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Current Affairs Part - I

Current Affairs Part - I

CURRENT AFFAIRS PART - I

CONTENTS

POLITY Ordinance prohibiting strikes in Defence services ...... 8 Cabinet approves BharatNet PPP model ...... 8 SEBI- Franklin Templeton case ...... 9 Cabinet approves merger of CWC-CRWC ...... 10 to set up Economic Advisory Council ...... 10 Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (PMEAC) ...... 11 ECI releases Atlas on 2019 General Elections ...... 11 Cabinet nod for Inland Vessels Bill ...... 12 appoints interim Chief Compliance Officer for ...... 12 Draft Rules for Live-Streaming of Court Proceedings ...... 13 Govt sets up Expert group on Fixation of Minimum wages ...... 13 Centre invites applications for Citizenship...... 14 CM appoints 'Guardian Ministers' ...... 15 Recovery of Damages to Property Act ...... 15 Prevention of Anti-Social Activity (PASA) Act in ...... 16 Why WhatsApp sue Indian Government? ...... 17 Panel set up on Mekedatu Dam Construction ...... 17 Governor gives assent to Bill Penalising Fraudulent Conversion by Marriage ...... 18 Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty) Amendment Rules, 2021: IGCR, 2017 Customs Rules changed ...... 18 Punjab Prison Rules, 2021 ...... 19 What is the Heartbeat Bill? ...... 20 What is Article 311? ...... 20 Himanta Biswa Sarma: 15th Assam CM ...... 21 Supreme Court: Only Centre can identify SEBC ...... 22 Denmark laws to screen Foreign Investment ...... 22 What is Section 142 of Social Security Code? ...... 23

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SC strikes down reservation ...... 24 What is Article 164? ...... 24 Public Building and Fire Safety Rules in India ...... 25 National Building Code of India ...... 25 Import of 17 medical devices allowed ...... 26 GNCTD (Amendment) Act comes into force in ...... 27 US passes bill to fight hate crimes against Asian Americans ...... 27 Statehood Movement in Columbia ...... 28 Ecocide Bill of France ...... 28 Tribunal Reforms Ordinance, 2021 ...... 29 Right to Privacy, Reputation extinguishes after death: Madras High Court ...... 30 ISRO Espionage Case ...... 30 New Zealand Climate Change law for Financial firms ...... 31 Mandatory Gold Hallmarking from June 1 ...... 32 Draft Electricity (Rights of Consumers) (Amendment) Rules, 2021 ...... 33 Supreme Court: Adults are free to choose their religion ...... 33 Central Mine Planning and Design Institute gets Drone Use Permission ...... 34 Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021 ...... 35 Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy (second) Ordinance 2021 ...... 35 Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Amendment Ordinance, 2021 ...... 36 Police and Crime Bill: Why are people protesting in UK? ...... 37 National Register for Driving Licenses: Key Facts ...... 38 What is Article 244(A) of the Constitution? ...... 39 Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021 gets Presidential Assent ...... 39 Supreme Court refuses to Stay Sale of Fresh Electoral Bonds ...... 40 Parliament passes ‗National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill‘ ...... 41 passes GNCTD amendment Bill ...... 41 Parliament passes Finance Bill 2021 ...... 42 SC waives Interest in Loan Moratorium Scheme ...... 43 New Vehicle Scrapping Policy- Highlights ...... 43 Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 ...... 44 National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2020 ...... 45

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Supreme Court‘s Suggestion on saving Great Indian Bustard ...... 45 Rajya Sabha passes National Institute of Food Technology Bill 2019 ...... 46 Ayush Export Promotion Council to be set up ...... 47 India to Propose Cryptocurrency Ban ...... 48 Draft National e-commerce Policy-Highlights ...... 48 Centre‘s Panel for Air Quality Management in NCR Dissolved ...... 49 Rajya Sabha passes Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 ...... 50 Jammu and Kashmir: Draft Excise Policy to allot Retail Liquor Vends ...... 50 's first survey of backward classes ...... 51 India-Fiji: Union Cabinet Approves pact for Co-operation in Agriculture ...... 52 Task force on river-linking approves the Mahanadi-Godavari link ...... 52 Centre's New Guidelines on Social Media Regulation ...... 53 Cabinet approves President‘s Rule in Puducherry ...... 54 Government Presents First Paperless Budget ...... 55 NCBC Chairman on sub-categorisation of OBCs ...... 55 Amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 approved ...... 56 Cabinet approved PLI scheme for Telecom Sector ...... 57 Ministry of Earth Sciences invited suggestion on Draft Blue Economy Policy ...... 58 Is Inter- marriage a way forward to reduce communal tensions? ...... 58 What is Breach of Privilege Motion?...... 59 7th Pay Commission: Family Pensions Ceiling Enhanced ...... 60 Approved Standardised Deep-Sea Fishing Vessels Design and Specifications ...... 60 Rajya Sabha Passes Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 ...... 61 Judicial Activism: NITI Aayog orders to study the 'Economic impact of Judicial Decisions' ...... 62 : 2nd State to undertake Power Sector reforms...... 62 Section 32A of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code ...... 63 Special Marriage Act...... 64 Legal Entity Identifier System ...... 65 Supreme Court approves Central Vista Project ...... 65 Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act ...... 66 National Defence Authorisation Act, 2021 ...... 67 Argentina Abortion Laws ...... 68 Religious Freedom Bill, 2020 ...... 68 3 | @ Sivarajavel IAS Academy www.sivarajavelias.com

Tibetan Policy and Support Act, 2020 ...... 69 Assam Official Language Amendment Bill ...... 70 Parliamentary Panel calls for Public Health Act ...... 71 Breach of Privilege Motion ...... 72 Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act ...... 73 Fight against climate change in French Constitution...... 74 What is Emergency Use Authorization? ...... 75 Child-friendly Police Station: Key Facts ...... 76 Thai Mangur: Banned Cat fish of India ...... 77 NGT directs States to Establish Nodal Agency to protect Water Bodies ...... 77 State Consent must to extend CBI Jurisdiction: Supreme Court ...... 78 What is Mahajan Commission report on - border dispute? ...... 79 All DISCOMS to comply Energy Conservation Act, 2001 ...... 79 What is anti-trust case against Google? ...... 80 Why is UNHCR insisting India to revise FCRA regulations? ...... 81 Supreme Court: Overtime Wages should not be denied to labourers during COVID-19 ...... 82 GoI to revamp Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ...... 83 Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Second Amendment) passed in Rajya Sabha ...... 83 Railways propose to Decriminalise Begging ...... 84

ART AND CULTURE Louis Kahn ...... 86 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose...... 87 Basava ...... 92 202nd Anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon Battle ...... 93 Yakshagana ...... 93 Patharughat uprising ...... 94 Govind Ballabh Pant ...... 94 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ...... 96 tribal leader Birsa Munda ...... 97 RENATI CHOLA ERA INSCRIPTION ...... 98 Dhrupad ...... 99 KAKATIYA DYNASTY ...... 100 4 | @ Sivarajavel IAS Academy www.sivarajavelias.com

Punnapara-Vayalar revolt ...... 100 Rogan Art: Gujarat ...... 101 Khajuraho Dance ...... 102 Maharaja Suheldev ...... 102 Guru Ravidas ...... 103 Pattachitra paintings ...... 104 THOLPAVAKOOTHU ...... 105 ‗Behrupiyas‘ ...... 105 Mahatma Ayyankali ...... 106 GURJARA PRATIHARA ...... 106 Jyotirao Phule ...... 107 Keeladi ...... 108 Chaolung Sukapha ...... 109 MOPLAH UPRISING ...... 110

DEFENCE Operation Desert Chase ...... 112 Kamov-226T : Utility Helicopters ...... 112 Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) ...... 112 Trials for Helina & Dhruvastra ...... 113 APT29 ...... 113 Arad and Carmel Assault rifles ...... 114 Raising Day of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) ...... 114 T-90 Tanks ...... 114 Procurement of LCA Tejas approved ...... 115 Golden Arrows Squadron ...... 116 Spike-LR Anti-Tank Guided Missiles ...... 116 Sagar Kavach ...... 117 MoU for Composite Raw Materials signed ...... 117 DRDO hands over Motor Bike Ambulance ‗Rakshita‘ to CRPF ...... 117 INS Vagir ...... 118 INS Kavaratti ...... 119 Sprut-SDM1 Light Amphibious Tank ...... 119 5 | @ Sivarajavel IAS Academy www.sivarajavelias.com

Corporatisation of OFB ...... 119 Negative Imports List for Defence ...... 120 Integrated Theatre Command ...... 122 Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Crypto currencies ...... 122 Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of (SMART) ...... 123 Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) ...... 123 Tsirkon Hypersonic Missile ...... 124 Missile ...... 124 RUSTOM-2 ...... 124 BrahMos Successfully Flight Tested ...... 125 National Maritime Domain Awareness Centre (IMAC) ...... 126 Matla Abhiyan Exercise ...... 126 SAI (Secure Application for Internet) ...... 126 Frontier Highway Project ...... 127 MQ-9B Sea Guardian Unarmed Drones ...... 127 Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force (UPSSF) ...... 127 Assam Rifles...... 128 Enhanced Pinaka Mk-1 Missile ...... 128 ‗Tour of Duty‘ Recruitment Model ...... 129 Export of Missiles ...... 129 Maiden Flight Trial of SAHAYAK-NG, Air Droppable Container ...... 130 Microwave Weapons ...... 130 ABHYAS - High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) vehicles ...... 131 Cryogenic Propellant Tank (C32 LH2) ...... 131 BSF Raising Day ...... 132 Mission Sagar-III ...... 132 ‗Made In India‘ MK-III Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) ...... 133 Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) ...... 133 Special Frontier Force (SFF) ...... 134 Induction of Indigenous Bridging System into the ...... 134 BEL signs contract with for Initial supply of indigenously developed Laser Dazzlers ...... 134 MARCOS being deployed in the Eastern Ladakh ...... 135

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India‘s First Indigenously Developed 9mm Machine Pistol ...... 135 Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) ...... 135 RUDRAM ...... 136 Integrated Weapons System Design Centre ...... 136 Army Aviation Corps ...... 137 Draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (2020) ...... 137 Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) ...... 138 Ministry of Defence (MoD) seeks to exempt armed forces personnel from the ambit of decriminalization of adultery ...... 138

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POLITY

ORDINANCE PROHIBITING STRIKES IN DEFENCE SERVICES Law Ministry has notified Essential Defence Services Ordinance on June 30, 2021. This ordinance prohibits employees engaged in essential defence services from taking part in any agitation or strike. Why this ordinance was notified? Essential Defence Services Ordinance 2021 was notified in the backdrop of major federations affiliated with 76,000 employees of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) who made announcement that they would go on indefinite strike from July 26 to protest against government‘s decision to corporatize the OFB. What are the provisions of ordinance? Under the Ordinance, strike has been made illegal. As per provisions, any person who commences a strike or goes or remains on or takes part in any such strike shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term up to one year or with a fine up to Rs 10,000 or both. Persons instigating or inciting others to take part in strike shall also be punishable with imprisonment for a term up to two years and fines. Under the ordinance, there would be no change in service conditions of employees of OFB even after corporatization. This decision aims to boost India‘s defence manufacturing sector. Who will be covered under provisions? As per notification, employees involved in production of defence equipment, services & operation; maintenance of industrial establishment connected with military and in repair & maintenance of defence products will come under the purview of Ordinance. Corporatization of OFB Union Cabinet had approved a long-pending proposal of restructuring about 200-year-old Ordnance Factory Board on in June 2021. Earlier, OFB was operating 41 ammunition and military equipment production facilities which now have been subsumed into seven state-owned corporations in a bid to improve its accountability, efficiency and competitiveness.

CABINET APPROVES BHARATNET PPP MODEL Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister approved for revised implementation strategy of BharatNet under Public Private Partnership mode on June 30, 2021. Key Points  Project would be implemented across16 States of India.  Under the revised proposal, BharatNet will now extend up to all inhabited villages beyond Gram Panchayats (GPs).  Revised strategy also includes creation, upgradation, operation, maintenance and utilization of BharatNet by concessionaire.

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 Concessionaire will be selected by competitive international bidding process.  Estimated maximum viability gap funding that has been approved for BharatNet PPP model is Rs. 19,041 crores.  Cabinet also approved the extension of BharatNet to cover all inhabited villages in remaining States and UTs.  Department of Telecommunication will separately workout on modalities for remaining states and UTs. Which states will be covered? States covered under Cabinet approval include , Karnataka, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, , Madhya Pradesh, , Assam, , , , and . About 3.61 lakh villages including Gram Panchayats will be covered. BharatNet PPP Model PPP Model will leverage efficiency of Private Sector for operation, maintenance, utilization and revenue generation. It is expected to result in faster roll out of BharatNet. Selected Private Sector Partner is expected to provide reliable, high speed broadband services in accordance with pre- defined Services Level Agreement (SLA). Extension of BharatNet across all inhabited villages with reliable, quality, high speed broadband will help in accessing better e-services offered by Central and State Government agencies. It will be easy to assess online education, telemedicine, skill development and e-commerce etc. Advantages of BharatNet PPP Model 1. It will enable use of innovative technology by Private Sector Provider to consumers 2. It will provide high quality service and Service Level to consumers 3. It will bring about Faster deployment of network & quick connectivity for consumers 4. A system of Competitive tariffs for services will be enabled. 5. It will provide services on high-speed broadband including OTT services and multi-media services. 6. It will be easy access to all online services.

SEBI- FRANKLIN TEMPLETON CASE Franklin Templeton (FT) has been given interim relief from Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) on June 28, 2021. Key points SAT put stay on Securities Exchange Board of India‘s (SEBI) order on FT that prevented it from launching new debt scheme. Tribunal also put a temporarily stayed on SEBI‘s order of recovery of Rs 512 crore from Franklin Templeton and its direction on FT to deposit Rs 250 crore in three weeks. Next hearing on Franklin Templeton-SEBI‘s matter will be on August 30, 2021. Order of SAT will be applicable until further orders from it. Background SEBI had put a penalty of Rs 5 crore and ordered to disgorge Rs 512 crore investment management by fund house to manage six suspended schemes. Fine of Rs 3 crore was levied on Franklin Templeton Trustee Services Pvt Ltd while Rs 2 crore each on President of Franklin Asset

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Management (India) Pvt Sanjay Sapre and its Chief Investment Officer Santosh Kamat. Sebi had also imposed a penalty of Rs 15 crore on senior officials of Franklin Templeton AMC and its trustee because they violated regulatory norms in case of winding up of six debt schemes in 2020. What are those schemes? Six of the schemes namely, Franklin India Low Duration Fund, Franklin India Credit Risk Fund, Franklin India Dynamic Accrual Fund, Franklin India Ultra Short Bond Fund, Franklin India Short Term Income Plan, and Franklin India Income Opportunities Fund, together had an estimated Rs 25,000 crore as assets under management. Franklin Templeton It is a global investment firm which was founded in in 1947. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol BEN. Company has been named so in honor of Benjamin Franklin

CABINET APPROVES MERGER OF CWC-CRWC Union Cabinet has approved merger of Central Railside Warehouse Company (CRWC) and its holding enterprise Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) in order to unify similar functions of both the companies. Companies were merged with the aim of improving efficiency and increase financial savings. Significance of merger With the merger, it is expected that, management expenditure of Railside Warehouse Complexes (RWCs) will be reduced by Rs 5 crore due to savings in corporate office rent, salary of employees and other administrative costs. India & Saint Vincent and The Grenadines signed agreement for exchange of information & assistance to collect taxes which will help in India‘s fight against offshore tax evasion and tax avoidance practices. CRWC & CWC merger will unify similar functions of both companies, like warehousing, handling, and transportation. These functions would come under single administration which in turn will promote efficiency, optimum capacity utilisation, accountability, transparency and ensure financial savings. It will help in setting up at least 50 more Railside warehouses near goods-shed locations which will generate employment opportunities for 36,500-man days for skilled workers and 9,12,500-man days for unskilled workers. Central Railside Warehouse Company Limited (CRWC) CRWC is a Public Sector Enterprise of Mini-Ratna status of Category-II. It was incorporated on in 2007 under the Companies Act, 1956

TAMIL NADU TO SET UP ECONOMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL Newly-elected Tamil Nadu government has decided to constitute an ―Economic advisory council to the ‖. Key Points Advisory council will comprise of leading economic experts from across the world as its members. Its members include: 1. Nobel laureate Esther Duflo of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in USA,

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2. Former Reserve Bank of India governor, Raghuram Rajan, 3. Former chief economic advisor to central government, Dr Arvind Subramanian, 4. Development economist, Jean Dreze and 5. Former Union finance secretary Dr S Narayan. Purpose of the council On the basis of recommendations of this council, government will revitalise economy in the state and ensure that benefits of economic growth reach all segments of society.

ECONOMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE PRIME MINISTER (PMEAC) PMEAC is a non-constitutional, non-permanent and independent body which have been constituted to provide economic advice to Government, specifically Prime Minister. It serves to highlight key economic issues that country faces such as inflation, microfinance, and industrial output. Council has been constituted several times since independence. Recently, Prime minister Modi revived the council in 2017. Presently, Bibek Debroy is the acting chairman of PMEAC. NITI Aayog serves as the Nodal Agency for PMEAC for administrative, logistic, planning and budgeting purposes

ECI RELEASES ATLAS ON 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS Election Commission of India released ‗General Elections 2019: An Atlas‘ recently.

Highlights Atlas was released by Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey. This document would be beneficial to researchers and academicians and help in exploring vast landscape of Indian elections. General Elections 2019: An Atlas This General Election Atlas comprises of all statistical figures and data of General Elections 2019. It comprises of 90 tables and 42 thematic maps which depicts different facets of elections. It also provides interesting anecdotes, facts and legal provisions related to Indian elections. It highlights, 1. Data from 23 States and UTs where female voting percentage was higher than a male voting percentage. 2. Information regarding smallest and largest parliamentary constituency with respect to candidates or electors. 3. Performance of political parties. It comprises of data of electors belonging to different categories through comparison charts like Elector Gender Ratio and electors in different age categories. As per atlas, lowest gender gap was witnessed during the 2019 General Elections in history. It also compares the number of candidates contesting in General Elections since 1951. 2019 General Elections had a total of 8054 qualified candidates contesting.

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Benefits of Atlas Atlas provide information for better understanding of Indian electoral diversity and provide insights into electoral patterns across different levels. It will serve as an illustrative and informative document which will help in understanding nuances of Indian electoral process and help in analysing changes & trends in India.

CABINET NOD FOR INLAND VESSELS BILL Union Cabinet has approved the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, which will replace Inland Vessels Act, 1917. Key Provisions of the bill  As of now, total 4,000 km inland waterways have been operationalized.  Bill will regulate safety, security and registration of inland vessels.  Bill provides for a unified law for entire India instead of separate rules framed by each States.  Bill grants certificate of registration which will be valid in all States and Union Territories. No separate permissions will be required from States.  Bill provides for a central data base to record details of vessel, vessel registration and crew on an electronic portal.  Central database would require all mechanically propelled vessels to be mandatorily registered.  Non-mechanically propelled vessels will also require to be enrolled at district, taluk or panchayat or village level. Inland Water India has about 14,500 km of navigable waterways comprising of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. It is a fuel-efficient and environment-friendly mode of transportation. Under National Waterways Act 2016, 111 waterways have been declared as National Waterways.

TWITTER APPOINTS INTERIM CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER FOR INDIA Twitter has appointed interim Chief Compliance Officer in India to comply with the Indian government‘s new IT rules. Key Points Twitter appointed Chief Compliance Officer after a prolonged battle with Indian government over its new IT rules. India announced new IT rules in February, 2021 which was implemented on May 25. It requires tech companies in India like Facebook, WhatsApp, Google etc to appoint chief compliance officer, nodal officer and grievance officer in India. Background When new IT Rules were first brought on May 25, Twitter India had asked government for more time to comply with new IT Rules while WhatsApp & Facebook appointed their respective grievance officers.

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New IT Rule Indian government notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 in February 2021. New rules deal with social media and over-the-top (OTT) platforms. Rules were framed under section 87 (2) of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. Under the new rules, resident grievance officer will be appointed under larger grievance redressal mechanism. Content on social media platforms will be monitored actively and monthly compliance reports will be made available for Indian users. Authorities in India can now ask these platforms to identify origin of any message.

DRAFT RULES FOR LIVE-STREAMING OF COURT PROCEEDINGS Supreme Courts‘ e-committee released Draft Model Rules for Live-Streaming and Recording of Court Proceedings. Aim of this move Draft Model rules were released with the aim of bringing greater transparency, inclusivity and access to justice. What are those rules? Draft rules excludes- matrimonial matters & transfer petitions arising thereunder, cases concerning sexual offences & proceedings under Section 376 (rape) of Indian Penal Code and cases concerning gender-based violence against women- from live-streaming. Final decision on Live-streaming of Proceedings will be taken by Bench and will be guided by principle of open and transparent judicial process. It provides a balanced regulatory framework for live streaming and recording of court proceedings. Cameras will be installed in courtroom covering five angles- towards the Bench, towards advocates engaged in concerned matter, towards accused and towards deponent or witness. Rules employs an electronic evidence presentation system to capture an additional feed. As per rules, Remote-control device to pause or stop live-streaming at any time will be provided to presiding judge on bench. To decongest court rooms, dedicated room will be allocated within the court premises to view livestream. About e-committee Committee comprised of judges from Bombay High Court (HC), Delhi HC, Madras HC, Karnataka HC to frame draft live streaming rules. Committee invited inputs, feedback and suggestions on draft rules from all stakeholders. Which articles grants power to frame rules? These rules were framed by High Court of Judicature in accordance with Article 225 and Article 227 of Constitution.

GOVT SETS UP EXPERT GROUP ON FIXATION OF MINIMUM WAGES Labour and Employment Ministry set up expert group that will provide technical inputs and recommendations on fixation of minimum wages and national floor for minimum wages.

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Key Points This is the second expert committee on minimum wages formed by government in last two years. Last panel was headed by Anoop Satpathy and was set up by ministry on January 17, 2018. Itconducted an evidence-based analysis to determine methodology of fixing national minimum wage. It recommended to set national floor wave at RS 375 per day or RS 9,750 per month in accordance with 2018 prices. However, recommendations were not accepted. About Expert Group on fixation of minimum wages Expert group has been set for a period of three years. It is chaired by Ajit Mishra who is Director of Institute of Economic Growth. Other members include- Tarika Chakraborty from IIM Calcutta; Anushree Sinha; Vibha Bhalla, Joint Secretary; et-al. Task of expert group Expert group will look after International best practices on wages to arrive at any wage rate. They will evolve a scientific criteria and methodology to fix wages. What does Code on Wages specify? The Code on Wages, which has not been enforced, provides for setting up of National Floor Level Minimum Wage by Centre which is to be revised every five years. On the other hand, states will fix minimum wages for their regions, that cannot be lower than floor wage. Current floor wage is at Rs 176 per day.

CENTRE INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR CITIZENSHIP Central Government has invited Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and to apply for citizenship in India under the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. Highlights Several migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan have been residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and . In this regard, Union Home Ministry has issued notification to implement order under Citizenship Act 1955. What is Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 The act, passed on December 11, 2019, amended ―Citizenship Act, 1955‖. It provided ways for persecuted religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan belonging to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis or Christians; to get Indian Citizenship. This is the first law which used religion as criteria for citizenship in India. It has also relaxed ―residence requirement‖ for naturalization for these migrants to 6 years from 12. Who can apply for citizenship? Persecuted minorities from three countries who have arrived in India before 31st December 2014. According to data from Intelligence Bureau records, there will be some 30000 immediate beneficiaries. Why Muslims are not included? The act does not allow Muslims, belonging to three countries, to take citizenship because, all of them are Muslim-majority countries. Why this law is being criticized?

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It is being criticized for being discriminatory on the ground of religion, for excluding Muslims. Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also called it ―fundamentally discriminatory‖. There is also a concern that act will be used along with National Register of Citizens (NRC) which will render Muslims stateless. Further, Government has neglected that, certain Muslim groups like Hazaras, have historically been persecuted there. Government’s Stand Indian government is of the view, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh have Islam as their state religion, therefore it is unlikely that Muslims will ―face religious persecution‖ in those countries.

ASSAM CM APPOINTS 'GUARDIAN MINISTERS' Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, appointed ―Guardian Ministers‖ in state. Functions of Guardian Ministers  Guardian Ministers will look after balanced, speedy and sustainable developments in all 34 districts of state.  They will be responsible to implement and resolve issues (if any) related to schemes by state and Central government in districts.  They will also supervise government‘s policy decisions, administrative reforms and welfare schemes for public.  They will see how quickly people can get benefit of government‘s schemes and projects. They will frequently visit assigned districts in normal as well as in during emergency situations. They can also suggest policy decisions for the welfare and development of district to the government. Later, this matter will be considered by state cabinet.  They will recommend awards for best practices in districts and prepare a ‗Vision Document‘ consultation with district administration.  They can also plan for infrastructural development and study resources available in district. Look after plan to provide employment to unemployed youths.  Lastly, they will recommend district specific matters where Budget provision is required. Allocation of districts Out of the 13 ministers, eight ministers were allocated three districts each and five ministers were allocated two districts each. Who is a Guardian Minister? He/she is an ex-officio chairperson of the District Planning Committee (DPC), which is constituted in every district as per law. However, rule does not mention who should head the DPC. It can be headed by administration as well as by elected representatives.

HARYANA RECOVERY OF DAMAGES TO PROPERTY ACT Governor of Haryana, S N Arya, approved the Haryana Recovery of Damages to Property Bill. According to the bill (now act), any damage created to people‘s shops, houses, vendor carts, government offices, buses, vehicles and other such public property will be recovered from protestors.

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Background ―Haryana Recovery of Damages to Property During Disturbance to Public Order Bill, 2021‖ was passed in March 2021, a move similar to Uttar Pradesh government which had passed the ―Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Act, 2020. Key provisions of the act Recovery of damages to properties will be made by the person causing disturbances to public order by any assembly, lawful or unlawful such as riots and violent disorder. Act also ensures compensation to victims. Recovery will also be made from people, leaders, organisers etc leading the protest and involved in its planning. It will establish a Claims Tribunal to determine liability and to assess damages caused award. Any person aggrieved by award passed by Claims Tribunal can go to High Court of Punjab and Haryana. No civil court will have jurisdiction to entertain question related to claim compensation Government’s stand Government of Haryana approved the act stating, it is responsibility of state government to protect any government or private property in state.

PREVENTION OF ANTI-SOCIAL ACTIVITY (PASA) ACT IN LAKSHADWEEP Administrator of Lakshadweep, Praful Khoda Patel, is being opposed by people of the union territory and politicians over policies he drafted in recent time. What are those policies? 1. Draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021 (LDAR) Lakshadweep Development Authority (LDA) was recently created with extensive powers such as eviction of land owners. This is being criticised as they think LDA was pushed by real estate lobby against the will of islanders. The legislation, LDAR, provides extensive powers to authority to prepare comprehensive development plans for any area and to remove or relocate people living in Lakshadweep from their property for the purpose of town planning or any developmental activity. 2. Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) This act was introduced in January 2021. According to it, person can be detained without any public disclosure for a period of up to one year. 3. Draft Panchayat notification According to the notification, a member with more than two children stands disqualified from being a member. About Praful Khoda Patel Praful Khoda Patel, an Indian politician, is currently holding the post as Administrator of Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep. He is the 1st administrator of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. He was made administrator of Lakshadweep in December 2020 by unfollowing the earlier practice of appointing only IAS officers as administrator. Who appoints administrator? Administrator is appointed by the President of India. This is an important post for any union territory because person is charged to do all functions in area. Administrator acts on behalf of the President.

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WHY WHATSAPP SUE INDIAN GOVERNMENT? As the New IT (Digital Media) Rules of India came into force, WhatsApp has sued the Indian government in Delhi Court and asked to block regulations. Why WhatsApp sued? WhatsApp sued the government because, it is believed, law will compel social media units to break privacy protections. Thus, the lawsuit has asked Delhi High Court to declare ―one of the new rules‖ is a violation of privacy rights as per Indian constitution because it requires social media companies to identify ―first originator of information‖ if the authorities ask. Further, if WhatsApp starts identifying the wrongdoers it will break encryption policy of the app. Background Indian government has implemented the ―new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021‖. New guidelines were released in February and provided three months‘ time to social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Koo, Instagram and Twitter to comply with it. New IT Rules 2021 for digital media platforms According to new rules, now resident grievance officer will be appointed under larger grievance redressal mechanism. There will be active monitoring of content on social media platforms and monthly compliance reports will be made for Indian users. Now, authorities in India can also ask these platforms to identify the origin of any message.

PANEL SET UP ON MEKEDATU DAM CONSTRUCTION A committee was set up by National Green Tribunal (NGT) to submit report on alleged violation of norms in construction of a reservoir across Cauvery river at Mekedatu in Karnataka. Highlights NGT bench consisting of Justice K Ramakrishnan took suo motu cognizance of newspaper report regarding the dam. Report states Karnataka proposes to construct a dam across Cauvery river even though proposal was deferred by Cauvery Water Management Authority twice in past because of opposition from Tamil Nadu government. About Committee Senior members of Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited; Integrated Regional Office of MoEF, Bangalore and Cauvery Water Management Authority are members of the committee. NGT has directed the committee to ask whether construction activity as alleged in newspaper report has been started before obtaining necessary clearance from Forest Department and MoEF under Forest Conservation Act and EIA Notification, 2006. Mekedatu Project The project was approved by Karnataka in 2017. Rs 9,000 crore worth project started was with the aim of storing and supplying drinking water for Bengaluru city. It will also generate 400 megawatts of power. It is undertaken at deep gorge situated at the confluence of river Cauvery and its tributary Arkavathi.

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Why Tamil Nadu is opposing the project? Tamil Nadu opposes any proposed project in upper riparian unless it is approved by Supreme Court. Further, Karnataka started the project without the consent and clearance which goes against the final order of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT). In the order, SC held- ―no state can claim exclusive ownership to deprive other states of waters of inter-state rivers‖.

GUJARAT GOVERNOR GIVES ASSENT TO BILL PENALISING FRAUDULENT CONVERSION BY MARRIAGE Governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, has given his assent to Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2021 along with 7 other bills. These bills were passed in March 2021 during the budget session of the state assembly. Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2021 This bill is being also called as ―anti-love jihad‖ Bill. It provides for punishment of 3-10 years in jail for forcible and fraudulent religious conversions by marrying the person. It amends the 2003 Act. Why this bill was passed? This bill was passed considering the fact that, there are increasing instances of religious conversions promising a better lifestyles, divine blessings and impersonation. There is an increasing trend where women are lured to marriage for religious conversions. What is Love Jihad? Love Jihad is also known as Romeo Jihad. It is a conspiracy theory which was developed by proponents of Hindutva. The theory is used to invoke prejudice against Muslims. The theory maintains that, Muslim men target Hindu women for conversion to Islam by means of feigning love and marriage. Other State with such legislation Earlier, Uttar Pradesh has enacted the ―Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020‖ which is unofficially called as ‗love jihad law‘. This law makes conversion a non- bailable offence with up to 10 years of jail time if it is undertaken unlawfully or forcefully.

CUSTOMS (IMPORT OF GOODS AT CONCESSIONAL RATE OF DUTY) AMENDMENT RULES, 2021: IGCR, 2017 CUSTOMS RULES CHANGED The recently brought changes to the Customs (Imports of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty) rules, IGCR 2017 to boost trade facilitation. This was done through the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty) Amendment Rules, 2021. What are the major rules changed? The absence of the newly rules had constrained Indian industries, especially, the MSMEs. It mainly affected those that did not have in-house manufacturing facility. Earlier, the concessional customs duty on imports was not provided to those who did not have an in-house manufacturing facility. Now, under the new rules they can now import goods at concessional rates, get the job done in other manufacturing units. However, this has still not been extended to certain sectors such as gold, diamond, precious metals.

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The new rules will now allow import of capital goods at concessional customs duty. Capital goods are physical assets used by a company to manufacture products and services for later use. They are not finished goods. But are used to make finished goods. Tools, machinery, building, equipment are capital goods. The new rules basically lay down procedure and manner in which an importer can avail benefit of concessional customs duty on import of goods for domestic production. IGCR rules, 2017 These rules are for the importers who can avail the benefit of exemption notification issued under Section 25 of Customs Act, 1962. The act empowers the Union Government of India to grant exemptions from payment of customs duties.

PUNJAB PRISON RULES, 2021 The Punjab Cabinet recently approved Punjab Prison Rules, 2021. These rules were approved under the Prison Act, 1894. Background The Punjab Jail Manual of 1996 has become archaic. There is a need to update it in the changed scenario of modernisation. Punjab Prison Rules, 2021 New security parameters such as effective surveillance and safe custody have been introduced in the new rules. The other new rules introduced are as follows: Prisons within Prisons These are to be used for lodging high risk prisoners such as drug offenders, gangsters, radicals, terrorists. Jail Employees The Jail Employees are to get adequate provisions. This includes welfare funds, legal assistance, meal for employees during their shift, financial assistance, etc. After Care Assistance An ―After Care Assistance‖ has been incorporated in the Punjab Prison Rules to ensure successful rehabilitation and social reintegration of released convict prisoners. This cover renting a house, assistance in employment, medical treatment, etc. Modern Technologies The rules include use of modern security and surveillance gadgets. This includes Artificial Intelligence enabled CCTVs, mobile jammers, motion sensors, alarm systems, siren, X-ray baggage scanner, body scanner, touch screen kiosks, etc. On the software side, the provisions such as E- wallet, E-procurement, Integrated Criminal Justice System are to be included. Other Provisions  To ensure confinement of mentally ill prisoners under the Mental Health Care Act.  To provide better mental health care facilities such as psychotherapy.  To establish a Grievance Redressal System in every prison. Under this system, a compliant box will be installed at different locations in the prison.  Video Conferencing provisions have been included so that the inmates can talk to their families and friends and legal counsel face to face.

