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THE INDIAN ECONOMY

1. BIOENERGY CROPS CREATE A COOLING EFFECT ON CULTIVATED AREAS

THE CONTEXT: Researchers found that global air temperature decreases by 0.03~0.08 °C, with strong regional contrasts and inter-annual variability, after 50 years of large-scale bioenergy crop cultivation.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The researchers — led by Institute for Global Change Studies, Beijing — looked at the biophysical climate effects of large-scale bioenergy crops to fully assess their role in climate mitigation.
• According to a new study, converting annual crops to perennial bioenergy crops can induce a cooling effect on the areas where they are cultivated.
• Cultivation area under bioenergy crops occupies 8 percent ± 0.5 percent of the global total land area, but they exert strong regional biophysical effects, leading to a global net change in air temperature of −0.08 ~ +0.05 degrees Celsius.
• The study also demonstrated the importance of the crop type choice, the original land use type upon which bioenergy crops are expanded, the total cultivation area and its spatial distribution patterns.

Importance:

• The biophysical cooling or warming effects of bioenergy crop cultivation can significantly strengthen or weaken the effectiveness of bioenergy crop cultivation with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) in limiting the temperature increments, depending on the cultivation map and the bioenergy crop type.
• Large-scale bioenergy crop cultivation induces a biophysical cooling effect at the global scale, but the air temperature change has strong spatial variations and inter-annual variability.
• Cultivating eucalypt shows generally cooling effects that are more robust than if switchgrass is used as the main bioenergy crop, implying that eucalypt is superior to switchgrass in cooling the lands biophysically.
• Replacing forests with switchgrass not only results in biophysical warming effects but could also release more carbon through deforestation than converting other short vegetation to bioenergy crops.
• Deforestation, therefore, should be avoided. The magnitude of changes in the biophysical effects also depends on the total area under cultivation.

What are Bioenergy Crops?

• Bioenergy crops are defined as any. plant material used to produce bioenergy. These crops have the capacity to produce large volumes of biomass, have high energy potential, and can be grown in marginal soils.
• It is a renewable source of energy that is produced from plants and animals. … Some forms of bioenergy have been around for a long time. Examples include burning wood to create heat, using biodiesel and ethanol to fuel vehicles, and using methane gas and wood to generate electricity.

Impacts on Environment:

2. SIX ONE DISTRICT ONE PRODUCT BRANDS LAUNCHED UNDER THE PMFME

THE CONTEXT: The Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries launched six, One District One Product (ODOP) brands under the Pradhan Mantri Formalizations of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has signed an agreement with NAFED for developing 10 brands of selected ODOPs under the branding and marketing component of the PMFME scheme. Out of these, six brands namely Amrit Phal, Cori Gold, Kashmiri Mantra, Madhu Mantra, Somdana, and Whole Wheat Cookies of Dilli Bakes.
• Through this initiative under the PMFME scheme, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries aims to encourage the micro food processing enterprises (MFPEs) across the country about the vision, efforts, and initiatives of the Government to formalise, upgrade and strengthen them and take them a step closer to Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Value Addition:

PMFME Scheme

• The PMFME Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme that aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry.
• It aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector,
• It further aims to promote formalization of the sector and provide support to Farmer Producer Organizations, Self Help Groups, and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain.
• The scheme envisions to directly assisting the 2,00,000 micro food processing units for providing financial, technical, and business support for the up-gradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.

A major component of the scheme

One District One Product

• Under the One District One Product (ODOP) component of the PMFME Scheme, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries approved ODOP for 137 unique products.
• The GIS ODOP digital map of India has been launched to provide details of ODOP products of all the States and UTs.
• The digital map also has indicators for Tribal, SC, ST, and aspirational districts.
• It will enable stakeholders to make concerted efforts for its value chain development.

About NAFED:

• National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED), established in 1958, is registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act.
• Nafed was setup with the object to promote Co-operative marketing of Agricultural Produce to benefit the farmers.
• The objectives of the NAFED shall be to organize, promote and develop marketing, processing and storage of agricultural, horticultural and forest produce, distribution of agricultural machinery, implements and other inputs, undertake inter-state, import and export trade etc.

THE ENVIRONMENT ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

3. THE NEW RULES ON FLY ASH DISPOSAL

THE CONTEXT: The notification from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change intends to “bring out a comprehensive framework for ash utilization including a system of environmental compensation based on the polluter-pays principle”.

THE EXPLANATION:

The New Rule highlights:

• It is mandatory for Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) to ensure 100% utilization of fly ash within three to five years.
• Existing provisions allow TPPs to fully utilize fly ash in a four-year cycle in a staggered manner.
• It also introduced fines of Rs 1,000 on non-compliant plants under the ‘polluter pays principle’, taking into account utilization targets from April 1, 2022.
• The ‘polluter pays principle is the commonly accepted practice that those who produce pollution should bear the costs of managing it to prevent damage to human health or the environment.
• Under this, the collected fines will be deposited in the designated account of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
• The fine collected by CPCB from the TPPs and other defaulters shall be used towards the safe disposal of the unutilized ash.
• It also deals with unutilized accumulated ash (legacy ash) where TPPs will have to utilize it within 10 years from the date of publication of final notification in a staggered manner.
• If the utilization of legacy ash is not completed at the end of 10 years, a fine of Rs 1000 per tons will be imposed on the remaining unutilized quantity which has not been fined earlier.

BACKGROUND:

• India has over 200 coal power plants that generate an enormous amount of fly ash. According to the Central Electricity Authority, India’s coal plants generated 232.56 million tonnes of fly ash in 2020-2021. Although 93 percent of it was utilized, millions of tonnes accumulated over the years lie unused.
• A study by the think tank Centre for Science and Environment in March 2021 found that over half of India’s power plants failed to fully utilize their fly ash and fell behind previous government targets.
• The new notification will replace the 1999 notification that had originally set up rules for fly ash utilisation. It will also supersede the various amendments to the 1999 notification made in 2003, 2009 and 2016, which have all sought to manage the generation of fly ash.

What do experts say?

• According to experts, the introduction of a penalty for non-compliance and acknowledgment of legacy ash is a step in the right direction, but there are other facets that the notification doesn’t adequately address.
• “The notification calls the filling of low-lying areas an eco-friendly method of utilizing fly ash, but more often than not, this is a euphemism for irresponsibly dumping ash. Dumping ash in low-lying areas can lead to severe ecological consequences.
• A report found that there were eight major fly ash breaches between 2019 and 2021, leading to destruction and contamination.
• While the notification says that all yearly and legacy ash must be utilized, it also makes a provision for ash stored in dykes and ponds — structures built for large amounts of ash disposal — saying that as long as such storage is “stabilized” or reclaimed by growing plantations, coal power plants certified with the CPCB can be excluded from the 10-year deadline.
• “It is critical to take policy measures to link fly ash utilization with steps being taken by the government to prevent diseases and deaths and provide health services. The environmental regulation that emerges from this approach of ‘fly ash as a health risk’ has the potential to identify remedies to address the legacy impact and prevent future legal breaches.

Value Addition:

What is Fly Ash?

• Fly ash is a byproduct of burning pulverized coal in thermal power plants.
• During combustion, mineral impurities in the coal (clay, feldspar, quartz, and shale) fuse in suspension and float out of the combustion chamber with the exhaust gases. As the fused material rises, it cools and solidifies into spherical glassy particles called fly ash.
• The low-grade coal used in thermal power generation carries 30-45% ash content. The high-grade imported coal has a low ash content of 10-15%.
• Since most of the coal used in thermal plants is low-grade, it generates a large quantity of ash which requires a large area as landfill or ponds for disposal.
• All fly ashes exhibit cementitious properties to varying degrees depending on the chemical and physical properties of both the fly ash and cement.

Composition:

• Depending upon the source and composition of the coal being burned, the components of fly ash vary considerably, but all fly ash includes substantial amounts of silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO), the main mineral compounds in coal-bearing rock strata.
• Minor constituents include arsenic, beryllium, boron, cadmium, chromium, hexavalent chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, thallium, and vanadium, along with very small concentrations of dioxins and PAH compounds. It also has unburnt carbon.

Applications:

• It is an excellent material for making construction materials such as bricks, mosaic tiles and hollow blocks.
• Bricks made of fly ash can help conserve soil to a great extent.
• There are several eco-friendly ways to utilize fly ash so that it does not pollute air and water.
• It includes the use of fly ash in the manufacturing of cement, ready-mix concrete; constructing roads, dams and embankments, and filling of low-lying areas and mines.

Health and environmental hazards:

• Toxic heavy metals present: All the heavy metals found in fly ash nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, lead, etc—are toxic in nature. They are minute, poisonous particles that accumulate in the respiratory tract, and cause gradual poisoning.
• Radiation: For an equal amount of electricity generated, fly ash contains a hundred times more radiation than nuclear waste secured via dry cask or water storage.
• Water pollution: The breaching of ash dykes and consequent ash spills occur frequently in India, polluting a large number of water bodies.
• Effects on the environment: The destruction of mangroves, drastic reduction in crop yields, and the pollution of groundwater in the Rann of Kutch from the ash sludge of adjoining Coal power plants has been well documented.

THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT

4. THAILAND’S NEW EARLY WARNING TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: A new early warning and hazard monitoring system, ThaiAWARE, will provide advanced decision support capabilities to Thailand’s disaster managers, protecting the country’s 70 million residents from natural disasters.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Thailand is prone to natural disasters, such as floods, droughts and tropical storms.
• The country suffered an economic loss to the tune of $46,055,161 due to natural disasters from 2009-2018.
• The National Disaster Relief Centre has indicated that flood disasters in Thailand between 1989 and 2018 caused more than B160.8 billion ($5.1 billion) in damage to the economy. The 2011 floods accrued economic damage of more than B23 billion ($0.7 billion) alone.
• Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DDPM) reported that flooding affected 229,220 households across 6,827 villages in 193 districts of 31 provinces, as of September 2021.
• According to the Thailand Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, 32 of the country’s 76 provinces have been affected by flooding in October 2021. In late September and early October 2021 , tropical storm Dianmu inundated the region, leading to flash flooding.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION 

Q1. Bisphenol A (BPA), a cause of concern, is a structural/key component in the manufacture of which of the following kinds of plastics?

                 a) Low-density polyethylene

                 b) Polycarbonate

                 c) Polyethylene terephthalate

                 d) Polyvinyl chloride

ANSWER FOR 04^TH JANUARY 2022 

ANSWER: A

Explanation:

Dholavira: a Harappan city, is one of the very few well preserved urban settlements in South Asia dating from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE. Being the 6th largest of more than 1,000 Harappan sites discovered so far, and occupied for over 1,500 years, Dholavira not only witnesses the entire trajectory of the rise and fall of this early civilization of humankind, but also demonstrates its multifaceted achievements in terms of urban planning, construction techniques, water management, social governance and development, art, manufacturing, trading, and belief system. With extremely rich artifacts, the well-preserved urban settlement of Dholavira depicts a vivid picture of a regional center with its distinct characteristics, that also contribute significantly to the existing knowledge of Harappan Civilization as a whole.

The property comprises two parts: a walled city and a cemetery to the west of the city. The walled city consists of a fortified Castle with attached fortified Bailey and Ceremonial Ground, and a fortified Middle Town and Lower Town. A series of reservoirs are found to the east and south of the Citadel. The great majority of the burials in the Cemetery are memorial in nature.

THE GEOGRAPHY

1. INDIA TO ACQUIRE LITHIUM, COBALT MINES IN SOUTH AMERICA, AUSTRALIA

THE CONTEXT: The Mines Ministry has created a joint venture (JV) company — Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL) — with participating interest from National Aluminium Company (NALCO), Hindustan Copper (HCL) and Mineral Exploration Corporation (MECL).

THE EXPLANATION:

• India is working on acquiring mines of strategic minerals such as lithium and cobalt in producing countries like Australia, Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. The government’s move is aimed at ensuring a committed supply of raw materials especially for renewable energy (RE) and e-mobility sectors.
• To ensure India’s mineral security as well as to attain self-reliance in the area of critical and strategic minerals, KABIL is mandated to identify and acquire overseas mineral assets of critical and strategic nature such as Lithium, Cobalt etc.
• This initiative, aimed at giving further fillip to Atmanirbhar Bharat, will cater to the requirements of crucial sectors such as e-mobility, renewable energy, medicine, aerospace, aviation among others.
• In the country, the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) conducted preliminary surveys on the surface and limited subsurface exploration, which revealed the presence of Lithium resources of 1,600 tonnes (inferred category) in the pegmatites of Marlagalla–Allapatna area in Mandya district of Karnataka.
• Presently, there is no production of cobalt in the country from primary cobalt resources. The demand for cobalt is usually met through imports. The refining capacity of cobalt in India is estimated at about 2,060 tonnes per year.

Importance of Cobalt and Lithium:

• Cobalt is key for boosting energy density and battery life because it keeps the layered structure stable as lithium ions get reversibly stuffed into and extracted from the cathode during battery operation.
• Lithium has the lowest density of all metals. It reacts vigorously with water.

THE INDIAN ECONOMY

2. NBBL UNVEILS UPMS TO SIMPLIFY BILL PAYMENTS

THE CONTEXT: NPCI Bharat BillPay (NBBL), the wholly-owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has introduced the ‘Unified Presentment Management System’ (UPMS) to simplify bill payments in the country.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to NPCI, the UPMS provides a great opportunity for the service providers and fintechs of the digital payments ecosystem to run through this innovative feature in the sandbox environment of BBPS. Several Operating Units (OUs) and Technical Service Providers (TSPs) are actively coming forward in the rapid deployment of UPMS.

UNIFIED PRESENTMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (UPMS)

• UPMS will help the customers to set up standing instructions, for any mode and from any channel on their recurring bill payments.
• Bills will be fetched automatically from the billers and will be presented to customers for their action, in terms of bill payment and auto-debit management.
• With the launch of UPMS, the motive is to enable all the Bharat BillPay Operating Units (BBPOU) to extend the facility for their customers or corporate clients with minimal effort by means of centralized infrastructure as well as application support provided by Bharat BillPay Central Unit (BBPCU).
• UPMS will also help in democratizing recurring bill payments and making them convenient for customers.
• It provides a great opportunity for fintech and service providers of the digital payments ecosystem for running through this innovative feature in the sandbox environment of BBPS.
• UPMS will enable a common repository of bills. It will ensure that the entire bill payment ecosystem gets updated in real-time.

DEPLOYMENT OF UPMS

• Technical Service Providers (TSPs) and Several Operating Units (OUs) are actively helping in the rapid deployment of UPMS. Ecosystem partners like IDFC FIRST Bank and Axis Bank are amongst Private Banks and PhonePe are actively engaged in taking UPMS services for their Billers and Consumers.

SIGNIFICANCE OF UPMS

• UPMS service assumes criticality with undergoing category expansion, as a majority of the transactions in new categories under BBPS such as mutual fund, subscriptions, insurance, school fee payments, presently happen through presentment and standing instructions.

ABOUT NPCI

• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is an initiative taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Bank’s Association (IBA) to operate the retail payments and settlement systems in India. This organization was founded in the year 2008 under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. NPCI has been incorporated as a ‘not for profit company under section 8 of the Companies Act 2013.

PRODUCTS OF NPCI

• RuPay
• National Common Mobility Card
• Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM)
• Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
• Bharat Bill Payment System

THE ENVIRONMENT ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

3. THE LARGEST WINTERING GROUND OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

THE CONTEXT: Chilika Lake, the largest brackish water lake and wintering ground of the birds in the Indian subcontinent saw a million birds, including uncommon Mongolian gull, visiting the waterbody.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Chilika lake hosts birds migrating from thousands of miles away from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea, remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and Southeast Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas. The winged guests find the vast mud-field and abundant fish stock here suitable to congregate.
• As per the waterbird status survey-2022 conducted in the Chilika, a total of 10,74,173 birds of the 107 waterbird species and 37,953 individuals of 76 wetland-dependent species were counted at the entire lagoon. In the year 2021, the count in Chilika was over 12 lakh. Bird census members reported rare sightings of the uncommon Mongolian gull.
• The census was undertaken jointly by the Odisha State Wildlife Organisation, the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) and the Bombay Natural History Society. The Chilika Lagoon was divided strategically into 21 segments for the census.
• A total of 3,58,889 birds (97 species) were counted in the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside Chilika – a decrease of 65,899 from the year 2021. The decrease is attributed to high water levels and the presence of water in cultivated fields in adjoining areas.
• “Among the three pintail species of ducks, the northern pintail (1,72,285), gadwall (1,53,985), Eurasian wigeon (1,50,843) accounted for over one lakh in this year’s count,” says the report. However, the population of gadwall and Eurasian wigeon was less than that of the year 2021.
• There was a marginal decrease in the number of species such as the northern shoveler, tufted duck and red-crested pochard. An increase in the population of northern pintail, common coot and common pochard was noticed.
• “The increase in numbers for the greater flamingo at Nalabana mudflat indicates that the restoration at Nalabana is effective. This year’s greater flamingo count was the highest in the last one decade. It is largely due to appropriate management of mudflats”. Overall, the local resident species such as purple swamp-hen, purple heron, Indian moorhen, and jacanas were found in higher numbers.

VALUE ADDITION:

SIGNIFICANCE OF CHILIKA LAKE:

• After the New Caledonian barrier reef, it is Asia’s largest and world’s second-largest brackish water lagoon.
• A lagoon is a shallow body of water that is isolated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform like reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses.
• It has been designated as a Ramsar Site and a possible UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Chilika Lake was declared as the first Ramsar Convention wetland of international importance in India in 1981.
• Satapada Island, Irrawaddy dolphins are frequently seen.
• In 1987, Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds), a 16-square-kilometer island in the lagoon, was designated as a bird sanctuary.
• It covers an area of nearly 1,100 km2 and is located at the mouth of the Daya River, which flows into the Bay of Bengal.

ABOUT BNHS:

• The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research
• BNHS is the partner of Birdlife International in India, it has been designated “Scientific and Industrial Research Organization” by the Department of Science and Technology.

4. INCREASE IN RAINFALL IN NORTH AND CENTRAL AFRICA: STUDY

THE CONTEXT: Rainfall trend analysis of Africa published in the journal Remote Sensing showed a significant increase in annual rainfall at the national level from 1983 to 2020 in almost all regions of the continent, except those in the south and the east.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Country-level annual rainfall variability indicated that after 2000, the annual rainfall in most of the countries in the Central African region exceeded 1,700 mm. However, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Niger and Western Sahara in the Northern and Eastern African regions showed an apparent increase in annual average rainfall from 1983 to 2020.
• The highest annual rainfall trends were recorded in Rwanda (11.97 millimeters per year), the Gulf of Guinea (river basin 8.71 mm/year), the tropical rainforest climate zone (8.21 mm/year) and the Central African region (6.84 mm/year).
• The lowest annual rainfall trends were recorded in Mozambique (−0.437 mm/year), the subtropical northern desert (0.80 mm/year), the west coast river basin of South Africa (−0.360 mm/year) and the Northern Africa region (1.07 mm/year).
• In the tropical northern desert climates, tropical northern peninsulas and tropical grasslands, there was a significant increase in rainfall over the entire timeframe of the month, season and year.
• Climate variability directly impacts agriculture and poses a significant threat to food security and livelihoods, especially in poor or developing countries.
• A slight variation in climatic conditions can subject a large number of the rural poor to increased poverty and misery as their ability to earn their livelihoods is compromised.
• Adverse impacts of climate variability and change are making it difficult for the poor rural populations to continue engaging in meaningful agriculture and obtain secure livelihoods. This is because agricultural productivity is highly dependent on rainfall.

BACKGROUND:

• Africa receives rainfall over two major monsoons — the west African monsoon and East African monsoon. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Atlas introduced four other rainfall seasons, March-April-May, June-July-August, September-October-November, and December-January-February to study and compare the climate variability across geographies.
• Rainfall in Africa is sensitive to large-scale climatic variables such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation, La Niña-Southern Oscillation, Indian Ocean Depot and Intertropical Convergence Zone. 

THE INTERNAL SECURITY AFFAIRS

5. INTELLIGENCE BUREAU’S COUNTER-TERRORISM GRID: MAC

THE CONTEXT: The Centre wants the States to share more intelligence inputs through the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), a common counter-terrorism grid under the Intelligence Bureau (IB) that was made operational in 2001 post-Kargil war.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Union Home Ministry asked the Director’s General of Police to share adequate information and actionable inputs through the MAC.
• As many as 28 organizations, including the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), armed forces and State police are part of the platform and various security agencies share real-time intelligence inputs on the MAC. Plans are afoot for more than a decade to link the system up to the district level.
• According to the Home Ministry, though the system existed to share information among various agencies, it was not being implemented effectively. “States are often reluctant to share information on the platform.
• There are around 400 secured sites connected with the MAC headquarters. The reluctance on the part of the States was also stated in a parliamentary standing committee report in 2020.
• The committee had observed that the contribution made over the years by State agencies is lower in the overall inputs that had been received at the MAC. The IB had informed the committee that all organizations that are in any way involved in the counter-terrorism effort is a member of this center. All the States have a subsidiary multi-agency center (SMAC) located in all State capitals. The IB informed the panel that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), along with the IB, was contemplating extending the connectivity of SMAC to the districts.

WHAT IS THE NEED?

According to the Home Ministry, “It is highlighting the continued threats of terrorism and global terror groups, terror financing, narco-terrorism, organized crime-terror nexus, illicit use of cyberspace, movement of foreign terrorist fighters, it also stressed upon the need for better coordination and synergy among the central and state security agencies in countering the ever-changing counter-terrorism and security challenges.

ABOUT THE CENTRE

• MAC was formed in December 2001 following the Kargil intrusion and the subsequent overhaul of the Indian national security apparatus suggested by the Kargil Review Committee report and GoM report.
• Accordingly, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was authorized to create a multi-agency center (MAC) in New Delhi.
• Now functioning 24/7 as the nodal body for sharing intelligence inputs, MAC coordinates with representatives from numerous agencies, different ministries, both central and state.
• As noted in a 2016 parliamentary report the major contributors of intelligence inputs to the MAC were the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION 

Q1. Which one of the following ancient towns is well-known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and management by building a series of dams and channelizing water into connected reservoirs?

1. Dholavira
2. Kalibangan
3. Rakhigarhi
4. Ropar

ANSWER FOR 04^TH JANUARY 2022

ANSWER: C

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. CHINA CONSTRUCTING BRIDGE ON PANGONG LAKE IN LADAKH

THE CONTEXT: China is constructing a bridge in eastern Ladakh connecting the north and south banks of Pangong Tso (lake), which will significantly bring down the time for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to move troops and equipment between the two sectors.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “On the north bank, there is a PLA garrison at Karnak fort and on the south bank at Moldo, and the distance between the two is around 200 km. The new bridge between the closest points on two banks, which is around 500 m, will bring down the movement time between the two sectors from around 12 hours to three or four hours,” one of the sources said. The bridge is located around 25 km ahead of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the source stated.

• The construction had been going on for some time and it would reduce the overall distance by 140-150 km, the other source said.
• Earlier, the PLA had to take a roundabout crossing Rudok county. But now the bridge would provide a direct axis, the first source said, adding that the biggest advantage with the new bridge was the inter-sector movement as the time would come down significantly. “They need to build piers for the bridge, which has been underway,” the source stated.
• The bridge is in China’s territory and the Indian Army would have to now factor this in its operational plans, the source noted. India holds one-third of the 135-km-long boomerang-shaped lake located at an altitude of over 14,000 feet. The lake, a glacial melt, has mountain spurs of the Chang Chenmo range jutting down, referred to as fingers.
• The north bank, which has much higher differences in perception of the LAC than the south bank, was the initial site of the clashes in early May 2020, while tensions on the south bank flared up later in August. The Indian Army got a tactical advantage over the PLA on the south bank in August-end by occupying several peaks lying vacant since 1962, gaining a dominating view of the Moldo area. On the north bank too, the Indian troops set up posts facing PLA positions on the ridge-lines of Finger 4.

About Pangong Lake

• Pangong Tso is popular for its changing colour ability. Its colour changes from shades of blue to green to red.
• It is one of the highest altitude lakes in the world that is filled with saline water. It is located at an altitude of 4350 m above sea level.
• It is located in disputed territory. Approximately 60 percent of the lake, in terms of length, lies in China, and the eastern end of Pangong Tso lies in Tibet.

THE INDIAN ECONOMY

2. RBI APPROVES SMALL OFFLINE E-PAYMENTS

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has come out with the framework for facilitating small-value digital payments in offline mode, a move that would promote digital payments in semi-urban and rural areas.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The framework incorporates feedback received from the pilot experiments on offline transactions conducted in different parts of the country between September 2020 and June 2021.
• Offline digital payment does not require Internet or telecom connectivity.
• “Under this new framework, such payments can be carried out face-to-face (proximity mode) using any channel or instrument like cards, wallets and mobile devices,” the RBI said.
• “Such transactions would not require an Additional Factor of Authentication. Since the transactions are offline, alerts (by way of SMS and/or e-mail) will be received by the customer after a time lag,” it added.
• There is a limit of ₹200 per transaction and an overall limit of ₹2,000 until the balance in the account is replenished. The RBI said the framework took effect ‘immediately’.

