1. Why Germany is pushing for a ‘climate club’ READ MORE
2. Improving India’s Poor Environmental Performance READ MORE

1. Equality Commission: A solution to discrimination? READ MORE
2. More needed on administrative reform READ MORE
3. The crisis in Maharashtra shows the anti-defection law to be ineffective, even counterproductive READ MORE
4. New surrogacy rules: Now comes the tricky part of implementing them READ MORE
5. Federalism Can Also be “Uncooperative”: Significance of the Supreme Court’s Recent Judgment READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Memorandum on the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment READ MORE
2. Iran launches a rocket into space ahead of nuclear talks READ MORE
3. Reviving cultivation of a traditional crop READ MORE
4. Global food crisis: 1 new child suffers severe malnutrition every 60 seconds, says UNICEF READ MORE
5. Report on India’s Gig and Platform Economy launched by NITI Aayog READ MORE
6. Explained | Can virtual servers bypass India’s VPN rules? READ MORE
7. Egypt approves India as a wheat supplier; to import about one million tonnes READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. Self-help groups play a big role in the empowerment of women READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Equality Commission: A solution to discrimination? READ MORE
2. More needed on administrative reform READ MORE
3. The crisis in Maharashtra shows the anti-defection law to be ineffective, even counterproductive READ MORE
4. New surrogacy rules: Now comes the tricky part of implementing them READ MORE
5. Federalism Can Also be “Uncooperative”: Significance of the Supreme Court’s Recent Judgment READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND JUSTICE

1. Regressive, inhumane: By removing the constitutional right to abortion, U.S. Supreme Court is on the wrong side of liberty READ MORE
2. Pandemic worsened a lot of Indian women READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. How Hanoi and New Delhi are fortifying defence ties READ MORE
2. How BRICS can strengthen itself READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. A weakening rupee and its broad implications on our economy READ MORE
2. Frontiers of regulation READ MORE
3. India emerges as leader at WTO ministerial meet READ MORE
4. India needs National Technology Coordinator. An Indian model in digital infrastructure is ready READ MORE
5. Inflation, RBI and the Tale of Two Economic Advisors READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Why Germany is pushing for a ‘climate club’ READ MORE
2. Improving India’s Poor Environmental Performance READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Elusive ethics READ MORE
2. Power of Thought READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Instead of providing stability, the Anti-Defection law is undermining our democracy. Scrapping it would provide institutional leverage to express intra-party dissidence’. Do you agree with this view? Analyse your views.
2. How far do you agree with this view that as a lead grouping of developing nations, BRICS has lost its relevance and the group needs to re-invent itself? Justify your view.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• On a reduction, the right to equality should be read as right against unjustified discrimination.
• In the end, peace can be achieved only by hegemony or by balance of power. In a world where information is power, snooping is quite generic and even friends are not exempted. Governments snoop on each other.
• By removing constitutional right to abortion, U.S. Supreme Court is on wrong side of liberty.
• Although the China factor has provided impetus to solidifying India-Vietnam ties, it is also important to consider that mutual cooperation is not driven solely by it. Both countries have expanded areas of collaboration and are supportive of each other’s individual and multilateral involvements within the rubric of the Indo-Pacific.
• Instead of providing stability, the Anti-Defection law is undermining our democracy. Scrapping it would provide institutional leverage to express intra-party dissidence.
• The anti-defection law has undermined not just the very principle of representation but has also contributed to polarization in our country by making it impossible to construct a majority on any issue outside of party affiliation.
• The RBI is right in being wary about innovative fintech practices but its regulation should be soft touch.
• The relevance of BRICS in the medium, or even longer term, to India is now minimal.
• Democracies can survive authoritarians; they cannot survive the absence of an energetic opposition.
• Cooperative federalism (something which the GST Council aspires to promote) may require non-cooperation as much as it may require active cooperation by state units. By this methodology, the Supreme Court interlinks federalism and democracy.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Democracies can survive authoritarians; they cannot survive the absence of an aware citizens.

50 WORD TALK

• Indian decision to reopen its embassy in Kabul is brave. New Delhi has critical interests in Afghanistan. It also makes strong strategic sense to keep channels open with the Taliban. It just needs to be on high alert against violent Islamist groups within Afghanistan and troublemakers across the Durand Line.

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 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.

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

INDIAN LAWS ON ABORTIONS

THE CONTEXT: In a significant step backwards for women’s rights in the U.S., the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade judgement of 1973, which gave women in America the right to have an abortion before the foetus is viable outside the womb or before the 24–28-week mark. With the setting aside of the historic judgement on abortion in the U.S, here’s a look at the laws that govern abortion in India.

THE EXPLANATION:

How did abortion laws come about in India?

• In the 1960s, in the wake of a high number of induced abortions taking place, the Union government ordered the constitution of the Shantilal Shah Committee to deliberate on the legalisation of abortion in the country. In order to reduce maternal mortality owing to unsafe abortions, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act was brought into force in 1971.
• This law is an exception to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions of 312 and 313 and sets out the rules of how and when a medical abortion can be carried out.
• Under Section 312 of the IPC, a person who “voluntarily causes a woman with child to miscarry” is liable for punishment, attracting a jail term of up to three years or fine or both, unless it was done in good faith where the purpose was to save the life of the pregnant woman.
• Section 313 of the IPC states that a person who causes the miscarriage without the consent of the pregnant woman, whether or not she is the in the advanced stages of her pregnancy, shall be punished with life imprisonment or a jail term that could extend to 10 years, as well as a fine.

What is the MTP (Amendment) Act, 2021?

• Under the 2021 Act, medical termination of pregnancy is permitted if it is backed by medical opinion and is being sought for at least one of the following reasons —
  1. If the continuation of pregnancy would involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman
  2. If its continuation would result in grave injury to the woman’s physical or mental health
  3. In the case of a substantial risk that if the child was born, it would suffer from serious physical or mental abnormality.
• The pregnancy can be terminated upto 24 weeks of gestational age after the opinion of two registered medical practitioners under these conditions —
  • If the woman is either a survivor of sexual assault or rape or incest
  • If she is a minor
  • If her marital status has changed during the ongoing pregnancy (i.e. either widowhood or divorce)
  • If she has major physical disabilities or is mentally ill
  • (5) On the grounds of foetal malformation incompatible with life or if the child is born, it would be seriously handicapped
  • (6) If the woman is in humanitarian settings or disaster, or emergency situations as declared by the government.
• Besides, if the pregnancy has to be terminated beyond the 24-week gestational age, it can only be done on the grounds of foetal abnormalities if a four-member Medical Board, as set up in each State under the Act, gives permission to do so.
• The law, notwithstanding any of the above conditions, also provides that where it is immediately necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, abortion can be carried out at any time by a single registered medical practitioner.
• Unmarried women can also access abortion under the above-mentioned conditions, because it does not mention the requirement of spousal consent. If the woman is a minor, however, the consent of a guardian is required.

Have there been judicial interventions in cases of abortions?

• Despite the fact that existing laws do not permit unconditional abortion in the country, in the landmark 2017 Right to Privacy judgement in the Justice S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India and others, the Supreme Court had held that the decision by a pregnant person on whether to continue a pregnancy or not is part of such a person’s right to privacy as well and, therefore, the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• Several women annually approach the apex court and High Courts, when medical boards reject their application to access MTP beyond the gestational upper limit (now 24 weeks), seeking permission to abort a pregnancy, mostly in cases where it is a result of sexual assault or when there is a foetal abnormality.

What are the criticisms against the abortion law?

• According to a 2018 study in the Lancet, 6 million abortions were accessed every year in India as of 2015. The MTP Act requires abortion to be performed only by doctors with specialisation in gynaecology or obstetrics. However, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s 2019-20 report on Rural Health Statistics indicates that there is a 70% shortage of obstetrician-gynaecologists in rural India.
• As the law does not permit abortion at will, critics say that it pushes women to access illicit abortions under unsafe conditions. Statistics put the annual number of unsafe and illegal abortions performed in India at 8,00,000, many of them resulting in maternal mortality.

THE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

EXPLAINED: WHY GERMANY IS PUSHING FOR A ‘CLIMATE CLUB’

THE CONTEXT: Germany is hosting this year’s meeting of leaders from the Group of Seven leading economies and also, plans to get the G-7 to commit to collective progress on curbing global warming, and one of the ideas being discussed is the creation of a climate club’ for countries that want to speed ahead when it comes to tackling the issue.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is a climate club?

• The idea was first floated by Yale economist and Nobel Prize winner William Nordhaus, who said the voluntary nature of existing climate agreements hasn’t resulted in sufficient progress.
• He proposed that countries which were serious about reducing their emissions could come together and form a club which would jointly set ambitious targets and exempt each other from climate-related trade tariffs that non-members would be subject to.

Who might join?

• Germany’s Scholz hopes to get the whole G-7 behind the idea. France and Italy are virtually given, since both countries are also members of the European Union that is itself a club with strong climate targets. Canada is keen to finalize a long-discussed trade agreement with the EU and membership of the climate club could help.
• Britain left the EU in 2020 and is skeptical about joining any arrangement with the bloc. But a club that includes members beyond the EU would likely be acceptable to London, especially if the United States is in.
• Washington has always had a problem entering into binding agreements on climate change, particularly due to Republican opposition. President George W. Bush withdrew America’s signature under the 1997 Kyoto treaty and President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 Paris accord — a much less stringent pact.
• The US rejoined Paris under President Joe Biden, however, and there is growing realization that a go-it-alone approach may not be in America’s interest, especially if it wants to force China to pull its weight on reducing emissions.
• Japan may also be swayed by the prospect of putting pressure on its big neighbour and privileged access to European and North American markets.

What about China?

• The world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gas isn’t likely to join But if it wants to export its wares to the rest of the world without having climate tariffs slapped on them, it may have to join.
• Expect Beijing to be sharply critical of the idea, just as it has been of the EU’s planned “carbon border adjustment mechanism” — which also entails tariffs for polluters who don’t play by the bloc’s rules.
• China has tried to rally other emerging economies such as South Africa and Indonesia in opposition to the plan. That’s one reason why Scholz has invited both of those countries attend the G-7 as guests and made clear that the climate club is open to all.

Will the idea take off?

• Experts say a critical mass of countries will need to join the club for it to become attractive enough that others feel compelled to apply too.
• The exact details of how the club’s rules would work are still sketchy. General support by the G-7, without any formal commitments, could help put the idea on the agenda at upcoming meetings, particularly the UN climate summit in November 2022. An endorsement there would show that the club isn’t the exclusive preserve of rich nations but a genuine addition to existing climate efforts.

INDIA REOPENS EMBASSY IN KABUL

THE CONTEXT: According to the External Affairs Ministry, the decision to have a diplomatic presence in Kabul was taken keeping in mind ‘historical and civilisational relationship’ with Afghans.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A little over 10 months after the Taliban seized power in Kabul and India subsequently shut its mission down, New Delhi deployed a “technical team” consisting of diplomats and others to the Afghan capital to “closely monitor and coordinate” the delivery of humanitarian assistance there.
• The ministry also said, “Our longstanding links with Afghan society and our development partnership, including humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan, will continue to guide our approach going forward.”
• India’s announcement was welcomed by the Taliban government, which said it demonstrates the country’s security situation.

STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF AFGHANISTAN FOR INDIA:

• Natural resources: Afghanistan is known for its geo-strategic importance and abundance of natural resources. Afghanistan has an estimated 1 trillion USD of untapped resources according to a joint report of The Pentagon and US Geological Survey. Stable Afghanistan with better relations means more economic development in the region and of India.
• Security: A stable Afghanistan is crucial for regional and domestic security and stability for India. With Afghanistan becoming a centre of radical ideology and violence again, such a development would affect Pakistan and would inevitably reach India. Further, there is threat of drug trafficking through the Afghanistan route. Peaceful Afghanistan is thus a necessity to reduce the threat to internal security of india.
• Connectivity: Afghanistan is always considered as India’s gateway to Central Asia. It implies continental outreach. For instance, connectivity with Afghanistan and further with Central Asia have been primarily the reasons for India’s engagement with Iran to develop Chabahar port. Similarly, Delaram-Zaranj highway is an important route to connect Indian economy via Afghanistan.
• Strengthening regional foothold: Increasing strategic engagements with Afghanistan combination is beneficial for India in strengthening a foothold in the region. For example, India’s relations with Iran at present are dominated by oil. Diversification of engagements would strengthen India’s relations with Iran and other countries.
• Energy ambitions: To address its energy needs to sustain its economic growth, pipelines from Iran and Central Asia would be extremely important. India sees Afghanistan as an essential component of the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) pipeline. An unstable Afghanistan would hurt the construction of this pipeline and the subsequent flow of gas.
• Trade: In case of trade, Afghanistan can help India export its products to Europe, gaining foreign exchange. The railway line from Chabahar to Zahedan in Afghanistan envisages to connect New Delhi with Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

NITI AAYOG LAUNCHES REPORT ON INDIA’S GIG AND PLATFORM ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: NITI Aayog launched a report that presented comprehensive perspectives and recommendations on the gig economy in India titled ‘India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy’.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The report is a first-of-its-kind study that presents comprehensive perspectives and recommendations on the gig–platform economy in India. The report provides a scientific methodological approach to estimate the current size and job-generation potential of the sector.
• It highlights the opportunities and challenges of this emerging sector and presents global best practices on initiatives for social security and delineates strategies for skill development and job creation for different categories of workers in the sector.

Who are Gig Workers?

• A gig worker is a person who performs work or participates in a work arrangement and earns from such activities outside of the traditional employer-employee relationship.
• The gig economy encompasses freelancers, online platform workers, self-employed, on-call workers, and other temporary contractual workers.
• Gig workers get the flexibility to work for several employers at the same time. A gig economy can benefit employees as well as companies. While workers can choose the projects they want to be associated with, companies can manage costs by adjusting their flexible workforce based on the demand.

Key findings and recommendations of the report:

• The report estimates that in 2020–21, 77 lakh (7.7 million) workers were engaged in the gig economy. They constituted 6% of the non-agricultural workforce or 1.5% of the total workforce in India. The gig workforce is expected to expand to 2.35 crore (23.5 million) workers by 2029–30. Gig workers are expected to form 6.7% of the non-agricultural workforce or 4.1% of the total livelihood in India by 2029–30.
• At present, about 47% of the gig work is in medium skilled jobs, about 22% in high skilled, and about 31% in low skilled jobs. Trend shows the concentration of workers in medium skills is gradually declining and that of the low skilled and high skilled is increasing.
• To harness the potential of the gig-platform sector, the report recommends accelerating access to finance through products specifically designed for platform workers, linking self-employed individuals engaged in the business of selling regional and rural cuisine, street food, etc., with platforms to enable them to sell their produce to wider markets in towns and cities.
• The report puts forth suggestions for platform-led transformational and outcome-based skilling, enhancing social inclusion through gender sensitization and accessibility awareness programmes for workers and their families and extending social security measures in partnership mode as envisaged in the Code on Social Security 2020.
• Other recommendations include undertaking a separate enumeration exercise to estimate the size of the gig and platform workforce and collecting information during official enumerations (Periodic Labour Force Survey) to identify gig workers.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

IMPLICATIONS OF INDIA’S NEW VPN RULES

THE CONTEXT: India’s cybersecurity agency (CERT-IN) passed a rule mandating Virtual Private Network (VPN) provider to record and keep their customers’ logs for 180 days. It also asked these firms to collect and store customer data for up to five years.

THE EXPLANATION:

• It further mandated that any cybercrime recorded must be reported to the CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team) within six hours of the crime. The new directives, if passed, will be effective from June 28.
• In response to the CERT-In rules, Nord VPN, one of the world’s largest VPN providers, has said it is moving its servers out of the country.

Who all will be affected by the new rules?

CERT-In directions are applicable to data centres, virtual private server (VPS) providers, cloud service providers, virtual asset service providers, virtual asset exchange providers, custodian wallet providers and government organisations. Firms that provide Internet proxy-like services through VPN technologies also come under the ambit of the new rule. Corporate entities are not under the scanner.

What is a virtual server, and what are its uses?

• A virtual server is a simulated server environment built on an actual physical server. It recreates the functionality of a dedicated physical server. The virtual twin functions like a physical server that runs software and uses resources of the physical server. Multiple virtual servers can run on a single physical server.
• Virtualising servers helps reallocate resources for changing workloads. Converting one physical server into multiple virtual servers allows organisations to use processing power and resources more efficiently by running multiple operating systems and applications on one partitioned server. Running multiple operating systems and applications on a single physical machine reduces cost as it consumes less space and hardware.
• Virtualisation also reduces cost as maintaining a virtual server infrastructure is low compared to physical server infrastructure. Virtual servers are also said to offer higher security than a physical server infrastructure as the operating system and applications are enclosed in a virtual machine. This helps contain security attacks and malicious behaviour inside the virtual machine.
• Virtual servers are also useful in testing and debugging applications in different operating systems and versions without having to manually install and run them in several physical machines. Software developers can create, run, and test new software applications on a virtual server without taking processing power away from other users.

How will the law impact India’s IT sector?

• On the impact of removal of physical servers from the country on jobs, SurfsharkVPN said “It would be difficult to estimate the exact number of individuals impacted in terms of employment because we were renting servers from Indian providers.”
• VPN suppliers leaving India is not good for its burgeoning IT sector. Taking such radical action that highly impacts the privacy of millions of people in India will most likely be counterproductive and strongly damage the IT sector’s growth in the country, the company said in a release last week.
• It estimated that 9 million Indians have had their accounts breached since 2004 and raised its concern that collecting excessive amounts of data within Indian jurisdiction without robust protection mechanisms could lead to even more breaches.
• The Netherlands-based company further said that they have never received a similar directive on storing customer logs from any other governments in the world.

THE NEWS IN NUMBERS

INDIA-EGYPT WHEAT TRADE

According to Egyptian Government, 1.8 In lakh tonnes, the amount of wheat Egypt has contracted to buy from India, Shipment will happen once the cargo “reaches the ports” in India. Egypt has strategic reserves of wheat sufficient for 5.7 months. The country has procured 3.9 million tonnes of wheat in the harvest so far. The strategic reserves for sugar are sufficient for more than six months, 6.3 months for vegetable oils while rice reserves will be enough for 3.3 months.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY

The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment was recently launched by which of the following?

a) WEF

b) OECD

c) G7

d) G20

ANSWER FOR 25^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Guiding principles of NITI Aayog –
• 

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. U.S. SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS ABORTION RIGHTS

THE CONTEXT: On 24^th June 2022 the US Supreme Court took the dramatic step of overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion and legalized it nationwide, handing a momentous victory to Republicans and religious conservatives who want to limit or ban the procedure.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The conservative-dominated court overturned the landmark 1973 “Roe v Wade” decision that enshrined a woman’s right to an abortion.
• The court said “the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives; abortion presents a profound moral issue on which Americans hold sharply conflicting views.
• The opinion shredded the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling by the nation’s highest court that said women had the right to abortion based on the constitutional right to privacy over their own bodies.
• The court’s ruling goes against an international trend of easing abortion laws, including in such countries as Ireland, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia where the Catholic Church continues to wield considerable influence.

VICTORY FOR RELIGIOUS RIGHT

• It represents a victory of 50 years of struggle against abortion by the religious right but the anti-abortion camp is expected to continue to push for an outright nationwide ban.
• 13 states have adopted so-called “trigger laws” that will ban abortion following the move by the Supreme Court.
• Ten others have pre-1973 laws that could go into force or legislation that would ban abortion after six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant.

THE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

2. G-20 SUMMIT 2023

THE CONTEXT: Jammu and Kashmir will host the 2023 meetings of the G20, an influential group of the world’s major economies. J&K government has set up a five-member high-level committee for overall coordination of G20 meetings to be held in the Union Territory.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The summit is likely to be held in January 2023.
• This will be the first major international summit in Jammu and Kashmir after the erstwhile state’s special status guaranteed under Article 370 of the Constitution was withdrawn and divided into two union territories in August 2019.
• In September 2021, Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal was appointed India’s Sherpa for the G20.

INDIAN AND G-20

• Prime Minister Modi has led India’s representation at G20 summits since 2014.
• India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999.
• According to the MEA, India will be part of the G20 Troika (preceding, current, and incoming G20 Presidencies) from December 1, 2021, till November 30, 2024.

ABOUT G 20

• The G20 brings together 19 of the world’s leading economies and the European Union, with its members accounting for more than 80 per cent of global GDP, 75 per cent of global trade and 60 per cent of the worldwide population, according to the MEA.
• The G20 member nations are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

3. CARD TOKENISATION DEADLINE INCREASES BY 3 MONTHS

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the timeline for tokenisation of debit and credit cards by three months till September 30, 2022 “to avoid disruption and inconvenience to cardholders”.

THE EXPLANATION:

• After September 30, no entity in the card transaction or payment chain, other than the card issuers and card networks, should store the CoF (Card-on-File data or storage of actual card data) and any such data stored previously will be purged.
• The central bank had earlier fixed the due date for card tokenisation on June 30, 2022.
• Currently, many entities, including merchants, involved in an online card transaction chain store card data like card number and expiry date Card-on-File (CoF) citing cardholder convenience and comfort for undertaking transactions in future.
• While this practice does render convenience, availability of card details with multiple entities increases the risk of card data being stolen or misused.

WHAT IS TOKENISATION?

• In September 2021, the RBI prohibited merchants from storing customer card details on their servers with effect from January 01, 2022, and mandated the adoption of card-on-file (CoF) tokenisation as an alternative to card storage. It applies to domestic, online purchases.
• Tokenisation refers to replacement of actual credit and debit card details with an alternate code called the “token”, which will be unique for a combination of card, token requestor and device.
• A tokenised card transaction is considered safer as the actual card details are not shared with the merchant during transaction processing.

WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY?

• India has an estimated 100 crore debit and credit cards, which are used for about 1.5 crore daily transactions worth Rs 4000 crore.
• The value of the Indian digital payments industry in 2020-21, as per RBI’s annual report, was Rs 14,14,85,173 crore.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. PROTEST AGAINST ECO-SENSITIVE ZONES IN KERALA

THE CONTEXT: Farmers in Kerala are protesting against the Supreme Court’s recent order to establish 1-km Eco-Sensitive Zones around all protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.