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 Prisoners Panchayat and Maha Panchayat to plan and execute daily recreational programmes.

WHAT IS THE HEARTBEAT BILL? Texas recently passed the Heartbeat Bill. It is a controversial bill in the United States. The bill bans abortions after the heartbeat of the embryo is detected. It is usually detected after 6 weeks of gestation.

Which states have passed Heartbeat Bill? North Dakota became the first state in the USA to pass the Heartbeat Bill. However, the Supreme Court of the US held the law unconstitutional. Later several other states passed the law. This includes Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky. However, the federal courts of the states have blocked the law temporarily. These states are in the Bible Belt of US. What is Bible Belt of US? The southern region of the United States are socially conservative. In these states, the church attendance is higher than the nation‘s average. Controversies Many women are unaware of their pregnancies at six weeks. Most of them have an abortion only after six weeks. The Center for Reproductive Rights says that these laws are inconsistent. It is a global legal advocacy organisation that aims to advance reproductive rights (such as abortion). The organisation works to make reproductive freedom as a fundamental human right. At the stage of six weeks, the embryo isn‘t a foetus and doesn‘t have a heart. The bill still bans abortion at such early stages. An embryo becomes a foetus only in the eleventh week of pregnancy. However, the heart beat of the foetus can be heard in early stages, that is around six weeks.

WHAT IS ARTICLE 311? Sachin Waze, a police officer was dismissed from service by the Police Commissioner under Article 311 (2) (b). Sachin Waze was then arrested by the National Investigation Agency. He was arrested in connection with Mukesh Ambani Terror Scare case and also in relation to the murder of Mansukh Hiran. What is Ambani Terror Scare case? On February 25, 2021, twenty Gelatin sticks were found in a vehicle parked outside the residence of Mukesh Ambani residence, Antilia. He was provided Z-plus security cover, the highest protection cover GoI provides to individuals facing threats. Sachin Vaze was the first investigating officer in the Ambani Terror Scare case.

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About Sachin Waze He is an encounter specialist. He is involved with deaths of 63 alleged criminals. He was suspended for 17 years after his arrest in the custodial death of Khwaja Yunus. He was later granted bail and was reinstated in June 2020. He led the police team in the arrest of Republic TV Chief Arnab Goswami. What is Article 311? It speaks about the removal or reduction in rank of person employed under Government of India in civil capacities. It acts as a safeguard for civil servants. It gives them chances to respond to charges filed against them. Article 311 (1) The article says that a person who is a member of civil service of the GoI (Union or state) shall only be removed by the authority who appointed him or her. Article 311 (2) He or she should be informed about the charges filed against him. He should be given opportunity to explain his or her side of argument. When is inquiry prescribed under Article 311 (2) not required? It is not applicable when Article 311 (2) (a): The Accusation is under criminal charges Article 311 (2) (b): If the authority empowered to dismiss him or her is satisfied to remove him Article 311 (2) (c): If the President or Governor feels that it is not practical or convenient to hold an inquiry in the interest of the security of the state.

HIMANTA BISWA SARMA: 15TH ASSAM CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam on May 10, 2021. He is to replace Sarbananda Sonowal. Both the candidates are from BJP. Sarbananda recently resigned. Chief Minister of the state The Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor. It is to be noted that only Members of the Legislative Assembly or Members of the Parliament are elected by the people. The Chief Minister and the Prime Minister are appointed by the Governor and President respectively. After the election, the party that secures majority in the house elects its leader. The leader‘s name is then communicated to the Governor. The Governor appoints the CM and then asks the CM to appoint his council of ministers. The Governor can ask the single largest party to form the government when no party gets majority in the state. The State Assembly shall remove him from power by passing Vote of No Confidence against him. Also, the Governor shall dismiss him if he loses his majority support. A person not belonging to the Legislative Assembly or to the Legislative Council shall also be appointed as the Chief Minister. However, he or she should be elected to either of the houses within six months of his or her tenure. Like Mamta Banerjee was sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. She was sworn in as the CM of West Bengal even though she lost in the Assembly elections to Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of 1956 votes. Constitutional Provisions

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Article 163: The Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers advise the Governor Article 164: Governor appoints the Chief Minister. The Governor then appoints the ministers based on the recommendation of the Chief Minister. Article 166: Conduct of Business of the State Government Article 167: Duties of Chief Minister The Chief Minister and Prime Minster provisions are not mentioned in the constitution.

SUPREME COURT: ONLY CENTRE CAN IDENTIFY SEBC The Supreme Court recently pronounced that only President can take decisions in declaring the Socially and Economically Backward Community. The judgement was pronounced upholding the 102nd constitutional amendments. About the Judgement The Apex court said that the 102nd constitutional amendment has taken away the powers of state governments to designate Socially and Economically Backward Classes. What is the issue? The State Governments have been expanding the list of Socially and Economically Backward Classes to entitle the recipient communities with quota benefits. Indra Sawhney Case The State Government has full powers to identify a backward class. The Sawhney Case verdict directed the appointment of National Backward Classes Commission and State Backward Classes Commission. Thus, 102nd constitutional amendment was brought in and the commissions were established. 102nd Constitutional Amendments The 102nd Constitutional Amendment inserted Articles 338 B and Article 342 A, The Article 338 B deals with the structure, powers and duties of National Commission for Backward Classes and the Article 342 A deals with the power of the president to notify a particular caste as Socially and Economically Backward. Constitutional Provisions Article 366 and Article 342 says that only President shall identify SECC. Why did the issue pop up? The Maharashtra State Government declared the Maratha Community as the Socially and Economically Backward Class. The Supreme court has struck down the Maratha reservation provided by the State Government under SEBC act, 2018.. The Bombay High Court recently upheld the Maharashtra Socially and Economically Backward Classes Act, 2018. This was challenged in Supreme Court by various petitions.

DENMARK LAWS TO SCREEN FOREIGN INVESTMENT Denmark has passed a law to allow the screening of foreign investments so that they do not pose any threats to the National Security.

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Why the new law? The new law has been legislated to protect the country against Huawei of and its objectives to build 5G network in the country. However, the law does not mention China. About the law Under the law, the foreign investors will be assessed on their potential link to foreign governments and armed forces. They will also be assessed for connection to criminal activities. The law is not applicable to Greenland and Faroe Islands. They are sovereign territories under the Kingdom of Denmark. Why is Huawei a threat to National Security? Several countries in the world are making new legislation and other key measures to protect their National security against Huawei. This includes US, Australia as well. The UK has ordered to strip Huawei technology from UK by 2027. India and Germany too have raised concerns against Huawei. Huawei manufactures kits such as gateways, network switches and bridges. They are core infrastructure devices that touch everything traversing the internet. They are critical for proper functioning of the system. This means that the Governments should take extra care in protecting their data. Huawei was founded in 1987 in China by Ren Zhengfei. He was a former engineer in the People‘s Liberation Army. He has strong connections with the Communist Party of China and also to the military. This is being cited as a security concern. Countries fear that the Chinese Government might use Huawei as a backdoor to breach into the national security system.

WHAT IS SECTION 142 OF SOCIAL SECURITY CODE? The Ministry of Labour and Employment recently notified Section 142 of the Social Security Code, 2020. The Section covers applicability of the Aadhhar. Why was Section 142 notified? The notification will enable the Ministry of Labour and Employment to collect Aadhaar details from the beneficiaries of various social security schemes. This includes migrant workers as well. Why are Aadhaar details collected? The National Informatics Centre is creating a National Database for unorganised workers. The portal aims to collect data of migrant workers as well. This data will be used by various schemes of the Government. Aninter-state migrant worker can register himself in the portal by submitting Aadhaar alone. Section 142 It says that Aadhaar details are compulsory for an employee or unorganised person or any other person to get benefits of government schemes. The benefits can be in kind of cash for medical sickness, availing services of career centre, maternity benefits, receiving payment as insured person, etc. Social Security Code The Social Security Code was introduced in 2019. The main objectives of the code was to club the existing laws. It introduced universal social security for unorganised workers and also health and insurance benefits for gig workers.

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It merged eights existing laws. This included Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, Employment Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, Employees State Insurance Act, 1948, Compensation Act, 1923. It also established a social security fund and also tapped the corporate social responsibility fund to offer medical, disability and pension benefits to the unorganised sector workers.

SC STRIKES DOWN MARATHA RESERVATION The Supreme Court of India recently struck down Maratha reservation in the state as it breaches 50% ceiling of reservation. This was done by striking down the Maharashtra law that guaranteed reservation for the Maratha community their quota in employment and public education. Inception In 2016, several Marathas came together under the ―Maratha Kranti Morcha‖. They joined hands to protest the rape and killing of a fifteen-year-old girl in Kopardi village, . Though Kopardi incident was a trigger, it was later centred on reservation for the Maratha community in educational institutions and government jobs. In 2017, silent, massive rallies were held that consolidated more and more Marathas towards this cause. They also demanded for loan waiver to farmers, justice for the Kopardi girl. In 2018, street protests turned violent. Some even committed suicides. ―Ek Maratha Lakh Maratha‖ was their slogan. M G Gaikwad Commission The then CM Fadnavis (BJP) set a eleven member commission under retired justice N G Gaikwad. The commission recommended that the Marathas should be given reservation as it was a Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC). The commission did not specify quota percentage. It was left to the State Government to decide upon. Reservation provided In 2018, the State Government of Maharashtra provided reservation to the Marathas under the Maharashtra Socially and Educationally Backward Act. The act was approved in both the assembly and the council. Reservation challenged in High Court A Public Interest Litigation challenged the reservation under SEBC in Bombay High Court. The High Court upheld the reservation and pronounced that the reservation should be 12% in education and 13% in jobs instead of 16%. Impact on Socio-Political Order Marathas constitute 32% of population of Maharashtra. They are a major political force in Maharashtra. The SC‘s order is to deepen the divide between OBCs and Marathas that was created by reservation politics.

WHAT IS ARTICLE 164? The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost in Nandigram. She lost the seat to her former protégé-turned-BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of 1956 votes. Protégé is a person supported by a more experienced person. However, she can still take over as the Chief Minister of the State. This is permitted under Article 164 (4).

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Article 164 The Article 164 lists the following: Article 164 (1): The Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor of the state. Article 164 (2): The Council of Ministers are collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the state. Article 164 (3): The Governor administers the oaths of the minister. Article 164 (4): A Minister who is a not a member of the Legislative Assembly shall cease to be a minister at the end of six months.

Article 75 As that of the provisions provided for the State Legislature under Article 164, Article 75 provides the provisions for the Central Legislature. Article 75 (1): PM and other ministers shall be appointed by the President. Article 75 (2): Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President. Article 75 (3): The Ministers are collectively responsible to Lok Sabha Article 75 (4): The President administers oaths to the ministers Article 75 (5): A member who is not a member of both the houses for six months will cease to be a member of either of the house. Chief Minister and Prime Minister According to Article 164 (4) and Article 75 (5), the CM and PM shall hold their offices even if they are not members of their respective houses. By this law, Mamta is to be appointed as the Chief Minister of West Bengal even if she has lost the election. However, she has to become the member of the West Bengal State Legislature within six months.

PUBLIC BUILDING AND FIRE SAFETY RULES IN INDIA There have been deadly fires in the hospital buildings of India. This includes hospitals treating COVID-19 as well. The recent fires in hospital buildings of Virar region of Mumbai, Bharuch in Gujarat and in Mumbra near has brought the spotlight to the Public Building and Fire Safety rules. Root Cause of the problems The public building and fire safety rules are not abided during the construction of buildings. According to National Crime Records Bureau more than 330 people died in commercial fires in 2019. Electrical faults have been identified as the main reason behind recent fires in the hospitals. The State Governments fail to implement building safety laws that make installation of modern technologies mandatory.

NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF INDIA It is the main standard fire safety compliance in public buildings. It provides the technical requirements for special buildings. Part 4 of the code deals with Fire and Line Safety.

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They recommend the location of buildings. They ensure that industrial and hazardous structures do not coexist with residential and business buildings. It provides specifications for use of certified fire-resistant materials and guidelines to design buildings. The code makes it mandatory to set up automatic fire detection system, dry riser pipelines, automatic sprinklers, fireman‘s lift escape routes, etc. The dry riser pipelines are used by the fire fighters to douse (pour a liquid) upper floors. Recent measures In September 2020, the Health Ministry circulated strict guidelines demanding for a third-party accreditation for fire safety. The Supreme Court in December 2020 directed all the states to carry out fire safety audits. The National Disaster Management Authority recently stipulated requirements for fire safety in hospitals and other public buildings.

IMPORT OF 17 MEDICAL DEVICES ALLOWED The Government of India recently allowed import of seventeen medical devices to provide relief to the COVID-19 patients. However, the importer should make mandatory declarations under Legal Metrology Rules, 2011. Which devices were allowed? The Department of Consumer Affairs has allowed the import of the following devices:  Nebulizers  oxygen concentrators  CPAP and BIPAP devices  Vacuum Pressure Swing Absorption  Pressure Swing Absorption  Oxygen Plants  Cryogenic Oxygen Air Separation Unit  oxygen canister  oxygen filling systems  oxygen cylinders including cryogenic cylinders  Ventilators About the Notification The notification issued by GoI says that the imported items should comply Rule 33(1) and Rule 6 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodity) Rules, 2011. These rules makes it mandatory for the importers to put proper stamping or stickers or online printing revealing required information. What are Legal Metrology Rules? The Legal Metrology Rules were framed to regulate pre-packaged commodities. Under the rules, the pre packaged commodities have to comply mandatory labelling requirement. The laws related to Metrology in India are as follows: Legal Metrology Act, 2009 Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011

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About Import of Medical Devices in India A person having license under the Drug and Cosmetics Act, 1940 can import medical devices in the country. Import, sale, manufacturing and distribution of medical devices are regulated by the same act. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) governs the regulations of import of medical devices in the country. CDSCO It is responsible for approval of drugs. However, recently GoI included some of the medical devices under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Currently, there are thirty seven medical devices regulated under the act.

GNCTD (AMENDMENT) ACT COMES INTO FORCE IN DELHI On April 27, 2021, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021 came into effect. The act was passed by the Parliament during the budget session. The act gives more power to Lieutenant Governor (LG). Key Provisions The act proposed that the word ―Government‖ in National Capital Territory of Delhi meant the LG of Delhi. It provides discretionary powers to the LG even in matters where the Delhi Legislature is empowered to make laws. The act seeks to ensure that the LG is granted an opportunity to give his opinion before a decision made by the Council of Ministers is implemented. The LG opinion should be obtained before the Delhi Government takes action based on decisions taken by the Cabinet. It bars the Legislative Assembly of Delhi from making rules related to day-to-day administration. Administration inf Delhi The National Capital Region is administered with a legislature that came in to existence in 1991. The Delhi Legislature was constituted under Article 239AA of the Constitution. By law, the Delhi Legislature has all powers to make laws in matters except public order, land and police. Concerns The law will take away the autonomy of the Delhi Government. Supreme Court on Delhi Legislative Assembly In 2018, the Supreme Court pronounced that the LG‘s concurrence is not required on issues other than police, land and public order. The SC had also said that the LG of Delhi is not like a Governor in other states. He is an administrator.

US PASSES BILL TO FIGHT HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS The US Senate recently passed a bill to help combat the rise of hate crimes against the Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans. The bill will support the local law enforcements in controlling the hate crimes.

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Need for the Bill The COVID-19 increased the hate crimes against the Asian Americans in the US. According to the Federal Crime Data, the hate crimes were at the highest level in over a decade in 2019. This has increased further in 2020 after COVID-19. The discrimination being reported in the US are Verbal harassment, physical assault, shunning, coughed or spat on, workplace discrimination or refusal of service. Situation in California Of all the states, California is facing a greater number of hate crimes. More than six million Asian Americans live in California. They make up more than 15% residents of the state. Between March, 2020 and May 2020, California had reported more than 800 COVID-19 related hate crimes. According to a study, these incidents have now increased by 1200%. Hate Crimes in India The Indian Penal Code makes hate crimes punishable. Sections 153 A, 153 B, 295 A, 505 (1), 298 and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code says that words spoken or written that promotes disharmony, insults, hatred on the basis of ethnicity, religion, culture, region, community, caste, race, etc is punishable under law. Other Indian laws that contain provisions related to hate speech are Information Technology Act, 2000, Representation of People Act, 1951 and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Hate Crimes in India due to COVID-19 In India, the hate crimes against Muslims are increasing due to COVID-19. Rumours are spreading in the country, especially in that Muslim men are deliberately splitting in public places to spread the virus. This has even created group clashes in Gumla district of Jharkhand.

STATEHOOD MOVEMENT IN COLUMBIA The House of Representatives in the US recently passed a bill to make Washington DC, the fifty first US state. The Washington DC Admission bill is being passed for the second time in a year. The bill will create the state of ―Washington, Douglas Commonwealth‖. It has been named after Frederick Douglass. The Washington DC is formally known as Columbia. It is the capital of United States. It is located on the Potomac river. It borders Maryland and Virginia.

ECOCIDE BILL OF FRANCE The French National Assembly recently approved the bill that makes ―Ecocide‖ an offence. Key Features Under the law, the transgressors are liable up to ten years in prison and a fine of 4.5 million Euros (that is 5.4 million USD). Transgressor is person who violates a rule or law or has done something unacceptable. The law mainly punishes those who endanger the environment or commit a general crime of pollution. Such persons will be punished with three years in prison and a fine of 300,000 Euros. Background In April 2015, the French President Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of Citizens

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Convention for Climate. The convention aimed to reduce the Green House Gas Emissions by 40% as compared to their levels in 1990. The convention proposed the idea of making ecocide a crime. Apart from creating a law against Ecocide, around 149 proposals were made in the convention. Some of them were cutting VAT in train tickets, banning domestic flights, regulating advertising on polluting products, banning domestic flights on journey that can be done by train in less than four hours. The Convention was launched as result of Gillet Jaunes Crisis. It is also called the Yellow Vests Movement. Yellow Vests Movement The movement mainly began condemning the fuel price rise in France. According the French President the fuel tax was imposed to discourage the use of fossil fuels to combat climate change. The movement called for redistributive economic policies such as increased pensions, wealth tax, higher minimum wages and reduced salaries for politicians. Definition of Ecocide The Citizens Convention for Climate defined Ecocide as ―Any action that causes serious environmental damage by contributing to overstepping the limits of the planet‖.

TRIBUNAL REFORMS ORDINANCE, 2021 The President of India recently promulgated ―The Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and conditions of Service)‖ Ordinance, 2021. It dissolved appellate authorities under nine acts and transferred their functions to high courts. Amendments The ordinance dissolved appellate tribunals under nine acts as follows:  Cinematograph Act, 1952  Copyrights Act, 1957  Trade Marks Act, 1999  Customs Act, 1962  Airports Authority of India Act, 1994  Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999  Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002  Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act, 2001  Patents Act, 1970 Also, the ordinance said that the chairperson and members of tribunals will be appointed by the Central Government based on the recommendations made by a Search-cum Select Committee. The committee will consist of Chief Justice of India, secretaries nominated by the central governments, secretary of the ministry under which the tribunal is constituted and the outgoing chairperson or a retired CJI or a retired supreme court judge. Section 184 of Finance Act, 2017 Apart from these nine acts, the Tribunal Reforms Ordinance, 2021 also amended Section 184 of the Finance Act, 2017. It has added the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission within the

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purview of Finance Act, 2017. It has removed the following bodies from the purview of Finance Act, 2017: Airport Appellate Tribunal established under the Airports Authority of India act, 1994 the Film Certification Appellate Authority established under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 the Authority of Advanced Ruling established under the Income Tax Act, 1961 the Appellate Board established under the Trade Marks Act, 1999, Article 123 The Article 123 of the Indian Constitution provides powers to president to promulgate an ordinance. An ordinance laid under the act has the same effect as that of an act.

RIGHT TO PRIVACY, REPUTATION EXTINGUISHES AFTER DEATH: MADRAS HIGH COURT The Madras High court recently pronounced that the Right to Privacy of a deceased person cannot be inherited. What is the issue? J Deepa, niece of former Chief Minister J Jayalalitha filed a plea in the High Court to stop the release of a biopic ―Thalaivi‖. The movie is based on the life of the former CM. According to the petitioner, the movie is defaming her reputation. Also, life story of Jayalalitha cannot be filmed without adding the life of her relatives into it. By this it will amount to invade her (Deepa‘s) privacy as well. Judgement The High Court pronounced that the movie is subjected to the certifications given by CBFC. And the CBFC is yet to go through the contents of the movie. Also, personality, privacy and reputation enjoyed by a person during his or her life time ends with his or her death. CBFC CBFC is Central Board of Film Certification. It is a statutory body that operates under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. It regulates the provisions of Cinematograph Act, 1952. The films that are streamed in India shall be exhibited only after being certified by CBFC. Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 The rules were recently released in February 2021. After COVID-19, the movies were released in digital platform like amazon prime, Netflix. These new rules largely cover Over the Top (OTT) media services. There are currently forty OTT service provides in India. OTT market in India is growing largely. In 2018, the OTT market value was Rs 21.5 billion and in 2019 it grew to Rs 35 billion.

ISRO ESPIONAGE CASE On April 15, 2021, the Supreme Court ordered a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe into the role of Kerala Police officers in framing Nambi Narayanan in the 1994 Espionage Case. Nambi Narayanan was a scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation.

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When did ISRO Espionage case begin? The case began with the arrest of Maldivian woman Mariam Rashida in 1994. She was arrested on the charges of overstaying her visa. Her arrest led to the arrest of Narayanan. Nambi Narayanan was the director of the cryogenic project lab of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Why was Nambi Narayanan arrested? In 1994, Nambi Narayanan was charged for leaking vital defence secrets to Maldivian intelligence officers Fauzia Hassan and Mariam Rashida. He was accused of selling confidential flight test data from the experiments with satellite and rocket launches. He was arrested and he spent fifty days in jail. In May 1996, the charges against the scientist were dismissed. It was later dismissed in Supreme Court in April 1998. In 1999, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) passed strictures against the Kerala Government for damaging Narayanan‘s career in space research. He was then given desk job at ISRO. In 2001, the National Human Rights Commission ordered the Kerala Government to pay a compensation of Rs 1 crore. He then retired in 2001. Narayanan’s fight for Justice In 2013, Narayanan pushed to get justice and bring out the people involved in framing a false case on him. In 2018, the Supreme court appointed a three-member panel to probe the case. Later a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra ordered to award Rs 50 lakh compensation for the mental cruelty suffered by the scientist all these years. In 2019, GoI conferred Padma Bhushan to Nambi Narayanan.

NEW ZEALAND CLIMATE CHANGE LAW FOR FINANCIAL FIRMS New Zealand recently introduced a bill on Climate Change for financial firms. The bill is the first of its kind in the world. New Zealand has fixed 2050 as the deadline to become carbon neutral. Key Features of the Bill It will require the insurers, banks and investment managers to report the impacts of their funding on the effect of climate change. It will also force the financial firms to evaluate the companies they are lending in terms of environmental impacts. All the banks in New Zealand with total asset more than 1 billion New Zealand dollars (703 million USD) will now have to make disclosures about their asset management. The financial firms will now have to explain how they will manage climate related risks and opportunities. Other New Zealand Legislations on Climate Change The New Zealand Government has lately taken several climate changes measures to lower green house gas emissions in the country. Some of them are as follows: In 2019, the Climate Change Response Act, 2002 was amended. According to the amendment, New Zealand intended to implement climate change policies in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

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Carbon Neutral Government Programme was set up to accelerate the reduction of emissions within the public sector. New Zealand Green Investment Finance was launched to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions. The main objective of the finance is to accelerate funding of projects that have the potential to reduce emissions. Nationally Determined Contributions of New Zealand In 2015, New Zealand ratified the Paris Agreement. The Nationally Determined Contributions of New Zealand under the agreement are as follows: To reduce green house gas emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030. US Climate Change targets More than three hundred investors and businesses have called on the Biden administration to set an ambitious climate change goal. They aim to cut US greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels. This is to be achieved by 2030.

MANDATORY GOLD HALLMARKING FROM JUNE 1 The Government of India recently announced that it is fully prepared to implement mandatory hallmarking of gold artefacts and jewellery from June 1, 2021. Currently, Gold Hallmarking is voluntary in the country. What is Gold Hallmarking? Gold Hallmarking is providing purity certification to the gold jewellery and artefacts. Only three grades of jewelleries will now be hall marked under the new regulations. They are 14- carat, 18-carat and 22-carat. Earlier, ten grades of gold jewelleries were hall marked. The new Gold Hallmark will contain four marks. They are purity in carat, BIS mark, assay centre‘s name and the identification mark of the jeweller. The system is also available for consumers who want their old jewelleries hallmarked. A person found violating the provisions will have to pay a minimum fine of Rs 1 lakh or five times the price of the article. Importance of Gold Hallmarking The mandatory hallmarking of gold will protect the public against lower carat. This will ensure that the consumers are not cheated. It will bring in transparency and will assure quality to the consumers. It will remove corruption in the system of manufacturing of jewellery. Legality of Gold Hallmarking The BIS Act, 2016 made gold hallmarking mandatory in India. The act has also identified new areas in standardisations such as E-mobility, alternate fuels, medical devices, digital technologies, smart cities and new renewable energy. The Hallmarking scheme for gold artefacts is run by BIS since 2000. Also, the BIS Hallmarking Regulations, 2018 called for hallmarking of silver jewellery and silver artefacts and also gold jewellery and gold artefacts. Uhe regulations, the penal provisions were made stringent.

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DRAFT ELECTRICITY (RIGHTS OF CONSUMERS) (AMENDMENT) RULES, 2021 The Ministry of Power recently issued a Draft Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2021. These new rules allow net metering of roof top solar systems. About the new Rules The net metering of roof top has been allowed up to 500 KW in the new rules. The following definitions were added: Gross Metering means a mechanism where the total solar energy generated from a grid interactive rooftop solar system and the energy consumed are accounted separately. Net metering is defined as the mechanism where solar energy is exported to the grid from grid interactive rooftop solar PV (Photo Voltaic) system. The energy imported from the grid and the energy exported to the grid are valued at two different tariffs. These amendments have been made to the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020. Electricity is a concurrent subject.

Electricity (Right of Consumers) Rules, 2020 The rules mainly cover aspects of power supply to the consumers. It mainly includes metering arrangements, obligations of distribution licenses, release of new connections, grievance redressal, modifications of existing connections and compensation mechanisms. No connection shall be provided without meters. The meter used should be prepayment meter or smart prepayment meter. The meters should have provisions for testing. The consumer shall have the option to pay bills offline or online. Also, he shall be provided with advance payment of bills. A prosumer will enjoy the same rights as that of a consumer. A prosumer is a person who produces and consumes power. Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum should include prosumer and consumer representations.

SUPREME COURT: ADULTS ARE FREE TO CHOOSE THEIR RELIGION The Supreme Court recently refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) of a BJP leader that sought directions to ban superstition, black magic, and fraudulent religious conversions. SC Judgement The Apex court pronounced that the PIL violates Article 25 of the Constitution. According to the bench headed by Justice R F Nariman, that pronounced the judgement, the word ―propagate‖ in Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees right to religion. Constitution on religion The Right to Freedom is guaranteed to all religious followers under the following articles: Article 25 Article 26 Article 27 Article 28 Article 25

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Article 25 guarantees freedom to propagate, practice and profess religion to all citizens. The article allows the states to make laws: Regulating and restricting economic, financial, political, and secular activities associated with religious practices. To provide social welfare and reform or opening Hindu religious institutions to all classes of Hindus. Article 26 Article 26 speaks about Freedom to manage religious affairs. Every religion has the right to form and maintain institutions for charitable intents. Every religion has the right to acquire movable and immovable property. Every religion has the right to manage its own affairs in the matter of religion. Every religion has the right to administer properties according to law. Article 27 The Article 27 of the constitution prevents payment of taxes for promotion of a particular religion. According to the article, there shall be no taxes imposed by any institution or organisation or by the Governments (both state and centre) for the promotion or maintenance of a particular religion. Article 28 The Article 28 of the Constitution speaks about freedom to attend any religious instructions or religious worships in educational institutions. No religious instructions shall be issued in state run educational institutions.

CENTRAL MINE PLANNING AND DESIGN INSTITUTE GETS DRONE USE PERMISSION The Ministry of Civil Aviation recently granted permission to the Central Mine Planning Design Institute to survey the coal field areas of Coal India Limited. According to the permission granted, the drones shall be deployed to monitor the mapping and surveying activity, inspection of coalfield. This is a conditional exemption and is valid till April 4, 2022. The Standard Operating Procedure to the Central Mine Planning Design Institute for flying the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in the coalfield areas says that exemption from Ministry of Civil Aviation must be obtained from UAS Rules, 2021 before operation. UAS Rules, 2021 No Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) shall carry payload except as permitted by DGCA. No person shall drop from a UAS in motion. Only Nano class drones can operate in India. However, a qualified remote pilot will be permitted to operate heavy drones. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has full powers to inspect the manufacturing of Unmanned Aerial System or its maintenance facility. One must be at least eighteen years old to own a drone. The Food Startups have been permitted to conduct trials for drones. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation will issue a separate set of rules to enable use of drones for delivering medical supplies or e-commerce.

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Central Mine Planning and Design Institute It is a subsidiary of Coal India Limited. It is a Public Sector Undertaking. It has been rated as a Schedule B and Mini Ratna-II company. It is engaged in field of environmental engineering and provides consultancy and engineering services all over the world.

COPYRIGHT (AMENDMENT) RULES, 2021 The Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently notified Copyright (Amendment) rules, 2021. The amendment has been made to bring the existing Copyright rules in the country with parity with the other relevant legislations. Current Scenario Currently, the Copyright regime of India is governed by Copyright Act, 1957 and the Copyright rules 2013. Why were the amendments made? The main objective of the amendment of Copyright Rules is to ensure smooth and flawless compliance in the light of technological advancement in digital era. The new rules will help India adopt towards electronic means as primary mode of communication. It is highly important to achieve the goals of Digital India. What are the amendments made? The Copyright societies will have to make an Annual Transparency Report for each financial year. The amendments have harmonised the Copyright rules with the provisions of Finance Act, 2017. This has been achieved by merging Copyright Board with the Appellate Board. The compliance requirements of registration works have been largely reduced. The applicant now has the liberty to file the first ten and last ten pages of source code with no blocked out or redacted portions. The time limit of the Central Government to respond to an application has been extended. When an applicant applies to get registered as a copyright society, the central government shall now respond in one hundred and eighty days. This has been done to provide enough time so that the application can be comprehensively examined. What is Copyright? Copyright is a type is intellectual property. It gives the owner exclusive right to make copies of his or her creative work. It can be education, artistic, literary or music. According to World Intellectual Property Organisation, Copyright protects two types of rights. They are Economic rights and moral rights. Economic rights allow the owners to derive financial reward from the use of their works. On the other hand, the moral rights allow authors to take certain actions to protect their link with their work.

UTTAR PRADESH REGULATION OF URBAN PREMISES TENANCY (SECOND) ORDINANCE 2021 The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet recently approved the Uttar Pradesh Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy (second) Ordinance, 2021. The ordinance will reduce the tenancy disputes. Key Features of the Ordinance

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The ordinance makes it mandatory to sign contract will to rent out a property. This is being done to safeguard the interests of both the tenant and the owner. The ordinance will establish rent authority and rent tribunal to solve disputes. Currently there are no clear mechanisms for conflict resolution. Significance The ordinance will help 1.1 crore vacant homes in the urban region to get suitable tenants in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It will encourage people to invest in more properties for renting purposes. It will help in bringing robustness and dynamism to the real estate market. This is because the provisions in the ordinance will reduce the friction between property owners and tenants. The ordinance is very much similar to the Draft Model Tenancy Act. Model Tenancy Act The Model Tenancy Act was framed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It is yet to be passed in the parliament. The key features of the Model Tenancy Act are as follows: Formation of Rent Authority. Every tenancy agreement should be reported to this rent authority. For non-residential tenancy, the residential housing security deposit is to be capped at one month interval and for residential-housing security deposit is to be capped at two months interval. The landlords should provide access to basic amenities. The landlords cannot hike the property rent in the middle of a tenancy term. The tenants shall not sublet the property without the permission of the landlord

INSOLVENCY AND BANKRUPTCY CODE AMENDMENT ORDINANCE, 2021 The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind recently promulgated the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021. The ordinance will allow pre-packaged insolvency resolution process for MSMEs. The Pre-packaged Insolvency Resolution Process is called PIRP. About the Ordinance The ordinance introduces a pre-packaged insolvency resolution process for corporate persons classified as MSMEs under the MSME Development Act, 2006. Chapter III-A has been introduced to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 under the amendment. It explains the initiation of resolution, duties of resolution professional and eligibilities to take the benefits of pre-packaged insolvency resolution processes, etc. What is the main objective of the ordinance? The ordinance aims to provide an efficient alternative insolvency resolution process for the corporate persons classified as MSMEs. How will the ordinance benefit the corporates? The ordinance allows the corporate debtor to submit a ―base resolution plan‖ to the resolution professional. However, the debtor should have the plan ready before approaching the creditors to initiate PIRP. If the committee of creditors did not approve the plan, then the resolution professional shall invite applicants to submit different plans. Applicability The new pre-pack framework is applicable to MSMEs with a maximum default value of Rs 1 crore.