3. INDIA’S INCOME INEQUALITY FELL POST-2020 LOCKDOWN AS RICH GOT POORER, US ECONOMIC STUDY SHOWS

THE CONTEXT: Millions of Indians were pushed into poverty during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the period post the initial strict lockdown also saw a decline in income inequality in the country.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The paper, titled ‘Inequality in India declined during Covid’, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) said the pandemic in India was associated with a decline in inequality in two senses.
• Indians from higher income groups had larger relative reductions in income than the poor.
• Consumption inequality also declined, albeit only marginally so.
• The researchers’ main source of data was the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS), conducted by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, which comprises a sample of 1.97 lakh households, with monthly information on their finances available from January 2015 to July 2021.
• The study’s most remarkable finding that income inequalities have declined in the months since the lockdown was lifted seems to stand in contrast with what other recent studies have said about income inequalities in India.
• According to the World Inequality Report 2022, the top 10 percent of Indians had about 96 times more income on average than the bottom 50 percent. Similarly, Oxfam International claimed that in 2021 India’s top 1 percent owned about 77 percent of the country’s wealth.
• The NBER paper, however, qualifies its findings by noting that Gini coefficients — a statistical measure of the amount of inequality that exists in a population.
• The decline in inequality actually began in 2018, a trend that was “interrupted” by the lockdown, but which then resumed.

HOW DID THE GAP SHORTEN?

• Income inequality is basically the average gap between the incomes of the rich and the poor. This ‘inequality’ falls if the incomes of the rich fall, or if the incomes of the poor rise.
• The study shows that the reduction in income inequality in India could be attributed to incomes of upper-income households falling during the pandemic.
• According to the study, income poverty in urban areas jumped from 40 percent before the pandemic to nearly 70 percent during the lockdowns. Poverty was defined, in this case, by the World Bank’s $1.9 a day (or less) benchmark. After the lockdown, poverty fell and income and consumption increased, “but it did not recover to pre-pandemic levels”, the researchers said.
• However, despite the increase in poverty, income inequality fell in both urban and rural areas, largely because the earnings of richer households went down.

WHY DID THE INCOMES OF RICHER PEOPLE FALL?

• The sources of income of India’s rich derive “disproportionately” from services and capital income (basically wealth derived from wealth, like dividends and interest), both of which were “disproportionately impacted during the pandemic”. Unlike for the rich, capital incomes do not form a major share in the incomes of poorer households.
• A larger fraction of top-quartile income is from the service sector… and that sector experienced the largest drop in consumer expenditure during the pandemic.
• Demand for the type of labour supplied by the rich also dropped more than for the poor.
• The employment rate fell more for the poorer sections of society during the lockdown, but they also recovered more quickly.
• The performance of the lower percentiles was “particularly remarkable” since India, unlike the US, had “little fiscal stimulus in the form of income transfers”.

4. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GST COMPENSATION

THE CONTEXT: States are seeking an extension of GST compensation for five more years.

WHAT IS GST COMPENSATION?

• The introduction of the Goods & Services Tax (GST) required States and Union Territories (with Legislature) to subsume their sovereignty in a GST Council, raising the issue of loss on account of migration from Value Added Tax/Sales Tax to GST. Any mechanism to remedy this should be backed by the legislature.
• Keeping this in mind, Section 18 of the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016 prescribes: “Parliament shall, by law, on the recommendation of the Goods and Services Tax Council, provide for compensation to the States for loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of the goods and services tax for a period of five years.”
• Accordingly, the Parliament enacted a law — GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017. The law prescribes that the financial year 2015-16 shall be taken as the base year for the purpose of calculating compensation and States were assured of a 14 percent growth in revenues every year.

HOW IS IT FUNDED?

• In order to mobilize resources for compensation, a cess is being levied on such goods, as recommended by the Goods and Services Tax Council, over and above the GST on that item. It is called compensation cess.
• As of date, compensation cess is levied on products such as pan masala, tobacco, aerated waters and motor cars apart from coal.

WHO PAYS COMPENSATION TO WHOM? WHEN?

• The consumer is required to pay for compensation. It is collected by the Centre which releases it to States.
• The proceeds of the compensation cess will be credited to a non-lapsable fund known as the Goods and Services Tax Compensation Fund in the public account.

FOR HOW LONG WILL IT BE PAID?

• According to the law, it will be paid for five years from the date GST came into effect; i.e. till June 2022. However, a cess will continue to be levied for repayment of loans taken to compensate States during FY21 and FY22.

WHY ARE STATES DEMANDING AN EXTENSION OF THE COMPENSATION?

• States say their revenue situation is yet to improve on two counts due to the introduction of the GST and because the pandemic has affected revenue collection.
• At the same time, their expenses have gone up and they expect a higher deficit as revenue growth is low.
• Considering all these, States are seeking an extension of compensation for five more years. Any decision, in this regard, has to be taken by GST Council.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. ISRO GEARING UP FOR MULTIPLE SPACE MISSIONS IN 2022

THE CONTEXT: After a rather muted 2021 in terms of satellite launches, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for a number of missions in 2022 including the launch of the first unmanned mission of Gaganyaan, its Chairman, K. Sivan said.

• In his New Year’s message for 2022, Mr. Sivan said ISRO had a number of missions to execute this year. These include
  • the launch of the Earth Observation Satellites,
  • EOS-4 and EOS-6 onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), and
  • the EOS-02 on board the maiden flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).
  • “[ISRO has] many test flights for Crew Escape System of Gaganyaan and launch of the first unmanned mission of Gaganyaan. In addition, we also have Chandrayaan-03, Aditya Ll, XpoSat, IRNSS and technology demonstration missions with indigenously developed advanced technologies,” he said. Design changes on Chandrayaan-3 and testing have seen huge progress, he said.
  • Sivan said the hardware in loop test of Aditya L1 spacecraft and accommodation studies for XpoSat in the SSLV have been completed and ISRO has delivered the S-band SAR payload to NASA for NISAR [NASA-ISRO SAR] mission.
  • Three new space science missions are also in the pipeline, Mr. Sivan said. These include a Venus mission, DISHA –a twin aeronomy satellite mission and TRISHNA, an ISRO-CNES [Centre national d’étudesspatiales] mission in 2024.

THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT

6. INDIA’S OLD DAMS: GANDHI SAGAR IN MP NEEDS IMMEDIATE REPAIR, SAYS CAG REPORT

THE CONTEXT: Gandhi Sagar Dam on Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh is in need of immediate repair, warned a new CAG report. It is one of the five water reservoirs of national importance.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The absence of regular checks, non-functional instruments and choked drains are the major problems plaguing the dam for years, the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) released December 23, 2021.
• Gandhi Sagar was put in Category II of the dam inspection report.
• Dams with major deficiencies, which may lead to complete failure / partial failure and need attention at once, fall under Category I. Those with minor to medium deficiencies, which are rectifiable but need immediate attention fall under Category II.
• The CAG report mentioned there is one dam in Category I but didn’t name it. As many as 27 other smaller dams of MP were in Category II.

ABOUT GANDHI SAGAR DAM

• Gandhi Sagar Dam was constructed in 1960 to provide drinking water to several districts of Rajasthan and generate 115 megawatts of electricity. It has been breached several times in recent years, causing flooding in downstream areas.
• Three districts in the state, Sheopur, Morena and Bhind, with an approximate collective population of 4.35 million (as per the 2011 Census), lie downstream the dam.
• Gandhi Sagar Dam was among the few of national importance to be instrumented but many of the instruments have been non-functional for years, the CAG report observed.
• The state dam safety organization (SDSO), the department responsible for its maintenance, did not comply with recommendations by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Dam Safety Inspection Pane (DSIP) on remedial measures, according to the CAG.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct?

a) PingaliVenkayya designed the tricolor Indian National Flag here.

b) PattabhiSitaramaiah led the Quit India Movement of the Andhra region from here.

c) Rabindranath Tagore translated the National Anthem from Bengali to English here.

d) Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott set up headquarters of Theosophical Society first here.

ANSWER FOR 31^STDECEMBER 2021

Answer: D

Explanation:

Please refer to the following map of the Indus River System.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. RADIO TAGGING OF INDIAN PANGOLIN

THE CONTEXT: The Odisha Forest and Environment Department has completed its first-ever radio-tagging of the Indian pangolin in an attempt to standardise the rehabilitation protocol for the animal in the State.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• According to the forest department a male pangolin, which was rescued by the Paralakhemundi Forest Division November 2021, was radio-tagged and released in the Nandankanan Wildlife Sanctuary after treatment.
• “To standardise the rehabilitation protocol for such rescued animals, a radio-tagged Indian pangolin was released into the wild in Nandankanan Wildlife Sanctuary following soft release protocols and provision for post-release monitoring”.
• The animal was screened for parasites and diseases during a month-long quarantine at the Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP), which is the only conservation breeding centre for Indian pangolins in the world.
• According to the forest officials, “the pangolin was found suitable for release in the wild. It gained 780 grams during quarantine and now weighs 14.740 kg. It is exhibiting normal behaviour. It is fitted with a VHF [very high frequency] radio transmitter, weighing 0.5% of its body weight, procured from advanced telemetry systems specialised in radio telemetry instruments”.
• After Madhya Pradesh, Odisha is the second State in the country to release a radio-tagged Indian pangolin into the wild. NZP authorities said the exercise was expected to reveal valuable information on the ecology, dispersal pattern, home range and survival of the reclusive animal.

What is Radio Tagging?

Radio-tracking is the technique of determining information about an animal through the use of radio signals from or to a device carried by the animal. Most radio tracking systems involve transmitters tuned to different frequencies (analogous to different AM/FM radio stations) that allow individual identification.

About Indian Pangolin

The Indian pangolin or thick-tailed pangolin is a solitary, shy, slow moving, nocturnal mammal, Unlike other pangolin species, the Indian pangolin does not often climb trees. Pangolins or scaly anteaters (order Pholidota, meaning ‘scaled animals’) are a group of unusual mammals with tough, protective keratin scales.

Distribution: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Threats:

• Once known to be found in large numbers, its population is rapidly declining in its range due to habitat loss and rampant poaching for its skin, scales, and meat.
• Pangolins are the most illegally traded mammals in the world and the Indian pangolin is the largest among eight pangolin species. The nocturnal animal lives in burrows and feed on ants and termites. In Odisha, seizures of pangolins and their scales have been made over the past few years.

Conservation status:

• All pangolin species are listed in Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix I.
• In India, pangolins, both Indian and Chinese, are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972

THE INDIAN ECONOMY

2. ELECTORAL BONDS

THE CONTEXT: Ahead of assembly elections in five states, the Union government approved the issuance of the 19th tranche of electoral bonds which will be open for sale from January 1 to 10 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Electoral bonds have been pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring transparency in political funding. However, Opposition parties have been raising concerns about alleged opaqueness in funding through such bonds.
• The 29 specified SBI branches are in cities such as Lucknow, Shimla, Dehradun Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Patna, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Gandhinagar, Bhopal, Raipur, and Mumbai.

What are Electoral Bonds?

• The Government of India has notified the Electoral Bond Scheme 2018. As per provisions of the Scheme, Electoral Bonds may be purchased by a person who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India. A person being an individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.
• Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which secured not less than one percent of the votes polled in the last General Election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State, shall be eligible to receive the Electoral Bonds. The Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the Authorized Bank.
• State Bank of India (SBI), has been authorised to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 29 Authorized Branches ( as per list enclosed) e.f. 01.07.2021 to 10.07.2021.
• The Electoral Bonds shall be valid for fifteen calendar days from the date of issue and no payment shall be made to any payee Political Party if the Electoral Bond is deposited after expiry of the validity period. The Electoral Bond deposited by an eligible Political Party in its account shall be credited on the same day.

INTERNAL SECURITY

3. AFSPA EXTENDED IN NAGALAND

THE CONTEXT: The Government of India has extended the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 in Nagaland for another six months (June 30, 2022). The decision came days after the Home Ministry had instituted a high-level committee chaired by a Secretary-level officer for examining the possibility of AFSPA repeal in Nagaland.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Central Government issued a notification in which it declared an entire state of Nagaland as a ‘disturbed area’ and extended the AFSPA, 1958 in the state for the period of another six months. Govt extending the Armed Forces act till June 30, 2022, stated that Nagaland’s ‘disturbed and dangerous’ situation has necessitated the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power. The Indian Army is also currently conducting a court of inquiry into an ambush that went wrong in Nagaland.
• The decision came three weeks after 6 innocent civilians in early December 2021, in the state were killed in an Army ambush and eight more in the violence that was triggered in Mon District, Nagaland

Govt demands repeal of the law

• In view of the improved situation in the Northeast state, the Nagaland government has been consistently taking a stand that the state must not be declared a ‘disturbed area’ and the entire Naga Society has been calling to repeal AFSPA.
• The Chief Minister while informing about the State govt’s clear stand on the law further added that the declaration of a state or any other area as the ‘disturbed area’ under AFSPA is made by the Central Government generally for a period of 6 months only at a time.
• The State Government has passed a resolution against the Armed Forces Special Act that has been adopted in the aftermath of the killing of 14 civilians by the security forces.

What is Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)?

How is a region declared ‘disturbed’?

• Section (3) of the AFSPA empowers the governor of the state or Union territoryto issue an official notification in The Gazette of India, following which the Centre has the authority to send in armed forces for civilian aid.
• Once declared ‘disturbed’, the region has to maintain status quo for a minimum of three months, according to The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1976.

 Criticism of AFSPA:

• Sec 4(a) in which army can shoot to kill, as it violates article 21 which gives right to life.
• Section 4(b) search without warrants violates right to liberty and article 22.
• Dispersion of civil assembly by armed forces under section 121 violates right to assembly
• No judicial magistrate permission required while arresting –violate article 22
• Overrides CrPC.
• Violation of human rights
• It alienates the people from army and then from the rest of India. A feeling of otherworldly is generated in their mind.

What should be done?

• Create committees at the district level with representatives of the army, administrators and the public which will report, assess and track complaints in that area.
• All investigations should be time bound reasons for the delay must be communicated with the aggrieved.
• Amendments In-Laws :The lacunae in the Act, as a result of definitional voids with respect to terms like “disturbed”, “dangerous” and “land forces” need to be amplified to ensure greater clarity.
• The onus of proving the alleged person as terrorists should lie with the forces. Sec 7 should be suitable amended to this effect.

4. CHINA ISSUES ‘OFFICIAL’ NAMES FOR 15 PLACES IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH

THE CONTEXT: China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs issued a statement stating that they have ‘standardised’ names for 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh, to be used on Chinese maps. This is the second time China has renamed the names of the places of Arunachal Pradesh.

THE EXPLANATION:

• China shares its 22,457 km land boundary with 14 countries including India, the third longest after the borders with Mongolia and Russia.
• The Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed the Chinese “invention”. According to the ministry ,“Arunachal Pradesh has always been, and will always be, an integral part of India. Assigning invented names to places in Arunachal Pradesh does not alter this fact.”

Why is China giving names to places that are in India?

• China claims some 90,000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh as its territory. It calls the area “Zangnan” in the Chinese language and makes repeated references to “South Tibet”. Chinese maps show Arunachal Pradesh as part of China, and sometimes parenthetically refer to it as “so-called Arunachal Pradesh”.
• China makes periodic efforts to underline this unilateral claim to Indian territory. Giving Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh is part of that effort.

“According to relevant regulations on the management of place names, the department has standardised some place names in China’s South Tibet region. We have released the first batch of the place names in South Tibet (six in total).

The latitude and longitude listed with the names showed those places as Tawang, KraDaadi, West Siang, Siang (where Mechuka or Menchuka is an emerging tourist destination), Anjaw, and Subansiri respectively.

These six places spanned the breadth of Arunachal Pradesh — “Wo’gyainling” in the west, “Bumo La” in the east and the other four located in the central part of the state.

What is China’s argument for claiming these areas?

• The People’s Republic of China disputes the legal status of the McMahon Line, the boundary between Tibet and British India that was agreed at the Simla Convention — officially the ‘Convention Between Great Britain, China, and Tibet’ — of 1914.
• China was represented at the Simla Convention by a plenipotentiary of the Republic of China, which had been declared in 1912 after the Qing dynasty was overthrown. (The present communist government came to power only in 1949, when the People’s Republic was proclaimed.) The Chinese representative did not consent to the Simla Convention, saying Tibet had no independent authority to enter into international agreements.
• The McMohan Line, named after Henry McMahon, the chief British negotiator at Shimla, was drawn from the eastern border of Bhutan to the Isu Razi pass on the China-Myanmar border. China claims territory to the south of the McMahon Line, lying in Arunachal Pradesh.

THE MISCELLANEOUS

5. SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARDS

THE CONTEXT: The Sahitya Akademi announced its prestigious “Sahitya Akademi Awards, YuvaPuraskar as well as Bal Sahitya Puraskar” for 2021 in various languages.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Sahitya Akademy Award 2021 was given in 20 Indian languages.
• Namita Gokhale received it in English for her novel titled ‘Things to Leave Behind’.

Other winners include:

• Anuradha Sarma Pujari (Assamese)
• BratyaBasu (Bengali)
• Daya Prakash Sinha (Hindi)
• WaliMohdAseerKashtawari (Kashmiri)
• Khalid Hussain (Punjabi)
• Vindeshwari prasad Mishr “Vinay” (Sanskrit) etc.

Sahitya AkademiYuvaPuraskar 2021

• The Sahitya AkademiYuvaPuraskar 2021 was given in 22 Indian languages.
• Megha Majumdar won this award for her debut book ‘A Burning’, which was published in 2020. This book is about struggles of life in India.
• Megha Majumdar was born in India, but now lives in New York and works as an Editor in chief- Books at Catapult Story.

Other winners of the award include:

• Abhijit Bora (Assamese)
• Gourob Chakraborty (Bengali)
• DrashtiSoni (Gujarati)
• Himanshu Vajpai (Hindi)
• Mahesh Dahal (Nepali)
• SwetapadmaSatapathy (Sanskrit) etc.

Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021

• The Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021 was given in 22 Indian languages.
• Anita Vachharajani won the award in the English language. She was awarded for her children’s book titled ‘Amrita Sher-Gil: Rebel With A Paintbrush’.

Other winners include:

• Mrinal Chandra Kalita (Assamese)
• Sunirmal Chakraborty (Bengali)
• Devendra Mewari (Hindi)
• Majeed Majazi (Kashmiri) etc.

The Sahitya Akademi Award

• It is a literary honour in India, conferred annually by the Sahitya Akademi. Award is conferred on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit, which are published in any of 24 major Indian languages and 22 languages that are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The award was established in 1954.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

GEOGRAPHY: DISTRIBUTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

1. GOA APPROVES EXPORT OF LOW-GRADE IRON ORE

THE CONTEXT: The Goa state Government permitting mining companies to export low-grade iron ore, paving the way for the resumption of mining activity that has been stalled since 2018.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Government, about 10 to 20 million tonnes of low-grade iron ore were lying at different locations outside the mining leases and could sustain mining activity in Goa for the next four-five years.
• “The State government has formulated a policy for regularisation of mining dumps on government and private land. The Chief Minister stated that in the past the State Land Revenue Code had empowered the government to impose fines if the land was used for dumping mining rejects or similar materials without permission.
• Goa’s mining sector, which contributed about 15-16% of the State’s Gross Domestic Product in 2011-12, now accounts for barely 2%.
• In March, the Supreme Court had deemed Goa’s mining lease renewals to be illegal and canceled 88 such leases that had been renewed by the State government in 2014-15.
• In March 2021 the Supreme Court had deemed Goa’s mining lease renewals to be illegal and canceled 88 such leases that had been renewed by the State government in 2014-15.
• The government would take over the mining dumps where the penalty was not paid and auction the ore.

Value Addition:

The total recoverable reserves of iron ore in India are about 9,602 million tonnes of hematite and 3,408 million tonnes of magnetite. Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are the principal Indian producers of iron ore.

INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

2. TUSSLE OVER THE ELECTION OF MAHARASHTRA ASSEMBLY SPEAKER

THE CONTEXT: Amid ongoing tensions between the Governor of Maharashtra and the State Government over the election to the Speaker of the Assembly, and the winter session of the state assembly ends but the Governor has not given his consent to the election programme recommended by the Cabinet.

THE EXPLANATION:  

What Constitution says?

Article 178 of the Constitution states: “Every Legislative Assembly of a State shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the Assembly to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the Assembly shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be.”

The Constitution does not specify the process of holding these elections; that is left to the state legislatures. It also does not set a timeframe other than to say the elections should be held “as soon as maybe”.

Some states lay down timeframes

• In Haryana, the election of the Speaker must be held as soon as possible after the Assembly election, and the Deputy Speaker must be elected within another seven days.
• In UP, the Speaker’s election is required to be held within 15 days if the post falls vacant during the term of the Assembly.
• The date for the Speaker’s election is notified by the Governor.

A crucial case in Maharashtra

• As per Rule 6 of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rules, “The Governor shall fix a date for the holding of the election and the Secretary shall send to every member notice of the date so fixed.”
• A former Secretary of the state Assembly said the election of the Speaker can take place only after the Governor fixes the date for it.

What are the recent amendments?

• The govt has moved a motion in the Assembly seeking amendments to Rules 6 (election of Assembly Speaker) and 7 (election of Deputy Assembly Speaker) by voice vote instead of a secret ballot.
• The amendments excluded the words “holding of the election” and included the words “to elect the Speaker on the recommendation of the Chief Minister” in Rule 6 of Maharashtra Assembly Rules.

What are the objections to these amendments?

• The Opposition accused the govt of running the “most insecure government” that does not trust its MLAs and fears there would be cross-voting in the election of the Speaker.
• It argued that the Rules cannot be amended in the absence of the Speaker.

What is the government’s position?

• The government has argued that the amendments are in line with the Rules that are in practice in Lok Sabha, the Upper House of the state legislature, and in the Assemblies of several other states.
• It has also been said that the amendments would put an end to horse-trading.

What is the way ahead?

• The govt can explore legal options to see whether the election of the Speaker could be held without the consent of the Governor. However, the situation is very odd.
• While Rule 6 mandates that the Governor should fix the date for the election, the amendment says that the Governor should fix the date on the advice of the CM.

3. NORTHEASTERN REGION DISTRICT SDG INDEX: NITI AAYOG

THE CONTEXT: Niti Aayog with technical support from UNDP, released the first its kind Northeastern Region District SDG Index. The index measures the performance of the district of the eight NE States. This SDG Index will be used as a base for planning of development and welfare activities, education, health care.

THE EXPLANATION:  

According to the report, the East Sikkim district of Sikkim has topped the Northeastern Region (NER) District SDG Index 2021-22 while the Kiphire district of Nagaland was ranked last amongst 103 districts in the ranking. Gomati, North Tripura is second, West Tripura is third in the ranking.

What is NER District SDG Index?

• The Index measures the performance of the districts of the eight states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura on the Sustainable Development Goals and ranks these districts on the basis of the same.
• The index offers insights into the social, economic, and environmental status of the region and its districts in their march towards achieving the SDGs. East Sikkim was ranked first in the region, followed by districts Gomati and North Tripura in the second position.
• “The North-eastern Region District SDG Index will help in evidence-based planning, resource allocation, both financial as well as others, and effective supervision and monitoring of developmental efforts for focused and balanced regional development”.

Objectives:

• To strengthen the monitoring of SDGs for all States and Districts of the region
• To establish the NER District SDG Index as the comprehensive progress monitoring tool at the district level
• To enable the States and Districts to identify critical sectoral gaps
• To promote healthy competition in the region among States and Districts
• To facilitate cross-learning through good practices and challenges

4. ATAL RANKINGS FOR INNOVATION

THE CONTEXT: Ministry of Education released the “Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA),” out of which Sevan Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have made it to the top 10.

THE EXPLANATION:

• IIT Madras, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi topped the rankings for technical central universities, for their innovative approach. The IITs in Kanpur, Roorkee, Hyderabad and Kharagpur also feature in the top 10.
• Other institutions on the list are Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Prayagraj’s Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, and the National Institute of Technology in Kozhikode (formerly Calicut).
• According to Education Ministry, the ARIIA rankings will “inspire Indian institutions to reorient their mindset and build ecosystems to encourage high-quality research, innovation and entrepreneurship in their campuses”. The rankings will inspire institutions to ‘reorient their mindset’, promote innovation to achieve $5 trillion economies by 2025.

What is ARIIA?

• ARIIA is an annual ranking released by the education ministry to recognize the contribution of institutions in research and innovation. It systematically ranks all major higher education institutions and universities in India on indicators related to the promotion and support of “innovation and entrepreneurship development” among students and faculty.
• The first edition of ARIIA was released in 2019 when a total of 496 institutes competed to get a ranking. This year, 1,438 institutions (including all IITs, NITs, IISc, etc.) participated.

Parameters:

• The parameters on which institutes were judged include academic courses offered on innovation and start-up, successful innovation and start-ups that emerged from campus, investment, collaboration and partnerships with ecosystem enablers, research outputs and technology transfer and commercialization efforts.
• The ranking is divided into two categories — technical and non-technical institutions. There are five sub-categories under the ‘technical’ category— central universities, state universities, private universities, government-aided institutions, and deemed private universities. Under ‘non-technical’ institutions, the categories are ‘central government’ and ‘general’.

THE DEFENCE AND SECURITY

5. INDIGENISATION2500 SUBSYSTEMS BARRED FROM IMPORTS: MOD

THE CONTEXT: Following the two positive indigenization lists barring the import of 209 major platforms and systems, the Defence Ministry notified a list of another 2,500 subsystems and components and 351 more imported items to be made locally in the next three years.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Ministry of Defence, “The Atmanirbhar initiative will save foreign exchange approximately equivalent to ₹3,000 crores every year”.
• A positive indigenization list of subsystems and components had been notified by the Department of Defence Production as part of the MoD’s efforts to achieve self-reliance in manufacturing and minimize imports by the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). They would only be procured from the Indian industry after the timelines indicated in the list.

