Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder

Contents Chief Editor : ATIONAL ND OCIAL SSUES...... 4 Dr. B. S. Rao garu, Chairman, N A S I Sri Chaitanya Educational Institutions In Kashmir, hundreds of pellet gun victims face a hazy future 4 India lifts curbs on airspace 4 Kargil war veteran declared foreigner 5 Co Editors: Maharashtra's solar pump scheme in Vidarbha not working 5 Mr. U Vijay Kumar Indians work hard but get fewer benefits 6 Mr. M Dharmendar What does the merger of NSSO and Central Statistics Office entail? 6 GSP issues will be resolved: India 7 Layout Designers: Body scanners made mandatory at 84 airports 7 Mr. K S R Kiran Indian Navy steps up anti-piracy patrol 8

Admn. Office: India slams OIC for naming Special Envoy on Kashmir 8 Plot No. 304, Kasatty Heights, Travel portal 'UdChalo' to give a new lease of life to wounded soldiers 8 Madhapur, Section 376E and the Shakti Mills gang rape case? 8 Hyderabad - 500 081. Ajit Doval reappointed National Security Advisor with Cabinet rank 9 Ph: 040 - 66151515, 64640193/5/6. Three -language formula? 10 Parties speak out on Operation Blue Star 11 Prasar Bharati will retain its autonomy 11 All rights reserved. No part of this Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos test-fired 11 Magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted Tokyo seeks '2+2' meeting with Foreign, Defence Ministers 12 in any form by any means, Electronic, 95 on maiden SDG Gender Index 12 Mechanical, Photocopying or Transgender rights Bill to be reintroduced 12 otherwise, without the prior Centre wants all States to join Ayushman Bharat 12 permission of the publisher. While No Narendra Modi-Imran Khan meeting on the sidelines of SCO 13 every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information in this AIR may have to power off short wave transmissions 13 edition, neither publisher nor any of India criticises lack of transparency in functioning of UNSC's 13 its employees accept any Nagaland want to draw up a list of all indigenous inhabitants? 14 responsibility for any error or Home Ministry warns NGOs 15 omission. Articles that cannot be Retest of baby shampoo shows absence of formaldehyde 15 used are returned to the authors if accompanied by a self addressed All States can now constitute Foreigners Tribunals 15 and sufficiently stamped envelop. Quad one way to fix regional issues: Australian envoy 16 “Career Finder” assumes no Clean drinking water to all by 2024, says Gajendra Singh Shekhawat 16 responsibility for statements and Sharad Kumar appointed as interim Chief Vigilance Commissioner 16 opinions advanced by the authors Enforcement of child labour laws lacking, says official 17 nor for any claims made in the advertise-ments published in the DRDO conducts maiden test of hypersonic technology demonstrator 17 Magazine. Encephalitis surge in Bihar 18 Bishkek Declaration of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation 18 "Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time". Arnold H. Glasow 1 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder

One nation, one election 18 U.S. President Donald Trump steps into North Korea, in a PIL plea in Madras High Court for pre-censorship of TV historic first 34 programmes 19 Mexico City celebrates role as haven for LGBTQ migrants Government approves Motor Bill 20 34 At G20 trilateral, China proposes 5G partnership with ECONOMY...... 21 India, Russia 35 PM announces task force for reforms in agri-economy 21 UNGA resolution on goods used for capital punishment, Anti-profiteering body NAA's tenure extended by 2 years21 torture 35 Jalan panel on economic capital framework 21 Blacklisting Pakistan absolutely a possibility 36 Tea auction to go digital in Assam 22 India-Pakistan clash over Nizam of Hyderabad funds in Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) 22 U.K. 36 12,305 crore disbursed so far to farmers under PM-KISAN Experts fear 'snowball effect' as Iran abandons nuclear scheme 23 deal 36 RBI introduces 'Complaint Management System 23 China tests new ballistic missile 37 Nandan Nilekani panel sees 10-fold growth in digital Belt and Road project 37 payments in 3 years 23 US-China trade war, sea row in ASEAN summit spotlight CII launches new Index to measure fiscal performance 24 38 IMA ponzi scam: ED attaches 209crore assets under PMLA Saudi launches residency scheme to boost revenue 39 24 Palestinians reject U.S.-Bahrain peace plan 39 Viral Acharya quits as RBI Deputy Governor six months India continued to be placed in Tier 2 on the country before end of his term 25 trafficking scale 40 Govt. RBI promise to address concerns on data localization India uses yoga diplomacy to assert rising global influence rule 26 41 State department reiterates Trump’s ‘fair and reciprocal ILO adopts #MeToo treaty against harassment at work trade’ message for India 26 41 Is India ready to embrace the circular economy? 27 Norway islanders want to go 'time-free' when sun doesn't Regulations on shisham trade hit rosewood artisans 28 set 41 Boat makers in Odisha's coastal villages struggle to stay Iran Revolutionary Guard shoots down U.S. drone amid afloat 29 tensions 42 Salaried employees in India devoid of paid leaves, social U.S.'s South Asia budget to fall 42 security: PLFS 29 China launches Internet 'clean-up' campaign 43 'Free metro, bus travel may not improve safety, but stress First time India has voted in favour of Israel in UN's public transport system' 30 ECOSOC 43 Inflation is healthy for the economy - but too much can trigger a recession 30 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY...... 44 NBFC crisis 31 AstroSat peers into the heart of Jellyfish galaxy 44 New injectable hydrogel may improve stem cell uptake INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS...... 32 45 Commercial whaling backin Japan 32 This amino acid can help mung bean plants withstand Tiananmen Square Protests 32 heat stress 45 China announces South China Sea military training Australia's New Sex-Changing Tomato 46 exercises 32 China launches its first sea-based space rocket 46 Kuwait invalidates IIT degrees, following non approval of Vitamin D may help cancer patients live longer 47 NBA 33 Orange cucumber from North-East is storehouse of Pakistan receives $500 million from Qatar 34 Vitamin A 47 2 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder

India to build indigenous space station in 7 years 47 316 out of 651 protected areas under final ESZ notification World's first gene-edited babies may be at early death 57 risk 48 US Virgin Islands approves bill to ban toxic sunscreen 58 Facebook to unveil new cryptocurrency 48 This June may be second-most rain deficient in 7 years Unravel the fungus responsible for Sheath Blight disease 58 in rice 49 Human rights, environment activists unsafe in Asia 59 Mystery mass altering lunar gravity 49 Why the heatwave? Blame Cyclone Vayu, El Niño 59 New space telescope to create a 3D X-ray map of Universe The fishing cats of Colombo 60 49 Spotting the spotted owlet in Delhi 60 Heat-tolerant bacteria that survived meteorite impact In Arunachal, the golden cat wears new colours 60 50 G20 agrees to tackle ocean plastic waste 60 'Drinking buttermilk improves cardiovascular health' 50 Call to protect kadamba trees 61 What happened to Apollo goodwill moon rocks? 50 After a decade, black tiger shrimps stage a comeback in NCRA to host International Pulsar Timing Array meet 51 Kerala 61 Novel algorithm can help robots prevent colliding with A water clinic for elephants opens on the banks of the humans 51 Yamuna 61 Some women are more prone to develop cervical cancer Centre to place more focus on piped water 62 52 ASEAN nations, among worst ocean polluters, aim to curb Scientists pave the way for a new therapy for type 2 plastic debris 62 diabetes 52 Device to trap ocean plastic waste relaunches 62 Cancer cell detection 'dots' developed from coal in Assam Mt Everest turning into a pile of discarded tents, human 52 waste 63 Plants may be spreading superbugs to humans 53 Elephants killed over 2,300 people in last five years: Life on Jupiter's moon Europa? Discovery of table salt on Environment Ministry 63 the surface boosts hopes 53 Crocodiles were once vegetarians 63 Invisible nano-ink may help combat counterfeiting 53 Serbia's Balkan donkey cheese 63 Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality 54 'Impressive' tortoise discovered in Arunachal Pradesh Japan's 'washi' paper torn by modern life; struggles to 64 attract customers 54 Centre agrees to pay revised cost of Rs 55,548 cr 64 Indian scientist to be Co-Investigator for NASA's PUNCH WWF's One Planet City Challenge 64 mission 54 India gets re-elected as observer to Arctic Council 64 Remdesivir Shows Promise against Nipah Virus in FLR and Bonn Challenge 65 Monkeys 55 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) 65 Engineering this fungi may produce eco-friendly NGT stays A.P. project to link Godavari, Krishna and Penna alternative to synthetic dyes 55 65 Lunar Evacuation System 56 CAFÉ regulations and Bharat stage emission standards 66 Scientists decode genome of miracle plant 56 AWARDS...... 67 WHO - The E-2020 initiative 56 Indian scientists develop more potent Anthrax vaccine 56 22 writers to get Sahitya Akademi awards 67 Maldives confers country's highest honour on PM Modi ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES...... 57 67 Bitcoin use causing huge CO2 emissions: Study 57 Social activist Makarand Tilloo receives 'Save Water Hero Studying Olive Ridleys in Odisha 57 Award' 67 WHO Award For Rajasthan Health Dept. 67 Akshaya Patra wins BBC award 67 3 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder NATIONAL & SOCIAL ISSUES

In Kashmir, hundreds of pellet gun According to various government and non- victims face a hazy future governmental data, the number of pellet victims in Kashmir since the pellet shotgun was introduced in What are pellet guns? 2010 to quell mass street protests, is likely to be between They are a form of non-lethal crowd control methods 10,000 to 20,000 persons. used by police and military worldwide. The other India lifts curbs on airspace popular methods are tear gas, water cannon, pepper spray, taser guns etc. Pellet guns are also popular in There is relief likely for thousands of air travellers hunting and pest control. affected due to the closure of Pakistan airspace as India lifted curbs on use of its skies on Friday. Pellet guns are manufactured at the Ordinance Factory, Ishapore.They are used by Jammu & Kashmir Police “Temporary restrictions on all air routes in the Indian and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). They were airspace imposed by the Indian Air Force on 27 first introduced in August 2010. The CRPF has 600 February 2019 have been removed,” the IAF posted such guns on Twitter. The IAF communicated its decision in a letter to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). What are they intended for? “The ball is now in Pakistan’s court. Most likely they Pellets guns are intended to injure individuals and cause will also open up,” a senior official said on the condition pain. They are effective over short ranges up to 500 of anonymity. yards but when fired from close quarters can be lethal, particularly when sensitive parts like eyes are hit. Pakistan shut its airspace for all flights on February Pellets can penetrate soft tissues. An official said 27 following the IAF airstrike at a Jaish-e-Mohammad security forces were asked to open minimal fire at camp in Balakot. According to Indian officials, 11 entry protesters and if necessary “below their waist.” These and exit points, which are located between Jammu guns are used in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas and Kashmir and Gujarat, were also closed for flights but they are mostly used in the Kashmir Valley. to and from Pakistan as a reciprocal measure. Study findings The government official also said that AAI has written to U.N.’s aviation watchdog, International Civil Aviation According to a 2016 survey by the Geneva-based Organisation, as well as countries like Pakistan, Medecins Sans Frontieres, nearly 1.8 million (45%) Afghanistan, Oman and Iran informing them of the adults in the Kashmir Valley are experiencing decision. Since the imposition of its ban, Pakistan has symptoms of mental distress, with 41% exhibiting gradually opened its airspace for most airlines, barring probable depression, 26% having anxiety, and 19% those that enter the country from its eastern border ailing from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). after traversing India. “37% of males and 50% of females in Kashmir suffer On May 29, Pakistan extended its three-month long from probable depression, while 21% of men and 36% ban for flights from and through India until June 15. of women suffer from a probable anxiety-related As many as six international airlines have been forced disorder,” the report had mentioned. The number of to cancel a total of 33 weekly flights to Delhi due to suicide attempts has also increased by more than 250% between 1994-2012. the ban.

4 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder

Kargil war veteran declared foreigner the total number of installed solar pumps in the state were a little over 4,000. Mohammad Sanaullah, the retired Army Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) who was declared a Solar pumps are also nationally promoted under the foreigner by a Foreigners Tribunal in Assam’s Kamrup central government’s Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam district on May 23 and sent to a detention camp in Utthaan Mahabhiyan scheme. The scheme aims at Goalpara, has been discharged by the Assam Police large-scale deployment of solar pumps with a target from service. to add a solar capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022. The ex-serviceman had been appointed as a Sub- However, according to the survey of beneficiaries of Inspector of the State police’s Border wing after solar pumps in the Buldhana district in Vidarbha retiring from the Army as an Honorary Captain in 2017. conducted by CSE during April 2019, despite the The Border wing is tasked with detecting, detaining benefits of solar pumps, these were grossly under- and deporting foreigners. utilised in the area. In fact, the survey revealed that the number of hours for irrigation actually decreased On May 29, the office of the Special Director General after the use of solar pumps, from nearly 800 hours to of Police (Border) issued an order in reference to Mr. about 600 hours. Sanaullah having been declared a foreign national of “post-March 25, 1971 stream”. The Assam Accord According to CSE, this is an indication that regardless of 1985 seeks deportation of foreigners or illegal of having an almost free source of electricity, farmers migrants who entered the State after March 24, 1971. are unable to use it to the extent they were using their previous source. The reason for this is because of “Hence, Md Sanaullah... is shown discharge from plummeting water levels. service with effect from the date of order, i.e., May 23, 2019, and is deprived from all the facilities as Govt. Most of the solar pumps in the area have been installed servant henceforth,” the police said in an order signed during 3-4 years and the rainfall has been scarce during by a Superintendent of police. this time, resulting in water issues. Therefore, farmers have little or no water for irrigation. This defeats the Maharashtra’s solar pump scheme in government’s intent of providing farmers with assured Vidarbha not working: CSE survey irrigation with the solar pumps as the farmers in the region are reeling under severe problems due to water Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and scarcity and recurring droughts. Environment (CSE) has conducted a survey to show that a scheme started by the Maharashtra government On the flipside, providing a source of electricity with to supply solar irrigation pumps to farmers in the no incremental cost tends to have a negative effect on Vidarbha region is not working. The Maharashtra State the water table. Electricity Distribution Co Ltd recently started Both facts coupled undermine the whole idea of supplying of solar pumps in Vidarbha under the providing farmers energy and water security with the Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Pump Yojana. off-grid solar pumps. Therefore, it just increases the The state government has targeted the deployment of burden on the state exchequer with very little benefit 1,00,000 off-grid solar powered agricultural pumps in to farmers. And the government’s effort to alleviate a phased manner under this scheme within three years the pain of farmers actually has had limited starting from January 1, 2019. The state government consequences. Therefore, the state government should is promoting off-grid solar pumps as a remedy for low take into account regional factors to ensure the irrigation levels and the poor state of electricity by optimum use of resources. providing a subsidy of up to 95 per cent. By 2018-19, 5 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Indians work hard but get fewer per cent were not eligible for any social security benefit. benefits: report Women were more margnilaised at 51.8 per cent (men: 49 per cent). India’s employment situation is unusual: It has already been reported that the rate of unemployment is at its What does the merger of NSSO and worst in nearly half a century. At the same time, those Central Statistics Office entail? employed are working long an average 50 hours a On May 23, the government announced that the week revealed the recently released Periodic Labour National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) will be merged Force Survey (PLFS). with the Central Statistics Office to form the National The survey, under the National Sample Survey Office Statistical Office (NSO). Many believe that this move (NSSO), has already been in news for its delayed will undermine the autonomy of the NSSO which has release by the Narendra Modi government. It collects been at the centre of various public controversies over data for all three categories of workers: data on economic growth and unemployment. The NSO will be headed by the secretary of the Ministry 1.self-employed 2.regular wage earners / salaried of Statistics and Programme Implementation 3.casual workers (MOSPI). This is in contrast to the original plan On an average, a rural worker worked 48 hours a proposed by experts to merge various statistical bodies week during the four quarters of the survey; in urban such as the NSSO and others to create a unified areas it was 56 hours, according to the report. statistics body that is accountable to Parliament, rather It considers the total time spent by a worker on than the government. production of all goods and services considered as Issue economic activities as hours worked by her. Urban In May, the NSSO came out with a report which cast workers in all categories were found to be putting in serious doubt on the reliability of raw data that is used more hours than their rural counterparts. to calculate India’s gross domestic product (GDP). Among the self-employed, men worked 50-51 hours a The NSSO stated that it could not either trace or classify week while women worked 37-40 hours in rural areas, 38.7% of the companies included in the MCA-21, a the report claimed. In urban areas, however, that often database of private companies that is maintained by translates to male workers working 58-59 hours and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, whose financial women 41-42 hours. numbers the government currently uses to calculate Even casual workers those with the least rate of GDP figures. The NSSO found that data from the employment spent more time: While men in rural areas Economic Census and the Business Register were far work 44-46 hours, it is 45-49 in urban areas. For women less affected by these issues that plagued the MCA- it was 37 to 39 hours and 39-42 hours respectively in 21 database. rural and urban areas. Many believe that the poor quality of raw company Most member countries of the Organization for data could heavily skew the measurement of private Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) sector business growth, which is a part of the overall consider a standard working week to be of 40 hours. GDP of the economy. When data gathered from the MCA-21 database was first used to revise earlier The PLFS report underscores that not all workers in growth figures, sectors such as manufacturing showed India have secured employment despite dedicating so significant growth in size in 2013-14. This was in stark many hours. Also, among regular wage earners/ contrast to the earlier estimates that showed an actual salaried employees in the non-agriculture sector, 49.6 contraction in the size of manufacturing. 6 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Government stand About GSP MOSPI, however, has defended the use of the MCA- GSP is the largest and oldest U.S. trade preference 21 database to calculate GDP numbers stating that program. Established by the Trade Act of 1974, GSP appropriate adjustments are made to make sure there promotes economic development by eliminating duties is no overestimation of GDP. In a clarification issued on thousands of products when imported from one of on May 10, the government stated that companies 120 designated beneficiary countries and territories. classified as “out-of-coverage” by the NSSO still GSP promotes sustainable development in beneficiary contributed to the economy even though they may not countries by helping these countries to increase and fall strictly under the services sector. It further stated diversify their trade with the United States. The GSP that the weightage given to companies that report their program provides additional benefits for products from financial numbers is far greater and that, in reality, least developed countries. only about 16.4% of companies in the MCA-21 are either closed or non-traceable. The NSSO’s Body scanners made mandatory at 84 apprehension over the MCA-21 database still adds to airports concerns that already exist about the reliability of GDP The government has made it mandatory for 84 airports data that is put out by the government due to recent in the country to install full-body scanners to screen changes in methodology. The move will give the air travellers within a year and issued a standard government greater leverage over production of key operating procedure for their use. The 84 airports data. The lack of transparency in the production of include 26 hyper-sensitive airports and 58 sensitive economic data can over time cause the users of such airports. Other airports have two years’ time to data to discount its value. This has been the case in introduce these scanners. countries such as China where the constant tinkering in official economic data has caused analysts to lose Global standard trust in them. This equipment will replace walk-through metal GSP issues will be resolved: India detectors and passengers will have to remove shoes, belts, jackets, thick clothing and be “divested” of all The government exuded confidence that India and metallic items, which is a practice at most prominent the U.S. would continue to work together for further airports across the world, according to the SOP laid growing ties following Washington’s decision to down by a Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) withdraw concessions under the Generalized System circular sent to all airports in April. However, 10% of of Preferences. “In any relationship, in particular in passengers will also be subjected to full pat-down the area of economic ties, there are ongoing issues searches at random. “Walk-through metal detectors which get resolved mutually from time to time,” the and hand-held metal detectors cannot detect non- Commerce Ministry said in a statement. The Indian metallic weapons and explosives. Body scanners government on Saturday pointed out that the GSP benefits given by developed countries like the U.S. detect both metallic and non-metallic items concealed to developing nations such as India are “unilateral, on the body,” reads the circular on reasons for the non-reciprocal and non-discriminatory”. Earlier change. Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan had stressed Following concerns over these machines generating that the move will have a “minimal and moderate naked images of passengers, the BCAS has mandated impact”, amounting to only $190 million on the value privacy filters. As a result, these scanners will produce of $5.6 billion in exports to the U.S. that fall under only an outline or a mannequin-like image, which is the GSP category. same for all genders. A yellow box appears on the

7 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder body image to highlight areas that may need further unacceptable reference to matters internal to India in screening. Scanner shall provide image-free solution the Final Communiqué adopted at the conclusion of using a generic mannequin. Threats shall be graphically the 14th Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic presented. These scanners use millimetre wave Cooperation (OIC) Member States held at Makkah, technology, which means passengers will not be Saudi Arabia on 31 May 2019,” said a MEA subjected to harmful X-ray radiation, and the machine spokesperson in response after OIC appointed Yousef is safe for use by all, including pregnant women. These Aldobeah of Saudi Arabia as a Special Envoy on scanners will help airports improve passenger throughput Jammu and Kashmir. as they are required to screen a passenger in eight Expressing India’s serious objection to the appointment seconds and 300 passengers per hour, according to the of Mr. Aldobeah as a Special Envoy, the spokesperson technical specifications spelt out by the BCAS. said: “The OIC has no locus standi in matters relating Indian Navy steps up anti-piracy patrol to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. It is reiterated that OIC should refrain In an expansion of its Mission Based Deployments from making such unwarranted references.” (MBD) in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Navy deployed its P-8I long-range maritime surveillance The symbolism of Ms. Swaraj, representing a non- aircraft for anti-piracy sorties from Salalah in Oman member country in OIC, reflected greater appreciation to patrol the Gulf of Aden and other piracy prone from OIC for India’s position regarding the Kashmir areas.The P-8I provided long-range Maritime Domain issue. India has maintained that the Kashmir issue is Awareness (MDA) an internal matter of the country and that disputes with Pakistan are strictly bilateral in nature that does not Since 2008, India has been conducting anti-piracy allow scope for a third party intervention or mediation. patrols in the commercially crucial Gulf of Aden. The Navy has deployed 73 ships till date on anti-piracy Travel portal ‘UdChalo’ to give a new patrols.Under the MBD concept, the Navy now lease of life to wounded soldiers maintains a ship at every choke point in the IOR at In a bid to make wounded soldiers, who are now any point of time. confined to wheelchairs, self-reliant, an initiative As part of expanding engagement maritime ‘UdChalo’ is all set to take off at the Army’s Paraplegic engagement, India has stepped up cooperation with Rehabilitation Centre (PRC) in Punjab’s Mohali. Indian Ocean littoral states and maritime neighbours. ‘UdChalo’ is a travel portal,that caters for the personal Under the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, the Navy travel of the military and paramilitary forces personnel undertakes Joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by aggregating defence fares and getting exclusive surveillance with Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius discounts. The PRC has joined hands with UdChalo and Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT) with Bangladesh, with an aim to empower the disabled military veterans. Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia. The initiative is unique and has given a new lease of India slams OIC for naming Special life of these soldiers who are now confined to wheelchairs. Envoy on Kashmir Section 376E and the Shakti Mills India slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation after it announced a Special Envoy for Jammu and gang rape case? Kashmir. The Ministry of External Affairs said that On June 3, the Bombay High Court upheld the the organisation had no right to interfere in India’s constitutional validity of Section 376E of the Indian internal affairs. “We categorically reject yet another Penal Code, thereby upholding the death sentence 8 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder handed to the convicts of the Shakti Mills gang rape however, entails a minimum punishment of case. imprisonment for one’s full life without any possibility of remission. Therefore, our legislation saying that the What is Section 376E? offence of repeat rape that doesn’t cause homicide is The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, was harsher than the offence of murder,” he said. introduced following the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. What has the court said? In this, the definition of rape was widened to include oral and digital penetration, and Section 376E was “We are of the opinion that Section 376E of the IPC is added to award the death penalty to a convict who is not ultra vires to the Constitution and hence need not a repeat offender under Section 376, 376A and 376D. be quashed in the present case,” said the same Bench. Section 376A includes causing death of the victim, and Ajit Doval reappointed National 376D is to charge the convict with gang rape — an offence that carries a sentence of 20 years to life. Security Advisor with Cabinet rank These broader definitions were based on the Justice The government reappointed retired Indian Police Verma Committee, which was constituted to enable Service (IPS) officer Ajit Doval as National Security quicker trials and harsher punishment for those Adviser, according him a Cabinet rank. He becomes accused of sexual assault. the first NSA to get Cabinet status in the table of precedence. In his previous stint as an NSA, he had Shakti Mills gang rape case? the stature of a Minister of State (MoS). A 22-year-old photojournalist was gang-raped by five According to one official, the decision was taken since adult men and two juveniles. Three of the men were Mr. Doval leads strategic dialogues with many found to have raped a 19-year-old telephone operator countries and a Cabinet rank will facilitate his at the Shakti Mills compound, as well. After the interactions with the most senior officials. “A case in conviction of the accused, the prosecution in the case point is China, where there has been a mismatch moved to add Section 376E to three repeat offenders between him and the Special Representative for — Vijay Jadhav, Mohammad Qasim Shaikh and boundary talks, who is normally a State councillor of Mohammad Salim Ansari. The court awarded the Cabinet rank. China had raised discomfort about the death penalty to these three. mismatch,” the official said. Why did they appeal? According to another official, the need to bestow a The advocate appearing for all three convicts told the Cabinet rank on Mr. Doval was felt in the wake of the Bombay High Court that the death penalty awarded appointment of former foreign secretary S. Jaishankar to them was “a disproportionate punishment” and as the External Affairs Minister last week. In the past, violated their fundamental rights. Yug Chaudhry argued the two have differed on various issues pertaining to death penalty was violative of fundamental rights under foreign policy. Article 21 (no person shall be deprived of his life or A 1968-batch IPS officer who retired as Director, personal liberty except according to procedure Intelligence Bureau in 2005, Mr. Doval’s appointment established by law) and Article 14 (equality before is the first key posting announced by the Narendra law) of the Constitution. He relied upon earlier Supreme Modi government after assuming office for a second Court judgments and American and Canadian laws. term on May 30. The NSA’s post was first created in “Section 302 (punishment for murder) under the IPC 1998 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime entails a minimum punishment of life and a maximum Minister. of death for an offence of murder. Section 376E,