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A PIRP cannot run in parallel to a CIRP. CIRP is Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process. The PIRP should have a three-year cooling off period from the closure of the other PIRP or CIRP. Control of Company during PIRP During the PIRP framework, the management of affairs of the corporate debtor will continue to vest with the Board of Directors. What is the difference between PIRP and normal IBC process? PIRP is applicable only to MSMEs. On the other hand, IBC is applicable to all the corporate debtors. PIRP has a default threshold of Rs 1 crore. IBC deals with threshold greater than Rs 1 crore. PIRP provides 90 days of timeline to submit a resolution plan. On the other hand, the IBC provides 180 days. The management control lies with the corporate debtor in possession with creditor in control. On the other hand, the management control in IBC lies with the creditor in control.

POLICE AND CRIME BILL: WHY ARE PEOPLE PROTESTING IN UK? In the United Kingdom, thousands are protesting against the new legislation introduced in the British Parliament. The new legislation is called the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, 2021. The protests against the bill have been named as ―Kill the Bill‖ protest. Why is Police and Crime Bill being passed? Currently, the British Police is using public order legislation called the Public Order Act passed in 1986 to manage the protests in the country. However, according to the British Government, this legislation is no longer fit to manage the types of protests that are faced in the country. The ―April Uprising‖ is being cited as an example where the protests went out of control. The British Police spent 16 million USD to control the April Uprising. Police and Crime Bill features The bill widens the range of conditions that the police shall impose on protests. They can impose conditions such as start and finish times. Also, they can fix maximum permissible noise in static protests. The bill will introduce a statutory offence of public nuisance. This means that it will provide clarity on forbidden conducts such as producing smells or noise, dangerous behaviour in public (like hanging from bridges, etc). If the protestors fail to follow police directions in conducting the protests, they shall be fined up to 2,500 Euros. Maximum sentences for assaults against the emergency service workers. The bill provides powers to closely monitor offenders released from prison. Why are people protesting against the bill? According to the critics, the provisions of the bill will provide more rights to the police to control and monitor the protests. The Labour Party of UK opposes the following provisions of the bill: The bill criminalises protestors even for making noise.

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It also accuses persons for creating serious annoyance or serious inconvenience. Such persons can be imprisoned for a period for ten years.

NATIONAL REGISTER FOR DRIVING LICENSES: KEY FACTS The Ministry of Road Transport recently announced that the National Register for Driving Licenses is to be created. This is being done to remove duplication of driving licenses in the country. Most of the states are already on the SARATHI portal of National Informatics Centre. These states have been instructed to migrate to the newly created national register. About the register Around 1.5 lakh deaths occur in India annually due to road crashes. Most of these accidents are due to driver‘s fault. The register will include separate section to show the names of the people whose driving licenses were revoked. Also, the register will red-flag them. This will help to minimise rash driving in the country. Driving License in India Indian driving license norms permit use of electronic document for a learner‘s license, medical certificate and renewal of driving license. The complete process of obtaining the learner‘s license has been made online. The driving licenses shall be renewed one year before the date of expiry. The need to furnish vehicles for inspection at the RTO (Regional Transport Office) for registration has been cancelled. Types of Driving License in India The different types of permanent driving license in India are as follows Motorcycle without gear: The applicant should be at least sixteen years old to get this license. Also, he or she should get a consent from his or her parent or guardian. Motorcycles with gear: The applicant should be at least eighteen years old to get this license. Commercial Heavy Vehicles: The applicant should have completed eighth standard and should be at least eighteen years old. , 1988 The eligibilities and rules to obtain a driving license have been provided under Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. According to the act, a theoretical test (15 multiple choice questions) on basic driving and traffic rules should be conducted at the RTO when a person applies for license. Section 130 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 allows a police officer to ask for vehicle related documents. When asked, the driver should produce the documents within fifteen days at the police station or at the concerned department. Speed Limits in India In April 2018, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways fixed the maximum speed on expressways as 120 km/hr. The speed limit for national highways is 100 km/hr. The speed limit for urban roads is 70 km/hr for M1 category vehicles. The M1 category vehicles are those that have less than eight seats.

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WHAT IS ARTICLE 244(A) OF THE CONSTITUTION? Recently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a video message promised to implement Article 244 (A) of the Constitution in order to safeguard the interests of the people in tribal-majority districts of Assam. What is Article 244(A) of the Constitution? Article 244(A) of the Constitution allows the creation of an ‗autonomous state‘ within Assam in certain tribal areas. It was inserted into the Constitution by the Congress government in the year 1969. It also includes a provision for a Legislature and a Council of Ministers. How the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution is different from Article 244(A)? The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution — Articles 244(2) and 275(1) — is a special provision that allows decentralized governance and greater political autonomy in certain tribal areas of the Northeast through autonomous councils that are administered by elected representatives. If we talk about Assam, the hill districts of Karbi Anglong, West Karbi, Dima Hasao, and the Bodo Territorial Region are under the provision of the 6th schedule. On the other hand, Article 244(A) provides more autonomous powers to tribal areas. Why is the demand for implementing Article 244(A) in Assam? Initially, a demand for a separate hill state came up in certain sections of the tribal population of undivided Assam in the 1950s. In the year 1960, several political parties of the hill areas came together to form the All Party Hill Leaders Conference and put forward the demand for a separate state. As a result of these prolonged agitations, Meghalaya was formed in the year 1972. At that time, the leaders of the North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong were also part of this movement. They were given an option to stay in Assam or join Meghalaya. They stayed in Assam on the promise of the Congress government of providing greater powers, including Article 244 (A). Since then, there has been a demand for implementing Article 244 (A) in the state. In the 1980s, a violent movement also took place for the demand. Recently in February 2021, around 1,040 militants of five militant groups of Karbi Anglong district laid down arms at an event in Guwahati in the presence of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY OF DELHI (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2021 GETS PRESIDENTIAL ASSENT On March 28th 2021, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021, which gives primacy to the Lieutenant Governor over the elected Government, got assent from President Ramnath Kovind. What is the Act all about? The Act has amended sections (21, 24, 33 and 44) of previous act of 1991. In summary, it says that the ‗Government‘ in NCT of Delhi means the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi. The Bill says that the opinion of LG should be obtained before making any executive decision based on decisions taken by the Cabinet or any minister. The Act also empowers the LG with discretionary powers in matters where the Legislative Assembly make laws. It prohibits the Assembly and its committees from making rules to commence matters concerning everyday administration or to have inquiries in relation to administrative decisions.

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Present Delhi administration The Existing Act of 1991 allows the Legislative Assembly to make laws in every matter except the Public order, Police and Land. Under Article 239AA of the Constitution given by the 69th Amendment Act, 1991, Delhi is a Union territory with a legislative assembly. Changes after the President Assent Earlier, elected government was not sending the files of any executive decisions to L-G before implementation. It has been keeping the L-G alongside in administrative developments, but it was not always before implementing or executing any decision. After the assent, the elected government is bound to take the L-G‘s advice before taking any decision. Why state government is unhappy? The continuous tussle between the centre and elected government was mostly regarding the decision making policy and the L-G‘s powers. In 2018, the Supreme Court judgment gave the Delhi Government an upper hand in policy decisions. The Elected government sources always said that due to the SC‘s judgments, the Delhi government is able to clear policies easily. As per the state government, the amendment will substantially take away the government‘s autonomy and the desire of full statehood to Delhi.

SUPREME COURT REFUSES TO STAY SALE OF FRESH ELECTORAL BONDS Supreme Court of India, on March 26, 2021, refused to stay sale of fresh set of electoral bonds from 1 April. This decision was taken ahead of assembly elections across four states; Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu and in Union Territory of Puducherry. Highlights Supreme Court, while refusing the stay, underlines that these bonds were allowed to be released in 2018 and 2019 without any interruption. There exists no justification to stay these bonds as sufficient safeguards are there. Apex Court also highlighted that; electoral bonds not only benefit the ruling party. Background Supreme Court Bench; comprising of Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde, Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian; was hearing the plea filed by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) which was asking to stay the electoral bonds ahead of assembly polls. NGO claimed that any further sale of electoral bonds ahead of upcoming assembly polls in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will increase illegal and illicit funding for political parties through shell companies. Arguments made by ADR Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for ADR, argued against electoral bonds. He argued that, electoral bonds had turned into a tool to receive bribes in the name of donations for ruling party. He also cited that misgivings of Reserve Bank of India about these bonds. RBI termed these bonds as the type of weapon or medium for financial scams. He further added that; electoral bonds were proof of real approach to black money as against its official stance.

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Electoral Bond Proposal to issue Electoral Bond was announced in 2017-28. It is a financial instrument similar to promissory note which is used to make donations to political parties and is issued by Scheduled Commercial banks after authorisation from Central Government. It is issued only against cheque and digital payments which is redeemable in designated account of a registered political party within the prescribed time limit.

PARLIAMENT PASSES „NATIONAL BANK FOR FINANCING INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT BILL‟ Parliament passed ―National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill, 2021‖ (NBFID Bill) after Rajya Sabha approves it on March 25, 2021. Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on March 24, 2021. NBFID Bill The bill seeks to establish a National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development to support ‗infrastructure financing‘ across the country. NBFID would work as a principal development financial institution (DFIs). It includes development of bonds and derivatives markets which are required for infrastructure financing. National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NBFID) NBFID will be set up as a corporate statutory body. It will have the authorized share capital of one lakh crore rupees along with financial and developmental objectives. It will act as a catalyst for the ecosystem of infrastructure funding. NBFID will be answerable to Parliament. It will be managed by chairman & board nominated professionals who will be appointed by Government. Shares of NBFID can be held by central government, financial institutions, pension funds, insurers, multilateral institutions, Banks, sovereign wealth funds, and other institution prescribed by central government. Financial objectives of NBFID Financial Objectives includes- to lend, invest or pull investments directly or indirectly for infrastructure projects entirely or partly in India. Developmental objectives of NBFID Developmental objectives include- to facilitate development of market for bonds, loans and derivatives to finance the infrastructure. Development Financial Institution (DFIs) DFIs are set up to provide long-term finance for those segments of economy where risks involved are beyond acceptable limits of commercial banks and other financial institutions. DFIs do not accept deposits from people. Instead, they source funds from market, government and multi-lateral institutions. They are often supported by government guarantees.

RAJYA SABHA PASSES GNCTD AMENDMENT BILL Rajya Sabha passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 on March 24, 2021. It amends the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 which provides for certain provisions regarding functioning of Legislative Assembly and government of Delhi.

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Highlights The bill was passed amid uproar by opposition and walkout by MPs of several parties. It was passed in Rajya Sabha by a voice vote. However, opposition asked for division when the government moved bill for consideration. 83 members voted favour while 45 members opposed it. Just before the passage of the bill, Congress party too walked out. Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on 22 March, 2021. Provisions of the Bill The Bill amends certain powers and responsibilities of Legislative Assembly and Lieutenant Governor. According to the Bill, ―government‖ in Delhi means Lieutenant Governor (LG). Bill provides that Rules related to procedure and conduct of the business in assembly must be consistent with Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. It prohibits Legislative Assembly from making any rule to enable itself or its Committees to consider matters of day-to-day administration of Delhi or conduct any inquiry into administrative decisions. Bill makes all such rules made before its enactment void. Bill also provides that, LG‘s opinion must be obtained before taking any executive action on the decisions of Minister or Council of Ministers. It also requires for LG to reserve those bills for President which cover any matter outside the purview of powers of Legislative Assembly.

PARLIAMENT PASSES FINANCE BILL 2021 Parliament has passed the ―Finance Bill 2021‖ on March 23, 2021. Bill seeks to bring financial proposals of central government in effect for the financial year 2021-22. Highlights Bill was passed by lower house of the Parliament with several amendments. It proposes for some changes in proposals which were made in union budget 2021 with the objective of boosting the ease of doing business and easing compliance burden. Finance Bill 2021 The bill provides 10-year income-tax exemption to National Bank in order to Finance the Infrastructure and Development. It also provides for 5-year tax exemption to the private sector development finance institutions. The exemption is extendable to another five years. Bill amends the Finance Act, Income Tax Act, 1961; Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956; Central Sales Tax Act, 1956; Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956 and SEBI Act, 1992. According to the bill, senior citizens who gets pension and interest income have exempted from filing tax returns. However, no changes have been made in the income tax rate. New provisions to the Income Tax Act, 1961 This provision will discourage the practice of not filing returns by ‗specified person‘ whose case has been deducted or collected. Further, person in whose case TDS/TCS of Rs. 50,000 has been made for past two years and who has defaulted in filing return of income then the rate TDS/TCS will be deducted at higher rates. Limited liability partnership Act, 2008 Finance Minister also proposed to take up decriminalisation of Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008 on the lines of decriminalisation of procedural and technical compoundable offences under Companies Act, 2013.

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Small Companies’ definition The minister also proposed to revise definition of small companies under Companies Act, 2013 for the small Companies by increasing their thresholds of Paid-up capital. Threshold has been increased from ―not exceeding Rs 50 lakh‖ to ―not exceeding Rs 2 crore‖.

SC WAIVES INTEREST IN LOAN MORATORIUM SCHEME The Supreme Court of India has refused to interfere with the decision of the government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on the loan moratorium scheme declining to extend moratorium period of six-months. Highlights The supreme court has also highlighted that the additional reliefs like total waiver of interest cannot be allowed because it will affect the depositors. The apex court also added that no interest on interest will be charged on the borrowers during moratorium period irrespective of loan amount. If any amount has been collected will be refunded. Background The Supreme Court pronounced its verdict following a batch of pleas by several trade associations from the real estate and power sectors who were seeking an extension of the loan moratorium and other reliefs in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The bench headed by justice Ashok Bhushan had reserved the verdict on December 17, 2020. Centre’s Take The Centre had submitted in the court that, if it were to consider the waiving interest on all the loans & advances of all the categories of borrowers for six-month moratorium period, then the amount foregone will account for more than Rs 6 trillion. If banks were to bear the burden of this amount then, it would necessarily wipe out the substantial part of their net worth. It will also render most of the lenders unviable. Loan Moratorium Loan Moratorium is the period of time wherein the lenders do not have to pay an EMI on the loan they have taken. This period is also EMI holiday. Such breaks are offered to help the individuals who are facing the temporary financial difficulties to plan their finances in a better manner. In India, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had announced the loan moratorium scheme which allowed the lending institutions to grant the temporary relief to the borrowers in their installments of term loans amid the covid-19 pandemic. This was announced with the aim of providing the borrowers more time to pay their EMIs because of the economic fallout

NEW VEHICLE SCRAPPING POLICY- HIGHLIGHTS The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has introduced the Vehicle Scrapping Policy on March 18, 2021 in the Lok Sabha which will come into effect from April 1, 2021. It was first announced by Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget Speech 2021-2022 on February 1, 2021. Highlights The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways highlighted that; 51 lakhs of the light motor vehicles which are 20 years old and more will be scrapped under this policy. He further stated that,

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34 lakhs of light motor vehicles are older than 15 years while around 51 lakhs of light motor vehicles are older than 20 years. According to him, 17 lakh medium & heavy commercial vehicles are older than 15 years. About Vehicle Scrapping Policy The Union Minister highlighted that this scrapping policy will bring the transformational changes in automobile sector by reducing the vehicular emission of pollutants. The policy was introduced with the aim of creating an ecosystem to phase out the unfit, old and polluting vehicles. Under the policy, personal vehicles will have to undergo the fitness tests at the automated centres after 20 years. On the other hand, the commercial vehicles will have to undergo the fitness test after 15 years. If the vehicles failed to pass the fitness test for three times, the owner would not be able to drive it on the road. Significance of the policy The policy will help to encourage the environment-friendly, fuel-efficient vehicles. Thus, it will reduce the vehicular pollution and oil import bill. It will also improve the road safety. With the implementation of the new vehicles, recyclable materials such as steel, plastic and copper can be reused. Thus, the overall vehicle cost will be reduced. Once the old vehicles are scrapped, sale of the new vehicles will boost which will provide boost to the automobile industry of the country. It will also boost the fuel efficiency of the vehicles and would attract the investments.

MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2020 The Parliament has cleared the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The bill was approved in the Rajya Sabha March 16, 2021. The bill was already passed in the Lok Sabha on March 17,2020. Highlights The bill was passed with the objective of amending the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. It seeks to increase the upper limit of legal abortions to 24 weeks for the special categories of women. This increase in the upper limit of the abortions was done in light with the advancement of the medical technologies which has made it possible to allow removal of foetus even at the advanced stage of pregnancy. Key Features of the Bill Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 proposes for the opinion from one provider to terminate the pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation. It has introduced the requirement of opinion from the two providers in order to terminate the pregnancy up to 20-24 weeks. The bill also increases the upper gestation limit from 20 weeks to 24 weeks for the special categories of women like survivors of rape, differently-abled women, minors and victims of incest. The bill proposes that the upper gestation limit will not be applicable in cases of substantial foetal abnormalities if it is diagnosed by Medical Board. The composition, functions and other details of the Medical Board will be provided under the Act. The bill also proposes that, the name and other such details of woman whose pregnancy has been terminated should only be revealed to the person authorised by law.

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Aim of the Bill The amendments in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill was brought about with the objective of expanding the women‘s access to safe and legal abortion services on eugenic, therapeutic, social & humanitarian grounds.

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR ALLIED AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONS BILL, 2020 Rajya Sabha has passed the ―National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professional Bill, 2020‖ by voice vote on March 16, 2021. The Bill seeks to regulate & maintain the standards of education & services by allied & healthcare professionals. Key Provisions of the Bill The bill was passed with the aim of fulfilling the long-pending demands for the sector. The bill will create an institutional structure in order to enhance the employability. It will benefit around 8 to 9 lakh existing allied and healthcare professionals. With the implementation of the bill, these professionals will be more ready to cater the global shortage and demand of 1.80 crore professional by 2030 which was predicted by WHO global workforce report. It also provides for regulation and maintenance of the standards of education & services by allied & healthcare professionals. It also provides for the assessment of institutions and maintenance of the central and state register. The bill also seeks to create the system in order to improve the research & development and adoption of the latest scientific advancement. Allied & Healthcare Professional Allied and healthcare professions include a huge range of workers to diagnose, evaluate and treat the acute and chronic diseases. These health professions further work to optimise the patient outcomes. They also look after the overall prevention, promotion, wellness and management of the diseases. Why this bill was tabled? The statement of objects and reasons of the Bill stated that, advancement in the health sector, changing preferences of the consumers & service providers led to the creation of a new vision of healthcare delivery. This healthcare delivery is following more of the patient-centric approach. It also focuses on moving towards the multi-disciplinary team-based care. Background The Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018, was introduced in Rajya Sabha in 2018. It then referred to the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee. The committee recommended several amendments. Thus, the bill was withdrawn and a new Bill called the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2020 was introduced which incorporated the recommendations made by the panel.

SUPREME COURT‟S SUGGESTION ON SAVING GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD The Supreme Court of India has given its suggestion in the behalf of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustards after the number of birds falling dead due to collision with power lines is increasing over time.

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These power line run through the dwindling natural habitats of the Indian Bustards in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Supreme Court’s Take The Bench led by Chief Justice, Sharad A. Bobde, will examine whether the overhead power lines could be replaced with the underground cable lines in order to save the heaviest flying birds. The court also found an alternative mechanism that is to install the flight bird diverters in order to guide the birds away from power lines would not be a cost-effective method. In fact, such diverters are of the nature of recurring costs and will cost more than installing and maintaining the underground lines. Centre’s Take However, the Attorney General K.K. Venugopal appeared for the Power Ministry and submitted that only low voltage lines can be replaced but not the high voltage cables. Great Indian bustard The scientific name of the Indian Bustard is Ardeotis nigriceps. This bustard is found on Indian subcontinent. It is a large bird having a horizontal body and long bare legs. It has an ostrich like appearance. It is one among the heaviest flying birds. The bird was once common along the dry plains of Indian subcontinent. But it reduced to 250 in 2011 which further reduced to 150 in 2018. The bird is listed as ―Critically Endangered‖ and is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 in India.

RAJYA SABHA PASSES NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD TECHNOLOGY BILL 2019 The Rajya Sabha has approved the ―National Institute of Food Technology Bill, 2019‖ on March 15, 2021. Provision of the Bill This bill declares the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli in Haryana and Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology, Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu as the ―National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management‖. Bill also establishes a board of Governors which will act as the principal executive body in the institute. This board would be responsible for general direction, superintendence, and control of the affairs in institutes. Functions of institutes The bill also provides for the functions of the institutes. The functions include: 1. To provide instruction, research, and knowledge dissemination in the areas of food science and technology. 2. To hold the examinations and grant degrees, diplomas, certificates and other academic distinctions and titles 3. To determine and collect fees & other charges 4. To institute and make appointments for the academic and other posts excluding Director.

Highlights While addressing the doubts of the members, the Agricultural minister also said that Reservation policy will also be applicable on these institutes‖. The minister also assured that people who are

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working in the food technology will be given representation in these institutes. The bill was introduced in the light that, India is currently facing the challenges in food storage, cold chain and processing of the food. As per a report, Further, food worth USD 14 billion is wasted in India while every third child is suffering from malnutrition. Thus, more such institutes are required to manage the entire food chain and skill development & training of the food processing units. Further, the law will create jobs and will make the farmers an entrepreneur. Background The ―National Institute of Food Technology Bill‖ was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in the month of February 2019 by the Minister of Food Processing Industries, Ms. Harsimrat Kaur Badal. After that, it was referred to the Standing Committee. Several amendments of the bill were approved by the Cabinet. Following which, the bill is being discussed in the house.

AYUSH EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL TO BE SET UP The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, informed the Parliament that AYUSH ministry is holding consultations with the stakeholder to explore the setting up of an AYUSH Export Promotion Council (EPC). The government is also exploring the procedural steps which would be involved in setting up the council. Highlights In a reply, the minister said that, the ―Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)‖ has been tasked to coordinate with the Department of Commerce and the Indian Industry members who have shown their interest in forming the corpus for AYUSH export promotion council. Ministry of AYUSH has also set up a task force to expand the trade classification, quality control and standardization of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) & Herbal Products. The recommendations provided by the task force are under examination by the government current. HS Codes The minister also highlighted that, most of the products of Ayurveda, Homoeopathic, Siddha, Unani systems, Sowa Rigpa, Medicinal plant products and Herbal Products are not identified under the specific HS Codes. Thus, the government is taking several steps to standardize the of HS Code for AYUSH in order to achieve price and quality competitiveness which in turn will boost the exports. HS Code is an International Harmonised Commodity Description & Coding System and an international nomenclature to classify the products. This code allows the participating countries to classify the traded goods on common basis for the purposes of customs. Why this council is being set up? The AYUSH product is gaining popularity across the world because of which the exports of AYUSH products have also increased. Thus, there is a need to upscale the AYUSH sector so as to meet the growing demands from India and world. Thus, the export promotion council is being set up to manage the export related aspects of the AYUSH Products.

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INDIA TO PROPOSE CRYPTOCURRENCY BAN India is preparing to propose for a law to ban the cryptocurrencies, to fine anyone who is trading in India or to fine anyone even for holding such digital assets. India will be rolling out the rule in a potential blow to millions of the investors who are piling into red-hot asset class. Highlights The bill that will be proposed would be one of the strictest policies in the World against cryptocurrencies. The bill would be criminalising the possession, issuance, mining, trading and transferring of the cryptoassets. The bill would provide the holders of cryptocurrencies up to six months to liquidate. After six months, penalties would be imposed. If this bill would become a law, then India will become the first major economy that will hold the cryptocurrency illegal. The other major economy, China, though have banned mining & trading of the cryptocurrency but it has not penalised its possession. Background The central government will propose this bill in line with the government agenda of banning the private virtual currencies like bitcoin apart from building a framework for the official digital currency. Bitcoin Transaction across world Bitcoin is the world‘s biggest cryptocurrency. The currency hit a record high of $60,000 on March 13, 2021. This volume accounts for the double than what it was in previous years. The amount has doubled because its acceptance for payments has increased with the support of high-profile backers like CEO of Tesla Inc, Elon Musk. Indian government is to ban the use of cryptocurrency in India, despite that the transaction volume in India are increasing. In India, nearly 8 million investors are holding 100 billion rupees as per the estimates of industry. Cryptocurrency It is a digital asset which works as a medium of exchange where individual coin ownership records are stored in the ledger in the form of computerized database. These records are stored using a strong cryptography so as to secure the transaction records. It also helps in controlling the creation of additional coins and also verify the transfer of coin ownership.

DRAFT NATIONAL E-COMMERCE POLICY-HIGHLIGHTS The government discussing and is in process of developing regulations for the personal and non- personal data through the Draft National e-commerce policy. The policy highlights that the government have laid down the principles regarding the usage of data for development of any of the industry where such norms are not in effect. With the draft policy, the government put an adequate safeguard that seeks to prevent misuse and access of data by the unauthorized persons. Highlights The draft policy states that, sharing of data for the industrial development will be encouraged and it will also provide for a sharing mechanism to regulate the data. Government will lay down the principles to use data for the purpose of developing any e-commerce, industry, consumer

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protection, economic security, national security and law enforcement. The draft policy seeks to safeguards the misuse and access of data by any unauthorized persons. The draft highlights that, government recognises the importance of data and needs to use data initiating from India for Indian entities first. About e-commerce policy The draft e-commerce policy was drafted and released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The e-Commerce Policy lays down several regulating strategies in order to address the issues regarding the data privacy, maintenance of level playing field and sector- Consumer protection. What was the need for policy? The average internet usage of the users in India have increased over time. In the year 2014, average monthly data consumption in India stood at just 0.26 GB per person which had increased to 4GB by 2017. This increase in the internet usage means that more data is being generated. Thus, the need for greater regulation was felt by prioritizing the privacy and consumer protection which in turn benefit the domestic economy. This policy was needed to ensure a competition in market in order to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation.

CENTRE‟S PANEL FOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN NCR DISSOLVED The Panel for Air Quality Management set by the Central government in around the National Capital Region has now been dissolved after five months of its constitution. Highlights The Panel was set by the Centre government in the month of October 2020. Now the panel stands dissolved because the ordinance which was passed to set up the panel has lapsed. Ordinance had to be introduced in Parliament within six weeks. But it was not introduced within the prescribed time because of which the ordinance lapsed. The panel was headed by a former secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, M.M. Kutty. About Panel for Air Quality Management The statutory authority called the commission for Air Quality Management was set after the President signed the ―Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region (NCR) and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020‖. This panel was constituted to monitor the Air Quality in NCR and the Adjoining Areas. This ordinance also dissolved the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA). The ordinance was passed in a bid to consolidate all the monitoring bodies and to bring a uniform platform in order to carry the air quality management in a comprehensive and efficient manner. Background The air quality monitoring and management in Delhi NCR region has been done by multiple bodies such as EPCA, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), state pollution control boards and the state governments in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh. They are monitored by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEFCC) and Supreme Court. The supreme court monitors the air quality in accordance with ‗M C Mehta vs Union of India‘, 1988 case judgement.

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Composition of Commission The Commission was headed by full-time chairperson who happens to be the Secretary to Government of India or the Chief Secretary to State government. It was also composed of the members from various ministries and representatives from stakeholder states. It also comprised of experts from civil society, Indian Space Research Organisation and CPCB.

RAJYA SABHA PASSES ARBITRATION AND CONCILIATION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2021 The Parliament has passed the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 after the Rajya Sabha cleared it on March 10, 2021. This bill was already passed in the Lok Sabha in February, 2021. Key Points The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill seeks to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The legislation comprises of the provisions of dealing with the domestic and international arbitration. It defines the law to conduct conciliation proceedings. It replaces the Ordinance comprising of the same provisions that was promulgated on November 4, 2020. The legislation deals with the domestic and international arbitration. Provisions of the Bill 1. The bill comprises of the provision of ―Automatic stay on awards‖. Earlier, the act of 1996 had allowed the party to file application in order to set aside the order given in the arbitration proceeding. 2. It specifies that the count can stay the arbitral award, even if there is pendency of setting aside of application, when the court is satisfied that relevant arbitration agreement or contract or making of award was induced by fraud or corruption. 3. Schedule seven of the principal act (Act of 1996) specifies some qualifications, experience, and accreditation norms for the arbitrators. The arbitrator must be: An advocate under the Advocates Act, 1961 along with the 10 years of experience An officer of Indian Legal Service. The bill of 2021 removes the Schedule seven for arbitrators and mention that these qualifications, experience, and norms will only be specified under regulations by the regulators. Background The Arbitration and Conciliation Act of 1996 is the main governing law of the arbitration. This act was enacted with the aim of consolidating and amending the law related to the international commercial arbitration, domestic arbitration and enforcement of the foreign award. It also seeks to define the law related to the conciliation.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR: DRAFT EXCISE POLICY TO ALLOT RETAIL LIQUOR VENDS The government has put a ―Draft Excise Policy‖ in public domain with respect to the government‘s proposal to allot the retail liquor vends through e-auction. This move was taken by the government in order to generate more revenue for the exchequer in the Union territory. It will also remove the possibility of cartelization and monopolistic practices.

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Excise Policy 2021-22 This policy will be finalized soon by the government. This policy has been drafted with the aim of rationalizing the number of taxes or duties and other levies. This will help in optimizing the revenue for common good and encouraging the transition from high alcoholic content beverages to low. It will also bring about a greater social consciousness regarding the harmful effects of consumption of liquor and alcoholic beverages. Finally, it will check bootlegging or smuggling of liquor in Union Territories from neighbouring States or Union Territories. Provisions of the policy According to the Excise Policy, the vends will be allotted for the period of one year in accordance with the provisions of J&K Excise Act and Rules. Further, total number of shops which will be allocated will be the same as the existing numbers of shops. The policy also comprises no provisions for increasing the number of vends to be auctioned. How the vends will be allocated? The vends will be allotted in those areas where these shops are operational currently. Vends will be allotted through e-auction portal in a secured and transparent manner. One can apply for any number of locations for vends, but they will be allocated only one location to negate the cartelization and monopolistic practices. Further, the bidder must be above the age 21 and should have a domicile of Jammu & Kashmir. The bidder should not be convicted or charge-sheeted for any offence in accordance with J&K Excise Act.

ODISHA'S FIRST SURVEY OF BACKWARD CLASSES The Odisha government will start the first state survey of ―social and educational conditions‖ of people belonging to the backward classes from May 1 to May 20, 2021. Highlights In the state of Odisha, there are around 209 communities which are identified as the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs). They account for 54% of the Population in Odisha. Background The proposal to carry the survey on SEBCs was approved by the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC) February 26, 2021. About the Survey The Survey will be conducted with respect to the social and educational conditions of the people who belongs to the backward classes in the state. It will cover the details like their occupation, and education standard etc. The state minister for SC/ST development stated that this move will be of transformative nature and it will have a transformative impact in the backward population in the state. What is centre’s take? The state government had reached out to the Centre and demanded to conduct a socio-economic caste survey along with the general census in 2021. However, this proposal was turned down by the central government.

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Significant of the move The decision by the Odisha government is significant in the light that there is a growing demand of the ―Caste-Based Census‖. A commission headed by former Delhi Chief Justice G Rohini is working towards the sub-categorisation of the OBCs. But this is unscientific and illegal without obtaining such backward class data or the caste census. Growing demand of Caste Census The supreme court of India recently agreed to examine a plea that seeks for directions to the central government to conduct ―caste-based‖ census in the year 2021 in order to collect data on the other backward classes. Following this, the bench comprising of Chief Justice of India, S A Bobde and others have issued notice to centre and the national commission of backward classes.

INDIA-FIJI: UNION CABINET APPROVES PACT FOR CO-OPERATION IN AGRICULTURE The Union Cabinet Chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has approved an agreement between India and Fiji for their cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors. Highlights The agriculture pact was signed between Ministry of Agriculture of India and Agriculture Ministry of the Republic of Fiji. This agreement between the countries will come into force from the date of its signing. It will continue for five years.

About Memorandum of Understanding The Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in the field of agriculture will help the private sectors of both the countries, India and Fiji, to cooperate in areas which includes the promotion of joint ventures. It will also provide the Exchange of scientific experts, technical trainees, research personnel & specialists; Technology transfer; Development of infrastructure for agriculture; Development of human resources with the help of training officers & farmers through the means of workshops and seminars. Joint Working Group Both the countries will also constitute a Joint Working Group in accordance with the MoU. The joint working group will be setting out the plan, procedures and will also be recommending the programmes of cooperation in order to achieve their objective with the help of executing agencies. The group will held the meeting once in every second year. Significance of the MoU With the signing of the agreement, the countries will be involved in the promotion of investment and marketing of the agricultural commodities. The agriculture ministries of both the nations have agreed to promote the capacity building in all the areas of agriculture besides establishing a direct trade of agriculture products. The countries would also do the joint planning & development of research proposals and execution of research & programmes projects.

TASK FORCE ON RIVER-LINKING APPROVES THE MAHANADI-GODAVARI LINK The task force on Interlinking of Rivers has approved the Mahanadi-Godavari Link on February 25, 2021.

