1. PM Modi Tasks Entire Council of Ministers To Suggest Governance Reforms READ MORE
2. In India, five people die in official custody every day. How does the law deal with these? READ MORE
3. Constitutional Values in Danger Say Former Civil Servants READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Kaiser-i-Hind is Arunachal’s State butterfly: The insect with a 90-120 mm wingspan is found in the eastern Himalayas. READ MORE
2. Tiger tourism in Nallamala Hills: Package includes cottage stay, educational tour, jungle safari, trek up to Umamaheshwaram Temple READ MORE
3. In the den of marmots READ MORE
4. The tongue of pearls: Mutribi al-Asamm Samarqandi’s ‘Conversations with Emperor Jahangir’ READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. PM Modi Tasks Entire Council of Ministers To Suggest Governance Reforms READ MORE
2. In India, five people die in official custody every day. How does the law deal with these? READ MORE
3. Constitutional Values in Danger Say Former Civil Servants READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Nearly 51 million internally displaced in 33 countries in the first half of 2021: UN READ MORE
2. POCSO’s child-friendly policies are good in theory, but practically we need to do better READ MORE
3. On the anxiety-driven pursuit of cultural purity READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Striding back into the Afghan theatre: Though challenging, it would be a mistake to consider that there is no space for India to operate in Afghanistan READ MORE
2. Is the India-China conflict intractable? READ MORE
3. AUKUS: A new Cold War against China READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India can contribute more to global growth READ MORE
2. Message from MGNREGA: Low-skill manufacturing jobs needed to sustain economic growth READ MORE
3. Opening govt bond market to retail investors is a good start. Challenge is making it a success READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Explained: What COP26 achieved, didn’t READ MORE
2. Net-zero commitment has been made. It must now be met READ MORE

SECURITY

1. A lost cause: Despite severe losses, the Maoists refuseto acknowledge the futility of their cause READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. PM Modi Tasks Entire Council of Ministers To Suggest Governance Reforms READ MORE
2. Constitutional Values in Danger Say Former Civil Servants READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. How far do you agree with the view that the formation of AUKUS could harbinger a new cold war in the Asia-Pacific? Analyse your view.
2. Critically analyse India’s three-decade journey under the new economic policy. Do you think the reforms are failing at the social front? Analyse your view.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.
• It must act continually in winning over the support of tribals in the region and retaining their faith in the liberal democratic institutions of the state.
• Indian economic interests demand its presence in Afghanistan. There is no time to lose for this purpose. A heavy and long-term price will have to be paid otherwise.
• From the anger against a Fabindia ad to the ban on cutting the cake at Kodava weddings, it is shrinking our social and cultural spaces.
• The constraints to growth such as supply-side bottlenecks, financial inadequacies and macroeconomic volatility are waning.
• Our foreign policy and diplomacy are showing signs of pedantry and resembling post-doctoral research work on international relations and the world order.
• The AUKUS is a new war game. It is not just about making nuclear submarines in Australia. A New Cold War is coming up. It has already started.
• India needs to create low-skill manufacturing jobs to be able to generate and sustain higher growth in the medium term.
• The World Happiness Report which is brought out by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network measures subjective wellbeing by relying on life evaluations, positive emotions and negative emotions.
• What is at stake is no less than the life and liberty of the poor and the disadvantaged and the hard-won rights of the people of India under the Constitution.

50- WORD TALK

• With not even 60% of the target 188 crore vaccine doses administered, there is a long way to go for the Covid-19 vaccination drive in India. However, with daily new cases coming down to the pre-second wave level in February, vaccine hesitancy and complacency appear to be the biggest challenges. At this juncture, the vaccination campaign in India can benefit from expert technical inputs & guidance and a robust operational strategy.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the main point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

THE CONTEXT: India is facing a severe pandemic in its independence era. During the Second Wave of the covid-19 Pandemic, the situation has become more worsen. During this time many experts and other intellectuals claimed that India was completely failed to address the crisis that occurred by the Pandemic. Moreover, many experts believe that India is a failed state and it was totally failed to secure its citizen during that pandemic. In this article, we will analyse that Is India a failing state? Or Is India a really failed state?

HEALTH CRISIS DURING SECOND WAVE OF COVIS-19 PANDEMIC

• The second wave in India was accelerated in March 2021 and in the last of April, it was on peak. During this time India saw the highest no. of cases in the World for many days.
• At the starting of May India saw an average of more than 4,00,000 cases per day and more than 4000 deaths per day for a week.
• The scenario created a deadly health crisis in India and there were many cases when people were struggling for basic health services even in Metro cities.
• During the wave, India crosses 3 crores positive cases and 3 lakh deaths.
• The positivity rate during the wave was more than 30 per cent at the starting of May 2021.
• The crisis was more worsen in Rural areas.
• There was news about floating dead bodies in Rivers and Buried on their Bank.
• In conclusion, it can be said that it was the most deadly second wave in the world.

WHY DOES INDIA FAIL TO ADDRESS THE SECOND WAVE EFFECTIVELY?

There are mainly ten reasons for the dire situation:

1. WARNINGS BY EXPERTS WENT UNHEEDED: Genome sequencing was not prioritised even after concerns were articulated about mutants causing a second wave.
2. NOT AUGMENTING THE MEDICAL WORKFORCE: A dire shortage of health professionals has crippled India’s fight against Covid.
3. THE VANISHING HOSPITAL BEDS: Across states, health infrastructure created during the first wave was dismantled under the delusion that the pandemic was over.
4. FAILING THE CRUCIAL TEST: After expanding testing labs on a war footing in the first wave, the momentum was lost even before the second hit.
5. GOING OFF TRACK: With states going lax on contact tracing and tracking of positive cases, the virus was left to spread unchecked
6. THE BOOM IN BLACK MARKET FOR KEY DRUGS: The government’s failure to build up a stockpile of special drugs for covid treatment has left millions of Indians desperate
7. GRAVE ERRORS IN OXYGEN SUPPLY: One of the biggest lessons for medical institutions from the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic was that more than ventilators and ICU beds, what was essential was an adequate supply of oxygen in hospitals to treat critically ill patients. Nonetheless, when the second wave of the pandemic arrived earlier this year, India’s medical oxygen supply network collapsed.
8. THE VACCINE COMPLACENCY: India’s vaccine rollout was abysmally slow, marred by official complacency and a lack of vision about its critical role in fighting return waves.
9. A WAR ROOM THAT WORKS: The fight against Covid has lacked a nationwide technology solution to route help to the needy but there was clearly a lack of this step.
10. THE ABSENT STATE: While the government failed to perform its duty and instead focused on political rewards. Despite the warning by the experts, govt. organized many events

The above explanation shows that the second wave in India was a total failure of health services, administration and in term of governance at the centre, state, district level.

IS INDIA A FAILED STATE? AN ANALYSIS

WHAT IS A FAILED STATE?

• A failed state is one where the government is not in control. This is a simplistic explanation. In control of what? In control of the rule of law, the economy, security, stability and development.
• India’s history as a formal democracy and its generally benign image around the world has hidden our fragility elsewhere. Everyone knows that the State in India is weak, and the government is unable to control the nation meaningfully across a variety of subjects. This is not new, and this was always the case.

Fragile Index (Previously called the Failed States Index) shows India is headed into a scary future

• It categorises nation-states are being one of 11 categories in terms of risk and vulnerability in social cohesion, the economy and in the political space.
• The nations that are classified as being successful and most likely to sustain their success are the Nordic countries of Finland, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, along with some others like Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
• India is not in this category or the next one or even the one after that, which are sustainable or even stable.
• It is in a category fifth from the bottom, which is classified as “Elevated Warning”. Our fellow category members are those like Colombia, Brazil, Israel, Algeria, Russia and Senegal.
• There are 30 nations in this category, but only four of the 30 have declined since last year — Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and India.
• It says because of the current government’s “poorly thought out and implemented reforms, India’s economic growth has slowed, declining to its lowest nominal level since 1978.

Is India really failing?

India has improved steadily over the past 30 years. India’s progress on these fronts has been, in general, superior to other large Emerging Markets (EMs) and to India’s immediate neighbours. If we compare India with emerging markets (China, Russia, and Brazil) and neighbouring countries (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan), we can easily assume that India has done very well in many fields..