• “DPSUs will work in close coordination with local industrial supply chain to ensure strict adherence to the stipulated timelines.” Necessary certifications/approval of all items included in the list shall be granted on priority by the stakeholders concerned.

To reduce imports

• The positive indigenization list is among a series of measures announced recently to reduce defence imports and give a push to domestic manufacturing.
• At present, India’s defence and aerospace manufacturing market was worth ₹85,000 crores, of which the present contribution of the private sector was ₹18,000 crore. In 2022, the country’s defence and aerospace manufacturing market would increase to ₹1 lakh crore and could reach ₹5 lakh crore by 2047.
• The Ministry is also expected to put out the final version of the ‘Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020’, the draft of which has been released for public feedback.

Emerging technologies

• Indian Army said in its statement, “Army has also established an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre at the same institution with over 140 deployments in forwarding areas and active support of industry and academia. Training on cyberwarfare is being imparted through a state of art cyber range, and cyber security labs”.
• Ideation for the Army’s involvement in Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations was done in a seminar on Electromagnetic Spectrum and National Security organized in October 2020, the statement noted and added that since then an impetus had been given to the Army’s technology institutions for investing in AI, quantum and cyber.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND INITIATIVES IN NEWS

6. RYTHU BANDHU SCHEME OF TELANGANA

THE CONTEXT: Ahead of the ongoing Rabi season, the Telangana government started crediting money into the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries in the state.

THE EXPLANATION:

Under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, as many as 66.56 lakh farmers identified as beneficiaries, regardless of the extent of land owned by them, would receive financial assistance in 10 days.

With this, the state government would have disbursed Rs 50,405.63 crore to farmers under the scheme to date, a major landmark since its inception in May 2018.

What is Rythu Bandhu?

• Rythu Bandhu is a scheme under which the state government extends financial support to land-owning farmers at the beginning of the crop season through direct benefit transfer so that they can take care of the initial investment needs and do not fall into a debt trap.
• This in turn instills confidence in farmers, enhances productivity and income, and breaks the cycle of rural indebtedness.
• Each farmer gets Rs 5,000 per acre per crop season without any ceiling on the number of acres held. So, a farmer who owns two acres of land would receive Rs 20,000 a year, whereas a farmer who owns 10 acres would receive Rs 1 lakh a year from the government. The grant helps them cover the expenses on input requirements such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and labour.

How does it compare with the PM-KISAN scheme?

The state government has often said that the Centre’s PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) scheme is a “copy” of Rythu Bandhu. The Telangana government further claims that its own scheme is much better than PM-KISAN.

What about landless farmers?

• The Rythu Bandhu scheme has also come in from criticism from several quarters, with one of the major ones being that it ignores the plight of landless or tenant farmers.
• Farmer bodies have been demanding that the state government should extend the agriculture assistance to tenant farmers as well. They have pointed out that those who work on lands taken on lease from landowners also need government assistance at the beginning of a crop season.

PLACES IN NEWS

7. PORT OF LATAKIA

THE CONTEXT: An Israeli airstrike hit a shipment of Iranian weapons in the Syrian port of Latakia on 7th December 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

Port of Latakia:

• The Port of Latakia is a seaport, located on the Mediterranean Sea in the city of Latakia.
• Established in 1950, it has since served as Syria’s main seaport.

Significance:

• The repeated strikes are a flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty. Israel, which has hardly upheld international norms and laws when it comes to its security policies, is setting another bad precedent.
• Syria, devastated by the civil war, is emerging as a new front in the Israel-Iran tussle. In recent years, Israel has reportedly carried out sabotage activities inside Iran and assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists. Iran, in return, has attacked Israel-linked vessels in the Gulf and Mediterranean waters and enhanced supplies to Shia rebel groups in the region.
• Iran is preparing to take control of Syria’s main commercial port, advancing its plans to secure a trade route from Tehran to the Mediterranean and establishing a significant foothold on Israel’s doorstep.
• Russia, whose primary focus in Syria is on the survival of the Assad regime and the protection of its own troops and assets deployed there, has largely stayed away from the Iran-Israel cold war. This gives Israel a free hand in Syria to target the Iranian and Hezbollah shipments.

Major ports in Syria: 

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

INDIAN ECONOMY

1. REPORT ON TREND AND PROGRESS OF BANKING IN INDIA 2020-21: RBI

THE CONTEXT: According to the report, Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2020-21”, published by the RBI, which states that the banking sector managed to improve asset quality during the Covid year with the ratio of gross non-performing assets to advances declining from 8.2 per cent at March-end 2020 to 7.3 per cent at March-end 2021 — and further to 6.9 per cent at September-end 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Also, the report says, the loan write-offs were the predominant recourse for lowering gross NPAs in 2020-21. This improvement was also driven by lower slippages, partly due to the asset classification standstill.
• In absolute terms, gross NPAs declined to Rs 8,37,771 crore in March 2021 from Rs 8,99,803 crore in March 2020. NPAs worth Rs 4 lakh crore were added during the year while bad loans of Rs 2.08 lakh crore were written off by banks. Of the total NPAs, Rs 6.16 lakh crore in bad loans were accounted for by public sector banks.
• The ratio of gross NPAs to advances indicates the proportion of loans out of the total lending that has not been repaid within the due period. Banks normally write off a non-performing asset when all recovery measures are exhausted and chances of recovery are remote.
• In April 2020, when Covid hit the economy, the RBI decided to provide relief to standard bank accounts availing a loan moratorium between March 1 and May 31 that year. The 90-day NPA norm excluded the moratorium period for such accounts. The RBI provided a standstill on asset classification for standard bank accounts, implying these couldn’t be classified as bad assets after the stipulated 90-day period.
• The report highlights, that during 2020-21, the consolidated balance sheet of banks expanded in size, notwithstanding the pandemic and the resultant contraction in economic activity. “In 2021-22 so far, nascent signs of recovery are visible in credit growth. Deposits grew by 10.1 per cent at end-September 2021 as compared with 11.0 per cent in 2020.
• The RBI said the share of large borrowable accounts (exposure of Rs 5 crore or more) in total advances declined to 51 per cent at end-March 2021 from 54.2 per cent a year ago. Their contribution to total NPAs also declined in tandem from 75.4 per cent to 66.2 per cent during the same period.
• The consolidated balance sheet of NBFCs expanded during 2020-21, driven by credit and investments of non-deposit taking systemically important NBFCs (NBFCs-ND-SI). Their asset quality and capital buffers also improved.

 LOAN RECOVERY VIA LOK ADALATS, IBC FALLS IN FY21

• According to the report, the banks reported 4,071 frauds involving Rs 36,342 crore during the six-month period ended September 2021 as against 3,499 frauds involving Rs 64,261 crore in the same period of 2020.
• Loan recovery through various channels, most notably Lok Adalats, witnessed a sizeable decline in the cases referred for resolution during 2020-21.
• While 20.35 lakh cases were reported in FY21 involving Rs 4.56 lakh crore, only Rs 64,228 crore was recovered. In 2019-20, 61.27 lakh cases involving Rs 6.94 lakh crore were reported, with Rs 1.52 lakh crore of loans recovered.
• Even though initiation of fresh insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) of India was suspended for a year till March 2021 and Covid-19 related debt was excluded from the definition of default, it constituted one of the major modes of recoveries in terms of amount recovered.
• In the year 2020, out of Rs 2,24,935 crore referred, only Rs 1,04,117 crore was recovered.
• Recoveries through Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) were lower at Rs 8,113 crore, as against Rs 9,986 crore in the year 2020, and at Rs 27,686 crore through SARFAESI Act, against Rs 34,283 crore.
• Allowing pre-pack resolution window for MSMEs is expected to assuage the mounting pressure of pending cases before NCLTs, reduce haircuts and improve declining recovery rates.

Trends on Banking frauds

• There was a marked increase in frauds related to private banks, both in terms of number as well as the amount involved. In the first half of 2021-22, private banks accounted for more than half of the number of reported fraud cases.
• However, in value terms, the share of PSU banks was higher, indicating predominance of high value frauds. While the major share of loan-related cases pertained to PSU banks, private banks accounted for a majority of card/ internet and cash-related cases.

Value Addition:

What is the difference between Loan Waiver and Loan Write-offs?

• The major difference between “Write off” & “Waive off” Loan is that Loan Waive-off is something where the loan-taker is released from the burden of paying back the loan amount, while in the case of Loan Write-off; the financial institute still hopes to recover the loan amount from the person who not repaid it back.
• The decision of waiving off a loan is taken by the Government under certain conditions while Loan Write-off is carried out by the banks to keep a clear record of the unrecovered loan amount in their balance sheets.

 NPA Classification

About Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)

• The IBC, 2016 is the bankruptcy law of India that seeks to consolidate the existing framework by creating a single law for insolvency and bankruptcy.
• It is a one-stop solution for resolving insolvencies which previously was a long process that did not offer an economically viable arrangement.
• The code aims to protect the interests of small investors and make the process of doing business less cumbersome.

What is Lok Adalat?

• It is one of the components of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system and delivers informal, cheap and expeditious justice to the common people.
• The first Lok Adalat camp was organised in Gujarat in 1982 as a voluntary and conciliatory agency without any statutory backing for its decisions.
• In view of its growing popularity over time, it was given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. The Act makes the provisions relating to the organisation and functioning of the Lok Adalats.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. BIHAR GOVERNMENT PLANS TO STERILISE NILGAI’S

THE CONTEXT: The Bihar forest department officials, caught six nilgais from the premises of Bihta Airport Station near Patna and sterilised them. They were taken to Valmiki Tiger Reserve in the state’s West Champaran district.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Forest officials that they will not cull the Blue Bull, locally known as the nilgai or ghurparas, anymore. It will, instead, sterilise them to control their increasing population in the state.
• The state government will sterilise 5,000 nilgais in 2022. “All district forest officers have been asked to do so in their respective jurisdiction. Sterlising Nilgais is easier and eco-friendly. This will not harm them and provide much-needed relief to farmers”.
• The step was the result of a December 1, 2015, notification by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) that declared the nilgai and wild boar vermin in some districts of Bihar.

What is the Issue?

• Farmers in flood-prone north Bihar districts to drought-prone south Bihar districts have been troubled with nilgais, which regularly forage into farmland in search of food and damage crops.
• Farmers Baban Mahto and Ramji Singh Buxar districts said the animal has been destroying their wheat, mustard, seed and potato crops since early December of 2021. Their numbers have increased in the last two-three years.

About Nilgai:

• The Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) is one of the largest species of Asian antelope native to the Indian subcontinent. The name ‘nilgai’ translates to ‘blue cow’.
• Major populations of the Nilgai are found in India, Nepal and Pakistan. It is found in large numbers across northern India.
• Nilgai are herbivores feeding on grass and herbs. Nilgai are better adapted to interference from livestock regarding forage competition as they can reach high branches and do not primarily depend on ground vegetation.
• The preferable habitat of a nilgai is the one replete with short bushes with scattered trees and grassy plains. They are common in agricultural lands as well.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN status: Least Conservation
• Wildlife Protection Act of 1972: Schedule III

 What is Vermin?

Vermin means wild mammals and birds which are harmful to crops, farm animals or which carry disease. In India, wild animals can be declared as vermin if they have become (i) dangerous to human life or property (including standing crops on any land). (ii) become disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery.

How are they declared?

• Wildlife laws divide species into ‘schedules’ ranked from I to V. Schedule I members are the best protected, in theory, with severe punishments meted out to those who hunt them. Wild boars, nilgai and rhesus monkeys are Schedule II and III members — also protected but can be hunted under specific conditions. Crows and fruit bat fall in Schedule 5, the vermin category.
• Section 11(1)a of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) authorizes chief wildlife warden to permit hunting of any problem wild animal only if it cannot be captured, tranquillized or translocated.
• For wild animals in Schedule II, III or IV, chief wildlife warden or authorized officers can permit their hunting in a specified area if they have become dangerous to humans or property (including standing crops on any land).
• Section 62 of Act empowers Centre to declare wild animals other than Schedule I & II to be vermin for specified area and period.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3. CHINA LAUNCHES MINERAL SURVEY AND SCIENCE OUTREACH SATELLITES

THE CONTEXT: China launched the Ziyuan 1 (02E) Earth resources observation satellite and a small amateur radio satellite, marking the country’s 53rd orbital launch of the year.

THE EXPLANATION:

• China has deployed a new Earth resources observation satellite via its Chang Zheng 4C rocket. The Ziyuan-1 02E satellite, along with an amateur radio CubeSat, lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.
• Ziyuan (ZY), meaning Resource, is a series of remote-sensing satellites which China uses to acquire high-resolution images that can be used for surveying Earth resources, disaster management, and ecological and land use monitoring.
• The first Ziyuan satellite, Ziyuan-1 01, was launched in 1999 in a partnership between China and the Brazilian national space agency, INPE. Six of the nine Ziyuan satellites launched to date have been part of the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) program, with the other three – including Ziyuan-1 02E – being solely Chinese-operated. Three more all-Chinese Ziyuan-3 satellites have also been launched, while the designation Ziyuan-2 was applied to a trio of military reconnaissance satellites deployed in the early 2000s, which are not part of the civilian Ziyuan series.
• Ziyuan-1 02E is believed to be similar in design to the Ziyuan-1 02D satellite launched in September 2019. It carries the same two imaging payloads: a high-resolution visible and near-infrared camera and a hyperspectral imager, as well as a new long-wave infrared camera.
• The high-resolution camera will be able to produce images with resolutions of up to five meters when operating in panchromatic mode. When operating in multispectral mode, it can produce images across three bands with a resolution of up to 10 meters. The hyperspectral payload can image across 166 spectral bands.

4. LOG4J VULNERABILITY

THE CONTEXT: A new vulnerability named Log4 Shell is being touted as one of the worst cybersecurity flaws to have been discovered.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The vulnerability is dubbed Log4 Shell and is officially CVE-2021-44228.
• CVE number is the unique number given to each vulnerability discovered across the world).
• It is based on an open-source logging library used in most applications by enterprises and even government agencies.
• The exploits for this vulnerability are already being tested by hackers and it grants them access to an application, and could potentially let them run malicious software on a device or servers.
• The problem impacts Log4j 2 versions which is a very common logging library used by applications across the world.
• Logging lets developers see all the activity of an application.

Concerns:

• Cryptocurrency Mining: Most of the attacks they have observed appear to focus on the use of cryptocurrency mining at the expense of the victims. However, new variations of the original exploit are being introduced rapidly.
• Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to disclosure of sensitive information, addition or modification of data, or Denial of Service (DoS).
• Global: The Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) area was the most impacted region with 46% of corporate networks facing an attempted exploit.
• While North America was the least impacted with 36.4% of organizations facing such an attempt.
• India: About 41% of corporate networks in India have already faced an attempted exploit.
• Indian companies are not more vulnerable than their western counterparts because they use Java-based applications.
• Indian companies are at high risk because of their weak security posture, especially the smaller companies that may not have the know-how or resources to detect and fix the issue quickly.
• In other countries such as China, some of the telcos such as China Unicom had started 5G trials as early as 2018, and have since rolled out the commercial services for users.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. The term ‘ACE2’ is talked about in the context of

a) genes introduced in genetically modified plants.

b) developments of India’s own satellite navigation system

c) radio collars for wildlife tracking

d) spread of viral diseases

ANSWER FOR 28^TH DECEMBER 2021

ANSWER: D

EXPLANATION:

• Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal and Gurubaksh Singh Dhillon were officers of Indian National Army. Their whose was held in 1945 at the Red Fort in Delhi.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. FOURTH EDITION OF STATE HEALTH INDEX: 2019-20

THE CONTEXT: NITI Aayog released the fourth edition of the State Health Index for 2019–20. The report, titled “Healthy States, Progressive India”, ranks states and Union Territories on their year-on-year incremental performance in health outcomes as well as their overall status.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The report has been developed by NITI Aayog, with technical assistance from the World Bank, and in close consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
• Round IV of the report focuses on measuring and highlighting the overall performance and incremental improvement of states and UTs over the period 2018–19 to 2019–20.

What are the indicators?

• Health Index is a weighted composite score incorporating 24 indicators covering key aspects of health performance. Health Index comprises of select indicators in three domains:

1. Health Outcomes.
2. Governance and Information; and
3. Key Inputs and Processes.

• Each domain has been assigned weights based on its importance with higher score for outcome indicators.
• To ensure comparison among similar entities, the ranking is categorized as ‘Larger States’, ‘Smaller States’ and ‘Union Territories’.
• Among the ‘Larger States’, in terms of annual incremental performance, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Telangana are the top three ranking states.

The Findings:

Among large states, Kerala and Tamil Nadu topped the list, and Telangana emerged strong on the third position in health outcomes and incremental performance. The state saw an improvement from the 4th position the last time — indicating that it has made strides in improving its health infrastructure by ensuring universal immunisation of children, setting up fully functional First Referral Units (FRUs) and all Primary Health Centres (PHCs) among others.

Among the ‘Larger States’, in terms of annual incremental performance, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Telangana are the top three ranking states.

Among ‘Smaller States’, Mizoram and Meghalaya registered the maximum annual incremental progress.

Among UTs, Delhi, followed by Jammu and Kashmir, showed the best incremental performance.

Key Points:

• For a vast majority of the states and UTs, there has been a shift in the Overall Performance ranking from Base Year (2018-19) to Reference Year (2019-20)
• The gap in the Overall Performance between the best and the worst performing Larger State and UTs narrowed in the current round of the Health Index, while it increased for the Smaller States.
• Nearly half the states and UTs did not reach the halfway mark in the Composite Overall Index Score, and despite good performance, even the top-ranking states and UTs could benefit from further improvements.
• The incremental changes in Health Index Scores from Base Year (2018-19) to Reference Year (2019-20) varied significantly across states and UTs, with a vast majority of Larger States registering at least some improvement.

The Conclusion:

• The Health Index is a useful tool to measure and compare the Overall Performance and Incremental Performance across states and UTs over time and nudging the states and UTs to shift the focus from inputs and outputs to outcomes.
• The Health Index has strengthened the culture of use of data at the state/UT level to monitor performance and is contributing to the agenda of improving availability, quality and timeliness of data.

2. RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN

THE CONTEXT: In December 2021, the Centre told the Delhi High Court that the “right to be forgotten” is part of the fundamental right to privacy, but added it has no significant role to play in the matter. Petitions across courts have been seeking enforcement of this “right” — a legal principle that is not yet backed by statute in India.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the right to be forgotten?

• It allows a person to seek deletion of private information from the Internet. The concept has found recognition in some jurisdictions abroad, particularly the European Union. While the right is not recognised by law in India, courts in recent months have held it to be an intrinsic part of the right to privacy.
• At least eight petitions are pending before Delhi High Court seeking removal of private information from the Internet, court records of previous convictions and proceedings, and news reports of past events. Only a few have been able to get that relief from courts so far.

Which countries have such laws?

• The EU in 2018 adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Article 17 of which provides for the right to erasure of certain categories of personal data — that which is considered no longer necessary, that for which consent has been withdrawn or processing of which has been objected to, personal data unlawfully processed, and data where there is a legal obligation for erasure.
• However, the regulations limit the right to erasure in certain circumstances, including for reasons of public interest in the area of public health, for archiving purposes “in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes in accordance” and for “establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.”

What is the position in India?

In a brief reply in one of the petitions earlier this week, the Centre told the Delhi High Court that the right to privacy has been recognised as a fundamental right in the K S Puttaswamy judgment (2017) and that the ‘right to be forgotten’ is evolving in India. The government said the Personal Data Protection Bill (a Joint Parliamentary Committee’s report on which was tabled on December 2021), contains provisions to the doctrine of the ‘right to be forgotten’.

When can the right be exercised?

In the right to privacy judgment, the Supreme Court had clarified that the recognition of this right “does not mean that all aspects of earlier existence are to be obliterated, as some may have a social ramification”.

The SC explained: “If we were to recognise a similar right, it would only mean that an individual who is no longer desirous of his personal data to be processed or stored, should be able to remove it from the system where the personal data/information is no longer necessary, relevant, or is incorrect and serves no legitimate interest.”

The apex court asserted that this right cannot be exercised where the information or data is necessary for:

1. exercising the right of freedom of expression and information.
2. compliance with legal obligations.
3. the performance of a task carried out in public interest, or public health.
4. archiving purposes in the. public interest.
5. scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes; or
6. the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.

CONCLUSION: Although the RTBF is a facet of the right to privacy, it has become very important in the digital age. The times when information is available at a click, the need to protect personal data becomes all the more important. Personal data such as related to matrimonial suits are of no relevance to the public. However, due to lack of proper legislation recognising this right people are subjected to harassment and loss of reputation. Therefore, legislation protecting this right is the need of the hour. Until then, the task is left to the judiciary which has to carefully tread its path between two fundamental rights- RTBF and freedom of expression.

THE INDIAN ECONOMY

3. TUSSLE OVER FCRA AND MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY (MoC)

THE CONTEXT: According to Union Home Ministry (MHA), the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) licence of Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa wasn’t renewed as some adverse inputs were received against it.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the 2020-21 annual financial returns filed by the MoC on December 13, 2021 it had received over ₹75 crore donation from 347 foreign individuals and 59 institutional donors. It had a balance of ₹27.3 crore in its FCRA account carried forward from the previous year and the total balance stood at ₹103.76 crore.
• The NGO registered in Kolkata has more than 250 bank accounts across the country to utilise the foreign funds. Some of the biggest donors are Missionaries of Charity in the U.S. and United Kingdom that contributed over ₹15 crore to MoC, India, for “primary health care, education assistance, treatment of leprosy patients” among others.
• The MoC in its statement clarified that “FCRA registration of Missionaries of Charity has neither been suspended nor cancelled. Further there is no freeze ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs on any of our bank accounts”.
• The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration is mandatory for any NGO or association to receive foreign funds or donations.
• Mother Teresa had set up Missionaries of Charity, a Catholic religious congregation in 1950. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1979. She died on September 5, 1997, and was declared a saint by Pope Francis in September 2016.
• Registered associations can receive foreign contribution for social, educational, religious, economic and cultural purposes. Filing of annual returns, on the lines of Income Tax, is compulsory.

Value Addition:

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act:

• It is an act of Parliament enacted in 1976 and amended in 2010. It was to regulate foreign donations and to ensure that such contributions do not adversely affect internal security.
• Coverage: It is applicable to all associations, groups, and NGOs which intend to receive foreign donations.
• Registration: It is mandatory for all such NGOs to register themselves under the FCRA. The registration is initially valid for five years. Further, it can be renewed subsequently if they comply with all norms.
• Registered NGOs can receive foreign contributions for five purposes — social, educational, religious, economic, and cultural. There are 22,591 FCRA registered NGOs.

Foreign Contribution Regulation (Amendment) Rules 2020:

• New rules require any organization that wants to register itself under the FCRA to have existed for at least three years. Further, it should have spent a minimum of Rs. 15 lakh on its core activities during the last three financial years for the benefit of society.
• Office bearers of the NGOs seeking registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act must submit a specific commitment letter from the donor. It should indicate the amount of foreign contribution and the purpose for which it is proposed to be given.
• Any NGO or person making an application for obtaining prior permission to receive foreign funds shall have an FCRA Account.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. AIR POLLUTION IN CENTRAL-WESTERN INDIA AND NORTH INDIA IN CONTRAST TO THE GENERAL TREND

THE CONTEXT: According to the study published in ‘Environmental Science and Pollution Research, by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) showed that reduction of economic activities during the pandemic-related lockdown had resulted in decrease of air pollution in most parts of India, but satellite observations show that parts of central-western India and north India showed an increase in pollution in contrast to the general trend.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The satellite-based observation of toxic trace gases, — ozone, NO2, and carbon monoxide near the surface and in the free troposphere mostly showed reduction of the pollutants over India. However, over some regions like western – central India, some parts of Northern India, and Remote Himalaya, an increase of ozone and other toxic gases was observed. This could have aggravated respiratory health risks around those regions during the pandemic.
• Scientists have identified that regions in the central-western part of India and north India are prone to higher air pollution exposure based on state-of-the-art satellite observations and hence are exposed to greater risk of respiratory problems.
• Multi-satellite remote sensing of air pollutants has evolved dramatically over the last decade. Synergic measurements of satellite and in-situ observation provide a more comprehensive understanding of air pollution episodes. In 2020, a complete nationwide lockdown was imposed over India to impede the spread of coronavirus disease. This enormously disrupted the economy with a single positive side effect, a short-term improvement in the air quality near the surface.

• According to the results, carbon monoxide showed a consistent increase (as high as 31%) of concentration at higher heights during the lockdown. The long-range transport and downward transport from the stratosphere significantly increased ozone concentrations over north India during the lockdown, and remote regions like the Himalayas and coastal cities showed the bare minimum influence of lockdown in air quality, with a tendency to increase in criteria air pollutants.
• The ARIES team explains ozone production and loss are constrained through the complex photochemistry involving its precursor gases like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A decrease in its precursor gases could also lead to enhancement of ozone, depending upon the chemical environment. Moreover, ozone concentrations are also altered via ambient meteorology and dynamics, including the downward transport of ozone-rich air from the stratosphere to the troposphere.
• According to the ARIES team, this study helped to identify the regions prone to higher air pollution exposure hence can identify areas at a greater health risk. The team previously, with scientists from the ISRO, showed INSAT-3D as a valuable Indian geostationary satellite to study ozone pollutions over India; however, for other criteria air pollutants (i.e., NO2, SO2, CO, VOCs, etc.), India is lacking in space-based observations and need air quality monitoring indigenous satellite in orbit.