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Approval was given to the preparation of final detailed project report on proposed Mahanadi - Godavari link. Highlights The linking project was approved by ensuring the utilisation of allocated Godavari waters by the states of and Andhra Pradesh. The decision was taken at the 13th meeting of the task force on interlinking of rivers which was held in New Delhi. In the meeting, three proposals were discussed and put forward by the task force chairman, Sriram Vedire. The proposals were based on draft detailed project report that was prepared with respect to the diversion of water from Godavari basin to Cauvery basin. The task force also emphasised on the several priority links under the interlinking of rivers programme by the central government. The draft detailed project report was prepared on Godavari-Cauvery link the National Water Development Authority (NWDA). National Water Development Agency (NWDA) It is a Registered Society working under the Ministry of Irrigation which is now called as Ministry of Water Resources. The agency was set up in 1982. The agency is involved in carrying out the detailed studies, surveys and investigations with respect to the Peninsular Component of National Perspective for the Water Resources Development. Later its function was modified to include the Himalayan Component of National Perspective for Water Resources Development in the year 1994. The composition of Society and Governing Body was also modified in the year 2003 & 2004 respectively. The NWDA was authorised to explore the feasibility of linking sub-basins of rivers in States such as Bihar in the year 2006. It then worked for preparation of Detailed Project Report of Ken-Betwa river link in accordance with the priority links under Peninsular Component of National Perspective Plan.

CENTRE'S NEW GUIDELINES ON SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATION The Central government has notified the new guidelines on social media regulations on February 25, 2021. It is being called as ―Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021‖. Highlights The new guidelines have been notified with the aim of regulating social media and OTT platforms. These rules were put into public by the union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar. The Union Ministers also said that social media platforms have empowered the ordinary Indians. They praised these platforms for gaining popularity and huge users. They also welcomed the move by social media platforms to do business in India. Why new rules have been framed? The government has notified the new rules on digital media and OTT with the aim of empowering the ordinary users regarding the social media. With the new rules, the government wants to set up a mechanism for redressal and timely resolution of their grievance.

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The new rules are progressive, liberal and contemporaneous. It seeks to address varied concerns of people. It also wants to remove any misapprehension with respect to the restrictions on creativity and freedom of speech & expression. The rules were framed depending upon the difference of the viewership in a theatre & television as compared to viewership on Internet. Facts regarding new rules The new guidelines on social media were framed in accordance with the section 87 (2) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. These guidelines were released after having an elaborate consultation with the public as well as the stakeholders. They were consulted to negate the concerns regarding accountability, transparency, and rights related to digital media. Part- II of the guidelines will be administered by Ministry of Electronics and IT. Part-III of the guidelines will be administered by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This part is related to the Code of Ethics & procedure. It also safeguards the relation with the digital media.

CABINET APPROVES PRESIDENT‟S RULE IN PUDUCHERRY The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to impose President‘s Rule in Puducherry. This proposal was approved days after the Congress-led government in the union territory lost power after a vote of confidence. Highlights This decision was taken because no party had claimed to form a government in Puducherry after the chief minister resigned. Following the resignation, Lieutenant General recommended President‘s Rule in Puducherry which was approved by the Union Cabinet. The model code of conduct will also come into effect after the Election Commission announced the dates for elections. President’s Rule The President‘s Rule in India is the suspension of state government and imposition of Union government rule. The President‘s rule is imposed in accordance with the Article 356 of the Constitution. It is imposed when a state government is unable to function as per the Constitutional provisions. Following this, the executive authority is exercised by the centrally appointed governor. The governor can also appoint other administrators to assist them. Under the President‘s rule, the council of minister is dissolved and the office of chief minister is vacated. Also, the Vidhan Sabha is either prorogued or dissolved and it is reconstituted only after the election. As of now, Chhattisgarh and Telangana are the only states where President‘s rule has not been imposed. Vote of no confidence It is a statement or vote regarding a person in a position of responsibility when that person is no longer deemed fit to hold that position. The person is declared unfit for the position when they are inadequate in some aspect and are failing to carry out any obligations.

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RAJASTHAN GOVERNMENT PRESENTS FIRST PAPERLESS BUDGET The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, led Congress government presented its third state budget and the first paperless budget on February 24, 2021 in the state assembly. The Chief minister holds the finance portfolio and he finalised the budget on February 23, 2021. Rajasthan Legislative Assembly The state legislative assembly of Rajasthan is the unicameral legislature. This assembly meets at the Vidhan Bhavan in Jaipur. The members of the state Legislative assembly are directly elected by the people. They are elected for a term of 5 years. Currently, the legislative assembly is comprising of 200 members. Background First Rajasthan Legislative Assembly was inaugurated in March 1952. Its tenure was from 1952 to 1957. The assembly then had the strength of 160 members. In the year 1956, the strength of the assembly was increased to 190 by merging the Ajmer State with Rajasthan. The second legislative assembly was inaugurated in 1957 with 176 members. Following this, third legislative assembly was inaugurated in 1962 with 176. The fourth and the fifth assembly had 184 members. The strength of the assembly was increased to 200 with the sixth legislative assembly that ran from 1977 to 1980. The Fourteenth Legislative Assembly was started in January 2013. Umed Singh of Barmer became the youngest member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly in 1962. Unicameral Legislature Unicameral Legislature means the legislature which comprises of a single legislative or parliamentary chamber or house. Almost half of the world‘s sovereign states are unicameral. However, the People‘s Republic of China lies in between having a legislature and a formal advisory body. State Budget The state budget is laid down before the house of houses of legislatures in the state in accordance with Article 202 of the Constitution. The budget comprises of the estimated statement of receipt and expenditure for a financial year.

NCBC CHAIRMAN ON SUB-CATEGORISATION OF OBCS The chairman of National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), Bhagwan Lal Sahni, said that the NCBC is in favour of four subcategories of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This move complies with the recommendation of the Justice Rohini Commission. Justice Rohini Commission It was constituted on October 2, 2017. This commission has been appointed in order to study and report about the sub-categorisation of OBCs. The commission will be submitting the report by July 2021. The panel‘s terms of reference are to study the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among or communities. The panel will also work out on the mechanism, criteria and parameters for sub-categorisation within the OBCs.

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Sub-Categorisation of OBCs The sub-categories of the OBCs will be done by keeping those sections in mind which have either benefited adequately or less benefited from the reservation. While the two other categories will be for the least benefited and those who have not been benefited from present reservation structure of the OBCs. Existing OBC categorization The subcategorization of OBCs is already in place in Bihar. Bihar has subcategorised it as OBCs and EBCs. National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) NCBC was constituted on August 14, 1993 in the aftermath of commission was the outcome of Indra Sawhney & Ors. Vs. Union of India case. It was given the status of constitutional body in accordance with the 123rd constitutional amendment bill 2017 and the 102nd amendment of 2018. Article 338B of the Indian Constitution deals with the NCBC. The body works under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. NCBC was established to pursue the provisions of National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993. Article 338 B As per this article, the commission comprises of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and three other Members. The appointment, conditions of service and tenure of office of all of them is decided by the President.

AMENDMENTS TO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT, 2015 APPROVED The Union Cabinet has approved the amendments to the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act, 2015 on February 17, 2021. Key Facts The amendment proposes that, the DMs, ADMs will monitor the functioning of agencies which are implementing this act in each district. After this amendment, the Child Protection Unit of districts will function under the District Magistrate (DMs). Now, the DMs can independently evaluate Child Welfare Committee, and the Specialised Juvenile Police Unit. He can check the capacity and background of the Child Care Institute, following which they will be recommended for registration. The amendments authorise the District Magistrate along with Additional District Magistrate to issue the adoption orders in accordance with Section 61 of the Juvenile justice act. It will now ensure the speedy disposal of cases and also enhance the accountability. The amendments also empower the District Magistrates to ensure its smooth implementation and garner the synergized efforts to support the children in distress conditions. Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 The act was passed by Parliament of India by replacing the Indian juvenile delinquency law called the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. This act allows the juveniles, aged

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16 to 18 who are in conflict with Law and are involved in Heinous Offences, to be tried as adults. It also seeks to create a universally accessible adoption law in India. The Act came into force in 2016. In order to smoothen the procedures for orphan, abandoned and surrendered children the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) was given the status of statutory body. Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) It is an autonomous and statutory body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It was established in 1990. CARA is the nodal body of the adoption of Indian children. It also monitors and regulate the in-country and inter-country adoptions.

CABINET APPROVED PLI SCHEME FOR TELECOM SECTOR The government of India has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) norms for the telecom sector on February 17, 2021. Key Facts The approval of the PLI scheme was given for telecom and network equipment manufacturing in a bid to boost the local manufacturing of the components. PLI scheme on telecom sector will be effective from April 1, 2021. The Department of Telecom (DoT) now be given the final approval from the Union cabinet. Now, the DoT will invite the companies for applications. Prasad also said 20,000 jobs are already given by one mobile manufacturer, 1 lakh direct and 3 lakh indirect jobs will be created by a mobile manufacturer next year. Under the PLI scheme, Telecom manufacturing will be boosted for over 5 years in order to enhance the production of more than Rs 2.4 lakh crore. Objectives of the Decision The Cabinet decision to approve the PLI scheme for telecom sector aims to make India a global hub of manufacturing telecom equipment. The government also aim to make India a hub of 4G/5G Next Generation Radio Access Network, core transmission equipment, and Wireless Equipment as well. This move will also boost the local manufacturing of telecom gear in the domestic market as well as for exports. The scheme will cater to the core transmission equipment, 4G/5G and next-generation radio access network & wireless equipment, Internet of Things (IoT) access devices, access and customer premise equipment (CPE) and enterprise equipment like switches and router. It will also pull the Intellectual Property (IP) and design-led manufacturing in order to make the Indian industry globally competitive. The policy also seeks to boost the research and development pool and talent across India. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme This scheme was launched in the March 2020 in a bid to boost the domestic manufacturing. It also seeks to cut down on import bills. The scheme was launched with the aim of giving the companies incentives on incremental sales of the domestically manufactured products. This scheme does not stop any foreign companies to set shop in India. But, it also encourage the local companies to set up or expand the existing manufacturing units.

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MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES INVITED SUGGESTION ON DRAFT BLUE ECONOMY POLICY The Ministry of Earth Sciences has asked for suggestions on the Draft Blue Economy Policy for India. The stakeholders such as NGOs, industry, academia and citizens have been asked to submit their inputs and ideas by 27th February 2021. Key Facts The Draft Blue Economy Policy was created by the government outlining the vision and strategy that can be adopted to utilize the oceanic resources that are available with the country. The policy was drafted with the aim of enhancing the contribution of the blue economy to India‘s GDP. It also seeks to improve the lives of coastal communities and preserve the marine biodiversity. It will also maintain the national security of the marine areas and resources. The draft blue economy document has recognised the seven thematic areas such as: 1. National accounting framework of the blue economy and ocean governance; 2. Coastal marine spatial planning and tourism; 3. Marine fisheries, fish processing, and Aquaculture 4. Manufacturing, services, trade, technology, and skill development; 5. Logistics, infrastructure and shipping 6. Coastal & deep-sea mining and 7. Offshore energy & security, strategic dimensions and international engagements. Thus, the blue economy of India is a subset of national economy that caters to the entire ocean resources system. The policy also caters to the human-made economic infrastructure in marine, maritime, and onshore coastal zones in India‘s jurisdiction. The policy is also linked with the production of goods and services which is ultimately linked with the economic growth, environmental sustainability, and national security. The draft policy also suggests to offer the Blue Economy related educational programs comprising of various technical and managerial skills in universities and technical institutes along the coastal states of India. What is Blue Economy? The concept of the blue economy aspires to promote the economic growth and social inclusion. It is also involved in the preservation or improvement of livelihoods. It also seeks to ensure the environmental sustainability in the oceans and coastal areas. It comprises of the sectors for which the returns are linked to living renewable resources in the oceans like fisheries. It also comprises the sectors whose return comes from non-living & non-renewable resources including the seabed mining, dredging and offshore oil & gas extractions.

IS INTER-CASTE MARRIAGE A WAY FORWARD TO REDUCE COMMUNAL TENSIONS? The Supreme Court of India in a recent judgement said that, the educated youngsters are showing a way forward to reduce caste and community tensions across India by involving into the Inter- caste marriage.

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Background Supreme court made this judgment in the backdrop of a case filed by a woman who tied the knot with a man against her family‘s wishes. The investigating officer had directed her to leave her husband and be present at the police station. The investigating officer directed her to so following a complaint filed by her relatives. What did the court say? The court rejected the case against the couple. The apex court further directed the police authorities to counsel the investigating officers. SC also asked the authorities to devise a training programme in order to deal with such cases in a way that it benefits the police personnel. The SC Bench while hearing the judgement, referred to the Hadiya case. In this case, privacy of an individual was declared a fundamental right under Article 21 (Right to life) of Constitution. As per the judgement, Consent of the family or community or clan is not required, once two adult individuals have agreed to enter into knot. Further, their consent has to be given primacy. SC also quoted B. R. Ambedkar‘s Annihilation of Caste where he agrees with the fact that, “real remedy is intermarriage‖. Special Marriages Act, 1954 This legislation is used to register the inter-religious and inter-caste marriages in the country. It includes all the marriages belonging to Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists. The act also allows two individuals to solemnise their marriage by a civil contract.

WHAT IS BREACH OF PRIVILEGE MOTION? Recently, Rahul Gandhi led his party members and others for a 2-minute silence in the light of the death of farmers who lost their life in the ongoing protest by farmers against the firm laws. Following this, the BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal and P.P Chaudhary alleged Rahul Gandhi with the claim that he has shown an unparliamentary behaviour and passed the breach of privilege motion against him. What is Breach of Privilege? Breach of Privilege means violation of any of the privileges of Members of Parliament (MPs). It includes any action that casts reflections on MPs, parliament or its committees. The actions include publishing any news items or editorials; any statements made in newspaper or magazine or TV interviews or any statements made in public speeches by the MPs. How breach of privilege is checked? The breach of privilege is checked upon in accordance with the Article 105 of the constitution in Parliament while in case of state legislature the motion is passed in accordance with the Article 194. It is also governed by the Rule no.222 of chapter 20 in the Lok Sabha. While in case of Rajya Sabha, it is governed by Rule no.187 in chapter 16 of the rule book. These rules governing the Breach of Privilege mandates that the notice should be related to the incident of recent occurrence. It should also need the intervention of the House. The member can raise question on the motion of breach of privilege or contempt of member of

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contempt of the house after having consent of the Speaker. The notice regarding it should be given before 10 am to the Speaker or the Chairperson. How the motion is scrutinized? The Speaker or the Rajya Sabha chairperson at first do the scrutiny of any privilege motion. They can either decide on the privilege motion or refer it to privileges committee of Parliament for further considerations. In Lok Sabha, the privilege committee is nominated by the Speaker consisting of 15 members. While in Rajya Sabha, Chairperson nominates the privilege committee comprising of 10 members.

7TH PAY COMMISSION: FAMILY PENSIONS CEILING ENHANCED The Union Minister of State for Prime Minister‘s Office and Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, stated on February 12, 2021 that the upper ceiling for family pension has been increased from Rs 45,000 to Rs 1,25,000 per month. Highlights This decision was taken in order to bring Ease of Living for the family members of the deceased employees. It would help in providing adequate financial security to the family members. The Department of Pension & Pensioners‘ Welfare (DoPPW) has also clarified the amount admissible when child is eligible to draw two family pensions after death of parents. The notification says that the amount of both the family pensions will be restricted to Rs 1,25,000 per month. This amounts to two and half times more than the earlier limit. Further the sub-rule (11) of rule 54 under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules 1972 states that if both wife and husband are Government servants and are governed by the provisions of that rule, then, on their death the surviving child will be eligible for two family pensions. Pay Commission This commission is set up by Government of India. It is set up in order to provide recommendations with respect to the changes in salary structure of the employees. The 1st pay commission was set in the year 1947. Since then, seven pay commissions have been set up on a regular basis to review and recommend on the work and pay structure. It is headquartered in Delhi. The pay commission is given a time limit of 18 months after its constitution to make any recommendation. 7th Central Pay Commission The 7th pay commission was set up in September 2013. The pay commission submitted its recommendations with its implementation effect from 1 January 2016. It was headed by Justice A.K Mathur.

APPROVED STANDARDISED DEEP-SEA FISHING VESSELS DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS The government of India has set up a Nodal Authority in order to frame the Approved Standardised DeepSea Fishing Vessels Design and Specifications (ASDDS). It would help the fisheries departments of states to implement the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). About ASDDS ASDDS will provide a framework of minimum basic design parameters. The vessels would be constructed under the prescribed framework. It will cover the basic design aspects including the

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Outline Specifications, Basic Calculation, General Arrangement and Basic Structural Drawings. ASDDS will be prepared by Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL). It will technically be vetted by Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT). The ‗In Principle‘ approval will be given by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). About DSFV Deep-Sea Fishing Vessels (DSFV‘s) was also constructed in compliance with the ASDDS. DSFV was promulgated by the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways. DSFV will also be eligible for subsidy under the PMMSY scheme. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana It is a flagship scheme that focuses on the sustainable development of the fisheries sector. It will be implemented for a five-year period. The scheme was launched on April 1, 2020 in all States and Union Territories under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package. Budget outlay The PMMSY was launched with an estimated investment of Rs 20,050 crores. Out of this amount, an investment of about Rs 12,340 crores is allocated for the beneficiary-oriented activities in Inland fisheries, Marine and Aquaculture. Rs 7,710 crores was allocated for fisheries infrastructure. Nodal Authority The nodal authority will be headed by the director of CIFT. It would also comprise of the representatives from the Naval Architecture Department of the Indian Institute of Technology, or IIT Madras; Cochin Shipyard Ltd and the Indian Register of Shipping.

RAJYA SABHA PASSES JAMMU AND KASHMIR REORGANISATION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2021 The Rajya Sabha have cleared The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 by voice vote on February 8, 2021. Highlights The bill seeks to replace the ordinance to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre and the Arunachal Pradesh, , Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre of civil services officer. This Bill was recently introduced in the Upper House of the parliament. The bill will also increase the strength of officers in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Leh. Background The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has been passed in the line of the enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 in the Jammu & Kashmir after revocation of the Article 370 in the region. The act of 2019 had reconstituted the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories namely, the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, on 31 October 2019. It has reconstituted that area of the J&K that has always been a part of the larger region of Kashmir which is the disputed between India, Pakistan, and China Voice Vote Voice Vote is a voting method in parliamentary procedure in which vote is taken on a topic or motion orally. It is the simplest and quickest of voting methods that are used by deliberative

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assemblies. Firstly, the presiding officer or chair of the assembly puts the question to the assembly. Then ask for all those in favour of the motion to say orally (―aye‖ or ―yea‖). Later, he asks for all those who opposed the motion to say orally (―no‖ or ―nay‖). The presiding officer then count on each side and state the result. Voice votes have disadvantages because the volume of the voices is only estimated but it is not actually measured with sound level meters.

JUDICIAL ACTIVISM: NITI AAYOG ORDERS TO STUDY THE 'ECONOMIC IMPACT OF JUDICIAL DECISIONS' The NITI Aayog has ordered the Jaipur-based research organisation Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) International to study the ―economic impact‖ of judgments delivered by Supreme Court (SC), high courts (HCs), and quasi-judicial bodies like the National Green Tribunal (NGT). It has also asked to study the ―judicial activism‖ of such courts and tribunals. Highlights The Judicial decisions have far-reaching economic impacts. These impacts are usually not taken into account at the time of decision making. This study will be completely funded by the NITI Aayog. The study will be conducted with the aim of ―sensitising the judiciary on the economic impact of their decisions‖. The findings from the study will be used as the ―training input for judges of the SC, HCs, commercial courts and NGT‖. The total cost of the project initially was Rs 24.8 lakh. However, it is likely to go higher. CUTS role CUTS International will study the economic impact of five different decisions by the SC and the NGT. The five judgement include: 1. Economic impact of the ban imposed by the SC in March 2019 on construction of a at Mopa, Goa. 2. SC‘s February 2018 ban on iron ore mining in Goa. 3. NGT ban on sand mining in the Yamuna river in Gautam Buddha Nagar in the year 2013. 4. SC ban on construction of buildings in Delhi and National Capital Region 5. SC‘s decision to reject the opening of Vedanta‘s Sterlite copper plant. Purpose of the study The study will provide an objective cost-benefit analysis of the economic impact of the decisions made by the judiciary. The study is also a part of the umbrella project of the NITI Aayog under which the think tank wants to establish a judicial performance index. This index will be used to measure the performance of judges at district courts and subordinate levels.

ANDHRA PRADESH: 2ND STATE TO UNDERTAKE POWER SECTOR REFORMS Andhra Pradesh has become the second State to implement the power sector reforms that was put forward by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. Highlights The state has implemented the one of the three reforms that was bought in 2020.

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Under the reform, the state has started the Direct Benefit transfer (DBT) of electricity subsidy to farmers with effect from September, 2020 itself. After implementing the reform, State is now eligible to mobilise additional financial resources equal to 0.15 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). Andhra Pradesh has also completed One Nation One Ration Card reform, Ease of Doing Business Reforms and Urban Local Bodies Reforms besides the power sector reforms. Thus, Andhra Pradesh has been granted permission to raise a total additional amount of Rs. 9,190 crores as incentive. This amount will be used by the state to carry out reforms in the four citizen centric areas. Before Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh undertook the reforms in the power sector. It was given additional borrowing permission of Rs. 1,423 crores which is equal to 0.15 percent of its GSDP. About Power Sector Reforms The Power Sector reforms were stipulated by the Ministry of Finance. The reforms were put forward with the aim of creating a transparent and hassle-free provision of power subsidy to the farmers. It also seeks to prevent leakages. These reforms also aim to improve the health of power distribution companies by lowering their liquidity stress in a sustainable manner. Guidelines to raise finance The Department of Expenditure has made guidelines for the States who are undertaking reforms in power sector. As per the guidelines, the states can raise additional financial resources of up to 0.25 percent of the GSDP. Background The government of India has enhanced the borrowing limit of the States by 2 percent of the GSDP in the backdrop of the challenges faced by the states amid the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. Further, the states were allowed to raise additional fund amounting to 0.25% of GSDP. For that purpose, four citizen centric areas were identified for reforms namely, Ease of doing business reform, Implementation of One Nation One Ration Card System, (Urban Local body or utility reforms and Power Sector reforms. SECTION 32A OF INSOLVENCY AND BANKRUPTCY CODE The Supreme Court recently upheld the validity of Section 32 A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Under its judgement, the apex court pronounced that the successful bidders for a corporate debtor will be immune from any investigations conducted by an investigating agency (like Enforcement Directorate or other statutory bodies such as SEBI) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Supreme Court Judgement The SC said that it is important for IBC to attract bidders who will offer a fair value for the corporate debtor. This is essential to ensure timely completion of corporate insolvency resolution process. The SC also said that these bidders should be provided protection from misdeeds of the past. The protections should also extend to the assets of the corporate debtor. Section 32A of IBC Under the section the corporate debtor who has committed an offence prior to the commencement of the insolvency resolution process will not be prosecuted.

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The Section 32A provides immunity to the corporate debtor and its property. However, the protection is provided when there is an approval of resolution plan that leads to change of management of control. The petitioner argued in the Supreme Court that this provision is constitutionally incorrect. This is because it provides an undeserved immunity to the property. Justification in Simple Words According to the SC, the Section 32 A is essential to avoid delay in several big-ticket cases. For instance, take the case of Bhushan Power and Steel. The company became bankrupt and admitted to insolvency in 2017. It owed more than Rs 47,000 crores to banks and Rs 780 crores to creditors. After hard prolonged battle JSW Steel won the rights to take over Bhushan Power and Steel. Meanwhile, before JSW Steel could take over, the Enforcement Directorate came in and alleged Bhushan Power with fraud of Rs 4,000 crores in a bank loan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Ethically, the actions of ED are right! However, the company is facing bankruptcy due to such wrong deeds and cannot be sued further. Therefore, according to SC during Insolvency Resolution, focus should be on resolving the issue.

SPECIAL MARRIAGE ACT The Allahabad High Court recently ruled that couples planning to marry under Special Marriage Act shall choose not to publish thirty-day notice before registering their marriage. According to the judgement, the provisions of the act invade the fundamental rights of liberty and privacy. That is, putting a prior notice that provides the details of the bride and groom invades their privacy. Special Marriage Act, 1954 It is an act that was enacted to provide special form of marriage in certain cases. This includes validating and registering interreligious and inter caste marriages. The three main objectives of Special Marriage act are as follows: To provide registration for certain special marriages To provide special form of marriage in certain cases To provide divorce Applicability of Special Marriage Act, 1954 The Special Marriage Act is applicable to: Any person irrespective of his or her religion All the Indians living abroad Requirements under Special Marriage Act, 1954 The Special Marriage Act does not demand rites or ceremonies. Rather it is a civil contract. Both the parties signing the contract have to file a notice of intended marriage to the Marriage Registrar of the district. In this, one of the parties should have resided in the district for not less than thirty days. After thirty days of such notice and if the marriage is not objected by any person the marriage may be solemnized. Now, this formality of thirty-day notice has been cancelled by the Allahabad High Court under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. Conditions in Special Marriage Act, 1954 The conditions under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 are as follows: The marriage should be monogamous for both the partners.

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The bride should have attained the age of 18 years and the groom should be at least 21 years old. Both the parties should be competent in regard to their mental capacity to give consent for the marriage.

LEGAL ENTITY IDENTIFIER SYSTEM The Reserve Bank of India recently announced the introduction of Legal Entity Identifier System. What is Legal Entity Identifier System? The Reserve Bank of India introduced the Legal Entity Identifier system for all payment transactions of fifty crores and above through NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) and RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement). The system is being introduced to identify the legal entities involved in financial transaction. The central bank has adopted the system to improve the quality and accuracy of the financial data systems. Under the system, the banks have to include information of the remitter and beneficiary. Under which act has the Legal Entity Identifier system introduced in India? Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. What is Legal Entity Identifier? It is a twenty-digit unique number. It is a global identifier for entities participating in financial transactions. It is developed by International Organization for Standardization.

What is the validity of Legal Entity Identifier? One year from the period of registration. Why was Legal Entity Identifier System introduced? During the financial crisis of 2008, the international regulators realized that there was no single code to each financial institution with which it can be identified in all countries universally. Every country had their own set of identity numbers. This made it difficult to assess the risk exposures, analyzing and resolving risks across the market. When was the first LEI issued? 2012. Does Legal Entity Identifier follow ISO? Yes, it follows International Organization for Standardization. What is the code structure of LEI? It is an alpha-numeric string. The first four characters identify the local operating unit. The characters five to eighteen are assigned by the Local Operating Unit. The last two characters are Checksum digits. The Checksum digits are used to identified the errors that occur during the process of transaction.

SUPREME COURT APPROVES CENTRAL VISTA PROJECT On January 5, 2020, the Supreme Court allowed the Central Vista Project to go ahead. What is the Central Vista Project? The Central Vista project aims to renovate 86 acres of land in the Lutyen‘s Garden in New Delhi.

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It includes Landmark structures of Indian government such as Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament, India Gate and North and South Block. What is the background of recent Supreme Court judgement on Central Vista project? In April 2020, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the centre‘s decision to renovate the 86 acres of Lutyens Garden. According to the petitioner, the decision violated the Right to Life of citizens guaranteed under article 21. This is because the plan deprived people of open and green spaces. Also, the petition argued that the plan violated the Master plan of Delhi 2021. What were the actions of Supreme Court in response to the petition against the central Vista project? The Supreme Court heard the challenge on the basis of three main Grounds. They were violations of Municipal Law, change of land use and violations of environmental law. Why is a new Parliament required? The current Parliament was built in 1927. It was not intended to house a bicameral legislature. Rather it was built to house Legislative Council. Also, the current Parliament House signifies an Imperial origin. It is not in accordance with the aspirations of independent Indian citizens. The current parliamentary Complex was built by the British. There are International examples of Building New parliamentary structures immediately after independence. For instance, USA constructed its capitol building within 25 years of its independence. The existing building does not abide by safety norms and is not earthquake proof. The 2001 parliamentary attack is the best example questioning the safety of the current parliamentary building.

MALALA YOUSAFZAI SCHOLARSHIP ACT The United States recently passed the Malala Yousafzai Act for Pakistani Women. What are the Key Features of the Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act? The Act requires the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to award at least 50% of scholarship to Pakistani women between 2020 and 2022. It requires the USAID to leverage investments by Pakistani private sector in the United States. This is being done to improve and expand access to education programs in Pakistan. The act makes it mandatory for the USAID to brief the US Congress about the number of scholarships provided under the programme. This includes percentage of recipients who are involuntarily pushed out of the programme for their failure to meet programme requirements as well. What is the role of USAID in the scholarship programme? The USAID has so far awarded more than 6000 scholarship to the young women of Pakistan since 2010. These scholarships help the Pakistani women to receive Higher Education in Pakistan. The Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act aims to expand this programme. Who is Malala Yousafzai? Malala is a Pakistani activist for female education. She is also the Youngest Nobel Prize Laureate. She fought against the Taliban for women education. The Taliban had banned girls from attending schools.

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On October 2012, Yousafzai was shot by Pakistani Taliban Gunman in retaliation for her activism. She was hit in the head with bullet and remind unconscious. She was later transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in United Kingdom. What is Malala Day? On July 12, 2013, Malala spoke at the United Nations to call for worldwide access to education. This was on her 16th birthday coincidentally. The United Nations had dubbed the event as Malala Day. What is USAID? It is an interdependent agency of the United States that is responsible for administering foreign aid. It is one of the largest aid agencies in the world with a budget of 27 billion USD.

NATIONAL DEFENCE AUTHORISATION ACT, 2021 The National Defence Authorisation act, 2021 was enacted by United States to specify budget, expenditure and policies of United States Department of Defence for the fiscal year 2021. The act determined the annual budget of United States as 740.5 USD. The first National Defence authorisation act, 2021 was passed in 1961. Since then, the act has been passed every year. Why is the act named after William M Thornberry? The act has been named the William M thornberry National Defence authorisation act. It has been named after William m Thornberry to honour him. He served as the chair of the house armed services committee. The committee is responsible for funding and oversight of department of Defence in the United States.

What is the recent issue in regard to National Defence authorisation act? The outgoing US President Donald Trump recently vetoed the National Defence Authorisation act, 2021 arguing that the act affected national security. He also disagreed with its provisions of renaming military installations after confederate general. However, the House of representatives voted to override the veto power of President Trump. What are Veto powers of the US President? The President of United States may choose to veto or reject the legislation on rare occasions. However, the lawmakers can override the Veto and enact bills into law by proving two-thirds of votes in both the Chambers of Congress. Every Bill for resolution approved by the United States Congress is presented to the president for his approval. Once the bill is presented, the president may sign the bill into law within 10 days or may reject the bill by returning to the Congress with reasons of objections. If the president does not do anything with the bill, the bill automatically becomes a law after 10 days. The term Veto does not appear in the Constitution of United States.

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ARGENTINA ABORtION LAWS Argentina recently became the largest Latin American country to legalize abortion. What are the key features of new Argentina abortion law? Under the new law Argentina has legalised abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy. In India, abortion is legal till 24th week of pregnancy according to medical termination of pregnancy (Amendment) act, 2020. Earlier it was 20 weeks. Why is the new Abortion law of Argentina considered historic? The new abortion laws of Argentina is considered historic because prior to the passing of the bill abortions were permitted only in cases of rape or he‘ll help. The activist of Argentina have been campaigning for a new law to overturn this rule since 1921. How will the new abortion law help the women of Argentina? Prior to the new law the women and girls were forced to turn towards unsafe and illegal procedures. The scope of access to safe medical procedures of abortion was even narrower to the women from disadvantaged backgrounds. According to human rights watch, abortion was the leading cause of maternal mortality in Argentina. Such was the ill effects of unsafe illegal abortion in the country. What are the impacts of Argentina Abortion laws? The passage of this law will have huge impact in other Latin American countries. Currently abortions are illegal in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Dominic Republic. In some countries such as Cuba, Uruguay, Guyana, women can request for abortion only in specific cases. Some of these countries even have imprisonment as punishment to illegal abortion. Why did Abortion laws face obstacles in Argentina? The Catholic Church and the Evangelical community in Argentina hold immense power and influence in the country. These communities strongly opposed the concept of abortions and steps taken to legalise abortions.

MADHYA PRADESH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BILL, 2020 The Madhya Pradesh cabinet recently approved the Religious Freedom Bill, 2020. Under the bill, forcing religious conversions will attract fine of Rs 25,000 and one to five years of imprisonment. Key Features of the bill The bill is to replace the Religious Freedom Act, 1968. Once enforced the Religious Freedom Bill will be the most stringent in the country. The bill is also known as Anti-Love Jihad Bill. The conversion of person from one religion to another on the basis of threats, marriage, force and conspiracy has been made punishable. An organization, mother or father can register a compliant. If the victim is a woman, minor or belongs to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe community, then the accused will be punishable with imprisonment ranging from two to ten years and fine of Rs 50,000. Religious Freedom in India The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently downgraded India to its lowest ranking in its 2020 report. India was categorized as Tier 2 country in the listing.

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This is the first time India has been placed under ―Countries of Particular Concern‖ category since 2004. The report placed India along side Saudi Arabia, North Korea, China and Pakistan. India received lowest ranking mainly due to the following reasons: Citizenship Amendment Act National Register of Citizens Abrogation of Article 370 Anti-Conversion laws The report accused India of strengthening its Parliament majority to institute national level policies. In due course, India has violated religious freedom. The USCIRF is a federal government commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act. The main responsibility of USCIRF is to review facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally. Lately, the USCIRF has been criticized world wide for being biased towards focusing on persecution of Christians, Muslim and Hinduphobic. Constitutional Provisions Article 25-28 guarantees Freedom of Religion. The articles provide freedom to the citizens to practice and promote their religion peacefully.

