate of interest which is ratio in the 2010 Basel III package of applied by RBI to commercial banks when reforms(BCBS is an international the latter borrows from RBI. committee formed to develop standards for • Repo rate is used to control inflation. banking regulation. • In the event of raising inflation, RBI • The leverage ratio measures a bank's increase repo rate which will act as a core capital to its total assets. The ratio disincentive for banks to borrow from the uses tier 1 capital to judge how leveraged central bank. a bank is in relation to its consolidated • This ultimately reduces the money supply assets. Tier 1 assets are ones that can be in the economy and thus helps in easily liquidated if a bank needs capital in arresting inflation. the event of a financial crisis. • Similarly, if it wants to make it cheaper • The higher the tier 1 leverage ratio, the for banks to borrow money, it reduces the higher the likelihood of the bank repo rate. withstanding negative shocks to its Why in News? balance sheet. So, it is basically a ratio to • The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) measure a bank's financial health. MPC has cut the policy repo rate by 25 • Basel III established a 3 percent bps (100 bps=1%) to 5.75%. minimum requirement for the leverage • The stance of the policy has also been ratio while it left open the possibility of changed from neutral to making the threshold even higher for “accommodative”. certain systemically important financial institutions. • The change in stance to “accommodative" What is a domestic systemically important means there is a possibility of further bank? monetary easing in the months ahead. About MPC • D-SIB means that the bank is too big to fail. Some banks become systemically • The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is important due to their size, cross- a committee of the RBI, headed by its jurisdictional activities, complexity and Governor, which is entrusted with the lack of substitute and interconnection. task of fixing the benchmark policy interest rate (repo rate) to contain • Banks whose assets exceed 2% of GDP inflation within the specified target level. are considered part of this group. • The MPC has six members. • Both public and private sector banks can be designated as D-SIB. • RBI Governor (Chairperson), RBI Deputy Why in News? Governor, one official nominated by the RBI Board and remaining 3 members • The RBI has mandated a leverage ratio of would represent the Government. 3.5% for all the banks except for the domestic systemically important banks • The MPC takes decisions based on (D-SIBs), which will have a 4% ratio. majority vote. • In case of a tie, the RBI governor will have a second or casting vote. 3. Stressed asset resolution norms 2. Leverage ratio Background What is a ‘leverage ratio’ for banks?

30 • On February 12, 2018, the RBI had issued value and 60% by number will be a circular outlining a stricter framework binding upon all the lenders. for resolution of stressed assets. • The framework made it mandatory that 4. Parameters to measure the Banks have to recognise defaults immediately and attempt resolution health of the banking system without any review period. Improving parameters • It was applicable only to Scheduled • There was a significant improvement in Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs) and asset quality of scheduled commercial All-India Financial Institutions. banks (SCBs) in 2018-19. • In April 2019, the Supreme Court struck • The gross non-performing assets down the RBI's controversial February 12 (NPA) ratio declined to 9.3% as on March circular, terming it ultra vires. 2019. It was 10.8% in September 2018 Why in News? and 11.5% in March 2018. • The RBI has released revised set of • The provision coverage ratio (PCR) of norms for resolution of stressed assets SCBs improved to 60.9% in March 2019 which are substantially less stringent from 48.3% in March 2018. from the previous one. • The capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of the Key provisions banks, which were at 14.2%, remains well • The new norms give the lenders 30 days above the regulatory requirement of 9%. to start working on a resolution plan from Capital Adequacy Ratio: the day of default, which is termed as • Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) is the “review period”, unlike previous norms capital needed for a bank measured in that compelled lenders to start a terms of the assets or loans disbursed by resolution strategy even if there was a the banks. It measures capital adequacy in one day default. terms of riskiness of the assets or loans • During this review period, lenders may given. decide on the resolution strategy, o CAR = (Tier I + Tier II + Tier III including the nature of the resolution plan (Capital funds)) /Risk weighted (RP) and the approach for its assets) implementation. • An appropriate level of capital adequacy • Lenders may also choose to initiate legal ensures that the bank has sufficient proceedings for insolvency or recovery. capital to expand its business, while at the Previously banks had to compulsorily same time its net worth is enough to refer borrower to NCLT if it failed to absorb any financial downturns. resolve the account within 180 days. • The RBI has prescribed the CAR at 9%. • The framework has been extended to Provision coverage ratio: systemically important non-deposit • The PCR gives an indication of the taking NBFCs and small finance banks. provision made against bad loans from • In cases where the RP is to be the profit generated. implemented, all lenders have to enter Non-performing asset (NPA): into an intercreditor agreement (ICA) • A non performing asset (NPA) is a loan or for the resolution of stressed assets advance for which the principal or during the review period for borrowers interest payment remained overdue for a with credit facilities from more than one period of 90 days. lender. What’s in the news? • Under the ICA, any decision agreed to by • RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said that the lenders representing 75% of the the financial health of the banking system total outstanding credit facilities by

31 has improved a lot, aided by recent policy • Another major issue in the credit rating measures. structure is the phenomenon of ‘rating shopping’, where the paying issuer can 5. Credit rating pressurise a CRA to award favorable ratings on the threat of denying future What is credit rating? business. • It is a quantified assessment of credit Why in News? worthiness of a borrower. • The Securities and Exchange Board of • The assessment is usually carried out by India (SEBI) has introduced enhanced credit rating agencies. disclosure guidelines for credit rating What are credit rating agencies? agencies (CRA). • They are independent companies who • As per the new guidelines, CRAs will now evaluates the financial condition of have to disclose the probability of issuers of debt instruments and then default for the instruments they rate and assigns a rating that reflects its also clearly state the sensitive factors that assessment of the issuer's ability to make could impact the credit worthiness of the the debt payments. entity. • Potential investors, customers, employees • Further, the rating agencies will have to and business partners rely upon the data adopt a standardised terminology to and objective analysis of credit rating disclose liquidity indicators while rating agencies in determining the overall an instrument. strength and stability of a company.

• In India, credit rating agencies are regulated by the SEBI. IL&FS crisis: 6. Consumer Price Index (CPI) • IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing & Financial About CPI Services Limited) was set up in 1987 to • It is an index which measures the finance and promote infrastructure weighted average of prices of a basket of projects in the country. consumer goods and services such as • The crisis in IL&FS started with a series of transportation, food and medical care. loan defaults in 2018 by the company • It is calculated by measuring price and some of its subsidiaries. changes for each item in the • The role of credit rating agencies came predetermined basket of goods and under the scanner in the wake of the services and averaging them. IL&FS defaulting issue. IL&FS and its • It is released by the Central Statistical subsidiaries were rated AAA for their Organisation (CSO) under the Ministry of debt programmes until just a few months Statistics and Program Implementation. ago by several leading rating agencies. • The base year used to calculate CPI in • It has raised questions on the India is 2011-2012. methodology and processes adopted by Why in news? the rating agencies in evaluating the • Retail inflation measured by the companies and their papers. consumer price index (CPI) spiked to a Issues with CRA structure in India: seven-month high of 3.05% in May. • CRAs in India follow the 'issuer pays model', under which the payment for the 7. Index of Industrial production ratings is provided by the corporate (IIP) organisation whose credit service About IIP capability is assessed. It leads to a conflict • It is an index which details out the growth of interest scenario and results in of various sectors in an economy such as compromising the quality of analysis.

32 mineral mining, electricity and • WPI does not cover services and manufacturing. whereas PPI includes services. • Index of Industrial Production is compiled What is a ‘base year’? and published every month by the • It is the year used as the beginning or the Central Statistics Office (CSO) of the reference year for constructing an index. Ministry of Statistics and Programme • For example, suppose the base year is Implementation. 2012, and the initial value of an index is • The current base year is 2011-2012. 100. If the index is 150 in 2019, it means • The Eight Core Industries (Electricity, that the value of the index is 50% higher steel, refinery products, crude oil, coal, in 2019 than it was in 2012. It is also cement, natural gas and fertilizers) called the reference year. comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of Why in News? items included in the Index of Industrial • The government has reconstituted the Production (IIP). working group tasked with revising the Why in news? current wholesale price index (WPI). • Growth in the Index of Industrial • The working group will review the Production (IIP) rebounded in April 2019 commodity basket of the current WPI to grow to a six-month high of 3.4%. series and suggest additions or deletions of commodities in the light of structural 8. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) changes that occurred in the economy and Producer price index since 2011-12.

(PPI) About WPI 9. FDI in multi-brand retail Single-brand vs Multi-brand retailing: • Wholesale Price Index measures and tracks the changes in the price of goods in • Single brand retail trading means the stages before the retail level. selling different products under one • It provides estimates of inflation at the brand name. For example, Starbucks wholesale transaction level for the sells beverages and food items under the economy as a whole. brand of Starbucks. It also sells cups under the same brand name. Such stores • It is released by the Office of Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of can only sell Starbucks products under the 'single brand' route. Other examples Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. are Nike, Adidas etc. • The base year is 2011-2012. • Multi-brand retail trading is selling • The index basket consist of commodities products of different brands under one under 3 main categories in decreasing roof. For example, Walmart, Reliance, order of weightage: Manufactured Shopper Stop etc. These establishments products, Primary Articles and Fuel and sell products of different brands at one Power. establishment. About PPI FDI policy in India: • Producer Price Index measures the • The foreign direct investment policy average change in the price of goods and allows 100% foreign investment in services either as they leave the place of single-brand retail. However, where production, called output PPI or as they FDI is more than 51%, at least 30% of enter the production process, called the value of goods should be sourced input PPI. from India. This was in view to promote • PPI estimates the change in average domestic sectors in India. prices that a producer receives.

