Current Affairs (CONSOLIDaTION)

November 2020 (Part – II)

Drishti, 641, First Floor, Dr. Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009 Phone: 87501 87501, WhatsApp: 92058 85200, IVR: 8010-440-440 Email: [email protected] Contents

Polity and Governance...... 1 z Forest Rights Act, 2006...... 1 z Article 32 of the Constitution...... 2 z Supreme Court on Curbing Fake News...... 3 z C.B.I and Consent of States...... 4 z India’s First Green Energy Convergence Project: Goa...... 5 z Status of Radicalisation in India...... 6 z 43 More Mobile Apps Banned...... 7 z UMANG International...... 8 z PRAGATI Meeting...... 9 z Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster: PMKSY...... 9 z President’s Powers to Pardon...... 10 z FFC Recommendations for Health Sector...... 11 z Woes of National Commission for Minorities...... 13 z Protest Against Bru Resettlement...... 15 z Reservation in Super-speciality Medical Courses: SC...... 15 z PM on One Nation, One Election...... 16 z Climate Change Knowledge Portal...... 17 z The Constitution Day...... 18 z Mission COVID Suraksha...... 20

Economic Scenario...... 22 z Inflation Data: October 2020...... 22 z Open Acreage Licensing Policy...... 23 z Lakshmi Vilas Bank Crisis...... 23 z Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor...... 25 z World Fisheries Day...... 25 z KIIFB Controversy...... 26 z Negative Yield Bonds...... 27 z Unified Single-window Clearance System...... 28 z Internal Working Group Recommendations: RBI...... 29 z Cabinet Approves Capital Infusion into NIIF...... 31 z Electrification of Railways...... 32 z Honey FPO Programme: NAFED...... 33

International Relations...... 35 z RCEP Comes into Existence ...... 35 z China’s Railway Near Arunachal Border...... 36 z UAE Issues Golden Card Visa...... 38 z Conflict in Ethiopia...... 39 z 12th BRICS Summit...... 40 z India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit...... 41 z APEC Virtual Meet...... 43 z RCEP & Sri Lanka’s Dilemma...... 44 z Japan Signs Pact with Maldives...... 45 z India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol...... 46 z Trilateral Maritime Exercise SITMEX-20...... 46 z Withdrawal of US Troops from Afghanistan ...... 47 z Agreements Between India-Bahrain...... 48 z G 20 Summit...... 49 z New Chinese Village in Bhutan...... 50 z India’s Assistance to Afghanistan...... 51 z China-Nepal Bilateral Cooperation...... 53 z India-Vietnam Talks...... 54 z China’s New Dam on Brahmaputra...... 55

Science and Technology...... 57 z Chapare Virus ...... 57 z Guillain Barre Syndrome...... 58 z Supercomputer Param Siddhi...... 59 z Chang’e-5 Mission: China...... 60 z IRNSS: Part of World Wide Radio Navigation System...... 61 z Bengaluru Tech Summit...... 62 z Sentinel-6 Satellite: Jason-CS Mission...... 63 z Dry Swab RT-PCR Covid-19 Test...... 64 z National Organ Donation Day...... 65

Environment and Ecology...... 66 z New Ramsar sites ...... 66 z Vulture Action Plan...... 67 z Anakkayam Small Hydro Electric Project...... 69 z Deemed Forests in Karnataka...... 69 z UNESCO Global Geoparks...... 71 z Willow Warbler...... 72 z Trends in Air Pollution: CPCB...... 73 z Awards for Tiger Conservation...... 74 z Desalination Plants...... 75

History...... 77 z Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda ...... 77 z Laxmi Devi Temple: Hoysala...... 78

Art & Culture...... 79 z Guru Nanak Jayanti...... 79

Geography...... 81 z Subdued Northeast Monsoon...... 81 z Cyclone Nivar...... 82 Social Issues...... 83 z Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report 2020: IVAC...... 83 z Sex Ratio and India...... 85 z Step Up for TB 2020 Report...... 86 z Online Education Woes...... 88 z Report on National Nutrition Mission: NITI Aayog...... 88 z Initiatives for Transgender Persons...... 89 z Global Coalition Against HIV...... 91 z Covid-19 and Children: UNICEF...... 92 z Hidden Epidemic...... 93

Security...... 95 z Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile System...... 95 z Land-attack Version of BrahMos Missile...... 95 z Sea Guardian Drones from US...... 96

Miscellaneous...... 98 z Lilavati Award-2020...... 98 z NDB Loan to India...... 98 www.drishtiIAS.com CURRENT AFFAIRS NOVEMBER 2020 1 Polity and Governance

Highlights z Forest Rights Act, 2006 z President’s Powers to Pardon

z Article 32 of the Constitution z FFC Recommendations for Health Sector z Supreme Court on Curbing Fake News z Woes of National Commission for Minorities z C.B.I and Consent of States z Protest Against Bru Resettlement z India’s First Green Energy Convergence Project: Goa z Reservation in Super-speciality Medical Courses: SC z Status of Radicalisation in India z PM on One Nation, One Election z 43 More Mobile Apps Banned z z UMANG International Climate Change Knowledge Portal z PRAGATI Meeting z The Constitution Day z Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro-Processing z Mission COVID Suraksha Cluster: PMKSY

Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006 Forest Rights) Act, 2006. € The Supreme Court in 2019 ordered the eviction Why in News of nearly a million people across India whose Recently, review petitions of approximately 1200 claims under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 had . tribals for recognition of their claims over forest land been rejected under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers ¾ Provisions of the Forest Rights Act: (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 was rejected by € The Act recognizes and vest the forest rights the local authorities in Mysuru (Karnataka). and occupation in Forest land in Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDST) and Other Traditional Key Points Forest Dwellers (OTFD) who have been residing ¾ Background: in such forests for generations. € A large number of people, especially the scheduled z Forest rights can also be claimed by any member tribes have lived in and around forests for a long or community who has for at least three period in symbiotic relationships. generations (75 years) prior to the 13th day € During the colonial time, the focus shifted from of December, 2005 primarily resided in forest the forests being used as a resource base for land for bona fide livelihood needs. sustenance of local communities to a State resource € It strengthens the conservation regime of the for commercial interests and development of land forests while ensuring livelihood and food security for agriculture. of the FDST and OTFD. € Several Acts and policies such as the three Indian € The Gram Sabha is the authority to initiate the Forest Acts of 1865, 1894 and 1927 of the Central process for determining the nature and extent Govt and some state forest Acts curtailed centuries‐ of Individual Forest Rights (IFR) or Community old, customary‐use rights of local communities. Forest Rights (CFR) or both that may be given to € This continued even after independence till much FDST and OTFD. later until enactment of The Scheduled Tribes and € The Act identifies four types of rights:

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z Title rights: z Lack of Awareness: „ It gives FDST and OTFD the right to ownership „ Unawareness at the Lower level of forest to land farmed by tribals or forest dwellers officials who are supposed to help process subject to a maximum of 4 hectares. forest rights claims is high and majority of „ Ownership is only for land that is actually the aggrieved population too remains in the being cultivated by the concerned family dark regarding their rights. and no new lands will be granted. „ The forest bureaucracy has misinterpreted z Use rights: the FRA as an instrument to regularise „ The rights of the dwellers extend to extracting encroachment instead of a welfare measure Minor Forest Produce, grazing areas etc. for tribals. z z Relief and development rights: Dilution of Act: „ „ To rehabilitate in case of illegal eviction or Certain sections of environmentalists raise the forced displacement and to basic amenities, concern that FRA bends more in the favour subject to restrictions for forest protection. of individual rights, giving lesser scope for community rights. z Forest management rights: „ Community Rights effectively gives the local „ It includes the right to protect, regenerate or people the control over forest resources conserve or manage any community forest which remains a significant portion of forest resource which they have been traditionally revenue making states wary of vesting forest protecting and conserving for sustainable use. rights to Gram Sabha. € Importance: z Reluctance of the forest bureaucracy to give z Constitutional Provision Expansion: up control: „ It expands the mandate of the Fifth and „ The forest bureaucracy fears that it will lose the Sixth Schedules of the Constitution that the enormous power over land and people protect the claims of indigenous communities that it currently enjoys, while the corporates over tracts of land or forests they inhabit. fear they may lose the cheap access to z Security Concerns: valuable natural resources. „ The alienation of tribes was one of the z Institutional Roadblock: factors behind the Naxal movement, which „ Rough maps of community and individual affects states like Chhattisgarh, Odisha and claims are prepared by Gram Sabha which Jharkhand.The Act through identifying IFR at times often lack technical knowhow and and CFR tries to provide inclusion to tribes. suffers from educational incapacity. z Forest Governance: „ It has the potential to democratise forest governance by recognising community forest Article 32 of the Constitution resource rights. „ The act will ensure that people get to manage Why in News their forest on their own which will regulate Recently, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), during a exploitation of forest resources by officials, hearing of a plea, said that the court is trying to discourage improve forest governance and better petitions filed under Article 32. management of tribal rights. € Challenges Key Points z Administrative Apathy:. ¾ CJI’s View: CJI noted that there is a spate of Article „ As tribals are not a big vote bank in most 32 petitions and reiterated that the High Court can states, governments find it convenient to also uphold fundamental rights (under article 226). subvert FRA or not bother about it at all in ¾ Article 32 of the Constitution (Right to Constitutional favour of monetary gains. Remedies): It is a fundamental right, which states that

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individuals have the right to approach the Supreme € When such transfers are made, the petitioners Court (SC) seeking enforcement of other fundamental lose a stage of appeal that would otherwise have rights recognised by the Constitution. been available had the high courts heard and € The SC has power to issue directions or orders or decided the case. writs for the enforcement of any of the fundamental € Recently, the SC also conveyed its concerns that rights. The writs issued may include habeas in many matters involving personal liberty, the corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari and High Courts are not exercising their jurisdiction quo-warranto. as constitutional courts. € The right to move the SC shall not be suspended Article 226 of the Constitution except as otherwise provided for by the Constitution. ¾ Article 226 of the Constitution empowers a high Thus, the Constitution provides that the President court to issue writs including habeas corpus, can suspend the right to move any court for the mandamus, certiorari, prohibition and quo warranto enforcement of the fundamental rights during a for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of national emergency (Article 359). the citizens and for any other purpose. € In case of the enforcement of Fundamental Rights, € The phrase ‘for any other purpose’ refers to the the jurisdiction of the SC is original but not enforcement of an ordinary legal right. This exclusive. It is concurrent with the jurisdiction implies that the writ jurisdiction of the high of the high court under Article 226. court is wider than that of the SC. z Original, because an aggrieved citizen can z This is because the SC can issue writs only directly go to the SC, not necessarily by way for the enforcement of fundamental rights of appeal. and not for any other purpose, that is, it does z Concurrent means when the Fundamental not extend to a case where the breach of an Rights of a citizen are violated, the aggrieved ordinary legal right is alleged. party has the option of moving either the high ¾ The high court can issue writs to any person, court or the Supreme Court directly. authority and government not only within its € Since the right guaranteed by Article 32 (ie, the territorial jurisdiction but also outside its territorial right to move the SC where a fundamental right jurisdiction if the cause of action arises within its is infringed) is in itself a fundamental right, the territorial jurisdiction. availability of alternate remedy is no bar to relief under Article 32. Supreme Court € However, the SC has ruled that where relief through the high court is available under Article 226, the on Curbing Fake News aggrieved party should first move the high court. € In the Chandra Kumar case (1997), the SC ruled Why in News that the writ jurisdiction of both the high court Recently, the Supreme Court has asked the Centre and the Supreme Court constitute a part of the to provide information on the existing legal mechanisms basic structure of the Constitution. to deal with complaints about the content on television ¾ Counter-Argument: channels. € Even as the SC underlines the powers of the high ¾ Further it has asked the Centre to create an authority courts, it has in the past transferred cases to itself to check fake news and bigotry on air. from the high courts. Key Points z Most recently, the SC transferred the case involving land use for the national capital’s ¾ Background: Central Vista project to itself from the Delhi € The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation High Court. Incidentally, the petitioners had (PIL) filed by various organisations who objected to not sought such a transfer. the reporting by certain television news channels

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and news portals on the Tablighi Jamaat event ¾ Laws and Regulation to Curb Fake News in India: held in March 2020. € There is no specific law against fake news in India. z The religious gathering emerged as one of the Free publication of news flows fromArticle 19 of early hot spots of Covid-19 in the national capital. the Constitution guaranteeingFreedom of Speech. € The petitions sought a direction from the court € Press Council of India: It is a regulatory body which to stop the dissemination of fake news and to can warn, admonish or censure the newspaper, identify and take strict action against sections of the news agency, the editor or the journalist the media that communalised the incident. or disapprove the conduct of the editor or the € In October 2020, the bench asked the Centre to journalist if it finds that a newspaper or a news file a response on steps taken to ensure fake news agency has violated journalistic ethics. is not circulated through online and electronic € News Broadcasters Association: It represents media platforms. the private television news and current affairs € The government, through the Ministry, filed an broadcasters. The self-regulatory body probes affidavit in November and cited its advisories, complaints against electronic media. which maintained that media coverage of the € Indian Broadcast Foundation: It looks into the case predominantly struck a balanced and neutral complaints against contents aired by channels. perspective. € Broadcasting Content Complaint Council: It z It held that as a matter of journalistic policy, admits complaints against TV broadcasters for any section of the media may highlight different objectionable TV content and fake news. events, issues and happenings across the world € Indian Penal Code: Section 153 (wantonly giving as per their choice and it was for the viewer to provocation with intent to cause riot) andSection choose from the varied opinions offered by the 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with different media outlets. intent to insult the religion of any class) can be € The court rejected the affidavit as inadequateand invoked to guard against fake news. asked if the regulatory provisions of the Cable TV € Information Technology Act 2000: According to the Network (Regulation) Act of 1995, meant for cable Section 66 of the act, if any person, dishonestly or networks, would apply to TV broadcasts as well. fraudulently, does any act referred to in Section 43 ¾ Fake News: (damage to computer, computer system), shall be € Fake news is news, stories or hoaxes created to punishable with imprisonment for a term which deliberately misinform or deceive readers. may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees or with both. € Usually, these stories are created to either influence people’s views, push a political agenda or cause € Civil or Criminal Case for Defamation: It is another confusion and can often be a profitable business resort against fake news for individuals and groups for online publishers. hurt by the fake news. IPC Section 499 (defamation) and Section 500 (whoever defames another shall € Fake news affects free speech and informed choices of the subjects of the country, leading to be punished with simple imprisonment for a term the hijacking of democracy. which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both) provide for a defamation suit. € Controlling Mechanism: z Rebuttal:It is a form of fact-checking wherein the fake news is debunked by pointing out C.B.I and Consent of States errors like mismatch, malicious editing and misattribution. Why in News z Public Education: Educating the end-users Recently, the Supreme Court has held that once a court to be more discerning consumers of news by takes cognisance of a corruption case investigated by the informing them of verification tools so that CBI, it cannot be set aside for lack of the State government’s they can ascertain the accuracy of a news item prior consent for the probe against some of the accused, before sharing it. unless it is shown that it has resulted in prejudice.

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Key Points € This hurdle impedes seamless investigation by the CBI. A general consent is given to facilitate that ¾ Background: seamless investigation in a case of corruption or € Two officials of Uttar Pradesh government had earlier violence. contended in the Allahabad High Court that the general consent given by the State government was ¾ Issue of Withdrawal of general Consent by States: not enough, and separate consent ought to have € Recently it has been seen that various states like been obtained prior to their being investigated. Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments z The State of Uttar Pradesh has accorded a general have withdrawn their general consent as a result consent for extension of powers and jurisdiction of tussle between Centre and States. of the Members of DSPE, in the whole of State € Impact of withdrawal: of UP for investigation of offences under the z It means the CBI will not be able to register Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. any fresh case involving a central government z However, in case of public servants under the official or a private person stationed in the states state governments, prior consent is needed who withdrew their general consent, without from the state concerned even after the general getting case-specific consent. consent given by the state. z In simple terms withdrawal of general consent € The Allahabad High Court noted that the Uttar simply means that CBI officers will lose all powers Pradesh government had granted post facto (after of a police officer as soon as they enter the state the act is done) consent against the two public unless the state government has allowed them. servants. This very judgement of Allahabad High z It will have no impact on investigation of cases Court was challenged in the Supreme Court. already registered with CBI as old cases were € Supreme Court’s Stand: registered when general consent existed. z It held that if the State had given a general consent to CBI investigation in a corruption Delhi Special Police Establishment Act case and cognisance had been taken by a ¾ The Central Bureau of Investigation traces its origin court, the case cannot be set aside unless the to the Special Police Establishment (SPE) which public servants plead that prejudice has been was set up in 1941 by the Government of India. caused to them on account of non-obtaining ¾ The functions of the SPE then were to investigate of prior consent. cases of bribery and corruption in transactions with z Further the judges held that the case cannot be the War & Supply Deptt. Of India during World War II. set aside unless the illegality in the investigation ¾ Even after the end of the War, the need for a Central can be shown to have brought about miscarriage Government agency to investigate cases of bribery of justice. and corruption by Central Government employees ¾ Types of Consent Given by state government was felt. € There are two types of consent for a probe by the ¾ The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act was CBI. These are: general and specific. therefore brought into force in 1946. The CBI’s € When a state gives a general consent(Section 6 power to investigate cases is derived from this Act. of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act) to the CBI for probing a case, the agency is not required to seek fresh permission every time it India’s First Green Energy enters that state in connection with investigation Convergence Project: Goa or for every case. € When a general consent is withdrawn, CBI needs to Why in News seek case-wise consent for investigation from the concerned state government. If specific consent is India’s first convergence project to generate green not granted, the CBI officials will not have the power energy for rural and agriculture consumption is set to of police personnel when they enter that state. come up in Goa.

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¾ Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a joint venture Energy Efficiency Services Ltd of PSUs under the Ministry of Power, and Goa ¾ It is a joint venture of National Thermal Power government signed a memorandum of understanding Corporation Limited ( NTPC) Limited, Power Finance (MoU) for the same. Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and Key Notes POWERGRID, It was set up under the Ministry of Power to facilitate implementation of energy ¾ Convergence Project of EESL: efficiency projects. € Focus: It focuses on energy solutions that lie at ¾ EESL is a Super Energy Service Company (ESCO) the confluence of renewable energy, electric that seeks to unlock the energy efficiency market mobility and climate change. in India, estimated at Rs. 74,000 crore that can € Objective: It seeks to connect seemingly independent potentially result in energy savings of up to 20% of sectors like Solar Energy, Energy Storage and LED current consumption, by way of innovative business lights to provide solutions, which can enable in and implementation models. decarbonisationand affordable energy access. ¾ It also acts as the resource centre for capacity € Mechanism: building of State DISCOMs, financial institutions, etc. z EESL is offeringconvergent interventions, which solve multiple gap areas in the energy ecosystem. z Solutions such assolarised agriculture feeders, Status of Radicalisation in India LED street lights in local villages and battery energy storage systems. Why in News z Leveraging the carbon financing mechanism The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has, for the first to rapidly strengthen rural infrastructure in a time, approved a research study on‘status of radicalisation’ clean and sustainable manner, and to create in the country. a resilient and sustainable rural community in India. Key Points z EESL’s climate financing interventions currently ¾ Study will be conducted by G.S. Bajpai, Director of include Gram UJALA, Decentralised Solar and the Centre for Criminology and Victimology, National Gram Panchayat Street Lights programmes. Law University, Delhi. ¾ Benefits of the Project: ¾ The study will attempt to legally define‘radicalisation ’ € Promote Renewable Energy: It will accelerate the and suggest amendments to the Unlawful Activities usage of renewable energy sources, especially (Prevention) Act, 1967. for agricultural and rural power consumption in € Radicalisation is yet to be defined legally, thisleads the State. to misuse by the police. € Energy Efficient:Contribute to reduction of peak € Aggressive policing measures could be counter- energy demand through deployment of energy productive as the youth who were radicalised efficient pumping and lighting thus contributing were “misguided” and not the culprits. to overall sustainability. ¾ A huge local population engulfed by systematic € Improve Health of DISCOMs: Accrue savings of radicalisation can create a major security challenge Rs 2,574 crores to the State over the period of for the state. 25 years, while improving the health of DISCOMs and providing cleaner power. € The United Nations’ 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning € Check Technical Losses: Provide clean day time electricity to farmers as well as energy efficient pump the IS (Islamic State), al-Qaeda and associated sets which would reduce the power consumption individuals and entities had pointed out “significant as well as T&D (Transmission and Distribution numbers” of the IS and al-Qaeda members in Losses) losses associated with transmitting power Kerala and Karnataka. to agriculture and rural feeder networks. ¾ Instances of Radicalisation in India:

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€ Cases have revealed instances of internet-facilitated € Left-Wing Extremism: indoctrination and active radicalisation in multiple z It focuses primarily on anti-capitalist demands states. and calls for the transformation of political € Instances of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) have grown systems considered responsible for producing despite the continued government intervention. social inequalities, and that may ultimately Encounters, ambushes and arrests still occur with regular frequency in the red corridor districts. employ violent means to further its cause. z It includes anarchist, maoist, Trotskyist and € Increased incidents of mob lynching, cow vigilantism and the string of assassinations of rationalists such marxist–leninist groups that use violence to as Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and Gauri advocate for their cause. Lankesh point towards rising extremism in the ¾ Factors behind Radicalisation: right wing cadres. € Individual socio-psychological factors, which ¾ Maharashtra Model: include grievances and emotions such as alienation € The Maharashtra Government has rolled out a and exclusion, anger and frustration and a strong Deradicalisation Programme for the minority sense of injustice. community to counter both home-grown extremism € Socio-economic factors, which include social and the global Islamic State (IS) threat. The plan has exclusion, marginalisation and discrimination been chalked out by the State Home Department (real or perceived), limited education or that includes a 50-point socio-economic strategy. employment etc. € Deradicalisation is a process in which people reject € Political factors, which include weak and non- the ideology they once embraced. This is a step participatory political systems lacking good further than disengagement, characterised by a governance and regard for civil society. change in behaviour (leaving the radical group, stopping violence) without giving up. € Social media, which provide connectivity, virtual participation and an echo-chamber for like- Radicalisation minded extremist views, accelerates the process ¾ Meaning: of radicalisation. € The word “radical” refers to change in the fundamental nature of something, thus Radicalism is a set of beliefs or actions of people who advocate 43 More Mobile Apps Banned thorough or complete political or social reform. € Radicalisation refers to the process of an individual’s Why in News transformation from a moderate, law-abiding Recently, the government of India has blocked 43 citizen into an active, anti-state, violent extremist. new mobile apps, mostly Chinese, in the country, ¾ Types of Radicalisation: including shopping website AliExpress. € Right-Wing Extremism: ¾ This is in addition to a total of 177 Chinese apps z It is characterized by the violent defence of a banned till now. racial, ethnic or pseudo-national identity, and is also associated with radical hostility towards Key Points state authorities, minorities, immigrants and/ ¾ The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology or left-wing political groups. banned these mobile apps under Section 69A of the € Politico-Religious Extremism: Information Technology Act (IT Act), 2000. z It results from political interpretation of € Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, religion and the defence, by violent means, 2000, was introduced by an amendment to the of a religious identity perceived to be under Act in 2008. attack (via international conflicts, foreign policy, z It gives the Central government the power to social debates, etc.). Any religion may spawn block public access to any information online this type of violent radicalization. whether on websites or mobile apps.

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z Under Section 69A, if a website threatens ¾ The international version of UMANG app called India’s defence, its sovereignty and integrity, ‘UMANG International’ was launched to mark three friendly relations with foreign countries and years of UMANG (UMANG App was launched in 2017). public order, the government can ban it, after following due procedure. Key Points z Detailed procedures to do so are listed under ¾ Coverage: The international version is for select the Information Technology (Procedure and countries that include USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Safeguards for Blocking Access of Information Netherlands, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. by Public) Rules, 2009. ¾ Expected Benefits: ¾ Reasons Behind Banning Apps: € It will help Indian international students, NRIs € The action was taken based on the inputs regarding and Indian tourists abroad, to avail Government these apps for engaging in activities which are of India services, anytime. prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, € It will also help in taking India to the world through defence of India, security of state and public order. ‘Indian Culture’ services available on UMANG and € Government has received many complaints from create interest amongst foreign tourists to visit India. various sources about misuse of some mobile apps ¾ UMANG App: available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized € The UMANG mobile app (Unified Mobile Application manner to servers which have locations outside India. for New-age Governance) is a Government of India all-in-one single, unified, secure, multi-channel, € Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center, Ministry multi-lingual, multi-service mobile app. of Home Affairsalso gave a comprehensive report against the misuse of the apps. € It provides access to high impact services of various ¾ Implications of the Ban: organizations of Centre and States. Presently it has 2000+ services. € The decision to ban these apps, which comes amid continuing tensions between India and China, is z The aim of UMANG is to fast-track mobile the clear message from India that it will no longer governance in India. be a victim of China’s Nibble and Negotiate policy z UMANG enables ‘Ease of Living’ for Citizensby and will review the norms of engagement. providing easy access to a plethora of Indian € The ban may affect one of China’s most ambitious government services ranging from – Healthcare, goals, namely to become the digital superpower Finance, Education, Housing, Energy, Agriculture, of the 21st century. Transport to even Utility and Employment and € It will provide a good opportunity for Indian Skills. entrepreneurs to quickly rise to fill market gaps. This z The key partners of UMANG are Employee is also great for the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. Provident Fund Organization, Direct Benefit z After the initial ban of apps, the government Transfer scheme departments, Employee State launched ‘Digital India Atmanirbhar Bharat Insurance Corporation, Ministries of Health, Innovate Challenge’ to encourage Indian Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and application developers and innovators and Staff Selection Commission (SSC). facilitate their ideas and products. z The top 3 States based on average monthly transactions are - Gujarat, Haryana and Madhya UMANG International Pradesh. € UMANG was developed by the National e-Gover- Why in News nance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & IT. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, z It is a ‘Digital India’ initiative. in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, has € UMANG attained ‘Best m-Government service’ launched an international version of the government’s award at the 6th World Government Summit held UMANG app. at Dubai, UAE in February 2018.

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z It is a robust system for bringing e-transparency PRAGATI Meeting and e-accountability with real-time presence and exchange among the key stakeholders. Why in News z It is an innovative project in e-governance and good governance. Recently, the Prime Minister (PM) has chaired the 33rd PRAGATI meeting. ¾ Concerns: ¾ PRAGATI is the multimodal platform for Pro-Active € The direct interaction of the PM with the state Governance and Timely Implementation involving secretaries without involving the political executives central and state governments. of the states undermines the state political executive. ¾ Interactions through it, is held once every month on Fourth Wednesday, known as PRAGATI Day. € It has also been highlighted that the platform is leading to a concentration of power in the extra- Key Points constitutional office of. PMO ¾ Highlights of the Meeting: € Development of state-specific export strategies Scheme for Creation by the states and review of development projects of Infrastructure for Agro- worth Rs. 1.41 lakh crore spread across 10 states and union territories. Processing Cluster: PMKSY € Grievances related to Covid-19 and to the PM Awas Yojana (Gramin) were also taken up. Why in News € PM SVANidhi, agriculture reforms and development Recently, the Union Minister of Food Processing of districts as export hubs were reviewed. Industries has attended theIndependent Management ¾ PRAGATI: Advisory Committee (IMAC) meeting to consider the € Launched in 2015, PRAGATI involves the central proposals received under the Scheme for Creation of and the state governments. Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster (APC) of (PMKSY). € It has been designed by the Prime Minister’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMO) team with the help of the Office National Key Points Informatics Center (NIC). ¾ IMAC approved 7 proposals with a total project € It enables the PM to discuss the issues with the concerned central and state officials with full cost of Rs. 234.68 crore including grants-in-aid of Rs. information and latest visuals of the ground-level 60.87 crore in Meghalaya, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, situation. Karnataka and Maharashtra. ¾ These projects will leverage private investment € It is a three-tier system (PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries of the states). of Rs. 173.81 crore and are expected to generate employment for 7750 persons. € Objective: ¾ Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro- z Grievance Redressal Processing Cluster: z Programme Implementation € It was approved in May 2017 under the PMKSY, to z Project Monitoring incentivise the setting up of APCs in the country. € The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three € Aims: To develop modern infrastructure and latest technologies: Digital data management, common facilities to encourage a group of video-conferencing and geo-spatial technology. entrepreneurs to set up food processing units € Significance: based on cluster approach by linking groups of z It promotes cooperative federalism by bringing producers/farmers to the processors and markets. together the Secretaries of the Indian Government z These clusters will help in reducing the wastage and the Chief Secretaries of the states. of the surplus produce and add value to the

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horticultural/agricultural produce which will z At least 5 food processing units with a minimum result in an increase of income of the farmers investment of Rs. 25 crore and at least 10 acres and create employment at the local level. of land is required for at least 50 years. € Under the scheme, each APC has two basic components: President’s Powers to Pardon z Basic Enabling Infrastructure like roads, water supply, power supply, drainage, etc. Why in News z Core Infrastructure/Common Facilities like warehouses, cold storages, tetra pack, sorting, Recently, the President of the USA has exercised his grading, etc. powers under the constitution to pardon his former National Security Advisor. € Requirements for Setup: ¾ Unlike the USA President, whose powers to grant Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana pardons are almost unrestrained, the President of ¾ In 2016, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries India has to act on the advice of the Cabinet. (MoFPI) introduced an umbrella Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Key Points Agro-Processing Clusters (SAMPADA), which was ¾ Pardoning Power of the President in the USA: proposed to be implemented with an allocation of € The President of the USA has the constitutional Rs. 6,000 crores for the period of 2016-20. right to pardon or commute sentences related ¾ In 2017, it was renamed as the Pradhan Mantri to federal crimes. Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY). z The USA has a Presidential system. ¾ It is a Central Sector Scheme. z The Supreme Court has held that this power is ¾ Objectives: granted without limit and cannot be restricted € To supplement agriculture. by Congress (legislature). € To create processing and preservation capacities. z Clemency is a broad executive power, and is € To modernise and expand existing food processing discretionary which means the President is units with a view to increasing the level of not answerable for their pardons, and does processing. not have to provide a reason for issuing one. € To add value leading to the reduction of wastage. However, there are a few limitations. ¾ Seven component schemes under PMKSY: € Limitations: € Mega Food Parks. z All Presidents shall have the power to grant € Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Reprieves and Pardons for offences against the Infrastructure. USA, except in cases of impeachment. z € Infrastructure for APC. Further, the power only applies to federal crimes and not state crimes. € Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages. z Those pardoned by the President can still be € Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and tried under the laws of individual states. Preservation Capacities. ¾ Pardoning Power of the President in India: € Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure. € Under Article 72 of the Constitution, the President € Human Resources and Institutions. shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, ¾ Under PMKSY, capital subsidy in the form of grants- respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, in-aid ranging from 35% to 75% of the eligible remit or commute the sentence of any person project cost subject to a maximum specified limit convicted of any offence where the sentence is a is provided to investors under the various schemes sentence of death. for undertaking infrastructure, logistic projects and z Under Article 161, the Governors of states in setting up of food processing units in the country. India too have pardoning powers.