Value Addition:

The six common air pollutants are:

1. Particulate matter
2. Ground-level ozone (Ground-level ozone is formed when volatile organic compounds (VOCs), also known as hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) interact in the presence of sunlight.)
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Sulphur oxides
5. Nitrogen oxides

5. IRANIAN KIWIS THREATEN KASHMIRI APPLES

THE CONTEXT: In early December 2021, the import of Iranian kiwis from Afghanistan to India has posed a major concern for apple dealers in Kashmir following a contagious quarantine pest threat found.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Since October 2021, India has intercepted quarantine pest ‘Aspidiotus netil’ in 22 consignments and ‘Pseudococcu Calceolariae’ pest in two Kiwi fruit consignments.
• According to the Union Ministry of Agriculture, India has suspended the import of fresh Kiwi fruits from Iran due to the rise in pest infested consignments from the middle eastern nation despite repeated warnings.

• The Import of Iran’s fresh Kiwi fruits has been banned with effect from December 2021 by the nodal body National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) under the Agriculture Ministry.
• Earlier in 2019 too, India had intercepted a quarantine pest called ‘Aspidiotus netil’ from 13 consignments and a non-quarantine pest ‘Aonidiella aurantii’ from two consignments of Kiwi fruits from Iran. The non-compliance report has been sent on a regular basis to Iran for these consignments but so far no action has been taken nor the interception has decreased.”
• Also, the Ministry said the introduction of any quarantine pests through infested import consignments is a threat to Indian biosecurity and is dealt with under the provisions of Indian regulation.
• The Indian government has suspended the import of fresh kiwi fruits from India as each country has sovereignty and authority to protect itself. Iran government has also been requested to investigate the cases of non-compliance and submit an action taken report at the earliest with respect to remedial measures taken to avoid future interceptions.
• “Pests entering in the territory of any apple producing State shall be a catastrophe for local farmers”. Farmers have demanded a complete ban on import of apples from Iran “till the quarantine pest issue is resolved”.
• Currently, India imports 4,000 tonnes of Kiwis from various countries, while the domestic production is about 13,000 tonnes, as per the government data.

About Kashmir Apples:

• According to government figures, Kashmir exports around 20 lakh metric tons of apple every year, and the horticulture industry is pegged to be worth around 8000 to 9000 crores including the employment it generates. Kashmir produces 75% of the total apple production in the country.

National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO)

• The establishment or update of a National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) by each contracting party is a major step towards international cooperation to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests. This IPPC guide aims to support the establishment of a functional NPPO as the competent and legally responsible body for regulatory plant protection functions, as outlined in the IPPC.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. 5G TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: According to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Pune will be the first places to get 5G services next year i.e 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is 5G technology and how is it different?

• 5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks. 5G mainly works in 3 bands, namely low, mid and high frequency spectrum — all of which have their own uses as well as limitations.
• While the low band spectrum has shown great promise in terms of coverage and speed of Internet and data exchange, the maximum speed is limited to 100 Mbps (Megabits per second).
• This means that while telcos can use and install it for commercial cell phone users who may not have specific demands for very high speed Internet, the low band spectrum may not be optimal for specialised needs of the industry.
• The mid-band spectrum, on the other hand, offers higher speeds compared to the low band, but has limitations in terms of coverage area and penetration of signals.
• The high-band spectrum offers the highest speed of all the three bands but has extremely limited coverage and signal penetration strength. Internet speeds in the high-band spectrum of 5G has been tested to be as high as 20 Gbps (giga bits per second), while, in most cases, the maximum internet data speed in 4G has been recorded at 1 Gbps.

Where does India stand in the 5G technology race?

• Like other global players, India had, in 2018, planned to start 5G services as soon as possible, with an aim to capitalise on the better network speeds and strength that the technology promised.
• All the three private telecom players, Reliance Jio Infocomm, Bharti Airtel and Vi, have been urging the DoT to lay out a clear road map of spectrum allocation and 5G frequency bands, so that they are able to plan the rollout of their services accordingly. One big hurdle, however, is the lack of flow of cash and adequate capital with at least two of the three players, namely Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.

What is the global progress on 5G?

• More than governments, global telecom companies have started building 5G networks and rolling it out to their customers on a trial basis. In countries like the US, companies such as AT&T, T-mobile, and Verizon have taken the lead when it comes to rolling out commercial 5G for their users.
• In other countries such as China, some of the telcos such as China Unicom had started 5G trials as early as 2018, and have since rolled out the commercial services for users.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. In the context of Colonial India, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are remembered as:

         a) leaders of Swadeshi and Boycott Movement

         b) members of the Interim Government in 1946

         c) members of the Drafting Committee in the Constituent Assembly

         d) officers of the Indian National Army

ANSWER FOR 27^TH DECEMBER 2021

ANSWER: D

EXPLANATION:

• Triclosan is a chemical with antibacterial properties. Generally, it is used in Toiletries. For decades, triclosan has been added to personal care products, such as hand soaps and cosmetics, and materials ranging from athletic clothing to food packaging. When you use a product containing triclosan, you can absorb a small amount through your skin or mouth.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. GOOD GOVERNANCE INDEX 2021

THE CONTEXT: Union Minister of Home Affairs released the Good Governance Index 2021 prepared by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) on 25 December 2021 which is celebrated as Good Governance Day.

THE EXPLANATION:

Why December 25?

• 25th December is celebrated as Good Governance Day marking the auspicious occasion of late former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary. Good Governance is the key component of the economic transformation and with the present government’s focus on ‘minimum government and maximum governance,’ the Index assumes more significance.

 What is the Good Governance Index (GGI)?

• GGI is a comprehensive and implementable framework to assess the State of Governance across the States and UTs which enables ranking of States/Districts. The objective of GGI is to create a tool that can be used uniformly across the States to assess the impact of various interventions taken up by the Central and State Governments including UTs.
• Based on the GGI Framework, the Index provides a comparative picture among the States while developing a competitive spirit for improvement. The GGI 2019 encompassed 10 Governance Sectors and 50 Governance Indicators.
• For GGI 2020-21, the same 10 Governance Sectors are retained while indicators have been revised to 58, namely,

Further, the GGI 2020-21 categorizes States and UTs into four categories, i.e.,

• Other States – Group A;
• Other States – Group B;
• North-East and Hill States; and
• Union Territories.

With a “Citizen-Centric Administration” approach at the heart of the government’s Governance Model – this year, 20 States have improved their composite GGI scores over the GGI 2019 index scores.

Data Source:

Top ranking States and UT’s

Analysis of the Index:

• As per the GGI 2021 rankings, Uttar Pradesh has shown an incremental growth of 8.9% over GGI 2019 performance. Among the sectors, it has secured top position in Commerce & Industry sector including an increase in Social Welfare & Development and Judiciary & Public Safety. The state has also performed well in citizen-centric governance including public grievance redressal.

• Jharkhand witnessed a growth of 12.6 per cent over GGI 2019 performance in 7 of the 10 sectors. Rajasthan has shown an incremental growth of 1.7 per cent over the past year’s index and topped the Other States (Group B) category in Judiciary and Public Safety, Environment & Citizen Centric Governance.
• In the North-East and Hill States category, Mizoram and Jammu and Kashmir registered an overall increase of 10.4% and 3.7% respectively over GGI 2019. The latter has performed strongly in Commerce & Industry sector and has improved its scores in Agriculture & Allied Sector, Public Infrastructure and Utilities and Judiciary and Public Safety sectors. Mizoram too has performed strongly in commerce and industry, human resource development, public health and economic governance.

This GGI 2021 indicates that overall governance in the States of India is moving in a positive direction. The end results of these rankings are to improve citizen services and make the government inclusive and accountable.

INDIAN ECONOMY

2. INDIA IMPOSES ANTI-DUMPING DUTY ON CHINESE GOODS

THE CONTEXT: India has imposed anti-dumping duty on five Chinese products, including certain aluminium goods and some chemicals, for five years to guard local manufacturers from cheap imports from the neighbouring country.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to notifications of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the duties have been imposed on certain flat rolled products of aluminium; sodium hydrosulphite (used in dye industry); silicone sealant (used in manufacturing of solar photovoltaic modules, and thermal power applications); hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) component R-32; and hydrofluorocarbon blends (both have uses in refrigeration industry).
• These duties were imposed following recommendations of the Commerce Ministry’s investigation arm, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR).
• The CBIC has also imposed the duty on a vehicle component — Axle for Trailers in CKD/SKD (complete and semi knocked down) to protect domestic makers from cheap Chinese imports.
• Similarly it has also slapped the duty on imports of calcined gypsum powder from Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for five years.

What is anti-dumping duty?

• Anti-dumping duty is imposed to rectify the situation arising out of the dumping of goods and its trade distortive effect.
• According to global trade norms, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime, a country is allowed to impose tariffs on such dumped products to provide a level-playing field to domestic manufacturers.

How is it different from Counter Vailing Duty?

• Anti-dumping duty is different from countervailing duty. The latter is imposed in order to counter the negative impact of import subsidies to protect domestic producers.
• Countervailing Duties (CVDs) are tariffs levied on imported goods to offset subsidies made to producers of these goods in the exporting country.
• CVDs are meant to level the playing field between domestic producers of a product and foreign producers of the same product who can afford to sell it at a lower price because of the subsidy they receive from their government.

3. WORLD ECONOMY TO TOP $100 TRILLION IN 2022

THE CONTEXT: According to World Economic League Table report released by british consultancy CEBR predicted that China will become the world’s top economy in dollar terms in 2030, two years later than forecast in 2020.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The world’s economic output will exceed $100 trillion for the first-time next year, and it will take China a little longer than previously thought to overtake the United States as the No.1 economy.
• India looks set to overtake France next year and then Britain in 2023 to regain its place as the world’s sixth biggest economy.
• Also they stated, the important issue for the 2020s is how the world economies cope with inflation, which has now reached 6.8% in the U.S.
• The report showed Germany was on track to overtake Japan in terms of economic output in 2033. Russia could become a Top 10 economy by 2036 and Indonesia looks on track for ninth place in 2034.

What is the current state of Indian economy?

India’s gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices stood at Rs. 51.23 lakh crore (US$ 694.93 billion) in the first quarter of FY22, as per the provisional estimates of gross domestic product for the first quarter of 2021-22.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE MISSION

THE CONTEXT: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched successfully from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) launch base in French Guiana.

THE EXPLANATION:

• NASA’s largest space science telescope ever constructed, will be the successor of the Hubble Space Telescope, that has been in service for more than three decades now.
• The powerful $9 billion infrared telescope, hailed by NASA as the premiere space-science observatory of the next decade, was carried aloft inside the cargo bay of an Ariane 5 rocket.
• According to NASA, the Carrying four main scientific instruments, Near-Infrared Camera, Near-Infrared Spectrograph, Mid-Infrared Instrument, and Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, Webb will “hunt for the unobserved formation of the first galaxies, as well as to look inside dust clouds where stars and planetary systems are forming today”.
• JWST has the ability to look in the infrared spectrum, which will allow it to peer through much deeper into the universe and see-through obstructions such as gas clouds.

About James Webb Space Telescope (JWST or Webb)

JWST is an engineering marvel comparable to the earth-based Event Horizon Telescope that produced the photograph of the black hole, or the LIGO that detected the gravitational waves. It is widely expected to unveil many secrets of the universe, particularly those related to the formation of stars and galaxies in the early period — the first few hundred million years — after the Big Bang.

• It has been jointly developed by NASA, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). As NASA’s flagship astrophysics mission, it is planned to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope.
• The primary mirror of JWST that is, Optical Telescope Element, comprises of 18 hexagonal mirror segments. These segments are made up of gold-plated beryllium.

Objectives and functions of the telescope:

• It will look deeper into the cosmos – and thus further back in time – than is possible with Hubble.
• It will do this with a much bigger mirror (6.5m in diameter versus 2.4m) and instruments that are tuned to the infrared.
• Scientists hope this set-up can detect the light from the very first population of stars in the Universe to switch on more than 13.5 billion years ago.

Where it is placed?

The James Webb Space Telescope will not be in orbit around the Earth, like the Hubble Space Telescope is – it will actually orbit the Sun, 1.5 million kilometres (1 million miles) away from the Earth at what is called the second Lagrange point or L2.

5. THE SMELL FACTOR

THE CONTEXT: Researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden have found that negative smells associated with unpleasantness or unease are processed earlier than positive smells and trigger a physical avoidance response.

THE EXPLANATION:

The cognitive process is not only unconscious but is also extremely rapid, this goes against the conventional wisdom that unpleasant smells associated with danger is a conscious cognitive process.

• The olfactory organ takes up about 5% of the human brain and enables us to distinguish between many million different smells. A large proportion of these smells are associated with a threat to our health and survival, such as that of chemicals and rotten food. In humans, the olfactory sense seems particularly important for detecting and reacting to potentially harmful stimuli. Until recently, it was not known which neural mechanisms are involved in the conversion of an unpleasant smell into avoidance behaviour in humans.
• The reason: lack of non-invasive methods of measuring signals from the olfactory bulb, the first part of the rhinencephalon with direct connections to the important central parts of the nervous system that helps us detect and remember threatening and dangerous situations and substances
• According to the National Academy of Sciences release, the three experiments were carried out in which participants were asked to rate their experience of six different smells, some positive, some negative, while the electrophysiological activity of the olfactory bulb when responding to each of the smells was measured. And they found that the bulb reacts specifically and rapidly to negative smells and sends a direct signal to the motor cortex within about 300 milliseconds.
• The researchers have for the first time made it possible to measure signals from the human olfactory bulb, which processes smells and in turn can transmits signals to parts of the brain that control movement and avoidance behaviour.

What are Olfactory Bulbs?

A rounded mass of tissue that contains several types of nerve cells that are involved in the sense of smell. The olfactory bulbs receive information about smells from the nose and send it to the brain by way of the olfactory tracts.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES/ INITIATIVES IN NEWS

6. TELANGANA TOPS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF RURBAN MISSION

THE CONTEXT: Telangana stood first in the implementation of the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) that was launched in 2016, to stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services and create well planned clusters.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Sangareddy and Kamareddy districts stood in the first two positions among the 300 clusters across the country where the programme was being implemented.
• Tamil Nadu and Gujarat took the second and third positions respectively.
• In Telangana, in as many as 17 clusters (12 non-tribal and five tribal), the programme was being implemented at an estimated cost of ₹1,885.12 crore.

“The establishment of a bulk milk chilling unit at Narayanakhed had benefited about 3,500 farmers, income ranging between ₹50,000 and ₹2.5 lakh per annum, depending on the number of milch animals. A plastic waste treatment unit and millet processing unit are also coming up at Ryakal cluster,”

Value Addition:

SHYAMA PRASAD MUKHERJI RURBAN MISSION (SPMRM)- NATIONAL RURBAN MISSION (NRUM)

Objective

The objective of the National Rurban Mission (NRuM) is to stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services, and create well planned Rurban clusters. It is established in 2016 as a centrally sponsored scheme, and it comes under the Ministry of Rural Development.

Outcomes

• The larger outcomes envisaged under this Mission are:
• Bridging the rural-urban divide-viz: economic, technological and those related to facilities and services.
• Stimulating local economic development with emphasis on reduction of poverty and unemployment in rural areas.
• Spreading development in the region.
• Attracting investment in rural areas.

Rurban Cluster

A ‘Rurban cluster’, would be a cluster of geographically contiguous villages with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and with a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas. As far as practicable, clusters of villages would follow administrative convergence units of Gram Panchayats and shall be within a single block/tehsil for administrative convenience.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. ‘Triclosan’, considered harmful when exposed to high levels for a long time, is most likely present in which of the following?

a) Food preservatives                            b) Fruit-ripening substances

c) Reused plastic containers               d) Toiletries

ANSWER FOR 25^TH DECEMBER 2021

Answer: d)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Indian Constitution provides for the establishment of the Election Commission with the composition of the Chief Election Commissioner and as many Election Commissioners as President may fix from time to time. It is not necessarily a multi-member body.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: CEC and ECs have equal powers and equal salary, allowances which are similar to a judge of a Supreme Court.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Constitution has not debarred CEC and ECs from any further appointment by the government after their retirement

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. SOYA MEAL AS AN ESSENTIAL COMMODITY

THE CONTEXT: In a bid to cool down the domestic prices of Soya Meal, Government has notified an Order under the Essential Commodities Act to declare ‘Soya Meal’ as an Essential Commodities up to 30th June 2022 by amending the Schedule of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The decision would empower the Union Government and all States/UTs to regulate production, distribution etc. of Soya Meal and to smoothen the sale and availability of this item in the market. It will stop unfair market practices and enhance the availability for consumers like Poultry farm and Cattle feed manufacturers.

According to the ministry, the following stock limits have been promulgated of all Soya meal for a period upto 30 June 2022 with following stock limits for all States and Union Territories:

• Plant/Miller/Processor: Maximum stock of 90 days production, as per daily input production capacity of Plant/Miller/Processor, defined in its IEM. The storage location should be declared.
• Trading company/Trader/Private Chaupals: Only Government registered enterprise, maximum stock of 160 MT with a defined and declared storage location.
• These measures are expected to stop any unfair practices (like hoarding, black marketing, etc.) in the market having the potential to hike the prices of Soya Meal. Consequently, the market price of Soyabean Oil will cool down.

What is meant by the Essential Commodity Act?

The Act gives powers to the central government to add or remove a commodity in the “Schedule.” The Centre, if it is satisfied that it is necessary to do so in public interest, can notify an item as essential, in consultation with state governments.

At present, the “Schedule” contains 9 commodities — drugs; fertilisers, whether inorganic, organic or mixed; foodstuffs, including edible oils; hank yarn made wholly from cotton; petroleum and petroleum products; raw jute and jute textiles; seeds of food-crops and seeds of fruits and vegetables, seeds of cattle fodder, jute seed, cotton seed; face masks; and hand sanitisers.

How and under what circumstances can the government impose stock limits?

• Under the amended EC Act, agri-food stuffs can only be regulated under extraordinary circumstances such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and natural calamity.
• However, any action on imposing stock limits will be based on the price trigger.
• Thus, in case of horticultural produce, a 100 per cent increase in the retail price of the commodity over the immediately preceding 12 months or the average retail price of the last five years, whichever is lower, will be the trigger for invoking the stock limit for such commodities.
• For non-perishable agricultural foodstuffs, the price trigger will be a 50 per cent increase in the retail price of the commodity over the immediately preceding 12 months or the average retail price of the last five years, whichever is lower.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

2. LIFE EXPECTANCY REDUCED IN 2020

THE CONTEXT: According to the report published in the British Medical Journal November 2021 Observed that life expectancy in 2020 reduced in 29 of the 37 countries surveyed compared to the expected figures, decreased by 1.1-2.3 years for men and 1.1-2.1 years for women.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The reduction of life expectancy across the globe during the first year of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was alarming, reversing progress made in past years, “more than 28 million excess years of life were lost in 2020 in 31 countries, with a higher rate in men than women.
• Also, the study noted, the excess years of life lost associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 were more than five times higher than those associated with the seasonal influenza epidemic in 2015”.
• Russia recorded the largest drop in life expectancy — for men it fell by 2.33 years and for women by 2.14 years. This was followed by the United States, where the figure for men reduced by 2.27 years and by 1.61 for women.
• New Zealand, Taiwan and Norway recorded increases while the figures remained unchanged for Denmark, Iceland, and South Korea.
• Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, all 37 countries recorded an increase in life expectancy between 2005 and 2019. Only in 2015 was there an anomaly, where life expectancy dropped during the influenza outbreak.
• According to the report “the overall, the excess years of life lost (YLL) in the 37 countries was 5 times higher during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 than the excess YLL associated with the seasonal influenza epidemic in 2015. The absolute difference was of 2,050 years of life lost per 100,000.

 INDIAN ECONOMY

3. MONETARY POLICY IS FINANCIALLY INCLUSIVE’

THE CONTEXT: According to the RBI deputy Governor, India’s monetary policy is by design financially inclusive, the evidence of which is still coalescing, and increased inclusion will over time enhance policy effectiveness by fostering societal intolerance to inflation.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “Although it is empirically observed that there is a two-way relationship between monetary policy and financial inclusion, it is unambiguous that financial inclusion is able to dampen inflation and output volatility”.
• “This is achieved by smoothing consumption by enabling people to draw down financial savings in difficult times for everyday needs. In the process, it makes people interest sensitive. Moreover, inflation targeting monetary policy ensures that even those at the fringe of financial inclusion are secured from adverse income shocks that hit them when prices rise unconscionably”.
• Observing that financial inclusion appeared to have increased, with the level of the RBI’s financial inclusion index rising from 9 in March 2019, to 53.1 in March 2020, and further to 53.9 in March 2021: “The evidence is still forming and strong conclusions from its analysis may be premature, but India’s monetary policy is by design” inclusive.
• Financial inclusion appeared to be the lowest in rural, agriculture-dependent areas where food was the main source of income.

Price stability target

• In this kind of a situation, the efficacy of monetary policy in achieving its stabilisation objective increases by targeting a measure of prices that includes food prices rather than one that excludes them such as core inflation.
• In India, food accounts for 46% of the CPI, among the highest shares globally.
• “The lower the level of financial inclusion, therefore, the stronger is the case for price stability being defined in terms of headline inflation rather than any measure of core inflation that strips out food and fuel”.

How to measure Financial Inclusion?

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. RECORD DEMAND FOR COAL POWER IN 2021

THE CONTEXT: According to International Energy Agency (IEA), Carbon emissions from coal will be 3 gigatonnes higher in 2024 than required to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Global demand for coal-fired electricity has grown 6 per cent in 2021 to 7,906 million tonnes (Mt) and generation 9 per cent to 10,350 terawatt-hours (TWh), according to a new report. Generation has increased 12 per cent in India and 9 per cent in China, a record for both.
• On the supply side, coal production did not keep pace with demand, Shortages occurred due to supply chain issues and adverse weather conditions leading to “power outages and idled factories.
• IEA projected, major coal producing countries such as China, India, Indonesia and Russia are expected to boost production. As a result, coal production will hit its highest level in 2022 and then plateau as demand flattens.

Coal was in focus at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow November 2021. “Cash, coal, cars and trees” was the marketing term used by United Kingdom Prime Minister to capture the UK’s strategy at the summit.

Net Zero Commitment:

• Several countries made commitments to phase out coal power or stop financing coal abroad through announcements like the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement and the Powering Past Coal Alliance. Despite this, the new IEA report finds that the 2021 rebound in coal consumption and future trends will result in three gigatons higher CO2 emissions from coal in 2024 than its Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE). The NZE outlines a roadmap for the energy sector to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• China dominates coal use globally; “it is the largest consumer, producer and importer – has no parallel with any other country”, said IEA in the report. The country’s coal consumption is more than half of the global total, despite efforts to expand hydro, wind, solar and nuclear power.

India’s Picture:

• In India, coal comprised 74 per cent of the power mix in 2021, up from 72 per cent in 2020. As electricity access expands, coal demand is expected to increase by 3.9 per cent on average till 2024.EFENCE AND SECURITY
• The country plans to boost domestic coal production following the 2021 shortages, rising to an expected 955 Mt by 2024 from 793 Mt in 2021, according to IEA. This is a far cry from India’s support of a coal “phase-down” in the final text of the COP 26 pact – a thorny issue, that attracted a fair amount of backlash from Western media outlets, despite receiving support from countries like China and US.
• India’s ground reality is complex. Keeping its multiple developmental goals of energy access, livelihoods and poverty reduction in mind, the transition away from coal must be done with clear strategic intent and deliberate planning.

At the same time, the co-benefits of transitioning to a zero-carbon energy system as soon as possible are undeniable. And the Union government’s domestic efforts do not echo its global statements.

5. PRALAY QUASI-BALLISTIC MISSILE

THE CONTEXT: The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully carried out the maiden test of ‘Pralay’, a new surface-to-surface conventional quasi-ballistic missile, in a boost for India’s tactical battlefield strategy.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A quasi-ballistic missile has a low trajectory, and while it is largely ballistic, it can manoeuvre in flight. The missile has a range of 150-500 kilometers and has been developed according to specifications given by eventual user, the Army.
• According to the Defense Ministry, new missile reached the designated target with a high degree of accuracy, validating the control, guidance and mission algorithms.

Significance:

• The missile is powered with a solid propellant rocket motor and multiple new technologies. Sources in the defense establishment underlined that accuracy is a highlight of this missile.
• Capable of being launched from a mobile launcher, it has the latest navigation system and integrated avionics, and will be part of the Artillery Corps of the Army.
• Pralay will be the longest-range surface-to-surface missile in the inventory of the Army, which sources said will give a fillip to their operational plans.
• The Army also has the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in its arsenal, with a stated range of 290-plus kilometers.

‘Change tactical battlefield dynamics’

• According to the Scientist, “It will completely change the tactical battlefield dynamics and India will have two conventional missiles with long range. The BrahMos will be a cruise option and this one will be the ballistic option. Cruise missiles and ballistic missiles have their own distinct advantages.
• While cruise missiles have high agility, stealth and even loitering capability, ballistic missiles have the advantage of speed and countering them is a very difficult task even for modern air defence systems.

