THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. MOU FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF BBIN MOTOR VEHICLES AGREEMENT

THE CONTEXT: India, Bangladesh and Nepal finalized an enabling MoU to be signed by them for the implementation of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA), pending ratification of the MVA by Bhutan.

What is BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement?

• India proposed a SAARC Motor Vehicle Agreement during the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in November 2014. Due to objections from Pakistan, an agreement could not be reached. India instead pursued a similar motor vehicle agreement with the BBIN. The Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement was signed on 15 June 2015.
• It enables vehicles to enter any of the four nations without the need for trans-shipment of goods from one country’s truck to another’s at the border. Under the system, cargo vehicles are tracked electronically, permits are issued online and sent electronically to all land ports. Vehicles are fitted with an electronic seal that alerts regulators every time the container door is opened.

Significance:

• Signing of the BBIN agreement will promote safe, economical efficient and environmentally sound road transport in the sub-region and will further help each country in creating an institutional mechanism for regional integration. BBIN countries will be benefited by mutual cross border movement of passenger and goods for overall economic development of the region. The people of the four countries will benefit through seamless movement of goods and passenger across borders.
• The implementation of the agreement is expected to improve the value chain in sub-regional trade. BBIN sub-grouping was expected to be the gateway to southeast and east Asia. India is working for development of inter connectivity infrastructure for Myanmar and Thailand.

2. INDIAN WOMEN JOIN UN PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS

THE CONTEXT: In January 2022, at the United Nations Security Council, Indian officials called for more female participation in public life and the elimination of violence against them as a prerequisite for promoting lasting peace around the world.

THE EXPLANATION:

• For the first time in the history of UN peacekeeping, India sent an all-female Formed Police Unit (FPU) to be deployed in Liberia in 2007 after a civil war ravaged the African nation.
• According to the UN, of around 95,000 peacekeepers in 2020, women comprised 4.8% of military contingents and 10.9% of formed police units.
• Meanwhile, around 34% of personnel in peacekeeping missions were women.

About UN Peacekeeping Mission:

UN peacekeepers provide security and the political and peace building support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace.

UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles:

• Consent of the parties.
• Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.

Peacekeeping is flexible and over the past two decades has been deployed in many configurations. There are currently 12 UN peacekeeping operations deployed on three continents.

Global partnership

• UN peacekeeping is a unique global partnership. It brings together the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, troop and police contributors and the host governments in a combined effort to maintain international peace and security.
• Its strength lies in the legitimacy of the UN Charter and in the wide range of contributing countries that participate and provide precious resources.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

3. EXPLAINED: WHAT DOES RBI’S $5 BILLION DOLLAR-RUPEE SWAP MEAN?

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted a $ 5 billion dollar-rupee swap auction as part of its liquidity management initiative, leading to infusion of dollars and sucking out of the rupee from the financial system. The central bank’s move will reduce the pressure on inflation and strengthen the rupee.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The central bank said it received bids worth $13.56 billion for the sell/buy auction. It accepted 86 of these bids for $5.135 billion. The cut-off premium was set at 656 paise. The first leg of the settlement will be March 10, 2022, and the second leg will be March 11, 2024.
• The RBI sold $5.135 billion to banks on March 8,2022 and simultaneously agreed to buy back the dollars at the end of the swap settlement period. When the central bank sells dollars, it sucks out an equivalent amount in rupees, thus reducing the rupee liquidity in the system. Dollar inflow into the market will strengthen the rupee which has already hit the 77 level against the US dollar.

What’s the impact of the swap?

• The RBI would have removed close to Rs 39,000 crore ($5.135 billion) at rupee closing rate of 76.91 per dollar. The major impact will be that liquidity which currently averages around Rs 7.6 lakh crore will shrink.
• The RBI normally brings down liquidity in the system when inflation threatens to rise sharply. With crude oil prices rising sharply in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, inflation is set to rise in the coming days.

What is a Dollar–Rupee Swap auction?

• It’s a forex tool whereby the central bank uses its currency to buy another currency or vice versa.
• In a Dollar–Rupee buy/sell swap, the central bank buys dollars (US dollars or USD) from banks in exchange for Indian Rupees (INR) and immediately gets into an opposite deal with banks promising to sell dollars at a later date.
• In a dollar–rupee sell/buy swap it sells USD in exchange for INR and promises to buy dollar from banks after some years.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

4. ASSAM’S MANAS NATIONAL PARK WITNESSES SHARP RISE IN TIGER, RHINO POPULATION

THE CONTEXT: Assam’s Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve has witnessed a sharp rise in the population of tigers and rhinos in recent times.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The authorities of the national park expect the tiger population will rise to more than 60 from 48 as per the 2021 census.
• In 2010, the tiger population of the park was recorded 10 while in 2020 it had increased to 30.
• In 2010, after the first tiger census in Manas National Park was conducted the Tiger Conservation Authority had said during their analysis that the national park’s tiger population will be increased by double in 2020 and it reached 30.
• In the 2021 census, 48 tigers were counted in the park which means the tiger population had increased by 18 within a year. The census for 2022 is ongoing and it will be finished by March and it is being expected that the population will increase to more than 60.

Rhino Population

The park’s Rhino population has also increased. Under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020), the Assam government decided to reintroduce rhinos in Manas National Park in 2005, and the first rhino was translocated to the park in 2006, from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga National Park.

About Manas National Park

• Manas National Park is situated on the bank of the river mans at the foothills of the Himalayas. The beautiful park earlier known as North Kamrup wildlife sanctuary is spread over an area of 519.77 sq km and was declared a sanctuary on December 01, 1928. It was established as the core of the Manas Tiger Reserve from April 1973 and elevated to the position of a National Park status on September 7, 1990.
• The wildlife spices found in national park are Hispid Hare, Pigmy Hog, Golden Langur, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Buffalo etc. Other commonly seen animals are Elephant, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Himalayan Bear, Wild Boar, Samber, Swamp Deer, Hog Deer etc.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. FUSOBACTERIUM PLAYS IN ORAL CANCER PATIENTS IN INDIA

THE CONTEXT: Scientists at Tata Memorial Centre developed a highly sensitive and specific automated computational tool HPV Detector to quantify the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV).

THE EXPLANATION:

Since the beginning of the 20th Century, it is known that infections could play a role in cancer, with 18-20% of cancers associated with infectious agents. This could be relatively higher in developing countries like India. 

• The analysis revealed significant occurrence of HPV 16, 18, and 31, among others, in cervical cancer. But a surprising finding was that Indian patients with oral tumours showing a distinct tobacco usage gene signature were devoid of HPV infection.

• This was in sharp contrast to the oral tumours among Caucasian patients, wherein tobacco genetic signature is not common but is marked by a significant presence of HPV. Several groups have corroborated this finding, and it is well established that oral tumours among Indian patients are not driven by HPV infection.

• Interestingly, Fusobacterium nucleatum is known to play a vital role in colorectal cancer, wherein its presence affects the spread of the disease and the patient’s response to chemotherapy. However, a similar role of Fusobacterium in oral cancer was not known earlier. The presence of the bacteria was found in Indian and Caucasian oral cancer patients, with a much higher incidence among the Indian patients. Moreover, oral cancer patients positive for Fusobacterium were found to be negative for HPV infection, suggesting they are present in a mutually exclusive way.

Value Addition :

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a viral infection that’s passed between people through skin-to-skin contact. There are over 100 varieties of HPV, more than 40 Trusted Source of which are passed through sexual contact and can affect your genitals, mouth, or throat.
• Colon cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the large intestine (colon). The colon is the final part of the digestive tract.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

6. FIRST INDIAN TO GET BOLTZMANN MEDAL

THE CONTEXT: Professor Deepak Dhar, a physicist and emeritus faculty at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, has been selected to receive the prestigious Boltzmann Medal for 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Dhar has been given the award for his seminal contributions to several areas of statistical physics, including exact solutions of self-organized criticality models, inter-facial growth, universal long-time relaxation in disordered magnetic systems, exact solutions in percolation and cluster counting problems and definition of the spectral dimension of fractals.
• He took on several areas of statistical physics to understand the behaviour of self-organised critical systems, explain the dynamics at phase interfaces, and define the spectral dimension of fractals”.