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€ Limitation: ¾ Remission: It implies reducing the period of a z The President cannot exercise his power of sentence without changing its character. For exp., a pardon independent of the government. sentence of rigorous imprisonment for two years may z In several cases, the Supreme Court (SC) has be remitted to rigorous imprisonment for one year. ruled that the President has to act on the advice ¾ Respite: It denotes awarding a lesser sentence in of the Council of Ministers while deciding mercy place of one originally awarded due to some special pleas. These include Maru Ram versus Union of fact, such as the physical disability of a convict or India 1980, and Dhananjoy Chatterjee versus the pregnancy of a woman offender. State of West Bengal 1994. ¾ Reprieve: It implies a stay of the execution of a € Procedure: sentence (especially that of death) for a temporary z Rashtrapati Bhawan forwards the mercy plea period. Its purpose is to enable the convict to have to the Home Ministry, seeking the Cabinet’s time to seek pardon or commutation from the advice. President. z The Ministry, in turn, forwards this to the concerned state government and based on FFC Recommendations the reply, it formulates its advice on behalf of the Council of Ministers. for Health Sector € Reconsideration: Why in News z Although the President is bound by the Cabinet’s advice, Article74 (1) empowers him to return The Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC) has made it for reconsideration once. If the Council of recommendations about the need for reprioritising public Ministers decides against any change, the spending to fix the creaky health infrastructure exposed President has no option but to accept it. by the coronavirus pandemic. € Difference Between Pardoning Powers of President ¾ FFC has submitted its report to the Presidentadvising and Governor: how to share tax revenues with states for the Financial Year (FY) 2022-26 period. z The scope of the President’s pardoning power is wider than the pardoning power of the Governor, ¾ The FFC report also makes recommendations about which differs in the following two ways: performance incentives to states in several reform areas. „ Court Martial: President’s power to grant pardon extends in cases where the punishment Key Points or sentence is by a Court Martial but the Governor does not have any such power. ¾ Recommendations: € „ Death sentence: The President can grant FFC has mooted a greater role for public-private pardon in all cases including death sentences partnerships (PPPs) to ramp up the health but the pardoning power of the Governor infrastructure and scale up public spending on does not extend to death sentence cases. health from 0.95% of GDP to 2.5% by 2024. z While public outlays should focus on primary Terms health care at the panchayat and municipality ¾ Pardon: It removes both the sentence and the level, private players should be relied on for conviction andcompletely absolves the convict from specialty healthcare. all sentences, punishments and disqualifications. z The total spending of around 0.95% of GDP is ¾ Commutation: It denotes the substitution of one not adequate in relation to the commitments form of punishment for a lighter form. For example, under the National Health Policy of 2017. a death sentence may be commuted to rigorous „ The 2017 Policy proposes raising public imprisonment, which in turn may be commuted health expenditure to 2.5% of the GDP in a to simple imprisonment. time-bound manner.

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€ There is a need for a more holistic approach Korea and around 3% for Germany where the to encouraging PPP in the health sector. There dominant sector by spending on R&D is the should be a constant working relationship and private sector. the government should not resort to the private sector in the case of an emergency only. z The trust deficit that exists between industry and government needs to be bridged. € District hospitals can become great grounds for training paramedics, creating health and employment multipliers. € FFC Chairman emphasised on the need to create a cadre for medical officers as mentioned in the All India Services Act 1951. z All-India health service is needed to address issues within the health sector. € There is a need for substantial improvements in the working conditions for doctors in government hospitals, many of whom are hired on a contract basis by States. Recent Initiatives ¾ Issues in the Health Sector: ¾ Recently, the government has expanded the provision € India’s general government expenditure on of financial support by means of viability gap funding healthcare as a percent of GDP was just 1.0% in for Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure 2017, according to the World Health Organisation projects to social sectors such as health, education, (WHO) data, placing it at number 165 out of 186 water and waste treatment. countries in terms of government expenditure on healthcare. ¾ Several public-private partnerships and collaborations are already underway. The € Skewed availability of healthcare across India as Defence Research and poorer States have the worst facilities. Development Organisation (DRDO) which has developed ventilators, collaborated with industry to € In terms of access and quality of health services, scale up production of ventilators. India was ranked 145 out of 195 countries in a Lancet study published in 2018, below countries ¾ There have been several examples of how public like China (48), Sri Lanka (71) Bhutan (134) and research laboratories, public institutions like the IITs, Bangladesh (132). and private players including startups have risen to the challenge of working on Covid-19 testing kits, € Availability of trained epidemiologists is an issue due to low salary and job insecurity in the health masks, alcohol-based sanitizers, personal protective system. equipment (PPEs) and ventilators, to overcome challenges of global supply chain disruptions and to z There should be one epidemiologist per 0.2 million population. An epidemiologist is a cater to domestic needs. technical person to guide and monitor the ¾ The government has made several interventions in the process of contact-tracing, marking containment health sector including National Medical Commission, zones and isolating suspected cases. National Digital Health Mission, Ayushman Bharat, etc. € India’s expenditure on R&D as a percent of GDP ¾ A total of 17 Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) has continued to remain stagnantat 0.7% of GDP projects have been started in India, with different for three decades, with the public sector accounting government and private organisations. for 51.8% of national R&D expenditure. € GHSA, set in 2014, builds on the WHO International z This compares to around 2.8% of GDP for the Health Regulations (IHR) that provide guidance USA, 2.1% of GDP for China, 4.4% of GDP for for countries to assess and manage serious health

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threats that have the potential to spread beyond National Commission for Minorities borders. ¾ Genesis: € Capacity-building of the healthcare workers for € In 1978, setting up of theMinorities Commission surveillance and outbreak investigation is a vital (MC) was envisaged in the Ministry of Home Affairs step under workforce development of GHSA’s Resolution. action package. € In 1984, the MC was detached from the Ministry of € One of the institutes responsible for workforce Home Affairs and placed under the newly created development under GHSA is the National Institute Ministry of Welfare, which excluded linguistic of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), that has minorities from the Commission’s jurisdiction in implemented the “Public Health Systems Capacity 1988. Building in India” project. € In 1992, with the enactment of the NCM Act, 1992, the MC became a statutory body and was Woes of National renamed as the NCM. € In 1993, the firstStatutory National Commission Commission for Minorities was set up and five religious communities viz the Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Why in News Zoroastrians (Parsis) were notified as minority Recently, it has been highlighted that the seven- communities. member National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has € In 2014, Jains were also notified as a minority only one member left after the retirement of its vice- community. chairperson while the other 5 posts have been vacant ¾ Composition: since May 2020. € NCM consists of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and five members and all of them shall be from Key Points amongst the minority communities. ¾ The Ministry for Minority Affairs clarified that the € Total of 7 persons to be nominated by the Central process is underway and there has been a delay in Government should be from amongst persons of filling the vacancies because of theCovid-19 pandemic. eminence, ability and integrity. The Ministry for € However, it is not the first time that vacancies Minority Affairs recommends the names to the have not been filled in the NCM. In 2017, all seven Prime Minister’s Office. posts remained empty for over two months. € Tenure: Each Member holds office for perioda of ¾ In 2004, the standing committee on social justice three years from the date of assumption of office. and empowerment, headed by Sumitra Mahajan, ¾ Functions: made specific recommendations to strengthen the € Evaluation of the progress of the development of NCM, highlighting its insufficient investigative powers. minorities under the Union and States. € However, these recommendations were never € Monitoring of the working of the safeguards for implemented by the then government. The reports minorities provided in the Constitution and in laws tabled by the NCM are hardly taken up or debated enacted by Parliament and the state legislatures. irrespective of the government in power. z It ensures that the Prime Minister’s 15-point ¾ Section 13 of theNational Commission for Minorities programme is implemented and the programmes (NCM) Act, 1992 mandates that the annual report, for minority communities are actually functioning. together with the memorandum of action taken on € Making recommendations for the effective the recommendations contained therein, as well as the implementation of safeguards for the protection reasons for non-acceptance of the recommendations, of the interests of minorities by the central or state if any, be tabled before Parliament annually. governments. € These reports have not been tabled in Parliament € Looking into specific complaints regarding since 2010. deprivation of rights and safeguards of minorities

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and taking up such matters with the appropriate € Citizens’ right to ‘equality of opportunity’ in authorities. matters relating to employment or appointment z Aggrieved persons belonging to the minority to any office under the State, and prohibition in communities may approach the concerned this regard of any discrimination on grounds of State Minorities Commissions for redressal of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. their grievances. ¾ Article 25 (1), 26 and 28: € Getting studies to be undertaken into the problems € People’s freedom of conscience and right to arising out of any discrimination against minorities freely profess, practise and propagate religion. and recommending measures for their removal. € Right of every religious denomination or any z It investigates matters of communal conflict section to establish and maintain institutions and riots. For example, the 2011 Bharatpur for religious and charitable purposes, manage communal riots, as well as the 2012 Bodo- its own religious affairs, and own and acquire Muslim clashes in Assam, were investigated property and administer it. by the commission and their findings were € People’s freedom as to attendance at religious submitted to the government. instruction or religious worship in educational € It observes the Minorities Rights Day every year institutions wholly maintained, recognized, or th on 18 December which marks the adoption of the aided by the State. “Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging ¾ Article 29: to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities” by theUnited Nations in 1992. € It provides that any section of the citizens residing in any part of India having a distinct language, z The declaration states that countries shall script or culture of its own, shall have the right protect the existence of the national or ethnic, to conserve the same. cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories € It grants protection to both religious minorities and encourage conditions for the promotion as well as linguistic minorities. of that identity. € However, the Supreme Court held that the scope of this article is not necessarily restricted Constitutional and Legal to minorities only, as use of the word ‘section Provisions Related to Minorities of citizens’ in the Article includes minorities as ¾ The NCM Act defines a minority as “a community well as the majority. notified as such by the Central government.’’ ¾ Article 30: € The Government of India has declared six religions € All minorities shall have the right to establish namely, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and administer educational institutions of and Parsis (Zoroastrian) and Jain as religious their choice. minorities in India. € The protection under Article 30is confined only ¾ National Commission for Minority Education to minorities (religious or linguistic) and does Institution (NCMEI) Act, 2004: not extend to any section of citizens (as under € It gives the minority status to the educational Article 29). institutions on the basis of six religious communities ¾ Article 350-B: notified by the government. € The 7th Constitutional (Amendment) Act 1956 ¾ The term “minority” is not defined in the Indian inserted this article which provides for a Special Constitution. However, the Constitutionrecognises Officer for Linguistic Minorities appointed by the religious and linguistic minorities. President of India. ¾ Article 15 and 16: € It would be the duty of the Special Officer to € Prohibition of discrimination against citizens investigate all matters relating to the safeguards on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place provided for linguistic minorities under the of birth. Constitution.

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local resources and potentially lead to law and Protest Against order problems. Bru Resettlement € They alleged that 650 Bengali families from around Kanchanpur and 81 Mizo families from Jampui Hill range, who fled due to “atrocities” by Brus, were Why in News yet to be resettled two decades on. Recently, parts of north Tripura have witnessed ¾ Conditions of the Brus: violent protests over the proposed resettlement of Bru € They are in fear and uncertainty as they suffer an tribals. economic blockade due to these protests. Key Points € They haven’t received foodgrains as per their relief package this month and if the protest continues, ¾ Background: their condition will deteriorate further. € Bru or Reang is a community indigenous to Northeast India, living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, they are recognised as a Reservation in Super-speciality Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group. Medical Courses: SC € In Mizoram, they have been targeted by groups that do not consider them indigenous to the state. Why in News € In 1997, following ethnic clashes, nearly 37,000 Brus fled Mamit, Kolasib and Lunglei districts Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has reserved its of Mizoram and were accommodated in relief order on the state governments providing a 50% in- camps in Tripura. service reservation for admissions to super-speciality € Since then, 5,000 have returned to Mizoram in medical courses (Doctorate of Medicine/DM and Master eight phases of repatriation, while32,000 still live of Chirurgiae/M. Ch.) in government colleges for the in six relief camps in North Tripura. academic year 2020-21. € In January 2020, a quadrilateral agreement was signed by the Centre, the two state governments Key Points and Bru representatives to allow the remaining ¾ In August 2020, the SC allowed states to grant the 32,000 to permanently settle in Tripura. benefit of reservation of seats to in-service doctors ¾ 2020 Agreement: in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) € After the agreement was made in January 2020, postgraduate (PG) degree courses. the state has planned 12 resettlement spots across ¾ The judgment held that the state has the legislative six districts with 300 families each. competence and authority to provide for a separate € The Centre has announced a special development source of entry for in-service candidates seeking project with funding of Rs. 600 crore. admission to PG/diploma courses in the exercise of z Each resettled family will get an estimated 0.03 powers under Entry 25, List III. acres of land for building a home, Rs. 1.5 lakh € Entry 25 of List-III: Education, including technical as housing assistance, and Rs. 4 lakh as a one- education, medical education and universities, time cash benefit for sustenance, a monthly subject to the provisions of entries 63, 64, 65 allowance of Rs. 5,000 and free rations for two and 66 of List I; vocational and technical training years from the date of resettlement. of labour. ¾ Reason for the Protest: z The Constitution provides for a three-fold € The 2020 agreement led to protests from Bengali distribution of legislative subjects between and Mizo groups in Tripura. They claim that settling the Union and the states, which are List-I (the thousands of migrants permanently in Kanchanpur Union List), List-II (the State List) and List-III sub-division of North Tripura district would lead (the Concurrent List), described in the seventh to demographic imbalance, exert pressure on schedule.

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¾ In November 2020, Tamil Nadu government allowed ¾ He raised the pitch for ‘One Nation, One Election’, a counselling and filling of 50% of the super-speciality single voter list for all polls and also asked the presiding seats in the government medical colleges with in- officers tosimplify the language of statute books and service candidates in the state. allow for an easier process to weed out redundant laws. € The seats would be filled with candidates who ¾ He also paid tributes to the security forces and have cleared NEET-Super Speciality Courses (SS) appreciated India’s efforts to fight terrorism. The and the selection committee of the Directorate day marked 12 years of the Mumbai terror attacks. of Medical Education would prepare the merit list and conduct counselling. Key Points z The state government argued that there was ¾ One Nation, One Election: an acute need for super-speciality qualified € The idea is about structuring the Indian election doctors both in the medical academia and in cycle in a manner so that elections to the Lok practice. Sabha and the State Assemblies are synchronised € After 50% of seats in DM/M. Ch. courses in together so that the election to both can be held government medical colleges are allocated to in- within a given span of time. service candidates, the rest will be surrendered to € Advantages: the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). z Help keep a check on the poll expenses, party z DGHS is a repository of technical knowledge expenses, etc. and also save public money. concerning public health, medical education z Reduce the burden on administrative setup and health care. It is an attached organisation and security forces. of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. z Ensure timely implementation of the government ¾ Doctors, including PG holders qualified in NEET 2020, policies and also ensure that the administrative challenged the decision saying that there is no concept machinery is engaged in developmental activities of any reservation for admission to super-speciality rather than electioneering. medical courses. z Solve the problem of governance on the part € They referred to the verdict in Dr Preeti Srivastava of the politicians who are ruling. It is generally & Anr. versus State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors, 1999 seen that for short term political gains from a which held that “merit, and merit alone, is the particular assembly election, ruling politicians basis for admission at the super-speciality level”. avoid taking a harsh long term decision which ¾ Their appeal argued that the State order was contrary can ultimately help the country in the long run. to the Postgraduate Medical Education (Amendment) z Provide more time to all the stakeholders Regulations of 2019, which mandated that the DGHS i.e. political parties, Election Commission of should be in charge of the admission process. India (ECI), paramilitary forces, civilians for € The regulations empower DGHS to conduct the the preparation of elections once in five years. counselling for all super-speciality courses in € Challenges: medical educational institutions of the Central and z The synchronisation is a major problem state governments, deemed universities, medical considering the traditions and conventions educational institutions established by municipal that India’s Parliamentary system follows. The bodies, trusts, etc. government is accountable to the Lower House and it is possible that the government can fall PM on One Nation, One Election before completing its term and the moment the government falls, there has to be an election. Why in News z It is difficult to convince and bring together all Recently, the Prime Minister of India has addressed the political parties on the idea. the concluding session of the 80th All India Presiding z For holding simultaneous elections, the Officers Conference via videoconference, at Kevadiya requirements for Electronic Voting Machines (Gujarat) on the occasion of Constitution Day (26th Nov). (EVMs) and the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails

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(VVPATs) will double as the ECI has to provide All India Presiding Officers Conference two sets (one for election to the Legislative ¾ It began in 1921, and the Gujarat event marks its Assembly and second for that to the Lok Sabha). centenary year. z There will also be an additional requirement ¾ Theme for 2020: ‘Harmonious Coordination between of the polling staff and for better security Legislature, Executive and Judiciary: Key to a Vibrant arrangements. Democracy’. € Suggestions: € It emphasises on the need for coordination z India held the elections for the assembly as well between all three wings of the state, viz. as the Lok Sabha from 1951-52 to till 1967. As Legislature, Executive and Judiciary andsuggests such, therefore, there are no disagreements them to be guided by the Constitution which on adequacy and efficacy of the idea. India can mentions their role to their decorum. even think of holding elections at the same time even for the local bodies. z To sync the term of the State Legislative Climate Change Assemblies with that of the Lok Sabha, the Knowledge Portal term of the state legislative assemblies can be reduced and increased accordingly. However, Why in News to do so, constitutional amendments may be needed in Articles 83, 85, 172, 174 and 356. Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and has launched the z In India, fixing the dates is not feasible because Climate Change ‘India Climate Change of the Parliamentary form of government so one Knowledge Portal’. radical solution is to switch to the Presidential Key Points form of Government where the President is not accountable to the House. ¾ India Climate Change Knowledge Portal: z Synchronising only the elections to the Lok € Objective: The Portal will help in disseminating Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. knowledge among citizens about all the major ¾ One Voter List: steps the Government is taking at both national and international levels to address climate change € Only one voter list should be used for Lok Sabha, issues. Vidhan Sabha and other elections. € Benefit: It will be a single point Information € Advantages: resource which provides information on the z A common electoral roll will save an enormous differentclimate initiatives taken by various Line amount of effort and expenditure as the Ministries enabling users to access updated status preparation of a separate voters list causes on these initiatives. duplication of the effort and the expenditure. € Components: The eight major components included € Challenges: in the knowledge portal are: z Persuading the state governments to tweak z India’s Climate Profile their respective laws and adopt the ECI voters „ The northern part of the country is list for municipal and panchayat polls. characterized as a continental climate with z Requires a massive consensus-building exercise. hot summers and cold winters. The coastal € Suggestions: regions of the country, however, experience z The mature approach calls for the option of warmer temperatures with little variation states adopting EC’s voter list. throughout the year and frequent rainfall. z The EC’s voters list has to be made in a way z National Policy Framework to fit the State Election Commissions’ wards „ For Example In order to strengthen the which is a tedious task but can be done by the implementation of environmentally sound use of technology. management of hazardous waste in the

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country, the Ministry of Environment, Forest saving of about 47 billion units of electricity per year and Climate Change has amended the and reduction of 38 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management € International Solar Alliance: It is an Indian initiative & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016. conceived as a coalition of solar-resource-rich z India’s Nationally determined contributions(NDC) countries (which lie either completely or partly Goals between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of „ NDC’s are at the heart of the Paris Agreement Capricorn) to address their special energy needs. and the achievement of these long-term goals. € The National Action Plan on Climate Change „ NDC’s embody efforts by each country to (NAPCC) was launched in 2008 which aims at reduce national emissions and adapt to the creating awareness among the representatives of impacts of climate change. the public, different agencies of the government, z Adaptation Actions scientists, industry and the communities on the threat posed by climate change and the steps to „ To meet the high energy demand India is counter it. adapting to clean energy development. Example: Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission which aims to increase the share of The Constitution Day solar energy in India. z Mitigation Actions Why in News „ For example, to mitigate water issues Indian Recently on 26th November, 71st constitution day government launched the National Water was celebrated in the country. Every year as part of the Mission. celebrations, a number of activities aimed at highlighting z Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation and reiterating the values and principles enshrined in „ The Paris climate deal is a great example of the Constitutionare organised. multilateral cooperation. Key Points z International Climate Negotiations ¾ „ In the Conference of Parties(COP21) in Paris Constitution Day or Samvidhan Diwas is also known in 2015, India accepted 1.5 degrees Celsius as National Law Day. The day commemorates the as a target limit for the increase in the adoption of the Constitution in India. global average temperature and announced € On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of an ambitious domestic renewable energy India formally adopted the Constitution of India programme. that came into force on 26 January 1950. z Reports & Publications € The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment „ For example, reports like Assessment of on 19 November, 2015, notified the decision of the Climate Change over the Indian Region Government of India to celebrate 26 November published by the Ministry of Earth Sciences as ‘Constitution Day’. (MoES). ¾ Facts about the Constitution of India: ¾ Other Initiatives to Fight Climate Change: € The framing of the Constitution took over 2 years, € National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): It is a five- 11 months and 18 days. year action plan with a tentative target of 20-30% € The original copies of the Indian Constitutionweren’t reduction in concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 typed or printed. They have been handwritten by 2024, with 2017 as the base year. and are now kept in a helium-filled case within € India has also shifted from Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) the library of the Parliament. to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms from 1st € Prem Bihari Narain Raizada had written the unique April 2020 which was earlier to be adopted by 2024. copies of the Structure of India. € It has distributed more than 360 million LED bulbs € Originally, the Constitution of India was written under the UJALA scheme, which has led to energy in English and Hindi.

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€ The Constitution of India has borrowed some of z A major change that was made by the 42nd its features from a number of countries, including Constitutional Amendment was to give primacy Britain, Ireland, Japan, USA, South Africa, Germany, to all Directive Principles over the Fundamental Australia, and Canada. Rights contained in Articles 14, 19 or 31. € The basic structure of the Indian Constitution € Fundamental Duties stands on the Government of India Act, 1935. z The 42nd Amendment Act inserted Article 51-A to € World’s lengthiest Constitution create a new part called IV-A in the Constitution, € Federal System with Unitary Features which prescribed the Fundamental Duties to the citizens. € Parliamentary Form of Government ¾ The Constitution (44th Amendment) Act, 1978 ¾ Background: € A new provision was added to Article 74(1) saying € In 1934, M N Roy first proposed the idea of a that the President could require the council of constituent assembly. Under the Cabinet Mission ministers to reconsider its advice to him, either plan of 1946, elections were held for the formation generally or otherwise and the President should of the constituent assembly. Act in accordance with the advice tendered after € Drafting Committee: such reconsideration. z The Drafting Committee had seven members: € It has been provided that an Emergency can be Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, N. Gopalaswami, B.R. proclaimed only on the basis of written advice Ambedkar, K.M Munshi, Mohammad Saadulla, tendered to the President by the Cabinet. B.L. Mitter and D.P. Khaitan. € Right to Property has been taken out from the list th z At its first meeting on 30 August 1947, the of Fundamental Rights and has been declared a Drafting Committee elected B.R Ambedkar as legal right. its Chairman. ¾ The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 Important Constitutional Amendment: € A separate part IX has been added to the Constitution with the addition in Article 243A and a fresh Schedule ¾ First Amendment Act, 1951 called the Eleventh Schedule enumerating the € Provided for the saving of laws providing for the powers and functions of Panchayati Raj Institutions. acquisition of estates, etc. ¾ The Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992 € Added Ninth Schedule to protect the land reforms € The Act provides constitutional status to Urban and other laws included in it from the judicial Local Bodies. After part VIII of the Constitution, a review. After Article 31, Articles 31A and 31B separate part IXA has been added to the Constitution were inserted. with the addition in Article 243A and a fresh ¾ The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956 schedule called Twelfth schedule enumerating € The Second and Seventh schedules were the powers and functions of urban local bodies substantially amended for the purpose of the has been incorporated. States Reorganization Act. € The Act provides Municipal Panchayat, Municipal ¾ The Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976 Council and Municipal Corporation, reservation € The major Amendments made in the Constitution of seats for SCs and STs in proportion to their by the 42nd Amendment Act are: population and one-third reservation of seats € Preamble for women. ¾ st z The characterization of India as ‘Sovereign The Constitution (101 Amendment) Act, 2017 Democratic Republic’ has been changed to € Introduced the Goods and Services Tax. ‘Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic’. ¾ The Constitution (102nd Amendment) Act, 2018 z The words ‘Unity of the nation’ have been € Constitutional status to National Commission for changed to ‘Unity and integrity of the nation’. Backward Classes € Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles ¾ The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019

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€ A maximum of 10% Reservation for Economically through rapid vaccine development: Support of Weaker Sections (EWSs) of citizens of classes other Indian vaccine development aligned with the than the classes mentioned in clauses (4) and (5) global initiative of the Coalition for Epidemic of Article 15, i.e. Classes other than socially and Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)”. educationally backward classes of citizens or the z The Ind-CEPI Mission was approved in March Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. 2019. ¾ Objectives: Mission COVID Suraksha € Accelerating pre-clinical and clinical development. € Licensure of Covid-19 vaccine candidates that are Why in News currently in clinical stages or ready to enter the clinical stage of development. The Government of India has announced the stimulus € Establishing clinical trial sites. package of Rs. 900 crore for the Mission COVID Suraksha, the Indian Covid-19 Vaccine Development Mission, which € Strengthening the existing central laboratories and will help the development process of the vaccine suitable facilities for animal studies, production candidates. facilities and other testing facilities to support the vaccine development. Key Points € Supporting the development of common harmonized ¾ About: protocols, training, data management systems, regulatory submissions, internal and external € Mission COVID Suraksha is India’s targeted effort to quality management systems and accreditations. enable the development of indigenous, affordable € Supporting capabilities for process development, and accessible vaccines for the country and will cell line development and manufacturing of GMP complement the ongoing mission of Atmanirbhar batches for animal toxicology studies and clinical Bharat. trials. € The Centre had announced this package during € Developing suitable so the third economic stimulus. Target Product Profile that vaccines being introduced through the € The Mission with its end-to-end focus from mission have preferred characteristics applicable preclinical development through clinical to India. development and manufacturing and regulatory facilitation for deployment, would consolidate all Clinical Trials available and funded resources towards accelerated ¾ It is a systematic study to generate data for discovering product development. or verifying the clinical and pharmacological profile ¾ Grant: (including pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic) € Phase-I of the Mission has been allotted Rs. 900 or adverse effects of a new drug on humans. Crore for a period of 12 months. ¾ It is the only way of establishing the safety and € The grant will be provided to the Department of efficacy of any drug before its introduction in the Biotechnology (DBT) for Research and Development market for human use and is preceded by animal trials (R&D) of Indian Covid-19 vaccines. where the efficacy and side effects are observed in ¾ Stakeholders: animals and an estimated drug dose is established. € It will be led by DBT and implemented by a dedicated ¾ Clinical trials of drugs developed in India have to Mission Implementation Unit at the Biotechnology undergo all four phases of trials in India. Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). € Phase I or clinical pharmacology trials or “first € The existing activities underNational Bio Pharma in man” study. (NBM) and will provide Mission Ind-CEPI Mission € Phase II or exploratory trials. complementary strengths to this Mission. € Phase III or confirmatory trials. z The DBT is supporting the implementation of € Phase IV trials or post-marketing phase. the Ind-CEPI Mission, “Epidemic preparedness

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¾ Vaccine Candidates: z ZyCoV-D: Indigenously developed vaccine by € A total of 10 vaccine candidates have been supported Zydus Cadila has completed the phase-2 clinical by DBT so far at both academia and industry and as trial in the country. on date and 5 vaccine candidates are in human trials. z Sputnik V: The combined phase 2 and 3 clinical z Covishield: The Serum Institute of India (SII) trials of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik is conducting the phase-3 trial of the Oxford- V in India are about to get started. Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine. z BNT162b2: India is focusing on training z Covaxin: The indigenously developed Bharat for conducting phase II and III human Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical clinical trials of the Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine Research (ICMR) vaccine has already started candidate along lines of India’s regulatory the phase III clinical trial. mechanism.

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Economic Scenario

Highlights z Inflation Data: October 2020 z Negative Yield Bonds z Open Acreage Licensing Policy z Unified Single-window Clearance System z Lakshmi Vilas Bank Crisis z Internal Working Group Recommendations: RBI z Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor z Cabinet Approves Capital Infusion into NIIF z World Fisheries Day z Electrification of Railways z KIIFB Controversy z Honey FPO Programme: NAFED

€ As a large part of this is due to festival related Inflation Data: October 2020 demand, it will be too early to term this as a general recovery. Why in News Inflation Recently, the wholesale price inflation data for the ¾ Inflation refers to the rise month of october 2020 was released. in the prices of most goods and services of daily or common use, such ¾ The wholesale price-based inflation is measured by as food, clothing, housing, recreation, transport, Wholesale Price Index (WPI). consumer staples, etc. Key Points ¾ Inflation measures the average price change in a basket of commodities and services over time. ¾ Wholesale Inflation: ¾ Inflation is indicative of thedecrease in the purchasing € Wholesale price inflation increased to the highest of a unit of a country’s currency. This could level in eight months, reaching 1.48% in October power 2020, compared with 0% in October 2019 and ultimately lead to a deceleration in economic growth. 1.32% in September 2020. ¾ However, a moderate level of inflation is required in to ensure that production is promoted. z It was driven by manufactured items as per the the economy data released by the commerce and industry ¾ In India, inflation is primarily measured by two main ministry. indices — WPI (Wholesale Price Index) and CPI which measure wholesale € The manufactured product group inflation hit a (Consumer Price Index) 19-month high of 2.1%, and core inflation accelerated and retail-level price changes, respectively. to the highest level in 18 months at 1.7%. Wholesale Price Index € Core Inflation excludes volatile goods from the ¾ It measures the changes in the prices of goods basket of commodities tracking Headline Inflation. sold and traded in bulk by wholesale businesses These volatile commodities mainly comprise food to other businesses. and beverages (including vegetables) and fuel and ¾ Published by the Office of Economic Adviser, light (crude oil). Ministry of Commerce and Industry. z Core inflation = Headline inflation – (Food and ¾ It is the most widely used inflation indicator in India. Fuel) inflation ¾ Major criticism for this index is that the general ¾ Implication: public does not buy products at wholesale price. € Increase in core inflation suggests improvement ¾ The base year of All-India WPI has been revised in demand conditions, which have improved after from 2004-05 to 2011-12 in 2017. the Covid-19 related lockdown was lifted.