6. INS SUDARSHINI DEPLOYMENT TO GULF COUNTRIES

THE CONTEXT: INS Sudarshini is presently on its culmination phase of deployment to Gulf region as part of Indian Navy’s efforts towards familiarising friendly foreign navies on various facets of operations and training on board sail training platforms and extending ‘Bridges of Friendship’.

THE EXPLANATION:

• IRI Navy Trainee officers (Sea Riders) designated to undergo sail training visited the ship for a familiarisation tour of the ship. Practical knowledge on subjects of seamanship, sail arrangement, rope work and the technicalities of sail training were shared. Hands-on practical knowledge and experience on sail rigging of both sides was also imparted during this visit.
• The ship would be staying at Bandar Abbas for three days which includes a visit to Naval Base (Bandar Abbas) and embarkation of Sea Riders from the IRI Navy to provide sail training experience over a day’s sortie.

PLACES IN NEWS:

IMPORTANCE OF BANDAR ABBAS

• The Port of Bandar Abbas is over 575 nautical miles (775 kilometers or 482 miles direct) southeast of Iran’s Imam Khomeini Port.
• The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km-long network of moving freight by ships, railways, and roads. The corridor aims to connect India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe via Bandar Abbas. The cities that would be interlinked by this corridor include Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, and Bandar Anzali.
• This will also synchronize with the Ashgabat agreement, a Multimodal transport agreement signed by India, Oman, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, for creating an international transport and transit corridor facilitating transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

1. Consider the following statements about Election Commission:

1. Indian Constitution provides for establishment of Election Commission as multi-member
2. CEC and ECs have equal powers and equal salary, allowances which are similar to a judge of a High Court.
3. Constitution has debarred CEC and ECs from any further appointment by government after their retirement.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

      a) 1 only                             b) 1 and 2 only

      c) 2 and 3 only                 d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 24^TH DECEMBER 2021

Answer: a)

Explanation:

Eligibility criteria:

• Adult woman (attained 18 years of age) belonging to any of the following categories.
• SC Households
• ST Households
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin)
• Most Backward Classes
• Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
• Tea and Ex- Tea Garden tribes
• Forest Dwellers
• People residing in Islands and River Islands
• SECC Households (AHL TIN)
• Poor Household as per 14-point declaration

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPE

THE CONTEXT: Maharashtra is the second state in India after Andhra Pradesh to approve the death penalty for heinous offences of rapes and gang-rapes, with the Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passing the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Bill, which aims to curb crime against women and children, provides stricter punishment including the death penalty in rape cases.
• The Bill provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment for cases of heinous offences of rape, gang-rape and rape and gang-rape on women under 16 years of age, punishment to men, women, and transgenders in cases of insulting the modesty of a woman and intimidating a woman by any mode of communication and completing the investigation in 30 days.
• Other provisions include punishment such as imprisonment up to three months and a fine of Rs 25 lakh or both against the social media platform, internet, or mobile telephony data providers for failure to share data for police investigation.
• In case of filing false cases or providing false information to any person, it provides for punishment such as the imprisonment of not less than three years and up to three years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
• In acid attack cases, the punishment is imprisonment of at least 15 years that may extend to the remainder of a convict’s natural life, and a fine to be paid to the victim. Also, the expenditure of plastic surgery and face reconstruction operations for the victim will be taken care of from the monetary fine to be charged on the accused.

Add to your Knowledge:

• According to the Project 39 A, (criminal laws advocacy group with the National Law University in Delhi), corresponding to the legislative expansion of the death penalty for sexual crimes against women, more than 65 percent of all death sentences imposed by trial courts were linked to such cases in 2020, the annual study in the death penalty in India.
• Since 2016, the share of sexual crimes in the list of crimes for which trial courts are imposing the death penalty has been steadily increasing. From 6 percent in 2016, it jumped to 37.27 percent in 2017,41.1 percent in 2018 and 53.39 percent in 2019.
• Incidentally, in over 80 percent of cases — 41 of the 50 death sentences — involving sexual crimes in 2020, the victim is below the age of 18 years. While only nine cases involve rape and murder of adults, 21 are connected to the rape and murder of children below the age of 12, and 16 in which the age of the victim was between 12-18 years.
• The study also found that the restricted functioning of courts in the country due to the pandemic contributed to a drop in the number of death sentences imposed in 2020. Nearly 62 percent — 48 of the 77 — death sentences imposed in 2020 were awarded before the nationwide lockdown was enforced to deal with the pandemic. In comparison, 2019 saw less than half the sentences in the same period with 20 death sentences. In 2018, 27 death sentences were imposed in the same time period.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. 10TH NON-EUROPEAN COUNTRY TO JOIN EUROPOL

THE CONTEXT: South Korea has become the 10th country outside of Europe to join the European Union (EU) law enforcement cooperation agency that fights terrorism and other international crimes.

WHAT IS EUROPOL?

Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Their main goal is to achieve a safer Europe for the benefit of all the EU citizens. It is established in 1992 and its headquarter is in The Hague, the Netherlands, we support the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organized forms of crime.

Large-scale criminal and terrorist networks pose a significant threat to the internal security of the EU and to the safety and livelihood of its people. The biggest security threats come from:

• international drug trafficking and money laundering.
• organized fraud.
• the counterfeiting of euros.
• trafficking in human beings.

The networks behind the crimes in each of these areas are quick to seize new opportunities, and they are resilient in the face of traditional law enforcement measures.

However, EUROPOL has no executive powers. The officials of EUROPOL cannot arrest the suspects without prior approval from competent authorities.

Under the agreement, police can now exchange information on crime and cooperate with member states of EUROPOL 17 European and nine non-European countries as well as international organizations and research institutes collaborating with the agency.

Who are the other 9 Non- EU members?

1. Andorra
2. San Marino
3. UK
4. Chile
5. Mexico
6. New Zealand
7. Israel
8. Kosovo
9. Japan

India and EUROPOL:

In the year 2020, India-EU Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025 was held, during the summit between India and the EU talked about implementing a working arrangement between Europol and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. THE WORLD’S LEGGIEST ANIMAL HAS BEEN DISCOVERED IN AUSTRALIA

THE CONTEXT: The eyeless, subterranean creature with 1,306 legs discovered 60 meters underground is the first ‘true millipede’.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• The eyeless, subterranean Eumillipespersephone, discovered 60 meters underground near the south coast of Western Australia, has up to 1,306 legs, making it the first “true millipede” and the leggiest animal on Earth.
• The name “millipede” comes from the Latin for “thousand feet”, but until now no known species had more than 750 legs.
• Millipedes were the first land animals, as of today scientists know of more than 13,000 species. There are likely thousands more species of the many-legged invertebrates awaiting discovery and formal scientific description.
• These incredibly elongated millipedes, less than a millimeter wide and almost 10 centimeters long. They pointed out how their triangular faces placed them in the family Siphonotidae, comprised of sucking millipedes from the order Polyzoniida.
• Researchers classify any millipede with more than 180 body segments as “super-elongated”. E Persephone has 330.

Finding unknown

• Finding this incredible species, which represents a unique branch of the millipede tree of life, is a small first step towards the conservation of subterranean biodiversity in arid landscapes.
• A large proportion of the species of arid Australia are undescribed. For subterranean fauna, this may be more than 90%. Not knowing these animals exist makes it impossible to assess their conservation status.

 4. MASS TAGGING MISSION OF OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLES

THE CONTEXT: Scientists have resumed tagging of Olive Ridley turtles at Rushikulya rookery along the Odisha coast, which would help them identify the migration path and places visited by the marine reptiles after congregation and nesting.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Researchers of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) are carrying out tagging of the Olive Ridleys at three mass nesting sites — Gahirmatha, Devi River mouth and Rushikulya. The exercise was undertaken in Odisha in January 2021 after a span of about 25 years and 1,556 turtles had been tagged.

• They are studying the path taken by turtles in the sea if they keep coming to one nesting site for laying eggs, and the number of sites they visit over the years. Besides, the growth of turtles could be measured during the current study.
• Also, the study would reveal the inter-rookery movement of turtles in Odisha. The migration pattern to other countries would be recorded in detail.”

Mass Tagging:

• The metal tags affixed to turtles are non-corrosive and they do not harm their body. It can be removed later. The tags are uniquely numbered containing details such as the name of the organization, country code and email address.
• “If researchers in other countries come across the tagged turtles, they will email their location in longitude and latitude to the forest official. There is an established network working on turtles”. “The researchers intend to tag 30,000 turtles over a period of 10 years.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtles

• Olive Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) are migratory species visiting Indian coasts for nesting.
• These turtles travel all the way from the South Pacific Ocean to breed on the coast of Gahirmatha. Their mass nesting phenomenon is called arribadas.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable; CITES: APPENDIX 1
• They have the highest degree of protection as they are included in Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. 

• The turtle eggs normally take 45 days to hatch. After this, tiny hatchlings come out and make their way to the sea.
• Threats: Heavy predation of eggs by dogs and wild animals, indiscriminate fishing with trawlers and gill nets, and beach soil erosion.
• Every year, the Indian Coast Guard’s “Operation Olivia”, initiated in the early 1980s, helps protect Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from November to December.
• KURMA App: It is aimed at turtle conservation by providing users a database to identify a species but also provides the location of the nearest rescue center for turtles across the country.

Developed by: The application has been developed by the Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network(ITCAN) in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance-India and Wildlife Conservation Society-India.

DEFENCE AND SECURITY

5. INDIGENOUS AERIAL TARGET – ‘ABHYAS’ SUCCESSFULLY TESTED

THE CONTEXT: DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of Indigenously developed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast, Odisha.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• ABHYAS is designed and developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE); Bengaluru-based DRDO laboratory along with other DRDO laboratories has developed this indigenous unmanned aerial target system to meet the requirement of aerial targets of Indian Armed Forces.
• The aircraft is controlled from a ground-based controller and an indigenously developed MEMS-based Inertial Navigation System along with the Flight Control Computer which helps it to follow the pre-designated path in a fully autonomous mode.
• The air vehicle is launched using twin under-slung boosters which provide the initial acceleration to the vehicle.
• It is powered by a gas turbine engine to sustain a long-endurance flight at subsonic speed. The vehicle is programmed for fully autonomous flight. The check-out of air vehicles is done using a laptop-based Ground Control Station (GCS).

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

1. Who among the following are eligible beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana(PMUY)?

1. An adult woman who is also a beneficiary of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
2. An adult woman who is also a beneficiary of Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
3. An adult woman who is also a beneficiary of Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

              a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 23^rd DECEMBER 2021

Answer: a)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Summoning of parliamentary session is done by the President
• Statement 1 is incorrect: Prorogation of parliamentary session is done by the President.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. CONCLUSION OF WINTER SESSION 2021

THE CONTEXT: The winter session of Parliament ended the same way it started on November 29,2021 — on an acrimonious note. Both Houses have adjourned sine die a day ahead of schedule.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, that the productivity of the Lok Sabha was around 82% and that of the Rajya Sabha around 48%.
• During the session, 13 Bills (12 in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha) were introduced, while 11 Bills were passed by both Houses of Parliament.
• Also, the government had referred six Bills to parliamentary committees for closer scrutiny, including the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill that seeks to override personal laws of different religions to increase the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years.

Sessions of Parliament

Summoning of the Parliament is specified in Article 85 of the constitution.

The power to convene a session of Parliament rests with the government. The decision is taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs. The decision of the Committee is formalized by the President, in whose name MPs are summoned to meet for a session.

There are usually three sessions in a year, viz,

• the Budget Session (February to May);
• the Monsoon Session (July to September); and
• the Winter Session (November to December).

 Also, every year the session starts with the Presidential address.

Adjournment:

• Adjournment refers to postponing the further transaction of the business for a specified time. Adjournment terminates the sitting of the House which meets again at the time appointed for the next sitting.

Adjournment sine die:

Adjournment sine die refers to the termination of a sitting of the House without any definite date being fixed for the next sitting.

Prorogation:

• The termination of a session of Rajya Sabha by an order made by the President under article 85(2) (a) of the Constitution is called Prorogation. A prorogation puts an end to a session and not Lok Sabha itself.

Dissolution:

• Dissolution may take place either by end of the 5-year term of Lok Sabha or the end of term as extended by emergency or by an order of President as mentioned in article 85 (2).
• Dissolution puts an end to the Lok Sabha and fresh elections must be held.

2. KARNATAKA’S ANTI-CONVERSION LEGISLATION

THE CONTEXT: The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 introduced in the Karnataka Assembly aims to prohibit conversion by misrepresentation, force, fraud, the allurement of marriage, coercion and undue influence.

THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL:

• According to the Bill, any person intending to convert will have to inform the district magistrate at least thirty days in advance, following which an inquiry will be conducted.
• After getting converted, the person has to again inform the district magistrate within 30 days and must appear before the district magistrate to confirm his/her identity. Not informing the district magistrate will lead to the conversion being declared null and void.
• The offence of conversion will attract a jail term of three to five years and a fine of ₹25,000 for people found violating the law and a jail term of three to 10 years, and a fine of ₹50,000 for people converting minors, women and persons from the SC and ST communities.

About conversion, the Bill claims that “allurement” includes any offer of any temptation in the form of:

• Any gift, gratification, easy money, or material benefit either in cash or kind;
• Employment, free education in school or college run by any religious body;
• Promise to marry;
• A better lifestyle, divine displeasure or otherwise;
• Portraying practice, rituals and ceremonies or any integral part of a religion in a detrimental way vis-a-vis another religion; or
• Glorifying one religion against another religion.

How has Parliament handled anti-conversion bills?

• In post-Independent India, the first Indian Conversion (Regulation and Registration) Bill was introduced in 1954, which sought to enforce “licensing of missionaries and the registration of conversion with government officials.” This bill was rejected.
• This was followed by the introduction of the Backward Communities (Religious Protection) Bill in 1960, “which aimed at checking conversion of Hindus to ‘non-Indian religions’ which, as per the definition in the Bill, included Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism,” and the Freedom of Religion Bill in 1979, which sought “official curbs on inter-religious conversion.”
• These bills fell through for want of majority approval.
• Research indicates that in the 1980s, the focus of anti-conversion laws was Muslims seeking to convert non- Muslims, while Christianity has received its share of attention since the 1990s.

3. 15 YEARS OF FOREST RIGHTS ACTS

THE CONTEXT: According to the Monthly Progress Report on Forest Rights Acts, published by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), Government of India, only 14.75% of the minimum potential forest areas for forest rights in India has been recognized since the Act came into force.

THE ANALYSIS OF THE FOREST RIGHTS ACT

• A 2015 report by the Rights and Resources Initiative, Vasundhara and Natural Resources Management Consultants pointed out the FRA has the potential to restore the rights of forest dwellers over at least 40 million hectares or 100 million acres of forest land in 170,000 villages, i.e. one-fourth of the villages across the country. Importantly, at least 150 million people, including 90 million tribal people, are estimated to benefit from the recognition of forest rights under the FRA.
• Even within this lower recognition rate, there is uneven implementation of FRA across states. For example, Andhra Pradesh has recognized 23% of 29,64,000 acres of its minimum potential forest claim, while Jharkhand, with 52,36,400 acres of minimum potential forest area, has recognized only 5%.
• A similar phenomenon is at work within states, where some districts have performed better than others. For example, within a high performing state like Odisha, a district like Nabarangapur has a 100% IFR recognition rate, but in Sambalpur, it is at 41.34%
• The MoTA’s monthly FRA progress report reveals that since 2016, the total FRA claims received have declined. Advocates of the Act argue that this is not because of a delay in claim filing, but rather that state administrations have done too little to facilitate the claim process. A perennial challenge in the enforcement of the FRA at the state level, regardless of the political party in power, is the lack of political and administrative support to implement the Act.

IFR = Individual Forest Rights and CFR = Community Forest Rights 

Enforcement challenges

• The biggest challenge throughout the country has been a lack of coordination between tribal, forest and revenue departments at the local level. Equally pathetic is the sedentary attitude of the state-level monitoring committee to supervise the activities of the DLC and SDLC.
• Claims are arbitrarily rejected without any written explanation to the claimants. Invariably, the claimed forest area for IFR and CFR is not recognized. Lesser forest area against the claimed area is recognized without giving justification.
• Wherever rights are recognized, little or no attempt is made to enhance the title holders’ livelihood and increase the productivity of the recognized land. Recognition of claims in protected and tiger reserve areas is very low or rejected by misinterpreting the law.
• It is probably no mere coincidence that over the past few years, as several forest rights claims have been pending and rejected, the Union government has diverted more than 20,000 hectares of forest areas for developmental activities across the country.

MYTHS ABOUT FRA

• Degradation of forests: The FRA is hardly the primary factor contributing to a decline in forest cover. According to another report, there is no correlation between FRA implementation and forest cover decline. While isolated examples of encroachment by the local community can surely be uncovered, there are countless studies and a lot of evidence to illustrate how forest-dwellers across the country have sustainably managed their surrounding forest. The campaign against the FRA may be a function of parties that have little to do with forest conservation and more to do with vested interests of tourism and corporate business.
• The disappearance of tigers: The implementation of FRA in tiger reserve areas has not caused the disappearance of tigers. In fact, the number of tigers has gone up after the FRA came into the picture and the number of animals has increased in reserves where the Act has been implemented. For example, after giving forest titles to the Soliga tribal community in the BRT Hills of Karnataka, a 2013 government estimate shows tiger density to be 11.3 tiger/100 sq km, making it second only to Kaziranga.

Way forward

• It is essential to ensure that the potential of FRA is maximized. Several steps can be taken to achieve the law’s goal. Each state’s intervention strategies need to be different given the distinctive nature of forest history and landscape. To this effect, concerted political and administrative interventions to strengthen the enforcement of the law at the grassroots level would help ensure that forest-dwellers get their statutory rights. The intervention strategies of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh to upscale the implementation of FRA is worth emulating.
• As gram sabhas struggle to file their claims, it will be critically important for the state machinery to create a climate that enables them to exercise rights recognized under the FRA.
• It is essential to build a consistent, uniform and transparent database across states and build a fair understanding of lacunas in implementation over the years.
• Policies that aim to support the post-recognition phase would also help the titleholders improve their livelihood and land productivity.

THE BACKGROUND:

About Forest Rights Act 2006:

• The symbiotic relationship between forests and forest-dwelling communities found recognition in the National Forest Policy, 1988.
• The policy called for the need to associate tribal people in the protection, regeneration and development of forests.
• The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, was enacted to protect the marginalized socio-economic class of citizens and balance the right to the environment with their right to life and livelihood.

Provisions of the 2006 Act

• The Act recognizes that tribal and other traditional forest-dwelling communities would be hard put to provide documentary evidence for their claims.
• Rule 13 of the Act, therefore, stipulates that the gram sabhas should consider more than one evidence in determining forest rights.
• The rule sanctions a wide range of evidence, including “statements by village elders”, “community rights” and “physical attributes such as houses, huts and permanent improvements made to lands such as leveling, bunds and check dams”.

Features of the Act

• The act recognizes and vests the forest rights and occupation in Forest land in forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDST) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFD)who have been residing in such forests for generations.
• The act also establishes the responsibilities and authority for sustainable use, conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of the ecological balance of FDST and OTFD.
• It strengthens the conservation regime of the forests while ensuring the livelihood and food security of the FDST and OTFD.
• It seeks to rectify colonial injustice to the FDST and OTFD who are integral to the very survival and sustainability of the forest ecosystem.

The act identifies four types of rights:

Title rights

• It gives FDST and OTFD the right to ownership to land farmed by tribals or forest dwellers subject to a maximum of 4 hectares.
• Ownership is only for land that is actually being cultivated by the concerned family and no new lands will be granted.

Use rights

• The rights of the dwellers extend to extracting Minor Forest Produce, grazing areas, to pastoralist routes, etc.

Relief and development rights

• To rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection

Forest management rights

• It includes the right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource which they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use.

THE ECON0OMIC DEVELOPMENT

4. MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE (MSP) FOR COPRA FOR 2022 SEASON

THE CONTEXT: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for copra for the 2022 season.

THE EXPLANATION:

According to the statement released by the Government,

• The MSP for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of milling copra has been increased to Rs10,590/- per quintal for the 2022 season from Rs.10,335/- per quintal in 2021 and the MSP for ball copra has been increased to Rs.11,000/- per quintal for 2022 season from Rs.10,600/- per quintal in 2021. This is to ensure a return of 51.85 percent for milling copra and 57.73 percent for ball copra over the all-India weighted average cost of production. The increase in MSP for copra for the 2022 season is in line with the principle of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times the all India weighted average cost of production as announced by the Government in the Budget 2018-19.
• It assures a minimum of 50 percent as a margin of profit as one of the important and progressive steps towards making possible doubling of farmers’ incomes by 2022.
• The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited and National Cooperative Consumer Federation of India Limited will continue to act as Central Nodal Agencies to undertake price support operations at the MSP in the coconut growing States.

VALUE ADDITION:

What is the Minimum Support Price:

• Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices.
• The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• MSP is price fixed by the Government of India to protect the producer – farmers – against excessive falls in price during bumper production years. The minimum support prices are a guaranteed price for their produce from the Government

Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)

• CACP is an expert body that recommends minimum support prices (MSPs) to the Government (CCEA) by taking into account the cost of production, trends in domestic and international prices.
• It is a statutory panel under the Ministry of Agriculture, established in January 1965.
• It makes recommendations for MSPs for 23 Kharif and rabi crops
• However, its suggestions are not binding on the government.

NAFED

• National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), established in 1958, is registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act.
• NAFED was set up with the object to promote Cooperative marketing of Agricultural Produce to benefit the farmers.
• The objectives of the NAFED shall be to organize, promote and develop marketing, processing and storage of agricultural, horticultural and forest produce, distribution of agricultural machinery, implements and other inputs, undertake inter-state, import and export trade etc.

5. DEMAND TO EXTEND TOKENIZATION DEADLINE

THE CONTEXT: Digital payment firms and merchant bodies have petitioned the Reserve Bank of India to extend the deadline for implementation of the new credit and debit card data storage norms, or card-on-file tokenization (CoF). The RBI mandate on tokenization kicks in from January 1, 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

WHAT IS TOKENISATION?

• Tokenization refers to the 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 tokenized card transaction is considered safer as the actual card details are not shared with the merchant during transaction processing. Customers who do not have the tokenization facility will have to key in their name, 16-digit card number, expiry date and CVV each time they order something online.

Challenges with the process

• If implemented in the present state of readiness, the new RBI mandate could cause major disruptions and loss of revenue, especially for merchants.
• According to the Digital payment firms and merchant bodies, “the disruptions of this nature erode trust in digital payments and reverses consumer habits back towards cash-based payments.
• They have voiced their concerns over industry readiness on the RBI directive on card-on-file tokenization and urged the central bank for an extension of the December 31 deadline for implementation of card data storage norms.
• An estimated 5 million customers, who have stored their card details for online transactions on various platforms, could be impacted if the online players and merchants are not able to implement the changes at their backend.

E-commerce platforms, online service providers and small merchants

• could be especially hit. Equated monthly installments and subscription-based transactions that are paid through stored cards will also have to adhere.

Significance:

• “India has an estimated 98.5 crore 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. Digital payments have triggered and sustained economic growth, especially through the trying times of the pandemic…While RBI’s intent is to protect consumer interest, the challenge on ground pertains to implementation.
• In September 2021 the RBI prohibited merchants from storing customer card details on their servers with effect from January 1 and mandated adoption of CoF tokenization as an alternative to card storage.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

6. ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

THE CONTEXT: Forest officials from Sirnapalli forest in Telangana spotted a rare Albino flap shell species, researchers later suggested they were traced only twice before in 2020 — once in Odisha and then in West Bengal,

THE EXPLANATION:

About Indian Flapshell turtle 

• It is a freshwater species of turtle found in South Asia.
• The “flap-shelled” name stems from the presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron. These flaps of skin cover the limbs when they retract into the shell. It is unclear what protection the flaps offer against predators.
• It is morphologically an evolutionary link between the softshell and hardshell aquatic turtles.
• Habitat: The Indian flap shell turtle is found in Pakistan, India (common in lakes and rivers), Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh (Indus and Gange’s drainages), and Myanmar (Irrawaddy and Salween Rivers). It has been introduced to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is also found in the desert ponds of Rajasthan, where hundreds are killed every year during the dry summers.
• In 2020 a farmer found a yellow flap shell turtle, believed to be an albino version of the species.

Threat: Exploitation on for-profit and habitat change are threats to their survival.

• Conservation status:
• Appendix- I of CITES
• IUCN – Vulnerable

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

1. Consider the following statements:

1. Summoning of parliamentary session is done by the President.
2. Prorogation of parliamentary session is done by the Presiding officer of the Houses.

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

      a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2

FOR 22TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: c)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: is published annually by Reporters Without Borders

Statement 1 is correct: In 2021, India was ranked 142nd out of 180 countries, placed in ‘bad category.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. NAGALAND CREATES THREE NEW DISTRICTS

THE CONTEXT: Nagaland government has created three new districts in the state, taking the total number of districts to 15.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Nagaland government established three new districts on Saturday, raising the state’s total number of administrative entities to 15. The new three districts are named- Tseminyu, Nuland, and Chumukedima.
• Nuland and Chumukedima have been formed out of Dimapur district, while the Tseminyu is the sub-division of the Kohima district which has been promoted to a district. Despite requests for new districts from at least 11 tribes, the Cabinet could only consider three of them because some districts are home to only one tribe and cannot be separated.