About Boltzmann Medal:

• The Boltzmann Medal (or Boltzmann Award) is a prize awarded to physicists that obtain new results concerning statistical mechanics; it is named after the celebrated physicist Ludwig Boltzmann.
• The Boltzmann Medal is awarded once every three years by the Commission on Statistical Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, during the STATPHYS conference.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY 9^TH MARCH  2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about the office of Governor:

1. The Sarkaria Commission recommended that the appointee should be someone from outside the respective State so that he would not have any personal interest to protect.
2. The Punchhi commission recommended that Governor shall have fixed tenure.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

 ANSWER FOR 8^th MARCH 2022

Q1. Answer: D

Explanation:

• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is a statutory body formed under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, Act 2021.
• It will supersede bodies such as the central and state pollution control boards of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan.

1. Going beyond the limitations of gender READ MORE
2. Culture and Behaviour READ MORE
3. Human touch: As in other spheres, doctors are thinking about the need for humanising medicine READ MORE

1. Degradation, loss of coral reefs can affect 4.5 million people in southeast Asia: IPCC report READ MORE  
2. Reaching ‘net zero’ by leveraging finance READ MORE
3. 175 Countries Resolve to ‘End Plastic Pollution’. What Does It Mean for India? READ MORE

1. If women are not empowered, the economy loses READ MORE
2. With Marital Rape and Love Jihad, the Govt Can’t Call Itself an Advocate for Women’s Empowerment READ MORE`

1. A case for reforming Lokpal and Lokayukta READ MORE
2. Making Legal Aid Effective for Women Prisoners READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. PM lauds Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav Abhiyan READ MORE
2. Biden Bans Imports of Russian Oil, Natural Gas READ MORE
3. Bangladesh, India, Nepal move ahead on motor vehicle agreement project READ MORE
4. The rules around guardianship of minors READ MORE
5. After 2-year gap, all international flights to resume from March 27 READ MORE
6. Indian women join UN peacekeeping missions READ MORE
7. Explained: What does RBI’s $5 billion dollar-rupee swap mean? READ MORE
8. Assam’s Manas National Park witnesses sharp rise in tiger, rhino population READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. If women are not empowered, the economy loses READ MORE
2. With Marital Rape and Love Jihad, the Govt Can’t Call Itself an Advocate for Women’s Empowerment READ MORE`

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. A case for reforming Lokpal and Lokayukta READ MORE
2. Making Legal Aid Effective for Women Prisoners READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Clear signals: India and China must take on boardglobal currents that could reshape ties READ MORE
2. Russia-Ukraine War: India’s balancing act READ MORE
3. Ukraine crisis tilting balance of global power READ MORE
4. Time for United Nations to reform itself to new challenges READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Global stagflation risk: India will have to cut fuel taxes or risk both faster inflation and slower growth READ MORE
2. The macroeconomic framework that can guide our policy choices READ MORE
3. Dealing with a weaker rupee READ MORE
4. How the Russia-Ukraine Crisis Could Affect Food Prices in India READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Degradation, loss of coral reefs can affect 4.5 million people in southeast Asia: IPCC report READ MORE  
2. Reaching ‘net zero’ by leveraging finance READ MORE
3. 175 Countries Resolve to ‘End Plastic Pollution’. What Does It Mean for India? READ MORE

SECURITY

1. As prospects of arms control wane, the rise of nuclear risks READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Going beyond the limitations of gender READ MORE
2. Culture and Behaviour READ MORE
3. Human touch: As in other spheres, doctors are thinking about the need for humanising medicine READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Due to an unimaginative legislation followed by the executive’s apathy and judicial insensitivity the Lokpal-Lokayukta System in India has touched a new low’. Discuss, what should be done to revive the this institution?
2. Discuss how the higher representation of women in political decision-making positions can help increase women’s autonomy in their families and economy?
3. Conflicts like the present Ukraine crisis the UN needs to speed up its reform process to make it more effective. In the light of the statement, analyse the reforms required to make UN an influential international body.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• India’s policymakers face a tough choice: bear the cost of lower revenue by cutting fuel taxes or risk both faster inflation and slower growth.
• As India and China continue to seek a much-needed modus vivendi to restore ties from the lowest point in decades and ensure peace on the border, they will also need to have a broader conversation about global currents that are reshaping their bilateral relations.
• Only by creating a level playing field can we see the true potential of women as well as that of the nation.
• Every woman in our country deserves equal access to opportunities. It is only when we level up the playing field, do we see the true potential of our Bhartiya naari.
• Given that economic uncertainty coupled with higher inflation will act as a drag on private consumption, governments must ensure revenue spending is not contractionary in inflation-adjusted terms.
• If we are to do any justice to the Constitutional mandate of equality before law, and the right to legal representation, we must put in place a mechanism to provide competent and effective legal aid to all those who cannot afford it, particularly to those languishing in jail.
• Heatwaves in the waters are reducing monsoonal rains over central India, while the rapid warming of the ocean’s northern portions is intensifying cyclones.
• Lokpal should be a body of persons from different walks of life who have impeccable integrity and who are held in high esteem by the public.
• Higher representation of women in political decision-making positions can help increase women’s autonomy in their families and economy.
• Given China’s close ties with Russia, India may have to play its cards deftly in the geopolitical sweepstakes.

50-WORD TALK

• For ideals or rupees, Indians have sacrificed their lives across the world—so it’s unsurprising some are volunteering to fight for Ukraine. Indians serve the French and United States armies. They fought in two World Wars, Spain and even Lebanon. Battlefields are cruel but meritocratic, and open to global talent!
• Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi blaming “some forces” – read Washington – for stoking tensions between India and China is a bit absurd. The facts speak for themselves and it’s time Beijing ends this diplomatic deception. Military talks this week is a good opportunity to display sincerity and begin repairing the relationship.

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.

[WpProQuiz 176]

THE CONTEXT: The latest announcement about the creation of India’s first Maritime Theater Command by 2021 is a seminal development and part of the long-overdue transformation of India’s armed forces. The maritime theater command will be the first new “geographical” theater command to be created, as part of the biggest-ever military restructuring plan since India’s independence in 1947 when the Indian army, navy, and air force were initially structured under separate operational commands. This article discusses the significance, needs, and challenges related to the single Maritime Theater Command.

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT MARITIME THEATER COMMAND

• Maritime Theatre Command, headed by a Navy vice-admiral and based in Karwar, Karnataka, responsible for the entire maritime domain. It will subsume the Navy’s current eastern and western commands, as well as the tri-Service Andaman and Nicobar Command, and include the Army’s amphibious formations.
• The Air Force’s surveillance, strike, and missile assets will be available to the Maritime Theatre Commander, but this integration will be looser than that between naval and army assets.
• The new maritime theater command commander-in-chief will exercise full operational control over extant western and eastern naval fleets.
• Operational control over maritime strike fighter jets and transport aircraft from the air force and the navy, two amphibious infantry brigades, and other assets under the Andaman and Nicobar Joint Command.
• The Maritime Theatre Commander will report to the Chiefs of Staff Committee, effectively making the Chief of Defence Staff the highest military commander.

SIGNIFICANCE

• Efficiency – This arrangement will impact overall operational planning and efficiency, particularly in matters related to a new acquisition, compatibility of equipment, drills/ procedures, training, and logistics, leading to huge wastages.
• Force multiplier– Under the maritime theater command, the integration of air force and army elements with naval assets will act as a force multiplier. For instance, a recently established Sukhoi 30 fighter squadron — the “Tigersharks” – equipped with the Brahmos missile, currently based at Thanjavur under the Southern Air Command, will now be part of the maritime theater command. With INS Vikramaditya being the sole operational aircraft carrier in the Indian navy’s arsenal, sustaining credible surveillance and dominance in the region badly required an additional punch, and the Sukhoi squadron provides that much-needed shot in the arm.
• Increased capability-Over the next few years, it is likely that the air force could position additional aircraft at other locations such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, overlooking the strategic Strait of Malacca. This could boost India’s maritime and air surveillance and strike capability deep into the Indian Ocean.
• Integration of the army troops with amphibious elements of the navy will help to strengthen the country’s expeditionary capabilities.