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€ Limited Participation of Foreign Companies: Open Acreage Licensing Policy India’s efforts to attract foreign energy giants into hydrocarbon exploration and production haven’t Why in News been quite fruitful. Recently, contracts for 11 oil and gas blocks offered Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) Bid ¾ Under this Policy, exploration blocks shall be Round-V were signed. awarded on a continuous basis through e-bidding in a transparent manner. Key Points ¾ Features: ¾ OALP: € Revenue sharing model instead of Profit sharing € The Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy for hydrocarbon exploration. (HELP) replacing the erstwhile New Exploration z Under revenue sharing model, the government Licensing Policy (NELP) was approved in March share accrues immediately on production, 2016 and the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) unlike in cost-recovery where the contractors along with the National Data Repository (NDR) first claimed its costs before splitting leftover were launched in June 2017 as the key drivers to profits, if any. accelerate the Exploration and Production (E&P) activities in India. € Unified license for all types of hydrocarbons. € under € Under OALP, companies are allowed to carve Freedom to carve out acreages of choice out areas they want to explore oil and gas in. OALP bid rounds. Companies can put in an expression of interest for € Full marketing and pricing freedom of gas. any area throughout the year but such interests National Data Repository are accumulated thrice in a year. The areas sought ¾ NDR is a government-sponsored E&P data bank are then put on auction. with state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure € The successful roll-out of the HELP regime, followed for preservation, upkeep and dissemination of data by OALP Bid Rounds, has led to an increase in to enable its systematic use for future exploration exploration acreages in India. and development. z The exploration acreage which stood at about ¾ Following are the data that is being stored in NDR: 80,000 sq. km. from earlier regimes now stands Seismic Data, Well & Log Data, Spatial Data, other at approx. 2,37,000 sq. km., post the award of data like Drilling, Reservoir, Production, Geological, blocks under OALP Round-V. Gravity & Magnetic etc. € The OALP has helped in removing red-tapism and ¾ Having an NDR for India has helped in enhancing brought in a quantum jump in the Exploration & prospects of petroleum explorationand facilitating Production sector. the Bidding Rounds by improving the availability ¾ Concerns: of quality data. € Inadequate Role of Private Players: State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India (OIL) Lakshmi Vilas Bank Crisis have won all the 11 blocks offered in the latest bidding round for oil and gas exploration blocks. z The lack of interest from private players in recent Why in News rounds of OALP bidding has been a result of a Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided lack of policy clarity from the government and to impose a 30-day moratorium on Chennai-based unsuitable taxation and regulatory conditions. Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd (LVB). z A proposal by the Petroleum Ministry to reduce the oil cess charge on domestic production of Key Points crude has been rejected by the Finance Ministry. ¾ Background:

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€ LVB was placed under the prompt corrective action € Rising NPAs: Its gross non-performing assets (NPAs) (PCA) framework in September 2019 considering stood 25.4% of its advances as of June 2020, as the breach of PCA thresholds as on 31st March, 2019. against 17.3% in 2019. Due to which, it was unable z The RBI has specified certain regulatory trigger to raise capital to shore up its balance sheet. points, as a part of prompt corrective action z NPAs in the banking sector are expected to (PCA) Framework, in terms of three parameters, increase as the pandemic affects cash flows i.e. capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR), of people and companies. and net non-performing assets (NPA) Return on ¾ Impact on Investors: Assets (RoA), for initiation of certain structured € , which and discretionary actions in respect of banks Equity capital will be fully written off hitting such trigger points. means existing shareholders face a total loss on their investments unless there are buyers in the € After taking into consideration various developments, secondary market who may ascribe some value the RBI had come to the conclusion that in the to these. absence of a credible revival plan, with a view to protect depositors’ interest and in the interest € Individual investors will face a loss on their of financial and banking stability, there is no investments in AT-1 bonds. alternative but to apply to the Central Government z As per RBI rules based on the Basel-III framework, for imposing a moratorium under section 45 of AT-1 bonds have principal loss absorption the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. features, which can cause a full write-down or ¾ Challenges Faced by LVB: conversion to equity. € Domino Effect of Yes Bank Crisis: The LVB episode € Shares of LVB closed at 20% lower circuit which started unfolding after the RBI and banks led by means that there will be only sellers and no buyers. State Bank of India bailed out fraud-hit Yes Bank z The lower circuit is the limit below which a stock in March 2020. price cannot trade on a particular trading day. z Yes Bank illustrated the widening damage from z These regulatory mechanisms put in place to India’s shadow banking crisis, highlighted by temporarily halt trading on an exchange to curb the collapse of IL&FS in 2018. panic-selling. z On the same lines, Punjab and Maharashtra ¾ Measures Taken by RBI: Cooperative Bank was hit by a loan scam € The RBI monitors the performance of private banks highlighting the riskiness of banks, especially and large Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). cooperative banks. € On LVB, it has imposed a moratorium whose cash € Declining Net Worth: The financial position of has been capped at . the LVB has undergone a steady decline, with withdrawal limit Rs. 25,000 continuous losses over the last three years eroding € It has also put in place a draft scheme for its the bank’s net worth. amalgamation with DBS Bank India. z Almost one-fourth of the bank’s advances have z The combined balance sheet of DBS India and turned bad assets. LVB would remain healthy after the proposed € Inadequacy to Raise Capital: LVB has not been amalgamation, with Capital to Risk Weighted able to raise adequate capital to address the Assets Ratio (CRAR) at 12.51% and Common issues and was also experiencing the continuous Equity Tier-1 (CET-1) capital at 9.61%, without withdrawal of deposits and low levels of liquidity. taking into account the infusion of additional € Governance Issues: Serious governance issues capital. in recent years have led to a deterioration in the „ CET-1 capital includes equity instruments performance of the bank. where returns are linked to the banks’ € Lack of Promoters: The functioning of LVB, along performance and therefore the performance many such banks, has been under scrutiny as most of the share price. They have no maturity. of them do not have strong promoters, making z In Sept 2019, merger of banks, consolidation them targets for mergers. of 10 public sector banks into four mega state-

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owned ones, was announced ostensibly to help ¾ Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor: in better management of capital. € It is the first Industrial Corridor project to be € One safety net for small depositors is the Deposit announced. Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation z DMIC Development Corporation (DMICDC) (DICGC), an RBI subsidiary, which gives insurance incorporated in 2008, is the implementing cover on up to Rs. 5 lakh deposits in banks. agency for the project. € RBI may ask for capital infusion by other banks z DMICDC has been registered as a company and financial institutions, putting in equity capital with 49% equity of Government of India, 26% in the reconstructed entity. equity of the Japan Bank for International z Budget 2019 had announced a Rs. 70,000 crore Cooperation (JBIC) and the remaining held by bank recapitalisation programme to help Public government financial institutions. Sector Banks shore up their capital reserves and € Aims: enhance credit flow into the economy. z To create smart, sustainable industrial cities by leveraging the high speed, high capacity Delhi-Mumbai connectivity backbone provided by the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) to reduce Industrial Corridor logistic costs in an enabling policy framework. „ The DFC project is one of the Indian Railways’ Why in News largest infrastructure projects, undertaken Recently, the Rajasthan government has planned by the government at a cost Rs. 81,459 crore. two special investment regions along the Delhi-Mumbai „ The 1,504 km long Western DFC starts from Industrial Corridor (DMIC) to generate developmental J N Port in Mumbai and ends at Dadri in the opportunities. state of Uttar Pradesh. „ These new cities will come up in thestates of Key Points Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya ¾ Background: Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. € The Government of India is developing various z To create a strong economic base with a globally Industrial Corridor Projects as part of the National competitive environment and state-of-the-art Industrial Corridor Programme (NICP) which is infrastructure to activate local commerce, en- aimed at the development of futuristic industrial hance foreign investments and attain sustainable cities in India which can compete with the best development. manufacturing and investment destinations in „ This is the first time that India has embarked the world. on the process of planned urbanisation with z It will create employment opportunities and manufacturing as the key economic driver. economic growth leading to overall socio- economic development. World Fisheries Day € The NCIP has an overall sanctionedcorpus of Rs. 20,084 crore. 11 Industrial Corridors Projects are Why in News being taken up for development with 30 Projects to be developed in four phases up to 2024-25. World Fisheries Day is observed every year on 21st z National Industrial Corridor Development and November. Implementation Trust (NICDIT) is under the ¾ On the occasion in 2020, the Government of India administrative control of the Department for awarded the best performing States in the fisheries Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) sector, for the first time. for coordinated and unified development of all the industrial corridors which are at various Key Points stages of development and implementation. ¾ About the Day:

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€ It is celebrated to demonstrate solidarity with all € Changing climate. fisherfolk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders ¾ Government’s Effort to Improve Fisheries: throughout the world. € Establishment of Fisheries and Aquaculture € It was started in the year 1997 when “World Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) during Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers” met 2018-19. at New Delhi leading to the formation of “World € Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, Fisheries Forum” with representatives from 18 which aims to achieve 22 million tonnes of fish countries and signed a declaration advocating for production by 2024-25. Also, it is expected to create a global mandate of sustainable fishing practices employment opportunities for 55 lakh people. and policies. € Focus on the Blue Revolution for the creation of an € Aim: To draw attention to overfishing, habitat enabling environment for integrated and holistic destruction and other serious threats to the development and management of fisheries for sustainability of marine and inland resources. the socio-economic development of the fishers ¾ Importance of Fisheries Sector: and fish farmers. € Around 30 million to over 60 million people in the € Extension of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) facilities to developing world are involved in inland fisheries fishers and fish farmers to help them in meeting and about 50% of the total number is women. their working capital needs. € Around 65% of fish caught from inland fisheries are from low-income food-deficit countries. KIIFB Controversy € More than 25% of world dietary protein is provided by the fish. Why in News ¾ Fisheries Sector in India: Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has € India is the 2nd major producer of fish through opened a preliminary inquiry to examine if borrowings aquaculture in the world. by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board € India is the th of fish in the world 4 largest exporter (KIIFB) from overseas markets violated the provisions of as it contributes to global fish production. 7.7% the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) 1999. € Fish constituted about of total exports from 10% ¾ KIIFB was established to manage the Kerala India and almost of agriculture exports in 20% Infrastructure Investment Fund (KIIF), as per the . 2017-18 KIIF Act 1999. € The fisheries and aquaculture production contribute ¾ In 2016, the government changed the role of KIIFB around 1% to India’s GDP and over 5% to the from handler of investment bonds to an entity to agricultural GDP. mobilise the resources for developmental projects € Around 28 million people are employed in the over and beyond the budget. fisheries sector in India. € The sector has immense potential to more than Key Points double the fishers and fish farmers’ incomes, as ¾ The Comptroller and Auditor ­General (CAG) highlighted envisioned by the government. that the KIIFB had raised Rs. 2,150 crore from the ¾ Concerns for Fisheries Sector: international market without the consent of the € The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) points Central government in 2019. out that nearly 90% of the global marine fish stocks € A prior consent of the Government of India is have either been fully exploited or overfished or necessary before a State Government raises a loan. depleted to the extent that recovery may not be ¾ KIIFB had also overstepped its legal bounds by issuing biologically possible. masala bonds to raise money from foreign markets € Discharge of harmful substances like plastics and in violation of Article 293 (1) of the Constitution. other waste into water bodies that cause devastating € Article 293 (1): The executive power of a State consequences for aquatic life. extends to borrowing within the territory of India

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upon the security of the Consolidated Fund of the z IOSCO is the international body that brings State within such limits. State governments can together the world’s securities regulators and give guarantees within such limits as fixed by the is recognised as the global standard setter for legislature of the concerned State. the securities sector. ¾ The ED has also asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ¾ Limitations: about the details of ‘no objection certificate’ it had € As per the RBI guidelines, the money raised supposedly extended to the KIIFB, enabling the agency through such bonds be used for to take sizable loans from the foreign financial market. cannot real estate activities other than for development of integrated ¾ Implications of Inquiry: township or affordable housing projects. € The investigation could potentiallycause a fall in € Also, it cannot be used for investing in capital the revenues of the KIIFB. markets, purchase of land and on-lending to € It might affect the extended loans being offered other entities for such activities as stated above. to KIIFB by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a part of the World Bank group. € With an ongoing investigation, investors would Negative Yield Bonds not be willing to buy its masala bonds, which will further lead to loss of revenues. Why in News € The investigation can alsoresult in an administrative Recently, demand for negative yield bonds is on rise paralysis, halting all the infrastructure development in the global market. projects for which the KIIFB had collected the funds. Key Points ¾ Kerala Government’s Stand: ¾ € It disagrees with the CAG’s finding on the basis Negative Yield Bonds: Are debt instruments that that KIIFB is a corporate entity and not the State offer to pay the investor a maturity amount lower government. than the purchase price of the bond. These are generally issued by central banks or governments, z As per FEMA provisions, corporate entities can issue masala bonds to raise funds from and investors pay interest to the borrower to keep foreign markets. their money with them. € € Kerala also criticises the move because CAG has Bond: Is an instrument to borrow money. A bond unilaterally submitted its audit observations could be floated/issued by a country’s government without giving the State its right of reply. or by a company to raise funds. € Yield: The yield of a bond is the effective rate of Masala Bonds return that it earns. But the rate of return is not ¾ They are rupee-denominated bonds used by Indian fixed; it changes with the price of the bond. companies to raise funds from the overseas market z Generally, investors purchase the bonds at in Indian rupees. their face value, which is the principal amount ¾ Eligibility for Issuance: invested. In return, investors typically earn a € According to RBI, any corporate, body corporate yield of a bond. and Indian bank is eligible to issue these bonds z Each bond has a maturity date, which is when overseas. the investor gets paid back the principal amount. € These can be issued and subscribed by a resident ¾ Reasons behind buying Negative Yield Bonds: of such country that is a member of the financial € To create a diverse portfolio: Many hedge funds action task force (FATF) and whose securities and investment firms that manage mutual funds market regulator is a member of the International invest in negative bonds in order to diversify their Organisation of Securities Commission (IOSCO). investment. It can also be subscribed by multilateral and € To use them as collateral: Bonds are often used to regional financial institutions where India is a pledge as collateral for financing and as a result, member country. need to be held regardless of their price or yield.

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€ To take Benefit from Currency Gain: Foreign z China’s positive Gross Domestic Product investors might believe the currency’s exchange (GDP): Majority of the large economies are rate will rise, which would offset the negative facing a contraction in their GDP for 2020-21 bond yield. while China is one country that is set to witness € To Avoid Domestic Deflation Risk: Domestically, positive growth as its GDP expanded by 4.9% investors might expect a period of deflation, or in the third quarter of 2020. lower prices in the economy. z Increase in Covid-19 cases: While Europe, the United States and other parts of the world are z For Example: Consider a one-year bond that facing a second wave of Covid-19 cases, China yields minus 5% but at the same time inflation is has demonstrated that it has controlled the expected to be minus 10% over the same period. spread of the pandemic and is therefore seen „ That means the investor in the bond would as a more stable region. have more purchasing power at the end € Factor Driving the High Demand: of the year because prices for goods and z Availability of money: Huge amount of liquidity services would have declined far more than injected by the global central banks after the would the value of the investment in the pandemic. fixed-income security. „ They have injected an estimated more than € Investors might also To Create Safe Haven Assets: 10 trillion dollars of liquidity through various be interested in negative bond yields if the loss instruments in the financial system. is less than it would be with another investment. z Avoiding risk: Investors might also be temporarily In times of , many investors economic uncertainty parking money in negative yield bonds for rush to buy bonds because they’re considered the purpose of hedging their risk portfolio in safe-haven investments. equities. To gain profit and avoid losses in case z These purchases are called the flight-to-safety- the fresh wave of the Covid-19 pandemic leads trade in the bond market. During such a time, to further lockdowns of economies. investors might accept a negative-yielding bond because the negative yield might be far less of Unified Single-window a loss than a potential double-digit percentage loss in the equity markets. Clearance System ¾ Current Scenario: Why in News € Today when the world is fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and interest rates related to bonds and The government is working on a new, unified single- other financial instruments in developed markets window clearance system for foreign direct investment across Europe are much lower, investors are looking (FDI) proposals. for relatively better-yielding debt instruments to ¾ It is taking up several other active reform-related safeguard their interests. steps related to sovereign wealth funds and tax € China sold its negative-yield bonds for the first dispute settlements to continue the momentum of time, and this saw a high demand from investors reforms. It also seeks feedback from global investors to make the system more functional. across Europe. € Reason for High Demand: Key Points z Low risk with Chinese Bonds: Yields offered ¾ Background: in safe European bonds are much lower than € Despite the presence of several IT platforms for ones offered by China. investing in India such as the Foreign Investment „ As against minus –0.15% yield on the 5-year Facilitation Portal (FIFP) and state single-window bond issued by China, the yields offered clearances, investors need to visit multiple platforms in safe European bonds are much lower, to gather information and obtain clearancesfrom between –0.5% and –0.75%. different stakeholders.

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z FIFP is the online single point interface of ¾ Advance Pricing Agreements and Tax Dispute the Government of India with investors to Settlements: facilitate FDI. € Various MNCs highlighted the concerns about z It is administered by the Department for delays in bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (APAs) and tax dispute settlements. (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. z APA is an agreement between a taxpayer ¾ About Single-window System: and tax authority determining the transfer € To address this, the creation of a centralised pricing methodology, for pricing the taxpayer’s Investment Clearance Cell was proposed by the international transactions for future years. DPIIT. z In February 2020, Government approved an amendment to the Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas z The cell will be a one-stop digital national which provides a mechanism for portal that integrates the existing clearance Bill 2020 resolution of pending tax disputes in a simple systems of various ministries/departments of and speedy manner. the government and will have a single, unified application form. € India needs a robust system to resolve disputes on an ongoing basis instead of waiting for specific € It would provide end-to-end facilitation support, schemes to be announced for them. There should including pre-investment advisory, information be simultaneous tracking of disputes and efforts related to land banks and facilitating clearances to settle them at the earliest. at Central and state level. € It will allow digital access to regulators, policymakers Foreign Direct Investment and facilitators at one point irrespective of their ¾ It is an investment made by a firm or individual geographical location and also provide time- in one country into business interests located in bound approvals and a real-time status update another country. to investors. ¾ Generally, FDI takes place when an investor establishes € It will enable the potential investor to interactwith foreign business operations or acquires foreign all the ministries whose approvals are required, business assets, including establishing ownership in the central government as well as in the states. or controlling interest in a foreign company. ¾ Sovereign Wealth Funds: ¾ It is different from Foreign Portfolio Investment € Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the government (FPI) where the foreign entity merely buys equity has seen fresh interest from large sovereign wealth shares of a company. funds looking to invest in the country. € FPI does not provide the investor with control over the business. z In the Budget 2020-21, the government promised 100% tax exemption to the interest, dividend ¾ Routes Through which India gets FDI: and capital gains income on the investment € Automatic Route:In this, the foreign entity does made in infrastructure and priority sectors not require the prior approval of the government before 31st March, 2024 with a minimum lock- or the Reserve bank of India (RBI). in period of 3 years by the Sovereign Wealth € Government Route: In this, the foreign entity has Fund of foreign governments. to take the approval of the government through z A sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned the existing FIFP. investment fund composed of the money generated by the government, often derived Internal Working Group from a country’s surplus reserves. € Despite lockdowns, the National Infrastructure Recommendations: RBI Investment Fund (NIIF) actively engaged with the investors to find out the best wayto facilitate Why in News them with the benefits of the tax exemptions. Recently, an Internal Working Group (IWG) of the

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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended the € On non-promoter shareholding, the panel has guarded entry of corporates into the banking space, suggested a uniform cap of 15% of the paid-up conversion of big Non-Banking Financial Companies voting equity share capital of the bank for all (NBFCs) into banks, hike in promoters’ stake and also a types of shareholders. hike in minimum capital for new banks, among others. ¾ Hike in Minimum Capital for New Banks: ¾ The IWG, headed by PK Mohanty, was constituted by € The minimum initial capital requirement for the RBI in June 2020, to review the extant ownership licensing new banks should be enhanced from Rs. guidelines and corporate structure for private sector 500 crore to Rs. 1,000 crore for universal banks banks in India. and from Rs. 200 crore to Rs. 300 crore for small finance banks. Key Points z Universal Banks combine the three main ¾ Entry of Corporates into Banking Space: services of banking viz. wholesale banking, € Large corporates and industrial houses may be retail banking, and investment banking under allowed as promoters of banks only after necessary one roof. For example, Deutsche Bank, Bank amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. of America, HSBC, etc. z A promoter is an individual or organization that ¾ Payments Banks’ Conversion into Small Finance Bank: helps raise money for some type of investment € For payments banks intending to convert to a Small activity. Finance Bank (SFB), a track record of 3 years of € This is to prevent connected lending and exposures experience as payments bank may be considered between the banks and other financial and non- as sufficient. financial group entities. z Payments banks (Airtel Payments Bank, India Post z Connected lending is modeled as a situation Payments Bank, etc.) are like any other banks, in which the bank’s controlling owner extends but operating on a smaller or restricted scale. loans of inferior quality at lower interest rates to himself or his connected parties. z Small Finance Banks are the financial institutions which provide financial services to the unserved z Credit exposure is a measurement of the and unbanked region of the country. maximum potential loss to a lender if the borrower defaults on payment. ¾ Harmonisation and Uniformity in Different Licensing Guidelines: € The RBI has been against allowing corporate houses to set up or run commercial banks due to € The RBI should take steps to ensure harmonisation their poor track record on governance and credit and uniformity in different licensing guidelines, disbursement. to the extent possible. z Corporate houses routinely delay payments to € Whenever new licensing guidelines are issued, if banks and the system has no in-built incentives new rules are more relaxed, the benefit should or disincentives for orderly debtor behaviour. be given to existing banks, and if new rules are ¾ Conversion of NBFCs into Banks: tougher, legacy banks should also conform to new tighter regulations, but a non-disruptive transition € Well-run large NBFCs, with an asset size of Rs. . 50,000 crore and above, including those which are path may be provided to affected banks owned by a corporate house, may be considered ¾ Non Operative Financial Holding Company: for conversion into banks subject to completion of € NOFHC should continue to be the preferred 10 years of operations and meeting due diligence structure for all new licenses to be issued for criteria and compliance with additional conditions universal banks. However, it should be mandatory specified in this regard. only in cases where the individual promoters, ¾ Hike in Promoters’ Stake: promoting entities and converting entities have € The cap on promoters’ stake in the long run (15 other group entities. years) may be raised from the current level of z NOFHC is a financial institution through which 15% to 26% of the paid-up voting equity share promoter/promoter groups will be permitted capital of the bank. to set up a new bank.

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z Entities or groups in the private sector, public € It comprises of: sector and NBFCs can set up these wholly- z Aseem Infrastructure Finance Limited (AIFL): owned NOFHCs. It is an IFC (Infrastructure Finance Company), established with the aim of playing a transfor- Cabinet Approves mative role in growth of Indian infrastructure debt financing. Capital Infusion into NIIF z NIIF Infrastructure Finance Limited (NIIF-IFL): It was incorporated as an Infrastructure Debt Why in News Fund (IDF) in 2014 for financing operating infrastructure projects. Recently, the Union Cabinet has given its approval to the proposal for equity infusion by the Government € Contribution:It is expected to contribute nearly Rs. of Rs. 6000 crores in NIIF Debt Platform - sponsored by 1 lakh crores in debt to the infrastructure sector the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). over the next 5 years. € ¾ This was one of the twelve key measures made by the Impact: Union Minister for Finance as part of Government of z It will act as a catalyst in attracting more India’s stimulus to the economy, under Atmanirbhar investments into the infrastructure sector as Bharat. envisaged in NIP. z The process will also help relieve exposure of Key Points banks to infrastructure projects and free up ¾ Background: space for new green-field projects. z € As per the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), It will enhance liquidity of infrastructure assets investment in infrastructure sector is targeted at and lower the risks. Rs. 111 lakh crore over the next 5 years across z It is expected that a well-capitalized, well- various sub-sectors, creating substantial need for funded and well-governed NIIF debt Platform debt financing. can play a major role in infrastructure financing and development of the bond market in India € It would require at least Rs. 60 to 70 lakh crores in debt financing. by acting as an intermediary between the bond markets and infrastructure projects and € Current environment requires well-capitalized companies. specialized infrastructure focused financial institutions, such as NIIF Debt Platform being National Investment and Infrastructure Fund developed by NIIF which can focus on lending ¾ NIIF is a government-backed entity established across the project life cycle with a strong capital to provide long-term capital to the country’s base and expertise driven approach. infrastructure sector. ¾ The current approval of equity infusion is subject € The Indian government has a 49% stake in NIIF with to two conditions: the rest held by foreign and domestic investors. € Out of the proposed amount, only Rs. 2,000 crore € With the Centre’s significant stake, NIIF is would be allocated during the current year 2020-21. considered India’s quasi-sovereign wealth fund. z However, in view of the unprecedented financial ¾ It was set up in December 2015 as a Category-II situation and availability of limited fiscal space Alternate Investment Fund. due to the prevailing Covid-19, the proposed ¾ Across its three funds viz. Master Fund, Fund of amount may be disbursed only if there is Funds, and Strategic Opportunities Fund, it manages readiness and demand for debt raising. over USD 4.3 billion of capital. € NIIF will take all necessary steps to use the equity ¾ Its registered office is in New Delhi. investments from Domestic and Global pension funds and sovereign wealth funds expeditiously. Terms ¾ ¾ NIIF Debt Platform: Debt financing:

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¾ € When a company borrows money to be paid Current Electrification: back at a future date with interest, it is known € Indian Railways has set a target to complete as debt financing. Electrification of its Broad gauge network by ¾ Equity: December 2023. € More than 66% of the Broad gauge route has € Equity represents the shareholders’ stake in the company, identified on a company’s balance sheet. already been electrified. € With , Railways recorded ¾ Sovereign wealth fund: 18065 km of electrification a 371% increase in electrification during 2014-20 € A sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned period as compared to 2009-2014. investment fund composed of money generated ¾ by the government, often derived from a country’s Benefits of Electrification: surplus reserves. € Speed: 100% electrification will provideseamless train operation by eliminating detention of trains ¾ Pension fund: due to change in traction (action of drawing or € A pension fund is any plan, fund, or scheme pulling something over a surface) from diesel to which provides retirement income. electric and vice versa. ¾ Bond: € Capacity: It will help Railways in enhancing line € It is a fixed income instrument that represents a capacity due to higher speed and higher haulage loan made by an investor to a borrower. In simpler capacity of electric locomotives. words, a bond acts as a contract between the € Safety: Improved signaling system will lead to investor and the borrower. Mostly Companies enhanced safety in train operations. and Government issue bonds and investors buy € Less Financial Burden: Electric traction is much those bonds as a savings and security option. cheaper and efficient compared with diesel traction as running trains on electric traction is Electrification of Railways 50% cheaper than diesel. € Seamless Movement: Electric Multiple Units Why in News (EMUs) are ideal for suburban services, which require higher acceleration and braking features Recently, the Minister of Railways has inaugurated for frequent starts and stops. the newly electrifiedDhigawara-Bandikui section of North € Employment Generation: Direct employment Western Railway and flagged off the first train on this during the construction phase for electrification electrified route from Dhigawara station in Alwar District, will translate to about 20.4 crore man days, which Rajasthan. will significantly boost the employment. Key Points € Energy Security: Total shift to electric traction will reduce fossil fuel consumptionof about 2.83 ¾ History of Railways: billion liters per annum and also give a subsequent € 1832: The first railway proposals for India were reduction ingreenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. made in Madras. z GHG emission for electric traction falls below € 1837: The country got its first train in the form diesel traction, making it an environmentally of Red Hill Railway, which was built with the sole friendly option. purpose of transporting granite for road building. € Energy Bill Savings: It provides savings of Rs. 13,510 € 1853: In April, India’s first passenger train, operated crore per annum in fuel bill as maintenance of by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway ran between electric locomotive is lowas compared to diesel Bori Bunder (Mumbai) and Thane. locomotive. € 1925: In February, the first electric passenger z Regeneration facilities of electric locomotives will train ran between Victoria Terminus and Kurla save 15-20% energy and also there is a reduced (Mumbai). overall requirement of electric locomotives € 1951: Indian Railways was nationalised. due to their higher horsepower.

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€ Sustainability: Reduced carbon footprint as z Initially there were three implementing agencies environmental cost per tonne Km for electric to form and promote FPOs, namely Small Farmers traction is less as compared to diesel traction. Agri-business Consortium (SFAC), National z In line with the commitment made by India in Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) Conference of Parties( COP) 21 (Paris) total shift and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural to electric traction willreduce Carbon Dioxide Development (NABARD). z NAFED has been appointed as the 4th national (CO2) emission of Railways by 24% till 2027-28. implementing agency. z Carbon footprint can be defined as the total amount of GHG produced directly and indirectly z States may also, if so desire, nominate their to support human activities, usually expressed implementing agency in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and in equivalent tons of CO . 2 Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW). ¾ Using More Renewable Energy: € FPOs will be developed by specialist Cluster € In July 2020, Indian Railways decided to be self- Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) engaged reliant for its energy needs by utilizing its vacant by implementing agencies. lands for Renewable Energy (RE) projects. ¾ NAFED, through CBBOs and the Indian Society of € It will utilize solar energy for meeting its traction Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) has initiated the power requirements. formation and promotion of FPOs of beekeepers and honey collectors in 5 states of India. Honey FPO Programme: NAFED € These 5 locations are East Champaran (Bihar), Morena (Madhya Pradesh), Bharatpur (Rajasthan), Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) and Sunderbans (West Why in News Bengal). Recently, the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ € The first Honey FPO has been registered in the Welfare has virtually inaugurated the Honey Farmer state of Madhya Pradesh under the National Producer Organisation(FPO) Programme of the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM). Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India ¾ Benefits: Limited (NAFED). € Skill Upgradation in scientific beekeeping. ¾ A Producer Organisation (PO) is a legal entity formed € State of the art infrastructural facilities for by primary producers, viz. farmers, milk producers, processing honey and allied beekeeping products fishermen, weavers, rural artisans, craftsmen, etc. like bee’s wax, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom, etc. € FPO is one type of PO where the members are € Quality upgradation byquality control laboratories. farmers. € Better supply chain management by improving ¾ Apiculture or beekeeping is the care and management collection, storage, bottling and marketing centres. of honey bees for the production of honey and wax. In € Promotion and Formation of FPOs is the first step this method, bees are bred commercially in apiaries, for converting Krishi into Atmanirbhar Krishi. an area where a lot of beehives can be placed. ¾ Other Efforts by Government to Promote Beekeeping: € Government is promoting beekeeping as part of Key Points its aim to double farmers’ income and ensure ¾ The programme has been launched under the tribal upliftment. Formation and Promotion of FPOs. € The Government has allocated Rs. 500 crore towards € It is a new Central Sector Scheme for the promotion beekeeping under the Atmanirbhar Abhiyan. of 10,000 new FPOs. € Apiary on Wheels: € Under it, the National Level Project Management z It is a unique concept designed by the Khadi Advisory and Fund Sanctioning Committee and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for (N-PMAFSC) had allocated FPO clusters for 2020- the easy upkeep and migration of Bee Boxes 21 to all implementing agencies. having live Bee colonies.

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€ The has created four modules National Bee Board processing and storage of agricultural, horticultural to impart training as part of the NBHM. and forest produce. z Under it, 30 lakh farmers have been trained € To distribute agricultural machinery, implements in beekeeping and are also being financially and other inputs, undertake inter-state, import supported by the Government. and export trade, wholesale or retail as the case z Mini Mission 1 and Mini Mission 2 are schemes may be. under the mission. € To act and assist for technical advice in agricultural € The Government launched NBHM as part of ‘Sweet production for the promotion and the working of Revolution’. its members, partners, associates and cooperative z The ‘Sweet Revolution’ was launched in2016 to marketing, processing and supply societies in India. promote beekeeping and associated activities. National Bee Board ¾ SFAC registered the NBB as a society under the National Agricultural Societies Registration Act, 1860in 2000 and it was Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd reconstituted (with the secretary as chairman) in ¾ It is an apex organization of marketing cooperatives June 2006. for agricultural produce in India. ¾ Objective: ¾ It was founded on 2nd Oct 1958 and is registered € Overall development of beekeeping by promoting under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, scientific beekeeping in India to increase the 2002. productivity of crops through pollination and ¾ NAFED is now one of the largest procurement as increase the honey production for increasing well as marketing agencies for agricultural products the income of the beekeepers/farmers. in India. ¾ Presently NBB is implementingNational Horticulture ¾ Objectives: Mission (NHM) and Horticulture Mission for North € To organize, promote and develop marketing, East and Himalayan State (HMNEM).

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International Relations

Highlights z RCEP Comes into Existence z Trilateral Maritime Exercise SITMEX-20 z China’s Railway Near Arunachal Border z Withdrawal of US Troops from Afghanistan z UAE Issues Golden Card Visa z Agreements Between India-Bahrain z Conflict in Ethiopia z G 20 Summit z 12th BRICS Summit z New Chinese Village in Bhutan z India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit z India’s Assistance to Afghanistan z APEC Virtual Meet z China-Nepal Bilateral Cooperation z RCEP & Sri Lanka’s Dilemma z India-Vietnam Talks z Japan Signs Pact with Maldives z China’s New Dam on Brahmaputra z India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol

RCEP Comes into Existence

Why in News Recently, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has come into existence on the sidelines of the 37th ASEAN Summit. ¾ It has laid down the path for restarting discussion that had failed to admit India earlier and said “new” developments would be taken into consideration if India re-applies.