33 • India permits FDI in the multi-brand • In other cases, the WTO intervenes to retail sector with a cap of 51% prevent anti-dumping measures. ownership by overseas players. What’s in the News? • Various sections oppose 100% FDI in • The plastic industry has urged the multi-brand retail as entry of government to impose anti-dumping international players could mean duty on imports of cheap plastic finished significant loss of business for goods. neighborhood stores. • Industry leaders strongly opposed the Why in News? proposal of the Indian Chemical Council • Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to hike import duty on raw material as it reiterated that the central government will affect the cost competitiveness of will not allow multi-brand retail by plastic processors in India. foreign companies. • He also asserted that predatory pricing 11. Non-Banking Financial will not be allowed and necessary action Company (NBFC) will be taken against defaulters. What is a Non-Banking Financial Company Predatory pricing: Predatory pricing is the (NBFC)? illegal act of setting prices so low that • An NBFC is a company registered under competitors quit rather than compete, the Companies Act, 1956 which provide permitting the predator to raise prices in the banking services without meeting the long run. legal definition of a bank.

• They engage in the business of loans and 10. Anti-dumping advances, acquisition of shares, bonds, What is dumping? etc. issued by Government or local • Dumping is the practice of selling a authority. product in a foreign market at an • They also deal in other marketable unfairly low price (a price that is lower securities of a like nature, leasing, hire- than the cost in the home market, or purchase, insurance business, chit which is lower than the cost of business. production) in order to gain a • The working and operations of NBFCs are competitive advantage over other regulated by the RBI. suppliers. What is the difference between banks & Anti-dumping duty: NBFCs? • An anti-dumping duty is a tariff that a • NBFCs lend and make investments and domestic government imposes on hence their activities are similar to that of foreign imports that it believes are banks, however there are a few priced below fair market value. differences: • It was introduced with the objective of o NBFC cannot accept curbing the ill effects caused by demand deposits dumping on domestic industries, as o NBFCs cannot issue well as to promote and establish fair cheques drawn on itself trade. o Deposit insurance facility Anti-dumping duty and World Trade of Deposit Insurance and Organization: Credit Guarantee • WTO allows governments to act Corporation is not against dumping where there is available to depositors of genuine injury to the competing NBFCs, unlike in the case domestic industry. of banks. NBFC crisis:

34 • The loan defaults of the Infrastructure corporates must be set-right (reform) to Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), a avoid a repetition of the problem. leading NBFC, led to widespread panic What’s in the news? over risks in the entire non-banking • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told financial sector. Lok Sabha that the number of wilful • The defaults jeopardized investors, banks defaulters in public sector banks has and mutual funds associated with the increased by more than 60% till March sector which created a liquidity 2019 from 2014-15. shortage across the NBFC system. • The Finance Minister added that as a • It also affected the investment in result of the government’s ‘4Rs’ strategy infrastructure. of Recognition, Resolution, Why in News? Recapitalisation and Reforms, gross NPAs • The real estate sector requested the of PSBs and Scheduled Commercial Banks government to accord high importance to (SCBs) declined to Rs. 8,06,412 crore and infrastructure growth and to provide a Rs. 9,49,279 crore respectively. solution to the NBFC liquidity crisis. 13. Asset Reconstruction 12. Wilful Defaulter Company (ARC) Who is a wilful defaulter? What are ARCs? • A wilful defaulter is defined as a person • An Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) who has the resources to repay the is a specialized financial institution that loan, but does not do so intentionally, and buys the NPAs or bad assets from deploys the money for purposes other banks and financial institutions so that than intended. the latter can clean up their balance • It leads to increase in non performing sheets. asset (NPA). • This helps banks to concentrate in normal NPA: banking activities. • The loan is considered to be an NPA once • Banks rather than going after the the borrower fails to make interest or defaulters by wasting their time and principal payments for 90 days. effort, can sell the bad assets to the ARCs Twin balance sheet problem: at a mutually agreed value. • Twin balance sheet problem refers to the • They are regulated by RBI. stress on balance sheets of banks due to Why in News? NPAs on the one hand, and heavily • The RBI has allowed ARCs to acquire indebted corporates on the other hand. financial assets from other ARCs in a • To address this challenge, Economic bid to accelerate timely resolution of Survey 2016 recommended the four R's: NPAs. Recognition, Recapitalization, Resolution, and Reform. 14. Guidelines for e-commerce 4Rs Strategy: • Banks must value their assets as far as firms possible close to true value (recognition) Background • Once they do so, their financial health • The Department for Promotion of must be strengthened by injection of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) capital (re-capitalisation); issued stricter guidelines that govern FDI • The underlying stressed assets in the in e-commerce firms. As per the revised corporate sector must be sold or guidelines, rehabilitated (resolution)Future o Vendors that have any stake incentives for the Private Sector and owned by an e-commerce

35 company cannot sell their • This kind of a relationship with vendors is products on that e-commerce the primary reason for price unfairness in company’s portal. the e-commerce marketplace. It may o Any vendor who purchases 25% seem beneficial for end customers. Yet, it or more of its inventory from an has managed to destroy the competitive e-commerce group company will ecosystem. be considered to be controlled by Why in News? that e-commerce company, and • Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told thereby barred from selling on its foreign e-commerce firms such as portal. Amazon and Flipkart that they must o The e-commerce firm will not be ensure compliance with new foreign allowed to influence the price of a investment rules. product sold on its portal by • He added that while the government was giving incentives to particular prepared to listen to concerns about its vendors. new FDI rules, it was committed to o All vendors on the e-commerce protect small traders. platform should be provided services in a fair and non- discriminatory manner. Services 15. Current account deficit and include fulfilment, logistics, Foreign Exchange Reserve warehousing, advertisement, What is current account deficit? payments, and financing among • Current account is the systematic record others. of trade (Export and Import) in goods Context for these changes: and services. • E-commerce companies can operate • The current account also includes net under two different models in India. income (such as interest and dividends) o Marketplace based model and transfers from abroad (such as where the e-commerce firm foreign aid), which are usually a small simply acts as a platform that fraction of the total. connects buyers and sellers. • A current account deficit means the 100% FDI is allowed in e- country is importing more goods and commerce companies in this services than it is exporting. model. What is meant by "Foreign Exchange o Inventory based model where Reserve"? the inventory of goods sold on the • It indicates the reserves held by RBI in the portal is owned or controlled by form of foreign currency assets, gold, SDR the e-commerce company and is and reserve tranche. Components of sold to the consumers directly. foreign exchange reserve: FDI is not allowed under this o Foreign Currency Assets- model. Only in the trading of Currencies of foreign countries locally produced food products, are held in foreign exchange up to 100% FDI is allowed in the reserves. Apart from currency it inventory model, that, too, with also includes foreign currency prior government approval deposit held by RBI with foreign • Large e-commerce companies such as central banks and the Bureau of Amazon and Flipkart, while not owning Indian Standards (BIS). inventory themselves, have been o Gold Stock of RBI- The RBI has providing a platform for their group gold stock as a backup to issue companies such as CloudTail and WS currency and to meet unexpected Retail respectively. Balance of Payments (BOP)

36 problems. (BOP problem occurs current financial year, the same as in when a nation is unable to pay for 2018-19. essential imports or service its external debt repayments) o SDR Holdings-Special Drawing 17. Elephant Bonds Rights (also called “paper gold”) is Background: a reserve created by the IMF to • High Level Advisory Group (HLAG) help countries that have BOP headed by Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla has been problems. The member countries constituted by the Department of have to contribute to this account Commerce. in proportion to their IMF quota. • The HLAG has made several The SDR basket consists of five recommendations for boosting India’s major currencies of the world - share and importance in global the US dollar, Euro, British Pound, merchandise and services trade. Chinese Renminbi and Yen • The Committee has recommended (Japan). “Elephant Bonds” as a specialised o Reserve Tranche-The reserve security product providing funds towards tranche is a portion of the Long Term Infrastructure. required quota of currency that Committee’s recommendation regarding each IMF member country must Elephant Bonds: provide to the IMF. It can be • Elephant Bonds are the 25-year accessed by the member country sovereign bonds (issued by national at any time for its own purposes government). without a service fee. • People declaring undisclosed income will Why in News? be bound to invest 50 per cent in these • According to the RBI’s latest data, India’s bonds. current account deficit (CAD) for the • The fund, made from these bonds, will be January-March period narrowed to 0.7% solely utilized for infrastructure projects. of the GDP, or $4.6 billion. It was at 1.8%, • It is an amnesty like scheme which will or $13 billion during the same period of help State treasury in raising tax the previous year. revenues, adding beneficiaries in tax base • Also the country’s foreign exchange who have not declared their assets reserves hit a record high of $426.41 previously. billion in June 2019. The previous high Other recommendations of Surjit Bhalla was attained on April 13, 2018 when it committee: was $426.08 billion. • HLAG has also made recommendations for reforms in Financial Services 16. Fiscal deficit Framework for making India a Preferred What is Fiscal deficit? Destination for financial services. • Fiscal deficit = Total Expenditure of the • Among other things, the Report identifies government – Total Receipts except tax reforms also to boost export and borrowings investment channels for exports. Why in News? 18. Futures on Commodity • India also reported a fiscal deficit of Rs Indices 3.66 trillion during the first two months What is a Derivative? of the current financial year. It is 52% of • A derivative is a contract between two the full-year target. parties which derives its value/price from • The government aims to restrict the fiscal an underlying asset. Generally stocks, deficit to 3.4% of the GDP during the