How are new districts carved?

The power to create new districts or alter or abolish existing districts rests with the State governments. This can either be done through an executive order or by passing a law in the State Assembly. The many States prefer the executive route by simply issuing a notification in the official gazette.

How does it help?

States argue that smaller districts lead to better administration and governance. For example, in 2016, the Assam government issued a notification to upgrade the Majuli sub-division to Majuli district for “administrative expediency”.bdivision under Kohima district, Nagaland,” read a notification issued by the Nagaland government.

Does the Central government have a role to play here?

The Centre has no role to play in the alteration of districts or the creation of new ones. States are free to decide. The Home Ministry comes into the picture when a State wants to change the name of a district or a railway station. The State government’s request is sent to other departments and agencies such as the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Intelligence Bureau, Department of Posts, Geographical Survey of India Sciences and the Railway Ministry seeking clearance. A no-objection certificate may be issued after examining their replies.

What has been the trend?

According to the 2011 Census, there were 593 districts in the country. The Census results showed that between 2001-2011, as many as 46 districts were created by States. Though the 2021 Census is yet to happen, Know India, a website run by the Government of India, says currently there are 718 districts in the country. The surge in number is also due to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into A.P and Telangana in 2014. Telangana at present has 33 districts and A.P has 13 districts.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. DECADE-OLD CONFLICT IN SYRIA

THE CONTEXT: Underlining that the humanitarian crisis in Syria has not seen significant improvement in recent months, India has called for a nationwide comprehensive ceasefire, saying doing so will help to expand crossline humanitarian aid operations in the country.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• At a United Nations Security Council briefing about Syria, India said decade-long conflict and involvement of external players has adversely affected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.
• “India has been reiterating since the beginning of the conflict that imposing external solutions cannot help in the resolution of the conflict
• On its part, India has continued to extend developmental assistance and human resource development support to Syria through grants and lines of credits for developmental projects, supply of medicine and food, artificial limb fitment camps and capacity building training programs.
• On the security front, India remains concerned with the overall situation in Syria, including the increasing incidents of ceasefire violations in North-West Syria.
• Also, India pointed out, Since the beginning of the conflict, India has always stood by the Syrian people. Reaffirming India’s commitment to a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned UN-facilitated political process in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254″.

THE BACKGROUND

Syria is a west Asian Country bordering Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel. The civil war in Syria is regarded as the most brutal conflict in the world which started off in 2011.

The conflict between Shia Islam and Sunni Islam

The root of this conflict can be traced to sectarian conflicts in the region existing there for centuries. Shia Islam and Sunni Islam are the two major denominations of Islam Religion. With Saudi Arabia regarding itself as the leader of Sunni Muslims and Iran as the protector of Shia Muslims, the West Asian region is divided under these two leaders. Saudi and Iran started playing an important role in the geopolitical conflicts in the region.

What caused the uprising?

While lack of freedoms and economic woes drove resentment of the Syrian government, the harsh crackdown on protesters inflamed public anger.

• Arab Spring: In 2011, successful uprisings – that became known as the Arab Spring – toppled Tunisia‘s and Egypt‘s presidents. This gave hope to Syrian pro-democracy activists.
• That March, peaceful protests erupted in Syria as well, after 15 boys were detained and tortured for writing graffiti in support of the Arab Spring. One of the boys, a 13-year-old, was killed after having been brutally tortured.
• The Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, responded to the protests by killing hundreds of demonstrators and imprisoning many more.
• In July 2011, defectors from the military announced the formation of the Free Syrian Army, a rebel group aiming to overthrow the government, and Syria began to slide into war.
• While the protests in 2011 were mostly non-sectarian, the armed conflict surfaced starker sectarian divisions. Most Syrians are Sunni Muslims, but Syria’s security establishment has long been dominated by members of the Alawi sect, of which Assad is a member.
• In 1982, Bashar’s father ordered a military crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in Hama, killing tens of thousands of people and flattening much of the city.
• Even global warming is said to have played a role in sparking the 2011 uprising. Severe drought plagued Syria from 2007-10, causing as many as 1.5 million people to migrate from the countryside into cities, exacerbating poverty and social unrest.

Who are Kurds?

• The Kurds are the world’s largest stateless ethnic group. There are an estimated 25 million to 35 million of them.
• They live in the highlands of southern and eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, northwestern Iran, and parts of south Armenia, and are a minority in each of these countries.
• Kurdish nationalists claim a history going back 2,500 years, but they became identifiable as a distinct community only in the 7th century, when most tribes in the area adopted Islam.
• The Treaty of Sèvres (1920), which partitioned the old Ottoman dominions, marked out a much smaller territory as Kurdistan. However, Turkey negotiated with the Allied powers and, in 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne overtook the Treaty of Sèvres and ended the idea of a self-governing Kurdistan.
• Over the decades, the Kurds made repeated attempts at establishing a Kurdistan with defined national borders (within the territory of Turkey), and in this process, Turkey retaliated with massive repression of Kurds.

Why is Turkey invading Syria?

By invading northern Syria, Turkey seeks to create a peace zone, where it can deport Syrian refugees that fled the country during the Civil war in Syria.

However, experts believe in the name of the creation of a peace zone, Turkey wants to land grab the strategic area.

• Geopolitical Importance of northern Syria.
• It holds 30% of Syrian oil & gas.
• This area harbors fertile agricultural land.
• Also, the region is drained by water from the river Euphrates.
• Apart from this, the area is under the control of Kurds, which Turkey recognizes as a threat to its territorial integrity.

The Way ahead:

The outside powers that are involved in Syria’s civil war through proxy means need to reconsider their decision. Their role in converting a peaceful democratic movement into full-fledged war should be condemned. They should stop financing the extremist groups to avoid further conflicts in the region.

Considering the large-scale devastation which happened in Syria, rebuilding its human and social capital will be an insurmountable task for the govt. Therefore, the international community should come forward with a helping hand to bring the war-torn nation into normalcy. India can also play a constructive humanitarian role to establish peace and stability in the region.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF TB ANTIBIOTICS ON CROPS

THE CONTEXT: The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare notified the draft order on ‘Prohibition of Streptomycin + Tetracycline in agriculture’, which prohibits import, manufacture or formulation of Streptomycin and Tetracycline for use in agriculture from February 1, 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The draft order comes growing concerns over antimicrobial resistance observed in various crops, particularly to streptomycin, which is used in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Tetracycline antibiotics find application in the treatment of bacterial infections.
• Streptomycin is a critically important antimicrobial while tetracycline belongs to the class of highly important antimicrobials, according to the World Health Organization.
• The order ensures a complete ban on the use of the two antibiotics in agriculture from January 1, 2024, onwards. It directed every state government to take all such steps necessary for executing the order in their state.
• The draft order is the fallout of the deliberations within the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC), where the registration committee (RC) in August 2021 had approved the recommendation for phasing out the use of streptomycin and tetracycline amid growing concerns over antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Empirical data

• Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in 2019 highlighted the practices of antibiotic misuse in the crop sector in India. It showed how streptomycin (90:10 combinations of streptomycin and tetracycline) was being misused along the banks of the Yamuna in national capital Delhi, Hisar (Haryana) and Fazilka (Punjab).
• It found that farmers there routinely and indiscriminately used high doses of streptomycin on crops, including on the ones for which they had not received any approval.
• CSE had recommended these antibiotics should not be used as pesticides, and that they are used under expert supervision only after a bacterial disease has been diagnosed in a crop. It said so underlining the importance of streptomycin use in humans for “previously treated tuberculosis” and for treating multidrug-resistant TB and certain cases of TB meningitis.
• It added that all other antibiotics should be phased out. Since then CSE has been continuously advocating about the issue on various platforms.

What is antimicrobial resistance?

• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.
• As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.

For example:

Colistin is the only last resort treatment for life-threatening infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (i.e. E.coli, Klebsiella, etc). Bacteria resistant to colistin have also been detected in several countries and regions, causing infections for which there is no effective antibiotic treatment at present.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. A RARE TURTLE SPECIES FOUND IN SIRNAPALLY FOREST IN TELANGANA

THE CONTEXT: Forest officials from Sirnapalli forest in Telangana spotted a rare Albino flap shell species, researchers later suggested they were traced only twice before in 2020 — once in Odisha and then in West Bengal,

THE EXPLANATION:

About Indian Flapshell turtle 

• It is a freshwater species of turtle found in South Asia.
• The “flap-shelled” name stems from the presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron. These flaps of skin cover the limbs when they retract into the shell. It is unclear what protection the flaps offer against predators.
• It is morphologically an evolutionary link between the softshell and hardshell aquatic turtles.
• Habitat: The Indian flap shell turtle is found in Pakistan, India (common in lakes and rivers), Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh (Indus and Gange’s drainages), and Myanmar (Irrawaddy and Salween Rivers). It has been introduced to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is also found in the desert ponds of Rajasthan, where hundreds are killed every year during the dry summers.
• In 2020 a farmer found a yellow flap shell turtle, believed to be an albino version of the species.

Threat: Exploitation on for-profit and habitat change are threats to their survival.

• Conservation status:
• Appendix- I of CITES
• IUCN – Vulnerable

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES/INITIATIVES IN NEWS

5. THE PROBLEMS WITHIN THE UDAN SCHEME

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister launched the UDAN scheme nearly five years back with the aim to take flying to the masses. While over 400 routes have been launched by airlines, some of them have been discontinued.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• The MoS stated that this was because of the failure to set up airports due to lack of availability of land, airlines finding the routes difficult to sustain, and the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The poor financial health of much smaller, regional carriers has been a bane for the scheme.

What is UDAN Scheme:

• The scheme is aimed at enhancing connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country and making air travel affordable.
• It is a key component of the Centre’s National Civil Aviation Policy in 2016.
• Under the scheme, nearly half of the seats in Udan flights are offered at subsidized fares, and the participating carriers are provided a certain amount of viability gap funding (VGF) – an amount shared between the Centre and the concerned states.
• The scheme will be jointly funded by the central government and state governments.
• The scheme will run for 10 years and can be extended thereafter

What is the status of the scheme?

• A total of nine rounds of bidding have taken place since January 2017. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has set a target of operationalizing as many as 100 unserved and underserved airports and starting at least 1,000 RCS routes by 2024.
• So far, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has awarded 948 routes under UDAN, of which 403 routes have taken off that connect 65 airports, which include eight heliports. Out of the total 28 seaplane routes connecting 14 water aerodromes, only two have commenced.
• While the Ministry of Civil Aviation undertook interesting initiatives within the scheme to provide improved connectivity to hilly regions and islands through helicopters and seaplanes, as well as linking Assam with certain international destinations in South Asia and Southeast Asia, these mostly remain on paper.

What have been the challenges?

• The poor financial health of much smaller, regional carriers has been a bane for the scheme. Financial crunch for maintenance.
• According to Government, they also have problems with the availability of pilots and are forced to hire foreign pilots which costs them a lot of money and makes the business unviable. So far, only those routes that have been bagged by bigger domestic players such as IndiGo and SpiceJet have seen a better success rate”.
• Similarly, the only seaplane flight launched remains suspended. SpiceJet’s seaplane flight from Statue of Unity in Kevadiya to Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad was launched in October 2020, by the Prime Minister and saw a few flights till April but has since been suspended “due to rise in COVID cases, travel restrictions and keeping passenger safety in mind”.

What lies ahead for the scheme?

The Government offers subsidies for a route for a period of three years and expects the airline to develop the route during this time so that it becomes self-sufficient.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

1. Consider the following statements about World Press Freedom Index:

1. It is published annually by Reporters Without Borders.
2. In 2021, India was ranked 142nd out of 180 countries.

 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

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. JAMMU & KASHMIR: DELIMITATION DRAFT

THE CONTEXT: The number of Assembly constituencies in Jammu will increase by six and in Kashmir by one, according to the draft paper of the Delimitation Commission.  For the first time, the commission proposed reserving nine seats for Scheduled Tribes on the basis of population. Seven seats are proposed for the Scheduled Caste community. An additional 24 seats are proposed to be reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Delimitation Commission chaired by Justice (Retd.) Ranjana Prakash Desai, with the proposed addition, the total Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir have risen to 90 — in Jammu, the number of seats has gone up to 43 from 37, and in Kashmir, by one seat to 47. An additional 24 seats are proposed to be reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

• Of the seven additional Assembly constituencies in the Union Territory, one each has been proposed in the districts of Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Reasi, Doda and Kishtwar in the Jammu division, and Kupwara in the Kashmir valley. In a statement, the Commission said it has proposed carving out an additional constituency in some districts to balance the representation for geographical areas with inadequate communication and lack of public conveniences given their excessive remoteness or inhospitable conditions on the international border.

What is Delimitation?

• Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies to represent changes in population and is done on the basis of the preceding Census.
• This exercise is carried out by a Delimitation Commission, whose orders have the force of law and can not be questioned before any court.

Aim: The key aim is to have equal representation to equal segments of the population in order to ensure a fair division of geographical areas so that all political parties or candidates contesting elections have a level playing field in terms of the number of voters.

Constitutional provisions:

• Article 82: This provides the Parliament with the authority to enact a Delimitation Act after every Census.
• Article 170: This provides for the States to get divided into territorial constituencies as per the Delimitation Act after every Census.
• The Union government sets up a Delimitation Commission once the Act is in force.
• Objective: To provide equal representation for equal population segments and a fair division of geographical areas so that no political party has an advantage

Delimitation Commission

• It is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India.
• Its members are a serving or retired Supreme Court judge, Chief Election Commissioner or an Election Commissioner nominated by CEC and Election Commissioners of the respective state.
• Its function is to determine the number and boundaries of constituencies, to identify seats reserved for SC/ST.
• It is a high-power body whose orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court.
• Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. PANEX­ 21

THE CONTEXT: Recently, PANEX-21was held in Pune for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise is to be held among the BIMSTEC countries: Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The main aim of the exercise is to build regional cooperation in responding to natural disasters.

About PANEX-21:

• It is a multinational disaster relief exercise.
• The exercise is to be held among the BIMSTEC countries: Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
• The main aim of the exercise is to build regional cooperation in responding to natural disasters.

How will the exercise be conducted?

• The participants of the exercise will be divided into eight syndicates. One syndicate from the participating countries and two from India.
• It will analyse the capabilities of member states in responding to a natural disaster. The countries will share their best practices.
• The exercise will review the procedures of preparedness and response. It will then recommend the evolution of organized structure.
• During the exercise, the countries will discuss military–to–military cooperation protocol.

Why is the exercise important?

• Recently, the cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are becoming more disastrous. This is mainly due to climate change. The increase in surface sea temperature is making cyclones more powerful. The increase in sea–surface temperature increases the wind speeds of the cyclones. The devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan was 13 billion USD.
• The unplanned development in Ecological Sensitive Zones fails to address the risks posed by the increasing intense cyclones.
• For these reasons, it is essential to remain prepared. Therefore, there is a need for international cooperation among the coastal countries.

Why is BIMSTEC important for India?

As the region’s largest economy, India has a lot at stake.

• BIMSTEC connects not only South and Southeast Asia, but also the ecologies of the Great Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.
• For India, it is a natural platform to fulfill our key foreign policy priorities of ‘Neighborhood First’ and ‘Act East.
• For New Delhi, one key reason for engagement is the vast potential that is unlocked with stronger connectivity. Almost 300 million people, or roughly one-quarter of India’s population, live in the four coastal states adjacent to the Bay of Bengal (Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal).
• From the strategic perspective, the Bay of Bengal, a funnel to the Malacca straits, has emerged as a key theatre for an increasingly assertive China in maintaining its access route to the Indian Ocean.
• As China mounts assertive activities in the Bay of Bengal region, with increased submarine movement and ship visits in the Indian Ocean, it is in India’s interest to consolidate its internal engagement among the BIMSTEC countries.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION

THE CONTEXT: According to the new report, India recorded 867,000 deaths in 2017 due to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) — the second highest in the world.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The study Global Burden of Disease from Major Air Pollution Sources: A Global Approach by Health Effects Institute (HEI), an independent, non-profit research institute was published December 15, 2021. It analysed data on air pollution and mortality from 1970-2017.
• China topped the list with 1,387,000 deaths. Indonesia came third, recording 94,000 deaths, followed by Egypt 88,000, Pakistan 86,000, Russian Federation 68,000, Bangladesh 64,000, Nigeria 51,000 and the United States 47.
• In India, the top four of the 200 areas with the highest PM2.5 concentrations — Singrauli, Kanpur, Sitapur and Ahmedabad — all experienced increase in population-weighted mean (PWM) for PM2.5 mass between 1970 and 2017 (the study period). The PWM for these places was 14-16 times the annual average advocated in World Health Organization guidelines.

Major Pollutants:

• Fossil fuels are a major source of PM2.5 emissions that are trapped in the atmosphere due to various atmospheric factors, past studies have established.
• Of the fossil fuels, coal contributed the most to global deaths associated with particulate matter emissions, the study found. “In India, coal accounted for 16 percent deaths linked to air pollution in 2015 and 17.1 percent in 2017.”  
• Globally, the number of deaths associated with outdoor PM2.5 exposure was 2.07 million in 2017 and increased marginally to 09 million in 2019, the HEI study found.
• The burning of fossil fuels contributed to nearly 1.05 million deaths in 2017 worldwide, 800,000 of which were in South Asia or East Asia (32.5 percent of air pollution-related deaths in those regions), according to a new study.
• Coal combustion alone was responsible for half of those deaths, while natural gas and oil combustion were responsible for the other half, the study found.
• Other dominant global sources included residential, industrial and energy sectors, according to the report.
• Regions with large anthropogenic contributions generally had the highest attributable deaths, the findings showed.
• Complete elimination of coal in China and India could reduce the global PM2.5 disease burden by nearly 20 percent, the study suggested.

Value Addition:

What is PM 2.5 and PM 10?

• PM is also called Particulate Matter or particle pollution, which is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets present in the atmosphere. The particles present in the air are so minute that you cannot even view them through naked eyes. Some particles are so small that they can only be detected by using an electron microscope. Particle pollution consists of PM2.5 and PM10 which are very dangerous.
• 5 refers to the atmospheric particulate matter that has a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometers, which is about 3% of the diameter of human hair.

Sources of Particulate Matter

• Particulate Matter is of different sizes, and it can be due to both human and natural sources. Sources can be primary and secondary.
• The primary source includes automobile emissions, dust and cooking smoke. The secondary source of pollution can be due to complex reactions of chemicals like Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
• These particles are mixed in the air and pollute it. Apart from these, forest fires, wood-burning stoves, agricultural burning, the smoke of the industry, dust occurring from various construction sites also causes air pollution etc.

What are the health effects of PM2.5 and PM10?

• Problem in breathing
• Irritation in eyes, nose, and throat
• Tightness of the chest
• Lungs do not work properly
• Severe Respiratory diseases
• Irregular heartbeat etc.

Government Measurements:

• Introduction of cleaner gaseous fuels like CNG, LPG etc and ethanol blending.
• Banning of the burning of biomass.
• Promotion of public transport network.
• Pollution Under Control Certificate.
• Issuance of directions under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• Installation of online continuous (24×7) monitoring devices by 17 highly polluting industrial sectors.
• Regulating the bursting of pollution-emitting crackers.
• Notification of graded response action plan for Delhi identifying source-wise actions for various levels of air pollution, etc.
• Leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI standards for vehicles by 1st April 2020.

4. THE EXPANSION OF THE THAR DESERT

THE CONTEXT: The study was undertaken as part of an assessment of the environmentally sensitive areas within the framework of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The scientists associated with the project studied the climate and vegetation in Thar, which is the world’s ninth-largest hot subtropical desert, to understand the desertification process.

THE EXPLANATION:

• With these findings, a study on desertification of the Thar region conducted by the Central University of Rajasthan has predicted that the sandstorms from the desert will travel as far as the National Capital Region (NCR) in the years to come. The sandstorms will become intense with the erosion of the Aravali hills, which act as a ‘natural green wall’ between the desert and the plains.
• Along with the gradual destruction of the Aravali ranges, the mighty Thar desert in western Rajasthan is expanding fast because of the migration of people, changes in the rainfall pattern, spread of sand dunes and unscientific plantation drives. The degradation of land is posing a threat to the desert ecology, while climate change has contributed to the spread of arid regions.

LOSS OF ARAVALI’S

• According to the scientists, the loss of Aravali hills because of unchecked mining activities would result in sandstorms traveling to NCR and Delhi. “The suspended particles from the arid region are contributing to air pollution in NCR. The sandstorms will hit this area because of the desert expanding in the eastern direction”.

• The study, which focused on Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur districts covering more than 50% of Thar desert, found that Jodhpur, situated near the Aravali hills, had witnessed a slow speed of desertification. It also found that the vegetation cover and water bodies had increased in the area in the last 46 years and the complex sand region had decreased by 4.98%.
• According to CAZRI,(Central Arid Zone Research Institute), the biggest reason contributing to desertification turned out to be water erosion. Our report suggested that 64.69% of the mapped area is facing wind erosion. For instance, 10% of land degradation in districts like Barmer, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur is due to water erosion.

About the Thar Desert:

The Thar Desert is about 4.56% of the total geographic area of India. More than 60% of the desert lies in the Indian state of Rajasthan; the portion in India also extends into Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana.

UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):

• Established in 1994, the UNCCD is the only legally binding international agreement linking environment and development issues to the land agenda.
• Focus area:It addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.
• 2006 was declared “International Year of Deserts and Desertification”.
• Its secretariat has been located in Bonn, Germany.

COP14

• The 14th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP-14) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) 2019. Held in Greater Noida, this was the first time that India hosted an edition of the UNCCD COP.
• The theme of the Conference was ‘Restore land, Sustain future’.
• India is the global host for COP 14 has taken over the COP Presidency from China for the next two years till 2021.
• India is among the select few countries to have hosted the COP of all three Rio conventions on climate change, biodiversity and land.

OUTCOMES:

Delhi Declaration: Commitment for a range of issues, including gender and health, ecosystem restoration, taking action on climate change, private sector engagement, Peace Forest Initiative and recovery of five million hectares of degraded land in India.

The country parties have agreed to make the Sustainable Development Goal target of achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030, a national target for action.

Peace Forest Initiative: It is an initiative of South Korea to use ecological restoration as a peace-building process. It aims at addressing the issue of land degradation in conflict-torn border areas and would go a long way in alleviating tensions and building trust between communities living there and between enemy countries in particular.

The Bonn Challenge is a global effort to bring 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land under restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030.

5. EXCESS RAIN AFFECTS BIRD MIGRATION TO KARNATAKA

THE CONTEXT: Heavy rains across Karnataka during October and November 2021 have affected the winter migration of birds that otherwise used to flock in large numbers and roost in the water bodies of the State before flying out again during the onset of summer.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to ornithologists, they are witnessing a dispersal of bird population and the groups have scattered to different places in search of a more suitable habitat mainly marshy lands. Hence the bird count is low in the lakes that are full to the brim during this season”.

• The bar-headed Geese, which flies across the Himalayas from southern China and Mongolia, are yet to be sighted in large numbers either in Hadinaru near Nanjangud or Sira in Tumakuru.
• These birds tend to have a stopover in the wetlands around Vijayapura and the backwaters of Ghataprabha before heading towards the southern parts of Karnataka. Teals, pin-tailed ducks, Gargini, Coot, Sandpipers, common pochards are a few other species that roost in the State during winter.
• A majority of the winter migratory birds are waders and prefer the shallow and stagnant waters of a lake with hydrophytes or vegetation that draw insects and facilitate larvae formation.
• A stagnant and shallow pool provides a rich source of food for wading birds. But heavy rains and continuous inflow of water into lakes do not allow for their formation and this will benefit only the fish-eating birds, according to the bird watchers.
• Another scenario common across the State was the so-called lake development projects and use of excavators during desilting exercises which were forcing the birds to abandon such habitats.

6. INDIAN DESERT CAT SPOTTED IN PANNA TIGER RESERVE

THE CONTEXT: An Indian desert cat has been spotted for the first time in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR).

THE EXPLANATION:

• As the name suggests, this cat is found in deserts and can survive without water. The toes of the species have cushion-like hair which helps them balance the fluctuating desert temperatures.
• According to forest officials, the presence of this wild cat was not reported in the PTR’s records earlier.

About Indian Desert Cat

• It is a species of wild cat found in ‘Western India’. It is commonly seen in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. It lives in desert-shrub areas. It is also known as ‘Asian wild cat’.
• Their ears are large so that they can hear even low sounds. Their toes have hair-like cushions that allow it to adapt to the temperature fluctuations of the desert. This species can survive even without water.
• Their color is such that they can easily hide in the desert sand. They rest during the day and hunt small animals and birds during the night.

Threats and Conservation:

• Habitat destruction, breeding with domestic cats and poaching are major threats.
• This is protected under Schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and included in the category of ‘Least Concern’ in the Red List of IUCN.

About Panna Tiger Reserve

• The Panna ‘National Park’ was initially set up in It only received the status of a tiger reserve in the early 1990s under “Project Tiger.”
• Once it had been converted into a tiger reserve, the population of tigers started to bloom.
• Panna Tiger Reserve spans 576 kilometers in the Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) declared Panna Tiger Reserve as a Biosphere Reserve in 2011.
• The thick deciduous forest of the Panna National Reserve is the natural habitat of sloth, Indian wolf, Bear Pangolin, Leopard, Gharial, Indian fox and a lot more. While visiting the park, tourists also get to witness stone carvings that date back to the Neolithic era.
• A report by the All-India Tiger Estimation made Madhya Pradesh the state with the highest number of tigers.
• The state had a total of 526 big cats according to the 2018 census. After Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttarakhand have the highest number of tigers.