Key Points € The China-backed group will emerge as the largest free trade agreement (FTA) in the world surpassing ¾ Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership: both the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement and the € It consists of 10 Association of Southeast Asian European Union (EU). Nations (ASEAN) members, as well as South Korea, € It is expected to eliminate a range of tariffs on imports China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. within 20 years and also includes provisions on z It excludes the USA, which withdrew from the intellectual property, telecommunications, financial Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP) in 2017. services, e-commerce and professional services. € Negotiations over the RCEP deal began in 2012. € Under RCEP, parts from any member nation would India was also part of the negotiations but itpulled be treated equally, which might give companies out in 2019 over concerns that lower tariffs could in RCEP countries an incentive to look within the hurt local producers. trade region for suppliers. € Members of the RCEP make up nearly a third of z Businesses with global supply chains might face the world’s population and account for 29% of tariffs even within an FTA because their products global gross domestic product (GDP). contain components that are made elsewhere.

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€ The deal could increase global national income by z For example, the ongoing tensions at LAC and USD 186 billion annually by 2030 and add 0.2% Chinese activities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. to the economy of its member states. ¾ RCEP on India’s Membership: z However, some analysts think the deal is likely € India, as an original negotiating participant of the to benefit China, Japan and South Korea more RCEP, has the option of joining the agreement than other member states. without having to wait 18 months as stipulated € However, it could be some time before any country for new members in the terms of the pact. sees the benefits, because six Asean nations € RCEP signatory states plan to commence negotiations and three other nations have to ratify it before with India once it submits a request of its intention it takes effect. to join the pact “in writing”, and it may participate z Ratification will likely be tricky in national in meetings as an observer prior to its accession. parliaments, owing to both anti-trade and anti-China sentiments among the countries. Suggestions ¾ Significance for China: ¾ The mega trade bloc is a landmark trade initiative € The beginning of RCEP is a major development which is expected to boost commerce among the that will help China and trade in the Asia-Pacific member-countries spread across the Asia-Pacific region. region in the post-Covid-19 scenario. ¾ India needs to keep its interests on the table as the € It will give China access to Japanese and South road to further expansion of its exports to RCEP Korean markets in a big way, as the three countries member nations is very much still open, given that have not yet agreed on their FTA. India already has trade and investment agreements € While China already has a number of bilateral trade with 12 of them. agreements, this is the first time it has signed up ¾ Utilising existing agreements better while proactively to a regional multilateral trade pact. exploring new opportunities in other geographies will ¾ India’s Stand: diversify both Indian markets as well as an export € While addressing the ASEAN Summit, India basket. highlighted the necessity for peace and stability in the region but maintained silence regarding China’s Railway RCEP as it is not very welcoming of the China- backed grouping in the light of the ongoing military Near Arunachal Border tension in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Why in News € In the meantime, India held Malabar Exercise China has begun work on a strategically significant with Japan and the USA for the Quadrilateral railway line that will link Sichuan province with Nyingchi Security Dialogue (QUAD) which was interpreted as an anti-China move. in Tibet, which lies close to Arunachal Pradesh border. z However, these moves did not influence Key Points Japanese and Australian plans regarding RCEP. ¾ This will be the second such route linking Tibet € India ended negotiation on RCEP over terms that Autonomous Region (TAR) with mainland China. were perceived to be against its interests. € Earlier Qinghai-Tibet railway line connected Lhasa € One of the major concerns for India was inadequate to the hinterland. protection against surges in imports as its industry had fears that signing RCEP would allow cheaper ¾ Implications on India: products from China to flood the market in India. € Security Concerns: € The extended power to China could lead to actions z The railway line will largely improve the efficiency and incidents eroding trust in the maritime and convenience of military personnel and region disrespecting the territorial integrity and material transportation and logistical supplies sovereignty. in the border area.

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€ The BRO is already constructing an all-weather tunnel under the Se La pass in Arunachal Pradesh which connects Tawang to the rest of Arunachal and Guwahati. € The state government of Arunachal Pradesh has advocated selection of 10 census towns along the India-China border as pilot projects for infrastructure development in order to stop people living along its international borders, specifically with China, from migrating to faraway urban centres in the State. € Recently, the Defence Minister inaugurated the Sisseri River Bridge located at lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh connecting Dibang Valley and Siang. € In 2019, the Indian Air Force inaugurated resurfaced runway at India’s easternmost Village-Vijaynagar (Changlang district) in Arunachal Pradesh. € In 2019, the Indian Army conducted exercise ‘HimVijay’ in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with z In situations of direct standoff near Arunachal its newly created Integrated Battle Groups (IBG). Pradesh border, as was seen during Doklam or € Bogibeel bridge, which is India’s longest road-rail recent Ladakh standoff, China might be at an bridge connectingDibrugarh in Assam to Pasighat advantageous position. in Arunachal Pradesh was inaugurated in 2018. „ Doklam Issue: Indian troops intervened to z It will facilitate quicker movement of troops block the path of Chinese soldiers engaged in and equipment to areas near the India-China building road-works on the Doklam plateau border. of Bhutan’s territory that Beijing laid claim. Border Area Development Programme € Ecological Concerns: ¾ The BADP was launched by the Ministry of Home z The fragile ecological environment along the Affairs in 1986-87 as part of a comprehensive project line, may have ecological concerns for approach to Border Management. India. ¾ BADP was initiated in the border areas of the ¾ Recent Steps Taken by India: western region during the Seventh Five Year Plan € India will spend 10% funds of the Border Area (1985-90), for ensuring balanced development of Development Programme (BADP) only to improve border areas through development of infrastructure the infrastructure along the China border. and promotion of a sense of security among the € The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructed border population. the Daporijo bridge over Subansiri river in Arunachal ¾ It is a centrally sponsored scheme. Funds are Pradesh in a record span of just 27 days. provided to the states as a non-lapsable special z It links roads leading upto the Line of Actual central assistance for the execution of projects Control (LAC) between India and China. relating to infrastructure, livelihood, education, health, agriculture and allied sectors. € Recently the defence minister virtually laid the foundation of a tunnel at Nechiphu in West Kameng ¾ The States covered are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, district of Arunachal Pradesh. Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, z It will shorten travel time for troops till the LAC Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand through Tawang, which China claims to be its and West Bengal. territory.

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Sectors of India-China Border € Eligibility: ¾ India and China share a boundary that stretches z All holders of doctorate degrees, medical doctors 3,488 km from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. and computer, electronics, programming, electrical and biotechnology engineers. ¾ The border dispute still stands unresolved. z Those with specialised degrees in artificial ¾ It is divided into three sectors: intelligence (AI), big data and epidemiology, as € : It falls in the Union Territory Western Sector well as high school students living in the UAE (UT) of Ladakh and is 1597 km long. who rank top in the country and students from z It witnesses the highest transgressions between certain universities with aGrade Point Average the two sides. (GPA) of 3.8 or higher. € Middle Sector: It falls in Uttarakhand and Himachal € The changes will take place from 1st December 2020. Pradesh and is 545 km long. ¾ Background: z It is the least disputed sector between the € Foreigners in the UAE usually have renewable visas two countries. valid for only a few years tied to their employment. € Eastern Sector: It falls in the states of Sikkim and € In May 2019, the UAE started granting 5 and 10- Arunachal Pradesh and is 1346 km long. year renewable visas to certain foreign investors, z China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of entrepreneurs, chief executives, scientists and south Tibet which is firmly rejected by India. outstanding students, under the Golden Card scheme. z The scheme offers unprecedented benefits to the UAE Issues Golden Card Visa cardholders and their families while creating an attractive environment for business and growth. Why in News z It attracts greater foreign investment and stimulates the local economy, making it more Recently, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has efficient and attractive for investors. approved the issuance of a 10-year golden card visa for more professionals, including PhD holders, physicians, z It also increases the UAE’s competitiveness engineers as well as graduates from certain universities. and reaffirms the country’s position as a global incubator. ¾ Golden Visa is citizenship by investment or residency by investment program. It is directed to wealthy € The government in the past couple of years has foreign nationals who want to acquire residency in made its visa policy more flexible, offering longer a certain country by investing a substantial amount residencies for certain types of investors, students of money or by purchasing a property. and professionals. ¾ Reasons Behind the Move: € The UAE’s economy has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and low oil prices, prompting many expatriates to leave. The move intends to bring them back now and keep the “talented people and great minds” in the Gulf country and help in nation-building. € It will attract talented professionals from various fields of expertise and furtherencourage innovation, creativity and applied research, adding to the appeal of a career in the UAE for the world’s brightest minds. Key Points ¾ Significance for India: ¾ UAE’s Golden Card Visa: € It would attract more Indian professionals and € It grants 10-year residency to these visa holders businessmen to the Gulf nation and strengthen and their families. the India-UAE Relations.

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Recent Developmental Events in the UAE ¾ In March 2019, the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), was held in Abu Dhabi where India was invited as a guest of honour. € The UAE hosted the event and had strongly defended the decision to invite India despite Pakistan’s strong objection and threat to boycott the event. ¾ In February 2020, the UAE issued an operating licence for the Arab world’s first nuclear power plant, paving the way for it to start production in 2020. curbs on the media and made peace with Eritrea - ¾ UAE Mars Mission: In July 2020, the UAE launched moves that won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. a Mars probe named Amal (Hope) from Japan, marking the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission. z Eritrea is a sworn enemy of the TPLF, which shares a long border with the Tigray region. ¾ In September 2020, the UAE signed the Abraham Accord with Israel and Bahrain, which is the first € He also removed TPLF from senior government Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years. positions. His push to concentrate more power in the hands of the government alienated the z The Indian expatriate community is reportedly TPLF further. the largest ethnic community in the UAE, z Abiy has formed a new political coalition, the constituting roughlyabout 30% of the country’s Prosperity Party, all constituents of the Ethiopian population, which has played a major role in People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the economic development of the UAE. except the TPLF, joined the new platform. € It will also facilitate the return of Indians who € When the federal government postponed want to resume work after the relaxation of the general elections in August to 2021 citing Covid-19-related restrictions, for which India had the coronavirus pandemic, Tigray politicians requested the members of the Gulf Cooperation accused him of a power grab and held elections, Council (GCC) in early November 2020. in September, in the region, in defiance of the government. .Rising tensions led to an attack on the military base € Confict in Ethiopia ¾ Tigray People’s Liberation Front: Why in News € It is a militia-turned-party, which was part of The Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed has vowed the coalition that brought an end to the military to continue the military operation in the Tigray region dictatorship in 1991. amid concerns it could descend into civil conflict. z TPLF leader Meles Zenawi took over as the interim President in 1991 and became the first Key Points elected Prime Minister in 1995. ¾ Military Operation: Abiy has declared war on the z He is largely seen as the architect of the country’s Tigray region, which is ruled by the powerful country’s ethno-federal system and remained Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), in response in power till 2012. to its attack on a federal military base in Tigray. € It had played a dominant role in the country’s ruling ¾ Background: coalition, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary € After becoming Ethiopia’s Prime Minister in April Democratic Front (EPRDF - put together by Zenawi). 2018, Abiy Ahmed reached out to the political z Though the EPRDF contains regional political opposition, ushered democratic reforms, lifted parties such as the Amhara Democratic Party,

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the Oromo Democratic Party and the Southern India-Ethiopia Relations Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement, the ¾ Ethiopia is one of the largest recipients of long term TPLF remained the dominant political force. concessional credit from India in Africa. „ The Tigray people make up roughly 6% of the € Lines of Credit worth more than USD1 billion have population, while the Oromos have a 34% been sanctioned to Ethiopia for sectors such as share and the Amharas 27%. The Oromos rural electrification, sugar industry and railways. have alleged marginalisation and called for better representation. ¾ Tele-Education and Tele-Medicine services under the Pan African e-network Project was launched z Over the years, the government led by the in Addis Ababa in July 2007. EPRDF, was accused of being increasingly authoritarian and there were frequent mass € The Tele-Education project has been replicated protests in the regions. by the Ethiopian side and linkages established between the Addis Ababa University and the z In 2018, the EPRDF chose Abiy, a former military intelligence officer, to lead the government Indian Institutes of Technology at Delhi and Kanpur. amid growing protests and a political deadlock. ¾ Bilateral trade between Ethiopia and India stood ¾ Abiy’s Stand: Abiy, the country’s first Oromo leader, at USD 1.28 billion in 2018-19, out of which Indian claimed that his actions are not driven by ethnic exports to Ethiopia were USD 1.23 billion and imports calculations but rather aimed at addressing the were USD 55.01 million. historic power imbalance in the country and making € There are more than 586 Indian companies in peace with the neighbours. Ethiopia employing more than 55,000 people ¾ Implications: with licensed investment of over USD 4 billion. € TPLF has fired rockets into Eritrea from Tigray, € About 58.7% of Indian investments are in the threatening a wider regional war in the Horn manufacturing sector, followed by agriculture of Africa. (15.6%). z Horn of Africa houses the countries of Djibouti, ¾ Indian Mission has been celebrating the Interna- Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. tional Day of Yoga in Addis Ababa. Mission held € Rebels also fired rockets into the neighbouring Gandhi@150 celebrations in Addis Ababa (October Amhara region. Even if Abiy is serious about 2020). keeping the operation short, it could spill out of control given the underlying complexities of the Suggestions conflict. The TPLF has thousands of fighters under ¾ Abiy can reach out to regional political leaderships, their command. especially the TPLF, find common ground, and run the € Also, the Tigray region shares a border with Sudan. country peacefully by restoring the balance between The TPLF enjoyed good relations with Sudan’s ethnicities and regions and decentralising the federal ousted dictator Omar Bashir. government. z Sudan has an unresolved border dispute with ¾ The protection of civilian safety and security is essential. Ethiopia. If Sudan’s new rulers keep the old links The African Union can play a role in this. with the TPLF active and the border open for the rebels, the conflict could go on. 12th BRICS Summit z Earlier this year, in the midst of Ethiopia’s long- standing conflict with Egypt over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam over Why in News the Blue Nile, Sudan had already found itself The Prime minister of India while addressing the 12th forcefully involved in the spat. BRICS summit held online touched upon issues like € There have also been reports of atrocities targeting terrorism, Covid-19 pandemic and the need for reforms civilians by both sides. Many have even fled to in global bodies. Sudan. ¾ Russia was the host and chair of BRICS this year.

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Key Points ¾ China’s Stand: ¾ India’s Stand at the Summit: € It has offered to cooperate with India and other BRICS nations in the development of vaccines € Terrorism: against the coronavirus z Need to confront the countries that supported and sponsored terror and ensure that terrorists € China said it will open the BRICS partnership on and those who support and sponsor terrorists a new industrial revolution innovation centre in should be held guilty and this problem is the Chinese city of Xiamen. addressed in a collective manner. € China supported the BRICS counter-terrorism z India acknowledged the Russian support to the strategy that called upon on all countries to take BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy and reiterated steps to prevent the use of their territories for its support to the strategy. terrorist activities against other countries or their „ It is well aligned with the Brasilia Declaration own citizens. which condemned terrorism in all forms and € Also supported the declaration which talked about manifestation. respect for territorial integrity of Syria, Libya, Iraq „ Earlier this year India’s annual resolution on and in the context of the UnitedNations. the issue of counter-terrorism was adopted by ¾ Russia’s Stand: consensus in the First Committee of the United € Russia called for a joint effort by theBRICS countries Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which on the development of the coronavirus vaccines. also strengthened the war against terrorism. € It also highlighted the importance of establishing € United Nation Security Council (UNSC) Reforms: a Centre for Development and Research of BRICS z India raised the issue of credibility and vaccines. effectiveness of the institutions that were ¾ Importance of BRICS Summit for India and China: necessary for global governance, and urged € It provides the Chinese and the Indian leadership for support from partners. BRICS an opportunity to exchange their thoughts on key € Covid-19 pandemic: priorities in the backdrop of the continued tension z India addressed the issue of cooperation along their borders. among the BRICS countries on the production € Both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation of vaccines for Covid-19. and BRICS have provided recent opportunities for z Referring to the post Covid-19 economic exchange of ideas between the two sides. hardships of the world, India highlighted the importance of BRICS in that scenario. Suggestions z BRICS countries will play a significant role in ¾ BRICS, being one of the pillars of the emerging fairer the recovery of the post Covid-19 world as 42% polycentric world order, plays an important stabilising of the world’s population resides in theBRICS role in global affairs. countries and the economies are the major ¾ In the storming ocean of world politics, BRICS can engines of the world. contribute significantly in maintaining international z India also highlighted the scope of increasing stability and ensuring global economic growth and trade among the BRICS countries. becoming a united center of the multipolar world. € Aatmanirbhar Bharat: z India introduced Aatmanirbhar Bharat(self- India-Luxembourg reliant India) to the BRICS. z India said that the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Virtual Summit campaign is based on the subject that a self- reliant and resilient India can become a force Why in News multiplier for the post Covid-19 world order. Recently, the Prime Ministers of India and the Grand z A self-reliant India would make solid contributions Duchy of Luxembourg have held the first-ever India- to the global value chains. Luxembourg Virtual Summit.

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z It provides for support and development of mutual business cooperation, including promotion and facilitation of inbound FDI, coming from or proposed by Indian and Luxembourgish investors.

India-Luxembourg Relations ¾ Economic Relationship: € Both countries have a long-standing cooperation in the steel sector and the leaders called upon businesses, including SMEs and startups, to explore further opportunities for expanding the economic relationship. € Both nations look forward to the 17th Joint Economic Commission (JEC) between India and ¾ Both countries have cordial and friendly relations for the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union to over more than seven decades since the establishment review the economic and trade relations. of diplomatic relations in 1948. ¾ Finance: € The between the regulatory Key Points proposed agreement authoritiesCommission de Surveillance du Secteur ¾ Focus Areas: Financier (CSSF) and the Securities and Exchange € Strengthening India-Luxembourg relationship in Board of India (SEBI) would deepen bilateral the post-Covid-19 world, especially in the areas cooperation in the financial sector. of financial technology, green financing, space € Luxembourg, as a leading international financial applications, digital innovations and start-ups. centre in Europe, can act as an important bridge ¾ Promote Multilateralism: to help connect India’s financial services industry with international markets and reach European € Strengthen cooperation on realising effective multilateralism and combating global challenges and global investors. like the Covid-19 pandemic, terrorism and climate ¾ Space and Digital Cooperation: change. € Both countries have an ongoing space cooperation, ¾ New Initiatives: including in the domain of satellite broadcasting and communications. € India welcomed Luxembourg’s announcement to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), and € Luxembourg based space companies have started also invited it to join the Coalition for Disaster utilising the services of India for launching their Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). satellites into space. ¾ Agreements Signed at the Summit: z In November 2020, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the PSLV-C49 € Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between mission, which included 4 satellites from India International Exchange (India INX) and Luxembourg. Luxembourg Stock Exchange. € A cooperation instrument in the area of exploration € MoU between State Bank of India (SBI) and and use of outer space for peaceful purposes Luxembourg Stock Exchange. is currently under discussion between the two z Both these provide for cooperation in financial Governments. services, industry maintenance of orderly € In the wake of the pandemic, both India and markets in securities, ESG (environmental, Luxembourg are promoting digitalisationthrough social and governance) and green finance in the “Digital India” programme and the “Digital the local market. Luxembourg” initiative respectively and agree to € MoU between Invest India and Luxinnovation. explore convergences between the two initiatives.

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¾ Higher Education and Research: € Luxembourg supported India’s entry into the Missile € Indian National Brain Research Centre and the Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and India’s Luxembourg Institute of Health and the Luxembourg participation in theNuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Centre for Systems Biomedicine have an ongoing € India supports Luxembourg’s candidatures to the collaboration in the field of neurodegenerative UN Human Rights Council for the term 2022-2024. diseases. € Both condemn terrorism in all its forms and z Neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous manifestations and agree on the need for continued group of disorders that are characterised by cooperation to support international efforts at the the progressive degeneration of the structure UN and at forums like the Financial Action Task and function of the central nervous system or Force (FATF) to prevent and combat terrorism. peripheral nervous system. z Examples: Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s APEC Virtual Meet disease. € IITs in Bombay, Kanpur and Madras and the National Why in News Law School of India have links with the University of Luxembourg which will be further expanded for Recently, a virtual meeting of the21-member Asia- higher education and research in both countries. Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum was held. ¾ Culture and People-to-people Ties: ¾ The meeting washosted by Malaysia. New Zealand € In 2019, Luxembourg issued a commemorative will also host next year’s APEC meetings virtually stamp to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of due to the pandemic. Mahatma Gandhi. Key Points € Both countries intend to conclude a Migration and Mobility agreement to further strengthen ¾ With growth in the Asia-Pacific region expected to mobility as well as an agreement on an exemption decline by 2.7% this year, from a 3.6% growth in 2019, of visas for holders of diplomatic and official/ APEC’s focus was on accelerating economic recovery service passports. and developing an affordable vaccine. ¾ EU-India Relations: ¾ Focus Areas: Trade and investment, Digital Economy and Technology, Structural Reform, Economic and Technical € In July 2020, a virtual summit between India and Cooperation and Thematic and institutional matters. the European Union (EU) was held, where India expressed support for further intensification of € APEC leaders adopted the Putrajaya Vision 2040, the India-EU relationship, through strengthening a new 20-year growth vision to replace the Bogor cooperation in areas of common interest in the Goals named after the Indonesian town where Indo-Pacific region, and through comprehensive, leaders agreed in 1994 to free and open trade sustainable and rules-based connectivity. and investment. € € Luxembourg, as one of the founding members of Recognised the importance of a free, open, fair, non- the EU, has played a constructive rolein supporting discriminatory, transparent and predictable trade stronger India-EU ties, which becomes even more and investment environment to drive economic important for the post-Covid-19 economic recovery. recovery at such a challenging time (Covid-19). ¾ Multilateral Cooperation: € Discussed the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) agenda and the APEC Internet and Digital € Luxembourg welcomed India’s election to a non- Economy Roadmap (AIDER). permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the term 2021-2022 and reiterated its support for the ¾ China has become the main driving force behind the reforms in the UN Security Council, including its grouping after theUnited States began withdrawing expansion in both categories of permanent and from multilateral bodies during Trump’s presidency. non-permanent membership. It supports India’s € But Trump made the surprise decision to take candidature for the permanent membership of part in this year’s event, after not participating the UN Security Council. at APEC since 2017.

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¾ China’s Stand: z Although China is promoting openness in trade, € It vowed to keep its “super-sized” economy open its own actions go against it, for example: for business and warned against protectionism as z Australian exports of beef, wine and barley to the world battles the Covid-19 pandemic. It needs China, their biggest market, have been restricted. to be noted that Trump’s “America First” policy has alienated trading partners. RCEP & Sri Lanka’s Dilemma z After the signing of the world’s largest trade pact 'Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)', China is trying to set the Why in News agenda for global commerce. Various economists have speculated chances of Sri Lanka joining Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (RCEP) and its impact on the island nation. ¾ Established: 1989 ¾ Recently, the RCEP, a mega trade bloc comprising 15 ¾ Members: 21 countries, has come into existence. ¾ India is not a Member. ¾ Even as India opted to stay out after walking out of ¾ Member Nations: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, discussions last year, the new trading bloc has made China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, it clear that the door will remain open for India to Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, return to the negotiating table. Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States. Key Points ¾ Its 21 member economies are home to around 2.8 ¾ Advantages to Sri Lanka on joining RCEP: billion people and represented approximately 59% € Trade expansion: of world GDP and 49% of world trade in 2015. z Diversify its trade basket in the asia pacific India and APEC region and beyond. ¾ India had requested membership in APEC, and z Many leaders in the past have argued that received initial support from the United States, Sri Lanka needs to turn more eastward in its Japan, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Officials economic and trade diplomacy. have decided not to allow India to join as India € Strategic location: does not border the Pacific Ocean, which all current z Sri Lanka is located along one of the busiest members do. shipping routes in the world. ¾ India was invited to be an observer for the first z Recently, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka said time in November 2011. that the country must develop the Hambantota ¾ Reasons for India to join APEC: and Colombo Ports together with the Airports to € India will be more integrated with the global be at a centre in the international commercial economy since APEC economies constitute an processes. important trading bloc in the world. € In the current situation amid aglobal pandemic, € It will help India bargain and negotiate a better no country can stick to an isolationist policy. deal with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. ¾ Challenges in joining: ¾ Expected Benefits to APEC: € Unclear Trade policy: € In India, APEC will find an alternate market for z The government’s position on Free Trade labour, consumers and investments, and an Agreements (FTA) has not been consistent. additional counterweight to help check unilateral „ For example, the proposed Economic and economic ambitions in the region. Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) € It will also help APEC embrace some notion of with India has not been finalised, while the ‘Indo-Pacific’ and give it a renewed purpose in country has expressed interest to revive Free st a renewed 21 century. Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with China.

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„ The government is also re-examining the € Under it, a grant aid of 800 million Japanese Yen FTA signed with Singapore. is to be extended to the Maldives Coast Guard and € Increase in Competition: the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center. z RCEP would make it more difficult for Sri Lanka ¾ The grant aid will be utilized to further strengthen to compete with the markets of Vietnam, the capabilities of the Maldives Coast Guard, the Cambodia, Laos, etc. in other countries unless Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center, Sub- a bilateral agreement is finalised. Regional Centers and Vessels. € € Pandemic, marked by the disruption to global This includes the provision of communications supply chains, led to a critique of globalization equipment, professional search and rescue dive making Sri Lanka suspicious of joining it. equipment to be used by the Maldives Coast Guard during search and rescue operations. € Sri Lanka’s Dilemma: ¾ Previously in October 2019, Japan donated 21 z India will be a powerful economy in the world paramedic ambulances to the Maldives health sector. in the next decade. China together with several other Asian countries (part of RCEP) will be amongst the five most powerful economies in the world. z India and China are also two biggest sources of imports for the country. z Thus it would be tough for Sri Lanka to decide whether to join China led RCEP or side with India by not joining it. ¾ Concerns for India: € Sri Lanka joining RCEP will increase the influence of China in India’s neighbourhood. z The government of Sri Lanka has a focus on ¾ China-backed 1.4 billion USD Colombo Port Benefits: City as a hub for international business and € Combating Piracy, investment. € Countering violent extremism and narco-trafficking. € Reduce Sri Lanka’s dependency on India. € Ensuring a free and open Indian Ocean that would € Sri Lanka has a list of highly strategic ports located bring about peace and prosperity to the region. among busiest sea lanes of communication. India z The Indian Ocean archipelago, that is home may get limited access to them. to nearly 4 lakh people, assumes geopolitical significance, owing to its strategic location. Japan Signs Pact with Maldives ¾ Significance for India: € Maldives, a Toll Gate in Indian Ocean: z Located at the southern and northern parts Why in News of this island chain lies the two important sea Japan, India’s strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific lanes of communication(SLOCs). region, has recently signed a pact to strengthen Maldives z These SLOCs are critical for maritime trade security infrastructure that would contribute to stability flow between the Gulf of Aden and Gulf of in the Southern Indian Ocean. Hormuz in West Asia and the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia. Key Points z The SLOCs are of vital importance for India since ¾ The Maldives and Japan recently signed an agree- nearly 50% of India’s external trade and 80% ment under the Economic and Social Development of her energy imports transit these westward Programme of the Government of Japan. SLOCs in the Arabian Sea.

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€ Pact with a Quad Member: The “grant aid” is the ¾ In line with India’s SAGAR Vision: Maldives’s second major pact with a member of € As part of Indian Government’s vision of Security the ‘Quad’, an informal strategic grouping of the And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), the Indian USA, Japan, Australia and India. Navy has been involved in assisting countries in z Previously, a framework related to defence and the Indian Ocean Region with Exclusive Economic security was signed with the USA. Zone (EEZ) Surveillance, Humanitarian Assistance z Quad member countries’ Foreign Ministers and Disaster Relief (HADR), and other capacity met in Tokyo in October and held discussions, building and capability-enhancement activities, including on ways to counter Chinese presence on their request. and influence in the region. ¾ Other Military Exercises between India and Thailand: € Exercise MAITREE (Army). India-Thailand € Exercise SIAM BHARAT (Air Force). Coordinated Patrol Trilateral Maritime Why in News Exercise SITMEX-20 Recently, the 30th edition of India-Thailand Co- ordinated Patrol (CORPAT) has been concluded in the Why in News Andaman Sea close to the Strait of Malacca. Recently, the second edition of Singapore-India- Key Points Thailand Maritime Exercise (SITMEX), a trilateral naval exercise has been concluded in the Andaman Sea. ¾ Naval Exercise: India and Thailand Key Points have been carrying out CORPAT along ¾ Background: their International € The Prime Minister of India, during his keynote Maritime Boundary address at Shangri-La Dialogue in June 2018 Line twice a year announced the conduct of a trilateral naval exercise since 2005. between India, Singapore and Thailand. € Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk (an indigenously z The International Institute for Strategic Studies built Missile Corvette) andThailand Frigate HTMS (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia’s premier Kraburi, along with Dornier Maritime Patrol defence summit. It was launched in 2002. Aircraft from both the navies participated in the ¾ About: 30th edition. € SITMEX is conducted annually. ¾ Aims: € The first edition of SITMEX, hosted by Indian Navy, € To keep part of the Indian Ocean safe and secure was conducted off Port Blair inSeptember 2019. for commercial shipping and international trade. € The exercise is in line with India’s Security and € To ensure effective implementationof the United Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision. Nations Conventions on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS). ¾ Aim: z UNCLOS specify regulations regarding protection and conservation of natural resources, € To enhance mutual interoperability and imbibing conservation of the marine environment, best practices between Indian Navy, Republic of prevention and suppression of illegal, unregulated Singapore Navy (RSN) and Royal Thai Navy (RTN). fishing activity, drug trafficking, piracy, exchange € To strengthen mutual confidence and develop of information in the prevention of smuggling, common understanding and procedures towards illegal immigration and conduct of search and enhancing the overall maritime security in the rescue operations at sea. Indo-Pacific region.

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¾ 2020 Edition: mally convened at the request of a UNSC member), € The exercise is being hosted by RSN. India called for an “immediate comprehensive ceasefire” in Afghanistan, while welcoming all € The Indian Navy deployed indigenous Anti- Submarine Warfare corvette INS Kamorta and opportunities to bring peace to the country. missile corvette INS Karmuk for the exercise. z India also described its reconstruction and ¾ Other Military Exercises between India and Thailand: development assistance to Afghanistan over the last nearly two decades. € MAITREE (Army). z According to India, for durable peace in € SIAM BHARAT (Air Force). Afghanistan, there is a need to put an end to € Indo-Thai CORPAT (Navy). terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries operating ¾ Other Military Exercises between India and Singapore: across the Durand Line (in reference to Pakistan). € Bold Kurukshetra (Army). „ The Durand Line is the international € Joint Military Training (Air Force). 2,670 km land border between Afghanistan € SIMBEX (Navy). and Pakistan in South-Central Asia. z Indian Navy is scheduled to host the 27th edition € India outlined four requirements for peace and of India-Singapore Bilateral Maritime Exercise stability in Afghanistan: rd th SIMBEX-20 from 23 to 25 November 2020 in z First, the process had to be Afghan-led and the Andaman Sea. Afghan-owned. z It has been conducted annually since 1994. z Second, there must be zero tolerance for terrorism. Withdrawal of US z Third, the gains of the last two decades cannot be lost. Troops from Afghanistan „ In particular, India is convinced that the rights of women need to be strongly protected. Why in News Further, the rights of the minorities and the America’s latest plan to speed up the withdrawal of vulnerable need to be safeguarded. more troops from Afghanistan may jeopardize the fragile „ India has invested heavily in various peace process underway in Afghanistan. Infrastructure projects in the region, for example - Zaranj Delaram Highway, Afghan Key Points Parliament etc. ¾ India’s Stand: z Fourth, the transit rights of Afghanistan should € India has been concerned that the Afghan peace not be used by countries “to extract political process and premature withdrawal of NATO/ price from Afghanistan”. US coalition forces could leave opportunities „ A reference to Pakistan obstructing the for terrorist networks that could target both flow of persons and materials outside of Afghanistan and India. Afghanistan, impacting, for instance, India- Afghanistan trade. € As recently as May of this year, the UN issued a report providing evidence that despite assurances € India assured Afghanistan of its support in its from the Taliban to the United States, Al Qaeda is quest for peace during India’s UNSC term. still present and active in Afghanistan, harboured z India’s two year term on the non-permanent by the Taliban. seat will begin on 1st January 2021. z In India, Al Qaeda continues to run a propaganda ¾ China’s Stand: campaign that seeks to capitalise on differences € China has called on foreign troops to leave Afghanistan between the Hindu majority and Muslim minority. in an orderly and responsible manner, give € At a recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) terrorist forces no breathing space and contribute meeting, convened under the Arria Formula (infor- to Afghanistan peace and reconciliation process.