37 bonds, currency, commodities and 19. National Investment and interest rates form the underlying asset. Manufacturing Zones • The most common types of derivatives What’s in the news? are futures, options, forwards and • The Central Government has granted final swaps. approval to three National Investment What are futures? and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ)– • Futures are derivative financial contracts o Odisha, that obligate the parties to transact an o Andhra Pradesh and asset at a predetermined future date o Telangana. and price. • In addition to these three NIMZs which • Here, the buyer must purchase or the have been accorded final approval, 13 seller must sell the underlying asset at the NIMZs have been accorded in-principle set price, regardless of the current market approval. Besides these, eight Investment price at the expiration date. Regions along the Delhi Mumbai Why in the news? Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project have • Capital markets regulator SEBI, permitted also been declared as NIMZs. stock exchanges with commodity About NIMZs derivative segment to introduce futures • NIMZs are one of the important on indices. instruments of National Manufacturing • Commodity Market is a market where Policy, 2011. different commodities such as gold, silver, • NIMZs are envisaged as large areas of soya bean, base metals, etc. are traded on developed land with the requisite eco- its derivative contract. system for promoting world class • The recent decision is part of larger manufacturing activity. efforts to deepen the participation of How are they different from SEZs? institutions in the derivatives segment. • The main objective of Special Economic About SEBI Zones (SEZs) is the promotion of exports, • SEBI was constituted on 12th April 1988 while NIMZs are based on the principle of as an interim administrative body under industrial growth in partnership with the Finance Ministry. Later in 1992 a States and focuses on manufacturing notification awarding statutory powers to growth and employment generation. SEBI was issued (Securities and Exchange • NIMZs are different from SEZs in terms of Board of India Act, 1992). size, level of infrastructure planning, • The regulatory body is entrusted with the governance structures related to responsibility to regulate the Indian regulatory procedures, and exit policies. capital markets. • Ranging from 50 square kilometers to • It monitors and regulates the securities 900 square kilometers, each NIMZ will be market and protects the interests of the much larger than a traditional SEZ, but investors by enforcing certain rules and will retain the latter’s characteristics with regulations. flexible rules and regulations.

38 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. 5G 2. Dark web What is 5G? What is dark web? • It is the next generation cellular • The dark web is part of the internet that technology that will provide faster and isn't visible to search engines and more reliable communication with ultra- requires the use of an anonymizing low latency. Latency is the amount of browser (like Tor) to be accessed. time data takes to travel between its • The dark Web is comprised of websites source and destination. that are visible to the public, but their IP • With 5G, the peak network data speeds address details are intentionally hidden. are expected to be in the range of 2-20 • These websites can be visited by anyone Gigabit per second (Gbps). on the Internet, but it is not easy to find Implications of 5G: the server details on which the • 5G is expected to form the backbone of corresponding site is running, and it is emerging technologies such as the difficult to track the one hosting the site. Internet of Things (IoT) and machine to • Dark web sites look pretty much like any machine communications, thereby other site, but there are important supporting a much larger range of differences. One is the naming structure. applications and services, including Instead of ending in .com or .co, dark web driverless vehicles, tele-surgery and real sites end in .onion. time data analytics. Illicit activities What does this mean for India? • One can buy credit card numbers, all • It is widely accepted that 5G’s value for manner of drugs, guns, counterfeit India may be even higher than in money, stolen subscription credentials, advanced countries because of the lower hacked Netflix accounts and software that levels of investments in physical helps you break into other people’s infrastructure. computers. • One of the primary applications of 5G will Is everything about the dark web illegal? be implementation of sensor-embedded • Not all parts of it are engaged in illegal network that will allow real time relay of activities. information across fields such as • The Tor network began as an anonymous manufacturing, consumer durables and communications channel, and it still agriculture. serves a valuable purpose in helping • 5G can also help make transport people communicate in environments infrastructure more efficient by making that are hostile to free speech. it smart. 5G will enable vehicle-to-vehicle • A lot of people use it in countries where and vehicle-to-infrastructure internet access is criminalized. communication, making driverless cars, • There are also links to full-text editions of among other things, a reality. hard-to-find books, collections of political • The Indian government had set a target news from mainstream websites, etc. of 2020 for the commercial launch of 5G Why is dark web in the news? services, largely in line with the rest of • Amitabh Bachchan’s twitter account was the world. hacked by a pro-Pakistan Turkish hacker • 5G is expected to create a cumulative group. It claimed responsibility for the economic impact of $1 trillion in India by hack and bragged about it on the Dark 2035. Web.

39 3. Nipah infection contaminated with urine or saliva from About Nipah infection infected fruit bats is the most likely • It is a viral infection caused by the Nipah source of infection. virus. Treatment • Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are • There are currently no drugs or vaccines the natural host of Nipah virus. specific for Nipah virus infection. • The disease was first identified in 1998 • The primary treatment for humans is during an outbreak in Malaysia and it was supportive care. named after a village in Malaysia, Sungai Why in news? Nipah. Later, Nipah outbreaks have been • The state of Kerala is facing a Nipah reported in Singapore, Bangladesh and outbreak once again. Previously it had India. faced the outbreak in May 2018. Transmission Ribavirin treatment • It is a zoonotic virus (transmitted from • The drug ribavirin has been shown to be animals to humans) which can also be effective against the viruses in vitro, but transmitted through contaminated food human investigations to date have been or directly between people. inconclusive and the clinical usefulness of • Consumption of fruits or fruit products ribavirin remains uncertain. (such as raw date palm juice) 5. Gestational diabetes 4. Remdesivir What is gestational diabetes? What is it? • Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar ▪ Remdesivir is an antiviral drug that is that develops during pregnancy and used as a treatment for Filovirus usually disappears after giving birth. infections such as Ebola virus and • It can occur at any stage of pregnancy, but Marburg virus. is more common in the second half. Why in news? • It occurs if the mother’s body which ▪ Remdesivir was accidentally found to be cannot produce enough insulin – a effective against Nipah virus among hormone that helps control blood sugar primates. levels – to meet the extra needs in ▪ African green monkeys survived infection pregnancy. with the Nipah virus after they received • Gestational diabetes can cause problems Remdesivir. for the mother and the baby during and ▪ Since Nipah currently does not have any after birth. cure/treatment, it is a welcome discovery. • But the risk of these problems happening More about Remdesivir can be reduced if it's detected and well ▪ Ebola and Nipah belong to different viral managed. families, but remdesivir — made by How can gestational diabetes affect Gilead Sciences and also known as GS- pregnancy? 5734 — appears effective against both. • Baby growing larger than usual – this ▪ In mice or cells cultivated in the may lead to difficulties during the laboratory, the drug has also shown some delivery and increases the likelihood of effectiveness against two other pandemic needing induced labour or caesarean threats: Lassa fever and MERS section. coronavirus. • Premature birth – giving birth before the ▪ It is also effective against respiratory 37th week of pregnancy. syncytial virus, which infects children all • The baby developing low blood sugar or over the world. yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)

40 after he or she is born, which may require • The closer to the equator a rocket treatment in hospital launch can get, the greater the speed • Still born babies. boost it will receive. Why in news? • It reduces the amount of energy required • A recent paper published in the Journal of to get into space and means that less fuel the Association of Physicians of India has is required. posited that it is imperative that every • The launch site is flexible and falling pregnant woman be screened for high rocket remains pose less danger. Using blood glucose even if no symptoms are civilian ships to launch rockets at sea exhibited. would lower launch costs and give it a • It argued that primordial prevention or, commercial edge. in this case, at the earliest stage of development of the foetus, is essential to 7. Indian space station prevent children from becoming What’s in the news? predisposed to diabetes or other non- • ISRO has announced that India will have communicable diseases (NCD). its own space station. Steps taken by the government • The project will be constructed once the • The Ministry of Health has developed 'Gaganyaan' human space mission is national guidelines for testing, diagnosis completed successfully. and management of hyperglycaemia What is a space station? (condition in which an excessive amount • A space station is a spacecraft capable of of glucose circulates in the blood) in supporting crew members, designed to pregnancy, and they recommend early remain in space for an extended period of testing during the first trimester. time and for other spacecraft to dock. • Uttar Pradesh has fully implemented the • Currently, there is only one fully screening of gestational diabetes. functional space station in the Earth's lower orbit, the International Space 6. Long March-11 Station and astronauts conduct different What is it? experiments in it. • Long March-11, developed by the China Details on ISRO’s announcement Academy of Launch Vehicle • India has set its eye on building its own Technology, is the only rocket using space station in low earth orbit to conduct solid propellants among China's new microgravity experiments in space in 5 generation of carrier rockets. to 7 years. • It is mainly used to carry small satellites • The prospects of setting up such a space and can take multiple satellites into orbit station at an altitude of 400 kilometres at the same time. from earth would hinge on successfully Why in news? carrying the 'Gaganyaan' human space • China has successfully launched the Long mission, in which two to three Indian March-11 rocket from a mobile platform astronauts would send to space for a at Yellow Sea. period of up to seven days before India • This is the first time that China has celebrates its 75 anniversary of its launched a mobile rocket from the sea. independence Significance Comparison with ISS • Launching a carrier rocket from an ocean- • The proposed Indian space station would based platform has many advantages over be much smaller than the existing a land launch. International Space Station (ISS).