THE EXPLANATION:

• On June 3, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court heard a PIL which sought to protect forest lands in the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu but was later expanded to cover the entire country.
• In its judgment, the court while referring to the 2011 guidelines as “reasonable”, directed all states to have a mandatory 1-km ESZ from the demarcated boundaries of every protected forest land, national park and wildlife sanctuary.
• It stated that no new permanent structure or mining will be permitted within the ESZ.
• If the existing ESZ goes beyond 1-km buffer zone or if any statutory instrument prescribes a higher limit, then such extended boundary shall prevail, the court.
• Due to the high density of human population near the notified protected areas, farmer’s groups and political parties have been demanding that all human settlements be exempt from the ESZ ruling.

WHAT ARE ECO-SENSITIVE ZONES?

• As per the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016), issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, land within 10 km of the boundaries of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries is to be notified as eco-fragile zones or Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ).
• While the 10-km rule is implemented as a general principle, the extent of its application can vary. Areas beyond 10-km can also be notified by the Union government as ESZs, if they hold larger ecologically important “sensitive corridors.”

WHY ARE ECO-SENSITIVE ZONES CREATED?

• According to the guidelines issued by the Environment Ministry on February 9, 2011, ESZs are created as “shock absorbers” for the protected areas, to minimize the negative impact on the “fragile ecosystems” by certain human activities taking place nearby. Furthermore, these areas are meant to act as a transition zone from areas requiring higher protection to those requiring lesser protection.
• The guidelines also state that the ESZs are not meant to hamper the daily activities of people living in the vicinity but are meant to guard the protected areas and “refine the environment around them”.
• To do so, the guidelines list the activities prohibited in an ESZ, such as commercial mining, sawmills, commercial use of wood, etc., apart from regulated activities like felling of trees.

5. BIODIVERSITY LOSS AND INDIA’S BANKRUPTCY RISK

THE CONTEXT: Loss of biodiversity will downgrade the credit ratings of several countries, including India, increasing their bankruptcy risk.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A team of economists from University of Cambridge and others analysed the sovereign credit ratings of 26 countries, including India.
• Sovereign credit ratings are an independent assessment that determines the creditworthiness of a country.
• The team claimed that investors and corporations ignoring biodiversity loss from calculations could lead to market stability being undermined. They found that at least 58 per cent of the 26 countries would face a detrimental impact.
• China and Malaysia would be the worst-affected with downgrades of more than six notches.
• India, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Bangladesh can expect downgrades of four notches while a third of the countries studied would experience more than three.
• India will have a risk over 29 per cent while Bangladesh will suffer the most, with an estimated 41 per cent and Ethiopia by 38 per cent.
• As nature loss reduces economic performance, it will become harder for countries to service their debt, straining government budgets and forcing them to raise taxes, cut spending, or increase inflation. This will have grim consequences for ordinary people.

6. NET ZERO BY AFRICA

THE CONTEXT: Investment in energy sector will need to be doubled to achieve Africa’s energy and climate goals, including universal access by 2030.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Africa needs investment of over $190 billion each year from 2026 to 2030, with two-thirds going to clean energy
• In 2021, 43 per cent of the population of Africa around 600 million people still lacked access to electricity, the report mentioned. Around 590 million of them were in sub‐Saharan Africa.
• Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people without access in sub‐Saharan Africa is estimated to have increased by four per cent in 2021 relative to 2019.
• The pandemic has pushed more than 20 African countries into debt distress and reversed progress on expanding access to electricity, the report said. The pandemic has slowed the rate of both new grid and off‐grid connections.
• Achieving universal access to clean cooking fuels and technologies by 2030 requires shifting 130 million people away from dirty cooking fuels each year. At present, 970 million Africans lack access to clean cooking.
• Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is the leading solution in urban areas, but recent price spikes have made it unaffordable for 30 million people across Africa. This has pushed many to go back to using traditional fuels like biomass.
• Clean cooking requires around $2.5 billion per year of investment in clean cook-stoves and other end‐use equipment.
• Achieving full access to modern energy in Africa by 2030 will require investment of $25 billion per year, equal to around a quarter of total energy investment in Africa before the pandemic.
• Renewable sources of energy, including solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal, can account for over 80 per cent of the new power generation capacity in Africa by 2030.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

7. VL-SRSAM MISSILE SYSTEM

THE CONTEXT: The indigenously developed shipborne weapon system, Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM), was successfully flight tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The VL-SRSAM system has been designed to strike at the high-speed airborne targets at the range of 40km to 50km and at an altitude of around 15km.
• Its design is based on Astra missile which is a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile. Two key features of the VL-SRSAM are cruciform wings and thrust vectoring.
• VL-SRSAM is a canisterised system, which means it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments.
• In the canister, the inside environment is controlled, thus making its transport and storage easier and improving the shelf life of weapons.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

8. NEW CEO OF NITI AAYOG

THE CONTEXT: Parameswaran Iyer, a 1981-batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre and a well-known sanitation specialist, has been appointed the chief executive officer of Niti Aayog, after Amitabh Kant retires on June 30.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Iyer’s initial tenure will be for two years, according to a notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Training.
• Iyer took voluntary retirement from the IAS in 2009, after 17 years in service. In 2016, he returned to helm the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation as Secretary.

 9. NEW IB CHIEF

THE CONTEXT: The government on appointed Tapan Kumar Deka, a 1988 batch IPS officer and an intelligence operations expert, as the director of Intelligence Bureau.

THE EXPLANATION:

• He succeeds Aravind Kumar who completes his three-year tenure at the IB helm on June 30.
• In another decision, the government cleared a further one-year extension for RAWchief Samant Kumar Goel, a 1984 batch IPS officer. U

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 25^TH JUNE 2022

1. Which of the following are the guiding principles of NITI Aayog?

1. Governance
2. Federalism
3. Sustainability
4. People’s Participation
5. Democracy

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

      a) 1, 2 and 3 only

b) 1, 3 and 4 only

c) 1, 3, 4 and 5 only

d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 24^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: C

Explanation:

What is ONDC?

• it is a not-for-profit organisation that will offer a network to enable local digital commerce stores across industries to be discovered and engaged by any network-enabled applications.
• It is neither an aggregator application nor a hosting platform, and all existing digital commerce applications and platforms can voluntarily choose to adopt and be a part of the ONDC network.
• The ONDC aims to enable buying of products from all participating e-commerce platforms by consumers through a single platform.
• Under ONDC, it is envisaged that a buyer registered on one participating e-commerce site (for example, Amazon) may purchase goods from a seller on another participating e-commerce site (for example, Flipkart).
• ONDC model is trying to replicate success of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in field of digital payments. UPI allows people to send or receive money irrespective of the payment platforms they are registered on.
• The open network concept also extends beyond the retail sector, to any digital commerce domains including wholesale, mobility, food delivery, logistics, travel, urban services, etc.

THE CULTURE

1. SAO JOAO FESTIVAL IN GOA

THE CONTEXT: As in every monsoon, Catholics in Goa will celebrate Sao Joao, the feast of St John the Baptist in the last week of June.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The celebrations will include revellers sporting crowns made of fruits, flowers and leaves, and the major draw of the feast is the water bodies wells, ponds, fountains, and rivers in which the revellers take the “leap of joy”.
• Enjoyed by children and adults alike, the festival also includes playing the traditional gumott (percussion instrument), a boat festival, servings of feni, and a place of pride for new sons-in-law.

WHAT IS SAO JOAO AND WHERE IS IT CELEBRATED IN GOA?

• In Goa, Catholics celebrate all the feasts of the Roman Catholic Church, which include the feast of St John the Baptist on June 24 (John the Baptist because he had baptised Jesus Christ on the river Jordan).
• Traditionally, there are spirited Sao Joao festivities in the villages of Cortalim in South Goa and Harmal, Baga, Siolim and Terekhol in North Goa.
• However, over the years, pool parties and private Sao Joao parties in Goa have been a “complete package of merriment and joy” for tourists, according to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC).

THE SOCIETY

2. INDIGENOUS OGIEK PEOPLE

THE CONTEXT: The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, an international court established by members of the African Union, ordered the Kenyan government June 23, 2022, to pay $1.3 million to the indigenous Ogiek people as reparations for historical injustices and discriminations.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Government of Kenya will pay in moral damages, according to a statement by the Forest Peoples Programme, a non-profit.
• The government has also been ordered to recognise the Ogiek as an indigenous people of Kenya.
• It has to make that recognition effective including through formal recognition of the Ogiek language and the people’s cultural and religious practices.
• It will also have to take all necessary legislative and administrative measures in consultation with the Ogiek to delimit, demarcate their ancestral lands and give them community titles over the land.

WHO ARE THE OGIEK?

• The Minority Rights Group International (MRGI), an international group advocating the rights of indigenous peoples and disadvantaged groups, describes the Ogiek as “one of the last forest-dwelling hunter-gatherer communities”.
• The Ogiek are thus among some of the most marginalised of all indigenous peoples and minorities in Kenya.

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

3. ANTI-DEFECTION LAW

THE CONTEXT: The unfolding political crisis in Maharashtra has thrown the spotlight on the anti-defection law, and the roles of the Deputy Speaker and the Governor.

THE EXPLANATION:

WHAT IS DEFECTION?

• The bill was proposed by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi after winning an absolute majority in the centre following his mother and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination. The act came into effect in March 1985.
• According to the anti-defection law, if a member is elected on the ticket of a certain party and resigns from the party, defies party leadership, or is absent for crucial votes, they are disqualified for the remaining term and their election is rendered invalid.
• However, the law doesn’t outlaw the splitting of a political party to ensure that there is no dictatorship and that the party systems also remain democratic. If a party has a certain number of elected representatives in the assembly then a merger with another party is also allowed under the anti-defection law, if two-thirds of the total elected members of the party in the assembly are willing to make that decision.

WHAT IS THE GOVERNOR’S ROLE?

• The Governor has a crucial role when there is political instability in a state.
• Before 1994, Governors were quick to dismiss a state government, charging that it did not have a majority in the state legislature and recommending the imposition of the President’s rule in the state. But the Supreme Court ended this practice with its judgment in the S R Bommai case in 1994.
• In this landmark case, the court ruled that the place for deciding whether a government has lost its majority was in the legislature.
• One question being discussed is whether the political crisis in Maharashtra could lead to the dissolution of the Assembly. The Chief Minister of a state can recommend to the Governor to dissolve the legislature before the end of its five-year term and call for elections.
• Here, the Governor’s discretion comes into play. The Governor may choose not to dissolve the legislature if he or she believes that the recommendation is coming from a council of ministers who do not enjoy the confidence of the state legislature.

THE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

4. ANNUAL BRICS SUMMIT

THE CONTEXT: The 14^th summit of BRICS group is being held by China in June 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• BRICS countries, on June 23, discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict and supported peace dialogues between the two conflicting countries, while also stressing the need for humanitarian assistance.
• The two-day virtual summit attended by the heads of state of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, will end on June 24.
• BRICS nations discussed the situation in Ukraine and recall our national positions as expressed at the appropriate fora, namely the UNSC and UNGA.
• They support talks between Russia and Ukraine. We’ve also discussed our concerns over the humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine.