NEED OF MARITIME THEATER COMMAND

The geostrategic advantage-The central location of the Indian peninsula thrusting out into the Indian Ocean and the Andaman Nicobar Islands, overlooking crucial shipping lanes and strategic choke points, has provided India with a huge geostrategic advantage over China, which is heavily dependent on shipping for its global trade and energy needs. Up to this point, this geographical advantage seems to have worked for India in maintaining a favorable balance of power with China. But the last decade has seen a rapid growth of Chinese maritime power and economic/political influence in the Indian Ocean region.

Chinese influence-The PLA Navy’s continued deployments and activities in the region since 2009, when Chinese naval ships first entered the Indian Ocean to participate in anti-piracy patrols off Somalia, has impinged on India’s sphere of influence. In less than a decade China made quick gains in consolidating its position in the wider region by establishing its first naval base at Djibouti in 2017. Concurrently, strategic projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative have helped expand Chinese economic and political influence.

These developments have put pressure on the Indian navy and sometimes even also led to tensions. For instance, the increase in PLA Navy activities in the region including submarine deployments has forced the Indian navy to step up ship and air operations in the region. Also, in 2019, a Chinese naval vessel entered India’s exclusive economic zone without approval and was asked to leave by the Indian navy.

On the whole, these advances in China’s maritime powers have not only diluted India’s geostrategic advantage, posing a challenge to India’s leadership in the Indian Ocean region but also emboldened China to engender a conflict situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), at Doklam in 2017 and later in the Ladakh region this year. The new maritime theater command will further help India consolidate and strengthen its maritime power in the Indian Ocean region.

CHALLENGES

• The design of a single Maritime Theatre Command presumes that all maritime is one theatre. Yet, that is hardly the case. There are three distinct maritime geographies to the west, south, and east, making them distinct theatres.
• The adversaries, geopolitics, operational contexts, missions, and roles in the waters to India’s west, south, east, and beyond are vastly different in each of these theatres.
• The idea of a single Land Theatre Command or an Air Theatre Command is considered absurd because geography, adversary, and threats are distinctly different in the west, north, south, and east, despite the domains themselves being arguably “inseparable whole”. The maritime domain is no different, and no more a “single theatre” than land and air is.
• Our geographical and geopolitical context suggests that we need at least two maritime-focused commands, facing west and east. These should include the requisite land, air, space, and cyber components so that the theatre commander has the complete complement of assets necessary to handle the range of anticipated threats emerging in that theatre.
• The theatre commander need not always be a Navy officer but can come from any Service. Indeed, one urgent task for the CDS would be to ensure that the career track of officers is restructured such that the top echelons of the theatre command consist of officers who have cross-service experience.
• India is underinvested in sea power there is only so much you can do to move naval assets from one side of the peninsula to the other. If the pressure on defense expenditure is high, we must prioritize naval acquisitions.
• The Arabian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Bay of Bengal, and the Straits of Malacca are all connected to the Indian Ocean but have distinct names for reasons of history, geography, and the resulting politics. The strategy should recognize this reality.

CURRENT COMMAND STRUCTURE IN INDIA

• The current structure of the armed forces includes 17 different commands. The army and Air force have 7 Commands each and 3 commands are headed by the Navy. Under the Army, the commands are the Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, Central, South-western, Central, and Maintenance and Training.
• The Navy is divided into Western, Eastern, and Southern commands.
• Each command is headed by a 4-star rank military officer.
• India only has two tri-service commands. The first one is known as the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and was created in 2001. It is led by service chiefs on a rotational basis. The second is a functional command (not overseeing a particular geographical location) called the Strategic Forces Command established in 2006.

WAY FORWARD:

• Integrating tri-service elements seamlessly at various levels will require rigorous training and development of fresh joint doctrines and strategy, and these will probably be the next few steps in operationalizing the new command.
• India’s changed economic and fiscal trajectory had been a factor, the small Andaman and Nicobar Command to evolve into a regional power projection role, specializing in traditional “out of area” operations in deeper partnership with friendly foreign armed forces. Even so, we should not let present-day constraints permanently limit our thinking. If India has to be a major regional power in this century, we need expeditionary capacity.
• On balance, the maritime theater command will add a new dimension to India’s efforts to counter Chinese in the Indian Ocean, and once operationalized, it could even help to restore normalcy along the India-China LAC.

JUST TO ADD IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE

The post of Chief of Defence Staff was created to provide “effective leadership at the top level” to the three wings of the armed forces and to help improve coordination among them. Along with it, the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) was created as the fifth department within the Ministry of Defence.

• CDS acts as the permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee which will also have three service chiefs as members.
• His core function will be to foster greater operational synergy between the three service branches of the Indian military and keep inter-service frictions to a minimum.
• He will also head the newly created Department of Military Affairs (DOMA) in the Ministry of Defence.
• The CDS will be the single-point military adviser to the Defence Minister on matters involving all three services and the service chiefs will be obliged to confine their counsel to issues about their respective services.
• As the head of DoMA, CDS is vested with the authority in prioritizing inter-service procurement decisions as Permanent Chairman-Chiefs of Staff Committee.
• The CDS is also vested with the authority to provide directives to the three chiefs. However, he does not enjoy any command authority over any of the forces.
• CDS is first among equals, he enjoys the rank of Secretary within the DoD and his powers will be confined to only the revenue budget.
• He will also perform an advisory role in the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA).

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

1.DIALOGUE TOWARDS CLEAN AIR

THE CONTEXT: A two-day ‘Dialogue towards Clean Air’organised by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The discussions that  are geared towards deliberating measures to deal with the NCR’s air pollution problem.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the experts, there is a need to bring approaches related to health into plans and policies concerning air pollution, improving capacity and dealing with staff shortage at the local level, and scaling up the Ujjwala scheme.
• The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which was launched in 2019 with the aim of achieving a 20%-30% reduction in PM 10 levels by 2024. The 132 cities that are included under the NCAP were to prepare their own city-specific action plans.

Value Addition:

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)

• Formed by an ordinance, “Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020”, in October 2020.
• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is a statutory body formed under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, Act 2021.

• The CAQM has replaced the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) which was appointed by the SC and had been active for 22 years.

• It will supersede bodies such as the central and state pollution control boards of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan.
• Composition:
  • The new 18-member Commission brings together the Centre, states, and other stakeholders on one collaborative platform.
  • Chaired by a government official of the rank of Secretary or Chief Secretary. The chairperson will hold the post for three years or until s/he attains the age of 70 years.
  • It will also have five ex officio members who are either Chief Secretaries, or Secretaries in charge of the department dealing with environment protection in the States of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Three full time technical members.
• Powers & Jurisdiction:
  • It will have the powers to issue directions to these state governments on issues pertaining to air pollution.
  • Exclusive jurisdiction over the NCR, including areas in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, in matters of air pollution, and will be working along with CPCB and ISRO, apart from the respective state governments.
  • The Commission will have the power to impose a fine of up to Rs 1 crore and imprisonment of up to 5 years in case its directions are contravened.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

• The scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for providing LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.
• The target under the scheme was to release 8 Crore LPG Connections to the deprived households by March 2020.
• Under the Union Budget for FY 21-22, provision for release of additional 1 Crore LPG connections under the PMUY scheme has been made. In this phase, special facility has been given to migrant families.

Significance:

• In India, the poor have limited access to cooking gas (LPG). The spread of LPG cylinders has been predominantly in the urban and semi-urban areas with the coverage mostly in middle class and affluent households. But there are serious health hazards associated with cooking based on fossil fuels.
• According to WHO estimates, about 5 lakh deaths in India alone due to unclean cooking fuels. Most of these premature deaths were due to non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
• Indoor air pollution is also responsible for a significant number of acute respiratory illnesses in young children. According to experts, having an open fire in the kitchen is like burning 400 cigarettes an hour.
• Providing LPG connections to BPL households will ensure universal coverage of cooking gas in the country. This measure will empower women and protect their health. It will reduce drudgery and the time spent on cooking. It will also provide employment for rural youth in the supply chain of cooking gas.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES INITIATIVES IN NEWS

2. CONTINUATION OF THE SWATANTRATA SAINIK SAMMAN YOJANA (SSSY)

THE CONTEXT: The Union Government approved the continuation of the SwatantrataSainik Samman Yojana (SSSY) and its components beyond 31.03.2021 for the Financial Years 2021-22 to 2025-26, with a total financial outlay of Rs.3,274.87 crore.