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€ China is concerned that the war-torn country ¾ Both sides affirmed to further strengthen their Afghanistan, which shares borders with the volatile Covid-19 related cooperation. Xinjiang province of China, could become a breeding € Bahrain appreciated the assistance provided by India ground for Uighur Muslim militants. during the pandemic through the supply of medi- z Uighur is a predominantly Turkic-speaking cines, medical equipment and medical professionals. ethnic group. They are primarily confined in € They expressed satisfaction on theoperationalisation China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang and is of the Air Bubble arrangement between the two one of the largest Muslim group in that region. countries. z China insists that Uighur militants are waging a z Air bubbles (travel corridors or travel bubbles) violent campaign for an independent state by are systems established between two countries plotting bombings, sabotage, and civic unrest. that perceive each other to be safe and allow z China has faced international criticism over carriers of both the countries to fly passengers allegations that it is holding over a million either way without any restrictions. people, mostly ethnic Uyghurs, in internment ¾ India renewed invitation to Bahrain for visiting India camps in Xinjiang to curb religious extremism. for the 3rd India-Bahrain High Joint Commission € USA’s withdrawal also coincides with its move to meeting to be held in the upcoming months. lift the ban on the Uighur militant group -- the ¾ In 2019, India launched a USD 4.2 million redevelopment East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). project of the Sri Krishna temple in the Bahraini z China is averse to ETIM, an al-Qaeda backed capital, Manama. militant group regrouping in Afghanistan to € The 200-year old temple stands as a testimony for carry out attacks in Xinjiang. the enduring India-Bahrain friendship. z ETIM was designated as a terrorist organisation ¾ India also conveyed condolences on the demise of late by the UN’s 1267 counter-terrorism committee Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, in 2002 for its alleged association with al-Qaida, who significantly contributed to the strengthening Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. of India-Bahrain relations and to the welfare of the Indian community in Bahrain. Agreements India-Bahrain Relations Between India-Bahrain ¾ Historical Ties: € Their history goes back to about 5,000 years ago, Why in News to the period of Dilmun Civilization in Bahrain to the era of Indus valley civilization in India. Recently, India and Bahrain have agreed to further € Ancient Bahraini traders are believed to have strengthen their historic ties, including in areas of carried out a flourishing trade of Bahraini pearls defence and maritime security. with Indian spices. ¾ Bahrain is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council ¾ Bilateral Agreements/Memorandums of Understanding (GCC) and signed the Abraham Accord with Israel and (MoUs): the UAE, which was mediated by the USA. € ExtraditionTreaty (January 2004) Key Points € MoU on cooperation in the field of Information ¾ The bilateral issues, as well as regional and and Communication Technology (May 2012) global matters of mutual interest, included areas € MoU on the establishment of a Joint High of defence and maritime Commission (February 2014) security, space technology, € MOU on Water Resources Development and trade and investment, Management (February 2015) infrastructure, IT, FinTech, € Agreement on cooperation in combating health, hydrocarbon and international terrorism, transnational organised renewable energy. crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotics and

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psychotropic substances and precursors chemicals ¾ New Global Index will be based on 4 pillars of (December 2015) € Talent, € MoU for cooperation in the fields of Renewable € Technology, Energy and Healthcare and Agreement on Exemption € Transparency and from Short Stay Visa for Holders of Diplomatic and € Trusteeship towards the planet. Special/Official Passport (July 2018) ¾ This year’s summit was hosted by Saudi Arabia. € MoU on cooperation in the exploration and uses of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes (March 2019) Key Points ¾ Trade and Economic Relations: ¾ Talent: € Total bilateral trade stands at USD 1282.96 million € The focus must shift to multi-skilling and reskilling in 2018-19 and USD 753.60 million in 2019-20 from capital and finance to create a vast human (April-Dec). talent pool. € Indian Exports to Bahrain: Mineral fuels and oils, € Indian initiatives such as the National Skill inorganic chemicals, organic or inorganic compounds Development Mission (NSDM) which aims to create of precious metals of rare earth, cereals, nuts, fruits, convergence across sectors and States in terms of articles of apparel and clothing accessories etc. skill training activities is already in direction of € Indian Imports from Bahrain: Crude oils, mineral creating a vast human talent pool. fuels and their bituminous substance, distillation, € India’s New Education policy and programmes such aluminium, fertilizers, ores/slags/ashes of alumin- as Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Program ium, iron and copper, pulp, etc. (DHRUV) are well aligned with this element. € Indian investment in Bahrain: ¾ Technology: z India’s total capital investment into Bahrain € Ensuring that technology reaches all segments between January 2003 and March 2018 has been of the society and the value of new technologies estimated at approximately USD 1.69 billion. should be measured by their benefit to humanity. z Financial services have the highest investment € India suggested that as follow-up action and value (40% of total projects), followed by the creation of a G20 virtual secretariat as arepository real estate and hospitality sector. of documentation. ¾ Indian Expatriate Community: € Digitial India and E-governance campaigns of India € Approximately 3,50,000 Indians are living in have increased people’s access to technology and Bahrain currently and around 70% are in the other government services. category of unskilled labour. ¾ Transparency: € In addition to the predominant blue-collar labour € Reforms such as Right to Information and Ease of force, there is a sizable number of other professionals Doing Business promote transparency in governance who play a vital role in Bahrain’s socio-economic in India. . development ¾ Trusteeship: € In November 2015, Bahrain launched ‘Little India € The world should deal with the environment and ’ project to acknowledge and mark the in Bahrain nature as trustees rather than owners which would contribution of the Indian community to the history inspire us towards a holistic and healthy lifestyle. and progress of Bahrain. € Climate change must be fought not in silos but in an integrated, comprehensive and holistic way. G 20 Summit € A principle whose benchmark could be a per capita carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the amount of Why in News greenhouse gases primarily carbon dioxide released Recently, at the G20 (Group of Twenty) summit held into the atmosphere by a particular human activity. virtually India called for a “New Global Index” for the ¾ Future meetings: Italy in 2021, Indonesia in 2022, post-Corona world. India in 2023 and Brazil in 2024.

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India’s Initiatives for Lowering Emissions ¾ Clean Air & Water: The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) aims to decrease air pollution and Namami ¾ Infrastructure Push: India’s next-generation infrastruc- Gange program seeks to rejuvenate river Ganga and ture push will not only be convenient and efficient, show the spirit of trusteeship in governance. but will also contribute to a cleaner environment. E.g.: Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, announced by the Prime Minister at the Hamburg G20 New Chinese Village in Bhutan meet in 2017. This will act as a convening body that will pool best practices and resources from around Why in News the world for reshaping construction, transportation, energy, telecommunication and water, so that building Recently, Chinese media has claimed that a new border in these core infrastructure sectors factors in natural village built by China near Bhutan was on Chinese territory. catastrophes. ¾ However, the released images of the village show its ¾ Producing Clean Energy: The India-France joint initiative location on territory disputed by the two countries. of International Solar Alliance (ISA). € ISA will contribute to reducing carbon foot-print. € India will meet its goal of 175 GigaWatts of renewable energy as a part of its climate commitments made under the paris climate deal well before the target of 2022. € Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) and LED Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) scheme has made LED lights popular, saving around 38 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. € Ujjwala Scheme: Smoke-free kitchens have been Key Points provided to over 80 million households making it ¾ The village of Pangda has been newly built and among the largest clean energy drives globally. authorities in Yadong county (an administrative ¾ Combat Desertification: The United Nations region) of Southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) links Region have confirmed that 27 households with 124 development and environment to sustainable land people voluntarily moved from Shangdui village to management and aims to combat desertification and Pangda village in September 2020. the ill-effects of drought. ¾ It is for the first time since 2017 that a Chinese G20 residential area has been noticed near the Doklam ¾ It is an informal group of 19 countries and the region, which is strategically important for India. European Union, with representatives of the € Pangda is east of the India-Bhutan-China trijunction International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. on the Doklam plateau, which was the site of a ¾ The G20 membership comprises a mix of the world’s 72-day stand-off in 2017 triggered by China’s road- largest advanced and emerging economies, repre- building up to where it sees its border. senting about two-thirds of the world’s population, ¾ Bhutan’s Stand: It has officially denied the presence 85% of global gross domestic product, 80% of of any Chinese village in its territory. global investment and over 75% of global trade. ¾ India’s Stand: India sees it as an attempt by China to ¾ Members: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, unilaterally push the trijunction further. China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, € China in the past too, has tried to reinforce its Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi territorial claims in disputed areas with the Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United neighbouring countries by building civilian States, and the European Union. settlements.

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€ For example, on disputed South China Sea islands of Bhutan in 1961, India has been extending and Bhutan’s Trashigang district. financial supportto Bhutan’s FYPs. ¾ China’s Stand: According to China’s maps, the village € India has allotted Rs. 4500 crore to Bhutan’s 12th is within China’s territory. FYP (2018-23). € It also blames India for the unsettled China-Bhutan ¾ Educational and Cultural Cooperation: border and stalled negotiations by creating the € A large number of college-going Bhutanese students illusion that China is encroaching on Bhutanese are studying in India. The Government of India territory. provides a number of scholarships to Bhutanese students. Indo-Bhutan Relationship ¾ Environment: ¾ Indo-Bhutan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 1949: € In June 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the € The treaty provides for, among other things, signing of a Memorandum of Understanding perpetual peace and friendship, free trade and (MoU) with Bhutan for cooperation in the field commerce and equal justice to each other’s citizens. of environment protection and management of . € In 2007, the treaty was re-negotiated, and provisions natural resources were included to encourage Bhutan’s sovereignty, ¾ Support during Pandemic: abolishing the need to take India’s guidance on € India has maintained close coordination with Bhutan foreign policy. and has included it in plans for containment of the ¾ Multilateral Partnership: Covid-19 pandemic. € € Both of them It launched the second phase of the RuPay card share multilat- in Bhutan to increase the domain of digital eral forums such transactionsin Bhutan. as South Asian z Bhutan is the second country to accept the Association for RuPay card after Singapore. Regional Coop- eration (SAARC), India’s Assistance Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal Initiative (BBIN), Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral to Afghanistan Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), etc. Why in News ¾ Hydropower Cooperation: Recently, at the Afghanistan 2020 Conference, India € Agreement on Cooperation in Hydropower 2006: has announced about 150 projects worth USD 80 million. Under a protocol to this agreement, India has ¾ agreed to assist Bhutan in the development of Afghanistan’s President, officials from the United (UN) and the (EU) officials, a minimum of 10,000 MW of hydropower and Nations European Union besides representatives of other countries, attended import of surplus electricity from the same by 2020. the conference. ¾ Trade: ¾ Also, the USA has decided to reduce its troop presence € The trade between the two countries is governed in Afghanistan to about 2,500 by January 2021. by the India Bhutan Trade and Transit Agreement 1972 which was last renewed in November 2016. Key Points € The agreement establishes a free-trade regime ¾ India’s Current Assistance: between the two countries and also provides for € India will launch phase-IV of high-impact community duty-free transit of Bhutanese exports to third development projects, which include around 150 countries. projects worth USD 80 million. ¾ Economic Assistance: € It has signed an agreement for building the Shahtoot € India is Bhutan’s leading development partner. dam, which would provide safe drinking water to Since the launch of the First Five Year Plan (FYP) 2 million residents of Kabul city.

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z It builds on the 202 km Pul-e-Khumri transmission Taliban prisoners, held captive by the Afghan line of 2009, through which India provides power government. to the city. z In return, the Taliban assured that they would ¾ Earlier Assistance: not allow transnational jihadist organisations € India’s development programmes in Afghanistan such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State to use are focused around five pillars: Afganistan as their base and also committed to z Large infrastructure projects. start direct talks with the Afghan government, which began in September 2020. z Human resource development and capacity building. z With the USA leaving at such a crucial point, it not only deprives Afghan forces of the support z Humanitarian assistance. they need, particularly theairpower , but also z High-impact community development projects. affects their morale. z Enhancing trade and investment through air z The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and land connectivity. has committed to funding Afghan troops for € Since 2001, India has committed USD 3 billion four more years. towards rebuilding and reconstruction of € However, this decision will leave Afghanistan with Afghanistan. an uncertain future as the Taliban is expected to z During the Taliban years from 1996 to 2001, take over after the troops’ withdrawal. in Afghanistan. India did not invest z The Taliban, who were ousted from power in € Chabahar Port in Iran, which provides alternate 2001 after the USA invasion, have since been connectivity to Afghanistan. fighting both foreign troops and the Afghan z Afghanistan’s growth has been constrained by government. its landlocked geography and Pakistan blocking z It now controls more than half of the country transit access made the situation even worse. and contests the whole of it. € Pandemic Support: India sent more than 20 tonnes z Since the agreement was signed, the Taliban have of medicines, other equipment and transported conducted more than 13,000 attacks nationwide. to Afghanistan to address 75,000 tonnes of wheat z According to a UN Assistance Mission in the Covid-19 challenge. Afghanistan (UMAMA) report in October 2020, ¾ Shift in Indian Perspective: nearly 6,000 Afghan civilians were killed in the € The Indian government’s decision to invest in first nine months of the year and 45% of the Afghanistan’s future, where the Taliban is set to deaths were by the Taliban. play a dominant role, is being seen as a major departure from the past. z India also participated in the commence- ment ceremony of the intra-Afghan talks in Doha in September 2020, where a 21-member Taliban team was also present. It reflects India’s realisation of ground realities and shifting sands in Kabul’s power structure. ¾ Reduction of Troops by USA: € In February 2020, the USA and the Tabilan signed an agreement in Doha, (Qatar’s capital). z According to it, the USA would withdraw all of its troops from Afghanistan in 14 months and would also release

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z China wants to contain India’s growing power China-Nepal and status which may become a threat to Bilateral Cooperation Chinese dream of becoming the superpower. € The growing influence of India in Tibet had grave Why in News security considerations for China. € Thus, preserving the balance of power in southern Recently, China and Nepal have discussed various Asia in its favour and securing Nepal’s active issues of bilateral interest, including bolstering military cooperation to prevent its rivals use of the country cooperation between the countries, issues pertaining to for anti-Chinese activities became principal strategic resumption of training andstudent exchange programs objectives of Beijing’s Nepal policy. and follow up on defence assistance that have been impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. € Nepal’s northern border with China lies entirely with Tibet and China sees security cooperation with Key Points Nepal as critical in controlling theTibetan matters. ¾ Historical Background: z In this pursuit, China is following security € In 1955, Nepal established diplomatic relations diplomacy vis-à-vis Nepal. with China. ¾ Nepal’s Benefit: € It recognised Tibet as part of China in 1956 and € For Nepal, China serves as a potential supplier signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1960. of goods and assistance that it needs in order to € In the 1970s, when King Birendra of Nepal proposed recover its economy. Nepal as a “zone of peace” between India and z Almost half the population of Nepal is unemployed China, India did not show keen interest, while and more than half is illiterate. At the same time, China was quite supportive. These and many such more than 30 per cent of the people in Nepal issues created a rift in Nepal-India ties; while at live in poverty. the same time China has been proactive to support z To deal with its internal problems, Nepal needs . and aid Nepal to engage with China to overcome its poverty € Indo-Nepalese relations took a turn in2015 , when & unemployment. India imposed an informal yet effective blockade € Nepal with China will gain the mileage in negotiations on Nepal, thus causing acute fuel and medicine and counter India’s Big Brother approach. shortages in Nepal. € Through China Nepal Economic Corridor, Nepal € Nepal imports almost all of its oil through India, seeks to end Indian dominance over its trade routes as road links to China through the Himalayas had by increasing connectivity with China. been blocked since the earthquakes of April and May 2015. ¾ India’s Concern: € € As tensions with India mounted, China reopened Given the difference in the strategic weight of China its border with Nepal, in Tibet. and Nepal, security diplomacy can be used as a tool by China to interfere in the internal affairs of Nepal. € After the recent visit of Chinese President, Nepal has reiterated its commitment to ‘One-China € Since Nepal acts as a buffer state for India, seeing policy’, promising not to allow any forces to use it slip into China’s sphere of influence, will not be its territory against China. in India’s strategic interest. ¾ China’s Interest: € Also, China’s interest in “security diplomacy” is € Although Nepal and India have an open border and not limited to Nepal. free mobility of people across borders; it is China € China’s deep pockets make it difficult for India that is increasingly working to take over India’s to control the expansion of China’s influence in position of the largest trading partner of Nepal. India’s neighbourhood. z India is the largest economy of south Asia and € China Nepal Economic Corridor can lead to China has been emerging as a leader of south Asian dumping consumer goods through Nepal which will countries. worsen India’s trade balance with China further.

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€ The ADMM-Plus is a platform for theAssociation India-Vietnam Talks of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its eight Dialogue Partners Australia, China, India, Japan, Why in News New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the USA Recently, Defence Ministers of India and Vietnam (collectively referred to as the “Plus Countries”), to have discussed collaboration in defence industry capability strengthen security and defence cooperation for building, training and cooperation in United Nations (UN) peace, stability, and development in the region. peacekeeping operations, etc. € Vietnam is a member of ASEAN. Key Points India-Vietnam Relations ¾ Defence Cooperation: Both countries reaffirmed the ¾ India and Vietnam have agreed to enhance their strong India-Vietnam Defence cooperation which is bilateral cooperation in line with India’s Indo-Pacific a key pillar of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the ASEAN’s Outlook on (2016). Indo-Pacific. € Underlining the € This came in the backdrop of China’s aggression vision of “Atman- in the Indo-Pacific region including South China irbhar Bharat” for Sea region and its actions along the Line of Actual enhancing self-re- Control (LAC) with India. liance including ¾ Cooperation at Multiple Fora: defence indus- € At the UN Security Council, both India and Vietnam tries, India urged will serve concurrently as non-permanent members closer defence industry cooperation by concluding in 2021. an institutionalised framework agreement in the € India and Vietnam closely cooperate in various near future. regional forums such as East Asia Summit, Mekong € Vietnam thanked India for the assistance by Indian Ganga Cooperation, Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM). Armed Forces in capacity building of Vietnamese ¾ Economic Relations: especially in the field of Human Defence Forces € India has on many occasions explained that it will Resource development. continue to maintain its oil and gas exploration € India conveyed its willingness to enhance the tie-ups with Vietnam in Vietnamese waters. scope and level of training for all three services of € Vietnam is also the second largest export Vietnam Defence forces in Indian Defence Institutes. destination for India after Singapore in the € It needs to be noted that the two countries have ASEAN region. built ties on the procurement of weaponry and € Bilateral trade for the period April-November military hardware, capacity building, collaboration 2019 reached USD 9.01 billion. in the area of warship building and repair. ¾ India’s Assistance: ¾ UN Peacekeeping: Discussed cooperation in UN € India has reaffirmed its development and peacekeeping operations, which help countries capacity building assistance to Vietnam through navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. initiatives such as Quick Impact Projects (QIP), ¾ Cooperation in the field of Hydrography: This will Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation enable sharing of Hydrographic data and assist in (ITEC) and e-ITEC initiatives, PhD fellowships, as production of navigational charts by both sides. well as projects in water resource management € Hydrography is the science that measures and de- in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, SDGs, digital scribes the physical features of the navigable portion connectivityand heritage conservation. of the Earth’s surface and adjoining coastal areas. ¾ Tourism and People-to-People Contacts: ¾ ADMM Plus Meeting: Vietnam invited India for ASEAN € The year 2019 was celebrated as the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM Plus) being Year of Tourism. Both countries have facilitated a hosted by Vietnam in December 2020. simplified visa regimeto promote bilateral tourism.

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€ The Embassy of India organized various events to z These pose a concern for the population and celebrate Mahatma@150 in 2018-19. These include food security in the lower riparian states of Jaipur artificial limb fitment camps, which were India and Bangladesh. organized in four provinces of Vietnam, benefitting € The river is in itself dynamic as frequent landslides 1000 people, under ‘India for Humanity’ initiative and geological activity force it to change course of the Government of India. very often. ¾ About the Project: China’s New € The state-owned hydropower company Dam on Brahmaputra POWERCHINA signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) government to implement hydropower Why in News exploitation in the downstream of the Yarlung Recently, Chinese authorities have given the go ahead Zangbo river as part of the new Five Year Plan for a Chinese hydropower company to construct the first (2021-2025). downstream hydropower project on the lower reaches z This will be the first time the downstream of the river (known as Brahmaputra Yarlung Zangbo in sections of the river will be tapped. However, ). Tibet the location of the planned project has not been mentioned anywhere. € The Great Bend of the Brahmaputra and the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon in Medog county, where the river turns sharply to flow across the border into f Arunachal Pradesh could be the potential spot for the project. z This 50 km section alone offers a potential of developing 70 million kilowatt hours (Kwh). ¾ China’s Previous Projects: € In 2015, China operationalised itsfirst hydropower project at Zangmu in Tibet, while three other dams at Dagu, Jiexu and Jiacha are being developed, Key Points all on the upper and middle reaches of the river. ¾ Brahmaputra: ¾ Importance of the Project for China: € It originates under the name of Siang or Dihang, € The 60 million kWh hydropower exploitation could from the Chemayungdung glacier of the Kailash provide 300 billion kWh of clean, renewable and range near the Mansarovar lake. It enters India zero-carbon electricity annually. west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh. € The project will play a significant role in realising z Tributaries: Dibang, Lohit, Siang, Burhi Dihing, China’s goal of reaching a carbon emissions peak Tista, and Dhansari. before 2030 and carbon neutrality till 2060. € It is a perennial river and has several peculiar ¾ Concerns for India: characteristics due to its geography and prevailing € India has been expressing concerns on Brahmaputra climatic conditions. since 2015 when China operationalised its project € It is flooded twice annually. One flood is caused at Zangmu. by the melting of the Himalayan snow in summer € A dam at the Great and the other due to the monsoon flows. Bend, if approved, z The frequency of these floods have increased would raise and are devastating due to climate change and fresh concerns its impact on high and low flows. considering its

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location downstream and just across the border € However, India is concerned about the Chinese from Arunachal Pradesh. activities affecting the quality of water, ecological z For India, quantity of water is not an issue balance and the flood management. because these are run of the river dams and € India and China do not have a water sharing will not impact the Brahmaputra flow. More agreement. Both nations share hydrological data importantly, Brahmaputra is not entirely so it becomes important to share genuine data and dependent on upstream flows and an estimated have continuous dialogue on issues like warning 35% of its basin is in India. of droughts, floods and high water discharges.

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Science and Technology

Highlights z Chapare Virus z Bengaluru Tech Summit z Guillain Barre Syndrome z Sentinel-6 Satellite: Jason-CS Mission z Supercomputer Param Siddhi z Dry Swab RT-PCR Covid-19 Test z Chang’e-5 Mission: China z National Organ Donation Day z IRNSS: Part of World Wide Radio Navigation System

€ Abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding gums, skin Chapare Virus rash, pain behind the eyes, etc. ¾ Transmission: Why in News € Virus can spread from person to person. Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control z Chapare spreads only through direct contact and Prevention (CDC) have recently discovered a rare with bodily fluids. Ebola-like illness that is believed to have first originated z Sexually transmission: in rural Bolivia in 2004. „ Researchers also found fragments of ¾ The virus is named Chapare after the province in Ribonucleic acid (RNA) associated with which it was first observed. Chapare, in the semen of one survivor 168 ¾ Chapare, is a rural province in the northern region days after he was infected. of central Bolivia. ¾ Diagnosis: € Chapare virus is to catch than Key Points much more difficult the coronavirus as it is not transmissible via the ¾ About: respiratory route. Instead, Chapare spreads only € Chapare Virus belongs to the same Arenavirus through direct contact with bodily fluids. family that is responsible for illnesses such as € New sequencing tools will help develop an RT- the Ebola virus disease (EVD). It causes Chapare PCR test — much like the one used to diagnose Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF). Covid-19 to help detect Chapare. ¾ Vector: ¾ Treatment: € Chapare virus are generally carried by rats and € Since there are no specific drugs to treat the can be transmitted through direct contact with disease, patients generally receive supportive the infected rodent, its urine and droppings, or care such as intravenous fluids. through contact with an infected person. z Intravenous therapy is a medical technique € A disease vector is any agent which carries and that delivers a liquid directly into a person’s transmits an infectious pathogen into another vein. The intravenous route of administration is living organism. commonly used for rehydration solutions or to ¾ Symptoms of Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF): provide nutrition in those who cannot consume € Hemorrhagic fever much like Ebola. food or water by mouth. € z Viral hemorrhagic fevers are a severe and life- Maintenance of hydration. threatening kind of illness that can affect multiple € Management of shock through fluid resuscitation. organs and damage the walls of blood vessels. z Fluid resuscitation is the medical practice of

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replenishing bodily fluidlost through sweating, workers contracted the illness from two patients bleeding, fluid shifts or other pathologic processes. in the Bolivian capital of La Paz. € Pain Relief Medicines. € Transfusions as the supportive therapy that can Guillain Barre Syndrome be administered on patients. ¾ People at Risk: Why in News € The disease is also known to be most commonly Some patients infected with Covid-19 have been transmitted in more tropical regions, particularly found suffering from . in certain parts of South America where the small- Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) eared pygmy rice rat is commonly found. Key Points ¾ Mortality Rate: ¾ Guillain Barre Syndrome: € As there are very few cases on record, the mortality and risk factors associated with the illness are € It is a very rare autoimmune disorder in which the relatively unknown. patient’s immune systemattacks nerves. € The of Guillain-Barre syndrome is € In the first known outbreak, the only confirmed exact cause case was fatal. In the second outbreak in 2019, unknown, but as per the World Health Organisation three out of five documented cases were fatal (WHO), GBS is often preceded by an infection. This (case-fatality rate of 60%). could be a bacterial or viral infection. It may also be triggered by vaccine administration or surgery. ¾ Recent Outbreak: € In the past, patients of Middle East respiratory Ebola Virus Disease syndrome (MERS), Zika virus, Human ¾ Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) or Ebola Hemorrhagic Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV), Herpes virus and Fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans Campylobacter jejuni have shown symptoms of GBS. and other primates caused by ebolaviruses. ¾ Link with Covid-19: ¾ Transmission: € The immune system, in an attempt to kill the € Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural coronavirus, accidentally starts attacking its own Ebola virus hosts. peripheral nervous system. ¾ Animal to human transmission: € The peripheral nervous system is a network of € Ebola is introduced into the human population nerves that lead from the brain and spinal cord through close contact with the blood, secretions, (i.e. central nervous system) to different parts of organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals the body. Attacking them canaffect limb functions. such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, etc. € An interval of 5-10 days is noticed betweenonset ¾ Human-to-human transmission: of GBS symptoms and Covid-19 infection, but some € Ebola spreads via direct contact (through broken doctors say it can also take weeks after Covid-19 skin or mucous membranes) with: infection for a person to develop GBS. z Blood or body fluids of a person who is sick ¾ Symptoms: with or has died from Ebola. € Weakness or tingling sensations, which usually start z Objects that have been contaminated with in the legs, and can spread to the arms and face. body fluids (like blood, feces, vomit) from a € Difficulty with facial movements, including speaking, person sick with Ebola or the body of a person chewing or swallowing. who died from Ebola. € Double vision, rapid heart rate, low or high blood ¾ Vaccines: pressure. € An experimental Ebola vaccine, called rVSV- ¾ Complication: ZEBOV proved highly protective against EVD. € There could be respiratory failure as the worst € The recent biggest outbreak of the ‘Chapare virus’ outcome, or weakness and effect on walking and was reported in 2019, when three healthcare limb movement.

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¾ Treatment: (NSM) at the Centre for Development of Advanced € Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Computing (C-DAC). € Plasma therapy. € It has Rpeak of 5.267 Petaflopsand 4.6 Petaflops Rmax. Campylobacter jejuni z In high-performance computing, Rmax and ¾ Campylobacteriosis is an infection by the Campy- Rpeak are scores used to rank supercomputers lobacter bacteria. It is more commonly known as based on their performance using the LINPACK C. jejuni. It is among the most common bacterial Benchmark. infections of humans, often a foodborne illness. It z The LINPACK Benchmarks are a measure of a produces bloody diarrhoea or dysentery syndrome, system’s floating-point computing power. mostly including cramps, fever and pain. z A system’s Rmax score describes its maximal Herpes Virus achieved performance, the Rpeak score ¾ Herpes results from infection with the herpes simplex describes its theoretical peak performance. virus (HSV). It causes sores or blisters to form in Values for both scores are usually represented or around the mouth or genitals, as well as other in teraFLOPS or petaFLOPS. symptoms such as fever and fatigue. z A petaflop is the ability of a computer to do one quadrillion floating-point operations per second (FLOPS). Additionally, a petaflop can be Supercomputer Param Siddhi measured as one thousand teraflops. € It was led and built on NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD Why in News architecture. Recently, India’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) supercom- z SuperPOD offers a systemized approach for puter Param Siddhi has been ranked 63rd among the top scaling AI supercomputing infrastructure, built 500 most powerful non-distributed computer systems on NVIDIA DGX. in the world. ¾ Other Indian Supercomputers in Top 500 list: ¾ Japan’s Fugaku, which has additional hardware of € Pratyush: has set a new world record in the 442 Petaflops z It is operational at Indian Institute of Tropical supercomputing capacity and wasranked first in the list. Meteorology (IITM), Pune. Key Points z It has the power of 4.0 PetaFlops z It was ranked 77th in the list. ¾ Distributed Computing: It is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems. € Mihir: z It is a 2.8 Petaflop supercomputer which has € Distributed System: It is a system whose components been operational at the National Centre for are located on different networked computers, Medium-Range Weather Forecast (NCMRWF), which communicate and coordinate their actions by . passing messages to one another. The components Noida interact with one another in order to achieve a z It is one of the powerful systems owned by common goal. the Ministry of Earth Sciences and has helped improve India’s forecasting skills. € Non-distributed (co-located) System: In this, all th the parts of the system are in the same physical z Mihir was ranked 146 in the list. location. In a distributed system, parts of the ¾ TOP500 Project: system exist in separate locations. € It ranks and details the 500 most powerful non- ¾ Param Siddhi: distributed computer systems in the world. € It is a High-Performance Computing-Artificial € It was started in 1993 and publishes an updated Intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer developed list of the supercomputers twice a year. by the Department of Science and Technology z The first of these updates always coincides with (DST) under the National Supercomputing Mission the International Supercomputing Conference in

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June, and the second is presented at the ACM/ IEEE Supercomputing Conference in November. Chang’e-5 Mission: China € The TOP500 list is compiled by Jack Dongarra of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Erich Why in News Strohmaier and Horst Simon of the National China has launched an unmanned spacecraft to bring Energy Research Scientific Computing Center back lunar rocks, the first attempt by any nation to retrieve (NERSC) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory samples from the Moon in four decades. (LBNL). ¾ The Chang’e-5 mission, named after the ancient National Supercomputing Mission Chinese goddess of the moon, will seek to collect ¾ It envisages empowering Indian national academic and lunar material to help scientists understand more Research and Development (R&D) institutions spread about the moon’s origins and formation. over the country by installing a vast supercomputing Key Points grid comprising more than 70 high-performance computing facilities. ¾ Launch: The Long March-5 Y5 rocket, carrying the Chang’e-5 spacecraft, was launched from Wenchang ¾ Launched in 2015, this seven-year mission was Space Launch Center (China). allocated Rs. 4,500 crore. ¾ Key Task of the Mission: To drill 2 meters beneath ¾ These supercomputers will also be networked on the moon’s surface and scoop up about 2 kilograms the National Supercomputing grid over the National of rocks and other debris to be brought back to Earth. Knowledge Network (NKN). € It will help scientists learn about: € The NKN is another programme of the government z Moon’s origins, which connects academic institutions and R&D labs over a high-speed network. z Volcanic activity on its surface and its interior, and z € Academic and R&D institutions, as well as key When its magnetic field, key to protecting any user departments/ministries, would participate form of life from the sun’s radiation dissipated. by using these facilities and develop applications ¾ Functioning: of national relevance. € Upon entering the moon’s orbit, the spacecraft is € The Mission also includes the development of highly intended to deploy a pair of vehicles to the lunar professional High-Performance Computing(HPC) surface, a lander and an ascender. aware human resource for meeting challenges of € A lander will drill into the ground, then transfer development of these applications. its soil and rock samples to an ascender that will ¾ The Mission is implemented and steered jointly lift off and dock with an orbiting module. by the DST and Department of Electronics and z There will be an attempt to collect 2 kg of samples Information Technology (DeitY). in a previously unvisited area in a massive lava plain known as Oceanus Procellarum, or “Ocean ¾ The C-DAC has recently launched the second phase of Storms”. of this project wherein more institutions will be supported by supercomputing facilities. z Area of the moon where the spacecraft is due to land is 1-2 billion years old. ¾ Objective of NSM € If this is successful, the samples will be transferred € To make India one of the world leaders in to a return capsule that will return them to Earth, and to supercomputing enhance India’s capability with a landing in China’s Inner Mongolia region. in solving grand challenge problems of national € The entire mission is scheduled to take around and global relevance. 23 days. € To empower Indian scientists and researchers ¾ Significance: If the mission is completed as planned, with state-of-the-art supercomputing facilities and it would make China only the third country to have enable them to carry out cutting-edge research retrieved lunar samples, joining the United States in their respective domains. and the Soviet Union.