9 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Three -language formula? on flexibility on choice of language for school students. Those who wished to change the three languages may What is the formula? do so in Grade 6, it said, “so long as the study of three It is commonly understood that the three languages languages by students in Hindi-speaking States would referred to are Hindi, English and the regional language continue to include Hindi and English, and one of the of the respective States. Though the teaching of Hindi modern Indian languages from other parts of India, across the country was part of a long-standing system, while the study of languages by students in the non- it was crystallised into a policy in an official document Hindi-speaking states would include the regional only in the National Policy on Education, 1968. This language, Hindi and English.” document said regional languages were already in use Tamil Nadu’s reaction as the media of education in the primary and secondary stages. In addition, it said, “At the secondary stage, The draft evoked a hostile response from political State governments should adopt and vigorously leaders in Tamil Nadu, who were quick to dub the implement the three-language formula, which includes proposal as an attempt to impose Hindi on the unwilling the study of a modern Indian language, preferably one State. Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam president M.K. of the southern languages, apart from Hindi and Stalin warned that his party would be forced to launch English in the Hindi-speaking States.” In the ‘non-Hindi another agitation against Hindi imposition. The State speaking States’, Hindi should be studied along with had witnessed massive protests against earlier attempts the regional language and English. It added: “Suitable to impose Hindi in 1937 and 1965. The Centre sought courses in Hindi and/or English should also be available to defuse the situation by first reminding them that it in universities and colleges with a view to improving was only a draft, and that the policy was yet to be the proficiency of students in these languages up to finalised. Subsequently, the reference to Hindi was the prescribed university standards.” dropped by the committee. It reworked the sentence to the effect that students could change their language On promotion of Hindi, the NPE 1968 said every effort preference in Grades 6 or 7, “so long as they are able should be made to promote the language and that “in to still demonstrate proficiency in three languages (one developing Hindi as the link language, due care should at the literature level) in their modular Board be taken to ensure that it will serve, as provided for in examination some time during secondary school”. Article 351 of the Constitution, as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture background of India. The establishment, in non-Hindi States, of In the Constituent Assembly, Hindi was voted as the colleges and other institutions of higher education which official language by a single vote. However, it added use Hindi, as the medium of education should be that English would continue to be used as an associate encouraged”. Incidentally, the NPE 1986 made no official language for 15 years. The Official Languages change in the 1968 policy on the three-language formula Act came into effect on the expiry of this 15-year and the promotion of Hindi and repeated it verbatim. period in 1965. This was the background in which the Why in news anti-Hindi agitation took place. However, as early as in 1959, Jawaharlal Nehru had given an assurance in The Central government released a draft NPE, a report Parliament that English would continue to be in use as prepared by a committee headed by space scientist long as non-Hindi speaking people wanted it. K. Kasturirangan. Its reference to mandatory teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking States set off a political Tamil Nadu’s stand on this storm in Tamil Nadu, which is traditionally opposed to Leaders in Tamil Nadu are often at pains to emphasise the compulsory study of Hindi. The draft had a sentence that they do not oppose the voluntary learning of Hindi

10 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder and cite the unhindered work of the Dakshina Bharat Prasar Bharati will retain its autonomy Hindi Prachar Sabha, established in Chennai by State broadcaster Prasar Bharati’s autonomy would Mahatma Gandhi in 1918. The institution imparts Hindi be retained, Information and Broadcasting Minister teaching at various levels to anyone who enrols for its Prakash Javadekar said after launching high-definition programme. Also, there is no bar on private schools, DSNG (Digital Satellite News Gathering) vans at most of them affiliated to the Central Board of Doordarshan Bhawan in New Delhi. Secondary Education, offering Hindi. “Autonomy of the Prasar Bharati is important and one The State has been following the two-language formula must remember it gets its autonomy from an Act that for many decades, under which only English and one was brought in post Emergency to ensure that no one regional language are compulsory in schools. In 2006, can tamper with its autonomy. And we too want that facing criticism that many manage to avoid learning work smoothly and bring new programmes and find Tamil by opting for Hindi or Sanskrit in private schools, new dimensions,” he said. the State government enacted The Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act under which Tamil has to be compulsorily DD News has acquired 17 high-definition DSNG vans, learnt in schools operating in the State. The State is which are capable of transmitting signal in HD and also opposed to the establishment of Navodaya schools multi-camera production. by the Centre in any part of Tamil Nadu. Mr. Prakash said the public broadcaster was moving An important aspect of the opposition to Hindi ahead in the direction of “Sabka Vishwas” policy imposition is that many in Tamil Nadu see it as a fight propounded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. to retain English. English is seen as a bulwark against Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos Hindi as well as the language of empowerment and knowledge. There is an entrenched belief that the test-fired continued attempts to impose Hindi are essentially Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos on June 4 was test- driven by those who want to eliminate English as the fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in country’s link language. Odisha. The anti-ship version of the missile was Parties speak out on Operation Blue launched. Star Described as the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile with high rate of precision and accuracy, With the 35th anniversary of Operation Blue Star BrahMos can be fired from land, sea and air. The nearing, the emotive issue has once again taken missile, with a strike range of around 290 km, is a centrestage amid remarks from leaders of political strategic asset for India as it would act as a deterrence parties. against any possible threats from China and Pakistan. It was on June 6, 1984 when the Army had stormed BrahMos is a joint venture between the DRDO and the Harmandir Sahib (Golden temple) in Amritsar, the NPOM of Russia.The highly versatile BrahMos Sikhism’s holiest shrine, to flush out extremists led by has been operationalised in the Indian Army, Indian Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Operation Blue Star was Navy and Indian AirForce. the biggest internal security mission ever undertaken by the Indian Army. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime BrahMos has established itself as a major force Minister of India, ordered the military operation to multiplier in modern-day complex battlefields with its remove Sikh militants who were accumulating weapons impeccable land-attack, anti-ship capabilities with multi- in the Harmandir Sahib Complex. role and multi-platform abilities.

11 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Tokyo seeks ‘2+2’ meeting with and private sectors. It includes The African Women’s Foreign, Defence Ministers Development and Communication Network, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, International Women’s “Foreign Minister Kono expressed his view that toward Health Coalition and Plan International. the realisation of a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, role and responsibility of India as a global power is Slovenia, Germany, Canada, Ireland, and Australia rank extremely huge. Foreign Minister Kono also stated as the top 10 countries in the index, while the bottom that it is Prime Minister [Shinzo] Abe’s turn to visit 10 comprise Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Mali, India this year,” a release from the Embassy of Japan Mauritania, Niger, Yemen, Congo, DR Congo and said. The Japanese Minister asked for a “2+2” meeting Chad. involving the Foreign and Defence Ministers. The SDG Gender Index includes 51 indicators across One of the primary objectives for both New Delhi and 14 of the 17 official Sustainable Development Goals Tokyo is to prevent the rise of a unipolar Asia dominated (SDG). The indicators include those that are gender by one single hegemonic power. It is this political specific, as well as those that are not but have an objective that has been driving the relationship and the effect on girls and women. new two-plus-two dialogue will strengthen it further, especially the security relationship between New Delhi The overall index scores are based on a scale of 0– and Tokyo. 100. A score of 100 indicates the achievement of gender equality in relation to the underlying indicators. The discussion on the freedom of navigation in the A score of 50 would indicate that a country is about Asia-Pacific region is significant as it comes against halfway to meeting its goal and the global average the backdrop of the continued multilateral consultations, score of 65.7 out of 100 is “poor”. in which both India and Japan are participants. Both India and Japan are parties to the ‘Quad’ dialogue Transgender rights Bill to be process that includes Australia and the U.S. reintroduced Japan’s engagement with India goes back much longer. The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry will Japan has played an important role in developing India’s reintroduce the lapsed Transgender Persons infrastructure. India is one of the largest recipients of (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 and pay out the ¹ 3,000- Japan’s Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) crore arrears in the scholarship scheme for Scheduled loans since 2003, even if trade and investment levels Caste students. The Bill, meant to protect the rights of are still modest. But in an era of strategic uncertainties transgender people, had been criticised by the driven by shifting global and Asian power dynamics, Opposition parties and members of the trans community India and Japan have felt the need to strengthen their for violating rights. Ministry would start several projects defence and security linkages. that had been approved and announced earlier within 95 on maiden SDG Gender Index 100 days, including the National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation in Bhopal and the Centre for India ranked 95th out of a total 129 countries in the Disability Sports in Gwalior, both in Madhya Pradesh. first-ever SDG Gender Index, which measures strides made in achieving gender commitments against Centre wants all States to join internationally set targets. Ayushman Bharat

The index has been developed by Equal Measures Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Harsh 2030, which is a partnership among global and regional Vardhan has urged the Chief Ministers of Delhi, organisations from the civil society and the development 12 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal, urging them to AIR may have to power off short join the Centre’s flagship health protection scheme, wave transmissions Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). If Prasar Bharati has its way, All India Radio will have to stop all global short wave transmissions eighty years “Financial resources will be made available to the States after it began international broadcasting in 1939. AIR with adequate flexibility in the spirit of cooperative is resisting the move arguing that it will curtail its global federalism. The ultimate beneficiary of this reach. There are about 46 short wave transmitters collaboration will be poor and vulnerable people. Due that run both domestic and external services. Out of to the portability of services, the States will gain from these, 28 are used for the external services alone. the nationwide network of hospitals and will also help Barring three transmitters that were recently installed, provide services in their own State to those from all the others will have to be shut down over the next outside their States,” added the Minister. six-months. The external services are broadcast to About Ayushman Bharat 150 countries in 13 Indian languages and 15 foreign Ayushman Bharat is National Health Protection languages. Scheme, which will cover over 10 crore poor and A study on short wave transmitters conducted by the vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore Prasar Bharati had revealed that shutting down these beneficiaries) providing coverage upto 5 lakh rupees transmitters would save the AIR nearly ¹ 60-70 crore. per family per year for secondary and tertiary care The majority of the transmitters were nearly 25 years hospitalization. Ayushman Bharat - National Health old and obsolete. “Short Wave, as a mode of Protection Mission will subsume the on-going centrally transmission, has very limited audience, which is sponsored schemes - Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana further dwindling with time. The short wave network (RSBY) and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance will be rationalised so we are able to invest more in Scheme (SCHIS). content and in newer ways of broadcasting, like No Narendra Modi-Imran Khan Internet streaming, digital radio and in future satellite radio. We will, however, preserve a limited set of short meeting on the sidelines of SCO wave for strategic purposes and national interest,” Mr. There is no confirmation of a meeting between Prime Vempati added. Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Prasar Bharati also felt that the short wave Imran Khan on the sidelines of the summit meeting of transmission did not bring in revenue and there was Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Ministry no way to assess the actual size of the audience that of External Affairs declared. The clarification comes tune in to it. Questions were also raised about lack of just a day before Mr. Modi begins his first round of editorial scrutiny. foreign trips with stops in Maldives and Sri Lanka where sports diplomacy and counter-terror will be on India criticises lack of transparency the agenda. in functioning of UNSC’s

Both the leaders are scheduled to travel to Bishkek, India has strongly criticised the lack of transparency Kyrgyz Republic for the SCO summit of 13-14 June. in the functioning of the UN Security Council’s There has been a series of developments that indicate Sanctions Committee which took over a decade to ongoing efforts to continue with de-escalation of the blacklist Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief tension that erupted after the terror attack at Pulwama Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. Mr. Naidu, and the Balakot counter-terror strike. speaking in the UN Security Council at an open debate

13 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder on the ‘Working Methods’ of the Council, said that not (Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants). The RIIN will be only do these subsidiary bodies have varied and the first official master list of Nagaland’s indigenous custom-made working methods, but they also follow inhabitants. Its objective, as stated in the Nagaland obscure practices which do not find any legal basis in government’s June 29 notification, is to prevent people the Charter or any of the Council’s resolutions. from acquiring fake indigenous inhabitants’ certificates. “These committees undertake their work outside of RIIN will be finalised and hard copies placed in all the norms of transparency and there is hardly any effort villages and wards while electronic copies will be to make the broader UN membership or the stored in the State Data Centre. Everyone figuring in international community aware of their various RIIN will be issued a barcoded and numbered decisions,” he said. Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate (IIC). The process will be dovetailed with the online system of Inner Line India in May finally succeeded in its efforts to get Permit (ILP). No IIC will be issued after RIIN is Azhar designated as a global terrorist by the Council’s finalised except to babies born to indigenous inhabitants 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, capping 10-year of Nagaland. long efforts by New Delhi and its allies the US, UK and France to ban the Pakistan-based mastermind of Inner Line Permit (ILP): several terrorist attacks against India, including the The ILP is a temporary travel document an Indian Pulwama terror attack targeting Indian security forces citizen has to possess to enter ‘protected’ areas of the in February this year. Northeast. The Central government issues the ILP Mr. Naidu stressed that as an organ of the United under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, Nations tasked with the maintenance of international 1873, which restricted the entry of ‘British subjects’ peace and security on behalf of all member states, the or Indians into these areas primarily to protect the work of the Security Council, and the way it chooses British interest in tea and oil. The restriction continued to organise that work, is a matter of interest for all for ‘Citizens of India’ after Independence to protect affected by its outcomes. Mr. Naidu said a meaningful tribal cultures in the northeastern region and to regulate way this engagement was meant to be was through a movement to certain areas near the international border. discussion on the Report of the Security Council in the Apart from the entire State of Nagaland barring its General Assembly. commercial hub Dimapur, the ILP is applicable in Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram. Nagaland want to draw up a list of all indigenous inhabitants? Indigenous inhabitant: Nagaland has 16 recognised tribes — Angami, Ao, The Nagaland government is initiating an exercise to Chakhesang, Chang, Dimasa Kachari, Khiamniungan, prepare a master list of all indigenous inhabitants of Konyak, Kuki, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, the State. This list, called the Register of Indigenous Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchungrü and Zeliang. The Kachari Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN), is seen as a localised and Kuki are non-Naga tribes while the Zeliang version of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) comprises two Naga communities — Zeme and that Assam began updating four years ago and is Liangmai. scheduled to complete by July 31. Entry in RIIN is virtually guaranteed for people Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland belonging to these communities. Others such as the (RIIN)? Gurkhas living in Nagaland prior to statehood (on Civil society groups in Nagaland have often conducted December 1, 1963) have been recognised as house-to-house surveys for listing non-Naga and IBIs indigenous.

14 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Home Ministry warns NGOs About The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation: The Central Drugs Standard Control All NGOs and associations registered under the Organisation(CDSCO)under Directorate General of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010, Health Services,Ministry of Health & Family which makes them eligible to receive foreign funds Welfare,Government of India is the National and donations, have to submit online application for Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India, located in New addition, deletion and change of details about office- Delhi and also has six zonal offices across the country. bearers and key functionaries within one month. Under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and rules As per norms, all associations, granted a certificate of 1945, CDSCO is responsible for approval of Drugs, registration under Section 11 and 12 of the FCRA, Conduct of Clinical Trials, laying down the standards 2010 have reported details of their office-bearers and for Drugs, control over the quality of imported Drugs key functionaries while applying for registration. in the country and coordination of the activities of State “It is noticed that some associations/persons, having Drug Control Organizations by providing expert advice been registered under the Act, have changed their with a view of bring about the uniformity in the office-bearers/key functionaries without approval from enforcement of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. the MHA and without updating this data on a real time CDSCO is constantly thriving upon to bring out basis through the online application meant for change transparency, accountability and uniformity in its of these details...all such associations are hereby called services in order to ensure safety, efficacy and quality upon to submit online changes failing which penal of the medical product manufactured, imported and action shall be initiated under the appropriate provisions distributed in the country. of the FCRA Act, 2010 and Rules, 2011,” the order issued by the MHA said. Further CDSCO along with state regulators, is jointly responsible for grant of licenses of certain specialized Retest of baby shampoo shows categories of critical Drugs such as blood and blood absence of formaldehyde products, I. V. Fluids, Vaccine and Sera. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) on June 10 said safety of All States can now constitute its baby shampoo has been reaffirmed by the Central Foreigners Tribunals Drugs Standard Control Organisation’s (CDSCO’s) laboratories, which have confirmed that the product With Assam’s National Register of Citizens as the does not contain formaldehyde. backdrop, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has laid out specific guidelines to detect, detain and deport On March 5, 2019, the Rajasthan Drugs Control foreign nationals staying illegally across the country. Organization had reported presence of formaldehyde in samples of two batches of baby shampoo The MHA has amended the Foreigners (Tribunals) manufactured by J&J in India. Order, 1964, and has empowered district magistrates The company had rejected the finding and had said its in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to products do not contain formaldehyde or any ingredient decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a capable of releasing formaldehyde. It had questioned foreigner or not. Earlier, the powers to constitute the Rajasthan drug controller’s claim as well as the tribunals were vested only with the Centre. The method of testing that led to the results. “We are tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, unique to Assam, to pleased with the conclusion of the Rajasthan FDA, determine if a person staying illegally is a “foreigner” which confirms that Johnson’s Baby Shampoo does or not. In other parts, once a ‘foreigner’ has been not contain formaldehyde,” a J&J spokesperson. apprehended by the police for staying illegally, he or

15 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder she is produced before a local court under the Passport aggressive power play. Quad is developing into a Act, 1920, or the Foreigners Act, 1946, with the substantive forum for discussing a wide range of punishment ranging three months to eight years in jail. issues.The purpose is to provide alternative debt Once the accused have served the sentence, the court financing for countries in the Indo-Pacific. It is now orders their deportation, and they are moved to detention accepted as one part of a strategic landscape that centres till the country of origin accepts them. involves many different forms of dialogues. The 1964 order on Constitution of Tribunals said: “The Clean drinking water to all by 2024, Central Government may by order, refer the question says Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as to whether a person is not a foreigner within meaning of the Foreigners Act, 1946 (31 of 1946) to a Tribunal The Centre has set a target of providing clean drinking to be constituted for the purpose, for its opinion.” The water to all by 2024, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh amended order issued last week says – “for words Shekhawat said. “The Prime Minister has set a target Central Government may,’ the words ‘the Central and our Party manifesto talks about providing clean Government or the State Government or the Union drinking water by 2024. There are nearly 14 crore Territory administration or the District Collector or the households where clean drinking water is yet to reach, District Magistrate may’ shall be substituted.” in States such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, the coverage of The amended Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 2019 also clean drinking water is less than five per cent.” Mr. empowers individuals to approach the Tribunals. “Earlier only the State administration could move the Tribunal Shekhawat told reporters here. against a suspect, but with the final NRC about to be Sharad Kumar appointed as interim published and to give adequate opportunity to those not included, this has been done. If a person doesn’t find Chief Vigilance Commissioner his or her name in the final list, they could move the Vigilance Commissioner Sharad Kumar has been Tribunal,” explained a senior government official. named interim Central Vigilance Commisioner until a The amended order also allows District Magistrates new incumbent is chosen by the selection panel headed to refer individuals who haven’t filed claims against by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Former Central their exclusion from NRC to the Tribunals to decide if Vigilance Commissioner K. V. Chowdary and they are foreigners or not. Vigilance Commissioner T. M. Bhasin completed their tenure at the anti-graft body. Quad one way to fix regional issues: The Central Vigilance Commission was set up by the Australian envoy Government in February,1964 on the recommendations There is need for flexibility, agility and speed in solving of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption, headed regional problems and the Quad is “one of many such by Shri K. Santhanam, to advise and guide Central small groupings” in solving them, asserted Harinder Government agencies in the field of vigilance. Sidhu, Australia’s High Commissioner in India. Ms. The Central Vigilance Commission consists of a Sidhu also identified strengthening of the economic Central Vigilance Commissioner and two Vigilance order in the Indo-Pacific as a focus area for future Commissioners. A Committee headed by the Prime cooperation. Japan has proposed a “Quadrilateral” Minister, and comprising the Home Minister and the grouping consisting of India, Australia, USA and Japan, Leader of Opposition or a leader of single largest was revived in 2017. The grouping aims to be a grouping opposition party in Lok Sabha as members, select CVC of countries all looking to balance China, using an and Vigilance Commissioners. international rules-based order to counter China’s 16 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Indian Medical Council Amendment Bill cleared Speaking at the event, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director for India Dagmar Walter The Cabinet has approved the Indian Medical Council said India had ratified conventions prescribing minimum (Amendment Bill), 2019, and the Homoeopathy Central age for employment (14 years in developing countries) Council (Amendment Bill), 2019, both of which had and employment in hazardous conditions (18 years). lapsed in the 16th Lok Sabha session. India had ratified both the conventions in June 2017. The Indian Medical Council (Amendment Bill), ILO and India 2019, is aimed at bringing in transparency, accountability and quality in the governance of medical education in India is a founder member of the International Labour the country and would provide for supersession of the Organization, which came into existence in 1919. At Medical Council of India (MCI) for a period of two present the ILO has 186 Members. The membership years from August 26, 2018, the Centre said. of the ILO ensures the growth of tripartite system in the Member countries. The ILO’s overarching goal is “During this period, the Board of Governors shall Decent Work. exercise the powers and functions of the MCI as assigned under the IMC Act, 1956. The number of Core Conventions of the ILO: - The eight Core members in the Board of Governors will be increased Conventions of the ILO (also called fundamental/ from existing 7 to 12,” it added. human rights conventions) are: The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment 1. Forced Labour Convention Bill), 2019, meanwhile, seeks to extend the period 2. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention for reconstitution of the Central Council from an existing period of one year to two years so that the tenure of 3. Equal Remuneration Convention the Board of Governors may be extended for a further 4. Discrimination (Employment Occupation) period of one year with effect from May 17, 2019. Convention Enforcement of child labour laws (The above four have been ratified by India) lacking, says official 5. Freedom of Association and Protection of Right to Organised Convention The number of children engaged in labour had come down to 10.1 million, or 1.01 crore, according to the 6. Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining 2011 Census, from 1.26 crore in the 2001 census, there Convention was still a lot to be done to end the scourge, Labour 7. Minimum Age Convention and Employment Secretary Heeralal Samariya said at 8. Worst forms of Child Labour Convention an event organised by the Ministry here on the occasion of World Day Against Child Labour. (These four have not been ratified by India) “We have the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) DRDO conducts maiden test of Act, the PENCIL [Platform for Effective Enforcement hypersonic technology demonstrator of No Child Labour] portal, SOPs and guidelines have been formed,” Mr. Samariya observed. “Everything The Defence Research and Development Organisation is in place, but if we still have child labour, it means (DRDO) conducted the maiden test of an indigenously that somewhere we are not implementing or enforcing developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator at the field level... somewhere we are failing in Vehicle (HSTDV) along with several technologies. enforcing the laws. It has to percolate down,” he “The DRDO launched a technology demonstrator asserted. vehicle to prove a number of critical technologies for