PM MODI’S ADDRESS AT BRICS

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the summit on June 23 and said the BRICS countries can act in unison and lend a helping hand to the world in the post-COVID recovery.
• BRICS members have a similar approach regarding the governance of the global economy. Our mutual cooperation can make a useful contribution to the global post-COVID recovery.
• He went on to highlight the various areas BRICS can work on as a team, which includes an increase in connectivity between BRICS Youth Summits, BRICS Sports, civil society organizations, and think tanks.

ABOUT BRICS

• Grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
• Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.
• The first BRIC Summit took place in 2009 in the Russian Federation. South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS.
• The BRICS Leaders’ Summit has convened annually.
• BRICS nations signed BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) in 2014 as part of Fortaleza Declaration at Sixth BRICS summit.
• The BRICS CRA aims to provide short-term liquidity support to the members through currency swaps to help mitigating BOP crisis situation and further strengthen financial stability.
• The initial total committed resources of the CRA shall be one hundred billion dollars of the United States of America (USD 100 billion).

NEW DEVELOPMENT BANK (NDB)

• During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014) the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB).
• Headquarter- Shanghai

  THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

5. OPEN NETWORK FOR DIGITAL COMMERCE

THE CONTEXT: The government of India announced the launch of the pilot phase of open network for digital commerce (ONDC) in five cities in late April 2022 with an aim to “democratise” the country’s fast-growing digital e-commerce space that is currently dominated two U.S.-headquartered firms — Amazon and Walmart.

WHAT IS ONDC?

• It is a not-for-profit organisation that will offer a network to enable local digital commerce stores across industries to be discovered and engaged by any network-enabled applications.
• It is neither an aggregator application nor a hosting platform, and all existing digital commerce applications and platforms can voluntarily choose to adopt and be a part of the ONDC network.
• The ONDC aims to enable consumers to buy products from all participating e-commerce platforms through a single platform.
• Under ONDC, it is envisaged that a buyer registered on one participating e-commerce site (for example, Amazon) may purchase goods from a seller on another participating e-commerce site (for example, Flipkart).
• ONDC model is trying to replicate the success of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in field of digital payments. UPI allows people to send or receive money irrespective of the payment platforms they are registered on.
• The open network concept also extends beyond the retail sector, to any digital commerce domains including wholesale, mobility, food delivery, logistics, travel, urban services, etc.

WHAT LED TO FORMATION OF ONDC?

• It found that there is a huge disconnect between the scale of online demand and the ability of the local retail ecosystem to participate.
• What is the current status?
• Presently, ONDC is in its pilot stage in five cities — Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Shillong and Coimbatore — with a target of onboarding around 150 retailers.
• Over the next five years, the ONDC expects to bring on board 90 crore users and 12 lakh sellers on the network, enabling 730 crore additional purchases and an additional gross merchandising value (GMV) of ₹3.75 crore.

 WHAT ARE THE LIKELY BENEFITS OF ONDC?

• The ONDC will standardise operations like cataloguing, inventory management, order management and order fulfilment, hence making it simpler and easier for small businesses to be discoverable over networks and conduct business.
• However, experts have pointed out some likely potential issues such as getting enough e-commerce platforms to sign up, along with issues related to customer service and payment integration.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

6. FUND FOR BIODIVERSITY WOES

THE CONTEXT: The Global Environment Facility (GEF), the only multilateral fund focused on biodiversity, has promised to provide $5.33 billion over the next four years to address problems related to biodiversity worldwide, it announced at an information session of the ongoing preparatory meeting on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework meeting in Nairobi.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The amount is 30 per cent more than in the last four years. Biodiversity would be the focus area during these years and at least 60 per cent of the commitments will be related to biodiversity.
• GEF plans to provide the funds to improve food systems, ecosystem restoration, ensure clean and healthy oceans, climate change mitigation and manage chemicals and waste, among other things.
• The plan is to provide $1 million per country for in-country work and $9 million as global technical assistance.
• This would help meet goals. But it is much less than the requirement estimated by Campaign for Nature, a non-profit. The organisation estimates the requirement to be at least $60 billion each year.
• The world failed to meet the Aichi targets on biodiversity set for 2011-2020, due to a lack of adequate financial resources. In 2020, an assessment showed that none of the 20 Aichi targets had been met.
• Campaign for Nature asked developed countries to provide funds in the form of grants and not debt and also ensure that indigenous people and local communities had direct access to these resources.
• This is important in light of the recent developments where people from Tanzania’s Maasai community are being forcefully evicted from their ancestral land to make way for a luxury game reserve for the rich.
• Investing in the environment is important considering that money spent now can help avoid massive future costs that come from the degradation of nature as well as zoonotic diseases and pandemics that can be caused due to the loss of nature.
• The Nairobi meet is being held in preparation for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CoP15), scheduled for later this year in Montreal, Canada.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

7. GSAT-24 SATELLITE

THE CONTEXT: India’s GSAT-24 satellite, built by ISRO for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), was successfully launched by French company Arianespace on its Ariane 5 space launch vehicle from Kourou in French Guiana, in South America.

THE EXPLANATION:

• GSAT-24 is a 24-Ku band communication satellite weighing 4180 kg with pan-India coverage for meeting DTH application needs.
• NSIL, incorporated in March 2019, is a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE), under the Department of Space (DOS) and is the commercial arm of ISRO.

GSAT-24: WHAT IS IT?

• GSAT-24 is a 24-Ku band communication satellite weighing 4180 kg with Pan India coverage for meeting DTH application needs. NSIL has leased the entire satellite capacity to M/s Tata Play.
• It is the first demand-driven satellite configured by ISRO, owned, operated and funded by NewSpace India Limited for the commercial users.
• This communication satellite is configured with the primary objective to augment satellite-based DTH and VSAT services in BSS Ku-band.
• Its 24 Ku-band transponders have an enhanced Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) of 53.5 dBW, with coverage over the Indian mainland, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.

WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

• Enhanced EIRP results in more DTH channels within the same spectrum, more HD channels or system robustness with additional rain fade margin.
• A satellite-based interactive educational service for classroom connectivity employing DTH quality broadcast.
• Telecommunications and emerging applications like digital cinema, high-speed backhaul links, bulk-data transfer etc.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

8. NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NIA

THE CONTEXT: The Centre appointed former Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta, an IPS officer of the 1987 batch, as the Director-General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The EXPLANATION:

• According to an official order issued by the Personnel Ministry, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared the name of Dinkar Gupta, a 1987-batch India Police Service (IPS) officer from Punjab, for the top NIA post.
• According to the order, Dinkar Gupta will hold the post of NIA chief till March 31, 2024, that is the date of his retirement or till further orders, whichever comes earlier.

NIA (NATIONAL INVESTIGATING AGENCY)

• About: NIA is a central agency created by the Government Of India (GOI) to fight terror in India.
• Origin: The Mumbai terror attacks of 2008 were the primary force behind the constitution of NIA. Further, India is marred by various issues like smuggling of arms and drugs, circulation of counterfeit Indian currency, etc. which have certain national and international linkages. These reasons further ignited the need for NIA. Accordingly, the NIA Act was enacted on 31-12-08 and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was born.
• Current Status: NIA has registered and investigated 244 cases to date. After submission of charge sheets, 37 cases have been finally or partially decided in trial. Of these, 35 cases have ended in conviction giving NIA an enviable conviction percentage of 91.3%.
• Position in India: At present, the NIA is functioning as the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency in India. It has been given special powers to investigate cases within India without any special permission from the states.
• Vision: The NIA aims to set the standards of excellence in counter-terrorism and other national security-related investigations at the national level by developing into a highly trained, partnership-oriented workforce. NIA aims at creating deterrence for existing.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 24TH JUNE 2022

1. Consider the following statements about Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC):

1. It is a not-for-profit organization.
2. It aims to enable consumers to buy products from all participating e-commerce platforms through a single platform.

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 23^RD JUNE 2022

Answer: b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Loktak lake is located in Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India. Also, it is included as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. 
• Statement 2 is correct: It is famous for the phumdis (heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil and organic matter at various stages of decomposition) floating over it.
• Statement 3 is correct: Keibul Lamjao National Park located on this phumdis, is the only floating national park in the world. The park is the last natural refuge of the endangered Sangai(state animal), or Manipur brown-antlered deer, one of three subspecies of Eld’s deer.

1. Elusive ethics READ MORE
2. MeitY To Hold Public Consultation For The Proposed IT Rules Changes READ MORE
3. The dark side of corporate governance READ MORE

1. NE floods: Climate is not the only villain READ MORE
2. Rain-Triggered Floods in Assam and Bangladesh Conjure Climate Warnings READ MORE
3. India’s rivers are heating up due to climate change, shows study READ MORE

1. Pride Matters | The fight for meaningful queer emancipation READ MORE
2. UNIFORM CIVIL CODE TO STRENGTHEN UNITY READ MORE

1. Indian legislative processes need a framework for accountability READ MORE
2. Delay in data law can prove costly READ MORE
3. UNIFORM CIVIL CODE TO STRENGTHEN UNITY READ MORE
4. SC’s Judgment on Compulsory Vaccination Addresses Executive Accountability READ MORE
5. Why PILs Are Necessary for Securing a Welfare State READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Golden era of the Santhals in India, say community leaders READ MORE
2. Understanding bird strikes and aviation safety READ MORE
3. $1-trillion scope for digital economy: PM Modi READ MORE
4. Indian Oil unveils indoor solar cooking system READ MORE
5. CAD narrows on quarter to 1.5% in Q4, seen wider in Q1 READ MORE
6. Globally 78.2 million children out of school: UN report READ MORE
7. Sebi sets up panel on hybrid securities READ MORE
8. Bharat Gaurav train connecting India and Nepal flagged off READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. NE floods: Climate is not the only villain READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Indian legislative processes need a framework for accountability READ MORE
2. Delay in data law can prove costly READ MORE
3. UNIFORM CIVIL CODE TO STRENGTHEN UNITY READ MORE
4. SC’s Judgment on Compulsory Vaccination Addresses Executive Accountability READ MORE
5. Why PILs Are Necessary for Securing a Welfare State READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND JUSTICE

1. Pride Matters | The fight for meaningful queer emancipation READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. BRICS summit needs to focus on breaking Western hegemony READ MORE
2. Gulf nations must avow India’s step READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Towards a single low tax regime: The Finance Minister should do away with all the confusing tax slabs in one fell swoop READ MORE
2. GST compensation to States can stop READ MORE
3. View: WTO must emphasise that it is not just about free trade but also about fair trade READ MORE
4. Fiscal weakness: State finances can impede growth READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Rain-Triggered Floods in Assam and Bangladesh Conjure Climate Warnings READ MORE
2. India’s rivers are heating up due to climate change, shows study READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Elusive ethics READ MORE
2. MeitY To Hold Public Consultation For The Proposed IT Rules Changes READ MORE
3. The dark side of corporate governance READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Codes of conduct and business principles are necessary, but integrity and ethics are the essences of true professionalism. Comment.
2. Why PILs are necessary for securing a welfare state? How Judicial review of State action assumes greater importance to protect the rights of the disadvantaged sections of society?
3. Discuss, how the unsustainable level of debt in states would not only affect growth prospects, but could also pose risks to macroeconomic stability?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Corporate governance in companies is suffering from nepotism, old networks, favouritism, we-use-each-other mentality.
• Corporate governance rules and regulations alone can’t change anything. It’s a deep human awakening that could positively impact a better corporate journey.
• Judicial review of State action (or inaction) assumes greater importance when the rights and aspirations of the disadvantaged sections of society are at stake.
• Democracy is often called a tyranny of the majority.
• An unsustainable level of debt in some of the large states would not only affect growth prospects but could also pose risks to macroeconomic stability.
• The Government has asserted its respect for all religions while the Gulf countries have often been suspect in establishing their secular credentials.
• The lack of law not only means that entities, private or public, are not required to take proactive steps to protect the sensitive personal information of the public, but also that when a person’s privacy is violated, the only recourse lies in the courts.
• The obstruction of the natural flow of water through dams, barrages, and embankments, deforestation and mining in the hills, the destruction of wetlands, development activities on river banks, and unplanned urbanisation have all contributed to rivers losing their navigability.
• Formalized impact assessments before and after any law is enacted or scheme rolled out may help deliver superior outcomes