UNESCO on Panna Biosphere Reserve

• UNESCO’s recognition mentioned Panna Tiger Reserve as a critical tiger habitat.
• It stated that the area has undergone substantial ecosystem restoration in the buffer zone.
• With only three urban centers and over 300 villages, agriculture is the main source of income here, together with horticulture, forestry and cultural and eco-tourism.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Consider the following statements about OIC:

1. It was established in September 1969.
2. Its headquarter is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
3. India is not a member of OIC.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

            a) 1 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) All of them

FOR 19TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: A)

Explanation:

• Please refer to the given map

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. INDIA-CENTRAL ASIA DIALOGUE

THE CONTEXT: The 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was held under the chairmanship of the External Affairs Minister of India. Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan took part in the meeting.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES OF THE MEETING

During Pandemic: 

• The Ministers expressed satisfaction at the ongoing Central Asia-India cooperation in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic. The Foreign Ministers of Central Asian countries appreciated India’s assistance in supply of vaccines and essential medicines during their early stage of fight against Covid-19.

INSTC Corridor: 

• The Ministers emphasized on optimum usage of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as well as Ashgabat Agreement on International Transport and Transit Corridor to enhance connectivity between India and the Central Asian countries. They stress that connectivity initiatives should be based on the principles of transparency, broad participation, local priorities, financial sustainability and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.
• They welcomed the proposal to include Chabahar Port within the framework of INSTC and expressed interest in cooperation on issues related to the development and strengthening of regional connectivity in Central and South Asia. In this regard, the Ministers noted the outcomes of the High-Level International Conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity; Challenges and Opportunities”. 

INSTC CORRIDOR 

Defence and Security:

• The Ministers emphasized that interaction in the fields of defence and security constitutes an important element of India- Central Asia cooperation. In this regard, they noted the importance of holding regular consultations among the National Security Councils of India and the Central Asian countries in the fight against terrorism and other emerging challenges in the region.
• The Ministers condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reiterated that providing safe haven, using terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism, terror financing, arms and drugs trafficking, dissemination of a radical ideology and abuse of cyber space to spread disinformation and incite violence, goes against the basic principles of humanity and international relations. They stressed that perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with principle of “extradite or prosecute”. In this context, they called for early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. They called on the international community to strengthen UN-led global counter-terrorism cooperation and fully implement the relevant UNSC resolutions, Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and FATF standards.

Afghan Crisis: 

• The sides discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and its impact on the region. The Ministers reiterated strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan while emphasizing the respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs. They also discussed the current humanitarian situation and decided to continue to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. The Ministers reaffirmed the importance of UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021) which unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts and called for concerted action against all terrorist groups.

Climate Change: 

• The Ministers expressed appreciation for support to each other in the UN and other multilateral fora including SCO, CICA etc. India highlighted the role of “International Solar Alliance (ISA)” initiative in collective, rapid and massive deployment of solar energy for effective implementation of the Paris Agreement. India also underlined the role of “Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)” in promoting disaster resilient infrastructure for reducing economic losses and improving the well-being of communities in the face of calamities. India looked forward to Central Asian countries joining the ISA and CDRI.
• The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Central Asian countries reiterated support of their countries for permanent membership of India in an expanded and reformed UN Security Council. They welcomed the ongoing non-permanent tenure of India in the UNSC and its priorities.
• The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan informed about their proposal to convene the Second High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028 from 6-9 June 2022 in Dushanbe that will be part of the preparatory process for the UN Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the Water Decade in 2023 in New York.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. INDIA DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH AIR QUALITY MONITORS

THE CONTEXT: According to researchers, with its size, population and aggravating air pollution, India needs 1,600 to 4,000 air quality monitors but has only 804 as of September 2021, most of which are concentrated in urban areas.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• India has nine of the 10 most polluted cities in the world, but with 200 particulate matter 2.5 monitoring sites in operation during the 2010-2016 period, India’s air quality monitor density – about 0.14 monitors per million people – is below China (1.2), the United States of America (3.4), Japan (0.5) and Brazil (1.8), according to research from 2019.
• As a consequence, India does not accurately know the spread of pollutants, including sulphur dioxide, nitrous dioxide, respirable PM 10, the finer particulate matter or PM 2.5, lead, carbon monoxide and ammonia. Chronic exposure to these pollutants contributes to the risk of developing ailments such as cardiovascular, respiratory diseases, as well as of lung cancer, according to the World Health Organization.
• Further, since existing air quality monitors are concentrated in urban areas, health and environmental authorities cannot assess the extent of air pollution in rural areas due to biomass, fuelwood, stubble burning and spraying of pesticides.

Real-time monitoring 

• Ambient air quality is monitored by observing pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, PM 10, PM 2.5, lead, carbon monoxide and ammonia, present in the air. Currently, the country’s clean air programme has set a tentative national target of 20%-30% reduction of air pollution in132 non-attainment cities by 2024, taking 2017 as the base year. The “non-attainment cities”, called so because they did not meet the national ambient air quality standards at the time, are required to formulate city-specific action plans in order to reduce air pollution. So, while the thrust is on the most-polluted cities, rural and semi-urban areas are not being fully monitored for want of monitors and protocols.
• In India, air quality has been traditionally monitored using manual readings. Data from 804 monitoring stations are used for monitoring ambient air quality. Even after the introduction of real-time monitors, the Central Pollution Control Board continues the practice of using data only from manual monitors to report compliance with air quality standards, according to a Centre for Science and Environment report from 2020.

There are 261 real-time monitors whose data are updated on the central database. This network is technically part of the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme but its data are stored and treated separately because Central Pollution Control Board has not established a method of equivalence between the two monitoring techniques, the 2020 Centre for Science and Environment report pointed out.

Monitoring stations needed 

• The minimum number of stations to monitor suspended particulate matter where the area’s population is less than 1,00,000 is four. The minimum number is three for sulphur dioxide, four for nitrous dioxide, one for carbon monoxide, according to Central Pollution Control Board guidelines for ambient air quality monitoring released in 2003. The number of monitors required increases with the population.
• India’s six megacities (Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi) need at least 23 to 44 air quality monitoring stations each, while the existing number of stations range between nine and 12 [excluding Delhi], according to the Centre for Science and Environment report from 2020.

Measuring pollutants 

• To address the data gaps in monitoring pollutants, India will require 1,600 monitors-4,000 monitors (1.2 monitors-3 monitors per million people), the Elsevier paper said, and warned that even at these densities, only relatively basic information on common air pollutants would be available more frequently, and would cover a relatively limited area.
• India has set aside a budget of Rs 470 crore for control of pollution in the financial year 2021-’22, which includes funding for its ambitious National Clean Air Programme. 

Value Addition:
National Air Quality Index (AQI)

• The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells how clean or polluted the air is.
• The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern.
• Research studies have attributed the key sources of PM2.5 in summer to be: dust and construction activities (35%), transport sector (20%) and industry (20%).
• Would measure

1. Particulate Matter 2.5
2. Ozone
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Ammonia
5. Lead
6. Nitrogen oxide
7. Sulpher dioxide
8. PM 10

Six AQI categories

Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) 

• It was indigenously developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.
• It is run by India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• The objective is to provide Real-time air quality index on 24×7 basis with colour coding along with 72-hour advance weather forecast.
• Another goal is to issue health advisory to prepare citizens well in advance.

Government Measurements: 

• Introduction of cleaner gaseous fuels like CNG, LPG etc, and ethanol blending.
• Banning the burning of biomass.
• Promotion of public transport network.
• Pollution Under Control Certificate.
• Issuance of directions under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• Installation of on-line continuous (24×7) monitoring devices by 17 highly polluting industrial sectors.
• Regulating the bursting of pollution-emitting crackers.
• Notification of graded response action plan for Delhi identifying source wise actions for various levels of air pollution, etc.
• Leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI standards for vehicles by 1st April 2020.

3. REINTRODUCTION OF GHARIALS

THE CONTEXT: After successfully reintroducing the critically endangered Gharial (Gavialis Gangeticus) in the rivers of Punjab where it had become extinct half a century ago, the State’s wildlife preservation wing is now keeping its fingers crossed, expecting the breeding of the crocodilians to start in the new few years as the released gharials are healthy and have adapted to the Beas Conservation Reserve as their home.
THE EXPLANATION: 

• The gharial reintroduction in the Beas Conservation Reserve is an ambitious programme of the Punjab government. The reptiles were commonly sighted in the Beas River till the 1960s but later became extinct. The gharial can be found in north Indian rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal and their tributaries.

• Since 2017, 94 gharials released in the Beas Conservation Reserve and there have been only two causalities. These gharials have been dispersed both upstream and downstream of the release sites in the reserve and they can be spotted any time depending on the water levels and season, indicating that the first step of their rehabilitation has been successful. 
• According to Punjab wildlife officials, the next big challenge is their breeding. Once natural breeding of gharials starts it would then be a real success. Normally, expect the breeding to start after 10 years. The eldest of the reintroduced ghairals is seven years old now and we are hopeful that breeding could start in the coming three-four years. The habitat is conducive for egg-laying and hatching and we are taking all necessary steps to provide a safe environment predator. 
• In the first phase of the reintroduction project, 47 gharials were released in 2017-2018 in the river in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts. Later, 23 gharials were released in February 2021 on an island near Saleempur and Tahli Forest in district Hoshiarpur. Most recently, in December 2021, another set of 24 gharials was released near the KullaFatta forests in the reserve in Hoshiarpur district.

Value Addition: 

• Gharials (or gavials) are a type of Asian crocodilian distinguished by their long, thin snouts.
• Crocodilians are a group of reptiles that includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and more.
• India has three species of Crocodilians namely:
            Gharial: IUCN Red List- Critically Endangered
            Mugger crocodile: IUCN- Vulnerable.
            Saltwater crocodile: IUCN- Least Concern. 
• All the three are listed on Appendix I of CITES and Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. 
• However, Saltwater Crocodile populations of Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are included in Appendix II of CITES.
• Habitats include: Fresh waters of the northern India – Chambal river, Ghagra, Gandak river and the Sone river (Bihar).
• Population of Gharials is a good indicator of clean river water.

Habitat and Distribution 

• Primary habitat Chambal river and its prefers to live in riverine habitats with deep, clear, fast-moving water and steep, sandy banks.
• Deep pools, formed at sharp river bends are another preferred spot.
• They use sandy banks (at river’s edge or mid-river) and rocky outcrops for basking.

SECURITY

4. NEW GENERATION BALLISTIC MISSILE ‘AGNI P’ SUCCESSFULLY TESTED

THE CONTEXT: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the new generation nuclear capable ballistic missile ‘Agni P’ from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Agni P is a two-stage canisterised solid propellant ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system. This second flight-test has proven the reliable performance of all the advanced technologies integrated into the system.
• Various telemetry, radar, electro-optical stations and down range ships positioned along the eastern coast tracked and monitored the missile trajectory and parameters. The missile followed text book trajectory meeting all mission objectives with high level of accuracy.

About Agni-V
Agni-V is an Indian nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. Missile is having a range of around 5000 to 8000 km. It is a three-stage, solid-fuelled and road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile. It is transported by a truck and launched using a canister.

Significance of Agni V
Agni V is used to enhance India’s nuclear deterrence against China. Earlier, the longest-range missile in India was Agni-III, which had the range of 3000–3500 km. This range was not sufficient to reach targets eastern and north-eastern region of China. Thus, DRDO was working on the upgraded version of this missile called Agni-V.

What is Ballistic Missile? 

• A ballistic missile follows a ballistic trajectory to deliver one or more warheads on a predetermined target.
• A ballistic trajectory is the path of an object that is launched but has no active propulsion during its actual flight (these weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods of flight).
• Consequently, the trajectory is fully determined by a given initial velocity, effects of gravity, air resistance, and motion of the earth (Coriolis Force).

Types of ballistic missiles based on the range 

• Short-range (tactical) ballistic missile (SRBM): Range between 300 km and 1,000 km.
• Medium-range (theatre) ballistic missile (MRBM): 1,000 km to 3,500 km.
• Intermediate-range (Long-Range) ballistic missile (IRBM or LRBM): 3,500 km and 5,500 km.
• Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM): 5,500 km +.

What is the difference between ballistic and cruise missiles 

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. ‘Nord Stream’ sometimes seen in the news is a natural gas pipeline between which of the following countries?

                        A) Russia and Germany

B) Germany and U.K.

C) K. and France

D) Germany and Sweden

FOR 18TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Competition Commission of India is a statutory body established under Competition Act, 2002.

Statement 2 is correct: It consists of a chairperson and 6 Members.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. THIRD ANNUAL DEFENCE DIALOGUE

THE CONTEXT: The third Annual Defence Dialogue between India and France took place between Defence Minister and his French counterpart in New Delhi. A wide range of bilateral, regional, defence and defence industrial cooperation issues were discussed in the annual meeting.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Ministers reviewed the existing military-to-military cooperation, which has increased in spite of pandemic challenges. They discussed ways to increase defence cooperation in all domains.
• Defence industrial cooperation was discussed with a focus on future collaborations and co-production between the two countries.

France’s resolve to expand strategic cooperation with India came nearly two months after the unveiling of a new security alliance (AUKUS) by Australia, the UK and the US that had infuriated the French government.

Defence & Space Cooperation between the two countries

• Regular talks take place between the service chiefs of both nations. An annual defence dialogue at the ministerial level has also been initiated in 2018.
• Regular defence exercises take place between France and India. Such as
• Exercise Shakti (Army)
• Exercise Varuna (Navy)
• Exercise Garuda (Air Force)
• India also buys defence equipment from France, the most famous of them being Rafale aircraft and P-75 Scorpene project.
• There is a Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) manufacturing facility at Mihan in Maharashtra, which is a joint venture between India’s Reliance Group and the French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.
• France and India signed an agreement for the cooperation of the Gaganyaan mission. France space agency, CNES, will support scientific experiment plans and will provide french equipment, consumables, and medical instruments for Indian astronauts’ use.
• ISRO and CNES (the French space agency) have conducted joint research programmes and satellite launches. Examples of joint Indo-French satellites: TRISHNA, Megha-Tropiques, etc.
• France is a major supplier of equipment and components for the Indian space programme.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. IMD HAS PREDICTED A COLD WAVE IN NORTHWEST INDIA

THE CONTEXT: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a cold wave in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh from mid-December 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is a cold wave?

The IMD defines a cold wave qualitatively as “a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to the human body when exposed.”

• The minimum temperature is likely to fall by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in these places over mid December 2021.
• The IMD records a cold wave when the minimum temperature is equal to or less than 10 degrees Celsius at a weather station in the plains and is 4.5 degrees to 6.4 degrees below the normal temperature for that period. A cold wave may also be recorded at a station in the plains when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 4 degrees Celsius.

Why do cold waves occur?

• Cold waves usually occur from mid-December to the end of February in northern India. Sometimes, a cold wave may set in before mid-December. According to IMD, that the cold waves depend on weather systems and wind patterns from the middle latitudes, that is from Europe or West Asia, since the winds from these regions bring cold weather.
• Also, it noted, the factors that bring cold waves to India include the movement of cold air masses brought about by upper-level winds. They can be triggered by strong westerly winds approaching northwest India and transporting cold air towards the southeast direction. The build-up of an extended area of relatively high pressure over northwest Asia can also bring cold waves.“Like heat waves, cold waves are hazardous to those who are exposed to the cold”.

How is it measured?

• For hilly regions, a cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 0 degree Celsius and the minimum temperature is 4.5 degrees to 6.4 degrees below the normal.
• In ‘severe’ cold wave conditions, where the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degree Celsius and departs from the normal by 6.5 degrees or more.

 3. COVID-19 AND CLIMATE CRISIS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Arctic Report Card was published by the Arctic Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration where it stated that “the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing challenges for Alaska natives in accessing traditional foods”.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Arctic Circle, one of the most climatologically important regions on the planet, has continued to warm at more than twice the rate as the
• rest of the world through 2021.
• The time between October 2020 and September 2021 was the seventh-warmest since the beginning of records. It was the eighth consecutive year since 2014 when the average temperature of the region was at least 1 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial average.
• The warming has also caused the rapid melting of sea ice. “Summer 2021 saw the second-lowest amount of older, multi-year ice since 1985, and the post-winter sea ice volume in April 2021 was the lowest since records began in 2010,” the report st
  ated.
• The decline in sea ice extent is one of the most iconic indicators of global climate change.
• The melting snow has in turn increased the discharge of the Arctic rivers by 12 percent over the average between 1981 and 2010, which could change the intensity of the water cycle of the region.
• The warming has also caused major disruptions in the ecology of the Arctic region. Scientists observed a higher ocean primary productivity than the long-term average between 2003 and 2020, in seven of the nine sub-regions of the Arctic.

• The green cover of the tundra biome of the Arctic region also increased in 2021. Beavers have been colonizing the Arctic tundra in western Alaska, transforming lowland ecosystems and degrading permafrost by increasing the amount of unfrozen surface water on the landscape in winter.
• The degradation of the permafrost can emanate huge amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas that is much more (more than 25 times) potent than carbon dioxide.
• Other human interventions in the Arctic are also disrupting the region’s environment and its inhabitants. For instance, ships (mostly for trade) ferrying between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans have increased. Ambient marine noise levels have been increasing in the frequency bands used by marine mammals.
• This causes discrepancies in their navigation systems, sometimes leading to the mass stranding of whales, dolphins and other species along the beaches of many countries in and around the Arctic region.

Value Addition:

What is the Arctic Council?

• It is an intergovernmental forum for discussing and resolving issues related to the Arctic region. The issues may include scientific research and the peaceful and sustainable use of resources in the region.

• It works on the overall objective of conserving the pristine environment, biodiversity and the interests and well-being of the local populations.
• It is not a treaty-based international legal entity like the UN organizations or trade or regional groupings such as NATO or ASEAN.
• It was set up by the 8 Arctic countries by means of the Ottawa Declaration of 1996. These countries are the US, Canada, Russia, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

India and Arctic

• India became an Observer in the Arctic Council for the first time in 2013. And, India isn’t a full-time observer.
• India launched its first scientific expedition to the Arctic in 2007 and set up a research station ‘Himadri’ in the international Arctic research base at Ny-Ålesund in Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway.
• It has two other observatories in Kongsforden and Gruvebadet. Himadri is manned for about 180 days a year.

4. INDIA-US ANNOUNCE SUPPORT TO INNOVATIONS TO TACKLE CLIMATE, CLEAN ENERGY CHALLENGES

THE CONTEXT: The launch of the US-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership in April 2021 reiterated the commitment of both nations to work together to achieve their ambitious climate and clean energy targets and to strengthen bilateral collaborations.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Science and Technology Ministry, the programme aims to support India-US Science &Technology-based entrepreneurial initiatives that address the development and implementation of next-generation clean and renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon sequestration has been announced to tackle climate and clean energy challenges.
• The programme titled ‘Technology-based Energy Solutions: Innovations for Net Zero’ constitutes a call for Ignition Grants by the United States-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF), in partnership with Social Alpha, a non-profit organization promoting S&T entrepreneurship. It will identify and support ‘technology showstoppers.

What is the need?

• Climate Change is one of the biggest challenges facing our world today, spurring the call for global collaborations to tackle this crisis. The launch of the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership in April 2021 reiterated the commitment of both nations to work together to achieve their ambitious climate and clean energy targets and to strengthen bilateral collaborations.
• India, the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, has been witnessing increasing extreme weather events, including flash floods in Uttarakhand, increasing cyclones on the western coast and heatwaves in Rajasthan and Delhi in 2021 so far.
• More than 75% of India’s districts, home to 638 million people–nearly half the population–have been identified as hot spots for extreme climate events. India also faces a risk of a 5-4.5% hit to the annual gross domestic product from impacts of extreme weather.

ADD TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE

The US’s special envoy for climate action, visited India in April 2021 to discuss climate finance and action under the bilateral Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030Partnership. The partnership, launched in April 2021, aims to provide financial and technological support to India to meet its Paris Agreement goals on transitioning to renewable energy by 2030

Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE)

• In 2009, India and the US launched the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE), to accelerate low-carbon economic growth and deployment of clean industrial technologies, through sharing of knowledge and technology.
• PACE mobilized $2.5 billion (Rs 18,382 crore) in private and public investment in clean energy deployment in India. In 2016, both countries launched a $7.9 million (Rs 58 crore) PACEsetter Fund to provide grants for innovations in clean energy solutions.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. Competition Commission of India is a statutory body established under SEBI Act 1992.
2. It consists of a chairperson and 6 Members.

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

FOR 17TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: c)

Explanation:

• All subsidies which are supposed to distort production and trade fall into the amber box,i.e., all agricultural subsidies except those which fall into the blue and green boxes.
• These include government policies of minimum support prices (as MSP in India) for agricultural products or any help directly related to production quantities (as power, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, etc).

Answer: b)

Explanation:

Blue box subsidies:

• The conditions are designed to reduce distortions. Any subsidy that would normally be in the amber box, is placed in the blue box if it requires farmers to go for a certain production level.
• These subsidies are nothing but certain direct payments (i.e., direct set-aside payments) made to farmers by the government in the form of assistance programmes to encourage agriculture, rural development, etc.

THE INDIAN HISTORY, ART AND CULTURE

1. THE CHALCOLITHIC CULTURES OF CENTRAL INDIA

THE CONTEXT:According to the Ministry of Culture, the Chalcolithic cultures of Central India are adequately investigated and studied. Much of their aspects are sufficiently researched and analyzed.

THE EXPLANATION:

During field season 2021-22, ASI has received proposals for excavations at the sites of Chalcolithic affiliations at Eran, district Sagar and at Tewar, district Jabalpur of Madhya Pradesh.

Status of Archaeological Investigations in Central India 

Excavation at Eran during 2020-21: Eran (ancient Airikina) is situated on the left bank of the Bina (ancient Venva) river and surrounded by it on three sides. Eran is located 75 km north-west from Sagar district headquarter.

• The recent excavation at this site, during 2020-21, has unearthed a variety of antiquities including a copper coin, an iron arrowhead, terracotta bead, stone beads along with a copper coins, stone celt, beads of steatite and jasper, glass, carnelian, terracotta wheel, animal figurines, miniature pots, iron objects, stone querns, pestles and a red slipped terracotta with inscription in Devnagari.
• The occurrence of few specimens of plain, thin grey ware is noteworthy. The use of iron was evidenced by few metallic objects at the site.
• This excavation at the site also revealed the remains of Chalcolithic culture with four major periods i.e.Period I: Chalcolithic (18th -7th BCE), Period II: Early historic (7th – 2nd century BCE), Period II B: 2nd century BCE – 1st century CE, Period III: 1st – 6th century CE and Period IV: late medieval (16th – 18th century CE).

Excavation at Tewar during 2020-21:Tewar (Tripuri) village is located 12 km west of Jabalpur district on Jabalpur – Bhopal highway. The ancient site of Tripuri is situated nearly 2 km south west from Tewar village. During 2020-21 ASI conducted excavation of Tewar at two locations, TWR 1 and TWR 2.

• This excavation did not reach the natural soil and revealed four folds of cultural sequences i.e.Kushana, Shunga, Satvahana, and Kalachuri. Antiquarian remains in this excavation include viz remains of sculptures, hopscotch, terracotta balls, Iron nails, copper coins, terracotta beads, implements of Iron and terracotta figurine, in ceramics red ware, black ware, red slipped ware with shapes of handi, bowl, spouted pot, small pot, big jar, etc., structural remains consist of brick wall and structure of sandstone columns.

VALUE ADDITION:

The term Chalcolithic is a combination of two words- Chalco+Lithic is an archaeological period that is usually considered to be part of the broader Neolithic (although it was originally defined as a transition between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age).

Important Sites Chalcolithic Culture

Characteristics of Chalcolithic Age

1. Agriculture and Animals

(a) People of Chalcolithic Age survived on hunting, fishing, and farming

(b) Hunting was one of the important occupations

(c) Animals such as sheep, buffalo, goat, cattle, and pig were reared and killed for food

(d) Remains of camels are also found. People ate beef but no traces of eating pork are found

(e) People of Navdatoli grew ber and linseed

(f) Cotton was produced in black cotton soil

(g) Traces of rice cultivation are also found. This shows that their food included fish and rice. Eastern India produced rice and Western India produced barley

(h) The major crops cultivated were barley and wheat, lentil, bajra, jowar, ragi millets, green pea, green and black gram

2. Tools and Weapons

(a) Metals such as copper and its alloys were used to make knives, axes, fishing hooks, chisels, pins, and rods

3. Houses

(a) Use of bricks was extensive during the Chalcolithic people of Harappa but there are no traces of burnt (baked) bricks.

(b) The planning of the houses was simple which was either rectangular or circular.

(c) The walls of houses were made from mud and plastered with cow dung and lime.

(d) The houses mostly had only one room, but sometimes multi-roomed houses were also seen.

(e) For influential people, large mud houses with 5 rooms, 4 rectangular and 1 circular in centre of the settlement are found.

(f) In inamgaon, ovens and circular pit houses are found.

2. COUNTRY MARKS 50 YEARS OF 1971 WAR

THE CONTEXT: The country commemorated 50 years of the decisive victory in the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, which also changed the geography of South Asia.