THE EXPLANATION:

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the decision shows the commitment of the Government to remember sacrifices of Freedom Fighters and taking inspiration from them during the year of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

About the Scheme:

Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme:

• A central scheme was introduced in 1972 during the silver jubilee year of independence which grants pension to freedom fighters and their eligible dependents if the freedom fighter had already expired. Later in 1980, it was liberalized and renamed as SwatantrataSainik Samman Pension Scheme, and made effective from August the same year.
• In 2017, when the 12th Five Year Plan ended, the NDA government approved the continuation of the scheme after renaming it as SwatantrataSainik Samman Yojana (SSSY) up to 2020. The monthly pension is considered a token of respect for the contribution of freedom fighters in the national freedom struggle. Various State wise pension schemes also exist for freedom fighter pensions.

3. “SAMARTH” INITIATIVE

THE CONTEXT: On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2022, Union Minister for MSME launched a Special Entrepreneurship Promotion Drive for Women -“SAMARTH” initiative o provide them an opportunity to be self-reliant and independent by undertaking self-employment opportunities.

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE:

Under the Samarth initiative of the Ministry, following benefits will be available to aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs:

• 20% Seats in free Skill Development Programs organized under skill development schemes of the Ministry will be allocated for Women. More than 7500 women will be benefitted.
• 20% of MSME Business Delegations sent to domestic & international exhibitions under the schemes for Marketing Assistance implemented by Ministry will be dedicated to women owned MSMEs.
• 20% Discount on annual processing fee on NSIC’s Commercial Schemes
• Special Drive for registration of women-owned MSMEs under Udyam Registration

Through this initiative, Ministry of MSME is focusing on providing Skill Development and  Market Development Assistance to women and more than 7500 women candidates from rural and sub- urban areas will be trained in the FY 2022-23.  Besides, thousands of women will be getting marketing opportunities to showcase their products in domestic and international exhibitions.

Also, to enhance the participation of women entrepreneurs in Public Procurement, a special discount of 20% shall also be offered on annual processing fee on NSIC’s following commercial schemes during the year 2022-23:

Single Point Registration Scheme

• Raw Material Assistance and Bill Discounting
• Tender Marketing
• B2B Portal msmemart.com

4. CAMPAIGN TO BRING BACK AT LEAST FOUR LAKH GIRLS WHO DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL

THE CONTEXT: The Centre is launching a back-to-school campaign to bring at least four lakh young girls who are out of school into the formal education system.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The campaign to enrol them into schools will be driven by anganwadi workers in collaboration with district education officers, supported by tracking systems used by the WCD and Education Ministries.
• Under the new Saksham Anganwadi scheme of the Women and Child Development Ministry, these 11-14-year-old girls will no longer receive anganwadi support, as the focus shifts to 14-18-year-olds.
• According to UNICEF survey of 50,000 Indian adolescents during the COVID pandemic, also released at the same event, reported that while 90% of respondents were currently enrolled in school, a third of them knew of at least one girl who had dropped out.
• The dropouts were either engaged in domestic work or had gotten married. Also it added that at least a third of these girls wished to return to school, with respondents suggesting strategies to convince parents, to ensure girls’ safety in school and on the commute, and to provide better awareness of Government programmes.
• Also, in 2018-19, there were 11.88 lakh girls aged 11-14 years who were part of the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) in anganwadis, but this had dropped to 5.03 lakh by 2021.

What are Saksham Anganwadis?

• Saksham Anganwadis is a new generation of anganwadis that aims to upgrade anganwadis with better infrastructure and audio-visual aids.
• They are also powered by clean energy and thus provide a conducive environment for early child development. The outlay for Saksham Anganwadi &Poshan 2.0 in 2022-23 Budget Estimate is Rs. 20,263 crores. The scheme will hail a transformative change in the welfare, safety, and security of women and children of the nation.

5. LABOUR MINISTRY LAUNCHES ‘DONATE A PENSION’ SCHEME

THE CONTEXT: The Union Labour and Employment Ministry launched the “donate a pension” scheme allowing any citizen to pay the premium amount on behalf of an unorganised worker under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Scheme.

THE EXPLANATION:

Immediate support staff:

• The scheme allows a citizen to “donate the premium contribution of their immediate support staff such as domestic workers, drivers, helpers, care givers, nurses in their household or establishment”.
• The donor can pay the contribution for a minimum of one year, with the amount ranging from ₹660 to ₹2,400 a year depending on the age of the beneficiary, by paying through maandhan.in or visiting a Common Service Centre.

Value Addition:

PRADHAN MANTRI SHRAM YOGI MAAN-DHAN YOJANA

It is a central government scheme meant for old age protection and social security of Unorganised Workers (UW).

Features

• It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme, under which the subscriber would receive a minimum assured pension of Rs 3000/- permonth after attaining the age of 60 years and if the subscriber dies, the spouse of the beneficiary shall be entitled to receive 50% of the pension as family pension. Family pension is applicable only to spouse.
• Contribution by the UW Subscriber : Through ‘auto-debit’ facility from his/ her savings bank account/ Jan- Dhan account from the date of joining PM-SYM till the age of 60 years as per the chart below. The Central Government will also give equal matching contribution in his pension account.

Eligibility criteria:

• Should be an unorganised worker (UW)
• Entry age between 18 and 40 years
• Monthly Income Rs 15000 or below

 THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

6. EXERCISE SLINEX-2022

THE CONTEXT: The Ninth Edition of India – Sri Lanka Bilateral Maritime Exercise SLINEX (Sri Lanka–India Naval Exercise) is scheduled at Visakhapatnam from 07 Mar to 10 Mar 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• SLINEX aims to enhance inter-operability, improve mutual understanding and exchange best practices and procedures for multi-faceted maritime operations between both navies. The Harbour Phase would include professional, cultural, sporting and social exchanges. Exercises during Sea Phase will include surface and anti-air weapon firing exercises, seamanship evolutions, aviation operations including cross deck flying, advanced tactical manoeuvres and special forces operations at sea. These will further enhance the high degree of inter-operability already existing between the two navies.
• SLINEX exemplifies the deep maritime engagement between India and Sri Lanka and has grown in scope over the years to strengthen mutual cooperation, in consonance with India’s policy of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and Hon’ble PMs vision of ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)’.

7. EXERCISE VAYU SHAKTI 2022

THE CONTEXT: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to postpone its firepower demonstration, Ex Vayu Shakti, scheduled in the Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan on March 7, 2022 “due to the developing situation”.

THE EXPLANATION:

Amid the deepening crisis in Ukraine, the Defence Ministry announced that the 12th edition of the biennial Defexpo to be held in Gujarat for the first time has been postponed “due to logistics problems being experienced by participants.”

Triennial exercise

• The triennial Ex Vayu Shakti 2022, aimed at showcasing the capability of the IAF to conduct full spectrum operations, was to see the participation of 148 aircraft and helicopters, including 109 fighter aircraft, 24 helicopters, seven transport aircraft and four unmanned aerial vehicles.

• The Indian Air Force showcases repower capability of indigenously developed aircrafts and its missile arsenal in this exercise.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY 8^TH MARCH  2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM):

1. It is an attached body of the Environment Ministry.
2. It is the specialized body for tackling the air pollution of NCR regions only.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

 ANSWER FOR 7^th MARCH 2022

Q1. Answer: D

Explanation:

FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE (FATF)

• It is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
• It was established by the G-7 Summit that was held in Paris in 1989. Secretariat is located at the OECD Headquarters in Paris.
• It has 39 members, On June 25, 2010, India was taken in as the 34th country member of FATF.
• The current FATF blacklist includes two countries: North Korea and Iran.