50 WORD TALK

• This whole argument that the Indian Army soldiers are old and, therefore, the military needs a reform of the Agnipath type is a made-up argument. Individuals normally don’t do very well in their first exposure to fire. Operations need battle-hardened soldiers and not greenhorns. The word ‘veteran’ when used in the context of the Army, signifies exactly that. The combination of physical fitness, endurance and experience deliver in the battle.
• Adopting new laws including a code of conduct themselves will not take us far without implementing the spirit and the word as well as political will. Integrity and ethics are the essences of true professionalism. Codes of conduct and business principles are necessary, but not sufficient. A moral standard is a set of values, norms or principles. This moral standard generates the general ethical demands on each functionary, which, in turn, creates an organisation’s ethos and culture.

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 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.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

38TH INDIA – INDONESIA COORDINATED PATROL

THE CONTEXT: The 38th edition of India–Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy is being conducted from 13-24 Jun 22.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Maritime interaction between India and Indonesia has expanded substantially with frequent port visits, participation in bilateral/ multilateral exercises and training exchanges. Under the broad ambit of this strong maritime relationship, the two navies have been carrying out CORPATs along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) every year since 2002, with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade.
• The CORPAT has also strengthened understanding and interoperability between the navies and facilitated the institution of measures to prevent unlawful activities at sea as well as conduct Search and Rescue (SAR) operations.
• The CORPAT has helped both navies to better understand each other’s operating procedures and enhance interoperability whilst facilitating institutional measures for preventing/ suppressing Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy in the region. The sea phase for the 38^thedition of CORPAT was undertaken from 20 – 21 Jun 22 along the IMBL in the Andaman Sea, whilst the closing ceremony is scheduled at Sabang, Indonesia on 23 June 22.
• The 38th Ind-Indo CORPAT will contribute to Indian Navy’s efforts to consolidate inter-operability and forge strong bonds of friendship with the Indonesian Navy.

VALUE ADDITION:

INDIA -INDONESIA TIES

• It is the World’s largest Island Country with more than 17,000 islands.
• It has the 4th largest population in the world.
• Indonesia was one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement along with India.
• India is the largest buyer of crude palm oil from Indonesia and also imports coal, minerals, rubber, pulp and hydrocarbon in significant quantities. India exports refined petroleum products, maize, commercial vehicles, telecommunication equipment, oil seeds to Indonesia. There is a need to balance our bilateral trade as India’s import from Indonesia was US$ 15 billion against export of US$ 4 billion in 2014-15.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

INDIA REPORTS FY22 CAD OF 1.2% AS TRADE DEFICIT WIDENS

THE CONTEXT: According to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India recorded a current account deficit (CAD) of 1.2% of GDP in 2021-22 against a surplus of 0.9% in 2020-21 as the trade deficit widened to $189.5 billion from $102.2 billion a year earlier.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Net invisible receipts were higher in 2021-22 on account of an increase in net exports of services and net private transfer receipts though net income outgo was higher than a year ago.
• Net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows at $38.6 billion in 2021-22 were lower than $44 billion in 2020-21. Net Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) recorded an outflow of $16.8 billion in 2021-22 as against an inflow of $36.1 billion a year earlier.
• For the January-March 2022 quarter, the CAD narrowed on a sequential basis to $13.4 billion, or 1.5% of GDP, against $22.2 billion, or 2.6% of GDP, in the December 2021 quarter.
• The merchandise trade deficit narrowed to $54.5 billion in the March quarter compared with a deficit of $60.4 billion in the previous quarter. The deficit in the same quarter a year earlier, however, had stood at $41.7 billion.
• As per the data, net External Commercial Borrowings to India recorded an inflow of $7.4 billion in 2021-22 compared with $0.2 billion in 2020-21. In 2021-22, there was an accretion of $47.5 billion to foreign exchange reserves on a Balance of Payment (BoP) basis, the RBI data showed.
• Net foreign portfolio investment recorded an outflow of $15.2 billion – mainly from the equity market. Net ECBs to India were lower at $3.3 billion in Q4 2021-22 as compared with $6.1 billion a year earlier.
• As per preliminary data on India’s BoP for the fourth quarter (January to March), current account deficit (CAD) decreased to $13.4 billion (1.5% of GDP) in Q4 2021-22 from $22.2 billion (2.6 % of GDP) in Q3:2021-22. “The sequential decline in CAD in Q4 2021-22 was mainly on account of a moderation in trade deficit and lower net outgo of primary income”.

VALUE ADDITION:

Current Account Deficit:

• The current account deficit is a measurement of a country’s trade where the value of the goods and services it imports exceeds the value of the products it exports. The current account includes net income, such as interest and dividends, and transfers, such as foreign aid, although these components make up only a small percentage of the total current account.
• The current account represents a country’s foreign transactions and, like the capital account, is a component of a country’s balance of payments (BOP).

External Commercial Borrowing:

• External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) refers to the debt shouldered by an eligible entity in India for solely commercial purposes, that has been extended by external sources, i.e. from any recognized entity outside India. These borrowings are expected to conform to norms and conditions put forth by the RBI. The ECB’s fall under the umbrella of RBI regulations.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

FOUR NEW CORALS WERE RECORDED FROM INDIAN WATERS

THE CONTEXT: Scientists have recorded four species of azooxanthellate corals for the first time from Indian waters. These new corals were found in the waters of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Azooxanthellate corals are a group of corals that do not contain zooxanthellae and derive nourishment not from the sun but from capturing different forms of plankton. These groups of corals are deep-sea representatives, with the majority of species reporting from between 200 m to 1000 m. Their occurrences are also reported from shallow coastal waters.
• Zooxanthellate corals, meanwhile, are restricted to shallow waters.

• “Most studies of hard corals in India have been concentrated on reef-building corals while much is not known about non-reef-building corals. These new records enhance our knowledge about non-reef-building, solitary corals”.
• There are about 570 species of hard corals found in India and almost 90% of them are found in the waters surrounding Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The pristine and oldest ecosystem of corals shares less than 1% of the earth’s surface but they provide a home to nearly 25% of marine life.
• Four species of azooxanthellate corals were recorded for the first time from the waters of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) scientist behind these new records, said that all four groups of corals are from the same family Also, they noted that the coral reefs are one of the most productive, sustainable and pristine ecosystems of the world’s oceans, especially in shallow coastal waters.

VALUE ADDITION:

What are corals?

• Corals are invertebrate animals belonging to a large group of colourful and fascinating animals called Cnidaria.
• Each coral animal is called a polyp, and most live in groups of hundreds to thousands of genetically identical polyps that form a ‘colony’. The colony is formed by a process called budding, which is where the original polyp grows copies of itself.

What are coral reefs?

• Coral reefs are created by millions of tiny polyps forming large carbonate structures. Coral reefs are the largest living structure on the planet, and the only living structure to be visible from space.
• Corals are found across the world’s ocean, in both shallow and deep water, but reef-building corals are only found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters. This is because the algae found in their tissues need light for photosynthesis and they prefer water temperatures between 22-29°C.

DISTRIBUTION OF CORALS ALONG THE INDIAN COASTS

THE SECURITY AFFAIRS

DIGITAL WEARABLES CAN EXPOSE USERS TO CYBERATTACKS: IEEE

THE CONTEXT: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a global outfit for technical professionals warned that Digital wearables, smartwatches and fitness trackers pose unique threats to the security and privacy of customer data.

THE EXPLANATION:

• As per a document shared by the IEEE, most criminal intrusions of computer networks have a financial motive. That may lead people to conclude that wearables have a low cybersecurity risk. But wearables data, especially in healthcare settings, is often tied to financial information.
• It also noted that, “Depending on the organisation from which it was obtained, stolen health data can be extremely valuable because it often includes so much personally identifiable information – including birthdays, email addresses and other login information, that can be used for identity theft purposes.
• Hospitals, for example, should maintain extensive databases of personally identifiable information for billing purposes. Hence the rise of wearables, implants and other connected devices adds a new dimension to cybersecurity risk, the body suggested.
• India has been witnessing massive adoption of wearable technology in recent years. Wearables have become popular in the country as they allowed users to stay connected and also offered tracker services for health, medication, sleep, exercise/walk etc.
• The wearables market in India had record-breaking double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2022, with shipments surpassing 13.9 million devices, as per International Data Centre (IDC).

VALUE ADDITION:

What is wearable technology?

Wearable technology is any kind of electronic device designed to be worn on the user’s body. Such devices can take many different forms, including jewellery, accessories, medical devices, and clothing or elements of clothing. The term wearable computing implies processing or communications capabilities, but in reality, the sophistication among wearables can vary.

CHALLENGES OF WEARABLE TECHNOLOGIES

1. Lack of authentication: Manufacturers often ship wearable devices without a built-in security mechanism such as user authentication or PIN system protection features.
2. Lack of encryption: Data collected by wearables are very valuable but some third-party apps neglect to include basic security standards and send or store information that’s not encrypted.
3. Insecure wireless connectivity: Wearable devices connect to smartphones wirelessly via protocols such as Bluetooth, NFC, and WiFi. But the security of these wireless channels can be insufficient against determined hackers.
4. Insecure Cloud data: Data synchronized to cloud storage are also vulnerable to a number of threats such as distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, SQL injection or back door attacks.

If left unchecked, these vulnerabilities can be a point of entry for attackers that can exploit legitimate enterprise credentials or hospital records which would lead to loss of or the ransom of sensitive data.

THE HISTORICAL TIDBITS

THE TOTAL WAR

THE CONTEXT: Long-drawn wars such as the Russian-Ukraine war raise fears of another world war. But world wars are different from limited wars.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Total War?

• Total war is a military conflict in which the participants are willing to make any sacrifice in lives and other resources so that they obtain a total or complete victory. This feature makes it different from limited war.
• The modern concept of total war can be traced to the writings of the 19th-century Prussian military strategist Carl von Clausewitz. Clausewitz denied that wars could be fought by laws. In his major work Vom Kriege (On War) described wars as tending constantly to escalate in violence toward a theoretical absolute. Clausewitz also stressed the importance of crushing the adversary’s forces in battle.

What are some of the features of total war?