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€ The Apollo programme (which first put men on ¾ The IMO is the United Nations specialised agency the moon), the United States landed 12 astronauts responsible for the safety and security of shipping over six flights from 1969 to 1972, bringing back and the prevention of marine and atmospheric 382 kg of rocks and soil. pollution by ships. € The Soviet Union Lead Luna: Deployed three suc- cessful robotic sample return missions in the 1970s. Key Points The last, the Luna 24, retrieved samples in 1976 from ¾ India has become the fourth country in the world Mare Crisium, or “Sea of Crises” - a lunar basin. to have its independent regional navigation satellite € The Apollo-Luna sample zone of the moon, while system recognised by the IMO as a part of the World critical to our understanding, was undertaken Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS). in an area that comprises far less than half the ¾ The other three countries that have its navigation lunar surface. systems recognised by the IMO are the USA, Russia € Subsequent data from orbital remote sensing and China. missions have shown a wider diversity of rock ¾ Significance: types, mineralogies and ages than represented € The IMO has accepted IRNSS as an alternative in the Apollo-Luna sample collections. navigation module in Indian waters. It was in use ¾ China’s Moon Missions: only on a pilot basis earlier but now all merchant € China made its first lunar landing in 2013. vessels are authorised to use it, even small fishing € In January 2019, the Chang’e-4 probe touched vessels. down on the far side of the moon, the first by any € The navigation system can now replace GPS in nation’s space probe. the Indian Ocean waters upto 1500 km from the z Chang’e is a series of lunar probes launched by Indian boundary. China National Space administration. z IRNSS is a regional and not a global navigation ¾ China’s Other Space Plans: system. € It aims to have a permanent manned space station z With the recognition as a component of the in service by around 2022. WWRNS, the Indian navigation system is € Within the next decade, China plans to establish similarly placed as Global Positioning System a robotic base station to conduct unmanned (GPS - USA), most commonly used by marine exploration in thesouth polar region of the moon. shipping vessels across the world or the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System ( ). z It is to be developed through the Chang’e-6, 7 GLONASS and 8 missions through the 2020s. € It is being considered as a significant achievement ¾ Other Important Mission to Moon: towards the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative. z Apart from navigational benefits it has strategic € Chandrayaan 3 by ISRO importance as it reduces overdependence on € Artemis Mission by National Aeronautics and the global navigation system. Space Administration (NASA) ¾ Important Navigation Systems: € USA navigation system: The Global Positioning IRNSS: Part of World Wide System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system Radio Navigation System that consists of 24 orbiting satellites. € Glonass is Russian Satellite Navigation System Why in News considered as a counterpart to GPS of the USA. The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the € BeiDou Navigation Satellite System of China: International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has recognised A hybrid constellation consisting of around 30 the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) satellites in three kinds of orbits. as a component of the World Wide Radio Navigation € Galileo is Europe’s Global Navigation Satellite System (WWRNS) during its 102nd session held virtually. System.

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Indian Regional z Examples: e-commerce, online news sites, ride- Navigation Satellite System sharing apps, and Global Positioning System (GPS). ¾ IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite ¾ Theme for 2020: Next is Now. system developed by the Indian Space Research ¾ Focus: Innovations in the domains of Information Organization (ISRO). Technology and Electronics and Biotechnology. ¾ The main objective is to provide reliable position, ¾ Organisers: navigation and timing services over India and its € The Government of Karnataka along with Karnataka neighbourhood. Innovation and Technology Society (KITS). ¾ The IRNSS constellation was named as “NavIC” € Karnataka government’s Vision Group on Information (Navigation with Indian Constellation) by the Prime Technology Software. Minister. € Software Technology Parks of India (STPI). ¾ NavIC provides two types of services: € MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications. € Standard Positioning Service(SPS) is meant for ¾ Concerns Highlighted: the general public. € With the increasing use of technology in governance € Restricted Service (RS) is an encrypted service and other areas, data protection and cybersecurity meant for authorised users and agencies. become significant. ¾ Unlike the widely used GPS which includes 24 € There is a need to devise robust cybersecurity satellites, NavIC has 8 satellites and their range is solutions which can protect digital products within India and its adjoining regions extending up against cyber attacks and viruses. to 1,500 km from the country’s border. ¾ Role of Technology: ¾ Technically satellite systems with more satellites € It was highlighted that India’s governance model provide more accurate positioning information. is based on ‘technology first’. However, compared to GPS which has a position € PM-KISAN Mobile App: accuracy of 20-30 metres, the NavIC is able to z It enables direct transfers to farmers and also pinpoint location to an estimated accuracy ofunder digitises the complete database of farmers. 20 metres. z The farmers can view the status of their application, update or carry out corrections of Bengaluru Tech Summit their Aadhaar cards and also check the history of credits to their bank accounts. Why in News € Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana: Recently, the Prime Minister has inaugurated the z Under it, the government deployed fintech Bengaluru Tech Summit via video conference which was and digital technology to monitor swift and also attended by the Prime Minister of Australia. efficient transfer to the beneficiary through Direct benefit transfer. Key Points z It also ensured credit to the beneficiary’s ¾ It is India’s flagship event which will deliberate on the account without the need for the beneficiary key challenges emerging in the post-pandemic world to physically go to the branch which helped with focus on the impact of prominent technologies. people a lot during lockdowns. € It will also provide a platform for discussion to € Ayushman Bharat: encourage disruptive technologies. z Making good use of technology and innovation z Disruptive technology is an innovation that can further reduce the overall cost of healthcare. significantly alters the way that consumers, AI-powered mobile applications can provide industries, or businesses operate. It sweeps high-quality, low-cost, patient-centric, smart away the systems or habits it replaces because wellness solutions. it has attributes that are recognizably superior. € Aarogya Setu App:

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z India’s first contact tracing app, Arogya Setu app is based on the idea of ‘technological Sentinel-6 Satellite: solutionism’ (technology providing an impartial Jason-CS Mission solution to complex social problems). z It enables bluetooth based contact tracing and maps likely hotspots of Covid-19 and disseminates Why in News the relevant information. Recently, Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich € Apart from all these, technology plays an important satellite was launched from the Vandenberg Air Force role in governance as well. base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. ¾ India and Australia on Technological Development: € Both countries highlighted the unlimited possibilities of working together in space research, critical minerals, 5G, Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, etc. € In June 2020, the India-Australia Virtual Summit was held where both countries signed the landmark Australia-India Technology Framework on cyber and cyber-enabled technology. € In December 2020, India-Australia Circular Economy Key Points Hackathon (I-ACE) will be organised which will focus ¾ Jason-CS Mission: Sentinel-6-Satellite is a part of the on identification and development of innovative mission dedicated to measuring changes in the global technology solutions by students, startups and sea level. The mission is called the Jason Continuity MSMEs of both nations. of Service (Jason-CS) mission. € They are also planning to launch Australia-India € Objective of the Mission: To measure the height cyber and critical technologies partnership grant of the ocean, which is a key component in programme and are also working together for an understanding how the Earth’s climate is changing. open, free, safe and secure Internet. € Components:It consists of two satellites, Sentinel-6 Government and the other, called Sentinel-6B, to be launched Initiatives to Promote Technology in 2025. ¾ Digital India Mission: Launched in 2015, it aimed € Joint collaboration of: The European Space to prepare India for a knowledge future for Agency (ESA), National Aeronautics and Space being transformative that is to realise IT (Indian Administration(NASA), European Organisation Talent) + IT (Information Technology) = IT (India for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites Tomorrow) and for making technology central to (Eumetsat), the USA’s National Oceanic and enabling change. Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the ¾ Unified Payments Interface (UPI): It is a payment European Union( EU), with contributions from system that allows money transfer between any France’s National Centre for Space Studies (CNES). two bank accounts by using a smartphone. ¾ Mechanism: ¾ National Digital Health Mission: It is a complete € The satellite will send pulses to the Earth’s surface digital health ecosystem. It is a platform launched and measure how long they take to return to it, which with four key features viz. health ID, personal health will help in measuring the sea surface height. It will records, Digi Doctor and health facility registry. also measure water vapour along this path and ¾ Swamitva Scheme: Survey of Villages and Mapping find its position using GPS and ground-based lasers. with Improvised Technology in Village Areas € As per NASA, this will help in monitoring critical (Swamitva) was launched to provide an integrated changes in ocean currents and heat storage only property validation solution for rural India. from space, by measuring height of the sea surface.

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€ This will in turn help in foreseeing the effects of z The nasopharynx is the upper part of the the changing oceans on the climate. pharynx (throat) behind the nose. ¾ Significant in: z The oropharynx is the middle part of the € Ensuring the continuity of sea-level observations. pharynx just beyond the mouth and includes the back part of the tongue (base of tongue), € Understanding how the ocean stores and distributes tonsils, soft palate (back part of the roof of the heat, water and carbon in the climate system. mouth), and the sides and walls of the throat. € Supportingoperational oceanography, by providing € The swab samples are generally placed in a liquid improved forecasts of ocean currents, wind and called Viral Transport Medium (VTM) and to avoid wave conditions. leakage, the samples are packed heavily that adds € Improving both short-term forecasting for weather on to sample processing times at both the sample predictions, andlong term forecasting for seasonal collection and testing centres. conditions like El Niño and La Niña. € RNA extraction, even with automation, takesfour ¾ Other satellites (joint mission of NASA and CNES) hours for roughly 500 samples. VTM and RNA that have been launched since 1992 to track changes extraction both add asignificant burden on money in the oceans on a global scale include the TOPEX/ and time required for mass testing. Poseidon, Jason-1 and OSTN/Jason-2, among others. ¾ New and Simplified Method: € Dry swab technique does not require VTM and Dry Swab RNA extraction process, and can be directly used RT-PCR Covid-19 Test for RT-PCR testing. € It has the potential of bringing the costs and time of testing by 40-50% and the screening can Why in News also be enhanced several-fold with immediate Recently, the Council of Scientific and Industrial effect while, at the same time,making the whole Research-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR- process safer. CCMB) has got the permission of the Indian Council of € It is easy to implement with no requirement of Medical Research (ICMR) to commercially use the dry new kits and existing manpower can perform this swab RNA-extraction free testing method for the with no additional training. Covid-19. ¾ Benefits: € It will scale up the testing. Key Points € More economical than conventionalRT-PCR tests. ¾ About: € Quicker results. € Dry swab method has a consistency of 96.9%. RT-PCR Test € The comparison of conventional(swab-VTM-RNA ¾ , the invented the extraction-RT-PCR) and thesimplified (direct elution Kary Mullis American biochemist PCR technique. He was awarded the from dry swab-RT-qPCR) protocols suggested that Nobel Prize . dry swabs eluted directly into a simple buffered for Chemistry in 1993 solution can support molecular detection of SARS- ¾ Under the test, copies of a segment of DNA CoV-2 via endpoint RT-PCR without substantially (deoxyribonucleic acid) are created using an enzyme compromising sensitivity. called Polymerase. ¾ Conventional Method: € The ‘chain reaction’ signifies how the DNA fragments are copied exponentially, where € In the conventional testing method,nasopharyngeal one is copied into two, the two are copied into or oropharyngeal swab samples are collected by four, and so on. sample collection centres from the suspected coronavirus patients. These are then transported ¾ A fluorescent DNA binding dyecalled the “probe” to testing centres, sometimes even hundreds of is added to DNA, which shows the presence of the kilometres away. virus on a fluorometer.

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¾ Covid-19 is made of RNA (ribonucleic acid), so Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 to detect it, RNA is converted into DNA using a ¾ It was passed in 1994 and subsequently amended technique called reverse transcription. in 2011 thus bringing in form the Transplantation € Then the copies of the DNA are then made and of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011. amplified. ¾ It provides various regulations for the removal of human organs and its storage. National ¾ It also regulates the transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for the prevention of Organ Donation Day commercial dealings in human organs. ¾ Main Provisions: Why in News € It recognises brain death identified as a form The National Organ Donation Day was celebrated of the death process and defines criteria for on 27th November by the Ministry of Health and Family brain death. Welfare. € It provides regulatory and advisory bodies for monitoring transplantation activity. Key Points € It also provides for maintenance of a registry ¾ National Organ Transplant Programme: of donors and recipients of human organs and tissues. € Provides financial grants for establishing the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisations (ROTTOs), the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisations (SOTTOs), developing new and upgrading existing retrieval and transplant centres. ¾ Organ Donation Institutional Set-up: € The National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), the ROTTOs at regional level and the SOTTOs at state level. ¾ State of Organ Donation in India: € India ranked third in the world as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation (GODT) in terms of organ donation.

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Environment and Ecology

Highlights z New Ramsar sites z Willow Warbler z Vulture Action Plan z Trends in Air Pollution: CPCB z Anakkayam Small Hydro Electric Project z Awards for Tiger Conservation z Deemed Forests in Karnataka z Desalination Plants z UNESCO Global Geoparks

€ It is also known as Lonar crater and is a notified New Ramsar sites National Geo-heritage Monument. Geo-heritage refers to the geological features which are inherently Why in News or culturally significant offering insight to earth’s evolution or history to earth science or that can Recently,the Meteor lake at Lonar in Buldhana be utilized for education. district of Maharashtra and the Soor Sarovar at Agra € It is the in Maharashtra after have been declared Ramsar sites, a conservation status second Ramsar site conferred by International Ramsar Convention on Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary in Nashik . Wetlands. district € The water in the lake is , ¾ Earlier this year Kabartal Wetland (Bihar) and highly saline and alkaline containing Asan Conservation Reserve (Uttrakhand) were also special microorganisms like anaerobes, . designated as Ramsar sites. Cyanobacteria and phytoplankton ¾ ¾ With latest inclusions, the total number of Ramsar Soor Sarovar Lake: sites in India is 41, the highest in South Asia. € It is also known as Keetham lake situated within the Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, which was declared Key Points as a bird sanctuary in the year 1991. ¾ Lonar Lake: € Location: The Lonar lake, situated in the Deccan Plateau’s volcanic basalt rock, was created by the impact of a meteor 35,000 to 50,000 years ago. z The lake is part of Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary which falls under the unified control of the Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR). € Location: z This lake is situated alongside river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. z The Soor Sarovar bird sanctuary covered an area of 7.97 sq km. € It is today home to more than 165 species of migratory and resident birds. € It also has a Bear Rescue centre for rescued dancing bears. ¾ Benefits:

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€ With Ramsar status, the sites will benefit in terms Oriental white-backed, long-billed and slender- of international publicity and prestige. billed vultures decreased massively with 99 % of € They will get Financial aid through the convention’s the species having been wiped out. grant and also access to expert advice on national € The number of red-headed vultures, also critically- and site-related problems. endangered now, declined by 91% while the by . Ramsar Site Egyptian vultures 80% ¾ Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an inter- € The decline in vulture populations came into governmental treaty adopted in 1971 in the Iranian city limelight in the mid-90s.. of Ramsar, on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. € Reason for decline: ¾ It came into force for India on 1st February, z The cause of the decline was established as 1982. Those wetlands which are of international diclofenac, a veterinary nonsteroidal anti- importance are declared as Ramsar sites. inflammatory drug (NSAID) in 2004, which is ¾ The Convention’s mission is “the conservation used to treat pain and inflammatory diseases such and wise use of all wetlands through local and as gout in carcasses that vultures would feed off. national actions and international cooperation, z Just 0.4-0.7% of animal carcasses contaminated as a contribution towards achieving sustainable with diclofenac was sufficient to decimate99% of development throughout the world. vulture populations. ¾ The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites € The MoEFCC released the Action Plan for Vulture on the List of Wetlands of International Importance Conservation 2006 with the Drugs Controller where changes in ecological character have occurred, General of India (DCGI) banning the veterinary are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of use of diclofenac in the same year. technological developments, pollution or other ¾ Objectives of the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation human interference. It is maintained as part of 2020-2025. the Ramsar List. € Drug control: ¾ At present, two wetlands of India are in Montreux z To ensure minimum use of Diclofenac. Record: z To Prevent the poisoning of the principal food € Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and of vultures, the cattle carcasses, with veterinary € Loktak Lake (Manipur). NSAIDs, by ensuring that sale of veterinary ¾ Chilika Lake (Odisha) was placed in the record but NSAIDs is regulated and is disbursed only on later removed from it. prescription and by ensuring that treatment of livestock is done only by qualified veterinarians. z To carry out safety testing of available NSAIDs Vulture Action Plan on vultures and to develop new ones which do not affect vultures. Why in News z To ensure that DGCI must institute a system that Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and automatically removes a drug from veterinary Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched a Vulture Action Plan use if it is found to be toxic to vultures. 2020-25 for the conservation of vultures in the country. „ Such a system would ensure that drugs other than diclofenac that are toxic to vultures like Key Points aceclofenac and ketoprofen are banned for ¾ Background: veterinary use. € Vulture numbers saw a decline as much as 90 % in € Upscaling conservation: some species in India since the 1990s in one of the z To establish Additional Conservation Breeding most drastic declines in bird populations in the world. Centres along with Vulture Conservation Centres € Between the 1990s and 2007, numbers of three with samples and information collected from presently critically-endangered species, the the wild analysed and stored at these centres.

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Bhopal in ventral India, Guwahati in Northeast and Hyderabad in South India. ¾ Other Efforts: € National: z The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) also established the Vulture Conservation Breeding Programme. z A Vulture Care Centre (VCC) was set up at Pinjore, Haryana in 2001 to study the cause of deaths of vultures in India. „ The Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre in Pinjore is the world’s largest facility within the state’s Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary for the breeding and conservation of Indian vulture species. € International: SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction) z The consortium of like-minded, regional and international organizations, created to oversee and coordinate conservation, campaigning and fundraising activities to help the plight of south Asia’s vultures. z Objective: To save three critically important species from extinction through a single programme. z SAVE partners: Bombay Natural History Society, Bird Conservation Nepal, RSPB (UK), National Trust for Nature Conservation (Nepal), International Centre for Birds of Prey (UK) and Zoological Society of London.

Vultures in India ¾ India is home to nine species of vultures, but most of them face the danger of extinction. z To implement the Vulture Safe Zone programme ¾ The nine species of vultures & their International at eight different places in the country where Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status are: there are existing populations of vultures. ¾ Why vultures should be protected: € To launch conservation plans for the Red-headed € The scavenging lifestyle that gives them a bad and Egyptian vultures, with breeding programmes reputation is, in fact, that makes them so important for both. for the environment, nature and society. € To declare a Vulture Safe Zone only when no toxic € Vultures feeding on dead animals help areas getting drugs are found in undercover pharmacy and cattle rid of carcasses that, otherwise, would provide carcass surveys, for two consecutive years, and the foul smells and scenery for a much longer period vulture populations are stable and not declining. hence also known as nature’s cleanup crew. € To build Four rescue centres for different € Vultures also play a valuable role in keeping wildlife geographical areas like Pinjore in the north, diseases in check.

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¾ It has also been facing opposition and protests due Anakkayam Small to its adverse effects on the fragile river ecosystem Hydro Electric Project at Athirappilly and the other related environmental threats. Why in News Parambikulam Tiger Reserve Recently, various green collectives and environmental ¾ It is a well protected organisations have come together to protest against the ecological portion in Anakkayam Small Hydro Electric Project in Kerala. the Nelliampathy- ¾ The site of the project is not far from the Athirapally Anamalai landscape of Hydel Electric Project. the Southern Western Ghats in India. Key Points ¾ It is located in the ¾ About the Project: Palakkad District of € It will come up in the buffer zone of theParambikulam Kerala. Tiger Reserve (PTR) and will also create a 5.617-km- ¾ It was declared as long tunnel within the forest. Tiger Reserve during ¾ Concerns: 2008-09. ¾ € Environmental Consequences: The reserve is credited with the first scientifically managed teak plantation in the world which was z Around 20 hectares of forest land will have to later merged with the forest land. be cleared out and around 1900 large trees and a larger number of small trees will be cut. ¾ It has the world’s largest and oldest teak tree named “Kannimara”, which is believed to be 350 years old. z The area is ecologically fragile, as seen in the massive landslide followed by minor landslides at the project site in 2018, and the consequences Deemed Forests in Karnataka will extend to loss of precious flora and fauna species. Why in News € Absence of Consent: Recently, Karnataka has announced that it would z It was granted approval without obtaining declassify 6.64 lakh hectares (nearly 67%) of the 9.94 permission from the local Kadar tribe which lakh hectares of in the state and hand it holds the right of Community Forest Resources deemed forests over to Revenue authorities. (CFR) as per the Forest Rights Act, 2006. ¾ The issue of deemed forests is a contentious one in z The site of the hydel project comes within the 400 sq kms of forest land that were given as CFR Karnataka, with legislators across party lines often to the Kadar tribe which has the responsibility alleging that large amounts of agriculture and non- to protect and conserve the habitat. forest land are “unscientifically” classified as such.

Athirapally Hydel Electric Project Key Points ¾ In June 2020, the Kerala government approved ¾ Definition of Deemed Forests: the Athirapally Hydro Electric Project (AHEP) on € Deemed forests, comprising about 1% of India’s the Chalakudy river in Thrissur district of Kerala. forest land, are a controversial subject as they € Chalakudy River originates in the Anamalai refer to land tracts that appear to be a “forest”, region of Tamil Nadu and is joined by its major but have not been notified so by the government tributaries Parambikulam, Kuriyarkutti, Sholayar, or in historical records. Karapara and Anakayam in Kerala. It flows € The concept of deemed forests has not even been through Palakkad, Thrissur and Ernakulam clearly defined in any law including the Forest districts of Kerala. Conservation Act 1980.

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€ In the T N Godavarman Thirumalpad case 1996, z It also held that a well-defined scientific, verifi- the Supreme Court (SC) accepted a wide definition able criterion was not used while applying the of forests under the Act and held that the word dictionary definition whichresulted in a subjec- ‘forest’ must be understood according to its tive classification of areas as deemed forests. dictionary meaning. z The subjective classification, in turn, resulted in z This descriptioncovers all statutorily recognised conflicts between the Forest Department and forests, whether designated as reserved, other departments like Revenue, Irrigation, protected or otherwise for the purpose of Public Works and Energy. Section 2 (1) of the Act and also includes any z The random classification caused hardship areas recorded as forest in the government to farmers in some areas and there is also a record irrespective of the ownership. commercial demand for mining in some regions € The provisions for the conservation of forest and designated as deemed forests. the matters connected therewith applies clearly € Revised Coverage: to all forests irrespective of the ownership or z Later, newly formed committees identified 5.18 classification. lakh hectares of deemed forest land that could € The freedom to define which tracts of forest be released from the total area. qualify as forest has been the prerogative of z After a recent study of the actual extent of States since 1996. deemed forest areas, the amount of deemed z However, this only applies to forest land that forest land to be released has been revised to has not already been historically classified as 6.64 lakh hectares. “forest” in revenue records, or categorised so z In 2019, the state had filed an interim application by the government as “protected” or “reserve in the SC for the exclusion of the revised area but forest”. the Court did not pass an order on the application. ¾ Deemed Forests in Karnataka: Forest and Tree Resources in Karnataka € Areas Included: An expert committee constituted by ¾ Total Forest cover: 20.11%, according to the India State the state government identified ‘deemed forests’ as: of Forest Report 2019, the 16th biennial assessment z Land having the characteristic of forests of India’s forests by Forest Survey of India (FSI). irrespective of the ownership. € FSI is an organisation under the Ministry of z Thickly wooded areas of the Revenue Department, Environment, Forest and Climate Change not handed over to the Forest Department. (MoEFCC). z Thickly wooded areas recommended to be € It undertakes National Forest Inventory to assess handed over to the Forest Department. the growing stock in forests and Tree Outside z Thickly wooded land distributed to grantees Forest (TOF), bamboo resource, carbon stock and but not cultivated. to assess the dependence of the people living in Forest Fringe Villages for fuelwood, fodder, z Thickly wooded plantations of the Forest Department. small timber and bamboo. ¾ Physiographically, the state can be divided into € Land Coverage: The expert committee reports in two distinct regions: 1997 and 2002 identified 43.18 lakh hectares of forest land for conservation in Karnataka, which included € Hilly region (Malnad): comprising the Western 33.23 lakh hectares notified forest area as per forest Ghats. records and 9.94 lakh hectares ‘deemed forests’. € Plain region (Maidan): comprising the inland € Issue of Contention: plateau. ¾ z In 2014, the government relooked at the The evergreen forests of the Western Ghats cover categorisation of forestsand found that some about 60% of the forest area of the State and are of the ‘statutory forests’ had been wrongly recognised as one of the four Biodiversity Hotspots classified as ‘deemed forest’. of India.

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approach) living in the geopark area and with € Other three biodiversity hotspots are the Hima- other layas, Areas under Indo-Burma and Sundalands. Global Geoparks through the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). ¾ Protected Area Network of the State: 5 National Parks (Anshi, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh, z GGN, of which membership is obligatory for Nagarahole) 30 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 15 Conservation UNESCO Global Geoparks, is a legally constituted Reserves. not-for-profit organisation with an annual membership fee. It was founded in 2004. € Karnataka supports about 10% of the total tiger ¾ population and 25% of theelephant population Designation Period: of the country. € The designation is given for a period of four years after which the functioning and quality of each geopark are thoroughly re-examined during UNESCO Global Geoparks a revalidation process. ¾ Other UNESCO Site Designations: Why in News € Biosphere Reserves: The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural z These focus on the harmonised management Heritage (INTACH) is making efforts to get recognition of biological and cultural diversity. of a geopark for Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) z Out of 18 notified biosphere reserves, India has consisting ofErra Matti Dibbalu (red sand dunes), natural 12 biosphere reserves under the World Network rock formations, Borra Caves and volcanic ash deposits. of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) and the latest one ¾ While there are 161 United Nations Educational, to be included is the Panna Biosphere Reserve. Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Global € World Heritage Sites: geoparks spread across 44 countries, India is yet to z These promote the conservation of natural and have one of its own. cultural sites of outstanding universal value. Key Points z India has 38 world heritage sites, including 30 cultural properties, 7 natural properties and ¾ Geoparks: 1 mixed site. The latest one to be included is € These are single, unified geographical areas where Jaipur city, Rajasthan. sites and landscapes of international geological significanceare managed with a holistic concept of United Nations Educational, protection, education and sustainable development. Scientific and Cultural Organisation ¾ € These give international recognition for sites It seeks to build peace through international that promote the importance and significance cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. of protecting the Earth’s geodiversity through ¾ It’s programmes contribute to the achievement of the actively engaging with the local communities. Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda € Geoparks are sustained through geo-tourism 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. activities like excursions, nature trails, guided ¾ It has 193 Members and 11 Associate Members. tours, hiking and academic meets. India joined UNESCO in 1946. ¾ Management: € In 2019, the USA and Israel formally quit UNESCO. € These are managed by a body having legal existence ¾ It is headquartered in Paris, France. recognised under national legislation. ¾ UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic € The UNESCO Global Geopark status does not imply Commission (IOC) is leading a global effort to establish restrictions on any economic activity inside them ocean-based tsunami warning systems as part of where that activity complies with indigenous, local, an overall multi-hazard disaster reduction strategy. regional and/or national legislation. € In August 2020, it approved the recognition of ¾ Networking: two communities of Odisha namely Venkatraipur and Noliasahi as Tsunami Ready Communities. € Cooperating with the local people (bottom-up

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Important Sites in Visakhapatnam ¾ Concerns: ¾ Erra Matti Dibbalu: € Red sands are being exploited for construction activity. Further, degradation due to human € These are coastal red interference such as digging, climbing, littering is sediment mounds affecting their stability and exacerbating erosion. located between Visakhapatnam and € The recent incident of overcrowding and reckless Bheemunipatnam. acts of visitors endangering the natural arch has raised concerns among geologists and heritage € The width of sandy activists on the need to safeguard the sites of the red dunes varies from region and establish a geopark. 200 metres to two kilometres, spread across five kilometres along ¾ Conservation Efforts: the coast. € In July 2019, INTACH organised a campaign to create € Such sand deposits have only been reported from public awareness on geologically and culturally two other low latitude tropical regions in South important spots in the region. Asia, namely the Teri Sands of Tamil Nadu and z INTACH was founded in 1984 in New Delhi with Red Coastal Sands of Sri Lanka. the vision to spearhead heritage awareness and € It is among the 34 notified National Geological conservation in India. Heritage Monument Sites of India by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). Willow Warbler z The term geological heritage is used for natural geological or geo-morphological features Why in News that have aesthetic, intrinsic or scientific and Recently, Willow Warbler has been sighted for the educational value, that provide a unique insight first time in India at Vellayani-Punchakkari paddy fields, into geological processes affecting the formation Kerala. or evolution of Earth. ¾ These paddy fields are a birding hotspot on the ¾ Natural Rock Formations: outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram and are known to € One example is the natural arch at Mangamaripeta harbour more than 213 species of birds that include beach (Eastern Ghats) opposite the Thotlakonda both resident and migratory ones. Buddhist Site. Key Points € It is likely to date back to the period after the last Ice Age around 10,000 years ago and is similar ¾ Scientific Name:Phyl - to the natural rock arch of Silathoranam in the loscopus trochilus. Tirumala Hills. ¾ Habitat: They breeds ¾ Borra Caves: throughout northern € Discovered by William King George of the GSI, and temperate Europe these one million-year-old caves attract a huge and the Palearctic. number of tourists every day. These are located € Palearctic ecozone is one the Earth’s 8 ecozones at an elevation of 1400 metre above sea level. and covers Asia North of the Himalayas, with parts of Western Asia and most of East Asia and Africa € These caves are known for stalactite and stalagmite formations such as Shiva-Parvathi, Rishi’s Beard, North of the Sahara. Mother-Child, Crocodile, Human Brain, Tiger and ¾ Migration: They migrate to sub-Saharan Africa during Cows udder. early winter. ¾ Volcanic Ash Deposits: ¾ Features: € These are said to have originated from the volcanic € It is one of the longest migrating small birds. eruption of Toba in Indonesia 73,000 years ago € The bird weighs around 10 grams and its long wing near Araku (Andhra Pradesh). feathers help it fly long distances.