1. Women’s Ideas Transforming the World! READ MORE
2. Going Beyond The Limitations of Gender READ MORE

1. UNEA 5.2: Environment ministers call for integrating ecosystem protection with public health policies READ MORE
2. How Proposed Changes to the Biodiversity Act Lie On the Wrong Side of the Law READ MORE

1. Explained: The legacy of Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule READ MORE
2. Build sustainable society READ MORE
3. Why men are more equal than women READ MORE

1. ‘Sealed cover’ jurisprudence is appalling: As the MediaOne case shows, a judiciary that is a mute spectator to any executive action highlights democratic decay READ MORE
2. More women in politics will strengthen democracy READ MORE
3. Self-help groups play a big role in the empowerment of women READ MORE
4. Insight into judiciary: How the legal system can be energised to be in sync with current times READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. DD India on Yupp TV – Global OTT Platform widens reach READ MORE
2. Labour Ministry launches ‘donate a pension’ scheme READ MORE
3. Russia declines to take part in case at International Court of Justice READ MORE
4. Campaign to bring back at least four lakh girls who dropped out of school READ MORE
5. Focus on health, ramping up Ujjwala scheme: Suggestions to curb NCR’s air pollution problem READ MORE
6. A first for large African mammals: DNA used to count Gabon’s endangered forest elephants READ MORE
7. Government approves continuation of Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana for Financial Years 2021-22 to 2025-26 READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. Explained: The legacy of Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule READ MORE
2. Build sustainable society READ MORE
3. Why men are more equal than women READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. ‘Sealed cover’ jurisprudence is appalling: As the MediaOne case shows, a judiciary that is a mute spectator to any executive action highlights democratic decay READ MORE
2. More women in politics will strengthen democracy READ MORE
3. Self-help groups play a big role in the empowerment of women READ MORE
4. Insight into judiciary: How the legal system can be energised to be in sync with current times READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. NEP 2020: Making education gender inclusive READ MORE
2. Gender inequality a roadblock READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The coming storm: Russia-Ukraine fallout for India may be severe READ MORE
2. Only India has relatively good relations with NATO states, Russia, Ukraine. Ask for ceasefire READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Extension of RBI deadline: Welcome relief for NBFCs, and borrowers READ MORE
2. De-SWIFTING Russia: India may be less impacted as it isn’t a major trading partner READ MORE
3. Is the Economy Heading towards Stagflation? READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. UNEA 5.2: Environment ministers call for integrating ecosystem protection with public health policies READ MORE
2. How Proposed Changes to the Biodiversity Act Lie On the Wrong Side of the Law READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Curb fratricide: Need to effectively address mental health issues of troops READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. How satellites are helping us understand deadly avalanches like the Chamoli disaster READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Women’s Ideas Transforming the World! READ MORE
2. Going Beyond The Limitations of Gender READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Promoting gender equality and improvement in the status of women are specifically stated to be the central goals of development and social policy in India’. Discuss the statement.
2. How the present conditions of accelerating inflation and the deceleration in growth will push the country towards stagflation? How India can tackle this situation?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Wars don’t bring lasting peace, only lasting death.
• A court that sits as a mute spectator to any executive action is a crude manifestation of democratic decay.
• When an action is alleged to have curtailed fundamental rights, the court is bound to examine the legality of the action through the lens of proportionality.
• There is already greater voter turnout of women than in past decades. There must now be push for more women to be elected to legislative bodies and hold decision-making positions in political parties.
• Collateral-free micro-loans offered by Self Help Groups are among our most vital tools for women to achieve socio-economic self-reliance.
• To overcome social stigmas around employment and give women the agency to break out of the shackles of subordination, entrepreneurship is an innovative and simple tool.
• Emerging as important micro-finance systems, SHGs work as platforms that promote solidarity among women, bringing them together on issues of health, nutrition, gender parity and gender justice.
• The most important causes of gender inequality are rooted in poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, social customs and an anti-female mindset. In India, among the 30 per cent people who are below the poverty line, 70 per cent are women, leading to economic dependence on men that becomes a root cause of gender disparity.
• Promoting gender equality and improvement in the status of women are specifically stated to be the central goals of development and social policy in India.

50-WORD TALK

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi hopes he’ll convince President Vladimir Putin to take an emergency exit out of the Ukraine crisis. Gambling on a quick win, Putin’s instead got crippling sanctions which also hurt friends like India. Finding a way out, though, means losing face, which Putin isn’t—yet—ready for.
• The world needs to move from ritual and rhetoric to genuine actions for safe and healthy existence of half of the world’s population that faces gender-based inequality, discrimination and violence. Before the onset of Covid-19, a staggering 243 million women and girls (aged 15-49) were globally subjected to sexual or physical violence. This has only worsened during the pandemic.

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.

[WpProQuiz 174]

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1.THE DEMOCRACY REPORT 2022

THE CONTEXT: According to the latest report titled ‘Democracy Report 2022’, which is released by V-Dem Institute at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg, stated that One of the biggest drivers of autocratisation is “toxic polarisation”, a dominant trend in 40 countries, as opposed to 5 countries that showed rising polarisation in 2011.

THE EXPLANATION:

What are the main findings of the report?

• Sweden topped the LDI index, other Scandinavian countries such as Denmark and Norway, along with Costa Rica and New Zealand make up the top five in liberal democracy rankings.
• Autocratisation is spreading rapidly, with a record of 33 countries autocratising. Signaling a sharp break from an average of 1.2 coups per year, 2021 saw a record 6 coups, resulting in 4 new autocracies: Chad, Guinea, Mali and Myanmar.
• While the number of liberal democracies stood at 42 in 2012, their number has shrunk to their lowest level in over 25 years, with just 34 countries and 13% of the world population living in liberal democracies. Closed autocracies, or dictatorships, rose from 25 to 30 between 2020 and 2021.
• While the world today has 89 democracies and 90 autocracies, electoral autocracy remains the most common regime type, accounting for 60 countries and 44% of the world population or 3.4 billion people. Electoral democracies were the second most common regime, accounting for 55 countries and 16% of the world population.

What parameters were used to assess the status of a democracy?

• V-Dem’s conceptual scheme takes into account not only the electoral dimension (free and fair elections) but also the liberal principle that a democracy must protect “individual and minority rights against both the tyranny of the state and the tyranny of the majority”.
• The V-Dem report classifies countries into four regime types based on their score in the Liberal Democratic Index (LDI): Liberal Democracy, Electoral Democracy, Electoral Autocracy, and Closed Autocracy. The LDI captures both liberal and electoral aspects of a democracy based on 71 indicators that make up the Liberal Component Index (LCI) and the Electoral Democracy Index (EDI).
• The LCI measures aspects such as protection of individual liberties and legislative constraints on the executive, while the EDI considers indicators that guarantee free and fair elections such as freedom of expression and freedom of association.
• In addition, the LDI also uses an Egalitarian Component Index (to what extent different social groups are equal), Participatory Component Index (health of citizen groups, civil society organisations), and Deliberative Component Index (whether political decisions are taken through public reasoning focused on common good or through emotional appeals, solidarity attachments, coercion).

What does the report say about India?

• The report notes that India is part of a broader global trend of an anti-plural political party driving a country’s autocratisation.
• Ranked 93rd in the LDI, India figures in the “bottom 50%” of countries. It has slipped further down in the Electoral Democracy Index, to 100, and even lower in the Deliberative Component Index, at 102. In South Asia, India is ranked below Sri Lanka (88), Nepal (71), and Bhutan (65) and above Pakistan (117) in the LDI.

What does the report say about the changing nature of autocratisation?