Few comparisons are as follow (Source: United Nations Development Programme and World Bank database):

1. Life Expectancy

• Life expectancy at birth is the number of years a person is expected to survive. Exhibit 1 shows progress on this metric for India, large EMs and India’s neighbours.

• In the chart above, the rate of growth in life expectancy can be seen between 6 sets of countries on average and India. It is evident that India’s rate of growth – in terms of the number of years lived – has been the highest – even above that of the EMs – over the last 30 years

2. Infant mortality

• Infant mortality per 1000 live births is the measure of the number of deaths at birth for every 1000 live births. It has long been seen as a reliable measure of the ability of a state to provide basic health services to its people. Exhibit 2 shows progress on this metric for India in comparison to its neighbours and other large EMs. Whilst India has performed better than its neighbours, the other large EMs have performed significantly better than India on this front.

3. Average literacy rate

• This metric measures the number of people who are literate (over 15 years of age) as a percentage of the total population. Exhibit 4 shows this metric over the years for India, its neighbours, and large EMs. India clearly surpassed its neighbours and large EMs in terms of the rate of growth in literacy rate over the past three decades.

4. Average Human Development Index (HDI)

• This metric is a mixture of three metrics – life expectancy, the standard of living at Gross National Income, and education in terms of expected and mean years of schooling. Exhibit 6 shows this composite index for India, India’s neighbours, and large EMs. The exhibit makes it amply clear that in terms of the rate of growth in HDI, India has beat both, its neighbours and large EMs over the last 30 years.

5. Average GDP per capita (constant $ 2017 PPP)

• This metric measures GDP per capita that is converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity rates. It measures the overall income for countries on an equal footing. Exhibit 7 shows this data for India, its neighbours, and large EMs. The conclusion is self-evident from the chart.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO ADDRESS THE THIRD WAVE OR OTHER SECOND WAVE-LIKE SITUATIONS IN FUTURE?

1. There is an urgent need to rapidly act to prevent transmission and mount crisis response and state-wise estimates are provided. Using a multi-model approach, with the worst-case scenario being considered for planning and strategy development.
2. Adoption of a graded public health response for movement restriction and scaling it up guided by multi-indicator technical criteria.
3. A state-level dashboard that captures indicators guiding the graded public health response might be developed to ensure better decision making and build citizen trust in restriction measures.
4. A multi-component community-based intervention to remove barriers to access and promote mask usage consisting of the following components needs to be invested in and scaled up across India:
   1. Engaging community-based organisations to ensure availability of free surgical masks (free door-to-door distribution of surgical mask would be an appropriate strategy after the surge is over),
   2. Offering information on mask usage and disposal with videos on tab, brochure in local languages and other community-based platforms,
   3. Endorsement and advocacy by local community leaders – healthcare, social, political and cultural,
   4. Periodic in-person monitoring of mask usage including providing reminders and distribution in public spaces,
   5. Development of protocols for disposal of masks in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.
5. Ensuring health system preparedness:
6. Urgent investments to ensure the scaling up of a crisis health system (for both COVID and non-COVID needs) is required.
7. Shortfalls in ventilator requirements, after purchase through routine supply chains and those received through aid, might be met by requesting support from organisations with the capacity to manufacture open source ventilators.
8. There is an urgent need to support people with COVID-19 who can undergo home care safely and scale-up telemedicine provided by registered medical practitioners.
9. Telemedicine facilities should be linked to transportation and hospital admission facilities such that severe patients can be optimally managed.
10. The government needs to urgently develop and implement a fair, just and transparent triaging criterion for rational allocation of beds, oxygen, and other critical care resources in consultation with bioethicists. Evidence on different triaging strategies is presented in the form of an inventory.

CONCLUSION: Looking at the above analysis shows that it will not be fair to say that India is a failed or failing state. While India has lost a lot to COVID 19 in 2020 and 2021, one must not forget that it has achieved a lot in the last 7 decades.

ART AND CULTURE

1. KARTARPUR CORRIDOR

THE CONTEXT: BJP leaders from Punjab, met PM and requested him to reopen the Kartarpur corridor before Gurpurab, which falls on November 19. The pilgrimage to the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara was suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 outbreak. 

ABOUT KARTARPUR CORRIDOR

• Guru Nanak is the founder and first Guru of Sikhism.
• He was born in 1469 at Talwandi Rai Bhoe near Lahore. The place is renamed later Nankana Sahib.
• He undertook preaching tours, also called Udasis, to spread his message.
• In the later years of his life, Guru Nanak settled down at the township of Kartarpur, on the banks of river Ravi in Punjab.
• Kartarpur Corridor connects the Dera Baba Nanak Sahib Gurdwara in the India’s state of Punjab to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur shrine in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province.
• It runs across over Ravi River.
• The Gurdwara Darbar Sahib was ordered by the Maharaja of Patiala between 1921-1929.
• Guru Nanak died at the age of 70. He appointed Bhai Lena as his successor and renamed him, Guru Angad.

SOURCE: TH

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

2. CITIZENS’ TELE-LAW MOBILE APP

THE CONTEXT: Union Minister of Law and Justice launched the Citizen’s Tele-Law Mobile App.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Tele-Law: Reaching the Unreached e-interface platform was launched in 2017 by the Department of Justice, to strengthen the pre-litigation mechanism in the country.
• This is operational in 51,434 Common Service Centres across 50,000 Gram Panchayats in 633 districts Tele-Law leverages technology (viz. tele-video conferencing facilities) to connect the beneficiary with the Panel Lawyer to seek legal advice and consultation for early redressal of their grievance.
• Expanding its reach and ambit the Citizens’ Tele-Law Mobile App intends to widen the access to increased legal information and empowers the masses to identify their problem and choose from the appropriate forum of dispute redressal to claim their entitlements and rights by connecting the beneficiary directly to the Panel Lawyer or with the assistance of Para Legal Volunteers, Village Level entrepreneurs, in case of a beneficiary who are unable to read or write.
• The consultation is available free of cost to those entitled to free legal aid under Section 12 of Legal Service Authority, whereas Others could avail at Rs 30/ per consultation.

SOURCE: PIB

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

3. KEY TAKEAWAYS OF COP26

THE CONTEXT:  The Glasgow climate meeting has ended with a pact weaker than many had hoped for. Among its successes, a global pledge to reduce methane emissions, and resolution of the carbon market deadlock.

ABOUT COP26

• The Glasgow meeting was the 26th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change or COP26. These meetings are held every year to construct a global response to climate change. Each of these meetings produces a set of decisions that are given different names. In the current case, this has been called the Glasgow Climate Pact.
• Earlier, these meetings have also delivered two treaty-like international agreements, the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement in 2015. While the Kyoto Protocol expired last year, the Paris Agreement is now the active instrument to fight climate change.
• The main task for COP26 was to finalise the rules and procedures for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Most of these rules had been finalized by 2018, but a few provisions, like the one relating to the creation of new carbon markets, had remained unresolved.
• However, due to clear evidence of worsening of the climate crisis in the six years since the Paris Agreement was finalized, host country United Kingdom was keen to ensure that Glasgow, instead of becoming merely a “procedural” COP, was a turning point in enhancing climate actions. The effort was to push for an agreement that could put the world on a 1.5 degree Celsius pathway, instead of the 2 degree Celsius trajectory which is the main objective of the Paris Agreement.

WHAT WAS ACHIEVED?

• Mitigation: The Glasgow agreement has emphasised that stronger action in the current decade was most critical to achieving the 1.5-degree target. Accordingly, it has:

1. 1. Asked countries to strengthen their 2030 climate action plans, or NDCs (nationally-determined contributions), by next year
   2. Established a work programme to urgently scale-up mitigation ambition and implementation
   3. Decided to convene an annual meeting of ministers to raise the ambition of 2030 climate actions
   4. Called for an annual synthesis report on what countries were doing
   5. Requested the UN Secretary-General to convene a meeting of world leaders in 2023 to the scale-up ambition of climate action
   6. Asked countries to make efforts to reduce the usage of coal as a source of fuel, and abolish “inefficient” subsidies on fossil fuels
   7. Has called for a phase-down of coal, and phase-out of fossil fuels. This is the first time that coal has been explicitly mentioned in any COP decision.