TIBETAN POLICY AND SUPPORT ACT, 2020 The United States Senate has recently passed the Tibetan policy and support act of 2020. The bill was already passed in the house of representatives of the United States in January, 2020. Key features of the Act The Tibetan Policy and Support Act, 2020 is based on the Tibet Policy Act of 2002. The act addresses every aspect of the Tibetan people. This includes their fundamental rights, environmental rights, Human Rights, religious freedom and Tibetan democracy in exile. The act strengthens funding for Tibetans inside and outside Tibet. The act commends His Holiness, the Dalai Lama to implement a democratic governance. Also, the act commends the Tibetan exile community to successfully adopt a system of self-governance. The act acknowledges the central Tibetan administration as a legitimate institution. The institution reflects the aspirations of the Tibetan diaspora all around the world. The act also has provisions to protect the environment and water resources of Tibetan plateau. It recognises the importance of traditional Tibetan grassland in mitigating the negative effects of Climate Change in the region. To the contrary, the Chinese government is pushing for forced resettlement of the nomads from the grasslands. The act encourages the American citizens and companies engaged in business activities in Tibet to practice corporate social responsibility other into the United Nations guiding principles on business and Human Rights. The act calls for the establishment of United States Consulate in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa. Lohsang Sangay Lohsang Sangay is the president of the government in exile of Tibet. Earlier to United States did not recognise the Tibetan government in exile. Therefore, Lohsang Sangay was denied to enter the United States administration buildings. However, in October 2020 the United States state department allowed the first and official entry of Lobsang Sangay. The act is being framed following his visit.

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ASSAM OFFICIAL LANGUAGE AMENDMENT BILL The Assam Cabinet recently approved the bill to make Bodo an official language of the state. The bill has been framed in accordance to the Bodo Peace Accord signed between the Government of India, Assam Government, four Bodo rebel groups and two Bodo organizations. Official Language in India There is no National language in India. The article 343 says that the official language of Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari. Business in Indian Parliament shall be transacted only in Hindi or English. English is allowed to use for official purposes such as parliamentary proceedings, communication between Central Government and state government, Judiciary Communications in the country. In addition to the official languages, constitution recognises 22 regional languages. This includes Hindi but not English. Therefore, in India English is neither an official language nor a scheduled language. It is simply a language for communication solving the official purposes. Official language in Assam The official language of Assam is Assamese. The additional official languages are Bengali and Bodo. Bengali is official language in three districts of Barak Valley and Bodo in Bodoland territorial Council areas. Assamese language movement The Assamese language movement refers to a series of political activities that demanded the recognition of Assamese language as an official language. The struggle began in 19th century when the region was under British rule. The Assamese resented the use of Bengali language as a language of courts and also for official purposes since the British rule. After the State Reorganisation Act, 1956, the Assam Sahitya Sabha demanded the use of Assamese as official language in the state. The inclusion of Assamese language in the 8th schedule of constitution helped to increase a sense of confidence for the movement. In 1960, Assam official language Act was passed recognising Assamese as an official language in Assam. The act also included provisions for the safeguard of linguistic minorities in the state. In 2019, the Assam Cabinet approved to make Assamese the State Language. Background According to Census 2011, there are more than 14.16 lakh people speaking Bodo language in the state of Assam. They account to 4.53 % of the total population of the state. Other Approvals The cabinet also approved to setup the Bodo Kachari Autonomous Council. This is also a part of Bodo Accord signed in January 2020. The cabinet also approved to increase the service age of all National Health Mission employees to 60 years. The cabinet approved the Career Progression Scheme for doctors serving as faculty members in Assam medical colleges. The cabinet also approved a loan of 91 crores of rupees from NABARD under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund. What are the issues associated with the Bodos?

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The Bodos are ethnic communities demanding separate land. The entire Bodoland issue has its roots to 1930s.

PARLIAMENTARY PANEL CALLS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH ACT The Parliamentary Standing Committee under the leadership a senior congress leader, Anand Sharma recently submitted its report, ―Management of COVID-19 pandemic and related issues‖. The report was submitted to the Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu. The report has recommended to set up the National Migrant Worker Database at the earliest. The committee has also recommended to frame ―Public Health Act‖ to keep the private hospitals under check. Public Health Act The Act should contain required legal provisions to support the Government in keeping checks and control over the private hospitals. This is because there have been reports about selling of hospital beds by these private hospitals. This issue emerged as there were shortage in beds in hospitals due to COVID-19 pandemic. The act should keep a check on black marketing of medicines and product standardisation. The act should include provisions for awareness campaigns about effective and cheaper repurposed medicines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, only the Government hospitals bore the largest share of the burden of the disease. The private hospitals were either inaccessible or not affordable. The act should address this issue. The private hospitals should have a mandatory threshold level to take in patients during pandemic. Other Recommendations The committee reported that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has not given Emergency Use Authorisation. According to the report of the committee, trials on small animals and human trials should be mandatorily undertaken on sufficient sample size. More fund should be allocated to the government hospitals to equip them strong enough to handle pandemics. The Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Epidemics Diseases Act should be amended. Especially, the Epidemics Diseases Act should be amended as it is outdated. It was framed in the colonial era. The Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 should also be amended. Stopgap Funding Bill The US President Donald Trump recently signed the Stopgap Funding Bill. The bill provides the law makers two more days to sort out few issues in the ongoing negotiations about the 900 billion USD aid package. What is Stopgap Funding Bill? A stopgap funding bill is used by the US Government to ensure that it does not run out of funds for running federal programme after the deadline of an Appropriation Act. In a fiscal year, the US Congress passes 12 Appropriation Acts which gives budgetary authority to spend from the US Treasury for specific purposes.

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These Acts have a deadline and the funds cannot be used to address new obligations after it. When the Congress fails to fund the government, a government shutdown is declared and all non- essential services are stopped. How does the Federal Funding expire? The Fiscal year in US begins on October 1. During a fiscal year, the Congress passes twelve annual appropriation acts that provide the budget authority to expend funds from US Treasury for specific purposes. The funds cannot be used to address new obligations. In other words, the funds expire after specified deadline. What is called Government Shutdown? The Government Shutdown occurs when the Congress fails to fund the government. In such scenario, the US Government stops all the non-essential services. On the other hand, the essential services such as police departments, armed forces, etc continue of function. The longest Government Shutdown in the US history happened under the Trump administration when the Government was shut down for thirty-five days between December 2018 and February 2019. The shutdown occurred over a dispute over the border wall funding. Impacts on the Public The Government Shutdowns in the United States have resulted in furloughs for several hundred thousand Government Employees. The reduction in Government activities affected various sectors of the economy.

BREACH OF PRIVILEGE MOTION The State Legislature of Maharashtra recently passed proposals stating that they will not reply to any notice sent by Supreme Court or High Court in the breach of privilege motion against the Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami. According to the Maharashtra government replying to such notices would mean that Judiciary can keep a check on legislature. This is inconsistent with the basic structure of the constitution. What is privilege motion? The members of parliament are granted with privileges to perform their duties properly. However, if any of the members mis uses these privileges it is considered as breach of privilege motion. Also, if an act obstructs the legislature or the member of the house in performing its functions, is treated as breach of privilege Breach of privilege motion The parliamentary privileges refer to the rights and immunities enjoyed by the parliamentarians. Without these they cannot discharge their functions as and out upon them by the constitution. The scrutiny of breach of privilege motion is managed by speaker in Lok Sabha and by the chairperson in Rajya Sabha. Both chairperson and the speaker have the authority to consider the occupations and call upon the members to explain themselves. After the motion is passed, the Parliament (or Legislative Assembly) Speaker or Rajya Sabha (or Legislative Council) Chairman constitutes a Privileges Committee, which will look into the motion and recommend the punishment.

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Cases of privilege motion The most recent breach of privilege motion was passed against the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister of the country. It claimed that the ministers have misled the country on Rafale fighter jet deal. In 1978 the most significant privilege motion was passed against Indira Gandhi. It was introduced by the then home minister Charan Singh. Under the motion she was found guilty and was expelled from the house. In 1976 Subramanian Swamy a BJP MP was expelled from Rajya Sabha for disgracing Indian government through his interview to foreign journals. Constitutional Provisions The powers, privileges and immunities of either House of the Indian Parliament and of its Members and their committees are laid down in Article 105 of the Constitution. While, the powers, privileges and immunities of the State Legislatures, their Members and their committees are described Article 194. Parliamentary Privilege Under Parliamentary privilege, the legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for ctions done or statements made in the course of their legislative duties. The special privileges are granted to maintain the dignity and authority of the Houses. But there are no clear notified rules to decide the breach of privilege. The chapter 16 rule 187 of Rajya Sabha and the chapter 20 of rule 22 for Lok Sabha have mentioned the privilege motion.

DIGITAL SERVICES ACT AND DIGITAL MARKETS ACT The Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act are two recent landmark legislations from the European Union. The draft legislation gives specific regulations to limit the powers of global internet companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon in the European market. Under the legislation, the larger firms are designated as ‗digital gatekeepers‘ and would be subject to stricter regulations. Violation of competition rules could invite as much as 10% of the firm‘s annual turnover. Digital Services Act Digital Services Act aims to create uniform framework throughout the European Union in handling potentially harmful content online, protection of users‘ fundamental rights online, liability of online intermediaries for third party content and bridging the information asymmetries between online intermediaries and their users. Key features of Digital Services act The act makes it mandatory for every host provider to put in a user-friendly notice that provides permission to notify about illegal content. The online platforms have to establish internal complaint handling systems. In order to resolve disputes with their users, the online platforms should engage with out-of-court dispute settlement bodies. New transparency obligations have been included. When a content is removed, an explanation should be provided to the person who uploaded the content. The act imposes fine for non-compliance up to 6% of the annual income.

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Advertisements For every advertisement and to every user the online platform should provide clear information. It includes the following The user should be clear that he or she is watching or seeing an advertisement. The advertisement should be very clear in conveying the fact that on whose behalf it is being displayed. It should provide meaningful information about main parameters so that the user is able to determine why he or she is targeted by this ad. Very Large Platforms The Digital Services act defines the very large online platforms as those with more than 45 million users. This is roughly equal to 10% of European Union population. The very large platforms upon request, must allow access to the data required to monitor their compliance within the Data Service Act. The very large platforms should provide transparency on main parameters of decision making algorithms. These algorithms are usually used to offer content on their platforms, basically the ranking mechanism. Digital Markets Act The Digital Markets Act addresses the digital market imbalances in the European Union. Digital market act is applicable only to provider of core platform services. This includes social networking services, search engines, operating systems and online intermediation services. Just like very large platform under Digital Services act, the digital market act brings upon the notion of gatekeeper. The European Union will designate a provider of core platform services as a gatekeeper if the provider fulfills the following conditions. The provider should be active in multiple European Union countries. The provider should have an annual turnover of at least 6.5 billion Euros in the last three financial years. The provider should have strong intermediation position. The provider company should be capable enough to link a large user base to a large number of businesses. In other words, the company should operate with more than 45 million monthly active users in European Union. The gatekeeper platforms should comply with defined set of obligations to avoid unfair practices. It includes obligations to ensure interoperability within its own platform, obligations to share data generated by their customers for business users. Under the Act, The European Union shall impose fine till 10% of the annual turn over of the firms.

FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE IN FRENCH CONSTITUTION The French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced a referendum to add the fight against climate change into the French Constitution. Also, the need to preserve the environment is to be added. What is a Referendum? It is a general vote by the electorate on a political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision. The referendum is passed only if it is approved by a majority of the voters across a country. If the referendum includes majority of the voters in majority of the states then it is called double majority.

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Referendum in France The concept of Referendum existed in France since the French Revolution. According to 1958 French Constitution, the referendum can be organised in several situations such as constitutional revision, passage of law and entry of a state into the European Union. There are two types of referendums in France. They are legislative referendum and national level referendum. The referendum allows only two types of responses namely ‗yes‘ or ‗no‘. NDCs of France The French Government submitted its Nationally Determined Contributions together with the European Union. The NDCs of the European Union are as follows To cut the Green House Gas emissions by 40% by 2030 To cut Green House Gas emissions by 75% by 2050 Background The French Government recently acknowledged that it has not done enough to be in line with the climate related commitments to curb the global warming. France is already missing its national targets that were set under the 2015 Paris Agreement. The European Union has set its target of reducing the greenhouse gases from 40% to at least 55% as compared to 1990 levels. The US President elect Joe Biden has pledged to re-join the Paris Agreement on the first day of his Presidency.

WHAT IS EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION? Recently, several drug makers are seeking Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for the COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer had applied for the EUA in UK and has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency of the country. Also, the Serum Institute of India and Moderna have also applied for the Emergency Use Authorisation of COVID-19 vaccine. What is Emergency Use Authorisation? Vaccines, medicines, diagnostic tests and medical devices require approval for their usage from a regulatory authority, which is the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation in India. This approval is granted after assessing its safety and effectiveness. This is generally a prolonged process. The emergency use authorization (EUA) is a mechanism used by the regulatory bodies to grant interim approval in case of emergencies. This is done only when there is sufficient evidence. The final approval, however, is given after completion of trials. When can Emergency Use Authorisation be granted? In the United States of America, the Food and Drug administration grant the Emergency Use Authorisation only after it has been proved that the potential benefits of the vaccine outweigh the potential risks. In other words, the Emergency Use Authorisation is provided only after sufficient efficacy data has been generated at the end of Phase III trials. The Emergency Use Authorisation cannot be provided based on the data provided from Phase 1 or phase 2 trials. For covid-19 vaccine, the Food and Drug administration of United States has specified that it will consider an application for Emergency Use Authorisation only if the Phase 3 data proves at least

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50% efficacy in preventing the disease. The data has to be generated from more than 3000 volunteers. Emergency Use Authorisation in India The drug regulations in India do not have provisions for Emergency Use Authorisation. However, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has been granting restricted emergency approval to Covid-19 drugs. For instance, the CDSCO granted restricted emergency approval for Favipiravir and Remdesivir in June and Itolizumab in July.

CHILD-FRIENDLY POLICE STATION: KEY FACTS ―Child-friendly‖ police station was recently established in as per the guidelines provided by the National Commissioner for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). This police station will work towards character building among children and will also create perception that police are not enemies but friends of people. It aims to prevent juvenile crimes and ensure children reforms. Key features The child friendly police station will provide preventive approach at rehabilitating children in need. It has a room designed for children who can come to the police station to report cases. The main objective of the child friendly police station is to create an environment that will enable children to report cases and crimes without fear. The initiative also aims to eliminate gratitude eyes against the police among the public. It will help the children who have committed offences. This is because child friendly police station will ensure that the repeated offenders in the nearby communities are not engaged in criminal activities. On the other hand, these offenders will help the police in prevention of crime. The Hope For Children Foundation is to train the police on child friendly mechanism. Child friendly police station has been established complying the Juvenile justice act. Juvenile Justice Act Juvenile justice act makes it mandatory to set up Juvenile justice boards in every district. Under the act the Central Adoption Resource Authority was granted the status of statutory body. The act makes it mandatory for the Child Care Institutions run by Non-Governmental organisations or state governments to register under the act. Juvenile Justice Board It is a judiciary body to which the children accused of a crime are brought. It is a separate court for the juveniles. It comprises of a Judicial Magistrate and two social workers. Child welfare committee Under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice act, the state government should set up these committees at district level. The child welfare committee has the power to dispose cases for the protection, rehabilitation of the children. Recent amendments to Juvenile justice act The Act was recently amended to provide an organised system for adoption of an orphan or an abandoned child. According to the act, the minors in the age group between 15 and 18 years are to be treated as adults in the case of heinous crimes. Who is a juvenile? A Juvenile in India is an individual below the age of 18 years.

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According to the Indian laws, a child below the age of seven years cannot be convicted under any law for any crime.

THAI MANGUR: BANNED CAT FISH OF INDIA Thai Mangur is a catfish that was banned by the National Green Tribunal as it was harming the local ecosystem and the consumers‘ health. It is favoured by the cultivators due to its ability to feed on anything and survive in hostile conditions. It also has high demand because it is cheaper when compared to other seafood. Recently, thousands of tons of this banned catfish were found to be illegally bred in over 125 artificial ponds in rural Thane, Maharashtra. Why was Thai Mangur banned? In 2000, the National Green Tribunal banned the cultivation of Thai Mangur. This was mainly because the fish poses threats to other fishes in an ecosystem. According to a study, the Thai Mangur is responsible for 70% decline of native fish species of India. Also, the fish in certain states of India such as Maharashtra is being cultivated in unhygienic conditions posing health risks to the consumers. Thus, the National Green Tribunal banned the cultivation of Thai Mangur as it began to pose threats to the people and environment. Why is Thai Mangur cultivated illegally? The State Government of Maharashtra so far has destroyed more than 32 tonnes of Thai Mangur. In September 2020, the State Government pulled up several fish farmers for cultivating Thai Mangur illegally. In spite of several legal measures and bans, the species is being cultivated illegally and its sales are popular mainly for its surviving capabilities. The fish can grow even in muddy waters between the rains. Also, it grows three feet to five feet weighing three to four kilograms in just two to three months. It is a freshwater air breathing fish. It has the ability to wiggle on dry land to find food or suitable environment. It lives in stagnant or slow-moving waters. It has an omnivorous diet, ability to survive on land and ability to hide in vegetation. These characteristics make the cultivation of the fish easy, highly profitable and economical for farming.

NGT DIRECTS STATES TO ESTABLISH NODAL AGENCY TO PROTECT WATER BODIES The National Green Tribunal recently directed all the states and union territories to designate a nodal agency to protect the water bodies in their regions. The nodal Agencies may hold their meetings under the guidance of chief secretaries of the state. Also, the National Green Tribunal has further directed that the meeting should be held on time. The Nodal agency will adopt a mechanism to monitor and also address grievances. The National Green Tribunal also asked the central monitoring committee to monitor 351 polluted river structures periodically. Significance The protection of water bodies are highly essential for protection of environment. It increases water availability, microclimate, aquatic life, recharge of groundwater and maintaining regular flow of the rivers.

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Polluted river stretches in India The Central Pollution Control Board of India has identified 351 polluted river stretches on 323 rivers during 2018. According to CPCB, these river stretches are located in the states of Gujarat, Assam and Maharashtra. The river stretches in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are less polluted than these three states. In spite of Clean Ganga Mission of India, several stretches of the mighty Ganges are still polluted. The Biological Oxygen Demand in the stretches of Ganges are in the range of 3.5 to 8.8 milligram per litre. And therefore, Ganges is still put under priority 4 river category. What is Biological Oxygen Demand? The Biological Oxygen Demand is the amount of dissolved oxygen required to remove the waste organic matter in the water body. The removal of the waste is done by the aerobic bacteria in the water. Therefore, it is actually the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by the bacteria in the water in the process of removing the waste, that is in the process of decomposition. It is expressed in milligrams of oxygen per litre. Indian standards of Biological Oxygen Demand For drinking water, the Biological Oxygen Demand should be less than five milligram per litre. For treated wastewater to be disposed in water bodies the Biological Oxygen Demand should be 30 milligram per litre.

STATE CONSENT MUST TO EXTEND CBI JURISDICTION: SUPREME COURT On November 19, 2020, the Supreme Court of India pronounced that the consent of State Government is mandatory for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to extend its jurisdiction in the state. The verdict has come after the eight non-BJP states withdrew their consent for CBI to probe fresh cases in the jurisdiction of the state. The states were Jharkhand, Kerala, West Bengal, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab and Chhattisgarh. Legislation The functioning of CBI is regulated by the DSPE (Delhi Special Police Establishment) Act. The Section 5 and Section 6 of the act permits the Central Government to extend its powers to the state. However, Section 6 of the act says that the Centre has powers to extend CBI investigation only when the state gives its consent. This is unlike other Central Government Agencies. For instance, the National Investigation Agency on the other hand, enjoys all-India jurisdiction. NIA was constituted after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. It mainly focuses on investigation of terrorist attacks. What types of cases does the CBI investigate in a state? The CBI investigates three types of cases as follows Cases of Corruption against public servants are handled by Anti-Corruption Division. Bank Frauds, Black Money operations, black money operations are handled by Economic Offences Division Murder, Crimes related to internal security are handled by the Special Crimes Division. Delhi Special Police Establishment Act The act was not passed in the Parliament. CBI was created through an executive order of the Government.

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CBI was established during World War II. It was established after the British India Government felt that there is a need to probe cases of corruption in the war and supply department. Thus, CBI is not a statutory body. It functions under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance and Pensions of the central government. It is exempted from the purview of Right to Information act.

WHAT IS MAHAJAN COMMISSION REPORT ON KARNATAKA-MAHARASHTRA BORDER DISPUTE? On November 18, 2020, the Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa condemned the comments made by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar over the border dispute between the two states. Pawar mentioned the dispute as an attempt to incite fire. What is the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka? The border dispute between the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka is also called the ―Belgaum border dispute‖ or the Belagavi dispute. Belgaum is now a part of Karnataka and earlier was a part of Bombay Presidency of British India. During British rule, the Bombay Presidency encompassed Maharashtra, Gujarat and certain areas of North Karnataka. When the states were divided based on linguistic and administrative lines under the State Reorganization Act in 1956 Belgaum district was included under Mysore state (now Karnataka). This was done in spite of the fact that Belgaum had majority of Marathi-speaking population. Hence, the dispute. However, according to 1881 census, Belgaum had 64.39% of Kannada speaking individuals and 26.04% of Marathi speaking individuals. What is Mahajan commission report? The Mahajan Committee was formed in 1966 by the Central Government with representatives from both the states. The committee recommended in 1967 that 264 villages shall be transferred to Maharashtra. This included some village in Haliyal, Karwar and Suparna Taluks as well. On the other hand, Belgaum and 247 villages were to remain with Karnataka. The report was refuted by both Kerala and Maharashtra. Kerala on the other hand, refused to and over Kasaragod to Karnataka. Maharashtra’s strand Maharashtra is claiming all the 814 villages and the Belgaum city. Maharashtra invokes Article 131 (b) in the Supreme Court to justify its claim. The case is still pending in front of the supreme court. According to Article 131 of the Constitution, the SC shall have original jurisdiction in any dispute between the state governments or between the state governments and the Government of India.

ALL DISCOMS TO COMPLY ENERGY CONSERVATION ACT, 2001 The Ministry of Power, Government of India has released an official notification that mandates all the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) to comply Energy Conservation (EC) Act, 2001. As per the official notice, all the DISCOMs will now be governed under the various provisions of EC Act like Energy Accounting & Auditing, Implementation of energy conservation & efficiency measures, identification of Energy Losses, Appointment of Energy Manager, etc. This notification was prepared in in consultation with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). Key Points

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The notification of the Power Ministry stated that all entities having issued distribution license by State/Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission under the Electricity Act, 2003 (36 of 2003) are now notified as Designated Consumers (DCs). With this, the number of DISCOMs covered under EC Act will increase to 102 to 44. Before this, DISCOMs with annual energy losses equal to or above 1000 MU were only covered as DCs. Now, this decision has made Energy Accounting & Auditing mandatory for all DISCOMs. This amendment will help in improving the performance of DISCOMs by reducing their losses, implementing solutions and thereby improving their financial state. This amendment will also make the monitoring of DISCOMs easy. The government will collect the quarterly data of DISCOMs and suggest measures for improving their efficiency. This amendment will also bring transparency in the distribution sector. About Bureau of Energy Efficiency Established on March 1, 2002, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is a body under the Ministry of Power, Government of India. BEE provides assistance in developing strategies and policies with a main aim of reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy. It coordinates with designated consumers, agencies, and organizations to identify and utilize the already available resources and infrastructure, in order to perform the functions assigned to it under the EC Act

WHAT IS ANTI-TRUST CASE AGAINST GOOGLE? The United States Justice Department recently sued Google alleging the company of illegally abusing it in the internet search. According to the department, Google is illegally using its dominant position in the internet market to advertise deals. Highlights The US government also alleges that Google has contracts with giant smartphone makers. These smartphone makers use Android operating system of Google. Through these contracts Google makes it mandatory to install its search engine as default. According to the US government these moves of Google stifles the innovation and competition from smaller competitors. What is anti trust law? It Refers to the competition law. It protects trade in the country from unfair monopolies, restrains and price fixing. The antitrust law ensures fair competition in open market economy. The competition act in India is an anti trust law. Scenario in India The Competition Commission of India in May 2020, accused Google of abusing its market position. This equation is similar to the one made by the US currently. There are three major antitrust challenges for Google in India. The free applications in Google Play app of the company is giving unfair advantage over the Other apps of the competitors. In 2018, the Competition Commission of India fined 21 million USD to Google for search bias. In 2019, the Competition Commission of India accused Google that it is misusing its dominant position to reduce the ability of Smartphone manufacturers. The Smartphone manufacturers are unable to opt for an alternate version of Android.

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Competition act 2002 The act prohibits abuse of dominant position by Enterprises, anti-competitive agreements and regulate combinations. The competition appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) was established under the act. In 2017, the Government of India replaced COMPAT with National Company Law Appellate Tribunal. Competition Commission of India It was established under the competition Act 2002. The main objectives of the commission is to eliminate practices that has adverse effects on competition to protect the interest of customers to promote and sustain competition and to ensure freedom of trade in the Indian market.

WHY IS UNHCR INSISTING INDIA TO REVISE FCRA REGULATIONS? The United Nations high Commissioner for human rights is insisting India to revise its foreign contribution Regulation Act 2010. Highlights The high Commissioner Michelle Bachelet has raised concerns over the restrictions imposed by India over foreign funding for the Non-governmental organisations. The commisioner also raised concerns on the arrests of activists in the country. What is the issue? In September 2020, the union home ministry of India notified new FCRA rules on foreign funding. This was done by making amendments to the FCRA act. The provisions of the amendments made were as follows It empowers the Government of India to restrict the usage of foreign contribution. The foreign contribution must be received only to accounts that are designated as fcra account full stop the account shall be opened only in banks that are nominated by the Government of India for this purpose. Not more than 20 % of the foreign funds received shall be used for administrative expenses. Earlier that is before the amendment it was 50%. The public servants cannot receive foreign contributions. The election candidates, publisher of a newspaper, members of Legislature, political parties are others who cannot receive foreign contribution. Aadhaar is mandatory for all persons receiving foreign contribution as an identification document. FCRA Catch 22 The recent amendment of the act gives unbridled powers to the home ministry to disqualify any Nongovernmental organisation or Association. It can deny renewal of the organisation under the Recent amendments. Catch 22 is circumstances under which there is no escape as it is mutually conflicting. India’s stand The Government of India has made the amendments to the act in order to streamline the the inflow of foreign currency. The annual inflow of foreign contribution in the name of Non governmental organisations has almost doubled between 2010 and 2019. However these contributions were not utilised for the same purpose for which they were registered or granted permission. The union home ministry recently suspended the licences of six non-governmental organisations as they used foreign contributions for religious conversion.

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Such uncontrolled inflow of foreign funds for illegal and unethical practices could affect the internal security of the country. Thus, the amendment were made to enhance the transparency and accountability of foreign contributions. Concerns of United Nations Human Rights According to the United Nations no law should delegitimize or criminalize activities based on origin of funding. The United Nations is also of the opinion that the amendment failed to comply with India‘s constitutional provisions and legal obligations towards protection of rights to freedom of expression, Association and freedom of assembly.

SUPREME COURT: OVERTIME WAGES SHOULD NOT BE DENIED TO LABOURERS DURING COVID-19 On October 1, 2020, the Supreme Court quashed the notification of Gujarat Government to exempt factories from paying overtime wages to workers. The apex court said that the burden of economic slowdown shall not be put on workers who are the backbone of the economic activity. Lately, the country has been facing severe economic losses and slow down due to the pandemic and the lock down. Highlights The judgement was pronounced by a bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud. What is the issue? The Gujarat government had decided to exempt industries in the state from certain provisions of Factories Act, 1948. The exemptions were related to payment of overtime wages. According to the exemption a worker shall be made to work for 12 hours a day with a 30-minute break after every 6 hours. The exemption also did away with the necessity to double the wages for overtime work. A Plea was filed by the Gujarat Mazdoor Sabha (registered trade union) in the Supreme Court against the decision of the Gujarat government. Judgement The Supreme Court pronounced that the right to life of workers is not conditional. The claims to decent working conditions and overtime wages must not be denied due to covid-19 outbreak and the economic slowdown caused by it. Factories act 1948 The notification of exemption was issued under Section 5 of factories act 1948. The Section 5 of the act empowers a government to exempt industries from the purview of the act on grounds of public emergency. According to the act, public emergency is defined as a Grave emergency. This is a scenario that threatens internal security of the country by external aggression or internal disturbances or war. The supreme court held that this cannot be invoked to relieve the economic slowdown caused by covid-19 pandemic. What is a Plea filed in a Court? It is a request or appeal made in an intense or emotional way.

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GOI TO REVAMP FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has framed a Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The bill introduces 70 amendments in the FSSAI act, 2006. It intends to revamp the functioning and jurisdiction of the FSSAI. Key Features The amendment will give more powers to FSSAI. The jurisdiction of FSSAI is to be extended towards animal feed as well It will simplify the processes and enhance penalties imposed for violations. This will include manufacture and sale of unsafe food, businesses that are carried out without licenses, adulteration of food that leads to death. The punishment of sale of unsafe food under the new amendment has been extended till life imprisonment. The amendment will specify standards for food packaging material. The food packaging material has been mentioned as ―food contact material‖ in the bill. A Chief Executive Officer is to be appointed at FSSAI. Earlier, the chairperson and the members were selected based on the recommendations made by the Selection Committee. However, now there would be no role of selection committee. The process of serving notices to a food business operator has been simplified. The notice shall be issued to those running unsafe restaurants. Challenges in the current FSSAI act, 2006 The FSSAI was established under FSSAI, 2006. The shortcomings and challenges with the act are as follows The hawkers, retailers and petty manufacturers are exempted from the ambit of FSSAI. They contribute largely to unorganized food sector There are no enough food testing laboratories in the country for the authority to scrutinize the food processing industries. The body has failed to ensure quality, safety and hygiene in the food industry. There are shortages in enforcement and licensing officers. This severely affects food safety measures and thus it requires a structural reform. This is to be achieved through the current amendment. The FSSAI has only 377 regulations mentioned. On the other hand, foreign countries have more than 10,000 foods and detailed standards. The list is not reviewed regularly.

INSOLVENCY AND BANKRUPTCY (SECOND AMENDMENT) PASSED IN RAJYA SABHA On September 19, 2020, the Rajya Sabha passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy code (second Amendment) Bill 2020. According to the new amendment, fresh insolvency proceedings will not be started for the next six months considering Covid-19 pandemic. Why the suspension? Due to the covid-19 crisis the companies are facing disruptions. This has affected their interest payment and loan repayment. The micro small and medium enterprises are the major victims of the current scenario. Hence, in June 2020 the Government of India had increased the threshold for triggering the insolvency process. The Reserve Bank of India had also allowed Moratorium on all loans till August 2020. In spite of these measures the number of non-performing assets were

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increasing. Starting an insolvency process at this point of time would be in effective. Thus, the code has been suspended. What is Insolvency and Bankruptcy code? The code is considered as one of the biggest insolvency reforms in India. It was introduced for insolvency resolution of Corporate persons, individuals and partnership firms in a time bound manner. How is the code beneficial? The period before the implementation of the code had several scattered laws related to insolvency and bankruptcy. This created inadequate and ineffective results. Some of those laws were as follows SARFESI Act: Securitisation and reconstruction of financial assets and enforcement of security interest act Companies Act that mainly focused on liquidation and winding up of a company. The recovery of debt due to banks and Financial Institutions act 1993. Ineffective implementation of these laws and their time-consuming procedures forced Government of India to introduce insolvency and bankruptcy code. The adjudicating authorities under the code are National Company Law Tribunal for companies and debt recovery Tribunal for partnership firms and individuals. Highlights of the code The code aims at consolidating all the insolvency related laws. Also aims to resolve insolvency in a time bound manner. According to the code the evaluation and viability should be determined and completed within 180 days of its initiation. The code also introduced a qualified insolvency professional as an intermediary. Under the code an insolvency and bankruptcy board was established for the Governance of insolvency and bankruptcy law. Achievements of the code After its introduction the code has helped several business entities resolve from there insolvency. The following are the major achievements of the code since its introduction Around 4452 cases were dismissed during the pre-admission stage of the code. The maximum amount recovered under the code was rupees 492500 from 21 countries.

RAILWAYS PROPOSE TO DECRIMINALISE BEGGING The Ministry of Railways has proposed to decriminalise begging on trains or railway premises as part of an exercise to decriminalise or rationalise penalties under the provisions of the Railway Act, 1989. It also compounds the offence of smoking by levying spot fine and dropping all charges or action against the person involved. Key provisions Section 144(2) of the Railway Act says that if any person begs in any railway carriage or upon a railway station, he shall be liable for punishment as provided under sub-section (1). Sub section (1) prescribes imprisonment for a term that may extend to one year, or with fine that may extend to ₹2,000, or with both. The railways now propose to amend the Section stating that ―No person shall be permitted to beg in any railway carriage or upon any part of the Railway‖.