41 • While ISS weighs 420 tonnes, Indian What are the different types of blood station is expected to have a payload of transfusions? 20 tonnes. • A red blood cell transfusion may be used • The International Space Station is a if you have anemia or an iron partnership between European deficiency. countries represented by European Space • Platelets are tiny cells in the blood that Agency, the United States (NASA), Japan help you stop bleeding. A platelet (JAXA), Canada (CSA) and Russia transfusion is used if your body doesn’t (Roscosmos). It is the world's largest have enough of them, possibly because of international cooperative programme in cancer or cancer treatments. science and technology. • A plasma transfusion helps replace the Why a space station for ourselves? proteins in your blood that help it clot. It • Since 2000, astronauts have periodically may be needed after severe bleeding or if visited the ISS to carry out close to 300 you have liver disease. different microgravity science What are the different blood types? experiments in diverse fields such as • There are four blood types: astrobiology, astronomy, materials o A science, space medicine and space o B weather. o AB • Similarly, the idea is to have “our own” o O space station where Indian astronauts can • Every person has one of the above four fly regularly to conduct microgravity blood types. experiments. • In addition, each person's blood is either: Open for collaboration o Rh-positive, or • The Indian station would be available for o Rh-negative. other countries to do collaborative Universal donors and recipients research. • People with type O negative blood are • However, it should be noted that ISRO is referred to as universal donors and type not thinking of “space tourism" O negative blood is used for emergencies in which there is no time to test a 8. Blood transfusion person's blood type. • Individuals who have type AB positive What is blood transfusion? blood are referred to as universal • A blood transfusion is the transfer of recipients. This means that they can blood or blood products from one person receive any type of blood. (donor) into another person's Restrictions bloodstream (recipient). • People who have Rh-positive blood can Why do people need blood transfusion? receive Rh-positive or Rh-negative • It is usually done after an illness or an blood. injury. • If a person has Rh-negative blood, they What happens during transfusion? should only receive Rh-negative blood. • The blood is made up of several different Why in news? parts including red and white cells, • A young woman who had just become a plasma, and platelets. mother died at the Anantapur • “Whole blood” refers to blood that has all Government General Hospital (Andhra of them. Pradesh) after being wrongly • In some cases, you may need to have a administered a wrong blood type. transfusion that uses whole blood, but it’s • The Blood Bank staff administered B+ more likely that you’ll need a specific blood to a recipient, who was O+. component.

42 9. Gene-edited babies medical controversy about his work, and The shocking announcement about the use of gene editing in humans. • Chinese researcher Jiankui He shocked Why in news? the global medical community in • Now, a study finds that the edits may have November 2018 when he announced the actually hurt the babies' lifespans. birth of two babies whose DNA he had • According to an analysis by scientists edited—the first ever humans born with from the University of California, heritable changes to their genomes, Berkeley, the genetic mutation that a made using a technique called Crispr- Chinese scientist attempted to create in Cas9. twin babies born last year is associated • He said he made the changes to lower the with a 21% increase in mortality in later babies' risk of contracting HIV, but the life. news instantly sparked ethical and

10. BT Cotton 25% of all agricultural land, the highest of What is BT Cotton? any country. • Bt cotton is an insect-resistant transgenic • One main reason is that the production of crop designed to combat the bollworm. cotton per hectare is very low, and India • Bt cotton was created by genetically ranks 70th in the world in the kg/hectare altering the cotton genome to express a production of cotton. microbial protein from the bacterium • The reduced productivity of Indian Bacillus thuringiensis through the cotton is often attributed to intense and process of genetic engineering. diverse pest pressure and the lack of What is genetic engineering? irrigation infrastructure. • To put it simply, genetic engineering is • The hope was that the introduction of Bt the process of breaking the natural Cotton would largely take care of the boundaries that exist between species to main pest problems and reduce the use of produce new life forms that will produce pesticides. a variety of desired traits. Problems with Bt cotton in India: • Genetic modification involves the actual • The use of BT cotton in India has raised a altering of the organism at the genetic lot of controversy even before its official level. introduction in India. • Example: Genes from salmon can be • Bt cotton has great promise as it is spliced into tomatoes to make them more resistant to one of the major pests that resistant to cold weather, thereby decreases crop yield. However, the seeds yielding a larger crop when the weather is come at a much higher price. less than favourable. • Seeds are purchased with loans from local Bt Cotton - Mechanism of action money-lenders that charge very high • The transgene inserted into the plant's interest rates, so farmers incur big debts genome produces toxin crystals that the to obtain the seed. plant would not normally produce which, • Also, the seeds are resistant to the when ingested by a certain population of American bollworm but are not organisms, dissolves the gut lining, completely resistant to all pests, a fact leading to the organism's death. that is not known by all farmers. Necessity for Bt Cotton in India • If they do not have additional pest control • Even though India's total cotton strategies, even a Bt crop may be lost to production ranks 3rd internationally pests. behind China and the U.S., the acreage • The situation is greatly worsened by under cotton cultivation in India is about counterfeit seed on the market that does

43 not contain the Bt gene, so is susceptible Bt Brinjal in India to the bollworm and has no yield benefit. • Bt- Brinjal is a hybrid genetically modified Why in news? variety developed by Maharashtra • Hundreds of farmers joined in, what they Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco). called, a ‘civil disobedience’ movement • The Genetic Engineering Appraisal to protest the Centre’s indecisiveness in Committee (GEAC) cleared deck for Bt- approving the next generation of Brinjal in 2006 after satisfaction from the genetically modified (GM) cotton. field and recommended the Ministry of • The farmers argue that they should be Environment to clear Bt-Brinjal for getting the newest of technologies commercial cultivation in 2009. available in the market for agriculture. • But the government of that time withheld it and said that it needs independent 11. BT Brinjal studies to prove that it doesn’t affect the Legislations in India nature and pollinators like bees. • GM crops are permitted for • When rejected in India, the company environmental release and cultivation offered the technology to Bangladesh only after undergoing elaborate food and Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) environmental safety assessment under and now presently almost 50,000 farmers Rules 1989 of Environment Protection are growing Bt-Brinjal with high yields. Act-1986. Why in news? • Genetic Engineering Appraisal • The various scientific lacunae around the Committee (GEAC) constituted under promised benefits of Bt Brinjal, was Rules 1989 of (EPA) – 1986 act as the criticised: biotech regulator in India assessing the o There are still unresolved safety aspects of GM crops. biosafety issues, What is Bt Brinjal? o Its impact on the environment is • Bt brinjal, is a genetically modified strain yet to be studied and analysed, of Brinjal. o In terms of nutrition, there seem • Bt stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, a to be some significant differences common soil bacterium that contains a between Bt and ordinary brinjal gene which produces a protein harmful to o Lack of long-term toxicity studies Fruit and Shoot Borer (FSB). o Lack of scientific consensus on its • They are modified to protect itself from safety and efficacy. the pest: Fruit and Shoot Borer (FSB) o Lack of clarity on how the farmers Background can benefit from Bt Brinjal in a • Brinjal farmers suffer significant yield quantifiable manner losses at 51-73% annually due to the Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer (FSB). 12. Waste-to-energy • Female moths deposit eggs mostly on What’s in the news? brinjal leaves. When the eggs hatch and • Researchers from the Department of turn into larvae, they feed on leaf tissues Biotechnology and Medical Engineering at and tunnel inside shoots and fruits. the National Institute of Technology (NIT) • When Bt protein is ingested by FSB larva, Rourkela, Odisha, have discovered a it is made soluble by the presence of marine bacterial strain (Citrobacter enzyme and alkaline condition (pH9.5) of species) that can produce ethanol the gut. directly from fruit waste. • It then binds into another protein Why fruit waste? (receptor) present in the midgut resulting • Due to the high sugar content, fruit waste to an active toxin. was found to be the most favourable, • The Bt protein only affects FSB and whereas paper waste was the least does not affect humans, farm animals, favourable due to the presence of and other non-target organisms. cellulosic substances.