• Adaptation: Most of the countries, especially the smaller and poorer ones, and the small island states, consider adaptation to be the most important component of climate action. These countries, due to their lower capacities, are already facing the worst impacts of climate change, and require immediate money, technology and capacity building for their adaptation activities. As such, the Glasgow Climate Pact has:

1. 1. Asked the developed countries to at least double the money being provided for adaptation by 2025 from the 2019 levels. In 2019, about $15 billion was made available for adaptation that was less than 20 per cent of the total climate finance flows. Developing countries have been demanding that at least half of all climate finance should be directed towards adaptation efforts.
   2. Created a two-year work programme to define a global goal on adaptation. Unlike mitigation efforts that bring global benefits, the benefits from adaptation are local or regional. There are no uniform global criteria against which adaptation targets can be set and measured.

Finance:  In 2009, developed countries had promised to mobilise at least $100 billion every year from 2020. This promise was reaffirmed during the Paris Agreement, which also asked the developed countries to scale up this amount from 2025. The 2020 deadline has long passed but the $100 billion promise has not been fulfilled. The developed nations have now said that they will arrange this amount by 2023.

ABOUT THE GLASGOW AGREEMENT

The deal aimed at staving off dangerous climate change has been struck at the COP26 summit in Glasgow. The pact has:

1. Expressed “deep regrets” over the failure of the developed countries to deliver on their $100 billion promise. It has asked them to arrange this money urgently and every year till 2025.
2. Initiated discussions on setting the new target for climate finance, beyond $100 billion for the post-2025 period.
3. Ask the developed countries to provide transparent information about the money they plan to provide.

• • Loss and Damage: Thanks to a push from many nations, substantive discussions on loss and damage could take place in Glasgow. The final agreement, which has acknowledged the problem and dealt with the subject at substantial length, has only established a “dialogue” to discuss arrangements for the funding of such activities. This is being seen as a major let-down.
  • Carbon Markets: The Glasgow Pact has offered some reprieve to the developing nations. It has allowed these carbon credits to be used in meeting countries’ first NDC targets. These cannot be used for meeting targets in subsequent NDCs. That means, if a developed country wants to buy these credits to meet its own emission reduction targets, it can do so till 2025. Most countries have presented climate targets for 2025 in their first NDCs. The resolution of the deadlock over carbon markets represents one of the major successes of COP26.

PARALLEL PROCESSES

A lot of substantial action in Glasgow happened in parallel processes that were not a part of the official COP discussions. These do not form part of the final agreed outcome, but Glasgow can certainly claim credit for facilitating these actions.

1. India announced a Panchamitra (a mixture of five elements) of climate actions. It raised the targets for two of its existing climate targets, announced two new ones, and also promised to turn net-zero by the year 2070. India’s new commitments created the maximum buzz on the first two days of the Glasgow meeting.
2. Several other countries also announced enhanced climate actions. Brazil, for example, said it would advance its net-zero target year from 2060 to 2050. China promised to come out with a detailed roadmap for its commitment to let emissions peak in 2030, and also for its 2060 net-zero target. Israel announced a net-zero target for 2050.
3. Over 100 countries pledged to reduce methane emissions by at least 30 per cent from present levels by 2030. Methane is a dangerous greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential nearly 80 times that of carbon dioxide over a 20-year time period. This pledge, if achieved, is estimated to avoid about 0.2 degrees Celsius temperature rise by the middle of the century. The methane pledge is being seen as one of the biggest successes at COP26.
4. Another set of over 100 countries promised to arrest and reverse deforestation by 2030.
5. Over 30 countries signed on to a declaration promising to work towards a transition to 100 per cent zero-emission cars by the year 2040, at least in the leading car markets of the world.

SOURCE: IE

4. KAISER-I-HIND

THE CONTEXT: Kaiser-i-Hind is Arunachal’s State butterfly.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialism) literally means Emperor of India. This butterfly with a 90-120 mm wingspan is found in six states along the eastern Himalayas at elevations from 6,000-10,000 feet in well-wooded terrain.
• The butterfly also flutters in Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and southern China.
• Although the Kaiser-i-Hind is protected under Schedule II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it is hunted for supply to butterfly collectors.
• The decision was taken by the State Cabinet meeting that was for the first time held outside State capital Itanagar at an unusual location — Pakke Tiger Reserve.
• The Cabinet also adopted the Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 declaration on climate change-resilient and responsive Arunachal Pradesh aimed at lowering emissions and sustainable development.

PROTECTED AREAS OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH

• Two National Parks: Mauling NP and Namdapha NP
• Three tiger reserves: Namdapha (Easternmost tiger reserve of India), Kamlang and Pakke (Pakhui) Tiger reserves.
• One biosphere reserve: DehangDibang Biosphere reserve

SOURCE: TH               

5. TIGER TOURISM IN NALLAMALA HILLS

THE CONTEXT: The lush green hills of Nallamala are now open for tourists to explore and learn from, thanks to the ecotourism package announced by the Telangana Forest Department.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Safari ride into the Amrabad Tiger Reserve will be part of the ‘Tiger Stay Package’ which is set to begin from November 17.
• Youth from the local Chenchu tribe will accompany the tourists on the ride and explain the culture of the particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG), besides providing assistance in spotting the wild animals.
• Amrabad tiger reserve in Telangana and Nagarjunsagar Srisailam tiger reserve in Andhra Pradesh are continuous protected areas located in two states.

SOURCE: TH               

INTERNAL SECURITY

7. MANIPUR AMBUSH

 THE CONTEXT: The People’s Liberation Army and the Manipur Naga People’s Front have jointly claimed responsibility for the ambush of an Assam Rifles convoy on Saturday (November 13) morning in Churachandpur district of Manipur, killing seven, including a Commanding officer, his wife and their five-year-old son. The ambush is one of the biggest in the state since the attack on the Dogra Rifles in 2015.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Bahiang, where the attack has taken place, borders Myanmar but falls under the territorial jurisdiction of the Zomi Revolutionary Army, a powerful insurgent group in Churachandpur. The question that local insurgent leaders have been asking is, how the PLA could have operated in this area without ZRA permission and have pointed to ZRA’s security lapse.
• Insurgent leaders have also pointed to the Myanmar coup as a reason for both the revival of insurgent activity as well as the choice of Churachandpur. The district neighbours Chin state in Myanmar where the political situation has been tenuous and there have been reports of human rights violations. An active People’s Defence Force, the armed wing of the National Unity Government, which claims to be Myanmar’s legitimate government, is believed to have pushed Indian insurgent groups towards the Indian border.
• The PLA has been one of the most active groups in the past but has remained dormant over the past 5-6 years. Leaders in other groups have pointed out that even in social programmes organised by insurgent groups – such as anti-drug campaigns, anti-AFSPA and other such protests – have been shunned by the PLA. So, their sudden violent activity has caused surprise.
• Unlike the tribal groups – such as the Naga NSCN-IM and NNPGs, or the 20 odd Kuki/Zomi groups which are in peace talks with the Indian government – the Meitei valley groups have to date not come to the table to discuss a solution with the Indian Government.
• There are six main valley groups in Manipur – the UNLF, PLA, KCP, KYKL, PREPAK, MPLF – apart from numerous splinter groups from each. All the groups operate out of Myanmar and raise funds for operations and arms largely through extortion.
• They use guerrilla tactics in their operations and the attacks on Indian security forces in the northeast are largely carried out by these groups.
• Their activity over the years has dwindled, however, with recruitment having stalled on one hand, and Myanmar’s increasing cooperation with India in recent years, placing pressure on the groups

ABOUT THE PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY (PLA)

• The group was founded on September 25, 1978, under the leadership of N. Bisheshwar, after having broken away from its parent body, the United National Liberation Front. In 1979, the PLA’s political wing Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) was set up.
• Like the UNLF, and many other splinter groups that would follow, the PLA was fighting for the secession of Manipur from India. While the PLA called for Kuki and Naga insurgents to join their ranks, it remains to this day dominated by the Imphal valley-based Meitei Hindu insurgents.
• Also, like other Meitei underground groups, in its initial years, PLA cadres were trained by the NSCN and held Marxist ideology.
• Its political wing, the RPF campaigned against the use of drugs, and banned alcohol in the state, often using violent means to impose these bans.
• Considered one of the strongest groups in Manipur, the PLA has been working out of Myanmar where they continue to have camps, like the other Meitei groups, and remain active with no ceasefire agreement with the Indian government and have so far not expressed any intention of peace talks with India.