• One of the biggest drivers of autocratisation is “toxic polarisation” — defined as a phenomenon that erodes respect of counter-arguments and associated aspects of the deliberative component of democracy — a dominant trend in 40 countries, as opposed to 5 countries that showed rising polarisation in 2011.
• The report also points out that “toxic levels of polarisation contribute to electoral victories of anti-pluralist leaders and the empowerment of their autocratic agendas”. Noting that “polarisation and autocratisation are mutually reinforcing”, the report states that “measures of polarisation of society, political polarisation, and political parties’ use of hate speech tend to systematically rise together to extreme levels.”
• The report identified “misinformation” as a key tool deployed by autocratising governments to sharpen polarisation and shape domestic and international opinion. Repression of civil society and censorship of media were other favoured tools of autocratising regimes.
• While freedom of expression declined in a record 35 countries in 2021, with only 10 showing improvement, repression of civil society organisations (CSOs) worsened in 44 countries over the past ten years, “putting it at the very top of the indicators affected by autocratisation”. Also, in 37 countries, direct government control over CSOs’ existence moved in an authoritarian direction — “evidence of the far-ranging weakening of civil society around the world.”
• Significantly, the report also found that decisive autonomy for the electoral management body (EMB) deteriorated in 25 countries.

2.  INTER-STATE RIVER WATER DISPUTES

THE CONTEXT: Karnataka Government said, its stand clear to the Centre against any kind of negotiation on water issues with neighboring States where tribunal award has been granted.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Water resource Minister of the state, Karnataka has the right on water and the right has been established by the tribunal awards. Negotiable settlement is not advisable after tribunal awards. In case of Cauvery and Mahadayi rivers, the Centre has already gazetted the awards and Krishna Tribunal 2 award is yet to be gazetted”.

Background:

What is Cauvery water dispute?

• The dispute started in 1892 when the Madras Presidency and princely state of Mysore could not agree over how to divide the water between the two regions. However, the British presided and an agreement was made between the two regions regarding the rules of water usage of Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam.
• According to the agreement in 1924, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would get 75% of the surplus water, while Karnataka would get 23% and the remaining would go to Kerala. However, post Independence when the re-organisation of states started Tamil Nadu and Karnataka came in dispute over the construction of dams on the river. Karnataka refused to abide by the old agreement which became a huge problem for Tamil Nadu’s agricultural requirements.
• Later Tamil Nadu moved to Supreme Court to resolve the issue. As a result the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) was formed which directed Karnataka to ensure 205 tmcft of water reach Tamil Nadu per annum. Karnataka rejected the tribunal’s award and sought for an annulment in the Supreme Court. Since then, there have been various attempts to resolve the issue between the two states, but nothing has worked.

What is the Mahadayi river dispute?

• The dispute over  Mahadayi river began in the 80s and grew stronger in the subsequent decades. The trigger was Karnataka’s move to design a number of dams, canals and barrages to route the Mahadayi river water to the Malaprabha basin.
• The state claimed that channelling the river water into the basin of Malaprabha, a tributary of the Krishna, would meet the requirements of water-scarce districts of Bagalkot, Gadag, Dharwad and Belagavi.
• Goa, seeking redressal to the dispute in 2002, sought the constitution of a water disputes tribunal. The state also moved the apex court in 2006 with its demand. After sustained efforts by the Goan government, the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal was set up on November 16, 2010.
• The dispute is also around the amount of water that Goa receives. Karnataka claims that the surplus from Mahadayi drains into the sea and that it should be diverted into the deficit basin in Malaprabha to meet the state’s drinking, irrigation, agriculture and power generation needs. Goa has, meanwhile, denied Karnataka’s claims saying it is a water deficient state and limiting the water supply would adversely impact its agriculture production.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

3. PAKISTAN RETAINED FATF’S GREYLIST AGAIN

THE CONTEXT: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) retained Pakistan in the ‘greylist’ yet again, observing that it needed to further demonstrate that investigations and prosecutions were being pursued against the senior leadership of U.N.-designated terror groups, which include Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The FATF had asked Pakistan to work on the remaining recommendation by demonstrating that terror financing investigations and prosecutions targeted senior leaders and commanders of the U.N.-designated terrorist groups.
• It had advised that Pakistan should continue to work to address its six strategically important deficiencies, which included enhancing international cooperation by amending the money-laundering law and demonstrating that assistance was being sought from foreign countries in implementing the UNSCR 1373 designations.

How may Pakistan come off the list?

• The FATF has advised Pakistan that it should continue to work to address its other strategically important AML/CFT deficiencies by:

(1) providing evidence that it actively seeks to enhance the impact of sanctions beyond its jurisdiction by nominating additional individuals and entities for designation at the U.N.;

(2) demonstrating an increase in money laundering investigations and prosecutions and that proceeds of crime continue to be restrained and confiscated in line with Pakistan’s risk profile, including working with foreign counterparts to trace, freeze and confiscate assets.

ABOUT FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE (FATF)

• It is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
• It was established by the G-7 Summit that was held in Paris in 1989. Secretariat is located at the OECD Headquarters in Paris.
• It has 39 members, On June 25, 2010, India was taken in as the 34th country member of FATF.
• The FATF has developed the FATF Recommendations, or FATF Standards, which ensure a coordinated global response to prevent organized crime, corruption and terrorism.
• The FATF also works to stop funding for weapons of mass destruction.
• FATF has 2 types of lists:

1. Black List: Countries knowns as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) are put in the blacklist. These countries support terror funding and money laundering activities. The FATF revises the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries.
2. Grey List: Countries that are considered a safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.

• Consequences of being in the FATF grey list: Those countries in the grey list may face economic sanctions from IMF, World Bank, ADB, Problem in getting loans from IMF, World Bank, ADB and other countries, Reduction in international trade, an international boycott.

4. THE EFFECTS OF THE RUSSIA­ UKRAINE CONFLICT ON MARITIME TRADE

THE CONTEXT: Amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the Western economies and its allies have taken retaliatory steps, in the form of heavy sanctions, to effectively paralyse the Russian economy. One industry which is going to be heavily affected is the shipping industry as delays and shipping costs are expected to rise due to disruptions in the global supply chain.

THE EXPLANATION:

What has been the impact globally?

• As crude oil prices go up, the price of ship fuel is also going up. Fuel cost is the biggest contributor to the operating costs of a ship and the increase will have a cascading effect on shipping costs and freight.
• Russia and Ukraine are major traders in grain, minerals and oil so bulk shipping including oil and gas tankers will be significantly affected.
• As Turkey abides by the Montreaux convention, it has banned Russian naval ships from passing through the Bosphorus Strait which leads to the Black Sea.
• Black Sea is home to the few warm water ports the country has and is the theater of the war. As crude oil prices go up, the price of ship fuel, called Bunker fuel, is going up as well. Fuel cost is the biggest contributor to the operating costs of a ship and the increase will have a cascading effect on shipping costs and freight.

What is the role of Turkey in this conflict?

• Turkey controls the entry and exit of Black Sea and hence has a say over ship traffic in the Black Sea. It has banned Russian naval ships from passing through the Bosphorus Strait. Turkey is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea which sees the oceans as commons and allows even warships innocent passage through territorial waters of a nation.
• Turkey abides by the Montreaux convention which gives it greater control over the straits. Free passage is guaranteed for merchant vessels belonging to belligerents in war, especially if Turkey is not a belligerent. The convention also lays down clearly what is a warship and what is not. Having said that, any interpretation to curb Russian merchant ship movement will be a significant escalation and inflame the scenario.

 Value Addition:

Montreux Convention:

• The 1936 Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, often referred to as the Montreux Convention.
• Under this convention, Turkey has control over both the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.
• In the event of a war, the pact gives Turkey the right to regulate the transit of naval warships and to block the straits to warships belonging to the countries involved in the conflict.
• It regulates maritime traffic through the Black Sea.
• It guarantees “complete freedom” of passage for all civilian vessels during peacetime and permits Turkey to restrict the passage of navies not belonging to Black Sea states.
• Military vessels are limited in number, tonnage and weaponry, with specific provisions governing their mode of entry and duration of stay.
• Warships must provide advanced notification to Turkish authorities, which, in turn, must inform the parties to the Convention.