• Total war is categorised by the participation of most countries of the world. Most of the major powers of the world participate in a total war.
• Total war is fought at multiple fronts simultaneously.
• Total participation of warring nations is another important feature. It is not just military forces but the entire society that participates in the war to ensure favourable outcomes.
• It is also categorised by the latest weapons and technologies.
• Use of weapons for mass destruction is also an important feature of total war.
• A total war is always long-drawn.
• No difference is seen between the combats and non-combats in a total war.
• Development of new military infrastructure is witnessed during total war.
• Total war is also characterised by its decisive outcomes. One of the parties involved in the war has to lose to bring the war to an end.
• A total war is also a war of attrition.
• Total impact is another important feature of total war. As the entire nation participates, the impact of the war is felt by every dimension of human life.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

ISRAEL UNCOVERS A RARE EARLY MOSQUE IN NEGEV

THE CONTEXT: Israeli archaeologists unveiled a rare ancient mosque in the country’s south that the antiquities officials said sheds light on the region’s transition from Christianity to Islam.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Archaeologists, the remains of the mosque, believed to be more than 1,200 years old, were discovered during works to build a new neighbourhood in the Bedouin city of Rahat.
• The mosque located in the Negev desert contains “a square room and a wall facing the direction of Mecca”, with a half-circle niche in that wall pointing to the south.
• “These unique architectural features show that the building was used as a mosque,” the authority said, noting it probably hosted a few dozen worshippers at a time.
• Three years ago, the authority unearthed another mosque nearby from the same era of the seventh to eighth century AD, calling the two Islamic places of worship “among the earliest known worldwide”.
• The mosques, estate and other homes found nearby illuminate “the historical process that took place in the northern Negev with the introduction of a new religion — the religion of Islam, and a new rulership and culture in the region”.
• “These were gradually established, inheriting the earlier Byzantine government and Christian religion that held sway over the land for hundreds of years.”

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 23RD JUNE 2022

1. Consider the following statements:
2. Loktak lake is located in Nagaland.
3. It is famous for the phumdis, floating organic matter.
4. It is last natural refuge of the Sangai.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2

b) 2 and 3

c) 1 and 3

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR 22^ND JUNE 2022

ANSWER: C

EXPLANATION:

• Boyfriend loophole refers to a gap in American federal and some state gun laws that allow access to guns by dating abusers.
• It would prohibit dating partners- not just spouses- from owning guns if they had been convicted of domestic violence.

1. A new global standard for AI ethics READ MORE
2. Offer yourself to the fire of purification READ MORE

1. Climate and Us | An inequitable status quo remains in climate action READ MORE
2. No single-use plastic: There is no case for extending the deadline READ MORE
3. Climate change: How can India’s concretised, dangerously hot cities be cooled down sustainably? READ MORE
4. Improving India’s Poor Environmental Performance READ MORE
5. Monsoon 2022: The North East may be deluged, but the west coast is dry; here is why READ MORE

1. Caste or biradari? How ‘privilege and descent’ plays out among Indian Muslims READ MORE
2. India Society: Its journey from traditional to modern READ MORE

1. A wish list for reform in India’s higher judiciary READ MORE
2. Will the Aadhaar fiasco pave the way for a stronger Data Protection Bill? READ MORE
3. Inter-State Council can help bolster state-centre bond READ MORE
4. SC’s Judgment on Compulsory Vaccination Addresses Executive Accountability READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. US Navy, Iran have tense encounter in Strait of Hormuz READ MORE
2. Explained: The anti-defection law and why it still remains a toothless tiger READ MORE
3. Explained: India’s emerging twin deficit problem READ MORE
4. Explained: Russia has cut gas supplies to Europe; what happens now? READ MORE
5. How a noxious aquatic weed was used to make eco-friendly products, generate employment in rural Bengal READ MORE
6. Spain, Germany battle wildfires amid unusual heat wave READ MORE
7. PM Modi will attend the 14th BRICS summit in virtual format on June 23-24 READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. Caste or biradari? How ‘privilege and descent’ plays out among Indian Muslims READ MORE
2. India Society: Its journey from traditional to modern READ MORE
3. Monsoon 2022: The North East may be deluged, but the west coast is dry; here is why READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. A wish list for reform in India’s higher judiciary READ MORE
2. Will the Aadhaar fiasco pave the way for a stronger Data Protection Bill? READ MORE
3. Inter-State Council can help bolster state-centre bond READ MORE
4. SC’s Judgment on Compulsory Vaccination Addresses Executive Accountability READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. India and Australia: Partners with shared interests and entwined destinies READ MORE
2. Going bigger with BRICS-Plus: The strained India-China relations need to ease off to make it more effective READ MORE
3. IPEF Challenges READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Why the communication gap between the MPC and RBI is troubling READ MORE
2. Regional inequalities and resource transfers READ MORE
3. Why the revival of the World Trade Organisation depends on US and China READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Climate and Us | An inequitable status quo remains in climate action READ MORE
2. No single-use plastic: There is no case for extending the deadline READ MORE
3. Climate change: How can India’s concretised, dangerously hot cities be cooled down sustainably? READ MORE
4. Improving India’s Poor Environmental Performance READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Analysing spectrum auction: The reserve price is expected to dominate the minds of bidders in the months to come READ MORE
2. A new global standard for AI ethics READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. A new global standard for AI ethics READ MORE
2. Offer yourself to the fire of purification READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘It is important to align the currency with the financial strength and economic requirements of a country, an overvalued currency can have disastrous consequences’. Comment on the statement.
2. How far do you agree with this view that even after the 25 years of its establishment, BIMSTEC remains fragmented, and no lesson has been learned from the failures or constraints of SAARC? Justify your view.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The UIDAI’s failed advisory on use of photocopies of Aadhaar cards highlights the need for a tough data protection law, which the new Data Protection Bill was meant to be. However, in its present form it privileges a free and fair digital economy over informational privacy.
• If the objective is to induce trust in digital markets to enable their growth at the cost of informational privacy, accepting the draft Bill in its current form will be problematic.
• From an Indian perspective, the Act East Policy can be best realised if BIMSTEC and ASEAN are seen to be working more closely in identified areas.
• The slow evolution of the institutional framework of BIMSTEC has been fashioned along that of SAARC. No effort seems to have been made to learn from the failures or constraints of SAARC.
• Although there is talk of BIMSTEC being a bridge between South and Southeast Asia, any effort towards building such a link remain invisible. Thus, the prospects of having BIMSTEC move ahead on trade and cooperation with ASEAN is missing.
• As machine-learning models grow in complexity and improve their ability to mimic feelings, they are also becoming more difficult, even for their creators, to understand.
• War against the Covid pandemic has to embrace all the three critical dimensions—testing, tracking, and treatment. Apart from the vaccine, diagnostics and therapeutics too need to be supplied at affordable rates.
• The India-ASEAN upgraded FTA could be a game-changer within the Indo-Pacific region.
• Reduce the IBC’s regulatory cholesterol and court delays if it’s to be the saviour it was conceived as.
• The possibility of Section 66A coming back on the statute book is bleak unless a bigger Supreme Court bench overrules Shreya Singhal.
• It is really important to align the currency with the financial strength and economic requirements of a country, an overvalued currency can have disastrous consequences.
• Gig work in India remains a distressing tale of long work hours, isolation and stagnant careers.

50 WORD TALK

• 22 FIRs and 34 days in jail for Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale for sharing one nasty Facebook post shows how a state can go overboard to crush social media nuisance. And then we complain of overcrowded jails and judicial pendency. High time the higher judiciary ends this petty political vindictiveness.

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 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.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE JUDICIAL VALIDITY OF THE TALAQ-E-HASAN MODE OF DIVORCE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to invalidate Talaq-e-Hasan, the prescribed Islamic way of a divorce, has been filed in the Supreme Court.

THE EXPLANATION:

BACKGROUND:

Unlike other religions where marriage has been traditionally viewed as a sacrament, under Muslim law, marriage is a civil and social contract.

Talaq-ul-Sunnat of the divorce sanctioned by Prophet is sub-divided into:

• Talaq-e-Ahsan
• Talaq-e-Hasan
• (iii) Talaq-e-Biddat

What is the PIL about?

• The petition filed by a Ghaziabad-based woman, seeks to make the prescribed Islamic way of divorce Talaq-e-Hasan unconstitutional as it is violative of Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25 of the Constitution.
• The petitioner who claimed to have been unilaterally divorced through the Talaq-e-Hasan mode by her husband Yousuf, also prayed that Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 that permits Muslims to practise unilateral divorce be declared void.
• It was argued that the aggrieved lady and her child would be left without a remedy if no intervention was made.

What is Talaq-e-Hasan ?

Talaq-e-Hasan is a type of extra-judicial divorce mentioned under Islam that only men can practice. In this, a man can divorce his wife by saying the word “Talaq” in three instalments over three months.

• It is a revocable form of divorce. Extra-judicial divorce forms are approved by prophet Mohammad and are valid under all schools of Muslim law.
• The husband has to make sure that the wife is not menstruating when he’ll be pronouncing ‘Talaq’.
• There needs to be a gap of one month between all three pronouncements.
• These three months are also known as a period of abstinence.
• The duration for this ‘Iddat period is 90 days or three menstrual cycles or three lunar months.
• In case, the couple starts cohabitation during the abstinence period, the divorce will be revoked.
• The idea behind this period of abstinence is that the evil of divorce doesn’t become final at once.

Though Triple Talaq Is Banned In 2019, Why Is It Challenged?

• In a landmark Shayara Bano v Union of India judgment in 2017, the Supreme Court declared Talaq-e-Biddat unconstitutional. It was a form of extra-judicial divorce when a man pronounces ‘talaq’ thrice in just one sitting and marriage between the two parties gets dissolved.
• Triple talaq was declared unconstitutional by a five-judge bench on grounds of being arbitrary and against the Quran. These are two different forms of divorce and therefore need to be challenged separately.

Will Banning Talaq-e-Hasan Deprive Men of Their Rights?

• Article 25 of the Indian Constitution allows every citizen the freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion. All personal laws, including the Muslim Personal Laws (Shariat) Application Act of 1937, draw their powers from Article 25. Islamic personal laws have recognised extra-judicial divorce procedures and therefore, Shariat Act allows extra-judicial divorce proceedings legally.
• As Muslim women also have the right to practice extra-judicial divorce, a challenge to the constitutional validity of a man’s right to pronounce extra-judicial divorce on his wife is violative of Article 14 and Article15 becomes questionable.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE GLOBAL TRENDS REPORT 2022

THE CONTEXT: The 2022 annual Global Trends Report was published by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). June 20 is designated as World Refugee Day by the UN. The theme for World Refugee Day 2022 is whoever, whatever, whenever. Everyone has got a right to seek safety.

THE EXPLANATION:

Who is a refugee?

According to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention, A refugee is someone who fled his or her home and country owing to “a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”.

What are the major findings of this year’s report?

• On Earth, 1 in every 78 people is now displaced.
• There were 7 million new internal displacements worldwide, due to disasters. It is a decrease of 23 percent as compared to the last year (2021).
• The largest displacement occurred in China in 2021 (6 million), the Philippines (5.7 million), and India (4.9 million).
• The number of people who were forced to flee their homes has increased in the past decade. It stands at the highest level since records started. By the end of May 2022, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide. The reasons cited are violence, war in Ukraine, food insecurity, human rights abuses, climate crisis, and other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan.
• By 2021 end, the number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence, and human rights abuses was 3 million. This has increased by 8% and has doubled as compared to the figure 10 years ago.
• Importantly, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused the fastest and largest forced displacement crises after World War II from Africa to Afghanistan and beyond.