SOURCE: IE                          

7. RUSSIA STARTS DELIVERY OF S-400 MISSILES

THE CONTEXT:   Russia has started delivery of the much-awaited S-400 missile system for deployment on schedule this year.

THE EXPLANATION:

• India had bought the system for over US$ 5 billion in 2018, in a deal that became contentious amid a threat of sanctions from the US on countries engaging in defence deals with Russia.
• There was no official word from the Indian side. The delivery of the weapons system was expected to begin before the end of this year. The delivery of parts has already begun through sea and air routes, sources said.
• India had bought five units of the system in 2018 and had made the first tranche of the payment, $800 million, a year later.
• The S-400 is among the most advanced air-defence systems in the world, with a range of around 400 km. It is capable of protecting its air defence bubble against rockets, missiles, cruise missiles and even aircraft.
• The system is already available with China, which has deployed it along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh amid the 18-month military standoff.

SOURCE : TH

MISCELLANEOUS

8. BIMAL PATEL ELECTED TO INTERNATIONAL LAW COMMISSION

THE CONTEXT:  Professor Bimal Patel, vice-chancellor of the Rashtriya Raksha University and member of the National Security Advisory Board of India, has been elected to the International Law Commission for a five-year term, in a hard-fought election at the United Nations.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Patel, 51, garnered 163 votes in the UN General Assembly out of 192 members present and voting, topping the Asia-Pacific group that included candidates from China, South Korea and Japan. He will serve a five-year term starting January 1, 2023.
• In the Asia-Pacific group, there were 11 strong candidates vying for 8 seats, making the election hotly contested.
• He has worked for 15 years at global organisations such as the United Nations of Youth and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the Hague, Netherlands, according to his profile on the Rashtriya Raksha University website.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL LAW COMMISSION

• The International Law Commission was established by the General Assembly in 1947 to undertake the mandate of the Assembly to “initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification.”
• The Statute of the International Law Commission provides that the Commission shall consist of 34 members who shall be persons of recognised competence in international law.

SOURCE: TheWire

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1.  Select the odd one out of the following:

a) Namdapha tiger reserve

b) Orang tiger reserve

c) Kamlang  tiger reserve

d) Pakke Tiger reserve

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 13^th, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1. Answer: B

Explanation:

• H-1B visas- For skilled workers, which are often used by the tech industry
• L visas- For executives, managers and specialized workers being transferred within a company
• H-2B visas- For seasonal workers
• J visas- For cultural exchange, including interns, trainees, teachers, camp counsellors and people participating in a summer work travel program
• H-4 visas – Family members who would accompany workers on H-1B visas

1. Newspapers and media crucial to protecting democratic ethos of the nation: Vice President READ MORE   
2. Make your life simple READ MORE

1. COP26: A Mixed Bag of promises and pledges READ MORE
2. COP26: The vulnerable States Call Climate Loss and Damage

1. Should India be wary of a radical B’desh? READ MORE
2. Can Inclusivity be Built Into Global Education Programmes? READ MORE

1. Reviving the Debate on Indian Secularism in the Age of Religious Nationalism READ MORE
2. How China Is Addressing Education Inequality READ MORE
3. Does the Court Tame the Government? READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. COVID-19 pandemic generated eight million tonnes of plastic waste: Study READ MORE
2. RBI Opens Government Bond Markets to Retail Investors READ MORE
3. Egypt to host COP27 international climate conference in 2022 -ministry READ MORE
4. US allows automatic job authorisation for spouses of H1-B visa holders READ MORE
5. Punjab Assembly Adopts Resolution Against Centre’s Farm Laws READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. The enduring relevance of Nehru’s legacy READ MORE
2. Should India be wary of a radical B’desh? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Reviving the Debate on Indian Secularism in the Age of Religious Nationalism READ MORE
2. How China Is Addressing Education Inequality READ MORE
3. Does the Court Tame the Government? READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Can Inclusivity be Built Into Global Education Programmes? READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. NAM at 60 marks an age of Indian alignment: The ideological moorings of India’s non-alignment faded along with Jawaharlal Nehru’s idealism READ MORE
2. Afghanistan: The path ahead READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Global Supply chains should not only be based only on cost but also on trust – Shri Piyush Goyal READ MORE
2. Trade deficit with China has lessons for India READ MORE
3. What Keeps Society At Large From Making Employment Truly Inclusive? READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. COP26: A Mixed Bag of promises and pledges READ MORE
2. COP26: The vulnerable States Call Climate Loss and Damage Deal ‘Bare Minimum’ READ MORE
3. Climate: The Global Commons READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Resolve BSF issue: Matters of national security should not be allowed to fester READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Newspapers and media crucial to protecting democratic ethos of the nation: Vice President READ MORE   
2. Make your life simple READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Global Supply chains should not only be based only on cost but also on trust’. Comment.
2. ‘The presidency of G-20 is an opportunity for India to take the centre stage at world’s most powerful club’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Newspapers and media are crucial to protecting the democratic ethos of the nation.
• No two things differ more than abstract and actual poverty.
• That each day, Indians govern themselves in a pluralist democracy is testimony to his deeds and words.
• Most of the digital platforms have been operating in India without being required by the regulators to invest in the safety of their users from illegal, obscene and harmful materials.
• India will now have to build on the foundation laid by the conference and push the Taliban to form an inclusive government.
• True happiness is the spontaneous feeling of joy that comes from knowing you are doing the right thing and leading a divine life.
• Drug money played an important role in the Taliban’s rise to power and some of its leaders have been personally on the take.
• All secular forces of the region, primarily India, must rally behind a beleaguered Bangladesh and help it fight the alien agenda.
• The failure of the secularism project is also the failure of the democratic project.
• Across the world, those in power have used education to maintain the status quo. A panel of domain experts discuss how this long-standing practice can be challenged and how inclusive empowerment through education can be fostered.
• The ‘double reduction’ policy of minimising the financial burden on parents and children can be seen as the government’s affirmation that the minds and health of students and families come before the pockets of investors and billionaires.
• The Court needs to devise more effective ways to make the government accountable to citizens’ rights.

50- WORD TALK

• India opening the government bond market to retail investors is a milestone for expanding bond markets. It gives the government another avenue to borrow from and investors another safe option, even if not very lucrative. Full bond market integration and separation of debt management functions from RBI should follow soon.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

INTRODUCTION:

The spike in recent years in extreme calamities, topped by the Covid outbreak, spotlights the urgency of better disaster preparedness in Indian states and the Centre. Health pandemics like Covid and climate hazards like the Uttarakhand floods or Delhi heat waves have differing origins, but they spotlight common gaps in readiness. With extreme health and climate disasters set to continue, these events must be seen as regular occurrences rather than one-off acts of nature. Ranked by HSBC as the most vulnerable to climate change among 67 nations, India needs to make a paradigm shift to prioritize preparedness and not just recovery. This preparedness plan must be tailor-made to the unique requirements of the states.

WHAT IS A DISASTER?

• As per the Disaster Management Act, 2005 disaster is defined as “A catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or manmade causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of property, or damage to, or degradation of the environment and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area.”
• The United Nations defines a disaster as “the occurrence of sudden or major misfortune which disrupts the basic fabric and normal functioning of the society or community”.
• A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources. Though often caused by nature, disasters can have human origins

UNDERSTANDING DISASTER MANAGEMENT

• As per Disaster Management Act, 2005, “disaster management” means a continuous and integrated process of planning, organizing, coordinating and implementing measures to deal with disasters.
• In other words, Disaster Management is the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.
• Disaster management includes administrative decisions and operational activities that involve Prevention · Mitigation · Preparedness · Response · Recovery · Rehabilitation
• Key Phases of Disaster Management There are three key phases of activity within disaster management:

1. Pre – Disaster: Before a disaster to reduce the potential for human, material or environmental losses caused by hazards and to ensure that these losses are minimized when the disaster actually strikes.
2. During Disaster: It is to ensure that the needs and provisions of victims are met to alleviate and minimize suffering.
3. Post Disaster: After a disaster to achieve rapid and durable recovery which does not reproduce the original vulnerable conditions.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: CONCEPT

• The focus of this write up is on the necessity of state-specific Pre-disaster preparedness/readiness plans.
• Hitherto, the approach towards coping with the effects of natural disasters has been post-disaster management, limited to problems such as law and order, evacuation and warnings, communications, search and rescue, fire-fighting, medical and psychiatric assistance, provision of relief and sheltering, etc
• It is not possible to do away with the devastation of natural hazards completely. However, experience has shown that destruction from natural hazards can be minimised by a well-functioning warning system, combined with preparedness on the part of the vulnerable community.
• Warning systems and preparedness measures reduce/ modify the scale of disasters
• It is becoming increasingly evident now that a relatively smaller investment in disaster preparedness can save thousands of lives and vital economic assets, as well as reduce the cost of overall relief assistance.
• This preparedness process embraces measures that enable governments, communities and individuals to respond rapidly to disaster situations to cope with them effectively.
• Preparedness includes, for example, the formulation of viable emergency plans, the development of warning systems, the maintenance of inventories, public awareness and education and the training of personnel.
• It may also embrace search and rescue measures as well as evacuation plans for areas that may be „at-risk‟ from a recurring disaster.
• All preparedness planning needs to be supported by appropriate rules and regulations with a clear allocation of responsibilities and budgetary provisions.
• According to Sendai Framework (2015-2030), one of the priorities of action is enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response.