17 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder futuristic missions from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off Increasing challenges and security threats that are the coast of Odisha,” the Ministry of Defence (MoD) becoming cross-border in their nature like terrorism, said without identifying what the technology spread of terrorist and extremist ideology including on demonstrator was or if it met the objectives. the internet, returning foreign terrorists, proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction, the risk of an “Under this project, we are developing a hypersonic arms race among others need special attention, close vehicle that will be powered by a scram-jet engine. coordination and constructive cooperation of the global This is dual-use technology, which when developed, community. will have multiple civilian applications. It can be used for launching satellites at low cost. It will also be “The member states condemn terrorism in all its forms available for long-range cruise missiles of the future,” and manifestations. They call on the international he had stated. community to promote global cooperation in combating terrorism with the central role of the UN by fully scram-jet technology VS ram jet system implementing corresponding UN Security Council In scram-jet technology, combustion of fuel takes place resolutions and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism in a chamber in the missile at supersonic speeds. This Strategy in compliance with the UN Charter and the is different from a ram jet system where the system principles of international law without politicisation and collects the air it needs from the atmosphere during double standards and with respect for the sovereignty the flight at subsonic speeds and the propellants burn and independence of all countries,” the declaration said. in the combustion chamber. Countering terrorism Encephalitis surge in Bihar The SCO member states also urged the global In the wake of 11 deaths from January to June 8 this community to work towards a consensus on adopting year in Bihar due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) the Comprehensive Convention on International against 48 reported cases, the Union government has Terrorism (CCIT). The SCO members reaffirm and deployed a multi-speciality team in the State.The State emphasise the need to launch multilateral talks at the has registered a rise in cases of AES in Muzaffarpur Conference on Disarmament on an international and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Gaya. convention to combat acts of chemical and biological terrorism. They are actively and persistently countering Acute Encephalitis Syndrome: Acute Encephalitis global terrorism, separatism and extremism, Syndrome (AES) including Japanese Encephalitis (JE) transnational organised crime, illegal trade in narcotic is a group of clinically similar neurologic manifestation drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, caused by several different viruses, bacteria, fungus, as well as weapons, munitions and explosives, threats parasites, spirochetes, chemical/ toxins etc. The to biological and information security and illegal outbreak of JE usually coincides with the monsoon migration, it said. and post monsoon period when the density of mosquitoes increases while encephalitis due to other The Afghan question: They support the efforts of viruses specially entero-viruses occurs throughout the the government and people of Afghanistan aimed at restoring peace, economic development of the country, year as it is a water borne disease. countering terrorism, extremism and drug crime. Bishkek Declaration of the Shanghai One nation, one election Cooperation Organisation The push for one nation,one election or simultaneous According to the Bishkek Declaration of the Shanghai elections came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi Cooperation Organisation’s Heads of State Council, in 2016. Ever since, there have been widespread

18 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder discussions on holding simultaneous polls, with the 2. Since elections will be held once in five years, it will ruling Bharatiya Janata Party making a strong pitch reduce the government’s accountability to the people. for it.Taking it a step further, the Law Commission Repeated elections keep legislators on their toes and submitted a draft report to the government on August increases accountability. 30, 2018, endorsing the proposal. It even recommended 3. When an election in a State is postponed until the changes to the Constitution and the electoral law so synchronised phase, President’s rule will have to be as to enable holding simultaneous polls. imposed in the interim period in that state. This will be One nation, one election: The idea of holding a blow to democracy and federalism. simultaneous elections to Parliament and state PIL plea in Madras High Court for assemblies is not new. Till 1967 that was the norm in India. Elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies pre-censorship of TV programmes were held together in 1951-52, 57, 1962 and 1967. The Madras High Court sought the response of Indian Currently, elections to the state assemblies and the Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), an association of both Lok Sabha are held separately that is whenever the news and non-news television channels in the country, incumbent government’s five-year term ends or to a public interest litigation petition for the constitution whenever it is dissolved due to various reasons. This of a censor board for editing programmes aired by applies to both the state legislatures and the Lok Sabha. entertainment channels. The terms of Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha may not synchronise with one another. For instance, In his affidavit, the petitioner pointed out that the IBF Rajasthan faced elections in late 2018, whereas Tamil had constituted an independent self-regulatory body Nadu will go to elections only in 2021. named Broadcasting Contents Complaints Council (BCCC) for examining content-related complaints But the idea of “One Nation, One Election” envisages against entertainment channels and the council too had a system where elections to all states and the Lok framed elaborate rules which expressly prohibit sex, Sabha will have to be held simultaneously. This will obscenity and derogatory content. involve the restructuring of the Indian election cycle in a manner that elections to the states and the centre When the Centre insists upon mandatory pre-censorship synchronise. This would mean that the voters will cast for movies, which are watched only by select audience their vote for electing members of the LS and the state who prefer to pay for it and which adheres to different assemblies on a single day, at the same time (or in a certification norms, such censorship should be made phased manner as the case may be) mandatory for television programmes too watched by an entire family, the petition insisted. Advantages: 1. Simultaneous polls will reduce enormous costs Controversy involved in separate elections. The petitioner had primarily complained about the 2. The system will help ruling parties focus on governance “obscene” content of a Tamil reality show titled Big instead of being constantly in election mode. Boss anchored by actor Kamal Haasan and telecast by Star Vijay. He had made the television channel and 3. Simultaneous polls will boost voter turnout, according the actor too respondents to the case and urged the to the Law Commission. court to issue notices to them seeking an explanation. Disadvantages: However, during the course of hearing, he agreed not 1. National and state issues are different, and holding to press the PIL petition against the actor since he had simultaneous elections is likely to affect the judgment no role to play in deciding the content of the reality of voters.

19 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder show. After recording his submission, the judges ordered notices to IBF, Star Vijay and Endemole Shine India which produces the reality show for the television channel. Government approves Motor Bill

The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill. It provides steep penalties for violation of various traffic norms. In the area of road safety, stricter provisions have been proposed for offences such as juvenile driving, driving without licence, rash driving, drunk driving, over-speeding and overloading. The Bill proposes RS.10,000 fine for not providing way to emergency vehicles and RS.10,000 for driving despite disqualification. Aggregators violating driving licences will be fined up to RS.1 lakh, as per the provisions in the Bill. The Bill includes penalties in the range of ¹ 1,000 to ¹ 2,000 for over-speeding. As per the Bill, driving without insurance will be punishable with 2,000 fine, while driving without helmets will attract 1,000 fine and 3-month suspension of licence. The provisions also include that guardian/owner will be deemed to be guilty in case of road offence by juveniles while registration of the vehicle will be cancelled. As per the new provisions “guardian/owner shall be deemed to be guilty and there will be a penalty of 25,000 with three years imprisonment and cancellation of registration of the Motor Vehicle”. Traffic violations also would now attract a penalty of 500 in place of 100 earlier, while disobedience of orders of authorities will attract a minimum penalty of 2,000 in place of 500 earlier. Penalty for unauthorised use of vehicles without licence has been proposed at 5,000 while those driving without licence will have to shell out the same amount and those found driving despite disqualification would be fined 10,000. Penalty for dangerous driving would be increased to 5,000 from 1,000, while drunk driving under the proposed new law would attract a fine of 10,000. “If aggregators are found violating licencing conditions, they will be charged a sum of up to 1 lakh” while overloading of vehicles would attract a penalty of 20,000. Those not wearing seat belts would attract 1,000 fine and those found not wearing helmets while driving two- wheelers would be charged a penalty of 1,000 while their licences will be disqualified for three months. For offences committed by enforcing authorities, the fine has been proposed to be double. The driving training process has also been strengthened under the proposed law. To help the road accident victims, good Samaritan guidelines have been incorporated in the Bill. The government will try to introduce the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill in the forthcoming session of Parliament, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had earlier said. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, which had been passed by the Lok Sabha, was introduced in the Upper House in April 2017 but was referred to a select panel. After taking into account the panel’s recommendation, the bill was re-introduced in the Rajya Sabha but the debate on the bill remained inconclusive.

20 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder ECONOMY

PM announces task force for reforms The GST Council also decided to impose more stringent in agri-economy penalties for companies engaged in profiteering. If the profiteered amount is not surrendered within 30 Each State must aim to at least double its economy if days,then the company will face penalty to the extent the country is to achieve the target of a $5 trillion of 10 per cent of the same, said Revenue Secretary economy by 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told during a briefing after the GST Council meet. Earlier the Chief Ministers gathered for the NITI Aayog’s provisions called for a penalty of Rs 25,000 in addition fifth Governing Council meeting. Responding to to the profiteered amount. concerns from the States, he announced the setting National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA): NAA up of a high-level task force on structural reforms in deals with customer complaints regarding non-receipt the farm sector, as well as a potential revision of disaster of tax cut benefits. Soon after the GST was rolled out relief fund norms. on 1 July 2017, the government had approved setting “The goal to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2024 up of the NAA for two years to deal with consumer is challenging, but can surely be achieved,” said Mr. complaints against companies not passing on GST rate Modi, according to an official statement. For this, the cut benefits. The NAA came into existence on 30 States should recognise their core competence and November 2017 with BN Sharma taking charge as aim to increase their economy by 2 to 2.5 times, Chairman. So far, the NAA has passed 67 orders in working towards raising GDP targets right from the various cases. The GST law provides for setting up of district level, he said. He added that the common man’s benches of appellate tribunal in all states. Although 18 purchasing power would increase as a result. He urged states have got the approval to set up appellate benches, the States to focus on their potential to grow exports. none of these states have operationalised them. To transform the agri-economy, Mr. Modi said the high- Jalan panel on economic capital powered committee for agriculture reforms “would framework include some Chief Ministers and take a holistic approach to the subject.” Speaking to journalists after The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-appointed the six- the meeting, Mr. Kumar said the reforms would cover member committee headed by former RBI governor logistics and supply chains, produce marketing, food Bimal Jalan to review the economic capital framework processing and value addition, and are likely to involve of the central. The committee, formed in December changes to the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and 2018, was supposed to submit its report by April 8, the Agriculture Produce Marketing Act. 2019, but it was later given a three-month extension. One of the key mandates of the committee was to Anti-profiteering body NAA’s tenure determine the level of surplus that the RBI should hold. extended by 2 years Economic capital framework? The GST Council has extended the tenure of the Economic capital framework refers to the risk capital National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) by two required by the central bank while taking into account years. Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman took the different risks. The economic capital framework decision at 35th GST Council Meet which she chaired reflects the capital that an institution requires or needs for the first time after taking charge of the Finance to hold as a counter against unforeseen risks or events Ministry under Modi 2.0 government. or losses in the future. 21 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder The RBI needs adequate capital reserves for monetary Tea auction to go digital in Assam policy operations, currency fluctuations, possible fall Tea auction is set to take the e-route to Jorhat, more in value of bonds, sterilisation costs related to open- than a century after the eastern Assam town came to market operations, credit risks arising from the lender be known as the capital of India’s tea industry. of last resort function and other risks from unexpected increase in its expenditure. Mjunction Services Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tea Board of India to RBI view: The RBI has maintained the view that it design, develop, implement and maintain an e-auction needs to have a stronger balance sheet to deal with a platform at Jorhat, about 300 km east of Guwahati. possible crisis and external shocks. Usually, the RBI, “The new platform introduced through mjunction will which follows a July-June calendar, transfers dividend be in place in three months. It would be handling up to to the central government after closing its accounts in 200 million kg of tea per year,” a Tea Board August.While transferring the dividend, the central spokesperson said. bank keeps a share of surplus towards various risks and reserves every year, according to its economic Assam provides the highest quantity of tea in India, capital framework. but it has only one auction centre in Guwahati because of which the entire process of production to payment Government view: The government is of the view takes more than a month, industry experts say. The e- that the capital reserves held by the RBI are among auction platform is expected to shorten this time cycle the highest in the world “and is not being put to good with features like automated catalogue management. use”, former Finance Minister Piyush Goyal had said in December. Goyal had also opined that the “excess” The inclusive e-marketplace model is also expected capital of the RBI could have been used “to support to bring on board secondary and tertiary buyers from the banks just as was done in USA during the financial all over the country, giving them access to the freshest crisis.” tea, easy to use automated catalogue and faster movement of material. Capital transfer from the RBI to the government also assumes importance in the wake of dwindling tax The primary marketing vehicle for tea in India has collections and the government’s desire to keep the been the subcontinent’s first tea auction centre set up fiscal deficit at 3.4 per cent of GDP in the Budget, the in Kolkata in 1861. The post-1947 demand for an action same level as was pegged in interim Budget for FY20. centre closer to Assam’s tea-growing areas saw the establishment of the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre in Expert committee’s mandate 1970. 1. To review status, need and justification of various reserves and buffers maintained by RBI But various organisations and planters have been seeking a marketing system nearer to the tea growing 2. Review global best practices followed by central areas. India has six tea auction centres – Kochi, banks in making provisions for risks Coimbatore, Coonoor, and Siliguri are the other four – 3. Suggest adequate level of risk provisioning that that handle more than 500 million kg of the beverage RBI needs to maintain annually. 4. Determine whether RBI is holding provisions, Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi reserves and buffers in surplus or deficit Pariyojana (PMBJP) 5. Propose suitable profits distribution policy PMBJP is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at

22 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder affordable prices to the masses and to bring down the software application to facilitate RBI’s grievance healthcare budget of every citizen of India through redressal processes. Members of public can access providing Quality generic Medicines at Affordable the CMS portal at RBI’s website to lodge their Prices. PMBJP stores have been set up to provide complaints against any of the entities regulated by RBI. generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but Keeping the convenience of the customers in mind, are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive CMS has been designed to enable on-line filing of branded drugs. It was launched by the Department of complaints. It provides features such as Pharmaceuticals in November 2008 under the name acknowledgement through SMS/Email notification(s), Jan Aushadi Campaign. Bureau of Pharma PSUs of status tracking through unique registration number, India (BPPI) is the implementation agency for PMBJP receipt of closure advises and filing of Appeals, where 12,305 crore disbursed so far to applicable. It also solicits voluntary feedback on the farmers under PM-KISAN scheme customer’s experience. CMS has self-help material (in video format) to guide The Centre has disbursed 12,305 crore so far to the users of the portal; videos on safe banking beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN programme that practices; and on the regulatory initiatives of RBI. aims at boosting the income of the farmers by providing them ¹ 6,000 per year in three equal instalments. The This system facilitates the regulated entities to resolve scheme provides a payment of ¹ 6,000 per year in customer complaints received through CMS by three equal instalments of ¹ 2,000 to beneficiaries. providing seamless access to their Principal Nodal Recently, the Centre decided to extend the benefit of Officers/Nodal Officers. The system provides facilities this scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers, irrespective of for generation of a diverse set of reports to monitor the size of their landholding, costing ¹ 87,217.50 crore and manage grievances by the Regulated Entities. They annually to the exchequer. can use the information from CMS for undertaking root cause analyses and initiating appropriate corrective PM-KISAN scheme action, if required. PM KISAN is a Central Sector scheme with 100% The CMS also has facilities for RBI officials handling funding from Government of India. It has become the complaints to track the progress of redressal. The operational from 1.12.2018.Under the scheme an information available in CMS could also be used for income support of Rs.6000/- per year in three equal regulatory and supervisory interventions, if required. instalments will be provided to small and marginal With the launch of CMS, the processing of complaints farmer families. Definition of family for the scheme is received in the offices of Banking Ombudsman (BO) husband, wife and minor children. State Goverment and Consumer Education and Protection Cells and UT Administration will identify the farmer families (CEPCs) of RBI has been digitalized. which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines. The fund will be directly transferred to the bank Nandan Nilekani panel sees 10-fold accounts of the beneficiaries. The first instalment for growth in digital payments in 3 years the period 1.12.2018 to 31.03.2019 is to be provided in this financial year itself. A Reserve Bank of India-appointed committee, headed by Nandan Nilekani, has said that digital payments RBI introduces ‘Complaint have grown 10-fold over five years and has set a target Management System for additional growth of 10x in three years.

The “Complaint Management System (CMS)” of RBI This, according to the panel, will be driven by a major was launched by the Governor, RBI today. It is a shift from high-value, low-volumeand high-cost 23 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder transactions to low-value, high-volume and low-cost CII launches new Index to measure transactions, thus leading to a decline in cash fiscal performance requirements. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has launched Cash is king a Fiscal Performance Index (FPI) to assess state and The report added that while digital payments have central budgets. The Index incorporates qualitative steadily become a significant mode for inflow to the assessments of revenue expenditure, capital Indian consumer via government benefit payments and expenditure, revenues, fiscal prudence and the level salaries in the organised sector, cash is still the dominant of public debt arrive at a more holistic picture of fiscal mode because of the underdeveloped nature of the performance than the fiscal deficit to GDP ratio acceptance ecosystem for digital payments. In its according to the CII. report ‘Deepening Digital Payments in India’, the As an example the index will consider expenditure on committee has noted the need to address this gap infrastructure, education, healthcare and other social between the “digital credits” the Indian consumer gets sectors beneficial for economic growth compared to and the “digital debits” the Indian consumer needs to other revenue expenditure. It will also consider tax increase overall digital payments in the country. revenues a more sustainable source of revenues for Additionally, the unorganised sector continues to the government as compared to one-time income depend on cash for both their credits and debits. sources. Govt role A single criterion such as the ‘fiscal deficit to GDP The committee has also recommended that the ratio’ does not tell us anything about the quality of the government, being the single largest participant in Budget. Hence, the Government should use multiple payments, should take the lead on all aspects of indicators to measure the quality of Budgets at the digitisation of payments and stresses the usage of Central and the State levels rather than a single NCMC (national common mobility card). The indicator,” said Mr Vikram Kirloskar, President, CII committee further recommended reducing the overall The report concludes with recommendations that the cost to the consumer such as service charges for digital government should attempt to broaden the tax base, payments, and increasing consumer confidence in increase investments in education and healthcare as digital transactions. well as maintenance of assets and well as increase Card usage investments in infrastructure, affordable housing and To promote card transactions, the committee had encourage public sector undertakings to also increase recommended that the regulator should adjust the capital expenditure by limiting dividends to the interchange rate and let the market compete with MDR government (merchant discount rate), ultimately growing the IMA ponzi scam: ED attaches acceptance ecosystem rather than inhibiting it. 209crore assets under PMLA “We support macro recommendations to shift focus from issuance to merchant acquisition and simplified The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said it has attached KYC for wallets. Target of 10x growth in three years assets worth ¹ 209 crore, including 20 immovable is definitely achievable if all these recommendations properties and bank deposits, in its money laundering are implemented in a time-bound fashion,” said Navin probe into the alleged IMA group ponzi scam of Surya, Chairman Emeritus, Payments Council of India. Karnataka. Thousands of depositors are said to have been duped in the alleged scam.