QUICK FACTS:

DARDANELLES STRAIT:

BOSPORUS STRAIT

COUNTRIES BORDERED BY BLACK SEA

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

5. HARIKE WETLAND AND WATERBIRD CENSUS EXERCISE

THE CONTEXT: According to the forest officials in the state of Punjab, the year 2022 has been very difficult and challenging in relation to conducting the waterbird census exercise in wetlands of Punjab. The peak migratory bird season overlapped with the outbreak of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Wildlife Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Punjab, conducts waterbirds census exercise in six major and most biodiverse wetlands, which include the Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary, the Ropar Conservation Reserve, the Harike Wildlife Sanctuary, the Kanjli Wetland, the Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve and the Ranjit Sagar Conservation Reserve.
• However, the census could not be done this year on account of dense fog conditions.
• The Ropar and Nangal wetlands host the three migratory water species of the family Podicipedidae i.e., black-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe and Greater Crested Grebe along with the resident Little Grebe.

Significance:

Migratory Birds 

• The wetland is an important area for migratory birds. Every winter, the birds migrate to India through the central Asian flyway which covers a large continental area of Europe-Asia between the Arctic and Indian Oceans.
• Birds such as the Eurasian coot, Greylag goose, Bar-headed goose, Gadwall, and the northern shoveler are the prominent ones that could be sighted at Harike Wetland.

Concerns: Over the years, the number of certain species visiting the wetland are falling. The key reasons attributed to the drop are increased human interference in their breeding regions, oil exploration, use of pesticides in farms, climate change, and rising air and water pollution.

THE SECURITY AFFAIRS

6. THE HYBRID MODEL OF SECURITY

THE CONTEXT: Union Home Minister pitched for a “hybrid” security model where the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) could train and certify private security agencies so that they can take over the task of efficiently guarding various kinds of industrial and manufacturing units in the country.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to him, the CISF, raised in 1969, worked like a silent ” karmayogi” to ensure the country’s industrial development and secured the private manufacturing production units as India rode on to become a $2.5 trillion-strong economy.
• Keeping in view the “increasing” drone threat to industrial units along sea ports and the land border, he asked the CISF to collaborate with agencies like the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Border Security Force (BSF) to prepare an effective counter-technology against this menace.
• The force, at present, guards a total of 354 units in the government and private sectors, working in domains such as oil, power, information technology, civil airports, Delhi Metro, aerospace and nuclear, among others.

Value Addition:

The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) refers to seven security forces in India under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

• The CISF came into existence in 1969 with a modest beginning, having three battalions, to provide integrated security cover to the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
• Among the important responsibilities recently entrusted to the CISF are the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, VIP Security, Disaster Management and establishment of a Formed Police Unit (FPU) of the UN in Haiti.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY 7^TH MARCH 2022

Q. Consider the following statements about Financial Action Task Force (FATF):

1. It was established by the G-7 Summit.
2. The FATF has developed the FATF Recommendations, or FATF Standards, which ensure a coordinated global response to prevent organized crime, corruption and terrorism.
3. The current FATF blacklist includes two countries: North Korea and Iran.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 3 only

c) 2 and 3 only

d) None

ANSWER FOR 5^TH MARCH 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe. Members are elected by the UN General Assembly.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Each elected member serves for a term of three years.

Statement 3 is correct: Countries are disallowed from occupying a seat for more than two consecutive terms.

THE CONTEXT: The progression to electric vehicles(EVs) is important for India because such vehicles are sustainable and profitable in the long term. Reducing dependence on crude oil will save the government money, reduce carbon emissions, and build domestic energy independence. Besides being an economically and environmentally viable option, India’s transition to electric vehicles will allow us to fine-tune our infrastructure.

THE TRANSITION TOWARDS ELECTRIC MOBILITY

The transition towards electric mobility offers India not only an opportunity to improve efficiency and transform the transport sector but also addresses several issues that the country is currently grappling with. The concerns regarding energy security and rising current account deficit (CAD) on account of rising fossil fuel imports can be addressed with the uptake of electric mobility.

India is a power surplus country and is currently witnessing lower plant load factors due to lower capacity utilization. As per the conservative estimates, demand from electric vehicles (EV) could greatly improve the utilization factor of underutilized power plants, as the charging pattern of EV users is considered to coincide with power demand during the non-peak hours in the country.

India has a clear intention of multiplying its generation from renewable energy (RE) sources which are inherently intermittent. Several reports suggest that EVs can complement the intermittent nature of power generated from RE by absorbing power at off-peak hours. The batteries in EVs can act as ancillary services for the proliferation of distributed generation resources (DER).

Apart from supporting RE generation, EVs with the feasible vehicle to grid technology can act as a dynamic storage media and can enhance the grid resilience through the ancillary market. This can reduce the burden of the exchequer to create static energy storage systems, especially in distribution networks, to support the proliferation of grid-connected rooftop solar and DERs.

ELECTRIC MOBILITY INITIATIVES IN INDIA

Electric mobility initiatives in India, initially, were led by the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises (MoHIPE) who launched the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) in 2013 and Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) in 2015. Over the years, identifying cross-sectoral complex linkages of electric mobility and achieving a multi-stakeholder development NITI-Aayog was mandated to anchor and coordinate the Electric mobility efforts in India.

Coordinated efforts resulted in six key facilitative initiatives, namely, FAME II, Urban facilitation, power sector facilitation, evolving tax regime, public-private alliances, and demand aggregation, which are attributed to the development of electric mobility in India.

The FAME India Scheme

• The FAME India Scheme is aimed at incentivizing all vehicle segments.

Two phases of the scheme:

1. Phase I: started in 2015 and was completed on 31st March 2019
2. Phase II: started from April 2019, will be completed by 31st March 2022

• The scheme covers Hybrid & Electric technologies like Mild Hybrid, Strong Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid & Battery Electric Vehicles.Monitoring Authority: Department of Heavy Industries, the Ministry of Heavy Industries, and Public Enterprises.

Fame India Scheme has four focus Areas:

1. Technology development
2. Demand Creation
3. Pilot Projects
4. Charging Infrastructure

Objectives of FAME Scheme:

• Encourage faster adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles by way of offering upfront Incentives on the purchase of Electric vehicles.
• Establish a necessary charging Infrastructure for electric vehicles.
• To address the issue of environmental pollution and fuel security.

SHIFTING ENERGY RESOURCES FROM MIDDLE EAST TO LATIN AMERICA

The government has allocated $1.3 billion in incentives for electric buses, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers to be used for commercial purposes till 2022, and earmarked another $135 million for charging stations. Besides these incentives, a proposal for a $4.6 billion subsidy for battery makers has also been proposed by the NITI Aayog.

These policies are embedded with the vision to have 30% electric vehicles plying the roads by 2030. In September 2019, Japanese automobile major Suzuki Motor formed a consortium with Japanese automotive component manufacturer Denso and multinational conglomerate Toshiba to set up a manufacturing unit in Gujarat to venture into the production of lithium-ion batteries and electrodes.

Developing domestic battery manufacturing capacity may fundamentally change India’s relationship with resource-rich Latin America as the government plans to buy overseas lithium reserves.

India’s energy security dependence will shift from West Asia to Latin America. India imported 228.6 MT of crude oil worth $120 billion in 2018–19, which made it the third-largest oil importer in the world in terms of value.

Lithium triangle

Latin America’s famous lithium triangle that encompasses lithium deposits under the salt flats of northwest Argentina, northern Chile, and southwest Bolivia hold about 80% of the explored lithium of the world. In Latin America, most of the production comes from Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia.

At present, India’s lithium-ion battery demand is fulfilled by imports from China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. In the last two years, India has had a growing appetite for lithium-ion batteries, and so, lithium imports have tripled from $384 mn to $1.2 bn. Notably, the government has intercepted this growing demand from its incipience. With its policy intervention to support battery manufacturers by supplying lithium and cobalt, this industry is more likely to grow domestically to support India’s goal to switch to electric mobility.

CHALLENGES FOR INDIA’S ELECTRIC MOBILITY INITIATIVES

Presently, India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but its increasing dependency on oil imports, rising environmental concerns, and growing need for sustainable mobility solutions are posing serious economic and social challenges for the country. Some of these changes are following:

Rising crude oil imports –an energy security challenge

Since early 2000, India’s crude oil imports have risen exponentially reaching a record high of 4.3mb/d in 2016. The demand for oil grew by 5.1% in 2016, higher than the world’s largest net importers, the US (0.7%) and China (2.9%), making India the world’s third-largest crude oil consumer.