44

• Once those chemicals run out, the battery 13. Fuel cells dies. What are fuel cells? • A fuel cell, on the other hand, receives • A fuel cell produces electricity through a the chemicals it uses from the outside; chemical reaction, but without therefore, it won’t run out. combustion. • Fuel cells can generate power almost • It converts hydrogen and oxygen into indefinitely, as long as they have fuel to water, and in the process also creates use electricity. Why in news? • It’s an electro-chemical energy • A group of Indian scientists have conversion device that produces developed a selenium-graphene–based electricity, water, and heat. fuel cell catalyst which is more efficient, How does it work? costs less and also remains stable for • The reactions that produce electricity longer than the conventional platinum happen at the electrodes. based catalysts. • Every fuel cell has two electrodes, one Elaboration positive, called the anode, and one • Modern energy technology, for example negative, called the cathode. fuel cells which are used commercially in • These are separated by an electrolyte hydrogen fuel–based cars, require good barrier. Fuel goes to the anode side, while catalysts that are efficient as well as cost- oxygen (or just air) goes to the cathode effective. side. • Normally, fuel cells use expensive • When both of these chemicals hit the platinum-like elements. electrolyte barrier, they react, split off • These expensive metal-based their electrons, and create an electric technologies perform excellently for current. initial few cycles, but then get degraded in • A chemical catalyst speeds up the performance due to many reasons. reactions here. • As a result, there is a need to change this How is it different from a conventional part of the fuel cell routinely. battery? • Graphene modified with selenium atoms • Fuel cells operates much like a battery, in very low amounts can perform like except they don’t require electrical platinum in a demonstrated reaction. recharging. • While neither selenium nor graphene can • A battery stores all of its chemicals inside do the trick by themselves, the and converts the chemicals into combination works efficiently. electricity.

14. Carbon Quantum Dot • Carbon quantum dots have been What is a Carbon Quantum Dot? extensively investigated, especially due to • Carbon quantum dots (CQDs), carbon their strong and tunable fluorescence nano dots (CNDs), and carbon dots (CDs) emission properties, which enable their are a class of carbon-based nanomaterials applications in biomedicine, optronics, whose dimensions are all less than 10 nm. catalysis, and sensing. • CQDs were first discovered by Xu et al. in • CQDs possess the attractive properties of 2004 accidentally during the purification high stability, good conductivity, low of single-walled carbon nanotubes. toxicity, environmental friendliness, • This discovery triggered extensive studies simple synthetic routes as well as to exploit the fluorescence properties of comparable optical properties to CQDs quantum dots Properties of CQDs

45 • Carbon quantum dots present several • The presence of Lewy bodies (abnormal attractive biological, physical, and clumps of proteins that form in the brain chemical properties cells) Importance in Biomedical applications Cure • CDs are also excellent in vitro and in vivo • There is no cure for Parkinson’s, it's all probes for bio-imaging without any about managing symptoms. functionalization. Treatment • They are also useful in delivery of drugs • Drugs for Parkinson's can often help with and genes. tremors, stiff muscles, and slow • They have a wide range of utilizations in movements. different fields such as bio-imaging, • Physical therapy, occupational therapy, cancer therapy, drug/gene delivery, and speech therapy. sensing, bio-sensing, energy conversion • Surgery in some cases. and storage, and electro catalytic and Why in news? photo catalytic applications. • Scientists from the UK have found the Why in news? earliest signs of Parkinson's disease in • A team of Indian scientists in Assam has the brain years before patients show any developed a chemical process that turns symptoms, a discovery that could cheap, abundant, low-quality and high eventually lead to better screening for at- Sulfur ‘dirty’ coal into a biomedical risk people. Carbon Quantum Dot (CDQ) to help detect Elaboration cancer cells. • Serotonin function in the brain was an excellent marker for quantifying how 15. Parkinson’s Disease advanced Parkinson's disease has What is Parkinson’s disease? become. • Parkinson's disease is an illness that • They found that changes in the serotonin affects the part of your brain that controls system in the brains of Parkinson's how you move your body like speech sufferers started to malfunction well changes, writing changes, walking and before other symptoms occurred. balance problems. • Therefore, this can be used as a method to • It comes under the group of detect Parkinson’s much earlier than the neurodegenerative diseases and is conventional symptoms appear characterized by the loss of cells of the Significance brain or spinal cord, which over time • Brain imaging of the serotonin system leads to dysfunction and disability. could become a valuable tool to detect • Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease individuals at risk of Parkinson's diseases, and Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) are all monitor their progression and help with examples. the development of new treatments. • The ones who are 60 years or older are more likely to get it. 16. Trichopus zeylanicus Causes What is it? • The cause of Parkinson's disease is • ‘Arogyapacha’ (Trichopus zeylanicus) unknown, but several factors appear to found endemic to Agastyar hills of Kerala play a role, including: is used by the local ‘kani’ tribe as a health • Genes food for getting instant stamina, • Environmental triggers (exposure to evergreen health and vitality. herbicides and pesticides increase the About the herb risk of Parkinson's disease)

46 • The plant is known for its traditional use phalanges), Joint swelling, Rash, by the Kani tribal community to combat Headache, Muscle pain, Nausea, Fatigue fatigue. • Chikungunya shares some clinical signs • Studies have also proved its varied with dengue and can be misdiagnosed in spectrum of pharmacological properties areas where dengue is common. such as anti-oxidant, aphrodisiac, anti- Diagnosis microbial, anti-inflammatory, • Chikungunya can be detected using immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, anti- serological tests. ulcer, anti-hyperlipidemic, Treatment hepatoprotective and anti-diabetic. • There is no particular drug to treat • The lack of a reference genome that Chikungunya. hindered extensive research on • Plenty of rest, drinking fluids, taking Arogyapacha. medicines such as acetaminophen or What is a reference genome? paracetamol to reduce fever and pain. • A reference genome (also known as a Prevention reference assembly) is a digital nucleic • There is no vaccine to prevent acid sequence database, assembled by Chikungunya scientists as a representative example of a • Recovery from an infection will confer species' set of genes. life-long immunity. Why in news? • Preventing mosquito bites is a way. • Scientists from the University of Kerala Why in news? have decoded the genetic make-up of • The Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) has Arogyapacha (Trichopus zeylanicus) successfully developed antibodies Arogyapacha genome sequencing against the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) • The lack of a reference genome that infection. hindered extensive research on Significance Arogyapacha prompted the researchers • With no prior antibodies reported against to sequence the whole genome. CHIKV so far, this is an attempt at Significance of the whole genome developing and characterizing the novel sequencing highly sensitive and specific antibodies • The genome data will be a valuable against the virus. resource to expedite research on Arogyapacha, particularly its secondary metabolism, genetic breeding, and 18. Acute Encephalitis Syndrome comparative studies. (AES) What is AES? 17. Chikungunya • AES affects central nervous system, What is it? mostly in children and young adults. It • Chikungunya is a viral disease caused by starts with a high fever, then hampers chikungunya virus (CHIKV) which is neurological functions causing mental transmitted to humans by infected disorientation, seizure, confusion, mosquitoes – including Aedes aegypti delirium, coma. and Aedes albopictus. What causes AES? Symptoms • Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) • Symptoms appear between 4 and 7 days including Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a after the patient has been bitten by the group of clinically similar neurologic infected mosquito. manifestation caused by several different • High fever (40°C/ 104°F), Joint pain viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, (lower back, ankle, knees, wrists or spirochetes, chemical/ toxins etc.

47 • Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is the • The encephalitis syndrome is affecting the most common cause of AES in India, with nervous system of children and adults union health ministry estimate attributing due to which the death toll is rising 5-35 per cent cases due to JE. everyday in Bihar. The disease is also • But the syndrome is also caused by scrub known as 'Chamki fever'. typhus, dengue, mumps, measles, even • According to the National Centre for Nipah or Zika virus. In several cases Disease Control officials, Acute though the cause of AES remains clinically Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) outbreaks unidentified. in Bihar have been reported since 1995. Who is affected? This year the main cause of death in most • It predominantly affects population below cases has been alleged to hypoglycemia 15 years. (low blood sugar level). • There is seasonal and geographical Relation between hypoglycaemia, children variation in the causative organism. and AES • JEV has its endemic zones running along • Bihar government officials claim AES is a the Gangetic plain including states of UP syndrome not disease, and cause of death (east), Bihar, West Bengal and Assam, and in these children was found to be parts of Tamil Nadu. prolonged hypoglycaemia that witnessed Prevention delayed treatment. • Increase access to safe drinking water • Government data shows, at least 98 per and proper sanitation facilities cent of children with AES getting • Improve nutritional status of children at hospitalised also suffer from risk of JE/AES hypoglycaemia. • Vector control (Reducing mosquito • In 2014 research paper titled density) ‘Epidemiology of Acute Encephalitis • Vaccination - 2 doses of JE vaccine has Syndrome in India: Changing Paradigm been approved to be included in UIP to be and Implication for Control’, coauthored given one along with measles at the age of by six researchers, a parallel was drawn 9 months and the second with DPT between Muzaffarpur and Vietnam’s Bac booster at the age of 16-24 months. Giang province where undernourished National Programme for Prevention and children were suffering from AES and Control of Japanese Encephalitis/Acute hypoglycaemia that coincided with litchi Encephalitis Syndrome orchards in the neighborhood. • Several government initiatives have been undertaken to educate and improve the 19. Antibiotic resistance hygiene of people living in the JE endemic What is antibiotic resistance? zones. • Antibiotic resistance is when bacteria • Government and non-government develop the ability to survive exposure organizations have been instrumental in to antibiotics designed to kill them or providing proper nutrition to the AES- stop their growth. affected population as most of the Why are they dangerous? affected people belong to the lower • These bacteria may infect humans and economic strata of the society. animals, and the infections they cause are Why in news? harder to treat than those caused by non- • Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) has resistant bacteria. taken over 130 lives in June 2019. As per • Antibiotic resistance leads to higher the reports, the syndrome has claimed medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, over 105 lives of children below 10. and increased mortality. Scope of the problem