24 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder The Central agency said its Bengaluru zonal office the investments made by public and Khan was running has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of a ponzi scheme and they (group employees and Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for attachment of directors) were all working on the instructions of immovable assets worth ¹ 197 crore and about ¹ 12 Khan”, the ED alleged. crore deposits in bank accounts. Khan, it said, had promised returns ranging from 2.5 The ED had recently filed a criminal case of money to 3% per month to the investors, who are mainly from laundering against the IMA group of companies and the Muslim community. The scam had come to light its absconding main promoter and managing director after a video of his purported statement claiming that Mohammed Mansoor Khan after reports emerged that the investments have been lost, surfaced early this he has gone underground fearing investments worth month. crores of about 40,000 investors have tanked. The ED has summoned Khan multiple times for While ¹ 98 lakh was found deposited in 51 bank questioning but he did not depose before the agency accounts, ¹ 11 crore was kept in HDFC bank account, and it is suspected that he has left the country. The operational under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan agency is working towards getting an Interpol arrest Yojna (PMGKY), the ED said. warrant issued against him and get him declared a fugitive economic offender by a court, it said. The PMGKY was announced by the Modi government, post demonetisation in 2016, as part of a one-time The Karnataka government has constituted a special compliance window for people holding black money investigation team (SIT) of the police to probe the case to come clean by paying tax and penalty of 50%. The which has already arrested seven directors of the government had said such declarations will be kept group. confidential. Viral Acharya quits as RBI Deputy The ED said Khan had deposited cash of about 44 Governor six months before end of crore in various bank accounts during the demonetisation period and as a result of Income Tax his term Department action against the IMA group, he and the Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Viral IMA group had paid a tax of 22 crore. Acharya has resigned from his position six months “The remaining amount of 11 crore was lying in a bank before the end of his term, according to sources in the which has been identified during the investigation,” it central bank. said. Mr. Acharya, who was in charge of the monetary policy The ED said it has deployed a “dedicated” team of department, reportedly resigned due to “personal investigators to probe the case and that Khan had reasons” received about 4,000 crore as investments from the His departure is significant as it comes just a little more gullible investors. than six months after the resignation of Urjit Patel The “accused companies and its directors have from the post of RBI Governor. It is also perhaps indulged in the offence of money laundering by cheating significant that Mr. Patel resigned shortly before the common people through ponzi schemes and generated Bimal Jalan committee is to submit its report on whether the proceeds of crime in the form of movable and RBI reserves could be transferred to the Centre or immovable properties”, it said. not. Probe revealed that the IMA group was “not doing In October last, Mr. Acharya created a controversy any business to pay the promised monthly return on by strongly alluding to the encroachment on autonomy

25 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder of the central bank by the government. One of the property right they have and, therefore, the government tension points he highlighted was the treatment of the or citizens cannot have a sovereign right over it. RBI reserves. However, citizens should have full right over the individual private data they share and the company The RBI now has three Deputy Governors left — must be held accountable for protecting it. N.S. Vishwanathan, B.P. Kanungo and M.K. Jain. In a statement in Mumbai, the RBI said that Mr. State department reiterates Trump’s Acharya was unable to continue his term beyond July ‘fair and reciprocal trade’ message 23, due to ‘unavoidable personal circumstances’. for India “A few weeks ago, Mr. Acharya submitted a letter to The State Department reacted to India’s announcement the RBI informing that due to unavoidable personal of retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. imports, reiterating circumstances, he is unable to continue his term as a U.S. President Donald Trump’s message of reciprocal Deputy Governor of the RBI beyond July 23, 2019. trade and the strength of U.S.-India ties. Consequential action arising from his letter is under consideration of the Competent Authority,” it said. “India is one of our closest strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S.-India partnership stands Govt. RBI promise to address upon a shared commitment to democratic values and concerns on data localization rule the rule of law. As the President has repeatedly stated, the United States wants fair and reciprocal trade,” a Data localization is the act of storing data on any device State Department spokesperson told The Hindu via that is physically present within the borders of a specific email, adding, “The United States is India’s top market country where the data was generated. Free flow of for exports and U.S. companies see great opportunity digital data, especially data which could impact in India.” government operations or operations in a region, is restricted by some governments Congress passed act of 1934 which allows the President to create foreign tariff-reduction agreements The government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) without approval of Congress. It led to General will address all the concerns of technology and e- Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947. The Trump commerce firms around India’s data storage and Administration’s trade agenda of “free, fair, and protection norms and new legislation that are in the reciprocal” trade may appear innocuous, but it poses pipeline an existential threat to the WTO-led international RBI had in April last year asked payments firms to economic order. adhere to data localization norms, suggesting these Under reciprocity in trade negotiations, WTO companies had to store data on Indian servers only. signatories need to offer adequate trade concessions They were given six months to comply with the banking in order to receive similar concessions from their regulator’s order. While foreign companies are trading partners. Over time, the concept of reciprocity adhering to RBI’s data localization rules, they have acquired a new colour and texture, but only for the maintained that storing data on Indian servers would good. The participation of developing and least- require setting up data storage infrastructure in the developed countries in trade negotiations called for a country, which would increase their costs. The US dilution or tempered understanding of this concept. The wants India to eliminate trade barriers for American idea of “less than full reciprocity” became an integral companies and remove restrictions with regard to data element in trade negotiations and development policy localization to cut the cost of doing business in India. debates in the last few decades. However, the revised For many startups, aggregate data is the only intellectual meaning of reciprocity only permitted a differential

26 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder treatment of developing and least-developed countries can be productively used again and again, thereby at the hands of the developed world; reciprocity in creating further value. itself abjured any “specially negotiated deals” among At the industrial estate road in Vapi, the hub of paper developed countries inter se. The twin goals of mills in south Gujarat Mountains of trash can be seen expansion of trade and an inclusive international heaped inside the mills, ready to be recycled. In what economic order could not have occurred if trade can be considered a golden example of the circular arrangements were only driven by self-interest. economy model, paper recycling is booming in India, However, some of the recent developments, especially with a surge in the import of wastepaper. in the US, are worrying and have the potential to undo Worldwide, countries are refusing to be dumping the remarkable progress the international trading grounds of trash, forcing developed economies, which nations have made in the last seven decades. are huge waste generators, to look for alternatives. In The introduction of the “United States Reciprocal Trade 2017, China announced a ban on the import of 24 types Act” in the US Congress on January 24 is the most of scraps, including paper, applicable from January 1, recent example of trade unilateralism couched in a 2018. fairly misleading title. The Bill was introduced by The announcement sent shock waves in the UK, the Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy. According to US and the European Union, which are still trying to Duffy, the aim of the legislation is to give “the President find ways to manage their waste. What came as a the tools necessary to pressure other nations to lower shocker to the West gave a new lease of life to paper their tariffs and stop taking advantage of America”. manufacturers in India, many of whom had been A spreadsheet which is annexed to the Bill shows struggling due to the shortage of raw materials. certain products where the US has lower tariffs than Paper already accounts 50 per cent of all dry waste certain other countries. According to Duffy, foreign generated in urban India, followed by plastic (14 per tariffs higher than US tariffs on any of the items in the cent), glass (6 per cent), textile (5 per cent), wood (3 US tariff schedule amounts to “robbery”. per cent), metal (1.5 per cent) and residue (20 per Three products from India cut granite, motorcycles cent), as per a 2011 working paper prepared by the and whiskey — have found a place on this spreadsheet Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion under Is India ready to embrace the circular the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. After the Chinese ban, India’s import of wastepaper spiked. economy? Wastepaper import is also helping India meet the A circular economy (often referred to simply as domestic demand.The waste dumped by Western “circularity”) is an economic system aimed at countries in India is fibre-rich. Here, we have plenty minimizing waste and making the most of resources. of labour for recycling paper and the cost of production The circular economy is a model of production and is also low. So, it is a win-win situation Vapi. consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials Recycled paper is used as a raw material in India for and products as long as possible. In this way, the life manufacturing newsprint, paperboard, duplex kraft cycle of products is extended. paper, note-books, packaging materials and tissue papers. It is also exported to the US and the UK as In practice, it implies reducing waste to a minimum. finished products. Apart from Vapi, Muzaffarnagar in When a product reaches the end of its life, its materials Uttar Pradesh, Baleswar in Odisha, Amritsar in Punjab, are kept within the economy wherever possible. These Nagpur in Madhya Pradesh, Rajahmundry and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and

27 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Sathyamanglam in Tamil Nadu are the major negative environmental externalities. For example, wastepaper recycling hubs of the country. greenhouse gas emissions could be 23 per cent lower in 2030 and 44 per cent lower in 2050 compared with Concerns the current development scenario, helping India deliver Though things look good right now, the circular economy on its targets promised in the recently ratified Paris model of paper recycling poses a risk of importing Agreement,” says a 2016 report by the Ellen contaminants and India runs the risk of becoming a MacArthur Foundation. dumpyard like China was. “European countries do not As per the “Global E-waste Monitor 2017”, a report conduct any formal sorting due to the lack of cheap published by the United Nations University, India labour. generated about 2 million tonnes of e-waste in 2016. So, paper waste mixed with contaminants like plastic, However, the country’s e-waste recycling potential is glass and aluminium gets imported here. Also, while abysmal. As per the Central Pollution Control Board, some mills have a proper system to dispose plastic India’s formal sector could only recycle 0.099 million mixed with paper, most just dump it in the surrounding tonnes e-waste in 2015-16. To improve the country’s areas, says Sharma. e-waste recycling capacity, the government is setting Import and export of paper, paperboard, and paper up e-waste recycling units in major cities. product wastes is regulated as per the Hazardous One of the prerequisites for harnessing the business Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary and economic potential of e-waste is proper Movement) Rules, 2008. The rules do not permit inventorisation. This will attract investors to the e- contaminants for 31 of the 48 graded of imported waste recycling industry as they can clearly evaluate wastepaper and up to two per cent contaminants for the resource recovery potential of materials contained the remaining. The consignment has to be sent back in e-waste. to the exporting country in case of any violation of the Scrap plastics and end-of-life-vehicles (ELVs) are the rules. Though there are consignment checks at major other sectors that can grow massively. The FICCI ports, the procedures are lax and sometimes the rate report says that 40 per cent of plastic waste in India is of contamination is as high as 10 per cent, say paper uncollected and, if properly managed, represents a $2 manufacturers. billion opportunity. The report also says that over 8 “During custom examination we present documents million tonnes of steel can be recovered from ELVs in for clearance. A pre-inspection certification agency India by 2025, representing a $2.7 billion opportunity. should check how much contamination a consignment A circular economy also means cheaper products and has. But mostly the cargo is passed without checks,” services, and reduced congestion and pollution. As says Gagan Ahluwalia, founder of Paper Fiber Impex, such, its importance and necessity cannot be a Delhi-based wastepaper importing firm. “In China, overemphasised. these consignments go through efficient scanners that check for contamination. Such scanners are hardly Regulations on shisham trade hit available in any Indian port,” he says. rosewood artisans Why we need a circular economy More than 50,000 rosewood artisans in India have been The FICCI report says that just extracting gold from badly hit by trade regulations introduced in 2017 by e-waste in India can yield $1 billion through circular the Convention on International Trade in Endangered economy business models by 2030 in India. “A circular Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or Cites. India’s economy development path could significantly mitigate international trade in shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), a type

28 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder of rosewood, was Rs 617 crore, against the potential the past two decades. Many boat makers are passing of Rs 1,000 crore, showed Data collected from 2017 their days in acute economic hardship, with a steep to 2018 by the Export Promotion Council for slump in their business. Many of them have already Handicrafts. left their traditional profession due to a sharp fall in their income. The reason for the dip, claims India, is the decision to include the entire Dalbergia genus under Appendix II Among the major reasons being cited for the decline of Cites, which has species where trade must be of the industry are the recent construction of bridges controlled to avoid overexploitation. over rivers in the two districts and the advent of fibre fishing boats. Other causes include a lack of special The decision was taken at the last Cites conference carpenters, non-availability of good quality wood, of parties (CoP 17) after several African and Latin pollution in sea waters, dwindling fish populations and American countries said illegal international trade in the increasing cost of particular woods. rosewood, fuelled primarily due to rising Chinese demand, was decimating rosewood populations Salaried employees in India devoid of throughout its range. The countries added that because paid leaves, social security: PLFS all types of rosewood look alike, the entire genus should be included to curb illegal trade. Salaried employees in India are denied benefits such as paid leaves, social security and written job contracts, India has sent a proposal to Cites ahead of the according to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey upcoming CoP 18 that trade of individual species should (PLFS), released by the Ministry of Statistics and be regulated, and not the entire genus, based on their Programme Implementation. conservation status. India has two species of Dalbergia, of which D latifolia (Indian rosewood) is The survey by the National Sample Survey Office classified ‘vulnerable’, while shisham is widely grown (NSSO), revealed that among regular wage earners, by farmers. India wants to deregulate the trade of 54.2 per cent were not eligible for paid leave during shisham. during 2017-18. While 53.1 per cent males were not eligible for paid leave in the urban areas, the figure How important is the next CITES meet for India? was higher in rural areas (58.1 per cent). It is very important as the livelihood of many in the Similarly, 51.8 per cent females were not eligible for country depends on rosewood. Even though shisham paid leave in urban areas, in rural areas the number (D sissoo) is not threatened in India, CITES has put was 47.9 per cent. Within both, the urban and rural the entire Dalbergia genus in Appendix II. Shisham is areas, there has been an increase of four to six per widely grown by Indian farmers and used by artisans. cent in the ineligibility of paid leaves since 2011-2012. Now, its export will require CITES-comparable documents. Further, 49.6 per cent were found ineligible for any social security benefit, with women being more Boat makers in Odisha’s coastal marginalised (51.8 per cent) than men (49 per cent). villages struggle to stay afloat However, female employees in the rural (55.1 per cent) Odisha was once known for its sea-faring traders and had slightly better social security benefits than their their wooden boats. The reputation has taken a beating counterparts in urban areas (50.1 per cent). For men, with time and now, its boat-making industry seems to the difference was less with 51.9 per cent in rural be on the fag end of its innings. According to most areas having social security benefits compared to 47 boat makers in Odisha’s coastal districts of Kendrapada per cent in the urban areas. and Jagatsinghpur, the industry has largely declined in

29 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Moreover, the survey revealed that during 2017-18, a However, the Delhi government has been maintaining whopping 71.1 per cent employees received no written that it is a surplus economy as its revenues have job contract. The numbers were higher in both rural doubled in last four years. It also said that it has enough and urban areas. The Ministry constituted the PLFS money to spend on making transport free for women. under the chairmanship of Amitabh Kundu. The data The move will increase women mobility and will bring was collected by NSSO from July 2017 to June 2018. large number of women out of their homes. It is The survey was spread over 12,773 first-stage sampling important to invest in a robust system first, incentivising units (7,014 villages and 5,759 urban blocks) covering public transport, and then come out with such plans. 1,02,113 households (56,108 in rural areas and 46,005 There are global case studies where governments have in urban areas) and enumerating 4,33,339 persons given free transport a shot successfully irrespective (2,46,809 in rural areas and 1,86,530 in urban areas). of gender. But any out of the box ideas have to come ‘Free metro, bus travel may not with an understanding of ground reality of a city, the improve safety, but stress public experts noted. transport system’ Meanwhile, the Delhi government has sought people’s suggestion on the proposed scheme and has asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s recent proposal them to submit till June 15. The initiative is expected to make metro and bus travel free for women in the to be implemented within 2-3 months. national capital will not help improve safety of women, rather burden the already stressed public transport Inflation is healthy for the economy – system, say experts. On June 3, 2019, Kejriwal but too much can trigger a recession announced the proposal, during a press conference, In a healthy economy, prices tend to go up a process and said that it would encourage women to use public called inflation. While you might not like that as a transport systems and ensure their safety. consumer, moderate price growth is a sign of a healthy, “There is no component of safety in this. There is no growing economy. And, historically at least, wages tend link between ensuring higher degree of safety and to go up at about the same pace during periods of payment. All DTC buses do not have CCTV cameras inflation. and GPS installed,” said PK Sarkar, director of The US Federal Reserve sees 2 per cent inflation as transportation at the Asian Institute of Transport the sweet spot for the economy, which is about its Development. “As such metro rides are inconvenient current level. But some economists, including those at for most women during peak hours. And in some cases, the Fed, worry the economy is weakening, which would there are availability issues. We first have to make cause inflation to drop below its target something it our systems self sustainable. Even if this had to be wants to avoid. The latest data, out June 12, suggested done, they could have identified economically weaker this may be happening. sections of women,” added Sarkar, who was involved in a project with the Delhi government to revive and As a result, there’s growing speculation that the Fed restructure the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will cut interest rates to give the economy a boost, bus system two years ago. “Its running cost is not which would indirectly spur more inflation. The being taken care by the revenue being generated and problem is, too much inflation can also be a bad thing. it is incurring losses every year. Plus, there is a huge What is inflation? Inflation is defined as the rate of deficit of number of buses. To run successfully, Delhi change in the prices of everything from a bar of Ivory needs around 15,000 buses immediately. That should soap to the cost of an eye exam. have been the priority first,” Sarkar said.

30 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder A moderate amount of inflation is generally considered “healthy” levels. If the Fed does nothing, inflation may to be a sign of a healthy economy, because as the fall as economic growth slows. Either path could lead economy grows, demand for stuff increases. This to recession. increase in demand pushes prices a little higher as NBFC crisis suppliers try to create more of the thing that consumers and businesses want to buy. Workers benefit because Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC): A this economic growth drives an increase in demand Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a for labour, and as a result, wages usually increase. company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 engaged in the business of loans and advances, Finally, these workers with higher wages go out and acquisition of shares/stocks/bonds/debentures/ buy more stuff, and so this “virtuous” cycle continues. securities issued by Government or local authority or Inflation isn’t really causing all this to happen it is other marketable securities of a like nature, leasing, merely the symptom of a healthy, growing economy. hire-purchase, insurance business, chit business but Why low inflation is bad does not include any institution whose principal business Very low inflation usually signals demand for goods is that of agriculture activity, industrial activity, and services is lower than it should be, and this tends purchase or sale of any goods (other than securities) to slow economic growth and depress wages. This or providing any services and sale/purchase/ low demand can even lead to a recession with construction of immovable property. A non-banking increases in unemployment as we saw a decade ago institution which is a company and has principal during the Great Recession. business of receiving deposits under any scheme or Deflation, or falling prices, is particularly bad. When arrangement in one lump sum or in installments by prices are decreasing, consumers will delay purchases. way of contributions or in any other manner, is also a For example, why buy a new washing machine today non-banking financial company (Residuary non- if you could wait a few months to get it cheaper? banking company). Deflation also discourages lending because it leads to What’s the NBFC crisis about? lower interest rates. Lenders typically don’t want to NBFCs are facing a liquidity crunch. In other words, lend money at rates that give them a very small return. they don’t have money to lend or are facing enormous Fortunately, deflation is rare in developed economies. difficulties in raising funds. NBFCs typically borrow money from banks or sell commercial papers to mutual And too much can be even worse funds to raise money. They on-lend these money to But getting the balance right isn’t easy. Too much small and medium enterprises, retail customers and so inflation can cause the same problems as low inflation. on. When NBFCs don’t have money to lend, that If left unchecked, inflation could spike, which would reduces the credit flow to the economy, hits economic likely cause the economy to slow down quickly and growth and causes many borrowers to default on loans. unemployment to increase. The combination of rising There is a credit squeeze, over-leveraging, excessive inflation and unemployment is called “stagflation,” and concentration, massive mismatch between assets and is feared by economists, central bankers and pretty liabilities, coupled with some misadventures by some much everyone else. It’s what can cause an economic very large entities, which is a perfect recipe for disaster boom to suddenly turn to bust, as Americans saw in What led to this? the late 1970s. There are a couple of things to consider here: One, A balancing act the NBFC business model itself is flawed, to begin So returning to the current situation, the Fed has to with. It relied on raising short-term funds which were tread carefully. Cutting interest rates now should boost then lent out as long-term loans. This leads to a situation the US economy but risks driving up inflation beyond called an asset-liability mismatch.

31 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Commercial whaling backin Japan divided between those urging more rapid change and hardliners wanting to maintain strict state control.In Japanese whaling ships prepared to set to sea, with the mid-1980s, student-led protests started. crews gathering on decks in a northern port a day ahead of Japan’s first commercial whaling hunt in more Tiananmen Square than 30 years.The hunt will be confined to Japan’s The Tiananmen Square protests were student-led exclusive economic zone. demonstrations calling for democracy, free speech and a free press in China. They were halted in a bloody It announced last year it was leaving the International crackdown, known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, Whaling Commission (IWC) and would resume by the Chinese government on June 4 and 5, 1989. commercial whaling on July 1, sparking global condemnation and fears for the worlds whales.Japan Pro-democracy protesters, mostly students, initially has long maintained that eating whale is an important marched through Beijing to Tiananmen Square part of its culture and that most species are not following the death of Hu Yaobang. Hu, a former endangered. Communist Party leader, had worked to introduce democratic reform in China. In mourning Hu, the International Whaling Commission (IWC): students called for a more open, democratic The IWC was set up under the International government. Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC on 2nd December 1946. What was the government’s response? Headquarter is at Impington, near Cambridge, England. At first, the government took no direct action against The preamble to the Convention states that its purpose the protesters. Party officials disagreed on how to is to provide for the proper conservation of whale respond, some backing concessions, others wanting to stocks and thus make possible the orderly development take a harder line.The hardliners won the debate, and of the whaling industry. in the last two weeks of May, martial law was declared in Beijing. On 3 to 4 June, troops began to move towards An integral part of the Convention is its legally binding Tiananmen Square, opening fire, crushing and arresting ‘Schedule.’ The Schedule sets out specific measures protesters to regain control of the area. that the IWC has collectively decided are necessary in order to regulate whaling and conserve whale stocks. Tiananmen Square Massacre In 1986, it adopted a moratorium on commercial Although thousands of protesters simply tried to escape, whaling. This ban still continues. others fought back, stoning the attacking troops and setting fire to military vehicles. Reporters and Western Tiananmen Square Protests diplomats there that day estimated that hundreds to What led up to the events? thousands of protesters were killed in the Tiananmen In the 1980s, China was going through huge changes. Square Massacre, and as many as 10,000 were arrested. The ruling Communist Party began to allow some China announces South China Sea private companies and foreign investment. Leader Deng Xiaoping hoped to boost the economy and raise military training exercises living standards. However, the move brought with it China has closed off an area of the South China Sea corruption, while at the same time raising hopes for this week for military training.The China Maritime greater political openness. The Communist Party was Safety Administration says drills are being held in an

32 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder area near China’s holdings in the Paracel island group. Kuwait invalidates IIT degrees, China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as following non approval of NBA its own territory and strongly objects to naval activity in the area by other nations. The HRD Ministry has sent a list of premiere engineering institutes in the country to Kuwait The waterway rich in fishing grounds through which authorities where thousands of Indian engineers, passes an estimated $5 trillion in global commerce including IITians, are staring at possible job losses after annually has become a global security hotspot, largely the Gulf country decided to recognise degrees only if due to growing Chinese assertiveness in pressing its India’s NBA approved of the courses they studied. claims. The Public Authority for Manpower, a government Whose South China Sea is it, anyway? body in Kuwait, had last year issued a circular asking Six countries lay overlapping claims to the East and the labour department to not give work permits to South China Seas they are Brunei, China, Malaysia, expatriate engineers unless they got no-objection the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. certificates from the Kuwait Engineers Society. The China’s claims more than 80% of the Territorial, decision by Kuwait authorities has brought degrees China’s claim to the South China Sea is based in history, by prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) dating back to records from the Xia and Han dynasties. in the invalidation scanner. For India, engineers were China delineates its claims via the nine-dash line, which to be issued no-objection certificates only if the course Chiang Kai Shek advanced in 1947. During China’s had been accredited by the National Board of republican era, China surveyed, mapped and named Accreditation (NBA). 291 islands and reefs in the region. “A high-level Indian delegation had visited Kuwait to The United States contends that the South China Sea resolve the issue and it was decided to send lists of is international water, and sovereignty in the area ‘Non-NBA premier institute’ and ‘Institutes of National should be determined by the United Nations Importance’ to Kuwait authorities,” a senior HRD Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS). Ministry official said. UNCLOS states that countries can’t claim sovereignty The NBA accredits engineering courses while the over any land masses that are submerged at high tide, National Assessment and Accreditation Council or that were previously submerged but have been (NAAC) accredits universities and general colleges. raised above high tide level by . The decision by Kuwait authorities has also brought Why does China want to control the South China degrees by prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology Sea? (IITs) in the invalidation scanner. Control of the South China Sea would allow China to dominate a major trade route through which most of “The IITs, IISc and JU have never taken accreditation its imported oil flows. It would also allow China to from the NBA for their engineering courses. Many of disrupt, or threaten to disrupt, trade shipments to all the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are yet countries in East and Southeast Asia — as well as to take accreditation for their BTech courses,” the deny access to foreign military forces, particularly the official explained. United States. The floor of the South China Sea may The NBA, earlier a wing of technical education contain massive oil and natural gas reserves. regulator All India Council of Technical Education Sovereignty over the region could give China a level (AICTE), has been in existence since the 1990s but of energy security and independence far beyond what became an autonomous body in 2010. it currently possesses. construction.