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€ Warblers are generally difficult to identify owing € Population-weighted 20 year averaged PM2.5 to the small size and change in plumage twice over India is 57.3 μg/m3, with a larger increase a year. They are also the most difficult groups observed between 2010 and 2019 than in the of birds to identify in the field for their striking 2000-09 period. resemblance to each other. z As of 2019, 99.5% of districts in India did not ¾ Threats: The species is affected bydrought conditions meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its wintering quarters and habitat alterations due air quality guideline of 10 μg/m3. to human population expansion. € Statewise Data: ¾ IUCN Red List: Least Concern. z Ambient PM2.5 exceeds the annual NAAQS of Trends in Air Pollution: CPCB 40 μg/m3 in every state except for Jammu and Why in News Kashmir (J&K), Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, According to a recent study commissioned by the Arunachal Pradesh, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the rate of Manipur and Nagaland. increase in pollution levels in southern and eastern India z The PM2.5 level in the IGP, is far greater than the Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP). which has a population ¾ It has also found that air pollution in rural areas has of more than 70 crore, and the western arid increased at par with urban India. region is more than double the annual NAAQS. Key Points z In Odisha and Chhattisgarh, which have reported among the highest increase in air pollution in ¾ About the Study: eastern India, this is due to mining activities € It was jointly carried out by IIT-Delhi and CPCB and thermal coal power plants. and analysed data from 2000 to 2019. z In southern India, high urbanisation in and z Currently, the process of collating and analysing around cities such as Bengaluru or Hyderabad the 2020 data is going on as well and a decrease has led to increased emissions. in pollution levels is expected in the coming z Unfavourable meteorological conditions in years. eastern and peninsular India, along with increase € The study, conducted on the basis of satellite in emissions, has led to an overall increase in data, is the first of its kind to look at air pollution PM2.5. spatially. € Analysis: z Spatial mapping of pollution will bevital for the z While in absolute terms the level of air pollution government to form its future policies under continues to be the highest in the IGP, the rate the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). of increase in air pollution is much higher in ¾ Findings: southern India and certain areas of eastern India. € The rate of increase of PM2.5 over eastern and z If the focus continues to be on IGP and the southern India is more than 1.6% per year during increasing pollution (levels) in southern and this period, and less than 1.2% annually in the IGP. eastern India is not addressed now, in another z PM2.5 are fine inhalable particles, with diameters 10 years these regions will also have the same that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. problem as northern India does. z It is a major pollutant affecting the environment, ¾ Urban-rural Divide: human health and the climate. € On PM2.5 levels cutting across the urban-rural € 436 cities/towns with a population of more than divide, the study cites the example of Delhi, where 1 lakh in 2019 exceeded the National Ambient it increased by 10.9% between 2001 to 2015. Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 40 micrograms z During the same period, PM2.5 exposure in per metric cube (μg/m3). rural India rose by 11.9%.

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€ A steady air pollution rise in rural India is due to € Conservation Excellence Award: This award high reliance on solid fuel for domestic use, which recognises one site that has achieved excellence is the largest contributor to ambient PM2.5 in India. in two or more of these five themes: z This implies that poor air quality in India is not z Tiger and prey population monitoring and an urban-centric problem. research (tiger translocation / prey augmentation), € Air pollution in rural areas is rarely discussed with z Effective site management, air pollution policies which continue to focus on z Enhanced law enforcement & protection & urban centres. ranger welfare improvement, € Schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana z Community based conservation, benefits and (PMUY) are expected to decrease the pollution human-wildlife conflict mitigation and levels but it lacks a mechanism to track its progress. z Habitat and prey management. z Since the household sources contribute more than 50% to ambient PM2.5 in rural areas, TX2 Goal successful implementation of PMUY with ¾ The TX2 goal is a global commitment to double sustained usage should arrest or even reverse the world’s wild tigers by 2022. the increasing trend in rural PM2.5. ¾ The goal has been set by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) through the Global Tiger Initiative, Global Awards for Tiger Conservation Tiger Forum and other critical platforms. ¾ All 13 tiger range governments came together for Why in News the first time at the St Petersburg Summit (Russia -2010) where they committed to double the number The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR - Uttar Pradesh) has of wild tigers by 2022. bagged international award for doubling the number TX2 ¾ Tiger Range Countries include India, Bangladesh, of tigers in the past four years. Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, ¾ Also, the Transboundary Manas Conservation Area Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and or TraMCA (India-Bhutan border) has received the Vietnam. Conservation Excellence Award for 2020. € Tiger (Panthera Tigris) is categorised as ¾ Earlier, India’s 2018 Tiger census (once in every four ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List and is years) had set a Guinness record for being the largest listed under Appendix I of CITES. camera-trap wildlife survey. € Global Tiger Day is observed on 29th July across Key Points the world. € India’s Project Tiger was launched in 1973 with ¾ About the Awards: 9 tiger reserves. Tiger has been listed under € Launched recently, these awards were open to ‘Schedule I’ of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. submissions from any site in a tiger range country that has achieved remarkable measurable progress ¾ Pilibhit Tiger Reserve: since 2010. € Location: Pilibhit district, Lakhimpur Kheri District z Site: An area having a functional tiger population, and Bahraich District of Uttar Pradesh legally designated as a “site” under national z The northern edge of the reserve lies along the legislation. Indo-Nepal border while the southern boundary € Award winners were announced on 23rd Nov 2020 is marked by the river Sharada and Khakra. - the 10 year anniversary for the global TX2 goal. € Declaration: PTR was declared in 2014-15 on the € Sites will receive a small financial grant to be used basis of its special type of ecosystem with vast open to further tiger conservation. spaces and sufficient feed for the elegant predators. € TX2 Award: It goes to one site that has achieved z PTR is one of the finest examples of the exceed- remarkable and measurable increase in its tiger ingly diverse and productive Terai ecosystems population since 2010. (low-lying land at the foot of the Himalayas).

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€ Features: € Bagged Conservation Excellence Award: For efforts z The study done by Wildlife Institute of India to increase the tiger population. Therecognition (WII) shows that Dudhwa-Pilibhit population was for the TraMCA comprising the 500 sq. km. has high conservation value as it represents Manas National Park in Assam and the 1,057-sq. the only tiger population with the ecological km. Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. and behavioral adaptations of the tiger unique z The number of Tigers in the Indian Manas to the Terai region. increased from 9 in 2010 to 25 in 2018 while z It is home to a habitat for over 127 animals, that in the Bhutan Manas more than doubled 326 bird species and 2,100 flowering plants. from 12 in 2008 to 26 in 2018. „ Wild animals include tiger, swamp deer, Bengal florican, hog deer, leopard, etc. Desalination Plants „ It has high sal forests, plantation and grasslands with several water bodies. Why in News € Bagged TX2 Award: The number of tigers in the Recently, Maharashtra announced the setting up of reserve area has gone up to 65 from 25 in the a desalination plant in Mumbai. period of just four years (2014-18). ¾ The plant will process 200 million litres of water daily € Other Protected Areas in Uttar Pradesh: (MLD),and will help in overcoming the water shortage z Dudhwa National Park faced by Mumbai in the months of May and June. z Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary ¾ Maharashtra will be the fourth state to experiment z Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary with Desalination Plants. z Sur Sarovar (Keethan) Bird Sanctuary ¾ Transboundary Manas Conservation Area: Key Points € Formation: It was conceptualized in 2011 with ¾ Desalination Plants: the vision to jointly develop and manage a € A desalination plant turns salt water into water transboundary conservation area between Bhutan that is fit to drink. and India, for the benefit of people and wildlife. z Desalination is the process of removing salts € Features: from water to produce water that meets the z The TraMCA landscape with an area of over quality (salinity) requirements of different 6500 sq. km forms a vital mosaic of conservation human uses. spaces across the Eastern Himalayas, and € Most commonly covers the entire Manas Tiger Reserve in India, used technology four protected areas in Bhutan and also two for the process is biological corridors. reverse osmosis. z The Manas Tiger Reserve in India and Royal z An external Manas National Park in Bhutan form the core pressure is of this biologically outstanding trans-boundary applied to push region that is home to tigers,elephants , rhinos solvents from and more than 1,500 species of mammals, birds an area of high-solute concentration to an area and vascular plants. of low-solute concentration through a semi- z The Manas River flowing through Royal Manas permeable membrane. National Park and Manas National Park also z The microscopic pores in the membranes allow makes both parks an important watershed water molecules through but leave salt and area in the region. most other impurities behind, releasing clean z The landscape and its surroundings support water from the other side. over 10 million people in India and Bhutan € These plants are mostly set up in areas that have with its services. access to sea water.

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¾ Advantage of Desalination Plants: stressing or killing animals not used to the € It can extend water supplies beyond what is higher levels of salt. available from the hydrological cycle, providing z In addition, the desalination process uses an “unlimited”, climate-independent and steady or produces numerous chemicals including supply of high-quality water. chlorine, carbon dioxide, hydrochloric acid € It can provide drinking water in areas where no and anti-scalents that can be harmful in high natural supply of potable water exists. concentrations. € As it generally meets or exceeds standards for ¾ Opportunities: The environmental problem can be water quality, water desalination plants can also changed into an economic opportunity as: reduce pressure on freshwater supplies that come € The discharge (brine) can also contain precious from areas (over exploited water resources) that elements like uranium, strontium as well as need protecting. sodium and magnesium which have the potential ¾ Disadvantage of Desalination Plants: to be mined. € Costly to build and operate desalination plants € Brine has been used for aquaculture, with increases as the plants require huge amounts of energy. in fish biomass of 300%. It has also been successfully z Energy costs account for one-third to one-half used to cultivate thedietary supplement Spirulina, of the total cost of producing desalinated water. and to irrigate forage shrubs and crops. z Because energy is such a large portion of the ¾ Use of Desalination Plants in India: total cost, the cost is also greatly affected by € It has largely been limited to countries in the Middle changes in the price of energy. East and has recently started being used in parts € The environmental impact is another disadvantage of the United States and Australia. to water desalination plants. Disposal of the salt € In India, Tamil Nadu has been the pioneer in using removed from the water is a major issue. this technology, setting up two desalination plants z This discharge, known as brine, can change near Chennai in 2010 and then 2013. the salinity and lower the amount of oxygen € The other states that have proposed these plants (Hypoxia) in the water at the disposal site, are Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

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Highlights z Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda z Laxmi Devi Temple: Hoysala

¾ The movement identified the following forces as the Birth Anniversary cause of the misery the Mundas were suffering from: of Birsa Munda € Land policies of the British were destroying their traditional land system. Why in News € Hindu landlords and moneylenders were taking over their land. The Prime Minister paid tributes to the tribal leader € Missionaries were criticising their traditional culture. Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary, which is celebrated every year on 15th November. ¾ The ‘Ulgulan’ or the ‘Great Tumult’ as the movement came to be called, aimed at establishing Munda Raj ¾ Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar and officiallycame by driving out the British. into being on 15th November 2000. € Munda used traditional symbols and language to Key Points rouse people, urging them to destroy “Ravana” (diku or outsiders and the Europeans) and establish ¾ Birth: 15th November 1875. a kingdom under his leadership. ¾ Brief Profile: ¾ His followers began targeting the symbols of diku and € He belonged to the in the Munda tribe Chotanagpur European power. They attacked police stations and Plateau area. churches, and raided the property of moneylenders € Also known as Dharti Aaba (Father of Earth), Birsa and zamindars. They raised the white flag as a symbol Munda is known to have mobilised the tribal of Birsa Raj. community against the British and also forced the colonial officials to introduce laws protecting Jharkhand Foundation Day the land rights of the tribals. ¾ The name ‘Jharkhand’ means ‘Land of Forests’. It ¾ Birsait Sect: brought into existence by the Bihar Reorganization Act on 15th November, 2000. € Having gained awareness of the British colonial ruler and the efforts of the missionaries to convert ¾ Neighbouring States: Bihar to the north, Uttar tribals to Christianity, hestarted the faith of ‘Birsait’. Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Odisha to the south, and West Bengal to the east. € Members of the Munda and Oraon community joined the Birsait sect and together posed a serious ¾ Most of the state lies on the Chotanagpur Plateau, challenge to the British conversion activities. which is the source of the Koel, Damodar, Brahmani, Kharkai, and Subarnarekha rivers, whose upper € He also urged the Mundas to give up drinking liquor, clean their village, and stop believing in watersheds lie within Jharkhand. witchcraft and sorcery. ¾ Betla National Park is located in the state which has ¾ Death: 9th June 1900. forest preserves supporting populations of tigers and Asian Elephants. Munda Rebellion ¾ Jharkhand boasts of 40% and 29% of India’s mineral ¾ It is one of the most important tribal movements. and coal reserves, respectively. ¾ ¾ It was led by Birsa Munda in the south of Ranchi in Jharkhand has 32 tribal groups including Munda, Kol, Santhal, Oraon, Khond, Asur, Gond, etc. 1899-1900.

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¾ On 3rd March 1900, Munda was arrested by the British ¾ Hoysala Temple Architecture: police while he was sleeping with his tribal guerilla € It is the building style developed under the rule army at Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur (Jharkhand). of the Hoysalas and is mostly concentrated in € He died of cholera in the jail and the movement southern Karnataka. faded out. € Hoysala temples are sometimes called hybrid ¾ Significance: or vesara as their unique style seems neither € It forced the colonial government to introduce completely dravida nor nagara, but somewhere laws like the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act 1908 so in between. that the land of the tribals could not be easily z They are easily distinguishable from other taken over by dikus. medieval temples by their highly original star- € It led to a realisation among the tribal people that like ground-plans and a profusion of decorative they could protest against injustice and express carvings. their anger against colonial rule. z The temples, instead of consisting of a simple inner chamber with its pillared hall, contain multiple shrines grouped around a central Laxmi Devi Temple: Hoysala pillared hall and laid out in the shape of an intricately-designed star. Why in News z The most characteristic feature of these temples Recently, a Hoysala-era idol of Goddess Kali of the is that they grow extremely complex with so Lakshmi Devi Temple at Doddagaddavalli, Karnataka has many projecting angles emerging from the been found damaged. previously straightforward square temple, that the plan of these temples starts looking like a Key Points star, and is thus known as a stellate-plan. ¾ Lakshmi Devi Temple: € Some of the famous temples are: € It was built by the Hoysalas in the year 1114 CE z Hoysaleshvara (Lord of the Hoysalas) Temple: during the rule of king Vishnuvardhana. At Halebid, Karnataka and built in dark schist € The building material is Chloritic schist, more stone by a Hoysala king in AD 1150. commonly known as soapstone. z Chennakeshava Temple: At Somnathpur, € The temple does not stand on a jagati(platform), Karnataka and was built around AD 1268 under a feature which became popular in later Hoysala Narasimha III. temples. z Kesava Temple: At Belur, Hassan district of € The temple is a chatuskuta construction(4 shrine Karnataka built by Vishnuvardhana. and tower). The towers are in Kadamba nagara Hoysala style. The mantapa is open and square. The reason ¾ th th for the square plan is the presence of shrines on During the 12 and 13 centuries, Hoysalas of all four sides of the mantapa. Karnataka grew to prominence in South India and became the most important patrons centred at € There is a separate fifth shrine of Bhairava, an Mysore. avatar of Lord Shiva. ¾ They ruled almost all the present day Karnataka. € The main deity is Goddess Lakshmi whereas all ¾ Hoysala temples are dedicated to either Lord Their capital was Belur which was later shifted to Vishnu, Lord Shiva and in some cases to Jains. Halebidu. ¾ The period was an important era for the growth € An archaeological Survey of India (ASI) monument and is also among the monuments proposed for of the art, architecture and religion in South the UNESCO World Heritage Site. India.

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Highlights z Guru Nanak Jayanti

€ Death: In 1539 at Kartarpur, Punjab. Guru Nanak Jayanti ¾ Relevance of Guru Nanak Dev for Modern India: € Building an Egalitarian Society: His idea of equality Why in News can be deduced by the following innovative social The President of India has greeted the citizens on institutions, as given by him: the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti. z Langar: Collective cooking and sharing of food. ¾ It is a sacred festival of the Sikh community and is z Pangat: Partaking food without distinctions of celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary high and low caste. of Guru Nanak Dev, who is believed to be born on z Sangat: Collective decision making. th Poornima (full moon) of the Kartika(8 month of Hindu € Social Harmony: calendar), which falls on th . 30 of November in 2020 z According to him, the whole world is God’s creation and all are born equal. There is only Key Points one universal creator i.e. “Ek Onkar Satnam”. ¾ Guru Nanak Dev: z Apart from it, forgiveness, patience, forbearance, € Birth: In 1459 at Talwandi Rai Bhoe village near and kindness are the core of his teachings. Lahore, which was later renamed as Nankana Sahib. € Creating a Just Society: € He was the first of the 10 gurus of Sikhism. z He placed the motto of “kirat karo, naam japo € Contributions: and vand chhako” (work, worship and share) z Initiated inter-faith dialogue way back in the before his disciples. th 16 century and had conversations with most z He stood for karma as the basis of dharma, of the religious denominations of his times. and he transformed the idea of spiritualism z Wrote compositions which were included in into the ideology of social responsibility and the Adi Granth, compiled by Guru Arjan (1563- social change. 1606), the fifth Sikh guru. z He advocated the concept of “dasvandh” or „ This came to be known as Guru Granth Sahib donating one-tenth of one’s earning among after the additions made by the th10 sikh needy persons. guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708). € Gender Equality: z Advocated the ‘Nirguna’ (devotion to and worship z According to him, “Women as well as men share of formless divine) form of bhakti. the grace of God and are equally responsible z Rejected sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, for their actions to him.” austerities. z Respect for women and gender equality is z Set up rules for congregational worship (Sangat) perhaps the most important lesson to be learnt involving collective recitation. from his life. z Gave the basic mantra of ‘Ek Onkar’ to his € Bringing Peace: followers and insisted on treating all human z According to Indian philosophy, a Guru is beings equally, without discriminating on the the one who provides illumination, dispels basis of caste, creed and gender. doubt and shows the right path. In this

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context, the ideas of Guru Nanak Dev can help Nanak Dev was celebrated and the Kartarpur promote peace, equality and prosperity across corridor was inaugurated, which is an important the globe. step towards easing the tensions between India z In 2019, the 550th birth anniversary of Guru and Pakistan.

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Highlights z Subdued Northeast Monsoon z Cyclone Nivar

during these months, making it the key factor for Subdued Northeast Monsoon undertaking agricultural activities and reservoir management in the state. Why in News € Some South Asian countries such as Maldives, Sri Rainfall over the southern peninsular region has Lanka and Myanmar, too, record rainfall during been deficient so far, indicating that the northeast October to December. monsoon has remained subdued this year. ¾ Reasons for deficient rainfall this Northeast monsoon: € Prevailing La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean: Key Points z La Niña conditions enhance the rainfall ¾ Pattern of Rainfall in India: India receives rainfall associated with the Southwest monsoon, but during two seasons: has a negative impact on rainfall associated € About 75% of the country’s annual rainfall is with the Northeast monsoon. received from the Southwest monsoon between z La Niña (Spanish for ‘little girl’) refers to thelarge- June and September. scale cooling of the ocean surface temperatures € The Northeast monsoon occurs during October in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific to December, and is a comparatively small-scale Ocean, coupled with changes in the tropical monsoon, which is confined to the Southern atmospheric circulation, namely winds, pressure peninsula. It is called the winter monsoon. and rainfall. ¾ Northeast Monsoon and Rainfall: z It usually has the opposite impacts on weather € After the complete withdrawal of the Southwest and climate as El Niño, which is the warm phase monsoon from the country takes place by mid- of the so-called El Niño Southern Oscillation October, the wind pattern rapidly changes from (ENSO). the south-westerly to the north-easterly direction. „ El Niño (Spanish for ‘little boy’) is the € The period after the Southwest monsoon season, abnormal surface warming observed along from October to December, is the peak time for the eastern and central regions of the Pacific cyclonic activity in the North Indian Ocean region Ocean (region between Peru and Papua covering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. New Guinea). z The winds associated with the formation of „ La Nina and El Nino are large-scale ocean low pressure systems, depressions, or cyclones phenomena which influence the global influence this monsoon, and therefore, the weather winds, temperature and rainfall. rainfall. „ They have the ability to trigger extreme ¾ Regions associated with Northeast Monsoon: weather events like droughts, floods, hot € The rainfall associated with the Northeast monsoon and cold conditions, globally. is important for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, „ Each cycle can last anywhere between 9 to 12 Yanam, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, north months, at times extendable to 18 months interior Karnataka, Mahe and Lakshadweep. and re-occur after every three to five years. € Tamil Nadu records about 48% of its annual rainfall € Inter Tropical Convective Zone (ITCZ):

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z The current position of the ITCZ has also November), Cyclone Amphan (eastern India witnessed contributed to the poor rainfall during the it in May), and Cyclone Nisarga (in Maharashtra). ongoing monsoon season. ¾ Nivar will be the second cyclone to hit Tamil z The ITCZ is a low-pressure belt, whose northward Nadu in two years afterCyclone Gaja in 2018. and southward movements along the equator ¾ The storm has been named Cyclone Nivar, based determine the precipitation in the tropics. on the guidelines of the World Meteorological z Currently, the ITCZ is located to the north of Organisation (WMO). Nivara has been selected from its normal position. the list of names given by Iran. Other Important Atmospheric Circulation € According to WMO guidelines, countries in ¾ Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO): The MJO can be every region are supposed to give names for defined as an eastward moving ‘pulse’ of clouds, cyclones. rainfall, winds and pressure near the equator that € The North Indian Ocean Region covers tropical typically recurs every 30 to 60 days. cyclones formed over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. Cyclone Nivar € The 13 members, which come under the region, are Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Why in News Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen. Recently, the tropical cyclone Nivar has made landfall along the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast. € A total of 169 cyclones were named by these ¾ Landfall refers to the phenomenon of a cyclone’s countries for this year, with 13 names from outer wall moving over the coastline and beyond. each country. ¾ It has weakened from a very severe cyclonic storm Key Points to a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100- ¾ Tropical Cyclone: 110 km per hour. € A tropical cyclone is an intense circular storm that originates over warm tropical oceans and is characterized by low atmospheric pressure, high winds, and heavy rain. € A characteristic feature of tropical cyclones is the eye, a central region of clear skies, warm temperatures, and low atmospheric pressure. € Storms of this type are called hurricanes in the North Atlantic and eastern Pacific and typhoons in SouthEast Asia and China. They are called tropical cyclones in the southwest Pacific and ¾ Government Steps: Indian Ocean region and Willy-willies in north- € The Tamil Nadu government has announced a western Australia. public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments € Storms rotate anticlockwise in the northern hemi- Act, 1881, in 16 districts, including Chennai, sphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. considering the impact of Cyclone Nivar. ¾ Cyclone Nivar: € Fishing activities have been restricted and residents ¾ It is the fourth cyclone that has taken shape in the evacuated in coastal areas hit by the cyclone. The North Indian Ocean region this year. The first three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has cyclones were Cyclone Gati(made landfall in Somalia in deployed its teams in the affected regions.

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Social Issues

Highlights z Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report 2020: IVAC z Initiatives for Transgender Persons z Sex Ratio and India z Global Coalition Against HIV z Step Up for TB 2020 Report z Covid-19 and Children: UNICEF z Online Education Woes z Hidden Epidemic z Report on National Nutrition Mission: NITI Aayog

z In 2009, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Pneumonia and Diarrhoea and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Progress Report 2020: IVAC launched the GAPPD, which proposes a multi- sectoral, integrated approach to reduce the incidence of severe pneumonia and diarrhoea, Why in News reduce the number of children under-five who Recently, the annual Pneumonia and Diarrhoea are stunted, and end preventable childhood Progress Report has been released by the International deaths from pneumonia and diarrhoea. Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC). € This year’s report also addresses the emerging ¾ IVAC, founded in 2009, accelerates equitable access impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. to vaccines through the generation, synthesis, and € It monitors the coverage of five vaccines which use of evidence to inform decision-making and action. are Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus (DPT) It is located in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School vaccine, Measles-containing-vaccine first dose, of Public Health, USA. Haemophilus influenzae type ,B pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), and rotavirus vaccine. Key Points ¾ About the Report: € It evaluates the progress across 10 high-impact indicators outlined in the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD) in the 15 countries with the greatest burden of under-five pneumonia and diarrhoea deaths and how they are delivering key interventions to preventthese. z These interventions include breastfeeding, immunisation, care-seeking and antibiotics, Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), and zinc supplementation. z These measures are proven to help prevent deaths due to these illnesses and could help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal-3 ¾ Global Status: (Good Health and Well-Being) target of reducing € Nearly every country included in the report lagged under-five mortality to at least as low as 25 per in access to treatments against pneumonia and 1,000 live births by 2030. diarrhoea.

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€ Overall the world’s health systems are falling Diarrhoea short of ensuring that children have access to ¾ About: prevention and treatment services. € It is the passage of 3 or more loose or liquid ¾ India’s Performance: stools per day, or more frequently than is normal € Of the 15 focus countries included in the report, for the individual. There are three clinical types India is one of the countries that exceeded targets of diarrhoea: for exclusive breastfeeding. z Acute watery diarrhoea (lasts several hours z The World Health Assembly (WHA) has set a or days, and includes cholera). target to increase the global rate of exclusive z Acute bloody diarrhoea (also called dysentery). . breastfeeding to at least 50% by 2025 z Persistent diarrhoea (lasts 14 days or longer). z Exclusive Breastfeeding: It means that the ¾ Causes: infant receives only breast milk. No other liquids € Diarrhoea is a symptom of infectionscaused by a or solids are given, not even water, with the host of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms, exception of ORS, or drops/syrups of vitamins, most of which are spread by faeces-contaminated minerals or medicines. water. € India has made significant progress in its vaccination € Water contaminated with human and animal coverage to prevent child pneumonia and diarrhoea faeces is of particular concern. Animal faeces deaths. also contain microorganisms that can cause € India has achieved the global target of 90% coverage diarrhoea. for three of the five vaccines whose coverage is € It can also spread from person-to-person, monitored in the report. aggravated by poor personal hygiene, food € However, India failed to reach all targets for prepared or stored in unhygienic conditions, treatment and the treatment for diarrhoea had unsafe domestic water storage and handling. the lowest coverage, with only 51% of children ¾ Threat: receiving ORS and 20% getting zinc. € The most severe threat posed by diarrhoea is z 90% treatment coverage for children with dehydration, which occurs when lost water and suspected pneumonia, including care by an electrolytes are not replaced. appropriate health care provider and antibiotics € It may be life-threatening, particularly inyoung and 90% treatment coverage for children with children and people who are malnourished or diarrhoea, including treatment with ORS and have impaired immunity. zinc supplements by 2025. ¾ Prevention and Cure: € Although there was progress in India in 2019, € Interventions to prevent diarrhoea, including safe the Covid-19 pandemic threatens the gains drinking-water, use of improved sanitation and because of disruptions caused in routine health handwashing with soap can reduce disease risk. services like immunisation and access to medical € Diarrhoea should be treated with ORS, a solution oxygen. of clean water, sugar and salt. In addition, nutrient-rich foods and zinc supplemental treatment shortens diarrhoea duration and improves outcomes. Step Taken by India ¾ The government aims to achieve a target of reducing pneumonia deaths among children to less than three per 1,000 live births by 2025. ¾ In 2014, India launched the Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and

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Diarrhoea (IAPPD) to undertake collaborative efforts Key Points towards prevention of diarrhoea and pneumonia- ¾ Arunachal Pradesh recorded 1,084 females born related under-five deaths. per thousand males, followed by Nagaland (965), ¾ Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) was Mizoram (964), Kerala (963). launched by the government in 1985 and prevents ¾ The worst sex ratio was reported in Manipur (757), mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant Lakshadweep (839) and Daman & Diu (877), Punjab women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases (896) and Gujarat (896). including pneumonia and diarrhoea. ¾ Delhi recorded a sex ratio of 929, Haryana - 914. ¾ Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise € The ratio was determined on the basis of data Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) Campaign to provided by 30 States and Union Territories as reduce child mortality due to pneumonia, which the requisite information from six States namely contributes to around 15% of deaths of children Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Uttar under the age of five annually. Pradesh and West Bengal is not available. ¾ In 2019, the government of India launched a rotavirus € Major states are states with populations 10 million vaccine drive across all states and Union Territories, and above as per the 2011 Census. which was an unprecedented national scale-up of ¾ The Sample Registration System (SRS) Report 2018 the rotavirus vaccine. shows that sex ratio at birth in India, declined marginally from 906 in 2011 to 899 in 2018. Sex Ratio and India € Contrary to popular perception,India’s sex ratio at birth declined even as per capita income increased Why in News nearly 10 times over the last 65 years, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of government data. According to the 2018 report on “vital statistics of € This could be because rising income, which results India based on the Civil Registration System”,Arunachal in increased literacy, makes it easier for families Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio at birth in the country to access sex-selective procedures. while Manipur recorded the worst sex ratio at birth. ¾ Issues Related to Lower Sex Ratio at Birth: ¾ The report was published by the Registrar General of India. € Gender-imbalance: ¾ Sex ratio at birth is number of females born per z Prof. Amartya Kumar Sen, in his world famous thousand males. It is an important indicator to map article“Missing Women‟ has statistically proved the gender gap of a population. that during the last century, 100 million women have been missing in south Asia. Registrar General of India z This is due to discrimination leading to death, ¾ Registrar General of India was founded in 1961 by experienced by them from womb to tomb in the Government of India under the Ministry of their life cycles. Home Affairs. z An adverse child sex ratio is also reflected in ¾ It arranges, conducts and analyses the results of the distorted gender makeup of the entire the demographic surveys of India including Census population. of India and Linguistic Survey of India. € Distortion in the Marriage System: ¾ The position of Registrar is usually held by a civil z Adverse ratio results in a gross imbalance in the servant holding the rank of Joint Secretary. number of men and women and its inevitable ¾ Civil Registration System (CRS) in India is the unified impact on marriage systems as well as other process of continuous, permanent, compulsory harms to women. and universal recording of the vital events (births, z In India, some villages in Haryana and Punjab have deaths, stillbirths) and characteristics thereof. The such poor sex ratios that men“import” brides data generated through a complete and up-to-date from other States. This is often accompanied CRS is essential for socio-economic planning. by the exploitation of these brides.

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TB Partnership and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has highlighted India’s conservative approach regarding the new medicines for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (TB), putting lives of patients including children in danger. ¾ The current pandemic has further aggravated the sufferings of TB patients in the country in terms of disease diagnosis, surveillance and treatment.