48 • Antibiotic resistance is rising to Antimicrobial resistance surveillance dangerously high levels in all parts of the globally. Currently GLASS collects and world. New resistance mechanisms are reports data on Antimicrobial resistance emerging and spreading globally, rates aggregated at national level. threatening our ability to treat common • Red Line Campaign: The Union Ministry infectious diseases. of Health and Family Welfare has made it • A growing list of infections – such as mandatory to display a 5mm-thick red pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood vertical band (line) on packaging of poisoning, gonorrhoea, and foodborne prescription-only drugs (which diseases – are becoming harder, and compulsorily require Doctors’ sometimes impossible, to treat as Prescription). It aims at sensitising people antibiotics become less effective. and make them cautious while buying Main reasons these Antibiotic medicines that are widely • Antibiotic resistance is accelerated by the sold without prescriptions. misuse and overuse of antibiotics, as well as poor infection prevention and 20. Proton Therapy control. What is Proton Therapy? • Also, wherever antibiotics can be bought • Proton therapy is a type of Radiation for human or animal use without a therapy which is also called proton beam prescription, the emergence and spread therapy. of resistance is almost certain. • It uses protons rather than x-rays to treat • Similarly, in countries without standard cancer. treatment guidelines, antibiotics are often • At high energy, protons can destroy over-prescribed by health workers and cancer cells. veterinarians and over-used by the public. • It can also be combined with x-ray Why in news? radiation therapy, surgery, • The World Health Organization (WHO) chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy. has launched a global campaign that • Like x-ray radiation, proton therapy is a urges countries to adopt its new online type of external-beam radiation therapy. tool aimed at guiding policy-makers and Research in India health workers to use antibiotics safely • In India, Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), a and more effectively. Another objective of grant-in-aid Institution under the campaign is to limit drugs that are at Department of Atomic Energy, has risk of resistance. initiated collaboration with Bhabha • The tool, known as ‘AWaRe’, classifies Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Tata antibiotics into three groups: Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) o Access — antibiotics used to for research in proton therapy. treat the most common and Why in News? serious infections The Minister of State (Health and Family o Watch — antibiotics • Welfare) informed Rajya Sabha about the available at all times in the present status of Research on Proton healthcare system Therapy in India. o Reserve — antibiotics to be used sparingly or preserved and used only as a last resort 21. Colored Wheat Other initiatives Background: • WHO has developed the Global • National Agri-Food Biotechnology Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Institute (NABI) has introduced three System (GLASS) to foster standardized coloured varieties of wheat- purple,

49 black and blue which are ready for The spacecraft is scheduled to launch in human consumption after the Food Safety 2026. and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Earlier missions gave its nod last year. • NASA’s last visit to Titan was back in • The wheat gets its colour from 2005, when the Huygens probe, part of anthocyanin. the Cassini mission. The Dragonfly • Coloured wheat has a lower yield than mission will use the data collected from normal wheat, and hence will have to be the Cassini mission at Saturn, which sold at a premium price. ended in 2017. Anthocyanin: About Titan • Anthocyanin is a good antioxidant that • Because of the nature of its atmosphere, makes us healthier. It helps in the Titan is a very Earthlike place. Chemically, prevention of lifestyle disorders such as it is very much like our world’s obesity and cardiovascular diseases. primordial past. The surface pressure of • It is a pigment that gives colour to fruits Titan is one-and-a-half times the surface such as blueberries and jamun. pressure of Earth, and the same sorts of Benefits of coloured wheat interactions between air, land and sea • Consuming large quantities of blueberries take place. can lead to high sugar intake which poses • Rather than water, Titan’s seas are filled danger. But, the antioxidant-rich wheat, with liquid methane. Methane on Titan can reduce the chances of cardiovascular plays the role that water plays here. Its diseases, diabetes and obesity. methane cycle is analogous to Earth’s What are antioxidants? water cycle. It has methane clouds, • Antioxidants are substances that can methane rain and methane lakes and seas prevent or slow damage to cells caused by on the surface. free radicals, unstable molecules that the body produces as a reaction to 23. Raavana-1 environmental and other pressures. What’s in the news? • Sri Lanka launched its first satellite 22. Mission Dragonfly ‘Raavana-1’ from NASA’s Flight Facility on NASA’s new mission Virginia’s east shore. The launch marks • NASA announced its Mission Dragonfly, in Sri Lanka’s entry into the global space which the space body will send a drone- age. style quadcopter to Titan, Saturn’s largest • The satellite was designed and built at the moon. Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan • The quadcopter will take scientific by two Sri Lankan research engineers. measurements, study the world’s • Its camera mission is to capture images of mysterious atmosphere and topography Sri Lanka and its neighbouring countries. while searching for hints of life on the only world other than Earth in our solar system with standing liquid on its surface.

50 REPORTS AND INDICES

1. Healthy States, Progressive 2. SDG Gender Index India What’s in the news? What’s in the news? • India ranked 95th out of 129 countries in • NITI Aayog released the second edition the first-ever SDG Gender Index. of “Healthy States, Progressive India” About SDG Gender Index report. • It measures strides made in achieving gender commitments against • The report was developed by NITI Aayog internationally set targets. with technical assistance from the World Bank. • The index has been developed by Equal Measures 2030, which is a partnership • The objective of the report was to among global and regional organisations measure the annual performance of from the civil society and the States and Union Territories (UTs), development and private sectors. and rank States on the basis of • The SDG Gender Index includes 51 incremental change, while also providing indicators across 14 of the 17 official an overall status of State’s performance Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). and helping to identify specific areas of The indicators include those that are improvement. gender specific, as well as those that are How are they ranked? not but have an effect on girls and • States and UTs have been ranked on a women. composite Health Index in three Key findings categories -Larger States, Smaller States • The index finds that no country has fully and UTs, to ensure comparison among achieved the promise of gender equality similar entities. and that the global average score of 65.7 • The Index is a weighted composite Index out of 100 is “poor”. based on indicators in three domains: • India’s score of 56.2 means that it is o Health Outcomes; among 43 countries that fall in the ‘very o Governance and Information; and poor’ category. o Key Inputs/Processes

Highlights of the Report: • Among Larger States: Kerala, Andhra 3. Nutrition security analysis Pradesh & Maharashtra ranked on top report in terms of overall performance. Haryana, What’s in the news? Rajasthan and Jharkhand are the top • The UN World Food Programme and three ranking States in terms of annual Ministry of Statistics and Programme incremental performance. Implementation has released a report • Among Smaller States: Mizoram ranked which is a baseline analysis of the first followed by Manipur on overall country’s progress in achieving the performance, while Tripura followed by second Sustainable Development Goal Manipur were the top ranked States in to end hunger. terms of annual incremental Key findings of the report: performance. • The average per capita consumption of • Among UTs: Chandigarh and Dadra and energy among the 30% poor people of the Nagar Haveli were ranked on top in terms population is just 1811 kilo calories, of overall performance as well as annual much lower than the norm of 2155 incremental performance. kilocalories per day.

51 • Over the last decade, child stunting has ● It is released by the US State reduced at a rate of just 1% per year, the Department, annually to combat slowest decline among emerging trafficking as well to rank countries on economies. their preparedness and actions against • At this rate it is predicted that by 2022 trafficking. about 31.4% of children will be ● It should not be confused with Global stunted. report on trafficking in persons UN world food programme: which is released by the United • The World Food Programme is the UN Nations Office on Drugs and Crime agency focused on hunger alleviation and (UNODC) food security. Globally, it responds to ● Some of the key points of this report are emergencies, making sure food reaches : where it is needed, especially in times of o The report classifies countries civil wars and natural disasters. into 3 tiers. Tier 1 countries • In India, WFP provides technical have up to the mark and doing assistance and capacity building services well to stop trafficking. Tier 2 to the Government of India. countries are working but • Ministry of Agriculture is the nodal their actions aren’t enough. agency for WFP in India. India is termed as Tier 2 About malnutrition: country. Tier 3 countries have • Malnutrition is a group of conditions in the least of the regulations children and adults generally related to and are watchlist countries. poor quality or insufficient quantity of o The report has given nutrient intake, absorption, or utilization. suggestions to all countries to • Two types of malnutrition are ACUTE develop their actions. For nutrition and CHRONIC malnutrition India, the report asks to o Acute Malnutrition causes establish Anti-Trafficking wasting /thinness which Units, make amendments in happens due to weight loss IPC section 370 (which due to inadequate nutrition. deals with trafficking of Wasting results from an acute persons). shortage of food, is reversible Measures related to trafficking with re-feeding, and has a • Palermo Protocol: It was adopted by relatively high mortality rate. the UN on Transnational Organised o Chronic malnutrition causes Crimes in 2000. There are 3 protocols stunting/shortness which i.e., one to stop trafficking in persons, happens due to inadequate especially women and children, second is nutrition over a long period of on smuggling of migrants by land, sea, time leading to failure of and air and last against the Illicit linear growth. Stunting is Manufacturing and Trafficking in chronic and its causative Firearms, Their Parts and Components factors are poorly understood. and Ammunition. o Acute and Chronic • It is being monitored by the UN Office malnutrition is the condition on Drugs and Crime. when both occur. 5. State of Global Air 2019 Report 4. Trafficking in Persons Report What is it? About the report: • The State of Global Air report brings into one place the latest information on air