33 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Pakistan receives $500 million from Their first summit took place in a blaze of publicity in Qatar Singapore last year but produced a vaguely-worded pledge about denuclearisation, and a second meeting Pakistan received the first tranche of $500 million from in Vietnam in February intended to put flesh on those Qatar under the $3 billion package consisting of a bones broke up without agreement. foreign currency deposit and direct investment to help Contact between the two sides has since been minimal boost the country’s dwindling foreign-exchange with Pyongyang issuing frequent criticisms of the U.S. reserves. The first tranche deposited with the State position but the two leaders have exchanged a series Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will help boost Pakistan’s of letters. dwindling foreign-exchange reserves. Qatar has emerged as the fourth country to having Mexico City celebrates role as haven extended a financial assistance package at times when for LGBTQ migrants Islamabad is facing an acute shortage of dollars. China, Tens of thousands of people paraded through the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates deposited a streets of Mexico City to celebrate the capital’s total of $9.2 billion in cash with the SBP’s foreign growing role as a beacon of tolerance for migrants currency reserves during the outgoing fiscal year fleeing persecution for their gender and sexuality in ending on June 30, 2019. Latin America. Pakistan’s foreign-exchange reserves have dropped Clowns on stilts and drag queens in stilettos towered by about 25% to $7.3 billion, less than two months of over the crowd filling the city’s Reforma boulevard import cover, according to central bank data. Pakistan for the 41st annual pride parade, while revelers pushed also reached an agreement with the International past policemen to join the throng of bright flags and Monetary Fund in May for a bailout of about $6 billion. gaudy outfits. U.S. President Donald Trump steps The first Latin American capital to legalize gay into North Korea, in a historic first marriage a decade ago, Mexico City has become a bastion of progressive causes in a country whose U.S. President Donald Trump stepped onto North border cities have been under increasing scrutiny for Korean soil as he met Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong their treatment of vulnerable migrants. Un in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula, in a symbolic diplomatic spectacle and a first for any The LGBTQ exiles have been part of a surge in mostly American president. U.S.-bound migrants that has pushed into the country from Central America and fueled tension between After shaking hands with Mr. Kim over the line that Mexico and U.S. President Donald Trump, who wants marks where their two countries and their allies fought the exodus halted. each other to a standstill in the 1950-53 Korean War, Mr. Trump walked for several steps into North Korean The road through Mexico is perilous, and LGBTQ territory, before another handshake. The two men then people, especially transgender women, are even more walked into Seoul’s territory together pausing on the exposed. Some have been attacked in border cities line for photographers where they were joined by South like Tijuana. Korean President Moon Jae-in. The impromptu Nashieli Ramirez, head of Mexico City’s human rights meeting in the DMZ which came after Mr. Trump commission, said the capital has received a number of issued an invitation on Twitter on Saturday comes with migrants returning from towns on the U.S. frontier, negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington over including a group of transgender women who retreated the North’s nuclear arsenal at a deadlock. from Tijuana last December. 34 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Parade organizer Patria Jimenez said solidarity with goods used for capital punishment and torture, saying LGBTQ migrants had become more important since it is unacceptable to place death penalty on par with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on torture. The 193-member UN General Assembly June 7 agreed with Mr. Trump to send the National adopted the resolution ‘Towards torture-free trade: Guard to border regions to stem the flow of people. examining the feasibility, scope and parameters for possible common international standards’ by a recorded At G20 trilateral, China proposes 5G vote of 81 in favour to 20 against, with 44 abstentions. partnership with India, Russia By the draft’s terms, the Assembly requested the The rift between China and the United States over 5G Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States technology exports to India sharpened, when Chinese on the feasibility and possible scope of a range of President Xi Jinping pitched for a partnership with New options to establish common international standards Delhi and Moscow for expanding a joint footprint in for the import, export and transfer of goods used for cyberspace. “capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or In his remarks at the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral degrading treatment or punishment.” on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, President India abstained from voting on the resolution, with First Xi urged the three countries, in the presence of Prime Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin, Paulomi Tripathi, in the explanation of vote, saying that to “expand cooperation in 5G network, high technology, incorporating capital punishment into the scope of this connectivity, energy and other areas,” Xinhua reported. resolution “raises concerns that it may be an attempt He also called for reforming the World Trade to place it on par with torture.” Organisation (WTO), based on consensus. She stressed that India remains firmly committed to Analysts say that Mr. Xi’s advocacy for a trilateral prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading cyber-partnership follows the Trump administration’s treatment or punishment. campaign to discourage India and other countries from “We firmly believe that freedom from torture is a human importing Chinese 5G technology, led by Huawei right which must be respected and protected under all Technologies, the Shenzhen based telecom heavyweight, circumstances.” She asserted that India strongly on security grounds. believes that torture is a crime and “therefore, The 5G technology, can interlink the mobile internet unlawful.” with manufacturing. It is at the heart of the “fourth “Every state has the sovereign right to determine its industrial revolution,” which will result in factories being own legal system and appropriate legal penalties Any run by robots, driverless vehicles and enabling remote implication that capital punishment is being treated on surgeries. The Chinese President also stressed that par with torture is unacceptable to my delegation, as the three countries need to promote a multi-polar world in India capital punishment is a statutory provision, even and make international relations more democratic. The though it is used in the rarest of rare cases,” Ms. three leaders decided to institutionalise their “informal Tripathi said. summit” on the sidelines of the G20. She told the General Assembly that in India, acts of UNGA resolution on goods used for torture are punishable offence under various provisions capital punishment, torture of the Indian Penal Code and the Indian judiciary also serves as a bulwark against any such violations of India has abstained from voting on a General Assembly human rights. resolution aimed at examining options to end trade in

35 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Tripathi further added that the present draft resolution a country financially, resulting in a downgraded credit seeks to establish a link between trade in goods and rating and denying it loans and development assistance. the criminal acts of torture. “It is apparent that the India-Pakistan clash over Nizam of multilateral trade system is already under stress. In such a situation, attempts at trade restrictions in a Hyderabad funds in U.K. selective manner, as proposed by the resolution, is likely A decades-old legal dispute between India and Pakistan to raise further concerns regarding implications on the over around £35 million belonging to the Nizam of international trading system,” she said. Hyderabad at the time of Partition and deposited in a Blacklisting Pakistan absolutely a London bank account has reached an important stage in the U.K. High Court. possibility: FATF president The Nizam’s descendants, Prince Mukarram Jah — There is “absolutely a possibility” that Pakistan could the titular eighth Nizam of Hyderabad — and his be on its blacklist after the international financial younger brother Muffakham Jah, have joined hands watchdog’s next meeting in October in Paris, the with the Indian government in the legal battle against outgoing president of the Financial Action Task Force the Pakistan government over the funds lying with the (FATF), Marshall Billingslea, said. NatWest Bank plc in London. Pakistan had “significant” work to do and was, with The dispute revolves around 1,007,940 pounds and nine regard to an action plan agreed in June 2018, “lacking shillings that were transferred in 1948 from the then in almost every respect”, Mr. Billingslea said. Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, to the High “Pakistan was cautioned in February at the plenary Commissioner in Britain of the newly-formed Pakistan. that they had missed almost all of their January That amount has since grown into millions. milestones. And they were urged to not fail to meet The late Nizam Osman Ali Khan, who faced the the milestones in May. Unfortunately, Pakistan has quandary of joining Pakistan or staying with India at yet again missed its May milestones,” he added. the time of the funds transfer back in 1948, had later “Now the action plan itself is set to complete in reportedly sought the return of the funds. NatWest September. So this [the June 16-21 Orlando plenary] Bank has since held on to the funds deposited into the was not the plenary where we would discuss a account of then Pakistan High Commissioner Habib blacklisting issue. This was the plenary where we Ibrahim Rahimtoola in safekeeping until its rightful legal examine how far and how far behind Pakistan is on its owner is established. action plan … and I must say they are far behind,” Experts fear ‘snowball effect’ as Iran Mr. Billinglsea said. abandons nuclear deal “There is much that must be done by September. If they fail to implement the action plan by September As Iran prepares to surpass limits set by its 2015 then the FATF has made clear that we will consider nuclear deal with world powers, each step it takes next steps.” narrows the time the country’s leaders would need to have enough highly enriched uranium for an atomic China, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and bomb if they chose to build one. The United Nations the Gulf Cooperation Council were among those at says Iran has so far respected the deal’s terms. But, the Orlando plenary who had asked that Pakistan be Iran says it will have over 300 kilograms (660 pounds) given more time to comply with the action plan. Getting of low-enriched uranium in its possession, which would on the FATF blacklist, which currently only has Iran mean it had broken out of the atomic accord. and North Korea on it, could severely cripple and isolate

36 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder European countries that are still a part of the nuclear “These tests are not targeted against any country or accord face a July 7 deadline imposed by Tehran to specific entity. China follows a defence policy which offer a better deal and long-promised relief from U.S. is defensive in nature and an active defence military sanctions, or Iran will also begin enriching its uranium strategy, and our development of weapons and closer to weapons-grade levels. equipment is to meet the basic demand of protecting China’s national security,” he said. Breaking the stockpile limit by itself doesn’t radically change the one year experts say Iran would need to Military experts told the daily that the JL-3 is China’s have enough material for a bomb. Coupled with latest SLBM under development that is expected to increasing enrichment, however, it begins to close that reach targets farther away with higher accuracy and window and hamper any diplomatic efforts at saving capable of carrying more warheads than China’s the accord. Under terms of the nuclear deal, Iran current SLBMs. The SLBM might have a range of up agreed to have less than 300 kilograms (661 pounds) to 14,000 km and be equipped with 10 independent of uranium enriched to a maximum of 3.67%. guided nuclear warheads, the daily quoted Russia Today Previously, Iran enriched as high as 20%, which is a as saying. short technical step away from reaching weapons- Belt and Road project grade levels. It also held up to 10,000 kilograms (22,046 pounds) of the higher-enriched uranium. Ahead of the recently concluded summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Chinese Experts who spoke to described the enrichment and state media provided extensive coverage of Beijing’s stockpile limits in the deal as a sort of sliding scale. recent forays into Central Asia, including into Balancing both elements keeps Iran a year away from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. having enough material for a nuclear weapon, something Iran denies it seeks despite Western On its website, the state-run Xinhua news agency concerns about its program. splashed pictures of the Irkeshtam pass, one of China’s gateways to Kyrgyzstan, a few days before planes At the time of the deal, which was signed by Iran, the ferrying leaders of the eight SCO member countries, United States, China, Russia, Germany, France and apart from observers, flew into Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s Britain, experts believed Iran needed anywhere from capital. several weeks to three months to have enough material for a bomb. Going over the limit doesn’t immediately The lofty Irkeshtam pass, perched at a height of 2,950 signify that Iran has enough material that could if m, is a geographic marvel. It is a deep gorge at the further enriched and processed be used in a nuclear junction of the southern edge of the Tian Shan and the weapon mighty Pamir mountains. From its impressive elevation, the pass commands several trade routes that jostle China tests new ballistic missile their way towards the steppes of Central Asia. China has successfully tested its latest submarine- Re-imagining an ancient route launched ballistic missile, the JL-3. The JL-3 is China’s latest submarine-launched ballistic missile under One of them weaves its way from Kashgar, a major development that is expected to reach targets farther trade node along the ancient silk route in China’s away with higher accuracy. The scheduled test was mountainous Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region normal, China’s Ministry of National Defence said on (XUAR). This route heads westwards into the bone- Thursday, when asked about the alleged test launch dry Tarim basin. of a JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) There, the sands of the forbidding Taklamakan desert, on June 2, state-run Global Times reported. a graveyard in the past of traders and their fellow

37 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder travelers who once dared to caravan along the ancient Apart from highways and power projects, China is silk road, overwhelm the area. On either side, the concentrating on railways in its bid to open up Central majestic Kunlun and Asia and beyond as part of the Tian Shan BRI. For instance, Osh sits mountains wall the along China’s West route, as it opens passage-3 railway project. towards the After passing through Irkeshtam pass. Kashgar and Osh via the Irkeshtam pass, the railway Under the Belt and spears towards Uzbekistan, Road Initiative Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey, (BRI), the ancient and beyond. route towards the Irkeshtam pass will Separately, West Passage 1 now provide the enters Kazakhstan through China-Pakistan Alashankou in Xinjiang. Economic Corridor From there it hooks up with (CPEC) a critical Russia’s Trans-Siberian node into Central Asia. The CPEC runs from the Railway and enters Belarus before reaching out to Arabian Sea coast at Gwadar towards Kashgar, the European Union. passing through the extremely challenging terrain of Similarly, the exit point of West Passage 2 is Xinjiang’s Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Alashankou. Kazakhstan, in this case, becomes the Across the Irkeshtam border post, which straddles the gateway to Turkmenistan, setting the stage for a pass, the road heads towards the northwest in the railway link-up with Iran, Turkey and possibly Europe. direction of the Kyrgyz city of Osh, 250 km away. China is also working on East Passage 1. This route Osh is located inside the famed Fergana valley. Its connects Erenhot in its Inner Mongolia province, with abundance of fruit and grain is legendary. The first the Trans-Siberian railway on the way to Europe. Mughal emperor Babur, who was born in the nearby All cross-border initiatives on infrastructure feed into Uzbek city of Andijan, spent time in Osh, where he China’s ‘go-global’ policy. This is a joint initiative of built a mosque atop the Sulayman mountain, a world China’s central planners and provincial administrations heritage site. The road from Osh leads westwards to shift sections of Chinese capital and supply chains towards the Uzbek border, which is only 5 km away. overseas. Osh is also the fulcrum of other strategic routes that the Chinese are opening up in the region as part of the US-China trade war, sea row in BRI. A brand new north-south motorway will soon ASEAN summit spotlight link Osh to capital Bishkek in the north. Once the 250 Southeast Asian leaders will commit to conclude a long- km-road, being built by the China Road and Bridge delayed regional trade pact this year despite lingering Corporation (CRBC), is completed by 2021, the odds to fend off risks from a protracted U.S.-China spanking new highway will connect Osh with trade war when they gather for summit in Thailand. Kazakhstan’s Almaty. Eventually, the $698-million project, bankrolled by China’s Exim Bank, will interlink The Chinese sinking of a Philippine boat, which Pakistan, China and Kyrgyzstan, with strategic nodes endangered 22 Filipino fishermen, is also expected to extending to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. put the South China Sea territorial conflicts under the

38 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder spotlight in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN member states Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam meetings. The two-day summit gets underway and the Philippines are involved in the long-unresolved Saturday in the Thai capital of Bangkok, where conflicts, which escalated in recent years after China ASEAN was founded in 1967 in the Cold War era. transformed seven disputed reefs into missile- Other key issues include the planned repatriation of protected islands, which can serve as forward military more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees, who outposts. Greg Poling of the Asia Maritime have fled a military crackdown in Buddhist-majority Transparency Initiative, which promotes nonaggression Myanmar since August 2017 to neighboring in the disputed waters, predicted that “this kind of Bangladesh in a crisis that has tested ASEAN. violence will happen more and more frequently.” Many of the leaders fear the rise of protectionism could “The incident definitely speaks to the larger problem have a devastating impact on the regional and global of China flooding the area around the Spratly Islands economy. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China with hundreds of subsidized fishing vessels,” which over Beijing’s technology policy and other market act as China’s militia force, Poling said, referring to a access issues have added to strains within the region, hotly contested region near the Reed Bank. especially since President Donald Trump took office In the draft statement, ASEAN leaders are expected in early 2017 and declared his “America First” to stress the importance of not militarizing the disputed preference for bilateral trade deals and distrust of region and self-retrainst in carrying out activities “that international institutions. could further complicate the situation and escalate The two sides have imposed tariffs on billions of dollars tensions in the South China Sea.” of each other’s products in a standoff that has shown Saudi launches residency scheme to no sign of abating. ASEAN member states and six other Asia-Pacific countries have been negotiating the boost revenue market-opening pact, called the Regional Saudi Arabia launched a new special residency scheme Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP. The aimed at luring wealthy expats as the petro-state seeks accord includes giants such as China and India but not to boost non-oil revenue.The scheme offers a the U.S. and is expected to encompass nearly half the permanent residency for 800,000 riyals ($213,000) and world’s population and 40% of world trade. a one-year renewable residency costing 100,000 riyals Although talks have gradually progressed, negotiators ($27,000), according to the online portal for failed to finalize the accord last year due to remaining registrations. The move appears to be aimed at boosting differences. India balked at widening its markets to non-oil revenue as the kingdom seeks to diversify its imports from rival China, for example, according to economy. The scheme will allow expats to do business participants. The South China Sea rifts have been a without a Saudi sponsor, buy property and sponsor visas longstanding security concern. But the June 9 ramming for relatives, the website said. Analysts say the of an anchored Philippine boat by a larger Chinese programme will largely benefit wealthy Arabs who fishing vessel in the Reed Bank sparked an outcry have lived in Saudi Arabia for years without permanent and condemnations in the Philippines, after the Chinese residency or MNCs seeking to do long-term business. crew sailed away while the fishing boat sank at night. Palestinians reject U.S.-Bahrain Its Filipino crew was rescued by a Vietnamese vessel. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has nurtured peace plan close ties with China, has backed Beijing’s initial The Palestinians vowed to reject a U.S.-led peace assertion that the collision was accidental and mocked initiative to be presented in Bahrain that dangles the calls for him to immediately take drastic actions. prospect of $50 billion as an Israeli envoy bluntly told 39 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder them they should “surrender”. Finance chiefs from across borders while victims of forced labour were the U.S., oil-rich Arab states and international typically exploited within their own countries, the report development institutions were flying to the tiny kingdom, says, citing International Labour Organisation (ILO) which in a rarity is openly welcoming Israelis, who data. These designations — Tier 1, 2, 3 — aren’t just have forged an indirect alliance with Gulf rulers due words on paper. They carry consequences. Last year, to mutual hostility with Iran. President Trump restricted certain types of assistance to 22 countries that were ranked for Tier 3 in 2018 Led by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and TIP Report adviser Jared Kushner, the Peace to Prosperity economic workshop that begins Tuesday evening is The TIP report’s conclusion stresses that while much billed as the start of a new approach that will later has been done since the Palermo Protocol (an include political solutions to the long intractable West international framework to tackle trafficking, Asian conflict. established in 2000) in terms of countries building legal frameworks to prosecute traffickers and provide care It proposes raising more than $50 billion in fresh for survivors, more needs to be done , especially in investment for the Palestinians and their Arab terms of tackling domestic trafficking. neighbours with major projects to boost infrastructure, education, tourism and cross-border trade. Categorisation on efforts to meet minimum standards The Palestinian Authority is boycotting the workshop, denouncing the plan for saying nothing about ending The report categorises countries into three groups the Israeli occupation. President Mahmud Abbas has based on the Trafficking Victims Protection Act said the Palestinians “will not be slaves or servants” (TVPA), U.S. legislation enacted in 2000. The of Mr. Kushner or other Trump aides. “For America categorisation is based not on the magnitude of a to turn the whole cause from a political issue into an country’s trafficking problem but on efforts to meet economic one, we cannot accept this. minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking. The report contains country narratives and India continued to be placed in Tier 2 category designations for all countries, including the on the country trafficking scale. U.S. (Tier 1). The U.S. State Department has released its 2019 India was placed (i.e., remained) in Tier 2, which Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, highlighting the comprises “countries whose governments do not fully need for action against domestic trafficking in human meet the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making beings. There are 25 million adults and children significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance suffering from labour and sex trafficking all over the with those standards.” world – including in the United States. “The Government of India does not fully meet the The 2019 report highlights the national nature of minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; trafficking: in 77% of the cases, victims are trafficked however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The within their own countries of residence, rather than government demonstrated overall increasing efforts across borders. The number of victims trafficked compared to the previous reporting period; therefore domestically was high compared to foreign victims India remained on Tier 2,” the report said, highlighting being trafficked in all regions of the world except efforts by the government to crack down on trafficking, Western and Central Europe, the Middle East, and including convicting traffickers, “initiating a high-profile certain East Asian countries, as per the report. Victims investigation into one case that allegedly involved of sex trafficking were more likely to be trafficked officials complicit in sex trafficking at a government-

40 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder funded shelter” and raising awareness around ILO adopts #MeToo treaty against trafficking. harassment at work The report also highlighted the government’s The U.N. agency overseeing international labour failures in this regard. standards adopted a new treaty against violence and “The government took some action following reports harassment in the workplace, fuelled by the women’s of government complicity in forced labour and sex #MeToo movement. The convention, which will be trafficking, although the systemic failure to address binding on governments that ratify it, was agreed by a forced labour and sex trafficking in government-run wide margin on the final day of the International Labour and government-funded shelter homes remained a Organization’s (ILO) annual conference of serious problem. The government did not report governments, employers groups and workers. information on investigations, prosecutions, and “For the very first time ... the international community convictions of traffickers, or on trafficking victims has equipped itself with a global instrument to combat identified and referred to care…Authorities sometimes violence and harassment at work,” ILO director- penalised victims for unlawful acts their traffickers general Guy Ryder said after its adoption to cheers. compelled them to commit, “it said. The treaty aims to protect workers, irrespective of The recommendations for India include amending the contractual status, from harassment in the work place. definition of trafficking in Section 370 of the Penal It also covers work-related trips, training, social Code to “include forced labour trafficking and ensure activities, communications and commutes. that force, fraud, or coercion are not required to prove a child sex trafficking offence,” and to establish Anti- The #MeToo movement, sparked by allegations in Human Trafficking Units in all districts with dedicated Hollywood in 2017, cast a harsh light on widespread funding and clear mandates. patterns of sexual harassment or abuse in multiple spheres of life. It has led to dozens of powerful men in India uses yoga diplomacy to assert entertainment, politics and other fields being accused rising global influence of sexual misconduct. If China has panda diplomacy, India has yoga. Prime Norway islanders want to go ‘time- Minister Narendra Modi practiced various yoga poses free’ when sun doesn’t set alongside an estimated 40,000 people at an event for International Yoga Day in India’s eastern state of Residents of a Norwegian island where the sun doesn’t Jharkhand. Mr. Modi told the crowd to “let our motto set for 69 days of the year want to go “time-free” and be yoga for peace, harmony and progress” before have more flexible school and working hours to make joining the hourlong practice. the most of their long summer days. In his first year in power in 2014, Mr. Modi successfully People on the island of Sommaroey are pushing to get lobbied the United Nations to designate June 21 rid of traditional business hours and “conventional time- International Yoga Day. Since then Modi’s Hindu keeping” during the midnight sun period that lasts from nationalist-led government has used the ancient practice May 18 to July 26, resident Kjell Ove Hveding said. as a form of soft power to assert India’s rising place in “It’s a bit crazy, but at the same it is pretty serious,” the world. India’s foreign ministry says most of its 191 he said. Sommaroey, which lies north of the Arctic embassies and consulates worldwide have organized Circle, stays dark from November to January. The yoga sessions to commemorate the day, from the idea behind the time-free zone is that disregarding Washington Monument to China’s Yellow Crane Tower. timepieces would make it easier for residents,