Médecins Sans Frontières ¾ Founded in 1971, MSF (also known as Doctors Without Borders in English) is an international humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation (NGO) of French origin best known z There are concerns that skewed sex ratios lead for its projects in conflict zones and in countries to more violence against both men and women, affected by endemic diseases. as well as human-trafficking. ¾ It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. Suggestions Tuberculosis ¾ It is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (bacteria) ¾ Bringing Behavioural Change: that most often affect thelungs. € Increasing female education and economic ¾ Transmission: It is spread from person to person prosperity help to improve the ratio. In this pursuit, through the air. When people with lung TB cough, the government’s Beti-Bachao Beti Padhao sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into Campaign has achieved remarkable success in the air. bringing behavioural change in the society. ¾ Symptoms: Cough with sputum and blood at times, ¾ Sensitizing Youth: chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night € There is an urgent need to reach young people for sweats. reproductive health education and services as well ¾ Treatment: It is a treatable and curable disease. as to cultivate gender equity norms. It is treated with a standard 6-month course of 4 € For this, the services of Accredited Social Health antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, can be leveraged, especially in Activist (ASHA) supervision and support to the patient by a health rural areas. worker or trained volunteer. ¾ Stringent Enforcement of Law: ¾ Types: € India must implement the Pre-Conception and € Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis(MDR-TB) is a Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond 1994 more stringently and dedicate more resources to isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful, to fighting the preference for boys. first-line anti-TB drugs. MDR-TB is treatable and € In this context, the Drugs Technical Advisory curable by using second-line drugs. Board decision to include ultrasound machines € Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) is a more in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 is a step in serious form of MDR-TB caused by bacteria that the right direction. do not respond to the most effective second-line anti-TB drugs, often leaving patients without any Step Up for TB 2020 Report further treatment options. ¾ It remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, Why in News killing more than 1.4 million people in 2019, despite being curable. Recently, Step Up for TB 2020 report by the Stop

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Key Points ¾ India’s Initiative to Fight TB: ¾ About the Report: € National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme: € It presents data on 37 high-burden countries, z To align with the ambitious goal, the programme including India (representing 77% of the global has been renamed from the Revised National estimated TB incident cases), assessing the extent to Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) to which national policies align with international best National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme practices based on the World Health Organisation (NTEP). (WHO) guidelines and the latest scientific research. € Eliminating TB by 2025: India is committed to € This is the 4th editionof this report, which focuses eliminating tuberculosis from the country by on countries’ policies and practices related to 4 2025, five years ahead of the global target by the key areas of National TB Programmes (NTPs): WHO) i.e. 2030. z Diagnosis. € Nikshay Ecosystem: z Treatment (including models of care). z It is the National TB information system which z Prevention. is a one-stop solution to manage information of patients and monitor program activity and z Medicines procurement policies. performance throughout the country. ¾ Findings: € Nikshay Poshan Yojana: € There are barriers to policy adoption and implementation across the surveyed countries. z This scheme is aimed at providing financial support to TB patients for their nutrition. € The critical medical innovations are reaching very few people who urgently need them. € TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign: z € The report emphasised that oral treatment regimens Launched in September 2019, it is showcasing for people with drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) must be the highest level of commitment for the prioritised over older, toxic drugs that have to be elimination of TB. injected and cause serious side effects. € Saksham Project: € Nearly 1 in 3 people with TB disease is still not z It is a project of the Tata Institute of Social diagnosed and notified. Sciences (TISS) that has been providing psycho- € Almost 2 in 3 countries surveyed still do not include social counselling to DR-TB patients. in their policies urinary TB lipoarabinomannan (TB € The Government of India has partnered with the LAM) testing for people living with HIV. Global Fund to launch Joint Effort for Elimination z TB LAM is the only rapid point-of-care TB test of TB (JEET), a private sector engagement program available, and there is more than enough evidence operating across the country. of its benefits as a lifesaving point-of-care test. ¾ Global Efforts: ¾ India Specific Findings: € The WHO has launched a joint initiative “Find. € India was criticised for not scaling up the new Treat. All. #EndTB” with the Global Fund and Stop DR-TB drugs Bedaquiline and Delamanid, needed TB Partnership. even more during Covid-19. z The WHO End TB Strategy outlines global z Pretomanid is the third new drug developed impact targets to reduce TB deaths by 90%, for the treatment. to cut new cases by 80% between the years € Until March 2020, lessthan 10% of India’s MDR- 2015 and 2030, and to ensure that no family TB patients who were eligible for Bedaquiline had is burdened with catastrophic costs due to TB. received it. This is alarming, since India is home to € It aims to accelerate the TB response and ensure a quarter of the world’s DR-TB patients. access to care, in line with WHO’s overall drive z India has the highest TB burden in the world. towards Universal Health Coverage. In 2018, 2.15 million TB cases were reported, ¾ WHO also releases the Global Tuberculosis which is 16% more than in 2017. Report.

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€ More than half the teachers surveyed shared that Online Education Woes their knowledge and user-experience on online platforms and modes of teaching were inadequate. Why in News A recent study by the Azim Premji University on the Report on National efficacy and accessibility of e-learning has highlighted various challenges involved in online education in the Nutrition Mission: NITI Aayog country. Why in News Key Points Recently, the NITI Aayog has released “Accelerating ¾ Student Specific Findings: Progress On Nutrition In India: What Will It Take”, the € Reason for student’s lack of accessibility to online third progress report on the National Nutrition Mission classes: or the Poshan Abhiyaan. z Non-availability or inadequate number of smartphones for dedicated use or sharing. Key Points z Difficulty in using apps for online learning. ¾ National Nutrition Mission: z Children with disabilities found it more difficult € Launched in 2018, it is the Government of India’s to participate in online sessions. flagship programme to improve nutritional ¾ Parents Specific Findings: outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. € 90% of parents of government school students surveyed were willing to send their children z It is backed by a National Nutrition Strategy back to school, if the health of their children was prepared by the NITI Aayog with the goal taken care of. of attaining “Kuposhan Mukt Bharat” or malnutrition-free India, by 2022. € 70% of the parents surveyed were of the opinion that online classes were not effectiveand did not € Aims: help in their child’s learnings. z To reduce stunting, undernutrition, anemia ¾ Teacher Specific Findings: (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and € Teachers’ main problem found during the online 2% per annum respectively. classes was one-way communication, which made it difficult for them to assess whether z To address the problem of malnutrition in a students were able to understand what was being mission-mode. taught. € 50% of the total budget comes from the World Bank € More than 80% of teachers surveyed said they or other multilateral development banks and the rest were unable to maintain emotional connect of the 50% is through Centre’s budgetary support. with students during online classes, while 90% of z The Centre’s budgetary support is further teachers felt that no meaningful assessment of divided into 60:40 between the Centre and the children’s learning was possible. States, 90:10 for the north-eastern region and € 50% of the teachers reported that children were the Himalayan States and 100% for the Union unable to complete assignments shared during Territories (UTs) without legislature. the online classes, which had led to serious gaps € Prevalence: in learning. z More than a third of children under five suffer € The survey also revealed that around 75% of the from stunting and wasting and 40% of children teachers spent, on an average, less than an hour between one and four are anaemic. a day on online classes for any grade. z Over 50% of pregnant and non-pregnant women € Teachers also reported that they were ill-prepared were found to be anaemic, according to the for online learning platforms. National Family Health Survey-4 released in 2016.

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¾ About the Report: and also address moderate wasting, have the € The third progress report (October 2019-April 2020) potential to achieve larger declines in wasting. takes stock of the roll-out status on the ground z To scale-up to reach facility-based treatment and implementation challenges encountered at of SAM to all those needing in-patient care. various levels through large scale datasets. z To urgently release a full strategy for prevention z These datasets are the NFHS-4 and Comprehensive and integrated management of wasting nationally. National Nutrition Survey (CNNS). € On Anaemia: € The initial Reports I and II, focused majorly on the z To scale-up scenario that focuses only on health mission’s preparedness and implementation by sector interventions which will achieve modest States and UTs, respectively. improvements in anaemia among women of € The review report was drafted in March 2020 and reproductive age. does not factor worsening poverty and hunger levels since then, which are expected to have gone Initiatives for down further due to the Covid-19. ¾ Concerns Highlighted: Transgender Persons € On stunting, India’s targets are conservative as compared to the global target defined by theWorld Why in News Health Assembly (WHA), which is a prevalence Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empower- rate of 5% of stunting as opposed to India’s goal ment has launched the National Portal for Transgender of reducing stunting levels to 13.3% by 2022. Persons and has inaugurated Garima Greh, a shelter home € The target of reducing prevalence levels of anaemia for transgender persons. among pregnant women from 50.3% in 2016 to 34.4% in 2022 and among adolescent girls from Key Points 52.9% in 2016 to 39.66%, is also considered to be ¾ National Portal for Transgender Persons: conservative as compared to the WHA’s target of € It has been launched in consonance with the halving prevalence levels. Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, € In the wake of the pandemic, experts warn that 2020. deepening poverty and hunger may delay achieving € It would help transgenders in digitally applying for the goals defined under the Mission. a certificate and identity card from anywhere in the ¾ Suggestions: country, thus preventing any physical interaction € On Stunting: with officials. z To improve complementary feeding using € It will help them track the status of application, both behaviour change interventions and rejection, grievance redressal, etc. which will complimentary food supplements in the ensure transparency in the process. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). € The issuing authorities are also understrict timelines z To work towards investments in girls and women to process the applications and issue certificates (education during childhood, reducing early and I-cards without any necessary delays. marriage and early pregnancy, improving care ¾ Garima Greh: during and after pregnancy) along with other € It has been opened in Vadodara, Gujarat and social determinants. will be run in association with theLakshya Trust, z To improve water, sanitation, handwashing with a community-based organisation entirely run by soap and hygienic disposal of children’s stools the transgenders. with other effective interventions. € The Scheme of ‘Shelter Home for Transgender € On Wasting: Persons’ includes shelter facility, food, clothing, z To include interventions that go beyond the recreational facilities, skill development opportu- treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) nities, yoga, physical fitness, library facilities, legal

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support, technical advise for gender transition employment or occupational opportunities, and surgeries, capacity building of trans-friendly healthcare services and access to public facilities organizations, employment, etc. and benefits. € The scheme will rehabilitate a minimum of 25 z It further reinforces transgender persons’ right transgender persons in each homes identified to movement, right to reside, rent, or otherwise by the Ministry. occupy property. z 10 cities have been identified to set up the 13 € Certificate of Identity: Shelter Homes. z It provides for a right to self-perceived gender identity and casts an obligation on the district Transgender Persons magistrate to issue a ‘certificate of identity’ as (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020 a transgender person, without the requirement ¾ The Central Government made the rules under of any medical or physical examination. the powers conferred by the Transgender Persons z If the transgender person undergoes medical (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. intervention to change sex either as a male or € The Act came into effect on 10th January 2020, female and requires a revised identity certificate which is the first concrete step towards ensuring then they would need to apply to the district welfare of transgender persons. magistrate along with a certificate issued by ¾ The rules seek to recognise the identity of transgenders the medical superintendent or chief medical and prohibit discrimination in the fields of education, officer of the concerned hospital. employment, healthcare, holding or disposing of € Equal Opportunity Policy: property, holding public or private office and access z Every establishment has been mandated to to and use of public services and benefits. formulate an equal opportunity policy for ¾ Background: transgender persons with certain specific € In 2014, the Supreme Court of India, in the case information as prescribed under the law. of the National Legal Services Authority versus z This will help create inclusive establishments Union of India, established the foundation for like inclusive education, etc. the rights of transgender persons in India by „ The process of inclusion also requires creation recognising ‘transgender’ as a ‘third gender’ and of infrastructure facilities like separate wards laying down several measures for prohibition of in hospitals and washrooms (unisex toilets). discrimination against transgender persons and € Complaint Officer: protection of their rights. z Every establishment has been mandated to € The judgment recommended reservations for designate a person as a complaint officer to transgenders in jobs and educational institutions handle complaints from transgender persons. and their right to declare the self-perceived gender identity without undergoing a sex reassignment € Transgender Protection Cell: surgery. z Every state government will also have to set ¾ Key Features of the Law Relating to Transgender up a Transgender Protection Cell under District Persons: Mgistrate and Director general of Police to € Definitions: monitor offence against transgender persons. € z Definitions of‘person with intersex variation’and Welfare schemes: ‘transgender person’ have been provided to z The government has been mandated to formulate include trans men and trans women (whether or welfare schemes and programs which are not such person has undergone sex reassignment transgender sensitive, non-stigmatising and surgery, hormone or other therapy). non-discriminatory. € Non-discrimination: € Medical Care Facilities: z It prohibits the discrimination of transgender z The government has been mandated to set persons at educational establishments, in up separate Human Immunodeficiency Virus

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(HIV) sero-surveillance centres to conduct ¾ Significance of the Conference: sero-surveillance for transgender persons; € The conference this year holds significance in provide for medical care facilities including sex achieving the United Nations General Assembly reassignment surgery and hormonal therapy; (UNGA) commitment to end Acquired Immuno- and provide for a coverage of medical expenses Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) by 2030. by a comprehensive insurance scheme for z Member States of the GPC had agreed to reduce surgeries and other therapies. new adult HIV infections by75% at the end of € National Council for Transgender Persons: 2020 from 2010 levels. z Constitution of the NCT to advise the government ¾ India at the Conference: for the formulation and monitoring of policies and € Acknowledged that Global AIDS response has shown redress the grievances of transgender persons. remarkable success in reducing new infections, € Offences and Penalties: improving access to prevention services for key z Offences, like indulging transgender persons in population and treatment services for People forced or bonded labour or denial of access to Living with HIV (PLHIV), reducing AIDS related public places or physical, emotional or sexual mortality, enabling reduction in mother to child abuse. transmission of HIV and creating an enabling z Other offences committed under the provisions of environment. the Transgender Persons Act, are punishable with z GPC has shown to the world a model where imprisonment for a term of at least six months, multiple stakeholders can come together and extending up to two years along with fine. work cohesively towards a common goal. € Observed that the global AIDS response in general Global Coalition Against HIV has been a fountainhead of innovative service delivery models with rich civil society involvement Why in News and cross learning. ¾ India Against HIV: Recently, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare digitally addressed the Ministerial meeting of € India’s unique HIV prevention model: the Global Prevention Coalition (GPC) for Human z Aim: To provide outreach, service delivery, immunodeficiency virus(HIV) Prevention. counselling & testing and ensuring linkages ¾ It was hosted by Joint United Nations Programme on to HIV care HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and United Nations Population z Centered around the concept of Social Contract- Fund (UNFPA) on behalf of the Global HIV Prevention ing through which the Targeted Interventions Coalition (GPC). (TI) programme is implemented. € Protected the gains made in HIV during Covid-19 Key Notes by taking swift and timely action to reach out to ¾ Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC): the last mile with a robust implementation plan € It is a global coalition of United Nations Member for Anti-Retroviral drugs ( ARV)dispensation. States, donors, civil society organizations which z Advisories and guidance notes were issued by was established in the year 2017 to support global National Aids Control Organization(NACO) from efforts to accelerate HIV prevention. time to time aligned with global guidelines in € Membership: It includes the 25 highest HIV burden the context. countries, UNAIDS Cosponsors, donors, civil society € Revamped its Targeted Intervention (TI) programme and private sector organizations. to focus on hard-to-reach populations to keep € Goal: To strengthen and sustain political commitment its commitments- People living in prisons and for primary prevention by setting a common agenda other closed settings were considered as priority among key policy-makers, funders and programme populations and interventions launched were implementers. gradually scaled up since 2016.

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z The HIV Counselling & Testing Services (HCTS) ¾ The report came ahead of the World Children’s Day and Community based Screening of HIV for (20th November). improving early diagnosis were also ramped up. Key Points z The coverage of testing for HIV across the country was increased to achieve the Elimination of ¾ About the Report: Mother to Child Transmission of HIV. € It is the first UNICEF report to comprehensively z The Test and Treat Policy: Approximately 50,000 outline the dire and growing consequences for PLHIV who were lost to follow-up were linked children as the pandemic goes on. back to Antiretroviral Treatment services € It shows that while symptoms among infected through Mission SAMPARK, while Viral Load children remain mild, infections are rising and the Testingfacilities have been scaled up from the longer-term impact on the education, nutrition existing ten public sector labs to 64 labs across and well-being of an entire generation of children the country. and young people can be life-altering. € Enacted The Human Immunodeficiency Virus and ¾ Data Analysis: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention € Children and adolescents account for 1 in 9 reported and Control) Act, 2017 which has provided a legal Covid-19 infections. and enabling framework for safeguarding the human € As of the beginning of November 2020, children rights of the infected and affected populations. and adolescents accounted for 11% of the 25.7 € Project Sunrise: million infections reported across 87 countries. z A new initiative called ‘Project Sunrise’ was € It estimated thata third of the countries analysed, launched by the Ministry of Health and Family witnessed a drop of at least 10% in coverage of Welfare in 2016, to tackle the rising HIV health services and there was a 40% decline in prevalence in north-eastern states in India, the coverage of nutrition services for women and especially among people injecting drugs. children across 135 countries. € Helping the world: € As of October 2020, 265 million children were still z India’s provision of generic (ARV) to the world missing out on school meals globally. has had a critical impact in controlling the HIV € 65 countries reported a decrease in-home visits epidemic. by social workers in September 2020, compared z India is ready to extend its unique HIV prevention to 2019. model to the rest of the world by tailoring the ¾ Concerns: intervention as per local settings. € These numbers bust the myth that children are ¾ Other international initiatives against AIDS: barely affected by the disease, which has been € The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and prevalent throughout the pandemic. Malaria (GFATM) € Disruptions to key services and soaring poverty z Founded in 2002, it is a partnership organization rates pose the biggest threat to children and the designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, longer the crisis persists, the deeper its impact on tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics. children’s education, health, nutrition and well-being. € Vulnerabilities of women and children have Covid-19 and Children: UNICEF increased, as health services continue to be disrupted and schools shut, denying children free mid-day meals offered at schools for underprivileged children. Why in News € While children could transmit the virus to each Recently, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) other and to older age groups, there was strong has released the report “Averting a lost Covid generation”, evidence that, with basic safety measures in which highlights significant and growing consequences place, the net benefits of keeping schools open of Covid-19 on children. outweighed the costs of closing them.

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z Schools are not the main driver of community € Guarantee access to nutritionand health services transmission, and children are more likely to and make vaccines affordable and available to get the virus outside of school settings. every child. ¾ India Specific Highlights: € Support and protect the mental health of children € Infections in Under 20: and young people and bring an end to abuse, gender-based violence and neglect in childhood. z As per data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on the dashboard of the € Increase access to safe drinking water, sanitation and National Centre for Disease Control, 11.89% hygiene and address environmental degradation of Covid-19 cases in India are in under 20. and climate change. € Education: € Reverse the rise in child poverty and ensure an inclusive recovery for all. z 1.5 million school closures have impacted 247 million children enrolled in elementary and € Redouble efforts to protect and support children secondary education and 28 million children and their families living through conflict, disaster who were attending pre-school education in and displacement. Anganwadi Centres. World Children’s Day € Nutrition: ¾ It is celebrated on 20th Nov each year to promote z An estimated20 million children under 5 years international togetherness and awareness among of age are suffering fromwasting (low weight for children worldwide, and improve children’s welfare. height), over 40 million children are chronically ¾ The date of 20th November is an important date malnourished and more than half of the Indian because, on this date, the United Nations General women aged 15-49 years are anaemic. Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights z The pandemic has further exposed the fragility of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the of children, less by the virus itself but much Rights of the Child in 1989. more by the indirect and long-term fallout. € Convention on the Rights of the Childrecognises € Newborn Mortality: every human being under 18 years old as a child z Covid-19 poses a grave threat to the gains and is the world’s most widely ratified human made by India in the Neonatal Mortality Rate rights treaty. (NMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) which € India ratified it in 1992. saw improvements in recent years. „ NMR is defined as the ‘number of deaths Hidden Epidemic during the first 28 completed days of life per 1,000 live births in a given year or period’. Why In News „ IMR is defined as the ‘number of deaths of children under the age of 1 year per 1000 A new research published recently in Diabetologia live births for a given year.’ (journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) highlights the vulnerability of indian youth € Sanitation: towards diabetes. z The socio-economic stress and migration resulting due to the Covid-19 put access to Key Points toilets and the practice of using them at risk. ¾ The research titled “Lifetime risk of diabetes in z The schools which offeredimproved access to metropolitan cities in India,’’ was done by a team and quality of water, sanitation and hygiene of authors in India, UK and the USA, led by Shammi facilities are closed and the facilities are not Luhar, Department of Public Health and Primary accessed. Care, University of Cambridge, UK ¾ Recommendations: ¾ Findings of the study: € Ensure all children learn, including by closing the € More than half of men (55%) and two thirds (65%) digital divide. of women aged 20 years in India are more likely

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to develop diabetes, with most of those cases € Decreased levels of physical activity (around 95%) likely to be type 2 diabetes (T2D) ¾ Prevention or postponing diabetes by effective in their lifetime. lifestyle modification, such :as z Type 2 diabetes: € Following a healthy diet „ It affects the way the body uses insulin. While € Increasing physical activity the body still makes insulin, unlike in type I, € Reducing body weight in those who are obese or the cells in the body do not respond to it as overweight. effectively as they once did. „ The population with 45 and above age groups is the most affected with it. „ This is the most common type of diabetes and it has strong links with obesity. € Lifetime risk of developing diabetes in 20 year old men and women free of diabetes today is 56% and 65%, respectively. € Obesity has a significant impact on vulnerability to diabetes. z 86% higher among 20 year old women and 87% among men of metropolitan area. € India currently has 77 million adults who have diabetes and this number is expected to almost double to 134 million by 2045. Diabetes € Women generally had a higher lifetime risk of ¾ Diabetes is a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) developing diabetes across their lifespan. that occurs either when the pancreas does not € Remaining lifetime risk of developing diabetes produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates declined with age. As per researchers, those blood sugar, or glucose), or when the body cannot currently aged 60 years and free of diabetes, are effectively use the insulin it produces. less likely to develop diabetes in their remaining life. ¾ Types: ¾ Sources of data for the study: € Type I diabetes: It is also known as juvenile € Sex and BMI-specific incidence rates of diabetes in diabetes (as it mostly affects children of age 14- urban India taken from the Centre for Cardiomet- 16 years), this type occurs when the body fails abolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (2010–2018); to produce sufficient insulin. People with type € Age, sex and urban-specific rates of mortality from I diabetes are insulin-dependent, which means period lifetables reported by the Government of they must take artificial insulin daily to stay alive. India (2014); € Gestational diabetes: This type occurs in women € Prevalence of diabetes from the Indian Council for during pregnancy when the body sometimes Medical Research India Diabetes study (2008–2015). becomes less sensitive to insulin. Gestational ¾ Impact of high probabilities of developing diabetes: diabetes does not occur in all women and usually € Overburdening of already strained health resolves after giving birth. Infrastructure of the country. ¾ Diabetes affects the five major organs namely, € Increase out-of-pocket expenditure on diabetes Kidney, Heart, Blood vessels, Nervous System, treatment by patients. and Eyes (retina). ¾ Causes of such high incidences of diabetes: ¾ The factors responsible for the increase in diabetes are € Urbanisation an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, harmful use of alcohol, overweight/obesity, tobacco use, etc. € Decreasing diet quality

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Highlights z Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile System z Sea Guardian Drones from US z Land-attack Version of BrahMos Missile

¾ Functioning: Quick Reaction € The QRSAM weapon ensemble which functions on Surface-to-Air Missile System the move consists of a fully automated command and control system. Why in News z It also consists of two radars viz. Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar and Active Array Recently, the Defence Research and Development Battery Multifunction Radar, with onelauncher . Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test-fired theQuick z Both radars have 360-degree coverage with Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile(QRSAM) system, at the “search on move” and “track on move” Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off Odisha coast. capabilities. ¾ The test was in continuation of a series of missile € The system is compact, uses a tests conducted by DRDO over the past two months. single-stage solid propelled missile and has a mid-course inertial Key Points navigation system with two-way data link and terminal active seeker developed indigenously ¾ QRSAM is a canister-based system, which means that by DRDO. it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments. € In the canister, the Land-attack inside environment Version of BrahMos Missile is controlled, thus along with making its transport and Why in News storage easier, the Recently, India has successfully test-fired a land- shelf life of weapons also improves significantly. attack version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile ¾ The system is capable of detecting and tracking targets from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. on the move and engaging targets with short halts. ¾ The test by the Army comes over a month after the ¾ Range and Mobility: Naval version of BrahMos was successfully test- € It is a short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) fired from Indian Navy’s indigenously-built stealth system, primarily designed and developed by DRDO destroyer INS Chennai. to provide a protective shield to moving armoured columns of the Army from enemy aerial attacks. Key Points :Features of New Land-atack Version The entire weapon system has been configured ¾ € on a mobile and manoeuvrable platform and is € The range of the missile has been extended to capable of providing air defence on the move. 400 km from the original 290 km but its speed € It has been designed for induction into the Army has been maintained at 2.8 Mach or almost three and has a range of 25 to 30 km. times the speed of sound.

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€ The test was done in a “top-attack” configuration. z Depending upon the speed, such missiles are z Most modern missiles, including BrahMos, can classified as Subsonic (around 0.8 Mach), be fired in both top-attack and direct attack Supersonic (2-3 Mach) and Hypersonic cruise modes. missiles (more than 5 Mach). z In top attack mode, the missile is required to € It is the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile, climb sharply after launch, travel at a certain as well as the fastest anti-ship cruise missile in altitude and then fall on top of the target. operation. € z In direct attack mode, the missile travels at a It operates on the “Fire and Forget” principle, i.e lower altitude, directly striking the target. it does not require further guidance after launch. ¾ Significance of the Test: € The missile has a flight range up to 290-km. However, India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control € These tests are a display of India’s tactical cruise Regime (MTCR) has extended the range of the missile triad, i.e. launch capability from land, sea BrahMos missile to reach 450-600 km. and air platforms. € Various versions of BrahMos, including those that z India has already deployed a sizable number can be fired from land, warships, submarines and of the original BrahMos missiles and other Sukhoi-30 fighter jets, have already been developed key assets in several strategic locations along and successfully tested in the past. the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in z A hypersonic version of the missile, capable Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. of reaching a speed of 5 Mach, is under € The test marks the achievement of a critical development. milestone in enhancing India’s capability of engaging the enemy’s vitally important targets in-depth areas. Sea Guardian Drones from US € In the last two-and-half months, India has test-fired a number of missiles including an anti-radiation Why in News missile named Rudram-1 which is planned to be Recently, two American MQ9B Sea Guardian un- inducted into service by 2022. armed drones have been inducted by the Indian Navy. ¾ BrahMos Missile: ¾ The drones would be on lease with India for one year. € An amalgamation of the names of Brahmaputra Key Points river and Moskva river (Russia), BrahMos missiles are designed, developed and produced by BrahMos ¾ MQ9B Sea Guardian: Aerospace. € It is the maritime z BrahMos Aerospace variant of the Predator is a joint venture MQ9 Unmanned company set up by Aerial Vehicle (UAV). the Defence Re- € It has a maximum endurance of 40 hours and a search and Devel- maximum flying altitudeof 40,000 feet. opment Organisation (DRDO) and Mashinos- € It has a 3600 maritime surveillance radar and an troyenia of Russia. optional multimode maritime surface search radar. € It is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile € It can be used in operationssuch as Anti-Surface which can be launched from submarines, ships, Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare, Humanitarian aircraft or land. Assistance/Disaster Relief, Search and Rescue, Law z Cruise missiles are defined as “an unmanned Enforcement (Drug Trafficking, Illegal Immigration self-propelled guided vehicle that sustains flight and Piracy), etc. through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight ¾ Procurement: path and whose primary mission is to place an € The Navy has for the first time inducted two ordnance or special payload on a target.” surveillance drones through a lease agreement

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with an American firm, using the emergency powers aircraft that have been developed by Boeing granted by the Centre to the Armed forces amid company. the China standoff. z Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon is designed for long-range z Under the emergency power, the government Anti-Submarine warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface has granted emergency funds up to Rs. 500 crore Warfare (ASuW), and intelligence, surveillance per procurement project to the three armed and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. services to buy ammunition and weapons in € As part of its force restructuring to offset budgetary view of the escalating border standoff with China. constraints, the Navy is looking to induce more € Drones were procured under the option for leasing unmanned solutions in future. military platforms introduced in the Defence € Till the time the government approves buying the Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. drones, which has to get the Defence Acquisition ¾ Significance: Council’s nod, leasing is a more economic and € The drones are meant for carrying out surveillance viable option. in the Indian Ocean Region and can be deployed z The Defence Acquisition Council is the highest on the China border if asked for and if needed. decision-making body in the Defence Ministry for z Already the Navy’s P8I Poseidon aircraft have deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions been deployed in Ladakh. for the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) z The P-8I aircraft is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon and the Indian Coast Guard.

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Highlights z Lilavati Award-2020 z NDB Loan to India

The first prize winner will getRs. 1 lakh, the second Lilavati Award-2020 winner will get Rs. 75,000 and the third winner will get Rs. 50,000. Why in News ¾ Other government initiatives for the welfareof girl Recently, the Union Minister of Education virtually child and women: launched the Lilavati Award-2020. € Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana: It is a small saving scheme under the Government of India which Key Points focuses on encouraging the parents of the female child for building a fund for their future education ¾ About: and marriage expenses. € The award has been named after the12 th century € Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: The scheme is aimed at book called “Lilavati”. The book was written by promoting gender equality and the significance the mathematician Bhaskara II. of educating girls. z Lilavati was thedaughter of Indian Mathematician € CBSE Udaan: It is aimed at promoting girl edu- Bhaskara II. cation and addressing the issue of lowering of € It is AICTE’s (All India Council for Technical girl enrollment rates in engineering colleges in Education) Innovative education program to the nation. It is going to provide a platform for empower women. empowerment of girl students and will provide € All the stakeholders (especially the girl students) better learning opportunities for them. in AICTE approved institutions would get an € Smart India Hackathon: It is a nationwide initiative opportunity to present a solutionto the prevalent to provide students (with a minimum one woman issues of gender discrimination, such as illiteracy, in the team of six) a platform to solve some of the unemployment, economic and nutritional pressing problems of daily lives, and thus inculcate disparities, maternal mortality, human rights, etc. a culture of product innovation and a mindset of ¾ Theme: Women Empowerment problem solving. ¾ Objective: To create awareness about issues like sanitation, hygiene, health, nutrition, literacy, NDB employment, technology, credit, marketing, innovation, skill development, natural resources Loan to India and rights among women. ¾ Areas Covered: Women’s health, self defense, sanitation, Why in News literacy, entrepreneurship and legal awareness. Recently, a 500-million dollar loan agreement was ¾ Benefit: Ensures the participation of women and signed between the Union government, the Ministry of enables them to hold higher positions in educational Housing and Urban Affairs, National Capital Region (NCR) institutions. Transport Corporation Limitedand the New Development ¾ Prize: In each sub-category, the top three winners will Bank (NDB) for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional be awarded with certificates as well as prize money. Rapid Transit System (RRTS).

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Key Points z It will help in reducing traffic congestion and total emissions from the transport sector in NCR. ¾ Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System. ¾ Other Contributors: The total project cost is estimated at 3,749 million dollars, which will be financed by the € It is an 82.15 km long, under-construction, NDB, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), semi-high speed rail corridor connecting Delhi- Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan Fund for Ghaziabad-Meerut. Poverty Reduction, government and other sources. € It is one of the three rapid-rail corridors planned under Phase-I of Regional Rapid Transport System New Development Bank (RRTS) project of National Capital Region Transport ¾ It is a multilateral development bank jointly founded Corporation (NCRTC). by the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and € Benefits: South Africa) at the 6th BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, z The Project will provide a fast, reliable, safe Brazil in 2014. and comfortable public transport system in ¾ It was formed to support infrastructure and the NCR. sustainable development efforts in BRICS and z The project will serve as a demonstration for other underserved, emerging economies for faster developing high-capacity rapid urban transit development through innovation and cutting-edge corridors in other urban areas of India. technology. ¾ It is headquartered at Shanghai, China. z High-speed connectivity will result in balanced economic development across the region, leading ¾ In 2018, the NDB received observer status in the to economic benefits to all strata of society United Nations General Assembly, establishing a and many nodes of development rather than firm basis for active and fruitful cooperation with all economic activity happening at one place. the United Nations.

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