52 quality and health for countries around • It is a nonprofit corporation. the globe. • It works as an independent organization Who is releasing the report? to provide high-quality, impartial and • It is released by the Health Effects relevant research on the health effects of Institute in cooperation with the air pollution. Institute of Health Metrics and • It is headquartered in Boston, Evaluation (IHME). Massachusetts, USA. Key findings of the report: Institute of Health Metrics and • Air pollution ranks fifth among global Evaluation(IHME): risk factors for mortality globally, • The Institute for Health Metrics and exceeded only by behavioral and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent metabolic factors like poor diet, high global health research center at the blood pressure, tobacco exposure, and University of Washington. high blood sugar. • IHME was launched based on a core grant • India (1st) and China have the highest of $105 million primarily funded by the health burden from air pollution. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Report about India: • It also releases Global burden of • Air pollution is the third-highest cause of diseases report. death among all health risks, ranking just • It provides measurement of the world's above smoking, in India. most important health problems and • According to the report 1.2 million people evaluates the strategies used to address are dying prematurely due to toxic air. them. • Entire Indian population lives in areas with PM2.5 concentrations above the WHO Air Quality Guideline of 10 µg/m3. Health Effects Institute:

53 POLITY

1. Removal of High Court judge obstructed would affect the normal life Procedure for removal of Judges of the people. These include services • The procedure for removal of judges is like public transport (bus services), elaborated in the Judges Inquiry Act, health services (doctors and hospitals). 1968. ● Essential Services are in Concurrent • A motion has to be moved by either 100 List of the Schedule 7. Lok Sabha members or 50 Rajya Sabha ● Although it is a very powerful law, its members. execution rests entirely on the • If the motion is admitted, the Speaker of discretion of the State government. Lok Sabha or Chairman of Rajya Sabha ● Each state in the union of India, hence constitutes an inquiry committee. The has a separate state Essential Services committee has three members: a Maintenance Act with slight variations Supreme Court judge, a High Court from the central law in its provisions. Chief Justice, and an eminent jurist. This freedom is accorded by the central law itself. • If the Committee finds the judge guilty of ● There is a restriction on the staff of ‘misbehaviour or incapacity’, the essential services on going to strike. motion along with the report of the They must get prior permission. committee is taken up for consideration Why in news? in the House where motion was moved. ● The doctors’ strike all over the country • The motion for removal is required to be due to attack on a West Bengal doctor adopted by each House of Parliament by a brought in the debate of essential majority of the total membership of services. that House and a majority of at least

two-thirds of the members of the House present and voting. 3. Anti-Defection • Once the motion is adopted in both What is anti-defection? Houses, it is sent to the President, who ● It is disqualification when a member of will issue an order for the removal of the parliament or legislature chooses to join judge. another party after being elected as Why in News? some party. • Months after an in-house panel found an ● This was introduced by the 52nd Allahabad High Court judge, Justice S.N. Amendment in 1985. Shukla, guilty of misconduct. Disqualification is done when: • Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has ● Member voluntarily gives up party written to Prime Minister to initiate a membership motion for his removal. ● If he abstains from the direction given by the party’s whip (an official of a political party appointed to maintain 2. Essential Services parliamentary discipline) What are essential services? ● If an independent candidate joins any ● According to the Essential Services political party. Maintenance Act (ESMA), 1968, ● If a nominated member joins a party essential services are those services after 6 months of his/her nomination. which are important for the normalcy of Exception: state and citizen life. ● When a merger between two parties ● It was established to ensure the with the consent of 2/3rd of members delivery of certain services, which if

54 takes place and some member quits the and the anti-corruption ombudsman, merging party, he is not disqualified. Lokpal. ● If the speaker or any presiding officer Why in news? after being elected, give up party for ● The contention once again came on the impartiality then he is not disqualified. opposition leader as Congress didn't get He can rejoin the party after getting 1/10th in the recent Lok Sabha election. down from the post. ● They got 53 seats. 1/10th is 55 seats. ● The speaker/presiding officer will be the final authority to decide the 5. State flag day disqualification on the ground of anti- Legislation regarding flag defection. The decision can be ● Parliament has framed legislation challenged in court. regulating the hoisting of the national Why in News? flag. ● 4 out of 6 TDP Rajya Sabha members ● The Emblems and Names (Prevention have merged with BJP. of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and The ● This doesn’t become a matter of Prevention of Insults to National disqualification under Anti-defection as Honour Act, 1971, prohibit insulting the 2/3rd members have consented to national flag by burning it, mutilating it, merger the party. defacing it, etc. ● These acts do not impose prohibitions on 4. Leader of opposition a state flag. Opposition Leader: State Flags ● Opposition plays a vital role in ● Two states in India have their own state parliamentary democracy. flags i.e., Jammu and Kashmir and ● It keeps the government on track with Karnataka. constructive criticism using different ● Under the Flag Code of India, 2002, parliamentary instruments (like conditions followed while hoisting state question hour, no-confidence motion, flag are. etc). o 1) it is not hoisted from the ● The leader of any party sitting in same masthead as of National opposition, whose strength is not less flag and than 1/10th of the total membership of o 2) it is not hoisted higher the house gets to become opposition than the national flag, leader. Why in the news? ● This post in India was recognized in ● A local party in Jammu & Kashmir was not 1969 and was given statutory allowed to celebrate state flag day on June recognition in 1977. 7. ● He/she is given rank equivalent to a ● J&K lost its state flag post the scrapping of cabinet minister. Article 370. ● The Leader of the Opposition has a crucial role in deciding key appointments such as the CBI Director, the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC)

55 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. India Maldives bilateral ● In August 2017, both India and China What’s in the news? announced that they had withdrawn all ● Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit their troops from the face-off site. to the Maldives, his first state visit abroad ● The location holds strategic importance since being re-elected to office, signed six as it would bring China within striking key agreements. distance of India’s vulnerable ‘Chicken ● The Memorandums of Understanding Neck’, the Siliguri Corridor, the life- (MoU) covered areas such as line to India’s Northeast. hydrography, health, passenger and cargo services by sea, capacity building in customs and civil service training. ● A technical agreement on sharing “White Shipping Information” between the Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defence Force was also signed. ● Mr Modi was also conferred with the Maldives’ highest honour — the Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. White Shipping Information: ● White shipping information refers to Why in News? exchange of relevant advance information ● Reacting sharply to recent reports of an on the identity and movement of unprecedented build-up of military commercial non-military merchant infrastructure on the Chinese side of the vessels. Doklam plateau, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said that no 2. Doklam issue side should do anything near the tri What is it? junction point unilaterally. ● The Doklam is a plateau, near the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction. 3. The Joint Comprehensive Plan ● In June 2017, a military standoff of Action (JCPOA) occurred between China and India as What is the Iran nuclear deal? China attempted to extend a road on the ● The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Doklam plateau southwards near the (JCPOA), more commonly known as the Doka La pass and Indian troops moved Iran nuclear deal was reached between in to prevent the Chinese. Iran and six world powers known as the ● India claimed to have acted on behalf of P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, Bhutan. Bhutan formally objected to the United Kingdom, and the United China's road construction in the States) in July 2015. disputed area. What did Iran have to do to meet the ● Under the 2007 India-Bhutan requirements of the deal? Friendship Treaty, the two sides have ● According to this framework, Iran would agreed to cooperate closely with each redesign, convert, and reduce its other on issues relating to their national nuclear facilities in order to lift all interests. nuclear-related economic sanctions.