41 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder especially students, employers and workers, to make All this has raised fears that a miscalculation or further the most of the precious months when the opposite is rise in tensions could push the U.S. and Iran into an open true. Going off the clock “is a great solution but we conflict, some 40 years after Tehran’s Islamic Revolution. likely won’t become an entirely time-free zone as it Thursday’s drone incident marks the first direct Iranian- will be too complex,” Mr. Hveding said. “But we have claimed attack on the U.S. amid the crisis. “We do not put the time element on the agenda, and we might get have any intention for war with any country, but we are more flexibility ... to adjust to the daylight.””The idea fully ready for war,” Revolutionary Guard commander is also to chill out. I have seen people suffering from Gen. Hossein Salami said in a televised address. stress because they were pressed by time,” he said. U.S.’s South Asia budget to fall Iran Revolutionary Guard shoots The U.S.’s top South Asia diplomat, Principal Deputy down U.S. drone amid tensions Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, Alice Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shot down a U.S. drone Wells, will testify on Thursday before the House on June 20 amid heightened tensions between Tehran Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) in a hearing on and Washington over its collapsing nuclear deal with ‘U.S. Interest in South Asia and FY 2020 Budget’. world powers, American and Iranian officials said, while The budget request for India will be increased and disputing the circumstances of the incident.The Guard those for for Afghanistan and Pakistan will be said it shot down the drone over Iranian airspace, while “rationalized” as per the statement Alice Wells, two U.S. officials told that the downing happened over Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and international airspace in the Strait of Hormuz. The Central Asia, will make. A copy of the statement was different accounts could not be immediately reconciled. released by the HFAC. Previously, the U.S. military alleged that Iran had fired Coherent India policy a missile at another drone last week that was The Trump administration and the HFAC are not in responding to the attack on two oil tankers near the agreement on how foreign policy in South Asia is being Gulf of Oman. The U.S. blames Iran for the attack on conducted. Significantly, a group of House Democrats the ships; Tehran denies it was involved. had written to President Donald Trump in mid-May The attacks come against the backdrop of heightened highlighting the fact that the State Department did not tensions between the U.S. and Iran following President have an Assistant Secretary for South and Central Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from Tehran’s Asia and said the Department had failed to come up nuclear deal a year ago. The White House separately with a “coherent” India policy (Ms. Wells is currently said it was aware of reports of a missile strike on running the department in an acting capacity). Saudi Arabia amid a campaign targeting the kingdom The statement talks about the growing bilateral trade by Yemen’s Iranian-allied Houthi rebels. with India, a deepening defence relationship but notes Iran recently quadrupled its production of low-enriched the challenges. The U.S. is looking to India to take uranium and threatened to boost its enrichment closer stronger action on crimes based on religion — and to weapons-grade levels, trying to pressure Europe this is expected to contribute to a stronger relationship. for new terms to the 2015 nuclear deal. In recent “We look to India’s democratically elected leaders and weeks, the U.S. has sped an aircraft carrier to the institutions to swiftly condemn acts of violence on the Mideast and deployed additional troops to the tens of basis of religion and hold perpetrators accountable. thousands already in the region. From Yemen, the This will help further India’s security and economic Houthis have launched bomb-laden drones into interests and strengthen our bilateral relationship,” the neighboring Saudi Arabia. 42 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder statement reads. “We took note of PM [Narendra] The campaign will punish and expose websites for Modi’s comments following his re-election highlighting “illegal and criminal actions”, failing to “fulfil their his government’s commitment to inclusiveness…” The obligation” to take safety measures or the theft of statement also refers to market access issues and tariff personal information, it added. The campaign follows and non-tariff barriers being “longstanding concerns”. a series of shutdowns and blockages of certain websites and social media accounts. Smaller budget Several foreign media beyond Beijing’s control, such “The smaller request for FY 2020 for Afghanistan as The Washington Post and The Guardian, have not anticipates this more focused portfolio; however, been accessible online since last weekend, adding to a significant prior year resources in the pipeline will allow list of blocked sites. Social media accounts ranging us to avoid program disruptions as we transition to a from those publishing politically sensitive material to smaller portfolio and have flexibility to respond to a financial news have also been shut political settlement,” the statement reads. The U.S. relationship with Pakistan remains one of First time India has voted in favour of America’s “most complex and most consequential” Israel in UN’s ECOSOC ones, Ms. Well’s is expected to say. The budget request Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for FY2020 does not include any security assistance thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for for Pakistan’s military but only civilian assistance voting in favour of a decision introduced by the Jewish programming, as per the statement released. The state that objected to granting consultative status to a House will hear on Thursday that two issues Palestinian group at the UN’s Economic and Social reconciliation in Afghanistan and counterterrorism “will Council (ECOSOC). lie at the heart of a renewed bilateral relationship” between the U.S. and Pakistan. In a rare move, India voted in favour of Israel in ECOSOC to deny the Palestinian non-governmental The statement also refers to the February 14 Pulwama organisation ‘Shahed’ the observer status, after Israel attack , saying it “underscored the importance and said the organisation did not disclose its ties with immediate need to halt terrorist activity in the region,” Hamas. India’s position on the Middle East Peace adding that the multilateral effort in sanctioning Jaish-e- Process has been consistent. India supports a Mohammad Chief Masood Azhar at the UN 1267 negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, Sanctions Committee “sends an important message that independent, viable and united State of Palestine, with the international community will not tolerate terrorism”. East Jerusalem as its capital, living within secure and China launches Internet ‘clean-up’ recognised borders, side by side at peace with Israel campaign as endorsed in the Quartet Roadmap and relevant UNSC Resolutions. The ECOSOC vote, which took China has launched a campaign to clean up its Internet, place at the UN, saw countries such as the U.S., state media said, amid a fresh wave of apparent France, Germany, India, Japan, the U.K., South Korea censorship. Authorities have, in recent days, blocked and Canada polling in favour of Israel, while China, more foreign media websites and shut down domestic Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and others voted against accounts on social media. The “rectification” effort it. The proposal made by the Palestinian NGO ‘Shahed’ was launched in May by the cyberspace administration, to obtain observer status in the UN was rejected by a the Information Technology Ministry, the public security 28-14 vote. Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has been bureau and the markets regulator and will run until the described as a terrorist organisation by many European end of the year, the official Xinhua news agency said. countries.

43 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AstroSat peers into the heart of Jellyfish galaxy

The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope onboard India’s space observatory, AstroSat, has provided an insight into processes at work in the heart of a jellyfish galaxy. Researchers who studied anatomy of a jellyfish galaxy called JO201 have found that it comprises of a central bright region surrounded by a bright broken ring-like emission structure. Ensconced in between is a cavity or void like region of rather faint ultraviolet emission. The ultraviolet light from the bright ring is due to young stars formed in the last 200 to 300 million years. By comparing this with images from other telescopes at different wavebands, researchers have shown that the cavity is due to scarcity of young stars. This means no new stars have been formed in this cavity region for at least the last 100 million years. Galaxies are very large aggregates of billions of stars held by the gravitation. Milky Way, our home galaxy is believed to house nearly ten billion stars with the Sun as one amongst them.On a larger scale, it has been found that even galaxies flock together due to gravity in groups of hundreds to thousands, known as galaxy clusters. The region between these galaxies is filled with very hot gas whose temperature can be as high as millions of degrees. As a galaxy moves through this hot gas, some of the cold gas in the galaxy’s outer regions can be pulled back, leading to formation of stars in structures that resemble tails or tentacles. This gives them the appearance of jellyfish, and hence, they are called jellyfish galaxies. One such jellyfish galaxy is JO201, which has been studied by astronomers from India and abroad as a part of an international collaboration called GASP. Galaxies come in two varieties - those that appear blue have young stars and are the star-forming variety, while red ones are those which have old stars and there has been no recent formation of stars in them. A blue galaxy can become red if it stops forming stars. Galaxies may stop forming stars due to various processes within the galaxy itself such as the effect of supermassive black hole at the centre; the presence of a rectangular bar-like structure which is made up of stars and located near the centre; or massive explosions accompanying stellar death called supernovae. The stripping of gas from the galaxy due to its motion in the hot gas between galaxies in a cluster could also impede the formation of stars.

44 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder ASTROSAT is India’s first dedicated multi wavelength The injectable hydrogel has been derived from natural space observatory. This scientific satellite mission materials like cellulose and chitosan (found in seashells) endeavours for a more detailed understanding of our and it biodegrades in about a month. The hydrogel universe. One of the unique features of ASTROSAT was fabricated by connecting an aldehyde group with mission is that enables the simultaneous multi- an amino group by employing a method called the wavelength observations of various astronomical Schiffbase reaction. The hydrogel addresses the issue objects with a single satellite. of the long- term survival of adult stem cells in simulated cultures that mimic the actual body tissue. The scientific objectives of ASTROSAT mission We observed that cells survive and multiply for a period are: of one month, which is sufficient time for tissue * To understand high energy processes in binary regrowth. The hydrogel supports normal functioning star systems containing neutron stars and black of the cells. holes The hydrogel has 95% water content, similar to tissue * Estimate magnetic fields of neutron stars cells, indicating its potential to organise the cells into * Study star birth regions and high energy processes the tissue structure. Moreover, the gel is self-healing in star systems lying beyond our galaxy which means that it can readily take the shape of the wound site providing homogeneity and adhesion to the * Detect new briefly bright X-ray sources in the tissue after gelation. sky A testing method called the scratch wound assay * Perform a limited deep field survey of the established that the hydrogel facilitates the biological Universe in the Ultraviolet region. activity of the release of paracrine factors from the ASTROSAT observes universe in the optical, encapsulated stem cells. With the help of appropriate Ultraviolet, low and high energy X-ray regions of the lab models, the performance of the hydrogel was tested electromagnetic spectrum, whereas most other with fibroblasts and chondrocytes — cells of skin and scientific satellites are capable of observing a narrow cartilage, respectively, that play a key role in repair. In range of wavelength band. Multi-wavelength response to the released paracrine factors, the repair observations of ASTROSAT can be further extended cells began to migrate to the wound area, and this with co-ordinated observations using other spacecraft migration was monitored with a confocal microscope. and ground based observations. All major astronomy Stem cell Institutions and some Universities in India are participating in these observations. Stem cell is a cell with the unique ability to develop into specialised cell types in the body. In the future New injectable hydrogel may improve they may be used to replace cells and tissues that have stem cell uptake been damaged or lost due to disease. The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine remains This amino acid can help mung bean a challenging task because of problems associated with plants withstand heat stress the survival of transplanted cells. Stem cells, when transplanted on a wound site, release chemicals called India is in the grip of severe heat wave with several paracrine factors which stimulate other cells in the places across the country recording temperatures more vicinity to initiate tissue regrowth. A group of Indian than 45 degrees Celsius. Severe heat can also impact scientists hasdeveloped an injectable hydrogel that can growth of agricultural crops.Heat stress experienced help transplanted stem cells survive longer. during reproductive stages of plants can adversely

45 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder impact development and function of reproductive compartments, flowers, pods, and thus severely affect the yield. In a new study, researchers have found that the reproductive functions of mungbean plants were reduced upon heat stress and that this damage could be reversed by application of GABA, a naturally occurring amino acid, to roots and leaves. Mungbean is grown as a summer crop between rice-wheat sequence. It has a short duration (about 70 days), and faces high temperatures up to 45 degrees during its flowering and podding stage, causing serious damage to flowers and pods in terms of number and size. Gamma-aminobutyric acid or GABA is a non-protein amino acid known to regulate carbon metabolism, maintain pH and osmotic pressure inside cells, and protect cells from various stresses. In Arabidopsis plants, it is known to accumulate in conditions of high heat.This lowering of GABA levels was accompanied by reduced water content in leaves, reduced viability of pollens, germination, and photosynthetic abilities of mungbean plant. Further analysis revealed that heat stress also negativelyaffected the photosynthetic activity, assimilation of carbondioxide from the environment, and water content in leaves. Externally supplementing GABA could rescue the impact on all these factors and also reduce the oxidative damage incurred due to the heat.Based on these observations, researchers concluded that GABA could protect reproductive function in mungbean plants under heat stress as a result of improvedwater content, carbon fixation and assimilation. Australia’s New Sex-Changing The researchers have named the plant Solanum Tomato plastisexum, the second part of which is derived from a Greek root meaning “moldable” or “changeable,” In the monsoon combined with the Latin word for sex. tropics of northern It is not unusual for plants to be hermaphrodites that Australia, a little is, for their flowers to have both male and female plant with prickles, reproductive functions but this species, a bush tomato gray-green leaves whose fertilized purple flowers produce cream-color and purple flowers fruits, did not conform even to the fluid norms of the sprouted. It did not plant kingdom. have a name, and it confounded China launches its first sea-based scientists: Every space rocket time they encountered the China launched a space rocket from sea for the first plant, the sex of its time, its space agency announced, the latest step in flowers had changed. Beijing’s push to become a major space power.

46 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder China now spends more than Russia and Japan on its available as a dietary supplement. It is also produced civil and military space programmes — unveiling endogenously when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike ambitious plans for missions to the moon and beyond the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D in the coming decade. A Long March 11 rocket was obtained from sun exposure, food, and supplements is launched from a ship in the Yellow Sea just after midday, biologically inert and must undergo two hydroxylations the China National Space Administration said in a in the body for activation. statement. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gut and “The rocket carried two experimental satellites and maintains adequate serum calcium and phosphate five commercial ones. State broadcaster CCTV, in a concentrations to enable normal mineralization of bone post on the Twitter-like Weibo platform, hailed it as “a and to prevent hypocalcemic tetany. Vitamin D new launching mode for China to enter space quickly”. sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Together with calcium, vitamin The test marks another win for Beijing’s space D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis. programme. Earlier this year, China became the first Vitamin D has other roles in the body, including nation to land a rover on the far side of the moon. modulation of cell growth, neuromuscular and immune It also unveiled ambitious plans to build a research function, and reduction of inflammation. base on the lunar surface, send a probe to Mars and build a space station in Earth orbit. Orange cucumber from North-East is In 2003, China became only the third nation to have storehouse of Vitamin A the capability of launching humans into space. And A team of agricultural scientists has found that orange- with sea launches, China now has the ability to deploy fleshed cucumber varieties from north-eastern region satellites from a mobile platform. of the country are four to five times richer in carotenoid Most recently, Russian-backed firm Sea Launch used content (pro-vitamin A) than white flesh varieties a floating platform to launch dozens of rockets between grown widely in other parts of the country. Orange- 1999 and 2014. fleshed cucumbers are found in the tribal areas of north-east. The fruits are consumed as cooked Vitamin D may help cancer patients vegetable or as chutney. People call it ‘Fanghma’ and live longer ‘Hmazil’ in Mizoram and ‘Thabi’ in Manipur.

The researchers from Michigan State University in the Cucumber is available at an affordable cost throughout US suggest that the vitamin carries significant benefits India. Identiûcation and utilization of carotenoid rich other than just contributing to healthy bones. Vitamin D landraces will deûnitely make a difference in our had a significant effect on lowering the risk of death efforts in the area of nutritional security.The among those with cancer, but unfortunately it didn’t accessions with high carotenoid content may be utilized show any proof that it could protect against getting directly or as a parent in cucumber improvement cancer. The researchers looked at data related to disease programs. prevention from more than 79,000 patients in multiple India to build indigenous space studies that randomly compared the use of vitamin D to a placebo over at least a three-year period. station in 7 years About Vitamin D India has set its eye on building its own space station in low earth orbit to conduct microgravity experiments Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally in space in 5 to 7 years, Indian Space Research present in very few foods, added to others, and Organisation (ISRO) revealed. 47 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder The prospects of setting up such a space station at an death rate after influenza infection, and the higher altitude of 400 kilometres from earth would hinge on overall mortality rate may reflect this greater successfully carrying the ‘Gaganyaan’ human space susceptibility to death from the flu. mission, in which two to three Indian astronauts would The gene CCR5 codes for a protein that, among other send to space for a period of up to seven days before things, sits on the surface of immune cells and helps India celebrates its 75 anniversary of its independence. some strains of HIV, including the most common ones, The proposed Indian space station would be much to enter and infect them. smaller than the existing International Space Station The genetic mutation, Delta 32, refers to a missing (ISS), launched into orbit about 20 years by space 32-base-pair segment in the CCR5 gene. This mutation agencies from Canada, European Union, Japan, Russia interferes with the localisation on the cell surface of and the US. “While ISS weighs 420 tonnes, Indian the protein for which CCR5 codes, thwarting HIV station is expected to have a payload of 20 tonnes”. binding and infection. The idea is to have “our own” space station where He was unable to duplicate the natural mutation, but Indian astronauts can fly regularly to conduct appears to have generated a similar deletion that would microgravity experiments, the ISRO chief said. since also inactivate the protein, researchers said.One of 2000, astronauts have periodically visited the ISS to the twin babies reportedly had one copy of CCR5 carry out close to 300 different microgravity science modified by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, while the other experiments in diverse fields such as astrobiology, baby had both copies edited. astronomy, materials science, space medicine and space weather. However, inactivating a protein found in all humans and most animals is likely to have negative effects, World’s first gene-edited babies may especially when done to both copies of the gene — a be at early death risk so-called homozygous mutation. The world’s first babies whose genes were reportedly Facebook to unveil new cryptocurrency altered to help them fend off HIV infection are more Facebook is set to unveil a bid to bring cryptocurrency likely to die younger, a study claims. payments into the mainstream, reportedly with the According to an analysis by scientists from University endorsement of governments and financial giants. of California (UC)Berkeley in the US, the controversial The world’s biggest social network is expected to genetic mutation that a Chinese scientist attempted to outline details of a virtual currency launching next year create in twin babies born last year is associated with that it hopes will avoid the rollercoaster volatility of a 21 per cent increase in mortality in later life. “blockchain” technologies such as bitcoin. Researchers findings Facebook is setting up a consortium called “Libra” The researchers scanned more than 400,000 genomes which, according to the Wall Street Journal, has been and associated health records contained in a British joined by more than a dozen companies including Visa, database, UK Biobank, and found that people who Mastercard, PayPal and Uber. had two mutated copies of the gene had a significantly Facebook has been trying to ward off hostile regulatory higher death rate between ages 41 and 78 than those scrutiny after a series of privacy abuses and the spread with one or no copies. of fake news. Previous studies have associated two mutated copies The consortium will be managed externally and will of the gene, CCR5, with a fourfold increase in the seek to build trust among consumers by pegging the

48 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder virtual coin to a basket of currencies including the dollar fungus.The genetic manipulation of the pathogenicity- and euro, the Journal said. associated genes in rice through various biotechnological approaches may prove helpful in Regulators have been reticent about cryptocurrencies, developing sheath blight resistant rice”. not only due to potential abuse by criminals but the wild swings in their value harming consumers. Mystery mass altering lunar gravity

But it will need to overcome questions of trust and Scientists have discovered a mysterious large mass of privacy, not least over how financial data will be stored. material, hidden beneath the largest lunar crater, that Some analysts are betting that the heavyweight Libra is altering the Moon’s gravitational field. The mass consortium will help to do that. was found under the Moon’s South Pole — Aitken Unravel the fungus responsible for basin and may contain metal from the asteroid that crashed into the Moon and formed the crater, Sheath Blight disease in rice according to the researchers from Baylor University A team of scientists at Delhi-based National Institute in the US. of Plant Genome Research has unraveled the genomic “Imagine taking a pile of metal five times larger than diversity associated with aggressiveness of two Indian the Big Island of Hawaii and burying it underground. strains of Rhizoctonia solani, the fungal pathogen that That’s roughly how much unexpected mass we causes the dreaded Sheath Blight disease in rice. detected,” said Peter B James, an assistant professor The researchers have identified several genes and gene at the Baylor University. families in the strain that might account for their disease New space telescope to create a 3D aggressiveness. This genomic insight is expected to help develop rice varieties resistant to sheath blight X-ray map of Universe disease. A joint team of German-Russian scientists is all set to Sheath Blight disease is a major issue in rice cultivation. launch next week a space telescope, which will create It can cause up to 60 per cent reduction in rice yield. a three-dimensional (3D) X-ray map of the universe It is difficult to breed disease resistant rice varieties, and unveil unknown supermassive black holes, dark as there is lack of natural source of disease resistance. energy and stars, The SRG will, not detect gamma Consequently, controlling the disease in a sustainable radiation. manner has remained a challenge. The telescope, named Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma Rhizoctonia solani infected rice (SRG), will be launched into space on a Russian-built Proton-M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Speaking to India Science Wire, leader of the team, Kazakhstan on June 21, 2019. Dr. Gopaljee Jha said, “Our team sequenced the genome of the two aggressive fungus strains called The four-year mission will survey the entire sky eight BRS11 and BRS13 and compared them with the times and track the evolution of the universe and dark already available genome of Rhizoctonia solani AG1- energy a mysterious repulsive force that is accelerating IA group. We have identified several Single Nucleotide its expansion. Polymorphisms and insertion or deletion of bases in Besides, it also aims to detect up to three million both these genomes”. supermassive black holes many of which are unknown Asked about future plans, he said, “Further and X-rays from as many as 700,000 stars in the Milky characterization of the identified genes will be helpful Way. The telescope is the first to be sensitive to high- to understand their role in the pathogenesis of the energy ‘hard’ X-rays and map the entire sky.

49 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder SRG will carry two independent X-ray telescopes: recently found that certain bio molecules present in Each of them cover X-ray bands stretching to relatively buttermilk and other fermented dairy products can much higher energies. reduce the build-up of cholesterol and other harmful a) A German-built eROSITA (Extended Roentgen blood lipids which push a person towards developing a Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array) heart attack. b) A Russian-built ART-XC (Astronomical Roentgen Polar lipids Telescope — X-ray Concentrator) The scientists, led by Marie-Caroline Michalski at the Heat-tolerant bacteria that survived French National Agricultural Research Institute, INRA, wanted to explore how certain lipids (a class of organic meteorite impact compounds including fats, oils and hormones) naturally Microbes exist almost everywhere owing to their high found in higher concentrations in milk products can adaptability. That is why scientists are on the look for cut the cardiovascular risk in people. Called polar lipids, those ones that can grow in harsh conditions. Such these bio materials were seen to reduce cholesterol microbes could help them synthesize unique proteins absorption in the intestine of rodents in previous pre- and lipids which can have several applications. clinical studies. However, until now, these effects had On June 6, 2017, a meteorite landed on a sandy never been demonstrated in humans. agriculture field at Mukundpur village in Rajasthan. A We cannot rule out that the daily consumption of regular research team decided to seize the opportunity to isolate buttermilk for longer periods may also contribute to and study the bacteria at the impact site as they would maintain a good blood lipid profile in countries where have withstood the high pressure and temperature liquid buttermilk is traditionally consumed, this would generated bymeteorite impact. now be important to verify.The scientists felt that these The meteorite was made of a highly dense material findings could ultimately provide a foundation for new (2300 kilogram/cubic meter) and weighed 2.26 nutritional strategies to reduce cardiovascular risk kilogram. It was traveling at an estimated velocity of factors in certain vulnerable populations. about 11 to 30 kilometre per second. What happened to Apollo goodwill Identification of microbes that can survive under such pressures could help in study of the effects of space- moon rocks? related stress and interplanetary travel U.S. President Richard Nixon gave moon rocks analysis revealed that two bacteria, Bacillus collected by Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 missions to 135 thermocopriae IR-1 and Brevibacillus borstenlensis countries as a token of American goodwill. While some were more prominent in samples from the impacted hold pride of place in museums and scientific area as compared to those from non-impacted areas. institutions, many others are unaccounted for — they Bacillus thermocopriae IR-1 was studied more closely have either gone missing, were stolen or even and it was found that it was able to grow at a destroyed over the decades. A list was compiled from temperature of up to 60 degrees and 10 per cent salt research done by Joseph Gutheinz Jr, a retired NASA solution. It could also survive meteorite impact like special agent known as the “Moon Rock Hunter,” his situation simulated in the laboratory. students, and collectSPACE, a website which ‘Drinking buttermilk improves specialises in space history. Both the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 moon rocks presented to perpetually war- cardiovascular health’ wracked Afghanistan have vanished.One of the moon The research appeared in the latest issue of Gut, a rocks destined for Cyprus was never delivered. journal published by the British Medical Journal, 50 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Honduras’s Apollo 17 moon rock was recovered by anticipate the timing of a person’s motion. This Gutheinz and Bob Cregger, a U.S. Postal Service algorithm builds in components that help a robot agent, in a 1998 undercover sting operation baptized understand and monitor stops and overlaps in “Operation Lunar Eclipse.” movement, which are a core part of human motion. Ireland’s moon rock was on display in Dublin’s Dunsink Borrowed algorithms Observatory, which was destroyed in a 1977 fire. To enable robots to predict human movements, Debris from the observatory including the moon rock researchers typically borrow algorithms from music ended up in landfill. and speech processing. NCRA to host International Pulsar These algorithms are designed to align two complete Timing Array meet time series, or sets of related data, such as an audio track of a musical performance and a scrolling video The city-based National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of that piece’s musical notation. Researchers have used (NCRA) is all set to host the five-day annual similar alignment algorithms to sync up real-time and International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA) meet from previously recorded measurements of human motion, June 17 to 21. The meet is a collaboration of radio to predict where a person will be, say, five seconds astronomers from a dozen countries across the from now. globe.The current status of the quest for ultra-low frequency Gravitational Waves and the roadmap for However, unlike music or speech, human motion can future technical and scientific challenges is to be the be messy and highly variable. Even for repetitive main focus of the meeting. movements, such as reaching across a table to screw in a bolt, one person may move slightly differently each India has been an associate member of the IPTA since time. Existing algorithms typically take in streaming the last four years. But this is the first time that India motion data, in the form of dots representing the will be hosting the annual meeting. position of a person over time, and compare the The IPTA is a collaboration of radio astronomers from trajectory of those dots to a library of common a dozen countries across the globe. It uses more than trajectories for the given scenario. 12 radio telescopes all over the world with an aim to Importantly, the new algorithm aligns trajectories in detect ultra-low frequency gravitational waves. both distance and timing, and in so doing, is able to The upgrade of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope accurately anticipate stops and overlaps in a person’s (GMRT) in Pune and the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) path. For both datasets, the algorithm was able to make has helped us meet the parameters for being a full better estimates of a person’s progress through a member of the IPTA. trajectory, compared with two commonly used partial Novel algorithm can help robots trajectory alignment algorithms. prevent colliding with humans While the algorithm was evaluated in the context of motion prediction, it can also be used as a preprocessing Scientist have developed an algorithm that helps robot step for other techniques in the field of human-robot avoid collisions by accurately calculating what path a interaction, such as action recognition and gesture human is going to take an advance that can help detection. machines work safely with people. Researchers from Ultimately, this can help humans and robots work Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the together in structured environments, such as factory U.S. created an algorithm that aligns partial trajectories settings and even, in some cases, the home. in real-time, allowing motion predictors to accurately