• In India’s case, the report points out that around five million people were internally displaced. The reason cited is due to disasters and climate change in 2021.
• Low and middle-income countries hosted 83% of the world’s refugees. Turkey hosted nearly 3.8 million refugees, the largest population worldwide.
• The number of new individual asylum applications registered globally in 2021 increased by 25% to 1.4 million from 1.1 million. Important to note that it is less than pre-pandemic levels. Also, Unaccompanied or separated children (UASC) accounted for two per cent of new asylum claims. The S. was the most popular choice among refugees to seek asylum, followed by Germany, Mexico, Costa Rica, and France.

VALUE ADDITION:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR):

• It is a UN Refugee Agency and a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting their rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people.
• It was created in 1950 to help millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes.
• It is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

INDIA’S EMERGING TWIN DEFICIT PROBLEM

THE CONTEXT: According to the latest ‘Monthly Economic Review’, the Ministry of Finance has painted an overall optimistic picture of the state of the domestic economy. “The World is looking at a distinct possibility of widespread stagflation. India, however, is at low risk of stagflation, owing to its prudent stabilization policies”.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Finance Ministry report, the economic growth outlook is likely to be affected by several factors owing to the trade disruptions, export bans and the resulting surge in global commodity prices —all of which will continue to stoke inflation — as long as the Russia-Ukraine conflict persists and global supply chains remain unrepaired.
• “Also, it stated that the momentum of economic activities sustained in the first two months of the current financial year augurs well for India continuing to be the quickest growing economy among major countries in 2022-23”. But, given the uncertainties, the report highlights two key areas of concern for the Indian economy: the fiscal deficit and the current account deficit (or CAD).

Fiscal deficit

• The report states that “as government revenues take a hit following cuts in excise duties on diesel and petrol, an upside risk to the budgeted level of gross fiscal deficit has emerged”.
• The fiscal deficit is essentially the amount of money that the government has to borrow in any year to fill the gap between its expenditures and revenues. Higher levels of fiscal deficit typically imply the government eats into the pool of investible funds in the market which could have been used by the private sector for its own investment needs.
• At a time when the government is trying its best to kick-start and sustain a private sector investment cycle, borrowing more than what it budgeted will be
• The report underscores the need to trim revenue expenditure (or the money government spends just to meet its daily needs). “Rationalizing non-capex expenditure has thus become critical, not only for protecting growth supportive capex but also for avoiding fiscal slippages”. The “Capex” or capital expenditure essentially refers to money spent towards creating productive assets such as roads, buildings, ports etc. Capex has a much bigger multiplier effect on the overall GDP growth than revenue expenditure.

Current account deficit

The current account essentially refers to two specific sub-parts:

• Import and Export of goods — this is the “trade account”.
• Import and export of services — this is called the “invisibles account”.

If a country imports more goods (everything from cars to phones to machinery to food grains etc) than it exports, it is said to have a trade account deficit. A deficit implies that more money is going out of the country than coming in via the trade of physical goods. Similarly, the same country could be earning a surplus on the invisibles account — that is, it could be exporting more services than importing.

If, however, the net effect of a trade account and the invisibles account is a deficit, then it is called a current account deficit or CAD. A widening CAD tends to weaken the domestic currency because a CAD implies more dollars (or foreign currencies) are being demanded than rupees.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE COSMIC CANNIBALISM

THE CONTEXT: Astronomers have observed for the first time a phenomenon, called, “cosmic cannibalism,” a dead star is ripping apart its planetary system. A star is ending its life so violently that the dead star left behind, called a white dwarf, is disrupting an entire planetary system by sucking in debris from both its inner and outer reaches.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is a white dwarf?

• A White Dwarf is the final evolutionary stage of a star. White Dwarf Stars are called so because they were first discovered in that particular colour.
• Their characteristics include having a mass as that of the Sun, a radius comparable to the Earth and low luminosity.
• Scientists believe that White dwarfs are the end-stage of those states whose mass is insufficient to become a neutron star or a black hole. It is believed that 97% of stars of the Milky Way galaxy are white dwarfs.
• Compared to our sun, a white dwarf has a similar carbon and oxygen mass though it is much smaller in size — similar to Earth. According to NASA, the White dwarf temperatures can exceed 100,000 Kelvin. Despite having too high a temperature, white dwarfs have a low luminosity as they’re so small in size.
• Where a star ends up at the end of its life depends on the mass it was born with. Stars that have a lot of mass may end their lives as black holes or neutron stars. A low or medium mass star (with a mass less than about 8 times the mass of our Sun) will become a white dwarf. A typical white dwarf is about as massive as the Sun, yet only slightly bigger than the Earth. This makes white dwarfs one of the densest forms of matter, surpassed only by neutron stars and black holes.
• This case of cosmic cannibalism was diagnosed with the help of archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope and other NASA observatories.

VALUE ADDITION:

ABOUT HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE:

• The Hubble Space Telescope is a large telescope in space. NASA launched Hubble in 1990.
• It was built by the United States space agency NASA, with contributions from the European Space Agency.
• Hubble is the only telescope designed to be serviced in space by astronauts.
• Expanding the frontiers of the visible Universe, the Hubble Space Telescope looks deep into space with cameras that can see across the entire optical spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet.
• The Hubble Space Telescope makes one orbit around Earth every 95 minutes.

THE EMERGENCE OF DRUG-RESISTANT TYPHOID STRAINS

THE CONTEXT: According to a study published in the Lancet Microbe, the effectiveness of antibiotics for typhoid fever is threatened by the emergence of resistant strains, as per the large genome sequencing study of the bacteria Salmonella Typhi.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The study sequenced 3,489 S Typhi isolates from 2014-19 from people in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, and 4,169 samples isolated from over 70 countries during 1905-2018. Strains were classified as MDR if they had genes giving resistance to antibiotics ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole.
• According to the researchers, “In recent years, they have seen increasingly resistant strains that are threatening to leave us without effective antibiotics against this bacterium. The strain for which there is only a single oral antibiotic remaining is termed XDR typhoid. Strains resistant to the antibiotic (azithromycin) have been seen in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.
• Evidence to date suggests that much of the drug resistance in typhoid has evolved within India, so certainly need to be concerned about the appearance of drug resistance in the country.
• Typhoid fever causes 11 million infections and more than 100,000 deaths per year. South Asia accounts for 70% of the global disease burden.
• India’s Health Ministry is considering introducing new typhoid conjugate vaccines into the national immunisation program. Two WHO-prequalified vaccines have been developed in India (by Bharat Biotech (Typbar TCV) and Biological E).

VALUE ADDITION:

• Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection that can spread throughout the body, affecting many organs. Without prompt treatment, it can cause serious complications and can be fatal.
• It’s caused by a bacterium called Salmonella typhi, which is related to the bacteria that cause salmonella food poisoning.
• Typhoid fever is highly contagious. An infected person can pass the bacteria out of their body in their poo or, less commonly, in their pee.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THIS WORD MEANS: BOYFRIEND LOOPHOLE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, US senators reached a bipartisan deal on gun safety measures. The reform outline includes a significant provision to address the ‘boyfriend loophole’.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the boyfriend loophole?

• It refers to a gap in American federal and some state gun laws that allow access to guns by dating abusers.
• It would prohibit dating partners- not just spouses- from owning guns if they had been convicted of domestic violence.
• The framework says that convicted domestic violence abusers and individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders would be included in criminal background checks

THE DUTCH DISEASE

• Dutch Disease in economics refers to a phenomenon wherein a country witnesses uneven growth across sectors due to the discovery of natural resources, especially large oil reserves.
• According to the concept, when a country discovers natural resources and starts exporting them to the rest of the world, it causes the exchange rate of the currency to appreciate significantly and this, in turn, discourages the exports from other sectors while encouraging the import of cheaper alternatives.
• While the idea was first proposed by economists Peter Neary and Max Corden in 1982, the term ‘Dutch disease’ was first coined by The Economist in 1977 to describe the decline of the manufacturing industry in the Netherlands.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 22^ND JUNE 2022

Q1. The term “Boyfriend Loophole” is recently seen in the news related to?

a) A new dwarf planet found by NASA

b) It is a small object, passing close to the Sun

c) It is US federal framework for Gun safety measures

d) None

ANSWER FOR 21ST JUNE 2022

Answer: D

Explanation:

• Dutch Disease in economics refers to a phenomenon wherein a country witnesses uneven growth across sectors due to the discovery of natural resources, especially large oil reserves.
• The idea was first proposed by economists Peter Neary and Max Corden in 1982, the term ‘Dutch disease’ was first coined by The Economist in 1977 to describe the decline of the manufacturing industry in the Netherlands.
• In the 1960s, the Netherlands discovered gas reserves in the North Sea. The subsequent ex- port of oil and the appreciation of the Dutch currency made Dutch exports of all non-oil products less competitive on the world market. Unemployment rose from 1.1% to 5.1% and capital investment in the country dropped.

Answer: D

Explanation:

Please refer to the given map-

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

MUSLIM GIRL AGED ABOVE 15 COMPETENT FOR MARRIAGE: PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that a Muslim girl above 15 years of age is competent to enter into a contract of marriage with a person of her choice.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The couple contended before the Court that in Muslim law, puberty and majority are one and the same and that there is a presumption that a person attains majority at the age of 15 years.
• It is further submitted that a Muslim boy or Muslim girl who has attained puberty is at liberty to marry anyone he or she likes and the guardian has no right to interfere.

THE RIGHT TO MARRY IS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT:

• The right to marry is a part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
• The right to marriage is also stated under Human Rights Charter within the meaning of the right to start a family.
• The right to marry is a universal right and it is available to everyone irrespective of their gender.
• Various courts across the country have also interpreted the right to marry as an integral part of the right to life under Article 21.
• A forced marriage is illegal in different personal laws on marriage in India, with the right to marry recognized under Hindu laws as well as Muslim laws.

Other laws that lay down a person’s right to marry in India are:

• The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
• The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890
• The Majority Act, 1875
• The Family Courts Act, 1984
• The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

SCOPE OF ARTICLE 21:

• Article 21, considered the heart and soul of the Constitution, states, ‘No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to the procedure established by law.

It has a much more profound meaning that signifies the:

• Right to live with human dignity
• Right to livelihood
• Right to health
• Right to pollution-free air
• Right to live a quality life
• Right to go abroad
• Right to privacy
• Right against delayed execution,

And anything and everything that fulfils the criteria for a dignified life.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

EXERCISE “EX KHAAN QUEST – 2022”

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the multinational peacekeeping Exercise “Ex Khaan Quest -2022” was held at the Peace Support Operations Training Centre in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The exercise conducted from 06 June to 20 June 2022 provided a platform for mutual learning and sharing best practices amongst the armies of 16 Nations. The Indian contingent consisting of personnel from the LADAKH SCOUTS participated in the field training as well as the Command Post-exercise. A number of training activities were organised during the course of the exercise, which included mock tactical operations as per United Nations (UN) mandate, combat discussions, training of staff & command appointments; as part of a combined UN brigade, in order to enhance multinational interoperability.
• The bonhomie, espirit-de-corps and goodwill generated during the exercise will go a long way in future strengthening of bonds between the Armies of participating Nations.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

EXPLAINED: WHY IS SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BEING BANNED IN INDIA FROM JULY 1?