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Section 167 of the Act says that no person in any compartment of a train shall, if objected to by any other passenger, smoke therein. Irrespective of any objections raised, the railway administration may prohibit smoking in any train or part of a train. The railways now propose to amend Section 167, saying: ―Provided that if the person liable to pay the fine under this section is willing to pay such fine immediately, the officer authorised may compound the offence by charging the maximum fine payable under the section concerned, and the sum so recovered shall be paid to the railway administration. Some years ago, the Delhi High Court, while quashing provisions in the law that made begging in the national capital a punishable offence, had said: ―Criminalising begging is a wrong approach to deal with the underlying causes of the problem. The State simply cannot fail to do its duty to provide a decent life to its citizens and add insult to injury by arresting, detaining and, if necessary, imprisoning persons who begs in search for essentials of bare survival‖.

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ART AND CULTURE

LOUIS KAHN Context  Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad has decided to bring down 18 dormitories built by legendary American architect Louis Kahn and replace them with new building.  Kahn, is one among several foreign architects whose work defines several Indian cities. Contribution of architects Louis Kahn  He conceived the IIMA campus in his distinctive style of architecture.  It comprises of circles and arches, using red bricks that were locally available.  Louis Kahn‗s majestic red-brick campus is an architectural masterpiece.  Kahn is also known for his monolithic complexes of buildings including the Capitol Complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh and the recently restored Salk Institute in California. Antonin Raymond & George Nakashima Background  Pondicherry city a French colony in South India was home to the reclusive philosopher Sri Aurobindo.  He was joined by Mirra Alfassa, a French artist and spiritual seeker later known as ―The Mother.  Together they established the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1926.  The Ashram served as a commune where people came from all over the world, drawn to the teachings of the prolific writer and spiritual guide - Sri Aurobindo.  Mirra Alfasa envisioned ―Golconde‖ as a home for members of the community, and contacted Tokyo-based Czech architect Antonin Raymond to design it. The building  Antonin Raymond designed Golconda as a universal commune.  Japanese-American woodworker George Nakashima completed it after Raymond left India.  Golconde is India‟s first reinforced concrete buildings, built between 1937 and 1945.  Its ascetic interiors helped provide a meditative atmosphere for disciples. Otto Koenigsberger  Koenigsberger from Berlin worked for the Maharaja of Mysore in the late 1930s.  Later, he was commissioned by Tata & Sons to develop the industrial township of Jamshedpur in the early 1940s.  He also designed the masterplan for Bhubhaneswar (1948) and Faridabad (1949).  He planned for schools and bazaars in the city centre after seeing children and women walk punishing distances to reach schools and workplaces.  At the time of Partition and communal riots his housing plans included people from different social classes and religions.

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Frank Lloyd Wright  American architect Frank Lloyd Wright never built a structure in India, but his influence was unfathomable.  Two of his students, Gautam and Gira Sarabhai, were the founders of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.  Gira remodelled an existing bungalow using Wright‗s signature cantilever roofs and a strong indoor-outdoor connect.  Padma Vibhushan Charles Correa, one of India‗s finest architects and urban planners, was hugely influenced by Wright. Cantilever beam Le Corbusier  Swiss-French painter-writer-architect Corbusier designed many of ‗s civic buildings -- from courts to housing.  Corbusier‗s modernist approach, without decoration, gave India its brutalist, bare concrete buildings.  Many architects like B V Doshi and Shivnath Prasad, were inspired by him.  Corbusier built the Sarabhai House, Shodhan House, Mill Owner‗s Association Building and Sankar Kendra.  He is often called the “father of modern Indian architecture”. Buckminster Fuller  Fuller is known for his geodesic domes – large-span structures made of a network of triangles.  Gautam Sarabhai, inspired by Fuller, designed the Calico Dome in 1962. Joseph Allen Stein  He established the Department of Architecture and Planning at the West Bengal Engineering College.  Stein gave Delhi many cultural landmarks that blended Indian craft with international modernism.  It includes: o Triveni Kala Sangam the High Commissioner‗s Residence and Chancery for Australia, o Steinabad in Lodhi Estate, where many of his buildings stand, including the India International Centre, Ford Foundation and the India Habitat Centre.

NETAJI SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE Context  On 23rd January, the entire country paid tribute to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 123rd birth anniversary. Parakram Divas  Government of India had decided to celebrate the birthday of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, on 23rd January, as 'Parakram Diwas' every year.

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Aim:  to honour and remember Netaji's indomitable spirit and selfless service to the nation to inspire people especially the youth, to act with fortitude in the face of adversity as Netaji did, and to infuse in them a spirit of patriotic fervour.  A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Cantilever construction allows overhanging structures without additional support. Contribution: As a Social Reformer Against Casteism  The India National Army was a mixture of various Religions, Races, and Castes with total social equality of all soldiers.  They were served food cooked in the common kitchen and shared space in common barracks breaking the age old caste bonds and practices.  These were the first major successful steps in eradicating casteist feelings and nurturing feelings of ―being Indian above everything else among the soldiers.  Any Indian irrespective of his caste (including non-martial caste) and religious community could enroll in the INA. Secularism  To strengthen the secular feelings and thereby foster National unity, common worship and celebrations of all religious festivals were introduced in the INA.  Many Indians from the Minority Communities occupied high positions in the Provisional Government of Free India and the Azad Hind Fauj. Impetus to “Unity in Diversity”  Though Hindustani was widely used for military commands and administrative use, all other Indian languages were considered equally important.  Also, the Azad Hind Radio Station, beamed to India in some Indian Languages like Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Gurkhali and Pushtu apart from Hindustani and English.  Azad Hind Radio Station had broadcast stations in Singapore, Bangkok, Rangoon, Tokyo and Saigon. Champion of Women‟s Rights  Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had an inherent faith in ―Nari Shakti‖ or ―Women‟s Power.  He strongly believed in the equality of men and women in Civil and Military life.  His ideas on ―women empowerment‖ were not mere lip service.  Bose created a history by establishing the world‗s first all Women Regiment within the Indian National Army in 1943 and christened it ―The Rani Jhansi Regiment.  It was a full-fledged combat regiment with its Indian women soldiers receiving all necessary military training on par with their male counterparts. Education  Bose realized that education is a great force in bringing about a sense of national unity and solidarity.  He was in favour of a common educational policy with a common script which should be 'Roman Script', the common lingua franca being Hindusthani.

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 In regard to primary education, Bose was deeply influenced by the kindergarten system in Germany and Scandinavia and the Nursery School of England He was in favour of visual or sensory method of education.  Vivekananda's concepts of man - making and character - building elements in education influenced Bose so much that, he wanted men of character to free India from the foreign domination.  Bose firmly believed that no educational plan would be successful without a comprehensive system of teachers' training. Spiritualism  His religious and spiritual propensity was further elevated in contact with the teachings of Ramkrishna Paramahansa and Vivekananda.  He always had a small copy of Bhagavat Gita in the breast pocket of his field uniform.  Subhas Chandra Bose accepted Upanishadic concept of 'Tyaga' and imbibed the ideal of renunciation for selfrealization.  He became determined to work ceaselessly for the benefit of the country and its toiling masses. Political Within Congress  Bose stated his opinion that the INC "should be organized on the broadest anti-imperialist front with the two-fold objective of winning political freedom and the establishment of a socialist regime.  He started the newspaper 'Swaraj'. In 1927, Bose became general secretary of the Congress party.  Bose supported idea of comprehensive independence and with his support Jawahar Lal Nehru has passed resolution of Poorna Swaraj in 1929.  He organized the All-Bengal Young Men‗s Conference.  In 1938 he was elected president of the Indian National Congress (Haripura Session, Bengal) and formed a national planning committee.  In 1939 he was re-elected in the Tripuri session of Congress.  This win was against the expressed desire of Mahatma Gandhi who had his call on Pattabhai Sittaramayya.  Although both shared the same dream of an ―Independent India‖, Bose and Gandhiji were poles apart in their thought process and political approach of liberating India. Forward Block  In 1939 Bose resigned from Congress and established the All India Forward Bloc - as a faction within the India Congress.  His aim was to liberate India from the colonial yokes. Collaboration with foreign countries  In 1943, Singapore, Subhash Chandra Bose reorganized and expanded the Indian National Army. This force was renamed as ―Azad Hind Fauj.  He also founded the Provisional Government of Free India at Singapore on 21st October 1943.  The government was recognized by nine governments including Germany, Italy, Japan and Myanmar.

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 The Provisional Government of Free India acquired its first territories when Japan handed over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to it.  In early 1944, three units of the Azad Hind Fauj (INA) took part in the attack on the north- eastern parts of India to oust the British from India.  On the Indian mainland, an Indian Tricolour, was raised for the first time in the town of Moirang, in Manipur by the INA.  Dilli Chalo ("On to Delhi)!" This was the call he used to give the INA armies to motivate them.  In a nutshell, Bose worked tirelessly to secure German and Japanese support in freeing his beloved homeland from the foreign rule. Ideology of Samyavada or Doctrine of Synthesis  Netaji picked up the common good traits of National Socialism and Communism to ―form the basis of the new synthesis.  That synthesis is called as Samyavada – an Indian word, which means literally the doctrine of synthesis or equality.  Samyavada points to a perfect balance between the material and the spiritual, between the East and the West.  According to Bose, India‗s emphasis was not on civilization but on culture, not on the material side of life but on the intellectual and spiritual.  Thus, we had our advantages as well as disadvantages.  According to his Doctrine of Samyavada, the spiritual aspects, the intellectual, ethical and aesthetic values of life which had a high place in Indian culture must be blended with material civilization in the new set-up.  The new India must be a synthesis of ancient glories and modern trends, of Indian achievements and foreign contributions. Economic  The National Planning Committee formulated by Bose in 1938 advocated for a policy of rapid and broad industrialization on modern lines.  He wanted to adopt a comprehensive scheme for gradually socializing our entire agricultural and industrial system in the spheres of both production and distribution.  He also spoke about abolition of landlordism and liquidation of agricultural indebtedness.  According to him the appalling poverty, high incident of unemployment and low standard of living were due to the foreign domination.  Bose classified industries into three categories, namely Large Scale or Heavy Industries, Medium-Scale and Cottage Industries.  According to him, heavy industries are important for rapid economic development.  Large-Scale Industries produce the means of production example: metals, heavy chemicals, machinery and tools, and communication industries like railways, telegraph, telephone and radio.  Though he was very much in favor of large-scale industries he never lost sight of cottage and small industries in an underdeveloped country like India.  In view of all this he desired economic reconstruction and industrialization on modern scientific and technological methods.  For him economic freedom was the essence of social and political freedom. 90 | @ Sivarajavel IAS Academy www.sivarajavelias.com

Netaji and Indian Industrial Relations  Netaji got associated with the Lahore Trade Union Congress in 1922.  He was elected President of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in 1931 there by emerging as the most important Trade Union Leader of British India.  Bose was closely associated with trade union movement in Calcutta, Bombay, Nagpur, Jamshedpur and Bokaro.  He was instrumental in the Indianization of the TATA Group preferring Indian workers and higher officials in all its plants.  His letter to Chairman of TATA paved the way for the appointment of more Indians in key positions in that Company.  Netaji‗s relentless fight led to the enactment of Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926.  He strongly advocated the ―Tri-Partite Scheme of Industrial Relations where in the Government should play a major role in every sphere of Industrial Relations.  He considered that State has the duty of providing employment to citizens or take up the responsibility of maintaining the unemployed citizens.  He emphasized the need for Social Security and Labour Welfare Programmes.  He was among the first leaders to strongly advocate equality of wages for both men and women in all type of work.  Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose proudly proclaimed ―Free India will not be a land of capitalists, landlords, and Castes.  He wrote in his August 1942 Article, ―India will be able to concentrate her whole attention on the solution of social problems. The most important social problem is that of poverty and unemployment. The relationship between Gandhiji and Subhash Chandra Bose  Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose were two legendary personalities, gigantic in their political moral and ethical stature. Both of them were two worthy sons of Mother India.  To Subhash Bose, Gandhi always remained 'India's greatest man'.  Subhash had all praise for Gandhi's unflinching patriotism, firmness in character, love for truth etc.  He recognized and admitted Gandhi as the undisputable, unrivalled leader of the masses.  Similarly, to Gandhi, Bose was like a son whose 'self sacrifice and suffering, drive, integrity and commitment to the national cause and the capacity to bind all Indians into one people were unsurpassed.  Both Gandhi and Bose were totally honest men. They were internationalists and humanists. They were secular in approach and anti-racial in outlook.  Their minds were always diverted towards the liberation of their motherland.  The whole life of both the leaders was an epic struggle for India's independence. Their differences  Inspite of their patriotic fervor, there were glaring differences between Gandhi and Subhash.  In political life both were posed against each other.  Young Netaji was a firebrand nationalist who believed in the tradition of Tilak and Aurobindo.  Bose adopted violent means for liberation of India and thus led Indian National Army.

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 Gandhiji, on the contrary, was a reluctant nationalist who belonged to the tradition of his mentor Gokhale and Tagore. He was a firm believer of non-violence and led peaceful mass protests.  Gandhi subscribed Trusteeship pattern of relation between Capitalist and labourers.  Subhash Chandra was a keen follower of radical leftist and rationalist ideology and organized trade unions.  Bose wanted to seize the opportunity provided by Second World War to oust the Britishers and liberate India.  Thus, he approached Germany, Japan to seek support for India‗s cause.  Gandhi saw fascism and Nazism a greater danger to Indian polity and society thus co-operated with British. Thus they had a different understanding of same event.  Gandhi‗s idea of freedom was based on self rule and rule over self. Bose viewed freedom not only in terms of political self rule but also freedom from socio-economic inequalities, casteism, intolerance etc.  Bose's strong revolutionary urge for the emancipation of his motherland made him critical of many of Gandhiji's Techniques.

BASAVA Context: Basava Jayanthi was observed on birthday of Basavanna, a Hindu Kannada poet of 12th century. About Basavanna: 1. Basavanna was a 12th-century philosopher, statesman, Kannada poet and a social reformer during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka, India. 2. Basavanna spread social awareness through his poetry, popularly known as Vachanaas. Basavanna rejected gender or social discrimination, superstitions and rituals. 3. He introduced new public institutions such as the Anubhava Mantapa (or, the ―hall of spiritual experience‖), which welcomed men and women from all socio-economic backgrounds to discuss spiritual and mundane questions of life, in open. 4. As a leader, he developed and inspired a new devotional movement named Virashaivas, or “ardent, heroic worshippers of Shiva”. This movement shared its roots in the ongoing Tamil Bhakti movement, particularly the Shaiva Nayanars traditions, over the 7th- to 11th-century. 5. Basava championed devotional worship that rejected temple worship and rituals led by Brahmins, and replaced it with personalized direct worship of Shiva through practices such as individually worn icons and symbols like a small linga. 6. Basaveshwara is the first Kannadiga in whose honour a commemorative coin has been minted in recognition of his social reforms. 7. In November 2015, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi inaugurated the statue of Basaveshwara along the bank of the river Thames at Lambeth in London. Basavanna and Sharana movement: 1. The Sharana movement he presided over attracted people from all castes, and like most strands of the Bhakti movement, produced a corpus of literature, the vachanas, that unveiled the spiritual universe of the Veerashaiva saints.

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2. The egalitarianism of Basavanna‘s Sharana movement was too radical for its times. 3. He set up the Anubhava Mandapa, where the Sharanas, drawn from different castes and communities, gathered and engaged in learning and discussions. 4. Sharanas challenged the final bastion of the caste order: they organised a wedding where the bridegroom was from a lower caste, and the bride a Brahmin.

202ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE BHIMA-KOREGAON BATTLE Why in News The victory pillar (also known as Ransthamb) in Bhima-Koregaon village (Pune district of Maharashtra) is to celebrate the 202nd anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle of 1818 on January 1, 2020. . In 2018, incidents of violence were registered during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle. Historical Background . A battle was fought in Bhima Koregaon between the Peshwa forces and the British on January 1, 1818. . The British army, which comprised mainly of soldiers, fought the upper caste- dominated Peshwa army. The British troops defeated the Peshwa army. o Peshwa Bajirao II had insulted the Mahar community and terminated them from the service of his army. This caused them to side with the English against the Peshwa‘s numerically superior army. o The defeat of Peshwa army was considered to be a victory against caste-based discrimination and oppression. . It was one of the last battles of the Third Anglo-Maratha War, which ended the Peshwa domination. . Babasaheb Ambedkar‟s visit to the site on January 1, 1927, revitalised the memory of the battle for the Dalit community, making it a rallying point and an assertion of pride.

YAKSHAGANA  Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form of Karnataka.  It is a temple art form that depicts mythological stories and Puranas.  It is performed with massive headgears, elaborate facial make-up and vibrant costumes and ornaments.  Usually recited in Kannada, it is also performed in Malayalam as well as Tulu (the dialect of south Karnataka).  It is performed with percussion instruments like chenda, maddalam, jagatta or chengila Patharughat Uprising of Assam (1894)  Twenty-five years before the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, more than a hundred peasants fell to the bullets of the British on January 28, 1894, in Patharughat, a small village in Assam‘s Darrang district.

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PATHARUGHAT UPRISING  After the British annexation of Assam in 1826, surveys of the vast lands of the state began.  On the basis of such surveys, the British began to impose land taxes, much to the resentment of the farmers.  In 1893, the British government decided to increase agricultural land tax reportedly by 70- 80 per cent.  Up until then the peasants would pay taxes in kind or provide service in lieu of cash.  Across Assam, peasants began protesting the move by organising Raij Mels, or peaceful peoples‘ conventions. The day of the massacre  The unarmed peasants were protesting against the increase in land revenue levied by the colonial administration when the military opened fire.  Despite these gatherings being democratic, the British perceived them as ―breeding grounds for sedition‖.  On January 28, 1894, when the British officers were refusing to listen to the farmers‘ grievances, things heated up.  There was a lathi charge, followed by an open firing which killed many of the peasants present.  Official records, as mentioned in the Darrang District Gazette, 1905, edited by BC Allen, placed the casualties in the Patharughat incident as 15 killed and 37 wounded. Why was the incident significant?  The incident was one of the most tragic and inspiring episodes in the saga of the Indian freedom movement.  However, it rarely features in the mainstream historical discourse of the freedom struggle.  For the larger Assamese community, Patharughat comes second only to the Battle of Saraighat, when the Ahoms defeated the Mughals in 1671.

GOVIND BALLABH PANT Recently, a statue of freedom fighter Govind Ballabh Pant was unveiled at its new location on a roundabout at the Pandit Pant Marg, New Delhi.  The statue had to be relocated from its earlier location near Raisina Road circle as it 'fell within the new Parliament building layout' Key Points  Brief Profile: o Govind Ballabh Pant is remembered as one of the country‘s most prominent freedom fighters and an administrator who played a key role in shaping modern India. o He was the Premier of United Provinces (1937 - 1939), First Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (1946 -1954) and Union Home Minister (1955 - 1961) and was a recipient of the highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna in 1957.  Early Life: o Pant was born on 10th September 1887 in Uttarakhand, at Almora.

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o When he was 18 years old, he started serving as a volunteer at sessions of the Indian National Congress, looking up to Gopalkrishna Gokhale and Madan Mohan Malaviya as his idols. o In 1907, he decided to study law, after receiving his degree, he started to practise law in Almora in 1910 and eventually moved to Kashipur. o In Kashipur, he established an organisation called Prem Sabha, that started working towards several reforms and also saved a school from shutting down due to non-payment of taxes to the British government.  Contribution in National Movement: o Govind Ballabh Pant joined the Congress in December 1921 and soon joined the non- cooperation movement. o In 1930, he was imprisoned for organizing a Salt March inspired by Gandhi's earlier actions. o He was elected to the Uttar Pradesh (then known as United Provinces) Legislative Assembly as the candidate of the Swarajist Party from Nainital.  When in Government, he tried to bring in reforms which would do away with the Zamindari system.  He also pleaded to the Government for lowering agricultural taxes on farmers.  He encouraged many cottage industries in the country and raised his voice against the coolie-beggar law, which forced porters to transport the heavy luggage of British officials without any payment.  Pant was always against a separate electorate for minorities, saying the step would further divide communities. o During the Second World War, Pant tried to conciliate between Gandhi's faction, which advocated supporting the British Crown in their war effort, and Subash Chandra Bose's faction, which advocated taking advantage of the situation to expel the British Raj by any means necessary. o In 1942 he was arrested again, this time for signing the Quit India resolution, and spent three years in Ahmednagar Fort along with other members of the Congress working committee until March 1945.  Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru pleaded successfully for Pant's release, on grounds of failing health.  Post Independence o After independence, Govind Ballabh Pant became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He worked for the upliftment of the farmers and the eradication of . o After the death of Sardar Patel, Govind Ballabh Pant was made the Home Minister in the Union Government. o As a Home Minister, he championed the cause of Hindi as the national language or rashtrabhasha.

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SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL National Unity Day is celebrated every year on 31st October to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.  It is also known as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.  It was celebrated for the first time in 2014 with the aim to pay tribute to the „Iron man of India‟ by remembering his extraordinary works for the country.  Several events are organized on this day like „Run For Unity‟-a nationwide marathon to increase awareness about the contribution of Sardar Patel to national integrity, National Unity pledge, etc.  In 2018, the Government of India unveiled the ‗Statue of Unity‘ in Gujarat in the honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. o It is the tallest statue in the world. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel  Sardar Patel was born on 31st October 1875 in Nadiad, Gujarat.  He was the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India.  He played an important role in the integration of many Indian princely states to make an Indian federation. o At the time of independence, Sardar Patel played a key role in convincing several princely states to align with the Indian Union. o He also worked hard as a social leader for the Independence of India.  Women of Bardoli bestowed the title „Sardar‟ on Vallabhbhai Patel, which means ‗a Chief or a Leader‘.  He is recognized as the real unifier of India for his colossal contribution to integrate and make India a united (Ek Bharat) and an independent nation. o He requested the people of India to live together by uniting in order to create Shresth Bharat (Foremost India).  He is also remembered as the „Patron saint of India‟s civil servants‟ as he established the modern all-India services system. Why in News Artists in are using traditional Warli art (Maharashtra) form not just to beautify Hyderabad, but also to create awareness on important issues. Key Points  Warli is a traditional art form of Maharashtra.  Its roots can be traced to as early as the 10th century A.D.  These paintings are distinctive with their vivid contrast expressions.  These paintings are mainly dominated by basic geometric shapes like circles, triangles and squares.  These geometric shapes stand as a symbol of natural elements in our environment.  For example, the circles represent the sun and moon, the triangles represent the mountains and the squares are considered as the central motifs of the painting.  People and animals are represented by two inverted triangles joined together, where the upper triangle is the torso and the lower triangle is the pelvis.

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 The central theme of the paintings are scenes portraying huntin, fishing, farming, festival and dances, trees and animals are used to surround the central theme.  Warli art form is being used by many artists to beautify cities and spread awareness through wall paintings.  It is also being used to beautify bags, bed sheets and many other items.  Warli is the vivid expression of daily and social events of the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, used by them to embellish the walls of village houses. Warli Tribe  They are an indigenous tribe or Adivasis, living in the Mountainous as well as coastal areas of Maharashtra-Gujarat border and surrounding areas.  They speak an unwritten Varli language which belongs to the southern zone of the Indo-Aryan languages.

TRIBAL LEADER BIRSA MUNDA The Prime Minister paid tributes to tribal leader Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary on 15th November.  The State of Jharkhand, carved out of Bihar, officially came into being on Munda‟s birth anniversary in 2000. Key Points  Birth: 15th November 1875, belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chotanagpur Plateau area.  Brief Profile: o Also known as Dharti Aaba (Father of Earth), Birsa Munda is known to have mobilised the tribal community against the British and had also forced the colonial officials to introduce laws protecting the land rights of the tribals.  Birsait Sect: o Having gained awareness of the British colonial ruler and the efforts of the missionaries to convert tribals to Christianity, Birsa started the faith of „Birsait‟. o Members of the Munda and Oraon community joined the Birsait sect and it turned into a challenge to British conversion activities. o Further, he urged the Mundas to give up drinking liquor, clean their village, and stop believing in witchcraft and sorcery.  Munda Rebellion: o It is one of the most important tribal movements. o It was led by Birsa Munda in the south of Ranchi in 1899-1900. o The movement identified following forces as the cause of the misery the Mundas were suffering:  The land policies of the British were destroying their traditional land system.  Hindu landlords and moneylenders were taking over their land.  Missionaries were criticising their traditional culture. o The 'Ulgulan' or the 'Great Tumult' as the movement came to be called, aimed at establishing Munda Raj by driving out the British.

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 Munda used traditional symbols and language to rouse people, urging them to destroy ―Ravana‖ (dikus/outsiders and the Europeans) and establish a kingdom under his leadership. o Birsa‘s followers began targeting the symbols of diku and European power. They attacked police stations and churches, and raided the property of moneylenders and zamindars. They raised the white flag as a symbol of Birsa Raj. o On 3rd March, 1900, Birsa Munda was arrested by the British police while he was sleeping with his tribal guerilla army at Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur (Jharkhand).  Birsa died of cholera in the jail and the movement faded out.  Significance of Munda Rebellion: o It forced the colonial government to introduce laws so that the land of the tribals could not be easily taken over by dikus (Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908). o It showed that the tribal people had the capacity to protest against injustice and express their anger against colonial rule. Jharkhand Foundation Day  The name "Jharkhand" means "The Land of Forests". The state was brought into existence by the Bihar reorganization Act on 15th November, 2000 - the birth anniversary of the legendary Bhagwan Birsa Munda.  Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Odisha to the south, and West Bengal to the east.  Most of the state lies on the Chotanagpur Plateau, which is the source of the Koel, Damodar, Brahmani, Kharkai, and Subarnarekha rivers, whose upper watersheds lie within Jharkhand.  Forest preserves support populations of tigers and Asian Elephants (Betla National Park).  Jharkhand boasts of 40% and 29% of India's mineral and coal reserves, respectively.  Jharkhand has 32 tribal groups including Munda, Kol, Santhal, Oraon, Khond, Asur, Gond etc.

RENATI CHOLA ERA INSCRIPTION A rare inscription dating back to the Renati Chola era has been unearthed in a remote village of Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Key Points  The inscription was found engraved on a dolomite slab and shale, which are part of a fragmentary pillar excavated from a farmer‘s field. o Dolomite is a sedimentary carbonate rock composed mostly of calcium magnesium carbonate. o Shale or mudstone is a fine-grained sedimentary rock that forms from the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles.  The inscription was written in archaic Telugu. It was assigned to the 8th Century AD, when the region was under the rule of Chola Maharaja of Renadu.

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 Text: The inscription seems to throw light on the record of a gift of six Marttus (a measuring unit) of land to a Brahmin Priest. Some lines are indicative of the priority given to morality in those days.  In July 2020, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had found the exact location of Renati Cholas‘ capital in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. o ASI deciphered two inscriptions of Renati Cholas belonging to the 7th century. The first inscription speaks of their capital Erikal in Kamalapuram region in Kadapa, while the other speaks about the battle of Renati Cholas and Banas.  Renati Cholas: o The Telugu Cholas of Renadu (also called as Renati Cholas) ruled over Renadu region, the present day Kadapa district. o The earliest of this family was Nandivarman (500 AD). o Renandu Cholas were the feudatories of the Chola dynasty. o These kings claimed that they belonged to Karikala Chola's dynasty. o They are said to be the first kingdom to use Telugu in administration and inscriptions, instead of . Chola Dynasty  The Cholas controlled the central and northern parts of Tamil Nadu from around the 8th- 12th century AD.  Their core area of the rule was the Kaveri delta, later known as Cholamandalam. Their capital was Uraiyur (near Tiruchirapalli town) and Puhar or Kaviripattinam was an alternative royal residence and chief port town.  Tiger was their emblem.  The Cholas also maintained an efficient navy.  King Karikala was a famous king of the Sangam Cholas. o Many Sangam poems mention the Battle of Venni where he defeated the confederacy of Cheras, Pandyas and eleven minor chieftains. o Trade and commerce flourished during his reign. o He founded the port city of Puhar (identical with Kaveripattinam) and constructed 160 km of an embankment along the Kaveri River.  Recently, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched „Project Digital Poompuhar‟ to recreate the Chola Dynasty port city (Poompuhar) in Tamil Nadu.  Recently, the consecration (Kumbhabhishekam) ceremony was held at the Brihadisvara Temple after 23 years in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The temple was built by Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola I (985-1014 AD) between 1003 AD and 1010 AD.

DHRUPAD Padma Shri awardee and renowned Dhrupad vocalist Ramakant Gundecha passed away in Bhopal. Key Points  The word Dhrupad is derived from Dhruva, the steadfast evening star that moves through the galaxy, and Pada meaning poetry.

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 Traditionally, the dhrupad style of singing was performed with a tanpura and pakhawaj.  The lyrics sung in Dhrupad are in a medieval form of Hindi and typically heroic in theme, or praise of a particular deity.  It is a form of devotional music that traces its origin to the ancient text of Samveda.  One significant characteristic of Dhrupad is the emphasis on maintaining the purity of the Raga.  Hindustani classical music is primarily vocal-centric. The primary vocal forms associated with Hindustani music are the Khayal, Ghazal, Dhrupad, Dhammar, Tarana and Thumri.

KAKATIYA DYNASTY A temple constructed by emperor Ganapati Deva, a mighty ruler of Kakatiya dynasty, in Dharanikota (Andhra Pradesh) has been converted into an abode of local goddess Balusulamma (Goddess Durga).  The presiding deity at this 13th-century temple was Kakati Devi, the tutelary deity of Kakatiya rulers.  Due to ravages of time and for no upkeep, the presiding deity got damaged. The villagers of Dharanikota, who had no knowledge about the past of the temple, installed Balusulamma idol and started worshipping. Key Points  Kakatiyas is an Andhra dynasty that flourished in the 12th century CE. The Kakatiya dynasty ruled from Warangal (Telangana) from CE 1083-1323.  They were known for the construction of a network of tanks for irrigation and drinking water and thereby gave a big boost to the overall development of the region. o Telangana has launched a massive rejuvenation movement in the form of ―Mission Kakatiya‖ which involves the restoration of irrigation tanks and lakes/minor irrigation sources built by the Kakatiya dynasty.  There are hundreds of Hindu temples built under the patronage of Kakatiya kings like Ganapati Deva, Rudrama Devi and Prataparudra of Kakatiya dynasty. E.g. o Thousand Pillar Temple or Rudreshwara Swamy Temple, Telangana. It is a star- shaped, triple shrine (Trikutalayam) dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva and Surya. o Ramappa Temple, Warangal, Telangana.  Golconda Fort in Hyderabad (Telangana) was also constructed by the Kakatiya rulers. o Later, it became the capital of the Qutb Shahi kings, who ruled from CE 1518-1687.

PUNNAPARA-VAYALAR REVOLT Context: A report to the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) has suggested dropping the Communist martyrs of Punnapra-Vayalar, Karivelloor and Kavumbayi agitations from the list of martyrs of India‘s Independence struggle. The reason: ICHR says, these Communist agitations cannot be counted as the part of the Independence movement as they took place after the interim government led by Jawaharlal Nehru assumed office. These riots were basically against the interim government.

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About Punnapara-Vayalar revolt: It was an organized working class uprising in the Princely State of Travancore, British India against the Prime Minister, C. P. Ramaswami Iyer and the state. The objectives of the revolt were: 1. To overthrow the exploitative diwan of Travancore. 2. To liberate the working class from unjust taxation and exploitation of the establishment. The significances of this revolt were: (a) It was an unique agitation where the working class rose against government. (b) It saw the people of all classes up in arms against a common tyrant hence it dissolved class and religion distinction and induced unity among people. (c) It resulted in establishing democracy in the region and also gave a decisive turn to the politics of the state. Implications of the revolt: 1. Historianss maintain this was a proper struggle against the declaration of „Independent Travancore‟ by the then Travancore. 2. T K Varghese Vaidyan, a leader of the struggle, had gone on record saying it was a rehearsal for a larger revolution with the ultimate objective of establishing a “Communist India”.

ROGAN ART: GUJARAT The centuries old tradition of Rogan art (hand painting on cloth), is facing an unprecedented challenge due to pandemic. Key Points  About: o The word Rogan means “Oil” in Persian. With origins in Persia, it came to Kutch around 300 years ago. o This rare craft is practised by a lone Muslim family, the Khatris of Nirona Village, Gujarat.  Technique: o Rogan is a form of textile painting which uses a rich, brightly coloured paint made from castor oil and natural colors. Castor is a crop commonly grown in the Kutch region of Gujarat and the artists source it from the local farmers.  Patterns: o The intricate motifs – geometric flowers, peacocks, the tree of life, etc. – are drawn from the history and folk culture of the Kutch region.  Process: o The castor paste is mixed with natural colours and then is drawn out into a fine ‗thread‘ with a metal stylus or „Kalam‟. This metal rod never comes in contact with the fabric. o The artisans then carefully twist the paint across the cloth into motifs and patterns. o Next, the fabric is folded thereby printing its mirror image. The finer details are then added thus completing the Rogan painting.

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 Recognition: o The „Tree of Life‟ design is the most famous design in Rogan painting. It is inspired by traditional Persian designs. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, gifted Rogan paintings to the USA president, Barack Obama, during his visit to the USA in 2014. o The nine artists from the Khatri family have six national awards and six State awards between them.