51 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Some women are more prone to Globally, about 500 million suffer from it and in India, develop cervical cancer it is estimated that there are about 70 million diabetics. Scientists could now develop some therapeutic agent Cervical cancer or cancer of the uterine cervix is that could help inhibit the activity of the PIP4K enzyme, caused by abnormal growth of cells at cervix, which which could then produce more of the phosphoinositide can spread to other parts of the body. lipids required for a better response to insulin and thus Researchers at the Noida-based ICMR-National help type 2 diabetic patients. Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research have Explaining their work, leader of the research team, found out why some women are prone to this cancer Prof. “Like the lights in a traffic signal which direct while others are not. This may help develop early the flow of vehicles, organisms also produce many diagnostic tests in future. signals like hormones that direct how individual cells Researchers have found a correlation between the must behave. Further, various factors determine how composition of three micro-RNA genes in the DNA cells in any organism respond to the hormones. Insulin and the risk for a person to develop cervical cancer. is one such hormone that signals cells to grow using Micro-RNAs, which are small length genes, remain in nutrients like sugars. Our research has identified the RNA form and do not get translated into proteins enzyme PIP4K as a factor that controls how cells unlike most other genes. They bind to the RNA of a respond to insulin. Fundamentally, PIP4K influences certain class of genes. In this way, a micro-RNA the levels of certain phosphoinositide lipids in cells. regulates the expression of a number of genes and Changes in these phosphoinositide lipids, in turn, processes in an individual. modified the effect of insulin on cells”. It has emerged that the composition of the nucleotide The researchers conducted their study using at certain positions of micro-RNA genes - miR146, Drosophila, commonly known as fruit fly. Though only miR196a2 and miR499 - decides the risk for a woman a fly, such organisms have many features/molecules to get cervical cancer. Cervical cancer constitutes the that work in a common and universal manner similar second most common malignancy in females in India to other animals including humans. They chose it for and is responsible for 96,000 new cases and 60,000 their study since it is convenient and possible to deaths every year. It’s a national priority to conduct understand the functions of many genes or proteins in research on newer biomarkers for early diagnosis of a fruit fly by conducting various kinds of experiments, this disease in order to reduce the morbidity and which may not be possible on bigger animal models mortality due to this and humans for ethical reasons. The work was Scientists pave the way for a new performed through and interdisciplinary approach including fluorescence microscopy, molecular biology therapy for type 2 diabetes and biochemistry. Researchers at the Bengaluru-based National Centre Cancer cell detection ‘dots’ developed for Biological Sciences have come up with a finding that could pave the way for developing a new treatment from coal in Assam for type 2 diabetes. The scientists have found that an A team of scientists in Assam has developed a chemical enzyme called PIP4K in the body plays a major role in process that turns ‘dirty’ coal into a biomedical ‘dot’ determining the ability of cells to detect and respond to help detect cancer cells. The team, led by Binoy to the hormone insulin. The reduced ability of cells to Kumar Saikia and Tonkeswar Das, has applied for a respond to insulin following a meal results in Type 2 patent for their chemical method of producing carbon diabetes. The condition is an important health problem. quantum dots (CQDs) from cheap, abundant, low- 52 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder quality and high-sulphur coals.CQDs are carbon-based The researchers developed a novel, lettuce-mouse nanomaterials whose size is less than 10 nm, or model system that does not cause immediate illness to nanometre. mimic consumption of superbugs with plant- foods.They grew lettuce, exposed the lettuce to Carbon-based nanomaterials are used as diagnostic antibiotic-resistant E. coli, fed it to the mice and tools for bio-imaging, especially in detecting cancer analysed their faecal samples over time. cells, for chemical sensing and in opto-electronics. A few chemical companies in the U.S. and Japan have Life on Jupiter’s moon Europa? been manufacturing CQDs. What we have done is Discovery of table salt on the surface develop fluorescent carbon nanomaterials at one- twentieth the cost of imported CQDs. boosts hopes The CQDs that the CSIR-NEIST team developed emit Europa, the oceanic moon orbiting Jupiter that many a bluish colour with “high-stability, good-conductivity, hope harbors extraterrestrial life, could have a similar low-toxicity, environmental friendliness, and good chemical composition in its oceans to Earth’s saltwater. optical properties”. The finer details have been Previous studies suggested that the water in Europa’s published in their study published in the Journal of oceans contained salt made of sulfates. But now Photochemistry and Photobiology. scientists who took a closer look with the Hubble Space Possessing such superior properties as low toxicity Telescope think that the salt is sodium chloride, because and good biocompatibility renders CQDs favorable of a yellowish hue on the moon’s surface. They suggest materials for applications in bioimaging, biosensor and that the color comes from the salt interacting with drug delivery. cosmic radiation, just like terrestrial sea salt. Plants may be spreading superbugs to It’s a good sign in the search for otherworldly life, as it suggests that Europa could be more hospitable than humans we assumed. Europa seems like a good place to find “Superbugs” is a term used to describe strains of life, but that’s in comparison to the rest of the universe bacteria that are resistant to the majority of antibiotics in its cold, empty entirety. No one has actually spotted commonly used today. Resistant bacteria that cause signs of life — Europa just happens to have better pneumonia, urinary tract infections and skin infections conditions than most places that scientists have are just a few of the dangers we now face. investigated. Plant-based foods can transmit antibiotic resistance Invisible nano-ink may help combat to the microbes living in our gut, a study has found. counterfeiting Antibiotic-resistant infections are a threat to global public health, food safety and an economic burden. Duplicating or counterfeiting of products is a major problem globally. Standard measures like printing Researchers have now shown how plant-foods serve barcodes orholograms used to prevent duplicating of as vehicles for transmitting antibiotic resistance to the products are usually not fool proof as they too can be gut microbiome. Spread of antibiotic-resistant forged. Nanotechnology may offer a hope to address superbugs from plants to humans is different from this menace. It relies on certain methods based on outbreaks of diarrheal illnesses caused immediately natural physical or optical changes that occur in nano after eating contaminated vegetables. Superbugs can particles when subjected to specific conditions. These asymptomatically hide in (colonise) the intestines for changes can be easily identified, but the technology is months or even years, and while escaping, cause an difficult to duplicate. infection.

53 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Researchers at the Advanced Polymer and and painting to lampshades, umbrellas, and sliding Nanomaterial Laboratory (APNL) of Tezpur doors, but demand has plunged as lifestyles have University have developed a novel, light-emitting become more westernised. nanocomposite-based ink that is barely detectable under Despite its 1,300-year history and UNESCO Intangible visible light but glows when kept under ultra violet light. Cultural Heritage status, washi paper is struggling to The inkhas shown potential to be used as an anti- attract consumers and the market value has dropped counterfeiting material on paper and plastic. The by more than 50% in the past two decades. nanocomposite has an intricate structure to prevent imitation.By dispersing it in organic solvents like xylene, But at a small workshop in western Japan, Hiroyoshi it turns into an ink that can beused directly to write or Chinzei, a fourth-generation traditional paper maker, mark a label. The liquid appears pale-yellow under creates washi with a unique purpose that may help visible light, and glows with acyan (blue-green) tint revive interest both at home and abroad. His product, when exposed to UV light of specific wavelength. the world’s thinnest paper, has helped save historical documents at major museums and libraries including Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality the Louvre in Paris, the British Museum and Virtual reality (VR) means experiencing things through Washington’s Library of Congress — from decay. our computers that don’t really exist .A realistic three- “Washi paper is more flexible and durable” than what dimensional image or artificial environment that is Japanese refer to as “western paper”, which created with a mixture of interactive hardware and disintegrates into tiny pieces when it becomes very old, software, and presented to the user in such a way that said the 50-year-old. The traditional hand-made paper the any doubts are suspended and it is accepted as a is manufactured from plants called kozo, or mulberry, real environment in which it is interacted with in a which has fibres that are much longer than materials seemingly real or physical way. used for paper in the west such as wood and cotton. Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience “Wings of a mayfly’ of a real-world environment where the objects that Mr. Chinzei’s washi, a type called tengu-joshi paper reside in the real-world are enhanced by computer- also known as “the wings of a mayfly”, is 0.02 mm generated perceptual information, sometimes across thick and weighs 1.6 gm per square metre. multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. Unlike virtual “It’s a mesh-like paper mainly made with fibres... It’s reality, which requires you to inhabit an entirely virtual as thin as human skin,” Mr. Chinzei said. This environment, augmented reality uses your existing compared to a standard sheet of photocopy paper, natural environment and simply overlays virtual which is about 0.09 millimetres thick and weighs 70 information on top of it. As both virtual and real worlds gm per square metre. Using both machines and hand- harmoniously coexist, users of augmented reality made techniques passed down for generations, the firm experience a new and improved natural world where can create ultra-thin paper, which is also used by virtual information is used as a tool to provide conservationists to restore and protect cultural objects. assistance in everyday activities. Indian scientist to be Co-Investigator Japan’s ‘washi’ paper torn by modern for NASA’s PUNCH mission

life; struggles to attract customers NASA has selected Texas-based Southwest Research Once an indispensable part of daily life in Japan, ultra- Institute to lead its PUNCH mission which will image thin washi paper was used for everything from writing the Sun. This is a landmark mission that will image regions beyond the Sun’s outer corona. Dipankar Banerjee, solar 54 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder physicist from Indian Institute of Astrophysics is also a can stop the virus from making new copies of its Co-Investigator of the PUNCH mission. PUNCH, genome. Because the genome is an essential part of which stands for “Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and the virus, the virus cannot replicate itself very well in Heliosphere,” is focused on understanding the transition the presence of the drug, and there is less damage to of particles from the Sun’s outer corona to the solar organs and thus less severe disease. wind that fills interplanetary space. Response in monkeys Focus on polar regions The ones that did not receive the drug developed Commenting on his role as Co-Investigator in the respiratory problems with the disease rapidly PUNCH mission, Prof. Banerjee said, “I will be working progressing in about a week. Two of these were to study how the solar wind is accelerated. I will focus sacrificed on day seven due to disease severity, and on the polar regions of the Sun.” The team also plans to the remaining two were sacrificed on the eighth day observe the Sun using joint observations from PUNCH when they reached the humane endpoint criteria (when and Indian mission Aditya, which is underway. the experimental animal is in pain and/or distress and the experiment is terminated).The four animals which Constellation of satellites were treated with the drug survived. They did not show PUNCH will consist of a ‘constellation’ of four suitcase- any clinical signs up to 92 days and the experiment sized microsats that will orbit the Earth in formation and was terminated. study how the corona, which is the atmosphere of the Right now, there are two promising antiviral treatments Sun, connects with the interplanetary medium. The against Nipah virus that could be used in humans soon. mission is expected to be launched in 2022. The mission The first is a monoclonal antibody developed by Chris will image and track the solar wind and also the coronal Broder and colleagues at the Uniformed Services mass ejections – which are huge masses of plasma that University in the U.S. The second promising treatment get thrown out of the Sun’s atmosphere. The coronal is Remdesivir. Both treatments are available as clinical mass ejections can affect and drive space weather grade material and have been safety tested in humans. events near the Earth. These two treatments could thus be tested in Nipah Other probes virus patients in the context of a clinical trial. Other missions such as NASA’s Parker Solar Probe About Nipah virus and the ESA-NASA joint project, Solar Orbiter, which Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus (a disease that animals is due to be launched in 2020, can study the structures can transmit to humans, known as a zoonosis); the of the Sun’s atmosphere. The PUNCH mission virus often infects animals such as pigs and fruit bats enhances these by tracking these structures in real (Pteropodidae), but they may be asymptomatic (not time. Since the Sun’s corona is much fainter than its show any symptoms). People first discovered NiV in surface layers, it cannot be viewed by the instruments a village named Kampung Sungai Nipah in 1999 in directly. So PUNCH will block out the light from the Malaysia; the virus was named after the village. In Sun to view its corona and the structures in it. infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute Remdesivir Shows Promise Against respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. Nipah Virus in Monkeys Engineering this fungi may produce eco- Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, friendly alternative to synthetic dyes U.S., have shown that Remdesivir drug was able to treat four African green monkeys which were given a Genetic engineering of fungi has created a novel lethal dose of Nipah virus. Remdesivir is a broad- method that will enable efficient production of blue spectrum antiviral drug which is currently in phase 2 pigment using inexpensive, sustainable carbon sources, clinical trial for the treatment of Ebola. Remdesivir than the currently used process that requires toxic 55 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder chemicals, according to Lawrence Berkeley National WHO - The E-2020 initiative Laboratory. The pigment, called indigoidine, has a Creating a malaria-free world is a bold and important similar saturated hue as synthetic indigo - a dye used public health and sustainable development goal. It is around the world to colour denim and many other also the vision of the Global technical strategy for items.Originally extracted from plants, most indigo used malaria 2016-2030, which calls for the elimination of today is synthesized. These processes are efficient malaria in at least 10 countries by the year 2020. In and inexpensive, but they often require toxic chemicals 2016, WHO identified 21 countries, spanning 5 regions, and generate a lot of dangerous waste. that could defeat malaria by 2020, considering the The team engineered the fungi specie Rhodosporidium likelihood of elimination across key criteria. All are toruloides (R. toruloides) to produce the blue pigment united by one target: to achieve zero indigenous cases indigoidine that has potential industrial applications of malaria within the 2020 timeline. including use as pharmaceuticals, polymers and dyes. They used various low-cost carbon and nitrogen Indian scientists develop more potent sources instead of the currently used chemical Anthrax vaccine synthesis, which can involve toxic precursors and A group of Indian scientists have developed a new generate hazardous byproducts. vaccine against anthrax. It is claimed to be superior Lunar Evacuation System over existing vaccines as it can generate immune response to anthrax toxin as well as its spores rather Evacuation System Assembly, or LESA. Developed by than the toxin alone.Anthrax is a deadly human disease the European Space Agency (ESA), LESA is a pyramid- caused by bacterium Bacillus anthracis that also infects like structure whose purpose is to rescue an astronaut should he or she suffer an injury on the lunar surface. animals like horses, sheep, cattle and goats. Humans, LESA can be operated by a single astronaut to rescue pigs and dogs are comparatively less susceptible and a fallen colleague. It enables an astronaut to lift their only get infected if exposed to copious amount of crewmate onto a mobile stretcher in less than 10 minutes, spores. In 2001, these spores were used as agents of before carrying them to the safety of a nearby bio-terrorism when letters containing anthrax spores pressurised lander, the ESA statement said. Astronauts were sent to some people in America, leading to are testing LESA under the sea. With its rocky, sandy widespread panic. terrain and buoyant salt water, the bottom of the ocean Spores of the bacterium that causes anthrax are present floor has much in common with the lunar surface. in soil and can stay in latent form for years. However, Scientists decode genome of miracle under favourable environmental conditions, they plant become active and start to infect. Often, animals pick up spores while grazing, following which spores Scientists from the University of Kerala have decoded germinate in their body and produce toxins. the genetic make-up of Arogyapacha (Trichopus The anti-anthrax vaccines available in market generate zeylanicus), a highly potent medicinal plant endemic immune response against a Bacillus protein-protective to the Agasthya hills. This ‘miracle plant’ is known for antigen – a protein that helps in transport of bacillus its traditional use by the Kani tribal community to toxins inside the cells. This means that immune combat fatigue. Studies have also proved its varied response is triggered only when spores germinate in spectrum of pharmacological properties such as anti- body and start producing bacterial proteins. Anyone oxidant, aphrodisiac, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, vaccinated with such a vaccine would show no immune immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, anti-ulcer, anti- response to bacillus spores and only perform once hyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective and anti-diabetic. spores germinate and release toxins.

56 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

As per the plans, it would have a museum for the Bitcoin use causing huge CO2 emissions: Study general public where skeletons and eggs of different marine turtles would be displayed. It would also include Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, a form of electronic cash. models and interactive displays. It is a decentralized digital currency without a central About olive ridley sea turtle bank or single administrator that can be sent from user The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), also to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, are the second the need for intermediaries. Bitcoin mining has smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in increased rapidly in recent years, raising the question the world, The species is recognized as Vulnerable by of whether it is imposing an additional burden on the the IUCN Red list. climate. This species of sea turtle is found in warm and tropical The use of Bitcoin a popular virtual currency emits waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. over 22 megatonnes of carbon dioxide annually, They can also be found in the warm waters of the comparable to the total emissions of cities such as Atlantic Ocean Las Vegas and Vienna, a study has found. These turtles, along with the related Kemps ridley turtle, For a Bitcoin transfer to be executed and validated, a are best known for their unique mass nesting called mathematical puzzle must be solved by an arbitrary arribada, where thousands of females come together computer in the global Bitcoin network.The network, on the same beach to lay eggs. which anyone can join, rewards the puzzle solvers in Bitcoin. 316 out of 651 protected areas under The computing capacity used in this process known final ESZ notification as Bitcoin mining has increased rapidly in recent years. Over 30% of India’s protected area has been covered Statistics show that it quadrupled in 2018 alone. under the final ecologically sensitive zone (ESZ) Several studies have attempted to quantify the CO2 notification, the Environment Ministry informed the Lok emissions caused by Bitcoin mining.ive tracking data Sabha. from the mining pools provided the decisive information As on June 25, 2019, final ESZ notifications covering on how much energy is emitted by carbon dioxide is 316 protected areas (PAs) and draft ESZ notification emitted with the use of this energy. The IP addresses covering 199 protected areas have been published by in the statistics published by the two biggest pools the ministry. showed that miners tend to join pools in or near their home countries. According to the ministry, out of the 651 Protected Areas (PAs) in India, 316 have been covered under Studying Olive Ridleys in Odisha the final ESZ notification which provides for prohibition A proposal has been made to establish a permanent of mining, stone quarrying and crushing units located research centre near the Rushikulya rookery on the within one k.m. of such protected areas. Odisha coast to study the mass nesting of Olive Ridleys In the absence of the notification, an area of 10 k.m. and the environmental factors related to it. The centre Around the PAs is considered ‘default ESZ’ according would be involved in a detailed study of the habits and to the directions of the Supreme Court. the habitat of the turtles and the coastal flora and fauna. 57 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder Out of the 316 areas covered in ESZ final notification, This June may be second-most rain 100 PAs are in Andaman and Nicobar Islands followed deficient in 7 years by 29 in Maharashtra and 23 protected areas in Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The southwest monsoon has advanced further north covering most parts of the Indian sub continent, except The ESZ notifications are issued under the the northern and north-western regions, but its overall Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Environment performance is still dismal. (Protection) Rules 1986. During the rest of the June days, the daily average US Virgin Islands approves bill to ban rains will be below normal, but the deficiency will be toxic sunscreen to the tune of 10 to 20 per cent only and not as high as it was in the past days. So, by the end of June, the Lawmakers in the US Virgin Islands have passed a total deficiency will drop to around 33 per cent. bill banning the retail use of sunscreens and 10 personal-care products that contain toxic chemicals If that is indeed the case then this June will have harmful for marine environment and ecosystems. recorded the second-lowest rainfall in the past seven years after the 42 per cent deficit in 2014, breaking The bill prohibits the sale, import and distribution of 2012’s record of 30 per cent, according to data from sunscreen and 10 personal-care products containing the India Meteorological Department (IMD).The initial oxybenzone or octinoxate, according to the 33rd delay in the onset could have been because of Legislature of the Virgin Islands. The ban becomes prevailing weak El Niño conditions in the equatorial effective by January 1, 2021. Pacific Ocean. The El Niño caused unusual heating Sunscreens are widely used to protect skin from harsh of the sea surface resulting in disruption of regular rays of sun. However, those with toxic ingredients — weather systems over the Indian subcontinent. The oxybenzone or octinoxate — cause death among slow progress of the monsoon winds was brought about developing corals and increase coral bleaching even by the development, propagation and dissipation of very at temperatures below 31 degrees Celsius, the severe Cyclone Vayu in the Arabian Sea over nine lawmakers observed. days from June 9 to June 17. The presence of these chemicals in the waters can The winds of the cyclone disrupted the regular trade also cause genetic damage to corals, reduce their ability winds in the region, which are the carriers of monsoon. to cope with climate change as well as induce This kept the monsoon arrested in Kerala, Tamil Nadu neurological behavioural changes in fish threatening and Karnataka till June 21.The monsoon winds have their populations. become weaker in the last few decades leading to Besides, the lawmakers said the chemicals also appear decrease in overall rainfall on the Indian sub-continent. to cause disruptions in corals’ endocrine system which Significant warming in the Indian Ocean has decreased can induce feminisation in adult male fish and increase the temperature difference between the land and the reproductive diseases, according to various scientific sea which is the main trigger for the flow of monsoon studies. winds. While humans use sunscreens as a first line of defence Different regions in India are suffering from the lack against skin cancer, concerns have been raised for of rainfall leading to a lacklustre sowing season for their effect on endocrine and reproductive systems. farmers. The country has received 36 per cent less The ban will help protect coral, marine life as well as rainfall than normal since June 1 which is considered human health, according to environmentalists. as the beginning of monsoon season. The winter months of January and February saw some rainfall in 58 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder the north western parts of the country, mainly brought harassment and abuse against HRDs, the report stated. in by the western disturbances coming from the These were complicit in 520 of the 688 cases Mediterranean region. But then the rains eluded again recorded.Besides, the role of non-state actors in with the pre-monsoon season this year recording a harassing land and environmental defenders was deficit of 25 per cent, the lowest in 65 years increasingly common between 2017 and 2018. Human rights, environment activists According to the United Nations mandated Sustainable unsafe in Asia: Report Development Goals (Goal 16) states must protect fundamental freedoms in accordance with national The biennial report, titled Defending In Numbers, by legislation and international agreements. the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development The human costs associated with these attacks on (FORUM ASIA), documented 688 cases of violations HRDs cannot be easily quantified but if states do not and abuses affecting 4,854 people — including human take requisite actions to halt this onslaught, key targets rights organisations, local communities and media of Agenda 2030 will be missed. The report recognises outlets — across 18 countries in the continent between the need for action to be taken by various stakeholders 2017 and 2018. in order to create a safer and more enabling Most common forms of violation were: environment for these defenders. Judicial harassment (327 cases), (Arbitrary) arrest and It also calls upon the corporations to comply with the detention (249 cases), Violence (164 cases) guiding principles for business and human rights while “Across Asia, HRDs are threatened, harassed, implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect persecuted, and at times killed for promoting and and Remedy’ framework and other international human protecting human rights,” said Michel Forst, United rights standards. It has also asked the government to Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of human ensure that all laws comply with international human rights. rights standards and the judicial processes remain just and transparent. Many of their rights inscribed in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders are continuously violated, Why the heatwave? Blame Cyclone even as 2018 marked the 20th year anniversary of its Vayu, El Niño adoption. Fifty per cent of the total 688 cases in the Cyclone Vayu and El Niño are responsible for the year have been against those fighting for the cause of second-longest heatwave spell that many parts of India democracy and access to land and environmental rights, are experiencing, according to meteorologists. the report showed. Temperatures are soaring even as the cyclonic activity The activists include indigenous and tribal peoples, and El Niño effect has delayed the monsoon. farming and peasant groups and other local On June 11, temperature in parts of Delhi crossed 48 communities, whose land, life, and livelihoods are degrees Celsius, while the highest maximum threatened by the exploitation of the environment and temperature was recorded in Churu (West Rajasthan) the establishment of development projects that violate at 50.3 degrees Celsius. In several places across the people’s rights. country temperature crossed 45 degrees Celsius in The violations were most common in Philippines (39 the past few days. cases), Vietnam (23 cases) and India (17 cases). State The El Niño effect caused the westerlies blowing in actors such as the police, the judiciary and armed forces from Pakistan and Rajasthan to heat up, which led to were ranked as the number one perpetrator of a prolonged dry spell and a delayed monsoon. Another