THE CONTEXT: The Centre has banned the use of ‘single-use plastic’ from July 1. The Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued a gazette notification last year announcing the ban and has now defined a list of items that will be banned from next month.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to Ministry’s Notification “The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of following single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities shall be prohibited with effect from the 1st July, 2022’’.

What is single-use plastic?

• As the name suggests, it refers to plastic items that are used once and discarded. Single-use plastic has among the highest shares of plastic manufactured and used — from packaging of items, to bottles (shampoo, detergents, cosmetics), polythene bags, face masks, coffee cups, cling film, trash bags, food packaging etc.
• A 2021 report by one of the Australian philanthropic organisations the Minderoo Foundation said single-use plastics account for a third of all plastic produced globally, with 98% manufactured from fossil fuels. Single-use plastic also accounts for the majority of plastic discarded – 130 million metric tonnes globally in 2019 — “all of which is burned, buried in landfills or discarded directly into the environment”.
• On the current trajectory of production, it has been projected that single-use plastic could account for 5-10% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
• The report found that India features in the top 100 countries of single-use plastic waste generation – at rank 94 (the top three being Singapore, Australia and Oman. With domestic production of 11.8 million metric tonnes annually, and import of 2.9 MMT, India’s net generation of single-use plastic waste is 5.6 MMT, and per capita generation is 4 kg.

What are the items being banned?

• The items on which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have announced a ban are earbuds; balloon sticks; candy and ice-cream sticks; cutlery items including plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, trays; sweet boxes; invitation cards; cigarette packs; PVC banners measuring under 100 microns; and polystyrene for decoration.
• The Ministry had already banned polythene bags under 75 microns in September 2021, expanding the limit from the earlier 50 microns. From December, the ban will be extended to polythene bags under 120 microns. Ministry officials have explained that the ban is being introduced in phases to give manufacturers time to shift to thicker polythene bags that are easier to recycle. While manufacturers can use the same machine for 50- and 75-micron bags, the machinery will need to be upgraded for 120 microns.
• According to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, there is also a complete ban on sachets using plastic material for storing, packing or selling gutkha, tobacco and pan masala.

Why these items?

• Ministry officials have said that the choice for the first set of single-use plastic items for the ban was based on “difficulty of collection, and therefore recycling”.
• “The enemy is not that plastic exists per se, but that plastic exists in the environment. When plastic remains in the environment for long periods of time and does not decay, it turns into microplastics – first entering our food sources and then the human body, and this is extremely harmful.

How are other countries dealing with single-use plastic?

• Earlier this year, 124 countries, parties to the United Nations Environment Assembly, including India, signed a resolution to draw up an agreement which will in the future make it legally binding for the signatories to address the full life of plastics from production to disposal, to end plastic pollution.
• Bangladesh became the first country to ban thin plastic bags in 2002. New Zealand became the latest country to ban plastic bags in July 2019. China issued a ban on plastic bags in 2020 with phased implementation.
• As of July 2019, 68 countries have plastic bag bans with varying degrees of enforcement.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

DESIGN-LED MANUFACTURING UNDER A PRODUCTION-LINKED INCENTIVE (PLI) SCHEME

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Department of Telecommunications(DoT) had notified the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme on 24th February 2021, with a financial outlay of ₹ 12,195 Crores. A total of 31 companies, comprising of 16 MSMEs and 15 Non-MSMEs including 8 Domestic and 7 Global companies were given approval on 14th October,2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

• With the objective to build a strong ecosystem for 5G, the Union Budget 2022-23 has proposed to launch a Scheme for design-led manufacturing as part of the existing PLI Scheme. After consultations with stakeholders, the Guidelines for the PLI Scheme for Telecom & Networking Products have been amended to introduce the Design-led Manufacturing with additional incentive rates.
• Further, DoT based on feedbacks from stakeholders including the selected PLI Applicants, has decided to extend the existing PLI Scheme by one year. The existing PLI beneficiaries will be given an option to choose financial year 2021-22 or financial year 2022-23 as the first year of incentive.
• DoT has also approved addition of 11 new telecom and networking products to the existing list, based on suggestions from the stakeholders.
• Applicants will have to satisfy the minimum Global Revenue criteria to be eligible under the Scheme. The Company may decide to invest for single or multiple eligible products. The Scheme stipulates a minimum investment threshold of ₹10 Crores for MSME and ₹100 Crores for non MSME applicants. Land and building cost will not be counted as investments. Eligibility shall be further subject to Incremental Sales of Manufactured Goods (covered under Scheme Target Segments) over the base year (FY2019-20). The allocation for MSME has been enhanced from ₹1000 Crores to ₹2500 Crores.

 VALUE ADDITION:

What is the Design Linked Incentive (DLI)Scheme?

• Domestic companies, startups, and MSMEs will be eligible for the financial incentives and design infrastructure support under the DLI Scheme.
• Over 5 years, incentives will be provided at various stages of development and deployment of the semiconductor design for Integrated Circuits (ICs), Chipsets, Systems & IP Cores, System on Chips (SoCs),and semiconductor-linked design.

 DLI Scheme Components

The scheme is made up of three parts: Chip Design Infrastructure Support, Product Design Linked Incentive, and Deployment Linked Incentive.

Product Design Linked Incentive

This provides fiscal support to eligible applicants involved in semiconductor design by reimbursing up to 50% of eligible expenditure up to a maximum of Rs.15 Crore per application.

EXPLAINED: WHAT IS A BLACK SWAN EVENT?

THE CONTEXT: A study by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has spoken about the possibility of capital outflows to the tune of $100 billion (around Rs 7,80,000 crore) from India in case of a major global risk scenario or a “black swan” event.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is a ‘black swan’ event?

A black swan is a rare, unpredictable event that comes as a surprise and has a significant impact on society or the world. These events are said to have three distinguishing characteristics – they are extremely rare and outside the realm of regular expectations; they have a severe impact after they hit; and they seem probable in hindsight when plausible explanations appear.

When did the term originate?

• The black swan theory was put forward by author and investor Nassim Nicholas Taleb in 2001, and later popularised in his 2007 book – The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. The news agencies described his work as one of the 12 most influential books since World War II.
• In his book, Taleb does not try to lay out a method to predict such events, but instead stresses on building “robustness” in systems and strategies to deal with black swan occurrences and withstand their impact.
• The term itself is linked to the discovery of black swans. Europeans believed all swans to be white until 1697, when a Dutch explorer spotted the first black swan in Australia. The metaphor ‘black swan event’ is derived from this unprecedented spotting from the 17th century, and how it upended the West’s understanding of swans.

When have such events occurred in the past?

• Interestingly, Taleb’s book predated the 2008 global financial crisis – a black swan event triggered by a sudden crash in the booming housing market in the US. The fall of the Soviet Union, the terrorist attack in the US on September 11, 2001, also fall in the same category.

Is the Covid-19 pandemic a black swan event?

• Taleb does not agree with those who believe it to be one. In an interview to Bloomberg in 2020, he called it a “white swan”, arguing that it was predictable, and there was no excuse for companies and governments not to be prepared for something like this.
• While the outbreak of any pandemic is difficult to individually predict, the possibility of one occurring and having a major impact on systems around the world was known and documented.

THE PLACES IN THE NEWS

THE KALININGRAD REGION

THE CONTEXT: Russia called Lithuania’s decision to ban the transit of some goods to Russia’s Kaliningrad region “unprecedented” and vowed to respond.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Lithuanian authorities banned the transit of goods which are sanctioned by the European Union across its territory, which includes the only rail route between mainland Russia and the Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea. Banned goods include coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology.

Kaliningrad region:

• Kaliningrad is the only Russian Baltic Sea port that is ice-free all year round and hence plays an important role in the maintenance of the country’s Baltic Fleet.
• Sandwiched between EU and NATO members Poland and Lithuania, Kaliningrad receives supplies from Russia via rail and gas pipelines through Lithuania.

THE NEWS IN NUMBERS

RUSSIAN CRUDE EXPORTS

• According to figures from the Customs Administration. 8.42 In million tonnes, the quantity of oil China imported from Russia last month, a 55% on-year rise. The latest number was a spike from the 5.44 million tonnes China imported in May 2021.
• Thus, Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia as China’s main source of oil. Beijing, which has refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, has also been accused of providing diplomatic cover for Russia by blasting Western sanctions and arms sales to Kyiv.

ENERGY CRISIS IN AFRICA

• According to the International Energy Agency (IEA). 43 per cent of the African population, or 600 million people, who lack access to electricity — mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. The number of Africans with access to electricity fell during the COVID pandemic, but $25 billion in annual investments could bring full coverage by 2030.
• Africa is facing far more severe effects of climate change than most other parts of the world, despite emitting less energy-related carbon dioxide than any other region, the IEA added.

SEA OF WASTE

• 68,500 In tonnes, the amount of medical waste the city of Shanghai produced during its recent COVID lockdown, with daily output up to six times higher than normal.
• While the mass testing strategy has allowed the world’s most populous nation to avoid a public health catastrophe, it is creating a sea of hazardous waste and a mounting economic burden for local governments.
• The disposal systems in the poorer rural parts of the country have long been overburdened.

 TWO-YEAR HIGH- SAUDI ARABIA’S CRUDE EXPORTS

• Data shows that 7.38 In million barrels per day (bpd), is Saudi Arabia’s crude exports in April 2022. Crude exports in April rose about 2% from about 7.235 million bpd reported for March 2022.
• The world’s largest oil exporter’s April crude production rose to its highest level in two years at 10.441 million bpd from 10.300 million bpd in the previous month.
• Oil product exports eased 0.015 million bpd to 1.473 million bpd in April, while demand for oil products rose 0.177 million bpd to 2.234 million bpd.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 21ST JUNE 2022

Q1. With reference to the economy, which of the following best explains the meaning of ‘Dutch disease’?

a) When a country has high level of unemployment and inflation simultaneously.

b) When a country has huge trade deficit.

c) When a country has wide current account deficit and may face Balance of Payment crisis.

d) When a country witnesses uneven growth across sectors due to the discovery of natural resources.

Q2. Which of the following countries does not have border with Russia?

a) Estonia

b) Latvia

c) Lithuania

d) Romania

ANSWER FOR 20^TH JUNE 2022

Answer: C

Explanation:

Teesta River:

• It is a tributary of the Jamuna River (Brahmaputra River), flowing through India and Bangladesh.
• It rises in the Himalayas near Chunthang in Sikkim, India, flows to the south, cutting a deep gorge through the Siwalik Hills east of Darjiling (in West Bengal, India), and turns southeast to run through the Sivok Khola pass onto the plains of West Bengal.
• Originally, the river continued southward to empty directly into the upper Padma River (Ganges River). About 1787, however, the river changed its course to flow eastward, crossing the Rangpur region of Bangladesh to join the Jamuna River near Chilmari after a total course of about 200 miles (320 km).
• Teesta is the largest river of Sikkim and second largest river of West Bengal after Ganges.

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