India’s crude oil deficits stood at US$52 billion in 2017 and accounted for almost 50% of the total trade deficit of US$109 billion. This crude oil deficit is further expected to almost double to US$100 billion against the total trade deficit of US$202 billion in 2019.

Rising pollution levels –An environmental challenge

India ranks as the third-largest carbon-emitting country in the world accounting for 6% of the global carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion. According to the WHO Global Air Pollution Database (2018), 14 out of the 20 most polluted cities of the world are in India.

Rising population –A sustainable mobility challenge

India’s current population of 1.2 billion is expected to reach 1.5 billion by 2030. Out of the 1.5 billion people, 40% of the population is expected to live in urban areas compared to 34% of the 2018 population projection. The additional 6% population growth is likely to further add strain on the struggling urban infrastructure in the country, including a rise in demand for sustainable mobility solutions.

Evolving global automotive market –A manufacturing transition challenge

India is the world’s fourth-largest producer of the internal combustion engine (ICE) based automobiles. The growth in the automotive market in India has been the highest in the world, growing at a rate of 9.5% in2017. The recent shift in global automotive technology and increased uptake in electric vehicles is likely to pose a challenge to the existing automotive market if the country does not plan its transition towards newer mobility solutions and develop the required manufacturing competencies.

ELECTRIC MOBILITY: A POTENTIAL SOLUTION FOR INDIA

In India, the majority of the oil demand comes from the transport sector. The sector accounts for over 40% of the total oil consumption with around 90% of the demand arising from road transport.

By 2020, 330 mt(million tons) of carbon emissions are expected to arise from the transportation sector, 90% of which may be from road transport alone.

The premier thinks tank of GoI, NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), reports that India can save 64% of anticipated passenger road-based and mobility-related energy demand and 37% of carbon emissions by 2030 if it pursues electric mobility in the future.

This would probably result in an annual reduction of 156 Mtoe in diesel and petrol consumption for 2030, saving India INR3.9 lakh crores (or ~US$60 billion (at US$52/bbl of crude).

The cumulative savings for the tenure 2017-2030 is expected to reach 876 MToE of savings for petrol and diesel, which totals to INR22 lakh crores (or ~US$330 billion), and 1 gigaton for carbon-dioxide emissions.

WAY FORWARD:

The Indian market needs encouragement for indigenous technologies that are suited for India from both strategic and economic standpoints.

Since investment in local research and development is necessary to bring prices down, it makes sense to leverage local universities and existing industrial hubs.

Breaking away from the old norms and establishing a new consumer behavior is always a challenge. Thus, a lot of sensitization and education are needed, in order to bust several myths and promote EVs within the Indian market.

Subsidizing manufacturing for an electric supply chain will certainly improve EV development in India. Along with charging infrastructure, the establishment of a robust supply chain will also be needed. Further, recycling stations for batteries will need to recover the metals from batteries used in electrification to create the closed-loop required for the shift to electric cars to be an environmentally-sound decision.

CONCLUSION:

Operationalizing mass transition to electric mobility for a country of 1.3 billion people is a great challenge. Thus, a strong common vision, an objective framework for comparing state policies, and a platform for public-private collaboration are needed. In the present scenario, India must need to change its energy policy- from the Middle East to Latin America.

1. Lives matter: India is sending wheat to Afghanistan to save its nationals from starvation deaths READ MORE
2. Happiness is a State of Mind READ MORE

1. Ominous shadow of climate change READ MORE
2. Over the Indian Ocean, Global Warming Is Brewing Changes to India’s Rainfall READ MORE

1. Covid-19: Prioritise gender-responsive recovery READ MORE
2. Hijab controversy: Time to reflect READ MORE

1. Democracies on the slide READ MORE
2. In conflict, a ‘settings change’ for social media READ MORE
3. Go beyond the quota rhetoric READ MORE
4. Power and responsibility: Judges’ indiscretion can erode public faith in judiciary READ MORE
5. Should India Reform its System of Imposing Fines for Offences? READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. North Korea confirms tests on reconnaissance satellite READ MORE
2. FATF retains Pakistan on its terror funding ‘grey list’ READ MORE
3. IMF Warns Of Serious Global Economic Consequences From Russian Invasion Of Ukraine READ MORE
4. Explained: What are humanitarian corridors READ MORE
5. Locally made trainer aircraft finishes sea trials READ MORE
6. MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar to attend India Global Forum event on Mar 7-8 READ MORE
7. India, Canada set for FTA talks on Fri READ MORE
8. ‘Cyber Armageddon’ in Europe: Thousands go offline following Russia-Ukraine war, says report READ MORE

Main Exam 

GS Paper- 1

1. Covid-19: Prioritise gender-responsive recovery READ MORE
2. Hijab controversy: Time to reflect READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Democracies on the slide READ MORE
2. In conflict, a ‘settings change’ for social media READ MORE
3. Go beyond the quota rhetoric READ MORE
4. Power and responsibility: Judges’ indiscretion can erode public faith in judiciary READ MORE
5. Should India Reform its System of Imposing Fines for Offences? READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Care informed by data: India must pursue schemes for rehabilitation of children orphaned by the pandemic READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Quadrilateral queasiness: On India’s stance in Russia-Ukraine crisis READ MORE
2. Foreign policy at T-junction: Quad now a platform to coordinate responses to the Ukraine crisis READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. How to handle impact of Ukrainian crisis on India’s energy sector READ MORE  
2. Economic weakness is a pan-India phenomenon READ MORE
3. RBI must start focusing on inflation control READ MORE
4. Bolstering India’s gig economy READ MORE
5. Eight charts to help understand the impact of sanctions on the Russian economy – and India READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Ominous shadow of climate change READ MORE
2. Over the Indian Ocean, Global Warming Is Brewing Changes to India’s Rainfall READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Lives matter: India is sending wheat to Afghanistan to save its nationals from starvation deaths READ MORE
2. Happiness is a State of Mind READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. The gig economy can employ skilled or non-skilled professionals which could be helpful to diminish the level of unemployment. Discuss the statement.
2. Discuss the reasons behind the erratic rainfall patterns. How it is impacts the various sector of the economy?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• An objective truth and individual reason are feared above all.
• A clear protocol that governs such platforms is a must given their intersection with global public life in critical situations.
• India cannot be forced to pick a side in the conflict, but Russia could test its resolve.
• The Quad cannot afford to alienate India, a critical partner in the global-strategic plan to balance the rise of China as a potential Asian hegemon.
• The vast majority of Indian homes not counted as SC/ST/OBC are found to earn less than our EWS income cap. This speaks of huge disparities and poses quota-policy perplexities.
• With the Ukraine war adding to global inflationary pressures, going ahead RBI’s accommodative stance may no longer be tenable. Power comes with responsibility. It’s more true of judicial powers.
• Such misuse of powers by judges in utter disregard for well-established constitutional principles designed to check arbitrariness and indiscretion has the potential to erode public faith in the judiciary.
• Time has come to review India’s association with Quad. This dalliance has not brought India any dividends.
• The argument that technological progress can reduce greenhouse gases’ polluting potential to a level that does not matter, does not hold.
• Gig economy can employ skilled or non-skilled professionals which could be helpful to diminish the level of unemployment.

50-WORD TALK

• The Centre must intervene. Covid vaccines, we believed, worked. Now there’s official data to prove it: 92 per cent of Indians who succumbed to coronavirus this year were unvaccinated. Most of the rest had comorbidities. One more reason, if it is needed, to trust science and make the third dose accessible to more people.
• Andhra Pradesh High Court’s direction to Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government to develop Amaravati as the capital is sensible. His three-capital idea was imprudent, logistically and financially. A debt-ridden state can’t afford such a waste of resources. HC has given a face-saver to Reddy. He must abandon the ill-conceived three-capital plan.

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.

[WpProQuiz 173]