KHAJURAHO DANCE The 44th edition of Khajuraho Dance Festival 2018 was held at Khajuraho temple, a UNESCO world heritage site in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh. It was inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and was organised by culture department of state government. Khajuraho Temple Key Facts Khajuraho Dance Festival is annual cultural festival that highlights richness of various Indian classical dance styles. The 6-day festival showcased classical dances including Kathak, Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Mohiniattam. Art Mart, which is part of festival showcased paintings of international artists from Germany, France and China among other countries. During the festival, dances were performed in an open- air auditorium, in front of Vishwanatha Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Chitragupta Temple dedicated to Sun God. Khajuraho Temple It is a group of Hindu and Jain Temples in Madhya Pradesh build by Chandela Dynasty between 950 and 1050 AD. They are UNESCO World heritage Site. The temples are famous for their nagara- style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures (about 10% of total sculptures). The temples at Khajuraho are all made of Sandstone. The largest temple at Khajuraho is the Kandariya Mahadeva temple which is attributed to king Ganda. All the towers or shikhara of temple rise high, upward in curved pyramidal fashion, emphasizing temple‘s vertical thrust ending in horizontal fluted disc called Amalaka topped with Kalasha or vase. The erotic expression of sculptures in these temples gives equal importance in human experience as a spiritual pursuit, and it is seen as a part of the larger cosmic whole.

MAHARAJA SUHELDEV The Prime Minister has laid the foundation stone of a Maharaja Suheldev memorial and the development work of Chittaura lake in Uttar Pradesh‘s Bahraich district. Key Points  About Maharaja Suheldev: o He was the erstwhile ruler of Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh‘s (UP) Bahraich district, who ruled in the 11th century. o He is known in history for waging guerrilla warfare against Mahmud Ghazni‟s large army.

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o Suheldev was deeply moved by the loot and destruction of the magnificent Somnath temple by invader Mahmud Ghazni that he decided to gather heads of different communities like Tharu and Banjara as well as small kings to block the invasion.  His army defeated and killed Ghazi Salar Masud, the nephew of Mahmud Ghazni, at Bahraich. o Raja Suheldev finds mention in „Mirat-i-Masudi‟, a 17th century Persian-language historical account.  ‗Mirat-i-Masudi‘ is the biography of Salar Masud, written by Abd-ur-Rahman Chishti during the reign of the Mughal emperor Jahangir (1605–1627). o In local folklore, Suheldev is said to be a Rajbhar. o He is popular as a caste icon among the Rajbhars (OBC) and the Pasis (second largest Dalit caste in UP), both of whom have been competing for his legacy and are predominantly found in central and eastern UP.  Chittaura Lake: o The Chittaura Jheel is located in the Bahraich District near the village Chittaur in Uttar Pradesh. o Teri Nadi, a small river originates from this lake which is a home to many migratory birds. o Being a Hindu pilgrimage site, many fairs are held near this lake during Kartik Purnima and Vasant Panchami. o There is an ashram where Muni Ashtwarka used to live and this site also witnessed the epic fight between Ghazi Salar Masud and Raja Suheldev in the year 1033. o There is a temple complex with the statue of Raja Suheldev and temple dedicated to Goddess Durga situated here.

GURU RAVIDAS Guru Ravidas Jayanti was celebrated on 9th February, 2020.  Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Magh according to lunar calendar.  Guru Ravidas was a 14th century saint and reformer of the Bhakti movement in North India.  It is believed that he was born in Varanasi in a cobbler‘s family.  He gained prominence due to his belief in one God and his unbiased religious poems.  He dedicated his whole life to the abolition of the caste system and openly despised the notion of a Brahminical society.  His devotional songs made an instant impact on the Bhakti Movement and around 41 of his poems were included in „Guru Granth Sahib‟, the religious text of the Sikhs.

Bhakti Movement  The development of the Bhakti movement took place in Tamil Nadu between the seventh and ninth centuries.

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 It was reflected in the emotional poems of the Nayanars (devotees of Shiva) and Alvars (devotees of Vishnu). These saints looked upon religion not as a cold formal worship but as a loving bond based upon love between the worshipped and worshipper.  In course of time, the ideas of the South moved up to the North but it was a very slow process.  A more effective method for spreading the Bhakti ideology was the use of local languages. The Bhakti saints composed their verses in local languages.  They also translated Sanskrit works to make them understandable to a wider audience. Examples include Jnanadeva writing in Marathi, Kabir, Surdas and Tulsidas in Hindi, Shankaradeva popularising Assamese, Chaitanya and Chandidas spreading their message in Bengali, Mirabai in Hindi and Rajasthani.

PATTACHITRA PAINTINGS Recently, Odisha‘s Ganjam district administration banned the Meru Jatra festival and congregations related to it at temples on the occasion of Mahavishub Sankranti (13th April, 2020), due to Covid-19.  Covid-19 has also affected the sale of Pattachitra paintings. Meru Jatra Festival  Meru Jatra marks the end of the 21-day-long festival of penance named ‗Danda Nata‘.  Danda Nata is celebrated in the month of 'Chaitra'. o Danda as the name implies, is self-inflicted pain, which the danduas (people who participate in the festival) undergo to pay their obeisance to the lord Kali. It is also a form of worshipping the lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. o The origin of the festival is generally traced to 8th and 9th AD after the decadence of Buddhism in Orissa.  On the occasion of Mahavishub Sankranti thousands of devotees used to gather at the Tara Tarini hill shrine and other temples. o Tara Tarini hill shrine, located at a hilltop on banks of the Rushikulya river, is a major centre of Shakti worship in Odisha. o The twin goddesses Tara and Tarini represent one Shakti and are the main deity of Ganjam district (Odisha).  Mahavishub Sankranti is the start of the Odia New Year.  Earlier, the administrations had also banned the famous Chaitra Jatra festival at Tara Tarini hill shrine as a precautionary measure against Covid-19 infection. Pattachitra Painting  Pattachitra style of painting is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of Odisha.  The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words Patta, meaning canvas, and Chitra, meaning picture. Pattachitra is done on canvas and is manifested by rich colourful application, creative motifs and designs, and portrayal of simple themes, mostly mythological in depiction.  Some of the popular themes represented through this art form are Thia Badhia - depiction of the temple of Jagannath; Krishna Lila - enactment of Jagannath as Lord Krishna displaying his

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powers as a child; Dasabatara Patti - the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu; Panchamukhi - depiction of Lord Ganesh as a five-headed deity.  The Pattachitra, when painted on cloth, follows a traditional process of preparation of the canvas. First, the base is prepared by coating the cloth with the soft, white, stone powder of chalk and glue made from tamarind seeds.  It is a tradition to complete the borders of the painting first. The painter then starts making a rough sketch directly with the brush using light red and yellow. The colours used are normally white, red, yellow, and black.  When the painting is completed it is held over a charcoal fire and lacquer is applied to the surface. This makes the painting water resistant and durable, besides giving it a shining finish. Recently, a shadow leather puppet in Kerala‘s famous temple art Tholpavakkoothu has been animated by a robot.

THOLPAVAKOOTHU Key Points It is a traditional temple art in Kerala having its roots in Palakkad and neighbouring regions. This art is confined largely to Pulavar families from Shoranur region of Palakkad district. Among the ancient artforms of Kerala, tholpavakkoothu or shadow puppet play occupies a prominent place. It is a fine example of the integration of Aryan and Dravidian cultures. It is a ritual art performed during the annual festivals in the Kaali temples of Palakkad district. It is also known as Nizhalkkoothu and Olakkoothu. The theme of the play is based on the Kamba Ramayana (the Tamil version of the epic). Origin: In Malayalam, Thol means leather, pava means doll and koothu the play. Though the origin of this ritualistic art form is not known exactly, some believe it to be as old as 1200 years. It used to be performed in the Bhadrakali temples of Palakkad, telling tales from the Ramayana. The Show: This entertainment art is performed on a special stage called koothumadam in the temple courtyard. It is performed using the mythological figures along with the use of fire and lighting of lamps behind the screen. The chief puppeteer is known as ‗Pulavan‘. Musical Instruments Used: Ezhupara, Chenda and Maddalam etc.

„BEHRUPIYAS‟ The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the livelihood of several folk artistes including „Behrupiyas‟. Key Points  The word ‗behrupiya‘ is a derivative of the Sanskrit word bahu (many) and roop (form).  Behrupiyas are impersonators, mostly known to perform in villages and markets all over India. o They put on various costumes to play figures from mythology, folklore and traditional stories.

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 The behrupiya festival is a traditional Indian style of street theatre and takes place every year in different locations- Delhi, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Jaipur, Kumbh, Muzaffarnagar and others. o National Behrupiya Festival was organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) from 5th-8th October 2018. o IGNCA is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture.  Behrupiyas were more than artists in the past. They assisted in circulating, transmitting and publicising the various knowledge forms in the popular domain of Samaj, the people. The vibrant tradition of Ramlila can also be seen as an extension of this practice which continues even today. o Arthashastra makes a mention of religious processions in the Mauryan times where artistes dressed as gods and were taken out in tableaux all around the kingdom. o Rajasthan‟s Behrupiyas had served Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh of the erstwhile Jaipur kingdom. They are also said to have helped freedom fighters during the struggle for Independence.

MAHATMA AYYANKALI The Prime Minister of India paid tribute to social reformer Mahatma Ayyankali on his 157th birth anniversary. Key Points  Ayyankali (1863-1914), born in Kerala, was a leader of the lower castes and . With his efforts, Dalits got the freedom to walk on public roads, and Dalit children were allowed to join schools.  He formed Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham (SJPS) to work for low castes.  Efforts to organise the “depressed classes” and particularly the untouchable castes predated the nationalist movement, having begun in the second half of the nineteenth century. o This was an initiative taken from both ends of the caste spectrum – by upper caste progressive reformers as well as by members of the lower castes such as Mahatma Jotiba Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar in western India, Ayyankali, Sri Narayana Guru, Iyothee Das and Periyar (E.V. Ramaswamy Naickar) in the South.

GURJARA PRATIHARA context Natesa, a rare sandstone idol from the 9th century (Pratihara Style of Rajasthan) has been retrieved after 22 years by Rajasthan police. Key Points  Description: The Natesa icon, currently at the Indian High Commission, London, was originally from the Ghateswar Temple, Baroli, Rajasthan. o It was smuggled out of the country in 1998. o A few archaeologists behind the „India Pride Project‟ have also taken consistent efforts for the restitution of the Natesa icon.

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 India Pride Project: It is a group of art enthusiasts who use social media to identify stolen religious artefacts from Indian temples and secure their return.  Features: The sandstone Natesa figure stands tall at almost 4 ft. in a rare and brilliant depiction of Shiva. o A beautiful depiction of Nandi is shown behind the right leg of the Natesa icon.  Significance: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Ministry of Culture should use this restitution as a much-needed impetus to go after thousands of artefacts stolen since the 1960s. Pratihara Style  It is a famous temple architecture belonging to the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty of Rajasthan.  They ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century.  Significant Rulers: Nagabhata Il, Mhir Bhoj, Mahenedra pal I  Style: The architecture is known for their sculptures, carved panels and open pavilion style temples belonging to Nagara Style of temple Architecture.  They used most common sandstones for idols that have various shades of red, caused by iron oxide (rust).  The greatest development of their style of building is at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

JYOTIRAO PHULE  Mahatma Phule was a prolific social activist and thinker, who pioneered women‘s education in India especially in Maharashtra.  He was born on 11 April 1827 in Katgun, District in Maharashtra. He belonged to the Mali caste of gardeners and his family was mostly illiterate. His family was well-off owing to success in the flower business. His father Govindrao carried on the family business while also owning some farmland. His mother Chimnabai died when he was just 9 months old.  Phule attended primary school where he learnt the basic 3 R‘s. He was then pulled off from school and engaged in the family business. However, a family friend on seeing the child Phule‘s intelligence convinced his father to enrol him in an English missionary school. Phule completed his English schooling in 1847.  It was in 1848 that he read American political activist and philosopher‘s work ‗Rights of Man‘. This book influenced his idea of social justice.  Phule understood that the lower castes and women in society were a disadvantaged lot and that their deliverance lay in education.  He taught reading and writing to his wife Savitribai. They then started a school for girls in Pune in 1848, which was the first such school by Indians. He faced social ostracism because of this and even had to leave his parental home.  Later, he started a school for children of the lower castes. He advocated widow remarriage and fought against female infanticide. As an example in the fight against the caste system and untouchability, he opened up the well of his house to people from all castes.  He opened a home for widows and infants as well.

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 He is credited with using the word ‗Dalit‘ for the depressed classes for the first time. It is a Marathi word meaning ‗broken‘ or ‗crushed‘.  Mahatma Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj on September 24, 1873. Through the society, he opposed caste system, idolatry and denounced the need for priests. He also championed the necessity of rational thinking. He promoted respect for all religions but shunned the rituals associated with them.  Phule inspired many latter-day leaders including B R Ambedkar.  Savitribai was also an active participant in the movement and she continued the work after her husband‘s death.  Phule was also the Commissioner of the Poona Municipality from 1876 till 1883.  Mahatma Phule passed away in Pune aged 63. Some of Mahatma Phule‟s published works  Tritiya Ratna  Brahmananche Kasab  Powada : Chatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle Yancha (Life of Shivaji)  Manav Mahammand (Muhammad) (Abhang)  Gulamgiri  Satyashodhak Samajokt Mangalashtakasah Sarva Puja-vidhi  Sarvajanic Satya Dharmapustak  Shetkaryacha Asud

KEELADI According to a report published by the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department (TNAD), the cultural deposits unearthed during the excavations at site Keeladi located in the Sivaganga district could be dated to a period between the 6th century BC and the 1st century AD. Key Findings  The title of the report was „Keeladi-An Urban Settlement of Sangam Age on the Banks of River Vaigai.‘  Previously it was believed that the Keeladi artefacts belonged to the 3rd century BC. o But the carbon dating test confirmed the date of the Tamil-Brahmi script is dated to the year 580 BC.  The results suggest that the second urbanization (the first being the Indus Valley Civilization) of Vaigai plains happened in Tamil Nadu during the 6th century BC. o The contemporary of which in the Gangetic plains was the Iron Age & the period of the rise of various Heterodox sects.  Skeletal fragments of Cow/Ox & Buffalo, Sheep & Goat, Nilgai & Blackbuck, Wild boar, and Peacock suggest that the society in Keeladi had used animals predominantly for agricultural purposes.  Pottery specimens from Keeladi confirmed that the water containers and cooking vessels were shaped out of locally available raw materials.

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o The recovery of spindle whorls, pinpointed bone tip tools, hanging stones of the yarn, terracotta spheres, copper needle, and earthen vessels to hold liquid, outlines the various stages of weaving industry from spinning, yarning, looming, weaving and dyeing. Sangam Age  The word ‗Sangam‘ is the Tamil form of the Sanskrit word Sangha which means a group of persons or an association.  The Tamil Sangam was an academy of poets who flourished in three different periods and in different places under the patronage of the Pandyan kings.  The Sangam literature which was largely consolidated from the third Sangam, throws information on conditions of life of people around the beginning of the Christian era. o It deals with the secular matter relating to the public and social activities like government, war charity, trade, worship, agriculture, etc. o Sangam literature consists of the earliest Tamil works (such as the Tolkappiyam), the ten poems (Pattupattu), the eight anthologies (Ettutogai) and the eighteen minor works (Padinenkilkanakku), and the three epics. Tamil-Brahmi Script  The Brahmi script was the earliest script that the Tamils used.  In the late ancient and early medieval period they started evolving a new angular script, called the Grantha script, from which the modern Tamil is derived. Vaigai River  It is an east-flowing river.  The Vaigai river basin is an important basin among the 12 basins lying between the Cauvery and Kanyakumari.  This basin is bounded by the Cardamom Hills and the Palani Hills on the West and by the Palk Strait and Palk Bay on the East.

CHAOLUNG SUKAPHA Why in News? Assam Chief Minister has ordered the arrest of a Kolkata-based political commentator, Garga Chatterjee, who had described Chaolung Sukapha as a “Chinese invader”. About Sukapha: 1. He was a 13th-century ruler who founded the Ahom kingdom that ruled Assam for six centuries. Contemporary scholars trace his roots to Burma. 2. He is widely referred to as the architect of “Bor Asom” or “greater Assam”. 3. Sukapha is said to have left a place called Maulung in AD 1215 with eight nobles and 9,000 men, women and children — mostly men. 4. It was in Charaideo that Sukapha established his first small principality, sowing the seeds of further expansion of the Ahom kingdom. 5. The founders of the Ahom kingdom had their own language and followed their own religion. Over the centuries, the Ahoms accepted the Hindu religion and the Assamese language.

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6. To commemorate Sukapha and his rule, Assam celebrates “Asom Divas” on December 2 every year.

MOPLAH UPRISING Recently, the Indian Council for Historical research (ICHR) has constituted a three-member committee to review the entries in the book Dictionary of Martyrs: India‘s Freedom Struggle 1857- 1947, which was released by the Prime Minister on 7th March 2019. The book contains an account of the martyrs from India‘s First War of Independence in 1857, to India‘s Independence in 1947. The project for its compilation was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture to ICHR to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the uprising of 1857. Key Points Background: A review report submitted to the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) by one of its members in 2016 had recommended the delisting 387 names including victims of Wagon Tragedy and Malabar/Moplah Rebellion leaders Ali Musliyar and Variamkunnath Ahmad Haji from the Dictionary of Martyrs. The year 2021 will mark the 100th year anniversary of the Malabar rebellion of 1921. There has been recent controversy on a film being released on this issue. Issues involved: The review report of 2016 noted that ―almost all the Moplah outrages were communal. They were against the Hindu society and done out of sheer intolerance.‖ The report also said that none of those who died in the Wagon Tragedy were freedom fighters of India as they hoisted the Khilafat flag and established Khilafat and Khilafat courts for a brief period. Issue of forced conversion of Hindus into Islam by the leaders of the rebellion were also raised by many organizations. However, many historians view this as a one of the first cases of nationalist uprisings in Southern India. Malabar Rebellion or Moplah Uprising or Mapillah Revolt (1921) Reasons: The trigger of the uprising came from the Non-Cooperation Movement launched by the Congress in 1920 along with the Khilafat agitation. The anti-British sentiment fuelled by these agitations affected the Muslim Mapillahs (also known as Moplahs) of south Malabar region of Kerala. New Tenancy Laws: After the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799 in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, Malabar had come under British authority as part of the Madras Presidency. The British had introduced new tenancy laws that tremendously favoured the landlords known as Janmis and instituted a far more exploitative system for peasants than before. The new laws deprived the peasants of all guaranteed rights to the land, share in the produce they earlier got and in effect rendered them landless. The Communal Angle: Most of the landlords were Namboodiri Brahmins while most of the tenants were Mapillah Muslims.

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The Revolt: Fuelled by the fiery speeches by Muslim religious leaders and anti-british sentiments, the Mopillahs launched a violent rebellion. Numerous actions of violence were reported and series of persecutions were committed both against the British and the Hindu landlords. Support: In the initial stages, the movement had the support of Mahatma Gandhi and other Indian nationalist leaders, but as it turned violent they distanced themselves from it. Collapse: By the end of 1921, the rebellion was crushed by the British who had raised a special battalion, the Malabar Special Force for the riot. Wagon Tragedy: In November 1921, 67 Moplah prisoners were killed when they were being transported in a closed freight wagon from Tirur to the Central Prison in Podanur. They died of suffocation. This event is called the Wagon Tragedy. Khilafat Movement  The Khilafat agitation was launched in India in 1919.  It was led by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.  The demands of the movement were :  Control of Turkish Caliphate or Khalifa over islamic sacred places in the erstwhile Ottaman Empire.  The Jazirat-ul-Arab i.e. Arabia, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq remain sunder Muslim Sovereignty  Khalifa is left with sufficient territory to defend the Ismaic faith.  The movement was supported by the Indian National Congress.  Mahatma Gandhi wanted to align it to the Non-Cooperation Movement to unite Hindus and Muslims against the British rule. Indian Council of Historical Research ICHR is an autonomous organization, established under Societies Registration Act,1860 in 1972. It is under the Ministry of Education. Objectives  To bring historians together for exchange of views.  To give a national direction to an objective and scientific writing of history.  To promote, accelerate and coordinate research in history and ensure its dissemination.  The council also provides grants, assistance and fellowships for historical research.

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DEFENCE

OPERATION DESERT CHASE Operation Desert Chase, an anti-espionage operation was started by Military Intelligence in early 2019. It successfully culminated on June 8, 2020 with the arrest of two men. Both the men were civil defence employees. They were on the payrolls of ISI and allegedly passed information relating to the trains transporting ammunition across the country.

KAMOV-226T : UTILITY HELICOPTERS he Ka-226T is a design of Russia's famed Kamov design bureau. A joint venture India Russia Helicopters Limited (IRHL) has been set up between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russian Helicopters (RH) which will assemble the helicopters in India. It is a light helicopter, with a maximum take-off weight of over 3.5 tonnes and can carry a payload of up to 1 tonne. The Ka-226T also has a unique, detachable 'mission' compartment instead of a conventional cabin. This allows the helicopter to be adapted for different roles such as surveillance and cargo delivery. The total indigenous content of the Ka-226T utility helicopters, to be jointly manufactured locally by India and Russia with Transfer of Technology (ToT), is between 27%-33%. The Ka-226T is meant to replace the aging and obsolete Cheetah and Chetak fleet of the Army and Air Force and the total technical life of these will start finishing from 2023 onwards. In 2015, India and Russia had concluded an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for at least 200 Ka-226T twin-engine utility helicopters estimated to cost over $1 billion with 60 helicopters to be directly imported and the remaining 140 to be manufactured locally.

NAVAL INNOVATION AND INDIGENISATION ORGANISATION (NIIO) Ministry of Defence launched NIIO aimed to boost self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector. The NIIO puts in place dedicated structures for the end users to interact with academia and industry towards fostering innovation and indigenisation for self-reliance in defence in keeping with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The NIIO is a three-tiered organisation.  Naval Technology Acceleration Council (N-TAC) will bring together the twin aspects of innovation and indigenisation and provide apex level directives.  Working group under the N-TAC will implement the projects.

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 Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC) has been created for induction of emerging disruptive technology in an accelerated time frame. The Draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 envisages Service Headquarters establishing an Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation within existing resources. The Navy has an in-house design bureau, which has made progress in designing the ‗float‘ and ‗move‘ (propulsion) components. However, there is a heavy reliance on imports for armaments, called the ‗fight‘ component.

TRIALS FOR HELINA & DHRUVASTRA In 2021, the Joint User Trials (by Army and Airforce) for the ‗Helina‘, and ‗Dhruvastra‘ have been carried out from Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) platform in desert ranges. The Helina (the Army version) and Dhruvastra (Indian Airforce version) are helicopter-launched versions of third-generation anti-tank guided missiles (the missile system). The missile system has all-weather day-and-night capability and can defeat battle tanks with conventional armor and explosive reactive armor. The missile systems have been designed and developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Nag Missile Nag is a third-generation, fire-and-forget, anti-tank guided missile developed by DRDO to support both mechanized infantry and airborne forces of the Indian Army. It is an all-weather condition with day and night capabilities and with a minimum range of 500m and a maximum range of 4 km. Nag can be launched from land and air-based platforms. The land version is currently available for integration on the Nag missile carrier (NAMICA), which is derived from a BMP-2 tracked infantry combat vehicle. The Nag missile was indigenously developed under the Indian Ministry of Defence‘s integrated guided missile development programme (IGMDP), which also involved the development of four other missiles that are , Akash, and . Bharat Dynamics (BDL) produced imaging infrared seekers for the weapon. The first test of Nag was conducted in November 1990. A test launch of the missile from a tube in programmed control mode was performed at the Interim Test Range, Balasore, Odisha in September 2001.

APT29 APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, is a cyber-espionage group allegedly linked to Russian state intelligence agencies. Earlier, this group had hacked into election networks before the 2016 U.S. presidential election. UK and its allies publicly blamed APT29 for cyber-attacks on organizations involved in coronavirus vaccine development.

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The cyber-espionage groups dubbed APT28 (aka Fancy Bear) and APT29 (aka Cozy Bear and The Dukes) are believed to correspond to Russia‘s military intelligence agency GRU and its state security organization FSB, respectively. These warriors have been involved in many sophisticated cyber-attacks in the past. They attacked critical systems in Estonia in 2007 over the relocation of a Soviet-era memorial. The 2015 cyber- attack on three of Ukraine‘s regional power distribution companies knocked out power to almost a quarter-million people.

ARAD AND CARMEL ASSAULT RIFLES Two latest Israeli assault rifles, the Arad and the Carmel are set to be manufactured in India. The assault weapons are to be produced under the ‗Make in India‘ initiative. A plant had been set up in Madhya Pradesh in 2017 by Israel Weapons System (IWI) in a joint venture called PLR Systems. IWI ARAD is equipped with a picatinny rail to enable the use of a variety of optics and other attachments. CARMEL is a multi-purpose, modular, 5.56X45mm caliber assault rifle for modern warfare, ideal for maneuvers between different combat zones and for extended combat duration.

RAISING DAY OF INDO-TIBETAN BORDER POLICE (ITBP) The ITBP was raised on 24th October 1962 during the India-China War and is a border guarding police force specializing in high altitude operations. Presently, ITBP is deployed on border guarding duties from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh covering 3488 km of Indo-China Border. ITBP Border Out Posts are of the height upto 18,750 feet where the temperature dips down minus 40 degree Celsius. The Force is also deployed for Anti Naxal operations and other internal security duties. Recently, 59th Raising Day of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was celebrated. ITBP was initially raised under the CRPF Act. However, in 1992, Parliament enacted the ITBPF Act and the rules there under were framed in 1994. In the year 2004, in pursuance of GoM recommendations on ―One Border One Force‖, the entire stretch of India-China Border comprising 3488 KMs was assigned to the ITBP for Border Guarding duty and, accordingly, ITBP, replaced Assam Rifles in and Arunachal Pradesh in 2004.

T-90 TANKS The T-90 is a third-generation Russian main battle tank that entered service in 1993. In February 2001, the Indian Army signed a contract for 310 T-90S tanks: 124 were completed in Russia and the rest were delivered in ‗knocked down‘ form for final assembly in India.

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As per the procedure, the contract has Buy and Make (Indian) categorisation with a minimum of 50% indigenous content in the Make portion. The first T-90S MBT was delivered to India in January 2004. The locally assembled tanks were christened ‗Bhishma‘. Why T-90 Tanks are crucial for India against China T-90M Bhishma— named after a great legend named Bhishma Pitamaha, from the Indian epic Mahabharata— has been specially designed to operate in the cold and harsh conditions of Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh regions of the country. The tanks can remain operational at even minus 40 degrees Celsius due to the use of special fuels which do not freeze in sub-zero temperatures. The Depsang plains, which are situated at an altitude of more than 15,000 feet, are flat and therefore more suitable for T-90 tanks.

PROCUREMENT OF LCA TEJAS APPROVED The HAL Tejas is an Indian single-engine, fourth- generation, multirole designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It will be deployed for and Indian Navy. The Tejas is the second supersonic fighter developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after the HAL HF-24 Marut. Tejas is powered by a engine. LCA Tejas Mk-1A (LCA) Tejas Mk-1A is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured state-of-the-art modern 4+ generation . It is equipped with critical operational capabilities of Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile, (EW) Suite and Air to Air Refuelling (AAR) to meet the operational requirements of Indian Air Force, IAF. LCA Tejas Mk-1A is the first 'Buy (Indian- Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)' category. It has an indigenous content of 50% which will reach 60% by the end of the programme. Why in the news?

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The Union Cabinet has approved procurement of 73 LCA Tejas Mk-1A fighter aircrafts and 10 LCA Tejas Mk-1 Trainer aircrafts.

GOLDEN ARROWS SQUADRON The Indian Air Force inducted the newly acquired Rafale fighter jets into the Golden Arrows squadron of the IAF at the Ambala airbase. The IAF had recently resurrected the Golden Arrows squadron, which was originally raised at Air Force Station, Ambala on Oct 1, 1951. The 17 Squadron has many firsts to its credit; in 1955 it was equipped with the first jet fighter, the legendary De Havilland Vampire. The Rafale jets, known for air-superiority and precision strikes, are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. The Rafale jet is often compared with the USA stealth F-35 aircraft and F-22. The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 2020, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. The emergency acquisition was made primarily to check the depleting combat capability of the IAF as the number of its fighter squadrons had come down to a worrying 31 against the authorised strength of at least 42.

SPIKE-LR ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILES These are the 4th generation Anti-Tank Missiles developed and manufactured by the Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, Israel. It is a portable anti-armour weapon system with a range of up to 4 km, which can be operated in fire-and-forget mode and in the fire, observe and update mode using the fibre-optic data link. These are used by infantry soldiers, special rapid reaction forces, ground forces and helicopter aircrew. It can work in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) mode allowing the gunner to operate from a covered position. Why in the news? The India Army is set to place a repeat order for Spike-LR (Long Range) Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) from Israel as part of emergency procurement. The decision comes in the backdrop of continuing tensions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The Army procured these systems under their Emergency Financial Powers. Under these, armed forces have been given a free hand to procure equipment worth up to Rs. 300 crore on a priority basis with deliveries stipulated to be completed in three months but extendable up to six months.

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SAGAR KAVACH Sagar Kavach is a two-day coastal security exercise conducted by Indian Navy along with Indian Coastal Guard. It is a half-yearly exercise to check coastal security mechanism and validate Standard Operating Procedure.

MOU FOR COMPOSITE RAW MATERIALS SIGNED Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development and production of composite raw materials during 2021 in Bengaluru. This is the first time that such an MoU has been signed for A is a composite raw materials. combination of two materials with Composites raw materials, mainly in the form of prepregs different physical and chemical (carbon, aramid, glass types, etc) are used in platforms like properties. When they are combined Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Advanced Light Helicopter they create a material which is (ALH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), and Light Utility specialised to do a certain job, for Helicopter (LUH). These are currently imported. instance to become stronger, lighter This is the major step forward in the area of composite or resistant to electricity. They can materials. The HAL is not only taking care of frontline also improve strength and stiffness. aircraft production but also raw materials. The reason for their use over There is no equivalent proven Indian approved/qualified traditional materials is because they supplier for various types of prepregs for the aircraft improve the properties of their base applications. This creates a dependency on foreign Original materials and are applicable in Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). many situations. Aligned with the ―Atmanirbhar Bharat‖ initiative, these efforts shall help in developing and manufacturing such prepregs in India through collaboration. The usage of composites in aerospace is going to continue and increase, particularly for fighter aircraft/helicopters because of its inherent advantages over metallic raw materials.

DRDO HANDS OVER MOTOR BIKE AMBULANCE „RAKSHITA‟ TO CRPF It is a bike-based casualty transport emergency vehicle. Rakshita is fitted with a customized reclining Casualty Evacuation Seat (CES), which can be fitted in and taken out as per requirement. Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), Delhi based DRDO laboratory, handed over Rakshita to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).  The bike ambulance will help in overcoming the problems faced by Indian security forces and emergency healthcare providers.

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 It will provide life-saving aid for evacuation of injured patients from low intensity conflict areas.  This bike ambulance is useful not only for the paramilitary and military forces but has potential civil applications too.

INS VAGIR INS Vagir is part of the six Kalvari-class submarines being built in India. The submarines, designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS, are being built as part of Indian Navy's Project-75. These submarines can undertake missions like anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance. Vagir is named after the Sand Fish, a deadly deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean. The first Vagir, a submarine from Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 3, 1973, and was decommissioned on June 7, 2001 after almost three decades of service to the nation. The state-of-art technology used in the submarine has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, and hydro- dynamically optimised shape and also the ability to attack the enemy using precision guided weapons. The attack can be launched with both torpedoes and tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface. Kalvari Class of Submarines These submarines are built under project 75 and their design is based on Scorpene class of submarines, designed and developed by formerly DCNS and Spanish state-owned entity Navantia. This class of submarines have Diesel Electric transmission systems and these primarily attack submarines or ‗hunter-killer‘ types which mean they are designed to target and sink adversary naval vessels. The Kalvari class is capable of offensive operations across the entire spectrum of naval warfare. Project 75 India (P75I) The P75I project is part of a 30-year submarine building plan that ends in 2030. As part of this plan, India was to build 24 submarines [18 conventional submarines and six nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs)] as an effective deterrent against China and Pakistan. India possesses 14 submarines belonging to three classes of Diesel Electric category- Kalvari, Shishumar and Sindhughosh. It also has two nuclear-powered submarines,  INS Arihant (SSBN, a submarine)  INS Chakra (SSN, a nuclear-powered one) leased from Russia. The project is given support by the Department of Defence Production (MoD) and Indian Navy throughout its various phases of construction.

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INS KAVARATTI INS Kavaratti is an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth , built under Project 28 (Kamorta Class) was commissioned into the Indian Navy. It is last of the four ASW , indigenously designed by the Indian Navy‘s in-house organisation, Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE). The other three ASW Corvettes are INS Kamorta, INS Kadmatt and INS Kiltan. The ship has enhanced stealth features making it less susceptible to detection by the enemy. The ship is the reincarnation of the erstwhile Arnala Class missile corvette of the same name (INS Kavaratti – P 80) which participated in the 1971 war for the liberation of Bangladesh and many other operational deployments.

SPRUT-SDM1 LIGHT AMPHIBIOuS TANK Sprut-SDM1 light amphibious tank is an upgraded version of the Sprut-SD tank operated by the Russian Airborne Troops. One of the major advantages is its amphibious capability. This gives the combat engineers a sigh of relief, as these amphibious vehicles are unstoppable by water- obstructions like Rivers or other smaller water channels. The Sprut gun is also equipped with an autoloader, which ensures the high rate of fire of 6−8 rounds per minute with both conventional projectiles and rounds with guided missiles. India is in advanced talks with Russia to acquire a newly developed Sprut light tank that could be useful in high altitude areas like the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. India has a robust tank force, but all of them are heavy main battle tanks. T72s, T90s and the indigenously developed are considered more suitable for operations in the plains. The Sprut SDM1 is designed to be airdropped from an aircraft with its crew of three sitting inside the tank. India has operated light tanks in the past and it has come in handy during the 1947-48 Kashmir operations as well as the 1962 war with China, but these have been slowly phased out.