59 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder factor adding to the intensity of the heat wave is low The owl is largely crepuscular (appearing as it does soil moisture content due to a weak monsoon last year. around twilight) and nocturnal, but is sometimes seen during the daytime. It normally comes out before dusk The cyclones that develop in the Arabian Sea impact and retires by sunrise to its roost in a tree hole or the monsoon more than those in the Bay of Bengal branch, where pairs or small family groups huddle because the monsoon winds enter the Indian Peninsula together. from the western coast along the Arabian Sea. This phenomenon of delayed monsoon due to the emergence In Arunachal, the golden cat wears of cyclonic system was also seen in 2015 when new colours Cyclone Ashobaa had delayed the monsoon. Golden is no longer the only colour the elusive Asiatic The fishing cats of Colombo golden cat can be associated with. Its coat comes in five other shades in Arunachal Pradesh, scientists have Fishing cats don’t meow like domestic cats, nor do discovered. they have the muffled roar of jungle cats. They quack like ducksTwice the size of domestic cats, these The Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) is listed animals have made Colombo their home, probably the as near threatened on the International Union for only city they have extended such an honour. Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species. It is found across eastern Nepal through north- The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium- eastern India to Indonesia. sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. Since 2016, it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Fishing Indian scientists from the Zoological Society of London cat populations are threatened by destruction of (ZSL), an international conservation charity, and wetlands and have declined severely over the last University College London (UCL) have discovered decade. The fishing cat lives foremost in the vicinity six colour morphs of the golden cat in Dibang Valley of wetlands, along rivers, streams, oxbow lakes, in of Arunachal Pradesh. The findings have contributed swamps, and mangroves. to an evolutionary puzzle because no other place on earth has so many colours of wild cats of the same Spotting the spotted owlet in Delhi species. Named after a Hindu god and Greek goddess, one G20 agrees to tackle ocean plastic waste would imagine that the Spotted Owlet, Athene brama, would be a towering majestic creature, but its length Group of 20 environment ministers agreed to adopt a is 19-21 cm, depending on the sex — the females tend new implementation framework for actions to tackle to be larger. the issue of marine plastic waste on a global scale Athene, the goddess of wisdom, war and liberal arts, Environment and energy ministers of the Group of 20 in Greek mythology, had a favourite bird: the owl, from major economies met in Karuizawa, northwest of her primitive role as the goddess of the night. Brama Tokyo, ahead of the G20 summit in Osaka, western or Brahma is the supreme Hindu spirit. In Hindu Japan, on June 28-29. mythology, the owl is a Vahan (mode of transport) of One of the top issues was ocean plastic waste as Lakshmi, who is the goddess of wealth. images of plastic debris-strewn beaches and dead The Athene brama or the Spotted Owlet is one of the animals with stomachs full of plastic have sparked most commonly sighted owls in our backyard. It is a outrage, with many countries banning plastic bags nocturnal raptor (a bird of prey) found in the Indian outright. The new framework is aimed at facilitating Subcontinent, except for Sri Lanka. further concrete action on marine waste, though on a

60 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder voluntary basis, after the G20 Hamburg Summit in lactating agent. Kadamb is a deciduous tree, which Germany adopted the “G20 action plan on marine litter” grows up to 10m to 15m tall with pale yellow flowers. in 2017. Under the new framework, G20 members The trees grow in almost all tropical parts of India, will promote a comprehensive life-cycle approach to especially along the streams. Neer Kadambu, Manjal prevent and reduce plastic litter discharge to the oceans Kadambu are the other names in Tamil language. through various measures and international After a decade, black tiger shrimps cooperation. They will also share best practices, promote innovation and boost scientific monitoring and stage a comeback in Kerala analytical methodologies. The MPEDA’s efforts to revive the production of black Call to protect kadamba trees tiger shrimps on a mass sale of its seeds have been receiving encouraging feedback, according to A tree species Mitragyna parvifolia (Roxb) Korth authorities with the statutory body that functions under belonging to Rubiaceae, is considered to be the true the Union Governments Ministry of Commerce & Kadamb tree, which is associated with our ancient Industry. religious and cultural traditions. This tree is native to The mass sale of seeds since the past 100 days shows India and also frequently appears in Lord Krishna a rapidly growing interest among the farmers to raise stories. the disease-free variety, the authorities said. The The oldest name for Madurai Kadamba Vanam was Kochi-headquartered MPEDA had on February 18 due the dominance of these trees. Even today, these begun supplying black tiger shrimp seeds from its new Kadamb trees (M. parvifolia) are found to grow multi-species aquaculture complex (MAC) at commonly in the deciduous forests in and around the Vallarpadam. The black tiger prawn supplied from the Madurai district. According to the Hindu mythology, nine-acre MAC has been showing ‘excellent’ the present day Chennai was also, covered completely performance in various parts of the State. by these trees. As per the mythology, demon Vrinda It was from 2010 that the black tiger shrimp, an was killed by Lord Indra. Vrinda was a brahmin, hence, endemic species to south-east Asia, began to face a Lord Indra was cursed, but was given a choice to be slump in its traditional reputation as a major variety of freed from the curse. Indra was told to find the most cultivated shrimp item in India. That was after sacred spot on Earth in order to shake off his curse. aquaculture farmers in the country began to focus on It is said that he wandered all over the world, but his growing the exotic vannamei species of shrimps in a curse was lifted only when he passed a place full of big way. Kadamb trees. Lord Shiva, in the form of a Linga, was reclining under a huge canopy there. Later, a A water clinic for elephants opens on temple was built around this forest temple, which is in the banks of the Yamuna present day Chennai. India has opened its first specialised hydrotherapy Kadamb trees also have an important place in our treatment for elephants suffering from arthritis, joint traditional medicines. The roots are used to treat pain and foot ailments near the Wildlife SOS’ Elephant bronchial issues, fever, muscular pain, poisonous bites, Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC), which gynaecological disorders, and is also used as an currently houses 20 rescued elephants and is run in aphrodisiac. The bark is used for rheumatic pain. The collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department leaves are used to alleviate pain and swelling and to and the NGO Wildlife SOS. Situated on the banks of treat ulcers. Leaf juice is used in the treatment of the Yamuna in Mathura, the new hydrotherapy jumbo jaundice. The fruit juice is considered to be a good pool is 11-foot-deep and has 21 high pressure jet sprays 61 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder that create water pressure that massage the elephants’ The yet-to-be formally initiated Nal se Jal scheme feet and body and help in increasing blood circulation. would aim to provide piped drinking water to every rural home by 2024, in response to studies showing The hospital started in 2018 already offers state-of- that 84% of rural homes have no access to piped the-art modern facilities including wireless digital X- water while more than 70% of the country’s water ray, laser treatment, dental X-ray, thermal imaging and is contaminated. A second phase of Swachh Bharat ultrasonography to treat injured, sick and geriatric may also be key to reducing contamination, as the elephants. UNICEF study suggests.Having Water Resources The jumbo hydrotherapy pool installed at the Wildlife under the same roof as Drinking Water and Sanitation SOS Elephant Hospital is equipped with high pressure (DWS) will allow greater coordination. water jets that massage the elephants’ feet and body which is critically important component of the treatment ASEAN nations, among worst ocean as it also helps oxygen and vital minerals to reach the polluters, aim to curb plastic debris muscle tissues. Exerting hydrostatic pressure that Leaders are expected to sign a ‘Bangkok Declaration’ compresses muscle and joints, hydrotherapy helps in on fighting maritime trash. relieving chronic muscle aches as well as rebuild muscle memory with its natural resistance. Just five Asian countries China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand dump more than Centre to place more focus on piped half of the eight million tonnes of plastic waste that water end up in oceans every year, according to a 2017 Ocean Conservancy report. The region has come under fire With the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan scheduled to for not doing enough to tackle its mounting trash officially complete its mission of an open defecation troubles, with single-use plastic and sub-par waste free India by October 2 this year, there is uncertainty management adding to the problem. on what lies ahead for the Centre’s flagship sanitation scheme. Leaders at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are expected to sign a Since its launch by the Prime Minister in 2014, the “Bangkok Declaration” on fighting maritime waste a rural component of the mission alone has attracted first of its kind which promises to “prevent and government spending of about 1 lakh crore, split significantly reduce marine debris,” according to a between the Centre and States in a 60:40 ratio. With draft. But activists are worried the agreement doesn’t respect to outside funding, a World Bank grant would go far enough. continue till January 2021. The agreement also omits penalties for the worst Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of the newly offending companies or countries, and fails to specify created Jal Shakti Ministry which is expected to measures to tackle the problem.Activists have urged absorb the Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry countries to stop accepting rubbish, which can end up into itself, released a UNICEF study showing that in landfills and waterways. groundwater is 12.7 times less likely to be contaminated in ODF villages than non-ODF villages. Device to trap ocean plastic waste Noting that the sanitation mission had affected all relaunches aspects of environment as well as people’s health and dignity, Mr. Shekhawat said the Mission would A floating device designed to catch plastic waste has “continue to positively impact people’s lives for a long been redeployed in a second attempt to clean up an time to come.”

62 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder island of trash swirling in the Pacific Ocean between said the logos on the tents were deliberately ripped California and Hawaii. out so the culprits could evade detection. Elephants killed over 2,300 people in last five years: Environment Ministry

Over 2,300 people in India were killed by elephants while tigers claimed over 200 lives in the last five years, Nearly 494 persons were killed by the elephants last year alone, the Union Environment Ministry informed the Lok Sabha The management of forest and wildlife is the responsibility of concerned State governments and incidence of animal human conflicts are reported in various parts of the country from time to time. Boyan Slat, creator of The Ocean Cleanup project, The Ministry also listed out the steps taken to said on Twitter that the 2,000-foot long floating boom avoid human-wildlife conflicts. that broke apart late last year was sent back to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch It said a scheme has been initiated to augment fodder and water for wild herbivores in protected/forest areas Fitted with solar-powered lights, cameras, sensors and where poor habitat is known as the cause of satellite antennas, the device intends to communicate its position at all times, allowing a support vessel to significant human-wildlife conflict. fish out the collected plastic every few months and The Ministry said physical barriers such as barbed transport it to dry land. wire fence, solar-powered electric fence, bio-fencing using cactus, boundary wall and so on have been Mt Everest turning into a pile of erected to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop discarded tents, human waste field. Everest has so much garbage depleted oxygen There are 50 tiger reserves in India which are cylinders, food packaging, rope that climbers use the governed by Project Tiger which is administrated by trash as a kind of signpost. But this year’s haul from the National Tiger Conservation Authority an estimated 700 climbers, guides and porters on the (NTCA).India is home to 70% of tigers in the world. mountain has been a shock to the ethnic Sherpas who In 2006, there were 1,411 tigers which increased to worked on the cleanup drive this spring. 1,706 in 2010 and 2,226 in 2014, according to the Moreover, the tents are littering South Col, or Camp 4, NTCA. which, at 8,000 metres (26,240 feet), is the highest As per the last census in 2017 by the Ministry, there campsite on Everest, just below the summit. The high were as many as 27,312 elephants in the country. A winds at that elevation have scattered the tents and total of 75 elephants died in 2018 while a total of 373 trash everywhere. The altitude, oxygen levels, slippery elephants died between 2015 and 2018. slopes, and bad weather make it very difficult to bring big things as tents down. Exhausted climbers struggling Crocodiles were once vegetarians to breathe and battling nausea leave heavy tents behind Crocodiles are sometimes described as living fossils rather than attempt to carry them down. Mr. Sherpa for their close resemblance to their forebears who roamed the earth during the age of the dinosaurs. But 63 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder if you happened to find yourself a time machine that largest in mainland Asia, is found only in the sent you back to the Mesozoic Era, not all the crocodiles northeast, as are 20 of the other 28 species of you would come across would size you up as a tasty chelonians.The male Impressed Tortoise is smaller meal. Some were similar to living crocodylians and than the female which is 30 cm in length. This were primarily carnivorous, others were omnivores, Manouria species is one-third the size of the Asian and still others likely specialised in plants. Forest Tortoise. Serbia’s Balkan donkey cheese Centre agrees to pay revised cost of

White, dense and rich in flavour, Serbia’s one-of-a- Rs 55,548 cr kind donkey cheese is not only tasty but good for your The Polavaram project is a major multi-purpose health. There’s only one catch at €1,000 ($1,130) per irrigation project being constructed on the Godavari kg, it may well be the most expensive cheese in the River, and spread across three states – Andhra, Odisha world. The unique product made headlines in 2012 and Chhattisgarh. A dam is currently under construction after rumours spread that Serbia’s tennis star Novak in West Godavari and East Godavari districts of Djokovic had bought up an annual supply. Andhra. ‘Impressive’ tortoise discovered in The project will lift water from the Godavari River Arunachal Pradesh near Tadipudi village in West Godavari District and pump it through the Main Canal into the 20 TMC A tortoise considered beautiful enough to be named capacity Jalleru reservoir, and then supply water to ‘impressed’ has been discovered in Arunachal West Godavari and Krishna Districts. Pradesh. A team of herpetologists from the Forest Department and two NGOs Help Earth and Turtle According to the state’s plans, a total of 17,800 acres Survival Alliance (TSA) found the Impressed Tortoise of land – 6,600 acres of forestland and 11,200 acres (Manouria impressa) in Yazali area of the Lower of revenue land – spread across 127 villages in four Subansiri district a few days ago. constituencies of West Godavari district – Polavaram, Chintalapudi, Gopalavaram and Denduluru – is being acquired for the project WWF’s One Planet City Challenge

It’s a friendly competition to mobilize cities to deliver on the Paris Agreement. We aim to support and celebrate 100 cities with action plans for 1.5 °C by 2020. The One Planet City Challenge, is a biennial global challenge that recognizes cities for their ambitions and innovative actions in sectors such as This is the first record of the tortoise in India, taking energy, transport, housing, waste and mobility the count to five and the non-marine chelonian count solutions to power the global transition to a low- to 29. Chelonian is an order of reptile that includes carbon, climate-resilient future. WWF works in turtles, terrapins and tortoises. There are only two collaboration with ICLEI - Local Governments for species of tortoises under the Manouria genus. India Sustainability, which assists cities in reporting their was known to be the home of only the Asian Forest data on its carbon Climate Registry platform. Tortoise (Manouria emys) until the discovery of the Impressed Tortoise. The Asian Forest Tortoise, the

64 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder India gets re-elected as observer to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Arctic Council Groups (PVTGs)

The Ottawa Declaration of 1996 formally established 75 tribal groups have been categorized categorized by the Arctic Council as a high level intergovernmental Ministry of Home Affairs as Particularly Vulnerable forum to provide a means for promoting cooperation, Tribal Groups (PVTG)s. PVTGs reside in 18 States coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, and UT of A&N Islands. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs with the involvement of the Arctic Indigenous peoples implements the Scheme of “Development of and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)” in particular issues of sustainable development and exclusively for them. Under the scheme, Conservation- environmental protection in the Arctic. The Arctic cum-Development (CCD)/Annual Plans are to be Council is formed of Russia, the United States, prepared by each State/UT for their PVTGs based on Canada, Norway, Demark, Sweden, Iceland and their need assessment, which are then appraised and Finland.The Chairmanship of the Arctic Council approved by the Project Appraisal Committee of the rotates every two years among the eight Member Ministry. Activities for development of PVTGs are States. Iceland is the Chair for the period 2019- undertaken in Sectors of Education, Health, Livelihood 2021.The Russian Federation will chair for the period and Skill Development, Agricultural Development , 2021-2023. Housing & Habitat, Conservation of Culture etc. Forest landscape restoration (FLR) NGT stays A.P. project to link and Bonn Challenge Godavari, Krishna and Penna

Forest landscape restoration The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued an order staying the Andhra Pradesh Government’s Forest landscape restoration (FLR) is the ongoing scheme to link the Godavari, Krishna and Penna process of regaining ecological functionality and rivers in the State.It ordered that the Ministry of enhancing human well-being across deforested or Environment should submit a report within a month. degraded forest landscapes. FLR is more than just planting trees – it is restoring a whole landscape to The Tribunal, in an order released, said that the State meet present and future needs and to offer multiple could not go ahead with the project without getting benefits and land uses over time. IUCN collaborates clearance from the Central Water Commission with FLR partners to gather knowledge, develop and (CWC) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and apply tools, and build capacity while supporting policy- Climate Change. A Bench, consisting of NGT makers, practitioners, researchers and landowners Chairman Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, judicial around the world. members Justice S.P. Wangdi and K. Ramakrishnan Bonn Challenge and expert member Nagin Nanda, restrained Andhra Pradesh from proceeding further with the project The Bonn Challenge is a global effort to bring 150 till it acquired environmental clearance, consent to million hectares of deforested and degraded land into establish and operate the project under provisions restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.It of the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986, Water was hosted and launched by Germany and the (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, in Bonn on 2 September 2011 and was later endorsed 1981. and extended to 2030 by the New York Declaration on Forests of the 2014 UN Climate Summit.

65 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder CAFÉ regulations and Bharat stage emission standards

Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency(CAFE)/Economy regulations are in force in many advanced as well as developing nations, including India. They aim at lowering fuel consumption (or improving fuel efficiency) of vehicles by lowering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, thus serving the twin purposes of reducing dependence on oil for fuel and controlling pollution. Corporate Average refers to sales-volume weighted average for every auto manufacturer. The norms are applicable for petrol, diesel, LPG and CNG passenger vehicles. CAFE regulations in India came into force from April 1, 2017. Under this, average corporate CO2 emission must be less than 130 gm per km till 2022 and below 113 gm per km thereafter. While CAFE regulations focus on reducing

CO2 emissions, BS VI focusses on other harmful exhaust from vehicles. The BS IV-compliant fuel currently in use has 50 parts per million (ppm) sulphur. But BS VI stipulates a low 10 ppm. Besides, under BS VI, particulate matter emission for diesel cars and nitrogen oxide levels are expected to be substantially lower than in BS IV. CAFE regulations assume importance in the light of their ability to reduce the carbon footprint of the auto industry. The National Auto Policy (draft) put out in early 2018 calls for developing a roadmap for reduction in CO2 emissions through CAFE regulations. Stricter CAFE targets can also lead to manufacturers moving to electric or strong hybrid vehicles over the medium to long-term to comply with the norms. To encourage manufacture and sale of electric vehicles, the government is already providing incentives under FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles) scheme.

66 June 2019 Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy Career Finder AWARDS 22 writers to get Sahitya Akademi Jalrakshak Prabodhini. He was felicitated by the awards HridayMitra Foundation in the presence of writer and philanthropist Ramchandra Dekhane, Kothrud MLA Twenty-two writers across languages were selected Medha Kulkarni and foundation president Shrikant for Sahitya Akademi’s Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2019, the Mundada. Union Ministry of Culture said .The Akademi also The HridayMitra Foundation is an organisation which selected 23 writers for the Yuva Puraskar 2019. aims to spread awareness about diseases as well as Aout Sahitya Akademi award: This award is given the surgeries required to remedy them. It also runs a to writers aged below 35. The selection of these awards, free helpline, offering people financial guidance and which comes with a cash prize of ¹ 50,000 each, was other such services. approved by the executive board of the Akademi at a meeting in Agartala, the Ministry said. For the Yuva WHO Award For Rajasthan Health Puraskar, 11 books of poetry, six of short stories, five Dept. novels and one literary criticism were selected. The World Health Organization has selected the The Bal Sahitya Puraskar was awarded to Swmim Rajasthan government’s Medical & Health Nasrin (Assamese), Nabanita Debsen (Bengali), Department for its award this year in recognition of Lakhminath Brahma (Bodo), Vijay Sharma (Dogri), its achievements in the field of tobacco control. The Devika Cariapa (English), Kumarpal Desai (Gujarati), Health Department of the State is the only government Govind Sharma (Hindi), Chandrakanth Karadalli body in the country which will be awarded for its (Kannada), Naji Munauwar (Kashmiri), Rajashree tobacco-free initiatives. WHO has selected five Bandodkar Karapurkar (Konkani), Malayath Appunni organisations from the South-East Asian region for (Malayalam), R.K. Sanahanbi Chanu (Manipuri), Salim the prestigious award. WHO representative to India Sardar Mulla (Marathi), Bhabilal Lamichhane (Nepali), Henk Bekedam said in a communique to Mr. Singh Birendra Kumar Samantray (Odia), Pawan Harchandpuri that individuals and institutions in each of the six WHO (Punjabi), Sanjay Chaubey (Sanskrit), Lakshman Chandra regions were recognised every year for their Saren (Santali), Veena Shringi (Sindhi), Devi Nachiappan accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. Three (Tamil), Belagam Bheemeswara Rao (Telugu) and other organisations in the South-East Asian region have Mohammad Khalil (Urdu). been selected from Thailand and Indonesia, while the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, New Delhi, is also Maldives confers country’s highest among the recipients of the award. honour on PM Modi Akshaya Patra wins BBC award Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the Maldives’ highest honour “Rule of Nishan Akshaya Patra, a non-profit organisation running one Izzuddeen” on Saturday during his two-day state visit of the world’s largest school meals project in India, to the country. “The Most Honourable Order of the has been awarded the BBC World Service Global Distinguished Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen” is the Champion Award for the programme. The award, Maldives’ highest honour accorded to foreign presented at the BBC Food and Farming Awards in dignitaries, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said. Bristol this week, recognises a person or project that is changing the way the world produces, processes, Social activist Makarand Tilloo consumes or thinks about food for the better. The receives ‘Save Water Hero Award’ Bengaluru-based NGO was selected by an international panel of judges from nominations sent in Social activist Makarand Tilloo received the ‘Save by the World Service audience around the world. Other Water Hero Award’ for his efforts to raise awareness projects on the shortlist included UK charity WRAP, about water conservation . A Laughter Yoga trainer and Food 4 Education. and motivational speaker by profession, Makarand Tilloo started a campaign to save water by replacing leaking taps with new ones. He also started an NGO,

67 June 2019