BENEFITS OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLANS: CASE STUDY FROM STATES

WHY INDIA NEEDS STATE-SPECIFIC DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLANS?

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS IN STATE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS?

The problem areas in preparedness are organisational and planning related issues, like inadequate policy direction, outdated plans and over-concentration on recovery and response activities, which leads to low preparedness.

Lack of resources or resource organisations and unclear allocation of these resources is also likely to create gaps or overlaps in the preparedness arrangements.

Other problems like inadequate coordination and lack of cooperation at the policymaking and implementation level, public awareness and suitable training for the disaster managers usually contribute significantly to poor disaster preparedness activities. The problems in state disaster preparedness are summarized below

WHAT MUST BE DONE?

• In dealing with covid, local efforts have also played a critical role, be it citizens’ responses in such cities as Delhi, Guwahati and Jaipur, or those of gram panchayats in rural areas.
• But across the country, covid has revealed glaring gaps in health systems, and, in many instances, poor governance and often a lack of trust in governments.
• In Australia, following its deadly bushfires of 2018 and 2019, Insurance Australia Group recommended that government funding prioritize risk reduction, lessening the need for spending on disaster recovery. To aid in better preparedness, the Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index now assesses the risk profiles and resilience of communities faced with bushfires.
• In a similar vein, an audit of how the central and state governments have handled covid will offer valuable lessons that can guide them to upgrade hospitals, increase medical inventories and create/update crisis response plans, for example.
• Every state should conduct a ‘stress test’ of how well it can cope in the event of even more frequent and intense calamities. These results should be published transparently

• In India, it would pay to establish inter-state pooling of technical capabilities, supplies and staff power to manage deficits and gaps.

• The overarching lesson for the Indian states and the Centre is to make more and better investments in health, education and social safety nets.
• Local initiatives will continue to aid disaster preparedness, but governments must act in anticipation of emerging calamities rather than scramble to respond after they strike.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCe: SINGAPORE

Bloomberg ranks Singapore highest in Covid resilience, based on fatality rates, test rates and vaccination rates. Drawing on its experience with Sars and Influenza A, the Singapore government has prioritized disaster preparedness in its investments. One indication of this priority is that the government has built up digital infrastructure and engineering capabilities that can be deployed before, during and after calamities strike. For example, tools for contact tracing, like SafeEntry and Trace Together, are enabling Singapore to respond swiftly to the spread of Covid. A suite of digital tools is helping disseminate information and enabling government agencies to better coordinate and manage the crisis.

 THE WAY FORWARD

• Section 10 and 11 of the DM Act 2005 provides for a national plan to be formulated under the direction of the NDMA to deal with   However, the Central Government and the NDMA has not formulated it despite the ravages of the pandemic. This has set a poor example for states’ covid/disaster preparedness. Leadership role by the Union can nudge and inspire the states to be proactive in disaster readiness.
• The Fifteenth Finance Commission in its first report covering the financial year 2020-21 has recommended 10 per cent of the SDRF allocation for Preparedness and Capacity-building. The states must utilise this fund for conceiving and operationalizing and upgrading the whole gamut of disaster readiness.
• The Second Administrative Reforms Commission, in its report on “Crisis Management”, made a strong pitch for the enhanced role of local self-governments in the entire disaster management cycle with a special focus on the pre-disaster stage and preparedness. States must empower and build local bodies capacities in this regard.
• Excessive focus on the Post-disaster cycle that relies on relief, recovery, reconstruction etc have led to neglect of disaster preparedness. It is imperative for states to concentrate on equal measures and evaluate the preparedness at all governmental and non-governmental (schools, hospitals, businesses, NGOs etc) for the purpose of responding to any threatening disaster situation or disaster and give directions, where necessary, for enhancing such preparedness.

CONCLUSION: Disaster Preparedness” means the state of readiness to deal with a threatening disaster situation or disaster and its effects. It deals with measures to be taken for preparedness and capacity building to effectively respond to any threatening disaster situations or disaster. India’s unique geo-climatic vulnerabilities and poor socio-economic infrastructural base have made it quite vulnerable to disasters. The Covid pandemic has exposed the countries’ lack of preparedness for meeting the challenges. Although almost all states bore the brunt of the Virus, some better-prepared states could come out stronger. For instance, while Uttar Pradesh and Delhi reeled under oxygen shortage, Kerala was well prepared. This and other evidence makes a strong case for state-specific disaster preparedness plans which can be a game-changer in India’s disaster management strategy.

Practice Questions:

1. Critically analyse the need for state-specific disaster preparedness plans in the light of the Covid 19 pandemic.
2. The problems of states’ disaster preparedness have been exposed by the recent occurrence of disasters in India including the Covid 19 pandemic. Discuss.

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SURVEY 2021

THE CONTEXT: The National Achievement Survey 2021, was successfully conducted today across all 36 states and UTs of the country.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The National Achievement Survey (NAS) is a process of gathering information in order to develop a deep understanding of what students know, understand and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experiences.
• This process will ultimately culminate to improve the subsequent students’ learning and development, through systemic interventions.
• The Achievement Survey was conducted in different mediums of instruction as available in the sampled schools.
• NAS 2021 is the first achievement survey after the release of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP). The assessment would be used to benchmark students’ learning against criteria such as process skills and learning outcomes.
• NAS 2021 will infuse the competency-based assessment system over the content and memory-based assessment as envisaged by NEP 2020.
• The results of NAS 2021 will be prepared in the form of District Report Cards, State/UT reports and National reports.
• NAS will enable States and the Union Territories to identify gaps in learning outcomes and take remedial steps.
• It will also help in the capacity building for teachers and officials involved in the delivery of education in the country.
• The result from the assessment would also provide a rich repository of evidence and data points furthering the scope of research and development.

SOURCE: PIB

2. SCHOOL DROPOUT WAS HIGH DUE TO COVID-19

THE CONTEXT: According to a new national sample survey by ICRIER and LIRNEAsia, a think tank focusing on digital policy, only 20% of school-age children in India had access to remote education during the pandemic, of whom only half participated in live online lessons,

THE EXPLANATION:

• In fact, 38% of households said at least one child had dropped out of school completely due to COVID-19.
• The survey found that although digital connectivity shot up 40% during the pandemic, low access to devices, poor signal and high costs prevented most children from reaping the benefits.
• Among children aged 5-18 years, it was found that 80% of those who were enrolled in schools prior to the pandemic did not receive any educational services at all during school closure.
• The situation was significantly worse among those from lower socio-economic classes, where the head of the household had lower education levels, and among rural households.
• Among the 20% who received an education, only 55% had access to live online classes, while 68% had access to recorded audio or video lessons. Three-fourths of the students had work sent to them over a smartphone, usually via Whatsapp, and 61% via text messages.
• Almost 70% had contact with their teachers via phone calls, while 58% had work delivered to their homes. About half the students were also instructed to listen to educational TV and radio programmes.
• Of households with school-aged children, 64% had internet connections, but only 31% of those received remote education, often because of a lack of access to devices or a lack of larger screen devices. However, among those without internet connections, the situation was worse, with only 8% receiving remote education.
• Respondents listed an insufficient number of devices, poor 3G/4G signal and high data cost as among the biggest hurdles. Even among those receiving remote education, a third of the households said that schools were not prepared to deliver online education.
• Such challenges continued despite increasing digital connectivity. Over 13 crore people came online in 2020-21, pushing up the country’s total internet users to more than 47 crores. Of the 8 crores who came online in 2020, 43% said they were motivated by COVID-19 related reasons. Overall, internet usage has spiked from 19% of the population above 15 years in 2017 to 47% this year.
• However, only 5% of households had laptops, while 4% had desktop computers. The vast majority relied on smartphones, which were available in 68% of households.