CORPORATISATION OF OFB Why in the news? The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved to convert Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), into one or more than one 100% Government owned corporate entities, registered under the Companies Act 2013. Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) It is an umbrella body for the ordnance factories and related institutions, and is currently a subordinate office of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The first Indian ordnance factory was set up in the year 1712 by the Dutch Company as a GunPowder Factory, West Bengal.

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It is a conglomerate of 41 factories, 9 training Institutes, 3 regional marketing centres and 5 regional controllers of safety. Presently functioning under the Department of Defence Production of the Ministry of Defence, it is the key supplier of a wide variety of products to the armed forces, which include armaments, ammunition, equipment, clothing, and also troop comfort items. OFB is headquartered at Kolkata. The OFB is engaged in the production of a range of arms, ammunition, equipment and clothing, among others primarily for the Armed Forces of our country. There are 41 Ordnance factories divided into five operating groups under the OFB. The OFB has had a poor track record of deliverance to its customers, the biggest one being the Armed Forces which constitutes 80 percent of the value of orders on the OFB. Corporatisation OFB is a poorly managed organization and therefore the announcement made by the government was long overdue. The three basic pillars of corporatization constitute the Management, The Board of Directors and the Shareholders (in the instant case it will be the stakeholders). Therefore, the government will need to look at the first two pillars i.e the Management and the Board of Directors. The management would of course remain with the Department of Defence Production (DPP) but there would be a need to include professionals from the industry, in the Board of Directors. Further, the primary stakeholder i.e. the would also be required to be a part of the Board of Directors. It may be prudent to appoint the Master General of Ordnance (MGO) and the Director General of Ordnance Services (DGOS), both serving Lieutenant Generals of the Indian Army to be part of the board of directors. This will ensure a greater accountability and responsibility in the functioning of the OFB.

NEGATIVE IMPORTS LIST FOR DEFENCE Why in the news? Recently, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced a negative list of 101 defence items that the MoD will stop importing. Why it will be helpful?  This will boost indigenisation of defence production and is in line with the government's target to reach a turnover of USD 25 billion by 2025 through indigenously manufactured defence products.

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 Government also targets to export these indigenously manufactured defence products worth USD 5 billion by 2025.  The manufacturers could be private sector players or Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).  This will reduce the government's defence import bill.  It will offer an opportunity to the Indian defence industry to manufacture the items in the negative list by using their own design and development capabilities or adopting the technologies designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to meet the requirements of the Armed Forces.  It is a big step towards self-reliance in defence under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. List of Items The list comprises simple parts to high technology weapon systems like artillery guns, assault rifles, sonar systems, transport aircrafts, radars, and many other items. Implementation The imports on these 101 defence items is planned to be progressively implemented between 2020 to 2024. MoD has also bifurcated the capital procurement budget for 2020-21 between domestic and foreign capital procurement routes. A separate budget head has been created with an outlay of nearly Rs. 52,000 crore for domestic capital procurement in the current financial year. In any government contract over Rs. 200 crore, no foreign company can participate in the tendering process. Issues Involved  At least a third of the 101 items are already being produced in India.  Some items in the list are under development by domestic industry, and are not produced by any other country. E.g. the Light Combat Helicopter and the light transport aircraft.  Items like the AK-203 rifle, to be produced by the Ordnance Factory Board in Amethi with Russian collaboration are stuck over pricing issues.  The items in the list are of proven technologies, and do not involve any critical or cutting- edge technology for a next-generation weapon system or platform.  Challenge for the government and the armed forces will be to keep this commitment to domestic producers in the event of an operational requirement.

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INTEGRATED THEATRE COMMAND What it is? An integrated theatre command envisages a unified command of the three Services, under a single commander, for geographical theatres (areas) that are of strategic and security concern. The commander of such a force will be able to bear all resources at his disposal — from the Army, the Indian Air Force, and the Navy — with seamless efficacy. The integrated theatre commander will not be answerable to individual Services. Integration and jointness of the three forces will avoid duplication of resources. The resources available under each service will be available to other services too. The services will get to know one another better, strengthening cohesion in the defence establishment. The Shekatkar committee has recommended the creation of 3 integrated theatre commands — northern for the China border, western for the Pakistan border, and southern for the maritime role. Why in the news? As part of defence reforms after the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the government is working on the formation of integrated theatre commands. Present situation The Indian armed forces currently have 17 commands. There are 7 commands each of the Army and the Air Force. The Navy has 3 commands. Each command is headed by a 4-star rank military officer. There is one joint command in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is the first Tri-Service theatre command of the Indian Armed Forces, based at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. It was created in 2001 to safeguard India's strategic interests in Southeast Asia and the Strait of Malacca by increasing rapid deployment of military assets in the islands. The other tri-service command, the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), looks after the delivery and operational control of the country‘s nuclear assets.

GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON CRIMINAL FINANCES AND CRYPTO CURRENCIES Why in News? Recently, the 4th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies was held virtually. Key points The Conference was organised by Interpol, Europol and the Basel Institute on Governance. Over 2,000 representatives from 132 countries attended the Conference. Representatives from Law enforcement agencies, Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), International organisations and the private sector etc. participated.

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The annual Conference is an initiative of the Working Group on Cryptocurrencies and Money Laundering established in 2016 by the three organisations. The aim of this conference was to strengthen knowledge, expertise and best practices for investigations into financial crimes and intelligence on virtual assets and crypto currencies.

SUPERSONIC MISSILE ASSISTED RELEASE OF TORPEDO (SMART) Why in News The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight test of the Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) from Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha. This follows the successful test firing of indigenously developed nuclear capable hypersonic missile ‗Shaurya‘. In 2017, the Odisha government formally named the Outer Wheeler island in Bhadrak district as APJ as a tribute to the former President on his second death anniversary. About SMART SMART is a missile assisted release of lightweight Anti- Submarine Torpedo System for Anti- Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations far beyond Torpedo range. It takes off like a regular supersonic missile when launched from a warship or a truck-based coastal battery. When it approaches close to a submerged submarine, the missile would eject the torpedo system into the water and the torpedo will start moving towards its target to hit the submarine. It has a maximum range of 650 km, a first for such a class of weapon in the world giving the Indian Navy a significant leap in engagement capabilities. It also provides the exact location of the hostile submarine to correct its flight path midway. One of the most potent threats to surface ships is an undetected submarine and now with the SMART, it is possible to remove the surface ship from the weapon danger zone of a submarine.

QUICK REACTION SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE (QRSAM) Why in News Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile system (QRSAM). The test was conducted at the , Chandipur off Odisha coast. Key features QRSAM is a canister-based system, which means that it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments. In the canister, the inside environment is controlled, thus along with making its transport and storage easier, the shelf life of weapons also improves significantly. The system is capable of detecting and tracking targets on the move and engaging targets with short halts.

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It is a short range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, primarily designed and developed by DRDO to provide a protective shield to moving armoured columns of the Army from enemy aerial attacks. The entire weapon system has been configured on a mobile and manoeuvrable platform and is capable of providing air defence on the move. It has been designed for induction into the Army and has a range of 25 to 30 km. The QRSAM weapon ensemble which functions on the move consists of a fully automated command and control system. It also consists of two radars - Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar and Active Array Battery Multifunction Radar - with one launcher. Both radars have 360-degree coverage with ―search on move‖ and ―track on move‖ capabilities. The system is compact, uses a single stage solid propelled missile and has a mid-course inertial navigation system with two-way data link and terminal active seeker developed indigenously by DRDO.

TSIRKON HYPERSONIC MISSILE Russia successfully test-fired a Tsirkon hypersonic in the Arctic. The Tsirkon program began in 2011 and entered the active testing stage in 2015. Tsirkon ground- and sea-based hypersonic rocket can fly at nine times the speed of sound and hit underwater and ground targets more than 1,000 KMs away.

SHAURYA MISSILE India successfully test fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable hypersonic missile 'Shaurya' with a strike range of around 1,000 km. Shaurya is a land variant of short-range Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) K-15 , which has a range of at least 750 kilometres. Shaurya, like many of the modern missiles, is a canister-based system, which means that it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments. India has also developed and successfully tested multiple times the K-4 missiles from the family which has a range of 3500 km. The K Family of Missiles The K family of missiles are primarily Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), launched from the Arihant class of nuclear submarines. They have been indigenously developed by DRDO. Because these missiles are to be launched from submarines, they are lighter, smaller and stealthier than their land-based counterparts.

RUSTOM-2 Why in the news? India‘s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the first flight of a prototype of Rustom-II (Tapas 201) medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Chitradurga Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Karnataka, India, in 2020.

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Rustom-II MALE UAV is the latest addition to the Rustom series of UAVs, which also include Rustom-I, Rustom-H and Rustom-C. It is intended for use by the Indian Armed Forces including army, navy and air force in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks. Key features The UAV‘s tri-cycle allows it to make safe take-off and landing manoeuvres on hard surfaces. It has a single nose wheel in the front and two single-wheeled main gears at the centre of gravity. It is designed to carry a variety of state-of-the-art payloads weighing up to 350kg to provide multi- mission capabilities in both day and night lighting conditions. The UAV can fly at a maximum speed of 225km/h and endure for up to 24 hours. It has the ability to operate at line of sight ranges of 250km. The drone‘s maximum flight altitude above the mean sea level is 35,000ft.

BRAHMOS SUCCESSFULLY FLIGHT TESTED BrahMos missile, featuring indigenous Booster and Airframe Section along with many other ‗Made in India‘ sub-systems, were successfully flight tested for designated range, taking one more major step in enhancing the indigenous content. BRAHMOS is a universal long-range supersonic cruise missile system that can be launched from land, sea and air. It has a capacity to achieve the speed of Mach 2.8. A newer version, called hypersonic cruise missiles, under development is aimed at flying at speeds greater than Mach 5. The name BrahMos is the amalgamation of the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia. It has been jointly developed by DRDO, India, and NPOM, Russia. BRAHMOS Weapon Systems has been inducted and is operational with Indian Navy (IN) as well as Indian Army (IA). The first version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005. \

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NATIONAL MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS CENTRE (IMAC) The Navy‘s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), the nodal agency for maritime data fusion set up after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, will soon become a National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) Centre. Maritime Domain Awareness It is defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy, or environment. The maritime domain is defined as all areas and things of, on, under, relating to, adjacent to, or bordering on a sea, ocean, or other navigable waterway, including all maritime-related activities, infrastructure, people, cargo, and vessels and other conveyances. Earlier this year in March, India joined the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) as Observer. The Commission is an important regional institution in Western/African Indian Ocean. Previously in 2018, the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean region (IFC-IOR) was set up within the premises of the IMAC to coordinate with regional countries on maritime security and act as a regional repository of maritime data. Key features of IMAC It is the main center of the Indian Navy for coastal surveillance and monitoring. It is located in Gurugram (Haryana) and became operational in 2014. It is a joint initiative of Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Ltd. and functions under the National Security Adviser (NSA). It is the nodal center of the National Command Control Communications and Intelligence Network (NC3I Network). It tracks vessels on the high seas and gets data from the coastal radars, white shipping agreements, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) transponders fitted on merchant ships, air and traffic management systems and global shipping databases. Its functions in line with the principles listed under 'Security and Growth of All in the Region (SAGAR)'.

MATLA ABHIYAN EXERCISE The Matla Abhiyan Exercise is a five-day coastal security exercise conducted by the Indian Navy in Matla river. The river forms a wide estuary in and around the Sundarbans. The exercise was conducted in Sunderbans region in order to create awareness about the coastal security to the local community.

SAI (SECURE APPLICATION FOR INTERNET) SAI is designed to provide end-to-end secure voice, text and video calling services using the internet and is developed for the Android platform. It is said to be similar to other messaging platforms such as Whatsapp and Telegram and uses end- to-end encryption messaging protocol. SAI will be used by all personnel across the army. It was developed by Colonel Sai Shankar, the commanding officer of a signals unit in Rajasthan, and then upgraded to military-grade standards.

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FRONTIER HIGHWAY PROJECT Since the Ladakh stand-off between the Indian and Chinese armies in May, Arunachal Pradesh has been pushing for the ambitious Frontier Highway project along the ―India- Tibet border‖ for facilitating faster movement of troops if a war-like situation arises. The project would facilitate faster movement of troops if a war-like situation arises. Key point It is also called as the Arunachal Frontier Highway and Mago-Thingbu–Vijaynagar Border Highway. The 2,000-kilometre-long road follows the McMahon Line. It accompanies the Trans-Arunachal Highway (through the middle) and the Arunachal East-West Corridor (in the foothills along the Assam border) as major highways spanning Arunachal Pradesh, pursuing the Look East connectivity concept. The highway will intersect with the proposed East-West Industrial Corridor Highway in the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh from Bhairabkunda, the tri-junction of Bhutan, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to Ruksin in East Siang district. The highway will cross the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary, which may raise environmental issues.

MQ-9B SEA GUARDIAN UNARMED DRONES The Indian Navy has inducted two MQ-9B Sea Guardian unarmed drones procured from the U.S. on lease. The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 has introduced an option for leasing military platforms. The Guardian is the maritime variant of the Predator MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). It has a maximum endurance of 40 hours and a maximum flying altitude of 40,000 feet. It also has a 3600 maritime surveillance radar and an optional multimode maritime surface search radar. The drone can perform over-the-horizon long-endurance, medium-altitude Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

UTTAR PRADESH SPECIAL SECURITY FORCE (UPSSF) The Uttar Pradesh government has notified the creation of a special force named the UP Special Security Force. It will be responsible for the security of courts, airports, banks, the Metro, industrial units, places of worship, as well as individuals.

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It has been created under the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force Act, 2020. The provisions of the UPSSF have been widely criticized as it allows arrests or search ―without warrant‖ or the ―order of the magistrate‖. The CISF Act, the Maharashtra State Security Corporation Act and Odisha Industrial Security Force Act have created similar special force. All three of them have power to arrest without a warrant.

ASSAM RIFLES The Delhi High Court has granted 12 weeks to the Union government to decide on whether to scrap or retain the dual control structure for Assam Rifles. Under the existing mechanism, Assam Rifles comes under both the MoD and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The MHA only exercises administrative control of the Assam Rifles; its operational control is with the MoD (Army). Assam Rifles is one of the six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) that come under the MHA‘s administrative control. The others are the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Its history dating back to 1835 when its precursor, Cachar Levy, was formed in the Northeast to protect British Tea estates and their settlements against tribal raids. Besides maintaining law and order in the Northeast (a task it performs together with the Army), the Assam Rifles also guards the border with Myanmar in the region.

ENHANCED PINAKA MK-1 MISSILE Enhanced PINAKA rocket, developed by DRDO, was successfully flight tested. It eventually replaces the Pinaka Mk-1 missiles, which are currently used by regiments of the Indian Army along India‘s frontiers with China and Pakistan. While the Mark-1 has a range of 38 km, the enhanced version of Mark-1 tested has a range of 45 km. The Pinaka, a multi-barrel rocket-launcher (MBRL) system named after Shiva‘s bow, produced in India and developed by the DRDO for the Indian Army in the late 1980s. It can fire a salvo of 12 rockets over a period of 44 seconds. DRDO has also developed and successfully tested the Mk-II and guided variants of the Pinaka, which has a range of around 60 km, while the Guided Pinaka system has a range of 75 km.

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„TOUR OF DUTY‟ RECRUITMENT MODEL India‘s defence establishment is actively considering expanding the scope of ‗Tour of Duty‘ model of recruitment to the Air Force and Navy as well. What is the proposed model? Currently, the only option apart from regular permanent commission into the armed forces is the Short Service Commission, in which officers are recruited for a period of 14 years. A large number of SSC officers eventually opt for permanent commission, subject to eligibility. The Army had, in May, proposed the ‗Tour of Duty‘ model of recruitment that would let young individuals voluntarily serve for a temporary period of three years. It will be a voluntary engagement. It is for youths who ―do not want to make defence services their permanent vocation, but still want to experience the thrill and adventure of military professionalism‖. The proposal is a shift from the concept of permanent service/job in the Armed Forces, towards ‗internship‘/temporary experience for three years.

EXPORT OF AKASH MISSILES The Union Cabinet has recently approved export of the Akash surface-to-air missile to ―friendly countries‖ and constituted a committee, headed by the Defence Minister, for faster approval of export of defence platforms. This committee would authorise subsequent export of major indigenous platforms to various countries. Key points The export version of Akash will be different from the system currently deployed with the Indian armed forces. The Cabinet approval will facilitate Indian manufactures to participate in RFI/RFP issued by various countries. Akash Missile Akash is India‘s first indigenously produced medium range Surface to Air missile that can engage multiple targets from multiple directions. The all-weather missile can engage targets at a speed 2.5 times more than the speed of sound and can detect and destroy targets flying at low, medium and high altitudes. The Akash missile system has been designed and developed as part of India‘s 30-year-old integrated guided-missile development programme (IGMDP) which also includes other missiles like Nag, Agni, Trishul and Prithvi. The nuclear-capable missile can fly at a speed of up to Mach 2.5 (nearly 860 meter per second) at a maximum height of 18 km.

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It can strike enemy aerial targets like fighter jets, drones, cruise missiles, air-to-surface missiles as well as ballistic missiles from a distance of 30 km. The missile is unique in the way that it can be launched from mobile platforms like battle tanks or wheeled trucks. It has nearly 90% kill probability. The missile is supported by the indigenously developed radar called 'Rajendra' that can handle highly-manoeuvring multiple targets from multiple directions in group or autonomous mode. The missile is reportedly cheaper and more accurate than US‘ Patriot missiles due to its solid-fuel technology and high-tech radars.

MAIDEN FLIGHT TRIAL OF SAHAYAK-NG, AIR DROPPABLE CONTAINER Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) along with Indian Navy conducted the successful maiden test trial of ‗SAHAYAK-NG‘ off the coast of Goa. It is India‘s first indigenously designed and developed Air Dropped Container from IL 38SD aircraft (Indian Navy) The trial was conducted by Indian Navy to enhance its operational logistics capabilities and provide critical engineering stores to ships which are deployed more than 2000 km from the coast. It reduces the requirement of ships to come close to the coast to collect spares and stores. SAHAYAK-NG is an advanced version of SAHAYAK Mk I. The newly developed GPS aided air dropped container is having the capability to carry a payload that weighs upto 50 kg and can be dropped from heavy aircraft.

MICROWAVE WEAPONS The Indian Army has rejected reports that China had used ‗microwave weapons‘ to drive Indian soldiers away from their positions in eastern Ladakh. Microwave weapons‖ are supposed to be a type of direct energy weapons, which aim highly focused energy in the form of sonic, laser, or microwaves, at a target. The weapon works by heating the water molecules under the skin, in the same way as the kitchen appliance, to painful temperatures, forcing people out of the area. The weapon, also used for crowd control, can be used to target up to 0.6 miles away.

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China had first put on display its ―microwave weapon‖, called Poly WB-1, at an air show in 2014. The United States has also developed a prototype microwave-style weapon, which it calls the ―Active Denial System‖.

ABHYAS - HIGH-SPEED EXPENDABLE AERIAL TARGET (HEAT) VEHICLES Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted successful flight-tests of the indigenously-designed Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) in Balasore (Odisha). Two demonstrator vehicles of Abhyas cleared all the evaluation parameters like 5 km flying altitude, vehicle speed of 0.5 mach (half the speed of sound), endurance of 30 minutes etc. It was designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO. Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) is a key Aeronautical Systems Design Laboratory under DRDO. It is involved in the design and development of the state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Aeronautical Systems and technologies to meet the requirements of the Indian Armed forces. Key features It is a drone (UAV) that will be used as a target for various missile systems powered by a small gas turbine engine. Micro-electromechanical (MEMS) systems based Inertial Navigation System (INS) is used for navigation. MEMS is a process technology used to create tiny integrated devices or systems that combine mechanical and electrical components. It is lightweight and reliable, consumes less power and is cost-effective. It is also programmed for fully autonomous flight.

CRYOGENIC PROPELLANT TANK (C32 LH2) Why in the news? Recently, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited delivered the biggest cryogenic propellant tank (C32 LH2) to ISRO much ahead of the contractual schedule. It is the biggest ever propellant tank fabricated by the company. It is a developmental cryogenic propellant tank developed from aluminium alloy. It has been designed for improving the payload capability of GSLV MK-III launching vehicle. It has a diameter of 4 meters and length of 8 meters and will load 5,755 Kg propellant in the 89 cubic metre volume. Cryogenic Engine Cryogenic Engine is the last stage engine of space launch vehicles which makes use of Cryogenics. Cryogenics is the study of the production and behaviour of materials at extremely low temperatures (below -150 degree Centigrade) to lift and place the heavier objects in space. It makes use of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) as propellants which liquefy at - 183 deg C and -253 deg C respectively.

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LOX and LH2 are stored in their respective tanks and from there they are pumped into turbopump by individual booster pumps to ensure a high flow rate of propellants inside the combustion/thrust chamber.

BSF RAISiNG DAY The Border Security Force celebrated its 56th Raising day on 1st December. BSF is India's first line of defence. It was raised in accordance with an Act of the Parliament on 1st December, 1965, soon after the India-Pakistan War of 1965. BSF is deployed on Indo-Pakistan International Border, Indo-Bangladesh International Border, Line of Control (LoC) along with Indian Army and in Anti- Naxal Operations. BSF is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of Union of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

MISSION SAGAR-III Mission Sagar-III is part of India‘s HADR assistance Security and Growth for All in the to friendly foreign countries during the ongoing Region Covid-19 pandemic. In November 2020, as part of Launched in 2015, it is India‘s Mission Sagar-II, INS Airavat delivered food aid to strategic vision for the Indian Ocean Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea. Region (IOR). Launched in May 2020, 'Mission Sagar‘ was India‘s Through SAGAR, India seeks to initiative to deliver Covid-19 related assistance to the deepen economic and security countries in the Indian Ocean Littoral states. The cooperation with its maritime countries included were Maldives, Mauritius, neighbours and assist in building its Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles. maritime security capabilities. Why in the news? Further, India seeks to safeguard its Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kiltan delivered 15 Tons of national interests and ensure the IOR Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to become inclusive, collaborative and Stores for the flood-affected people of Cambodia as respect international law. part of on-going Mission Sagar-III. The key relevance of SAGAR emerges This Mission is being undertaken in accordance with when seen in conjunction with India‘s the Security And Growth for All in the Region other policies impacting the maritime (SAGAR) vision and reiterates India‘s position as a domain like Act East Policy, Project dependable partner, and the Indian Navy as the Sagarmala, Project Mausam, focus on Preferred Security Partner and First Responder. Blue Economy etc. The Mission also highlights the importance accorded to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and further strengthens the existing bonds.

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„MADE IN INDIA‟ MK-III ADVANCED LIGHT HELICOPTERS (ALH) The Indian Navy received three "made in India" Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) from the state- run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The helicopters are customised for coastal security. The naval version of ALH is fitted with an array of advanced sensors that can detect Mumbai terror attacks like intrusions on Indian waters. These helicopters have the latest-generation , indigenous low-frequency dunking sonar, a full with an integrated architecture display system, and powerful Shakti engines. It also has a nose-mounted surveillance radar with 270- degree coverage that can detect and track multiple marine targets. Its synthetic aperture radar and inverse synthetic aperture radar can detect targets on the sea.

MEDIUM RANGE SURFACE TO AIR MISSILE (MRSAM) The Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) was developed by India‘s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It was handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in August 2019. The missile is designed to provide the armed forces with air defence capability against a variety of aerial threats at medium ranges. MRSAM design and features Each MRSAM weapon system comprises one command and control system, one tracking radar, missiles, and mobile launcher systems. MRSAM missile is equipped with an advanced active radar radio frequency (RF) seeker, advanced rotating phased array radar, and a bidirectional data link. The RF seeker, located in the front section of the missile, is used to detect moving targets in all weather conditions. MRSAM surface-to-air missile is powered by a dual-pulse solid propulsion system developed by DRDO. The propulsion system, coupled with a thrust vector control system, allows the missile to move at a maximum speed of Mach 2. The weapon has the ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously at ranges of 70km. S-400 Air Defence Systems The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM) designed by Russia. It is the most dangerous operationally deployed modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM) in the world, considered much ahead of the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD). The system can engage all types of aerial targets including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and ballistic and cruise missiles within the range of 400km, at an altitude of up to 30km. The system can track 100 airborne targets and engage six of them simultaneously.

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India In October 2018, India signed a 5.43 billion USD deal with Russia for the S-400 Triumf missile system despite objections from the US and the threat of sanctions under Countering America‘s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). In 2021, the first group of Indian military specialists are scheduled to depart for Moscow (Russia) soon to undergo training courses on the S-400 Triumf missile defence system.

SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE (SFF) There have been reports about Special Frontier Force (SFF) being involved in the operation to occupy previously unoccupied heights in Chushul sector in eastern Ladakh. The SFF was raised by the Intelligence Bureau in the immediate aftermath of the 1962 China-India war. It recruited Tibetan exiles (now it has a mixture of Tibetans and Gorkhas). It falls under the purview of the Cabinet Secretariat. On the ground, it is headed by an Inspector General who is an Army officer of the rank of Major General. The SFF units are not part of the Army but function under its operational control. SSF units have their own rank structures, of equivalent status with Army ranks. However, they are Special Forces personnel highly trained for a variety of tasks.

INDUCTION OF INDIGENOUS BRIDGING SYSTEM INTO THE INDIAN ARMY In close coordination with the private industry and DRDO, the Indian Army has inducted three sets of 10-metre short span bridges. The equipment will meet the important requirement of providing mobility to own forces by speedy bridging of gaps during operations. This accomplishment is a step towards weaning away our armed forces from foreign manufactured equipment because the Bridge is indigenously designed, developed and delivered. All stakeholders have put in concerted efforts to overcome challenges and realise the ‗Make in India‘ initiative of the Government, which aims to ensure self-reliance and self-sufficiency in meeting the defence needs of the Indian Army.

BEL SIGNS CONTRACT WITH INDIAN NAVY FOR INITIAL SUPPLY OF INDIGENOUSLY DEVELOPED LASER DAZZLERS Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a contract with Indian Navy for initial supply of 20 Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation Dazlers (Laser Dazzlers). It was developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Laser Dazzler is used as a non-lethal method for warning and stopping suspicious vehicles/boats/aircrafts/UAVs/pirates etc.

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from approaching secured areas during both day and night. It is capable of dazzle and thereby suppresses the person‘s/optical sensor‘s action with disability glares in case of non-compliance to orders. It disorients/ confuse/blind a person temporarily. It also dazzles and distracts aircraft/UAVs. It is a portable, shoulder operated and ruggedized for military use in adverse environmental conditions. This unique product is indigenously designed and developed for the first time for the Armed Forces.

MARCOS BEING DEPLOYED IN THE EASTERN LADAKH MARCOS are being deployed in the Eastern Ladakh alongside the Indian Army against the Chinese military. They are present in the vicinity of the Pangong Tso lake where they will soon be conducting missions using boats. The Marine Commandos are abbreviated as MARCOS and officially called the Marine Commando Force (MCF). It is the Special Forces unit of the Indian Navy that is responsible for conducting special operations. MARCOS was founded in February 1987. MARCOS are capable of operating in all types of environments; at sea, in air and on land. The force has gradually acquired experience and an international reputation for professionalism. The MARCOS regularly undertake specialised maritime operations in Jammu and Kashmir through the Jhelum River and Wular Lake.

INDIA‟S FIRST INDIGENOUSLY DEVELOPED 9MM MACHINE PISTOL India‘s first indigenous 9mm Machine Pistol has been jointly developed by DRDO and Indian Army. The Machine Pistol fires the in-service 9mm ammunition and sports an upper receiver made from aircraft grade Aluminium and lower receiver from carbon fibre. 3D Printing process has been used in designing and prototyping of various parts including trigger components made by metal 3D printing. The weapon has huge potential in Armed forces. The weapon is named ―Asmi‖ meaning ―Pride‖, ―Self- Respect" & ―Hard Work‖. This small step will pave way for self-reliance and it is expected that the Services and Paramilitary Forces (PMFs) will induct this expeditiously.

SMART ANTI-AIRFIELD WEAPON (SAAW) DRDO successfully conducted captive and release trial of indigenously developed Smart Anti- Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from Hawk-I of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) off the Odisha coast. The smart weapon was successfully test fired from Indian Hawk-Mk132 of HAL. This was the 9th successful mission of SAAW conducted by DRDO till now.

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It was indigenously designed and developed by DRDO. This is 125 Kg class smart weapon, capable of engaging ground enemy airfield assets such as radars, bunkers, taxi tracks, and runways etc. up to a range of 100 kms. The high precision is light weight as compared to weapon system of the same class.

RUDRAM DRDO successfully tested the new-generation anti-radiation missile, called RUDRAM. It is the first indigenous anti-radiation missile of the country. The missile is a potent weapon for suppression of enemy air defence effectively from large standoff ranges. It does so by taking out radars, communication sites, and other radio frequency emitting targets, thereby foiling any plans to launch surface-to- air missiles. It has INS-GPS navigation with Passive Homing Head for the final attack. The RUDRAM hit the radiation target with pin-point accuracy. The Passive Homing Head can detect, classify and engage targets over a wide band of frequencies as programmed.

INTEGRATED WEAPONS SYSTEM DESIGN CENTRE Indian Vice President recently inaugurated the Integrated Weapons System Design Centre at DRDO‘s Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile complex in Hyderabad. The Integrated Weapon System Design facility is said to enhance the capability in design and development of command & control systems for surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and ballistic missile defence (BMD) systems. Centre will give a thrust to the overall system design and evaluation methodology for state-of the- art missile systems and will help in improving the performance of missiles.

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The Vice President inaugurated a new missile technology exposition and seminar hall on the campus. The exposition will display missile technologies and weapon systems and the centre will be the backbone for outreach activities. The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers‘ Conclave The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers‘ Conclave began with a keynote address from the Union Defence minister on 4th February on the sidelines of Aero India 2021 in Bengaluru. As the largest nation in the IOR region with a vast coastline of 7500 Kms, India has an active role to play for peaceful and prosperous co-existence of all countries. SAGAR - Security and Growth for All in the Region is the theme of Indian Ocean Policy as outlined by Indian Prime Minister in 2015. India‘s approach and vision to tackle global challenges was highlighted by Prime Minister's dynamic five ‗S‘ vision - Samman (Respect), Samvaad (Dialogue), Sahyog (Cooperation), Shanti (Peace) and Samriddhi (Prosperity).

ARMY AVIATION CORPS Recently, the Army Aviation Corps (AAC), the youngest Corps of Indian Army, celebrated its 35th Corps Day on November 1. The origin of AAC can be traced back to the raising of Army Aviation wing of the Royal Air Force in Indian in 1942. Subsequently, the first Indian Air Observation Post was formed in August 1942. Finally, the AAC was raised as a separate formation on November 1 in 1986. AAC primarily acts as artillery spotters – which are the elements that help the artillery in directing the fire and also giving air support to ground forces. It also provides logistical support to the Indian army.

DRAFT DEFENCE PRODUCTION AND EXPORT PROMOTION POLICY (2020) Ministry of Defence released draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020. Goals and Objectives To achieve a turnover of Rs 1,75,000 Crores (US$ 25Bn) including export of Rs 35,000 Crore (US$ 5 Billion) in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by 2025. To develop a dynamic, robust and competitive Defence industry, including Aerospace and Naval Shipbuilding industry to cater to the needs of Armed forces with quality products. To reduce dependence on imports and take forward "Make in India" initiatives through domestic design and development. To promote export of defence products and become part of the global defence value chains. To create an environment that encourages R&D, rewards innovation, creates Indian IP ownership and promotes a robust and self-reliant defence industry.

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Focus areas: Procurement Reforms, Indigenization & Support to MSMEs/Startups, Optimize Resource Allocation, Investment Promotion, FDI & Ease of Doing Business, Innovation and R&D, DPSUs and OFB, Quality Assurance & Testing Infrastructure Export Promotion.

VERTICAL LAUNCH SHORT RANGE SURFACE TO AIR MISSILE (VL-SRSAM) Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted two successful launches of Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM). It is developed for Indian Navy. It is indigenously designed and developed by DRDO. It is meant for neutralizing various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets. These launches were carried out for demonstration of vertical launch capability.

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (MOD) SEEKS TO EXEMPT ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL FROM THE AMBIT OF DECRIMINALIZATION OF ADULTERY The Supreme Court recently admitted a petition filed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). MoD has sought to exempt armed forces personnel from the ambit of a Constitution Bench judgment of 2018 that decriminalised adultery. A three-judge Bench led by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman said the plea had to be considered by a Constitution Bench because the original verdict, striking down Section 497 (adultery) of the IPC, was pronounced by a five-judge Bench in September 2018. The court referred the case to the Chief Justice to pass appropriate orders to form a five-judge Bench to clarify the impact of the 2018 judgment on the armed forces. Reason given by the government for seeking exemption: There will always be a concern in the minds of the Army personnel who are operating far away from their families under challenging conditions about the family indulging in untoward activity. Personnel of the Army, Navy and the Air Force were a ―distinct class‖. They were governed by special legislation, the Army Act, the Navy Act and the Air Force Act. Adultery amounted to an unbecoming conduct and a violation of discipline under the three Acts. The three laws were protected by Article 33 of the Constitution, which allowed the government to modify the fundamental rights of the armed forces personnel.

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