56 ● The deal also allowed for the tracking of India it was considering to cap the nuclear activities with robust number of H-1B visas given annually to transparency and inspections. Indians at between 10% and 15% of the ● International inspectors from the total number issued. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitor every element of Iran's 5. The Generalised System of declared nuclear programme. U.S. withdrawal from JCPOA Preferences (GSP) ● The US President Donald Trump What is the GSP? abandoned the Iran nuclear deal in May ● The Generalised System of Preferences 2018, claiming it did not address Iran's (GSP) is one of the oldest trade ballistic missile programme or its roles preference programmes in the world, in Middle Eastern conflicts. under which developed countries offer ● The US is the only country to have preferential treatment (such as zero or withdrawn from the agreement. Iran, low duties on imports) to products China, France, Russia, the UK and originating in developing countries. Germany are still parties. ● India, as a developing country, enjoyed ● Mr. Trump re-imposed tough economic special trade benefits from the GSP sanctions against Iran in August 2018, programme of U.S which allowed duty- deeply cutting its sale of crude oil free entry of Indian goods worth $5.6 abroad. Europe has so far been unable to billion into the U.S. offer Iran a way around the U.S. Termination of eligibility sanctions. ● In June 2019, the U.S. decided to Why in News? terminate India’s eligibility for the GSP ● Iranian officials announced that the based on complaints from US’ dairy and country’s production of low-enriched medical device industries alleging that uranium had increased fourfold and its India has implemented a wide array of stockpile would pass a 300kg limit by trade barriers that are affecting the US June 27. exports in those sectors. ● Under the terms of the deal, Iran can Why in News? stockpile no more than 300 kilograms of ● Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal low-enriched uranium. told that the government was negotiating with the U.S. the issue of withdrawing the GSP status to India. 4. H1B Visa What is H1B visa? ● The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that 6. Brexit allows US companies to employ foreign What is Brexit? workers in speciality occupations that • Brexit ("British exit") refers to the require theoretical or technical expertise. United Kingdom's decision in a June 23, ● The technology companies depend on it 2016 referendum to leave the European to hire tens of thousands of employees Union (EU), which is a group of 28 each year from countries like India. countries that operates as a cohesive ● An estimated 70% of H1B visas go to economic and political block. Indians. • The process of leaving the EU formally Why in News? began on March 29, 2017, when the ● The U.S. State Department has clarified former British Prime Minister Therasa that it has no plans to cap H-1B work May triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon visas for countries that adopt laws that Treaty. restrict data being taken out of their • The UK had two years from that date to borders (data localisation). negotiate a new relationship with the EU. ● The clarification holds significance as Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty there were reports that the U.S. had told • It gives any EU member state the right to quit unilaterally, and outlines the

57 procedure for doing so. It gives the tensions that prevailed during the 30- leaving country two years to negotiate year conflict that ended in 1998. an exit deal and once it is set in motion it • To address this, the withdrawal cannot be stopped except by unanimous agreement includes a “backstop” plan to consent of all member states. ensure the border remains as smooth Withdrawal Agreement as possible until a trade deal between • The “Brexit deal” is a legally-binding text the UK and the EU is struck. agreed to by the EU and UK government • On the other hand, opponents believe on November, 14 2018. The deal sets the that the backstop plan would leave the terms of the UK’s divorce from the EU UK subject to EU regulation even after and can only enter into force once Brexit. ratified by the UK parliament. Why in News? • But, the deal Therasa May negotiated • The EU’s top leaders have made it clear with the EU was rejected by Britain's that the existing divorce deal with the House of Commons three times. UK could not be changed. • May announced that she will step down as the Prime Minister after facing severe 7. Exercise Garuda pressure to resign. Britain has to ratify a What’s in the news? withdrawal agreement with the EU • Exercise Garuda 2019, a bilateral Indo- before leaving if it wants to avoid a "no- French warfare exercise, was conducted deal" exit. in France. When is the UK due to leave the EU? • The objectives for the exercise were to • The UK had been due to leave on 29 foster closer relationship between India March 2019, two years after it started and France so as to promote the exit process. But as the UK MPs interoperability through exchange of rejected the withdrawal agreement, EU knowledge and experience. leaders have now backed a six-month extension until 31 October 2019. 8. Tax Information Exchange • However, the UK will leave before this date if the withdrawal agreement is Agreement ratified by the UK and the EU before What’s in the news? then. • India has notified a tax information Why do people oppose the deal? exchange agreement (TIEA) with the • There are a broad range of complaints, Marshall Islands, which was signed in many of which claim the deal fails to give 2016. back to the UK control of its own affairs • The agreement enables bilateral sharing from the EU. of banking information and allowing • One of the biggest sticking points has officials of one country to undertake tax been over what happens at the Irish examinations in the other. border. • TIEA will enhance mutual cooperation What is the ‘backstop’ plan? between India and the Marshall Islands • Northern Ireland is part of the UK while by providing an effective framework for the Republic of Ireland, which is not, will exchange of information on tax matters remain part of the EU after Brexit. which will help curb tax evasion and tax • Under EU arrangements, it is currently avoidance. easy for people and goods to cross the border between the Republic of Ireland 9. Strait of Hormuz and Northern Ireland, and there are What’s in the News? fears that it will not remain so after ● The mysterious attack on two oil tankers Britain leaves. in the Gulf of Oman, close to the Strait • Many also fear that barriers between the of Hormuz, raised tensions between north and south could revive the the U.S. and Iran.

58 ● The U.S. has blamed Iran for the incident. Strait, which makes it the world’s most Iran has denied any role. important oil artery. Why is Strait of Hormuz important? ● If the Strait is closed or if the flow of oil and gas is disrupted, it would have a serious impact on global energy stability and thereby on the world economy. Operation Sankalp: • Amidst growing tensions in the Middle East, Indian Navy launched Operation Sankalp to safeguard its vessels transiting through the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. • The Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region (Refer ‘Initiatives’ section) is also keeping a close watch on the movement of ships in the Gulf region.

• Strait of Hormuz is a choke-point between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. A third of crude oil exports transported via ships pass through the

59 ART & CULTURE

1. Chaukhandi Stupa • Kamakhya near Guwahati, Assam is one of About the stupa: 51 shakti peethas or seat of Shakti • Chaukhandi Stupa is a Buddhist site and followers, each representing a body part has served as a place of relics of Buddha. of Sati, Lord Shiva’s companion. • It is called Chaukhandi because of four Why in the news? armed plan. • Recently Assam celebrated Ambubachi • This site finds mention in Hiuen Tsang, Mela at kamakhya. traveler during Harsha’s period. • This site was renovated during Mughal 3. Bankim Chandra’s statue period by Raja Todarmal to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay commemorate Humayun visit. • He was an Indian writer, poet and Why in News? journalist. • Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has • He is widely regarded as a key figure in declared Chaukhandi stupa located in literary renaissance of Bengal as well as Sarnath, UP as protected area of the broader Indian subcontinent. national importance. • Chattopadhyay’s earliest publications • This notification will allow ASI to were in Ishwar Chandra Gupta’s weekly undertake restoration and preservation newspaper Sambad Prabhakar; works at the site. • His first fiction to appear in print was Site of National Importance Rajmohan’s Wife. It was written in • Archeological Survey of India declares English and is regarded as the first Indian specific sites as ‘national importance’ if novel to be written in English. the Site has remains of ancient artifacts if • After he felt the pulse of nationalism, it has a monument, or the site is started writing in Bengali. important for the access to the • He wrote 13 novels- Kapalkundala, monuments. Mrinalini, Devi chaudrani, Chandrasekhar • Under the Ancient Monuments and etc., Archaeological Sites and Remains • His Anandamath was the story of a (AMASR) Act, 1958, ancient monuments group of monks (Sanyasi Rebellion) who or archaeological sites which are of fought the British. historical, archaeological or artistic • This was the source for our national song interest and which have been in existence Vande mataram. for not less than 100 years may be • He published magazines like Vande declared as of national importance. Mataram, Bangadarshan, etc. • The protection and maintenance of Why in news? monuments declared as of national • Members of parliament of Trinamool importance is taken up by the ASI by way Congress demanded a statue of Bankim of structural repairs, chemical Chandra Chattopadhayay in parliament preservation and environmental premises. development around the monument which is a regular and on-going process. 4. Amaravati school of art What is it? 2. Ambubachi Mela • Ancient Indian architecture contains 3 What is it? major schools - Gandhara, Mathura and • Ambubachi Mela is a 4 day fair which Amravati schools. marks the annual menstruation of the • Amravati school of art has evolved and goddess at Kamakhya temple, centre for flourished for nearly six centuries Tantra worship. commencing from 200-100 BC.

60 • It was patronized first by the Satavahanas and later by the Ikshvakus and also by other groups. • It is completely indigenous art style and have mainly Buddhist artifacts. • To make artifacts white marble was widely used. • The sculptures of Amravati art are mainly narrative and are inspired by jataka tales. • Human forms are shown in tribhanga style (3 bends). What is in the news? • Amravati had a huge stupa whose • A limestone pillar of 3rd century, remains are kept in Chennai museum belonging to Amravati school was now. founded in Parkasm district of Andhra Various schools of art: Pradesh. • It is said to be a part of Buddhist monastery during Ikshvaku period.

61 DEFENSE

1. Varunastra • The weapon has been jointly developed What is varunastra? by the Naval Science and Technology • It is an indigenously-built heavyweight Laboratory (NTSL), Visakhapatnam and anti-submarine torpedo. the Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad. • Varunastra is a ship-launched, What is in the news? electrically-propelled underwater • Varunastra has been successfully weapon equipped with one of the most inducted in the navy, making India one of advanced automatic and remote- the eight countries to have the capability controlled guidance systems. to design and build such a system. • The weapon system uses its own intelligence in tracing the target. It can hit stealth submarines underwater.

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