SOURCE:  TH

3. NOROVIRUS CASES SURFACE IN KERALA

THE CONTEXT: A Day after Norovirus cases were confirmed in Wayanad district, the Kerala Government has said people need to be vigilant about the very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.

ABOUT NOROVIRUS

• An animal-borne disease, Norovirus is a group of viruses that leads to gastrointestinal illness among people causing inflammation in the lining of the stomach and intestines.
• The virus is contagious and can be spread through direct contact with infected people and it can significantly affect people from every age group including youngsters, adults, and the elderly.
• The major symptoms of Norovirus include diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain followed by fever, headache, and body aches among others. Apart from this, frequent vomiting and diarrhoea can also lead to dehydration and other complications in people.
• There is no specific medicine to treat people with norovirus illness. If you have norovirus illness, you should drink plenty of liquids to replace fluid lost from vomiting and diarrhoea.
• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not effective against the Norovirus.

SOURCE: TH

INDIAN ECONOMY

4. THE TWO INITIATIVES OF THE RBI

THE CONTEXT: PM launched two customer-centric initiatives of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) — the RBI Retail Direct Scheme and the Integrated Ombudsman Scheme. With this, India has opened the government bond market for retail investors.

RBI RETAIL DIRECT SCHEME

• The scheme allows retail investors to buy and sell government securities (G-Sec) online, both in the primary and secondary markets. These small investors can now invest in G-Secs by opening a gilt securities account with the RBI. The account opened will be called Retail Direct Gilt (RDG) Account.
• A retail investor can open the RDG account if they have the following — a Rupee savings bank account maintained in India, PAN card, any officially valid document such as Aadhaar, Voter ID for KYC purpose, a valid email ID and a registered mobile number.
• Participation and allotment of securities will be as per the non-competitive scheme. Only one bid per security is permitted. On submission of the bid, the total amount payable will be displayed. Payment to the aggregator/receiving office can be made through using the net-banking or UPI facility from the linked bank account, whereby funds will be debited at the time of submission of bids on the portal.
• Registered investors can access the secondary market transaction link on the online portal to buy or sell government securities through NDS-OM.

RBI INTEGRATED OMBUDSMAN SCHEME

• This will help in improving the grievance redress mechanism for resolving customer complaints against RBI’s regulated entities.
• The scheme is based on “One Nation-One Ombudsman” with one portal, one email, and one address for the customers to lodge their complaints.
• There will be a single point of reference for customers to file their complaints, submit the documents, track status, and provide feedback.
• There will be a multilingual toll-free number that will provide all relevant information on grievance redress and assistance for filing complaints. The redressal will continue to be cost-free for customers of banks and members of the public.

IMPORTANCE OF THE SCHEMES

• The move comes at a time when rising inflation adds pressure on the RBI to lift rates.
• Tighter monetary policy is likely to weaken the demand for bonds, making it challenging for the government to execute its near-record borrowing program.
• Other emerging-market nations in Asia, like the Philippines, have also sought to raise funds from citizens to battle the pandemic.
• Yields on India’s benchmark 10-year government bonds have risen in the past five months amid surging crude oil prices.

SOURCE: IE                                                                                                                                                                      

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. NATIONAL INTERNET EXCHANGE OF INDIA 

THE CONTEXT:  National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) has taken a new initiative by establishing out a customer-focused unit – “Customer-Care Unit,” which will facilitate the interaction of customers with all its business units. This team will support the customer queries (24×7) for all the operations.

THE EXPLANATION:

• NIXI has three businesses, viz. — Internet Exchange, Dot IN Registry, and IRINN and all three units deal with their respective customers, supporting and managing their queries.
• At times the same customer might be consuming services from two different units of NIXI and interact with two different teams.
• To overcome this and make the experience seamless, NIXI has created this Customer-Care Unit — for an efficient response towards their customers.

ABOUT NIXI

• National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit organization (section 8 of the Companies Act 2013) working since 2003 for spreading the internet infrastructure to the citizens of India through the following activities:
• Internet Exchanges through which the internet data is exchanged amongst ISP’s, Data Centers, and CDNs.
• IN Registry, managing, and operation of .IN country-code domain and .भारत IDN domain for India.
• IRINN, managing and operating Internet protocol (IPv4/IPv6).

SOURCE: PIB

6. THE CRITICAL NOISE TREATMENT ALGORITHM

THE CONTEXT:  Indian astronomers have developed the critical noise treatment algorithm that can increase the accuracy of data from exoplanets by reducing the contamination by the Earth’s atmosphere and the disturbances due to instrumental effects and other factors.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The understanding of the physical properties of exoplanets with extreme accuracy can help to explore the ones that could be like planet Earth and hence might be habitable.
• For this purpose, a group of astronomers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore has been using the ground-based optical telescopes available in India and the data obtained by the space telescope “Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite” or TESS.

SOURCE: PIB

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

7. INDO-THAI CORPAT

THE CONTEXT:  The 32nd edition of the India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy is being conducted from 12 – 14 November 2021. 

THE EXPLANATION:

• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk, an indigenously built Missile Corvette and His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Tayanchon, a Khamrosin Class Anti-submarine Patrol Craft, along with Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both navies are participating in the CORPAT.
• Towards reinforcing maritime links between the two countries and with an aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean safe and secure for international trade, the two navies have been undertaking CORPAT bi-annually since 2005 along their International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
• CORPAT builds up understanding and interoperability between navies and facilitates the institution of measures to prevent and suppress unlawful activities like Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy.
• It further helps enhance the operational synergy by exchange of information for the prevention of smuggling, illegal immigration and for conduct of search and rescue (SAR) operations at sea.
• As part of the Government of India’s vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region), the Indian Navy has been proactively engaging with the countries in the Indian Ocean Region towards enhancing regional maritime security. This has been through bilateral and multilateral exercises, Coordinated Patrols, Joint EEZ Surveillance, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. The Indian Navy and Royal Thai Navy have especially enjoyed a close and friendly relationship covering a wide spectrum of activities and interactions, which have strengthened over the years.
• The 32nd Indo-Thai CORPAT will contribute towards the Indian Navy’s efforts to consolidate inter-operability and forge strong bonds of friendship between India and Thailand.

SOURCE: PIB

MISCELLANEOUS

8. U.S. CLEARS WAY FOR SPOUSES OF H-1B VISA HOLDERS TO WORK

THE CONTEXT:  The Biden administration has agreed to provide automatic work authorisation permits to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, most of whom are Indian IT professionals.

THE EXPLANATION:

• An H-4 visa is issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to immediate family members (spouse and children under 21 years of age) of the H-1B visa holders.
• The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
• Types of Visa issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

SOURCE: TH

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1.  Which of the following pairs of visa types and their purpose is/are correctly matched?

1. H-1B Visa – for skilled workers
2. H-2B Visa – for seasonal workers
3. J-1 Visa – for family members dependent on skilled workers

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2

c) 1 and 3

d) All of the above

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 12^th, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1. Answer: B

Explanation:

• From this year, the Karnataka government has decided to celebrate ‘Onake Obavva Jayanti’ on November 11 throughout the state.
• Onake Obavva died fighting the troops of Hyder Ali, a ruler of the Mysore Kingdom and father of Tipu Sultan when he invaded the Chitradurga Fort, which was ruled by Madakari Nayaka in the 18th century. Chitradurga Fort, locally known as Elusuttina Kote, (the fort of seven circles in Kannada), is situated in Chitradurga, 200 km northwest of Bengaluru.
• Obavva is considered to be the epitome of Kannada pride and celebrated along with other women warriors of Karnataka state like Abbakka Rani (first Tuluva Queen of Ullal in coastal Karnataka who fought the Portuguese), Keladi Chennamma (the queen of the Keladi Kingdom who is known for fighting against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb), and Kittur Chennamma (Queen of Kittur known for the 1824 revolt against the British East India Company).

ART AND CULTURE

1. ONAKE OBAVVA

THE CONTEXT: From this year, the Karnataka government has decided to celebrate ‘Onake Obavva Jayanti’ on November 11 throughout the state. 

THE EXPLANATION:

• Onake Obavva died fighting the troops of Hyder Ali, a ruler of the Mysore Kingdom and father of Tipu Sultan when he invaded the Chitradurga Fort, which was ruled by Madakari Nayaka in the 18th century. Chitradurga Fort, locally known as Elusuttina Kote, (the fort of seven circles in Kannada), is situated in Chitradurga, 200 km northwest of Bengaluru.
• Obavva is considered to be the epitome of Kannada pride and celebrated along with other women warriors of Karnataka state like Abbakka Rani (first Tuluva Queen of Ullal in coastal Karnataka who fought the Portuguese), Keladi Chennamma (the queen of the Keladi Kingdom who is known for fighting against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb), and Kittur Chennamma (Queen of Kittur known for the 1824 revolt against the British East India Company).
• Inspired by Onake Obavva, in 2018, the Chitradurga police started ‘Obavva Pade’, a squad of women police constables to protect and educate women in the district.

SOURCE: IE

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

2. ADR REPORT ON DONATIONS TO REGIONAL PARTIES

THE CONTEXT: the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said in a report that over 55% of the donations received by regional parties in FY 2019-20 came from “unknown” sources. Electoral bonds accounted for nearly 95% of the donations from “unknown” sources.

THE EXPLANATION:

• While the total donations received by 25 regional parties in FY 2019-20 added up to Rs 803.24 crore, Rs 445.7 crore was attributed to “unknown” sources. Of the donations from “unknown” sources, Rs 426.233 crore (95.616%) came from electoral bonds, and Rs 4.976 crore from voluntary contributions.
• The report noted that donations received by national parties from “unknown” sources added up to 70.98% of their income.
• Interestingly, parties in the south — TRS, TDP, YSR Congress Party, DMK and JD(S) — topped the list of regional parties with the highest incomes from “unknown” sources.
• The donations received by regional parties from “known” donors (details of donors as available from contribution report submitted to Election Commission) added up to Rs 184.623 crore, which is 22.98% of their total income; they received another Rs 172.843 crore (21.52% of total income) from other known sources like membership fees, bank interest, sale of publications, party levy etc.
• In its report for FY 2018-19, analysed 23 regional parties which filed their annual audit and contribution reports.

SOURCE: IE

 3. THE CHAR DHAM ROAD DEBATE

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court reserved its judgment on an appeal by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for relaxing its September 2021 order that specified the road width under the Char Dham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojana (Char Dham Highway Development Project) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

THE EXPLANATION:

• A flagship initiative of the Centre, the Rs 12,000-crore highway expansion project was envisaged in 2016 to widen 889 km of hill roads to provide all-weather connectivity in the Char Dham circuit, covering Uttarakhand’s four major shrines — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri — in the upper Himalayas.
• In 2018, the road-expansion project was challenged by an NGO for its potential impact on the Himalayan ecology due to felling trees, cutting hills and dumping muck (excavated material). The Supreme Court formed a high-powered committee (HPC) under environmentalist Ravi Chopra to examine the issues.
• In July 2020, the HPC submitted two reports after members disagreed on the ideal width for hill roads. In September, the Supreme Court upheld the recommendation of four HPC members, including Chopra, to limit the carriageway width to 5.5 m (along with 1.5 m raised footpath), based on a March 2018 guideline issued by MoRTH for mountain highways.
• The majority report by 21 HPC members, 14 of them government officials, favoured a width of 12m as envisaged in the project following national highway double-lane with paved shoulder standards: 7 m carriageway, 1.5 m paved shoulders on both sides, and 1 m earthen shoulders on either side for drains and utilities (hillside) and crash barrier (valley side).
• A wider road requires additional slope cutting, blasting, tunnelling, dumping and deforestation – all of which will further destabilise the Himalayan terrain, and increase vulnerability to landslides and flash floods.
• HPC chairman Chopra wrote to the Environment Ministry in August 2020, underlining how the project was being implemented in brazen violation of statutory norms “as if the Rule of Law does not exist”. These include:
• Work Without Valid Permission:
• Misusing Old Clearances
• False Declaration:
• Work Without Seeking Clearance
• Violation Of Sc Directive

SOURCE: IE

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

4. CARBON COLONIALISM

THE CONTEXT: Group of developing countries that includes India and China has rejected the first draft of the expected agreement from the Glasgow climate conference and asked for changing the entire section on enhancing mitigation actions.

THE EXPLANATION:

• With less than two days left for the official end of the conference, this group, which calls itself Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDCs) and also includes Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia among several others, accused the developed countries of attempting to transfer their responsibilities on the rest of the world and trying to impose new rules.
• LMDC group called it “new carbon colonialism” and said the 2050 net-zero targets being “forced” on the developing countries ignored historical responsibilities of the developed nations and the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) enshrined in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

SOURCE: IE

5. INDIA DEMANDS $1 TRILLION AS CLIMATE FINANCE

THE CONTEXT:  India has demanded a trillion dollars over the next decade from developed countries to adapt to, and mitigate, the challenges arising from global warming, and has kept this as a condition for delivering on climate commitments made by PM.

THE EXPLANATION:

• India’s five-fold plan is as follows — India’s non-fossil energy capacity would reach 500 GW by 2030; it will meet 50% of its electricity requirements with renewable energy by 2030; reducing its total projected carbon emissions by a billion tonnes by 2030; it will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy to less than 45% and achieve net-zero by 2070.
• Net-zero is when a country’s carbon emissions are offset by taking out equivalent carbon from the atmosphere so that emissions in balance are zero.
• Nationally Determined Contributions are voluntary targets that countries set for themselves, which describe the quantum and kind of emission cuts they will undertake over a fixed period to contribute to preventing runaway global warming.
• India’s last NDC was submitted following the Paris Agreement of 2015. Before COP26 began countries were expected to provide updated NDCs. India, however, did not furnish one.

SOURCE: TH

INDIAN ECONOMY

6. EGCA

THE CONTEXT: Civil Aviation Minister launched eGCA (e-Governance in Directorate General of Civil Aviation). The project aimed at automation of the processes and functions of DGCA.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The project has been aimed at automation of the processes and functions of DGCA, with 99 services covering about 70% of the DGCA work being implemented in the initial phases, and 198 services to be covered in other phases.
• Single window platform will bring in monumental change- eliminating operational inefficiencies, minimizing personal interaction, improving regulatory reporting, enhancing transparency and increasing productivity.
• The project will provide a strong base for IT infrastructure and service delivery framework.
• The e-platform provides an end-to-end solution including various software applications, connectivity with all the regional offices, a ‘portal’ for dissemination of information and for providing online and speedy service delivery in a secure environment.
• The project would enhance the efficiency of the various services provided by the DGCA and would ensure transparency and accountability in all DGCA functions.
• The project has been implemented with TCS as Service Provider and PWC as Project Management Consultant.

SOURCE: PIB                                                                                                                                                                        

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

7. SOLAR IRONING CART

THE CONTEXT:  A 15-year-old girl from Tamil Nadu, who was recognized Earth Day Network Rising Star 2021 (USA) for her idea of ‘Solar Ironing Cart’, has exhorted the world to move towards clean energy during the recently concluded COP 26.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Miss Vinisha Umashankar, a class 10 student from Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu who received the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards instituted by the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) for her mobile ironing cart, which uses solar panels to power a steam iron box.
• A key benefit of the solar ironing cart is that it eliminates the need for coal for ironing bringing about a welcome shift towards clean energy. End-users can move around and offer services at the doorstep for increasing their daily earning.
• The ironing cart can also be fitted with a coin-operated GSM PCO, USB charging points and mobile recharging which can fetch extra income.
• It is an ingenious solar-powered alternative for the millions of charcoal burning ironing carts for pressing clothes and can benefit the workers and their families.
• The device can also be powered by pre-charged batteries, electricity or a diesel-powered generator in the absence of sunlight.

SOURCE: PIB

8. NASA’S DART MISSION

THE CONTEXT:  On November 24, NASA will launch the agency’s first planetary defence test mission named the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). The main aim of the mission is to test the newly developed technology that would allow a spacecraft to crash into an asteroid and change its course.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The spacecraft will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
• The target of the spacecraft is a small moonlet called Dimorphous.
• Dimorphous orbits a larger asteroid named Didymos (Greek for “twin”) which has a diameter of 780 metres.
• The asteroid and the moonlet do not pose any threat to Earth and the mission is to test the new technology to be prepared in case an asteroid heads towards Earth in the future.
• Didymos is a perfect system for the test mission because it is an eclipsing binary which means it has a moonlet that regularly orbits the asteroid and we can see it when it passes in front of the main asteroid.
• Earth-based telescopes can study this variation in brightness to understand how long it takes Dimorphos to orbit Didymos.
• NASA states that DART is a low-cost spacecraft, weighing around 610 kg at launch and 550 kg at impact. The main structure is a box (1.2 × 1.3 × 1.3 metres). It has two solar arrays and uses hydrazine propellant for manoeuvring the spacecraft.
• It also carries about 10 kg of xenon which will be used to demonstrate the agency’s new thrusters called NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster–Commercial (NEXT-C) in space.
• The spacecraft carries a high-resolution imager called Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical Navigation (DRACO). Images from DRACO will be sent to Earth in real-time and will help study the impact site and surface of Dimorphous.
• DART will also carry a small satellite or CubeSat named LICIA Cube (Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids). It will be deployed ten days before the impact on Dimorphous.
• LICIACube is expected to capture images of the impact and the impact crater formed because of the collision. It can also capture images of any dust cloud formed during the impact.

SOURCE: IE

9. EARTH’S FIRST LANDMASS EMERGED IN SINGHBHUM

THE CONTEXT:  A new study has challenged the widely accepted view that the continents rose from the oceans about 2.5 billion years ago. It suggests this happened 700 million years earlier — about 3.2 billion years ago — and that the earliest continental landmass to emerge may have been Jharkhand’s Singhbhum region. The study, by researchers from India, Australia and the US, has been published in the journal PNAS.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Scientists have found sandstones in Singhbhumwith geological signatures of ancient river channels, tidal plains and beaches over 3.2 billion years old, representing the earliest crust exposed to air.
• The researchers studied the granites that form the continental crust of the Singhbhum region.
• These granites are 3.5 to 3.1 billion years old and formed through extensive volcanism that happened about 35-45 km deep inside the Earth and continued on and off for hundreds of millions of years until all the magma solidified to form a thick continental crust in the area. Due to the thickness and less density, the continental crust emerged above the surrounding oceanic crust owing to buoyancy.
• The researchers believe the earliest emergence of continents would have contributed to a proliferation of photosynthetic organisms, which would have increased oxygen levels in the atmosphere.

SOURCE: IE

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1.  Famous women warrior of the 18^th century, Onake Obavva, is related to which region of India?

a) Jharkhand

b) Karnataka

c) Tripura

d) Kashmir

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 11^th, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1. Answer: B

Explanation:

• Mass nesting phenomenon of  Olive Ridley Sea Turtles is called arribadas (Spanish term for mass nesting)

Q2. Answer: D

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: It is an initiative of the Indian Coastguard
• Statement 2 is incorrect: It was initiated in the early 1980s, to protect Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from November to December.

1. Importance of celebration READ MORE  
2. The Characteristics of a Wise Person READ MORE

1. Season of floods: Tamil Nadu’s cities need long-termsolutions to avoid the monsoon woes READ MORE  
2. Nature’s call: Now’s the time to answer READ MORE
3. On the economic geography of climate change READ MORE
4. How the world can decarbonise global trade without burdening developing countries READ MORE

1. Mitigating hunger during a pandemic READ MORE  
2. TB crisis: Time for India to act READ MORE

1. MPLADS, its suspension, and why it must go READ MORE
2. For vaccine equity, the TRIPS waiver is crucial READ MORE
3. Get around to the truth: The problem of credibility is afflicting our political landscape READ MORE
4. The Seditious Half-Life of Facts: The indiscriminate use of draconian laws also denies citizens their rights, perhaps more blatantly, and also has a chilling effects on citizens. READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. India seeks $1 tn in ‘climate finance’ to meet its targets READ MORE
2. ‘Carbon colonialism’: India, China among nations to reject first draft READ MORE
3. Earth’s first landmass emerged in Singhbhum: study READ MORE
4. World Bank Plans To Replace Cancelled ‘Doing Business’ Report in Two Years READ MORE
5. Natural wealth of the nations READ MORE
6. Zika virus explained: Should India be worried? READ MORE
7. India issues revised guidelines for international arrivals: Children exempted from COVID-19 testing READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. Season of floods: Tamil Nadu’s cities need long-termsolutions to avoid the monsoon woes READ MORE  
2. Nature’s call: Now’s the time to answer READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. MPLADS, its suspension, and why it must go READ MORE
2. For vaccine equity, the TRIPS waiver is crucial READ MORE
3. Get around to the truth: The problem of credibility is afflicting our political landscape READ MORE
4. The Seditious Half-Life of Facts: The indiscriminate use of draconian laws also denies citizens their rights, perhaps more blatantly, and also has a chilling effects on citizens. READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Mitigating hunger during a pandemic READ MORE  
2. TB crisis: Time for India to act READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Undefined role: India must be clear on how it wants to shape Afghanistan’s destiny under the Taliban READ MORE
2. India and ASEAN look to deepen partnership READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Digitisation has improved but is still a very small fraction of cash transactions. Moreover, digitisation in a country like ours is conceivable only in cities READ MORE
2. Managing cryptocurrencies: Govt must address regulatory concerns READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. On the economic geography of climate change READ MORE
2. How the world can decarbonise global trade without burdening developing countries READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Time to step up cover for natural calamities READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Importance of celebration READ MORE  
2. The Characteristics of a Wise Person READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Knowledge is important, but it fails to create transformational change in our lives if it isn’t converted into action’. Comment.
2. ‘Protection of forests is critical not only to reduce emissions, but also to conserve biodiversity and to support sustainable development’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Knowledge is important, but it fails to create transformational change in our lives if it isn’t converted into action.
• Wisdom is not merely knowing things—it is knowing things and acting accordingly. It is having both the knowledge to develop principles and the judgment to act in accordance with those principles.
• India must be clear on how it wants to shape Afghanistan’s destiny under the Taliban.
• The EU’s effort to protect the IP standards of pharma corporations signals the triumph of corporate profits over the health of the poor.
• Our integrity at home and abroad will not improve by denying facts but by always speaking the truth, or, at least, most times.
• India and ASEAN have shared values and ideas. This relationship needs more substantive collaboration. The 30th anniversary is a good time to deepen the partnership.
• Digitisation has improved but is still a very small fraction of cash transactions. Moreover, digitisation in a country like ours is conceivable only in cities.
• Analysing the social, economic, and political context of the operation of the TB programme has highlighted the insight and need to rapidly respond to the issues to address the unavoidable TB epidemic.
• Protection of forests is critical not only to reduce emissions but also to conserve biodiversity and to support sustainable development.
• The indiscriminate use of draconian laws also denies citizens their rights, perhaps more blatantly, and also has a chilling effect on citizens.

ESSAY TOPIC

• No man is really wise until he is gentle and humble in heart.

50- WORD TALK

• This year’s People’s Padma awardees aptly reflect the true spirit of the endeavour. It has a wide and formidable range with respect to issues, region and communities. In the last seven years, Narendra Modi government has steadily worked toward de-politicising this prestigious award by making it more and more diverse.
• The context and current focus of the India-ASEAN Summit are the Indo-Pacific. PM Modi noted the special role of ASEAN in India’s Act East Policy and the Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) as also in the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. ASEAN is aware that India was a protagonist of the Quad’s focus on ASEAN centrality. Quad is not mentioned in the documents, but the collaboration is not restrained in any manner.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
• For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

1. Dialogue to Make a Good Society READ MORE  
2. An Ideal Education READ MORE

1. Char Dham Project: The fragility of the Himalayas READ MORE  
2. COP26: Promises galore and a game of lobbies READ MORE
3. On the Frontlines of India’s Climate Challenges: Stories of Struggle and the Search for Solutions READ MORE

1. The Perfect Storm Behind India’s Growing Hunger Crisis READ MORE
2. The Great Educational Recession READ MORE

1. Reforms can sustain police as an institution READ MORE
2. India’s Descent to a Presidential State and the Birth of ‘Parliamentary Dictatorship’ READ MORE