THE EXPLANATION:

• This marks the culmination of year-long ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ As part this, 30 ‘Mukti Jodhas’ who took part in the war were invited from Bangladesh and honoured.
• December 16 is celebrated as ‘Vijay Diwas’ each year to mark the day of surrender and decisive victory of the Indian armed forces over the Pakistani armed force.
• It was the largest military surrender after the Second World War and the Indian armed forces, along with Mukti Bahini, liberated Bangladesh in a span of just 13 days and also the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani soldiers, the largest surrender of armed forces post Second World War.

What were the causes of 1971 war?

• 1971 war was a crushing blow to Pakistan and its military. However, Pakistani military and Pakistani policies were responsible for spread of anti-Pakistan sentiment in Bangladesh.
• Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is called Bangabandhu the father of the nation of Bangladesh, clinched electoral victory for his party in 1970.
• However, instead of letting the victors rule, Pakistan military used force to sway the outcome. This resulted in a massive exodus of people from Bangladesh to India. This forced India to intervene.
• On December 3, 1971, Pakistani fighter planes launched a pre-emptive strike on Indian Air Force stations. The war had begun. A day later, India decided to support Bangladeshi nationalist groups, notably Mukti Bahini and Indian forces launched Operation Trident which ended in Indian victory.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

3. WINTER PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS 2021

THE CONTEXT: Natural disasters such as cyclones and floods have increased in the country and the Arsenic in groundwater beyond the permissible limit has been encountered in three districts in Punjab.

THE EXPLANATION:

Frequency of natural disasters

• According to Ministry of Science and technology, the Natured disasters such as cyclones and floods have increased in the country in the last few years.
• There was a significant rise [86 per decade] in the frequency of post-monsoon (October-December) very severe cyclonic storms in the northern Indian Ocean during the past two decades (2000-2018).
• The frequency of extremely severe cyclonic storms over the Arabian Sea increased during the same period.
• There was also an increased frequency of localised heavy rainfall on sub-daily and daily timescales that has enhanced the flood risk over India, contributing to an increased frequency and impacts of floods in urban areas.

Heavy metals in groundwater

According to the data available with Central Ground Water Board, As of December 13, 2021, 36,873 rural habitations were reported to have quality issues in drinking water sources.

Arsenic in groundwater beyond the permissible limit has been encountered in three districts in Punjab, particularly in Malwa belt Mansa, Faridkot and Sangrur;

• Lead from three districts Bathinda, Ferozepur and Muktsar;
• Cadmium from Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Patiala and Sangrur;
• Chromium from Bathinda, Mansa, and Sangrur districts;
• Uranium from Bathinda, Moga, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Patiala and Sangrur, BishweswarTudu

Old dams

India has 1,175 large dams (including one dam of Punjab, Nangal dam) more than 50 years old (constructed in or before 1971), according to the National Register of Large Dams (2019) maintained by the Central Water Commission.

The country has 227 large dams having more than 100 years of service life (constructed in or before 1921).

Cost economics of renewable energy sources

• According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Power,the country has seen record low renewable energy tariffs of Rs 1.99 per kilowatt-hour for solar power and Rs 2.43 per KWh for wind power, quite favourable as compared to the tariff of electricity produced from non-renewable energy sources.
• In line with the Prime Minister’s announcement at the 26th Conference of the Parties (CoP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the ministry is committed to achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.

Encroachment of water bodies

According to the Ministry of Jal Shakthi, the works related to the enumeration of water bodies, their protection from encroachment or diversion for use for other purposes, comes under the purview of the state government concerned. However, from time to time, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti conducts census of minor irrigation schemes in the country, which captures data regarding water bodies in rural areas associated with irrigation.

There are 516,303 water bodies in the rural areas of the country being used for minor irrigation purposes, out of which 53,396 are not in use for various reasons such as non-availability of water, siltation, salinity, etc.

 4. RAISING LEGAL AGE OF MARRIAGE FOR WOMEN

THE CONTEXT: The Union Cabinet took the decision to raise the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years. The legal age of marriage for men is 21 years. With this decision, the government will be bringing the age of marriage for both men and women at par.

THE EXPLANATION:

Why is there a minimum age of marriage?

• The law prescribes a minimum age of marriage to essentially outlaw child marriages and prevent the abuse of minors.Personal laws of various religions that deal with marriage have their own standards, often reflecting custom.
• For Hindus, The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 sets 18 years as the minimum age for the bride and 21 years as the minimum age for the groom. In Islam, the marriage of a minor who has attained puberty is considered valid.
• The Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 also prescribe 18 and 21 years as the minimum age of consent for marriage for women and men, respectively. For the new age of marriage to be implemented, these laws are expected to be amended.

Why has the government decided to re-examine the age of marriage?

• The NDA government decided to re-examine the age of marriage for women for a number of reasons, including gender-neutrality. An early age of marriage, and consequent early pregnancies, also have impacts on nutritional levels of mothers and their children, and their overall health and mental wellbeing.
• It also has an impact on Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Rate, and the empowerment of women who are cut off from access to education and livelihood after anearly marriage.
• The recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS) revealed that child marriage has come down marginally from 27 per cent in 2015-16 to 23 per cent in 2019-20 in the country, but the government has been pushing to bring this down further.

What is the Jaya Jaitly committee?

• In June 2020, the Ministry for Women and Child Development set up a task force to look into the correlation between the age of marriage with issues of women’s nutrition, prevalence of anaemia, IMR, MMR and other social indices.
• The committee, headed by Jaya Jaitly, the committee was to look at the feasibility of increasing the age of marriage and its implication on women and child health, as well as how to increase access to education for women. The committee was to also recommend a timeline by which the government could roll out the implementation of the policy, as well as the amendments that would need to be made in existing laws in order for this to happen.

What did the committee recommend?

• The committee has recommended the age of marriage be increased to 21 years, on the basis of feedback they received from young adults from 16 universities across the country. Over 15 NGOs were also engaged to reach out to young adults in far-flung areas and marginalised communities.
• committee members have said that feedback has been taken from youth belonging to all religions, as well as from rural and urban areas equally.
• The committee also asked the government to look into increasing access to schools and colleges for girls, including their transportation to these institutes from far-flung areas. Skill and business training has also been recommended, as has sex education in schools.
• The committee said these deliveries must come first, as, unless they are implemented and women are empowered, the law will not be as effective.
• The committee has further recommended that an awareness campaign be undertaken on a massive scale on the increase in age of marriage, and to encourage social acceptance of the new legislation, which they have said would be far more effective than coercive measures.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

5. REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS

THE CONTEXT: According to the report, there are currently 488 media professionals imprisoned around the world,the highest number since Reporters Without Borders began counting more than 25 years ago.

THE EXPLANATION:

• By contrast, the number killed this year — 46 — was the lowest since it began issuing annual tallies, due to the relative stabilisation of conflicts in the West Asia.
• According to RSF, China once again has the highest number of imprisoned journalists at 127.The most dangerous countries were once again Mexico and Afghanistan, with seven and six journalist deaths respectively, followed by Yemen and India with four apiece.
• The number of detained scribes has risen by some 20% over the past year, largely due to crackdowns on the media in Myanmar, Belarus and Hong Kong. RSF said it had also never seen so many female journalists detained, with the overall number of 60 representing a third more than 2020.

• It also stated that the 2021 report “shows that journalism, the main vaccine against disinformation, is completely or partly blocked in 73% of the 180 countries ranked by the organisation,” and, the “2021 Edelman Trust barometer reveals a disturbing level of public mistrust of journalists, with 59% of respondents in 28 countries saying that journalists deliberately try to mislead the public by reporting information they know to be false”. The report noted that “only 12 of the Index’s 180 countries (7%) can claim to offer a favourable environment for journalism”.

WORLD PRESS REPORT 2021

India is ranked 142, same as in 2020, after it had consistently slid down from 133 in 2016. In the South Asian neighbourhood, Nepal is at 106, Sri Lanka at 127, Myanmar (before the coup) at 140, Pakistan at 145 and Bangladesh at 152.

About World Press Freedom Index:

• Published annually by Reporters Without Borders since 2002, the World Press Freedom Index measures the level of media freedom in 180 countries.
• It is based on an evaluation of media freedom that measures pluralism, media independence, the quality of the legal framework and the safety of journalists.
• It also includes indicators of the level of media freedom violations in each region.
• It is compiled by means of a questionnaire in 20 languages that is completed by experts all over the world. This qualitative analysis is combined with quantitative data on abuses and acts of violence against journalists during the period evaluated.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

6. RARE BUTTERFLY SPECIES SIGHTED IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH

THE CONTEXT: Researchers from Mishmi hills of Arunachal Pradesh sighted a rare species of Butterfly, which is first documented in 20 years ago.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Huang’s Mystic Lethe wui Huang is a species of the brush-footed butterfly first recorded in 1999 from Metok in Southeast Tibet by Hao Huang. It would take another 12 years, in 2011, that the species’ sighting would be re-recorded, this time from Panwa in northern Myanmar’s Kachin state.

• This elusive butterfly did not feature in scientific records for five years after that, until 2016, when it was spotted at Nujiang in China’s northwest Yunnan.
• The proximity to mainland China (and Bhutan and Myanmar) also means that the state shares much of the same geographical features with the neighbouring countries as it does with the other parts of India.
• Lepidopterists, the scientific term for entomologists specialising in studying butterflies and moths, have had a bloom in recent years in Arunachal Pradesh. The state, nestled in the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot, usually appears in the mainstream news media with repeated claims of Chinese authority over its landmass.

Since the Huang’s Mystic Lethe wui Huang has not been reported in India until now, it is not safeguarded by the country’s Wildlife (Protection) Act unlike several other species of butterflies.

Butterfly festivals

• In 2018 at the fifth edition of the Northeast Butterfly Meet held in the Seijosa area of Arunachal Pradesh’s East Kameng district, 180 species were recorded. These included the Creteuscyrina, the only one from the Creteus genus found in Southeast Asia.
• Butterfly festivals such as those held at Ziro and Namdapha National Park in Changlang district have become the go-to sites for butterfly sightings.
• At a state ministerial meeting held at the premises of the Pakke Tiger Reserve in Seijosa this November, a decision was taken to adopt the “Kaiser-i-Hind” (Teinopalpusimperialis), as the state butterfly.(To read more about this news article kindly refer to November month Perspective Magazine)
• The ‘Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change-Resilient and Responsive ‘Arunachal Pradesh, as it has been formally dubbed, is aimed at lowering emissions and achieving sustainable development to help advance India’s agenda on meeting the Paris Agreement goals on climate change leveraging the state’s forest cover and natural resources.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for agricultural products comes under which of the following box of WTO?

              a) Blue box

b) Green box

c) Amber box

d) S & D box

Q2. In the context of the WTO, the subsidies tied to programmes that limit production are known as-

               a) Amber box subsidies

b) Blue box subsidies

c) Green box subsidies

d) S & D box subsidies

FOR 16TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: D)

Explanation:

1. Holi is not listed in UNESCO intangible heritage sites
2. Kuttiyattamm, Nowruz, Kalbelia are listed in the UNESCO intangible heritage sites.

THE INDIAN ART, CULTURE AND HERITAGE

1. DURGA PUJA GETS INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE TAG

THE CONTEXT: Durga Puja in Kolkata, one of largest cultural carnivals and street art festival of the country, received an important international recognition by making it to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Kolkata’s Durga Puja festival has become the latest event to be inscribed in the ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
• With this, festival becoming the new addition in the ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ list by the UNESCO, India now has a total of 14 events that represent the country’s tradition and culture in it.
• An annual festival, Durga Puja is celebrated in different parts of the country, but most notably in Kolkata. It marks the ten-day worship of goddess Durga which involves artisanal sculptures of the goddess sculpted from clay pulled from the Ganga.

UNESCO’s ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ list

• The list is made up of those intangible heritage elements that help demonstrate diversity of cultural heritage and raise awareness about its importance.
• The list was established in 2008 when Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage came into effect.
• UNESCO maintains three lists under its “Intangible Cultural Heritage” banner: the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity and the register of good safeguarding practices. 

• Some of the criteria for inclusion in the representative list are if the inscription of the element will ensure visibility and awareness of it and if the element has been nominated after having “the widestpossible participation” of the community, group or individuals concerned and with their free, prior and informed consent.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

2. DEMAND FOR INCLUSION OF LADAKH IN THE SIXTH SCHEDULE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, a Member of Parliament from Ladakh demanded that the region be included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to safeguard land, employment, and cultural identity of the local population.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the Sixth Schedule?

• The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 provides for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions — Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) — that have some legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy within a state.
•  with more than 40 members and the right to make laws on 39 issues.
• ADCs have up to 30 members with a term of five years, and can make laws, rules and regulations with regard to land,forest, water, agriculture, village councils, health, sanitation, village- and town-level policing, inheritance, marriage and divorce, social customs and mining, etc.
• The Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam is an exception

The Sixth Schedule applies to the Northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram (three Councils each), and Tripura (one Council).

Why does Ladakh want to be part of the Sixth Schedule?

There was much enthusiasm initially, mostly in Leh, after the August 5, 2019 decisions that created two new Union Territories. Buddhist-dominated Leh district had long demanded UT status because it felt neglected by the erstwhile state government, which was dominated by politicians from Kashmir and Jammu.

The UT has two Hill councils in Leh and Kargil, but neither is under the Sixth Schedule. Their powers are limited to collection of some local taxes such as parking fees and allotment and use of land vested by the Centre.

Voices from the ground:

In Kargil district, which is dominated by Shia Muslims, demands have been raised for the restoration of special status — also for a merger with the UT of J&K which has been provisioned a legislature. Representatives of social, religious, and political groups in Kargil have come together under the banner of the KDA.

Can Ladakh be included in Sixth Schedule?

In September 2019, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes recommended the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, noting that the new UT was predominantly tribal (more than 97%), people from other parts of the country had been restricted from purchasing or acquiring land there, and its distinct cultural heritage needed preservation.

Notably, no region outside the Northeast has been included in the Sixth Schedule. In fact, even in Manipur, which has predominantly tribal populations in some places, the autonomous councils are not included in the Sixth Schedule.Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, which are totally tribal, are also not in the Sixth Schedule.

According to Home Ministry. “The Ladakh’s inclusion in the Sixth Schedule would be difficult. The Constitution is very clear, Sixth Schedule is for the Northeast. For tribal areas in the rest of the country, there is the Fifth Schedule”.

However, it remains the prerogative of the government — it can, if it so decides, bring a Bill to amend the Constitution for this purpose.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. HIMACHAL PRADESH PUSHING TOWARDS WATER INSECURITY

THE CONTEXT: According to a report by the State Centre on Climate Change Shimla and Space Application Centre of the ISRO in Ahmedabad said, that the Himachal Pradesh, a state that has five important perennial rivers fed particularly by glaciers, has witnessed a decline in snowfall over the past year. The area under snow cover in the state has declined by 18.5% between 2019-’20 and 2020-’21.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The study revealed that the area under snow cover in 2019-’20 was 23,542 sq km, which dropped to 19,183 sq km in 2020-’21, a decline of 3,404 sq km or 18.52%. Usually, in the winter season, about one-third of the geographical area of the state, which amounts to about 18,556 sq km, remains under thick snow cover.
• Most of the major rivers like Chenab, Beas, Parvati, Baspa, Spiti, Ravi, Sutlej andtheir perennial tributaries originating from the Himalayas depend upon the seasonal snow cover for their discharge dependability.
• Also, the centre noted, they observed a shift in snowfall patterns in the last few years and snow cover is continuously declining “. They also observed a decreasing trend in four river basins of the state which put long-term implications on water availability in the river basins.

Falling snow cover

The report added that the snow cover in the Chenab basin fell from 7,154 sq km in 2019-’20 to 6,516 sq km in 2020-’21, a reduction of 638 sq km or 8.92%. The Beas basin shows a decrease of about 19% with its average snow cover area having decreased from 2,458 sq km to 2,002 sq km, a loss of 455 sq km. The Ravi basin saw an overall reduction of 23% in the total area under snow cover.

The snow cover in the Sutlej Basin, which covers 45% area of Himachal and is the longest river in the state, shrunk the most by 23.49% or 2,777 sq km. It was 11,823 sq km in 2019-’20 and 9,046 sq km this year.

Another study published in 2019 said that the Sutlej River basin glaciers are melting fast and may shrink significantly by as soon as 2050. The research estimates that the melting would cause 33% of the glaciers to disappear by 2050 and 81% by the end of the century.

Melting glaciers

Not only Himachal, glaciers in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are also melting at a significant rate. According to a 2020 study, over 1,200 glaciers in the region saw an annual reduction in mass of 35 centimetres on average between 2000 and 2012. The study added that the glaciers have reduced from 102 sq km in 1980 to 72 sq km in 2018 showing a recession 28.8% decrease.

The Ganges River system in the Indian Himalayas can be divided into four major river basins i.e the Yamuna, Bhagirathi, Alaknanda and Ghaghara River Basins. The Ganges River system remains the main source of fresh water for half the population of India and Bangladesh and nearly the entire population of Nepal. Reports also mention a decline in snow cover of the Brahmaputra basin.

According to a study Glacio-hydrology of the Himalaya-Karakoram by Ministry of Science and Technology, snow and glaciers are melting rapidly in the Himalayan range due to climate change, altering water supplies in the rivers like Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra in the Himalaya-Karakoram ranges. Total river runoff, glacier melt and seasonality of flow in these rivers are projected to increase until the 2050s, with some exceptions and large uncertainties.

Panchprayag:

The five holy places of PanchPrayag include:

1. Vishnuprayag = Alaknanda +Dhauli Ganga
2. Nandprayag = Alaknanda + Nandakini
3. Karnaprayag =   Alaknanda + Pinderi
4. Rudraprayag = Alaknanda + Mandakini
5. Devprayag =   Alaknanda + Bhagirathi\

4. THE PUSH FOR ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING

THE CONTEXT:The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of Zero Budget Natural Farming and, he called for the method to become a mass movement.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the Agriculture Ministry, the Centre has sanctioned support for converting four lakh additional hectares of crop land in eight States to using ZBNF techniques. This is meant to provide a showcase for their benefits although scientific studies on the method have not yet been completed.

What is Zero Budget Natural Farming?

ZBNF is a method of chemical-free agriculturedrawing from traditional Indian practices. It was originally promoted by agriculturist and Padma Shri recipient Subhash Palekar, who developed it in the mid-1990s as an alternative to the Green Revolution’s methods driven by chemical fertilizers, pesticides and intensive irrigation.

What is it and how did it come about?

According to Subhash Palekar, he argued that the rising cost of these external inputs was a leading cause of indebtedness and suicide among farmers, while the impact of chemicals on the environment and on long-term fertility was devastating. Without the need to spend money on these inputs — or take loans to buy them — the cost of production could be reduced, and farming made into a “zero budget” exercise, breaking the debt cycle for many small farmers.

What is the method?

• Instead of commercially produced chemical inputs, ZBNF promotes the application of jivamrita — a mixture of fresh cow dung and aged cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour, water, and soil — on farmland.
• This is a fermented microbial culture that adds nutrients to the soil and acts as a catalytic agent to promote the activity of microorganisms and earthworms in the soil. About 200 litres of jivamritashould be sprayed twice a month per acre of land; after three years, the system is supposed to become self-sustaining.
• Only one cow is needed for 30 acres of land, according to Mr. Palekar, with the caveat that it must be a local Indian breed — not an imported Jersey or Holstein.

A similar mixture, called bijamrita, is used to treat seeds, while concoctions using neem leaves and pulp, tobacco and green chillis are prepared for insect and pest management.

The ZBNF method also promotes soil aeration, minimal watering, intercropping, bunds and topsoil mulching and discourages intensive irrigation and deep ploughing. Mr. Palekar is against vermicomposting, which is the mainstay of typical organic farming, as it introduces the most common composting worm, the European red wiggler (Eisenia fetida) to Indian soils. He claims these worms absorb toxic metals and poison groundwater and soil.

Is it effective?

A limited 2017 study in Andhra Pradesh claimed a sharp decline in input costs and improvement in yields. However, reports also suggest that many farmers, including from Mr. Palekar’s native Maharashtra, have reverted to conventional farming after seeing their ZBNF returns drop after a few years, in turn raising doubts about the method’s efficacy in increasing farmers’ incomes.

ZBNF critics, including some experts within the central policy and planning think tank NITI Aayog, note that India needed the Green Revolution in order to become self-sufficient and ensure food security. They warn against a wholesale move away from that model without sufficient proof that yields will not be affected. Sikkim,(First organic state in India) which has seen some decline in yields following a conversion to organic farming, is used as a cautionary tale regarding the pitfalls of abandoning chemical fertilizers.

Which are the States with big plans?

The Centre has sanctioned the proposals of eight States for support under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana scheme. Andhra Pradesh has the biggest ambition to bring one lakh additional hectares of land under ZBNF under the scheme, followed by Chhattisgarh, with 85,000 additional hectares and Gujarat, with 71,000 additional hectares.

Need of the hour:

While harnessing the advantages of the prescribed natural inputs, it is also important to explore the feasibility of alternatives in case of inaccessibility to critical inputs. Considering the Government’s interest in promoting ZBNF at the national level, the extent of its sustainability needs to be critically monitored in the next few years. An extensive study with a larger sample size and a few demonstration units in small pockets of monitored agricultural land is recommended.

As the prescribed guidelines for ZBNF are similar for all crops and agro-climatic conditions, the single-solution applicability of natural ingredients needs to be tested for all crops and soil types. Close monitoring of the soil health during and after transition would allow us to understand the long-term impact of the practice.

THE INDIAN ECONOMY

5. THE PCA FRAMEWORK FOR NBFC

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced a prompt corrective action (PCA) framework for large non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), putting restrictions on para-banks whenever vital financial metrics dip below the prescribed threshold.

THE EXPLANATION:

• This brings them almost on a par with banks in terms of supervision and regulatory reach. This follows the scale-based regulations and revision in non-performing asset (NPA) norms brought in by the regulator for the sector.
• The PCA framework for NBFCs comes into effect on October 1 next year on the basis of their financial position on or after March 31. It will be applicable for all deposit-taking NBFCs and other large ones that sit in the middle, upper, and top layers of the central bank’s scale-based regulation for the sector.
• However, those not taking deposits and with an asset size of less than Rs 1,000 crore, primary dealers, government owned NBFCs, and housing finance companies are exempt from this framework.
• This will, therefore, be applicable for only a few NBFCs while the vast majority of the nearly 10,000 such entities will be excluded. However, the central bank can take any action irrespective of the size of an NBFC.
• The central bank cited the growing size of the NBFC sector and “substantial interconnectedness with other segments of the financial system” as the reason for the PCA framework. It said it would further strengthen the supervisory tools for NBFCs.
• According to RBI, the objective of the PCA Framework is to enable supervisory intervention at appropriate time and require the supervised entity to initiate and implement remedial measures in a timely manner, so as to restore its financial health”.

What is Prompt Corrective Action (PCA)? 

• PCA is a framework under which banks with weak financial metrics are put under watch by the RBI.
• The RBI introduced the PCA framework in 2002 as a structured early-intervention mechanism for banks that become undercapitalised due to poor asset quality, or vulnerable due to loss of profitability.
• It aims to check the problem of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in the Indian banking sector.
• The framework was reviewed in 2017 based on the recommendations of the working group of the Financial Stability and Development Council on Resolution Regimes for Financial Institutions in India and the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission.

6. INDIA LOSES WTO DISPUTE OVER SUGAR-EXPORT SUBSIDIES

THE CONTEXT: A World Trade Organization panel ruled that India violated international trade rules when it offered excessive subsidies for the production and export of sugar and sugarcane.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to WTO, India’s policies were inconsistent with WTO rules that govern the levels at which nations can subsidize domestic agricultural production. Under WTO rules, India’s sugar subsidies are capped at a de minimis limit of 10% of the value of production.
• India — the world’s largest sugar producer after Brazil — has already pledged to refrain from subsidizing sugar exports this year due to high global prices. The government previously approved a subsidy of $475 million for the 2020-2021 growing season.

The dispute dates back to 2019 when Brazil, Australia and Guatemala filed parallel WTO complaints that alleged the Indian government massively increased its sugar subsidies and reintroduced a minimum price for sugar, which led to increased production of sugar that outstripped domestic demand.

According to Brazil’s complaint, during the 2018-2019 growing season, India approved dozens of federal and state-level assistance programs for the sugar industry that collectively exceeded 55 billion rupees ($730 million).

India’s response:

• The findings of the WTO panel are “completely unacceptable,” India’s commerce ministry said in a statement adding its measures on sugar are consistent with its obligations under WTO agreements.
• “India has initiated all measures necessary to protect its interest and file an appeal at the WTO against the report, to protect the interests of its farmers”.

WTO Agreement on Agriculture:

AoA is aimed to remove trade barriers and to promote transparent market access and integration of global markets. Agreement on agriculture has three components:

• Domestic Support: It aims for reduction in domestic subsidies that distorts free trade and fair price.

Under this provision, the Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) is to be reduced by 20% over a period of 6 years by developed countries and 13% over a period of 10 years by developing countries.

Under this, Subsidies are categorized into three parts:

• Market Access: It requires that tariffs fixed (like custom duties) by individual countries be cut progressively to allow free trade. It also required countries to remove non-tariff barriers and convert them to Tariff duties.
• Export Subsidy: Subsidy on agriculture inputs or making export cheaper or other incentives for exports such as import duty remission etc are included under export subsidies. These can result in dumping of highly subsidized (and cheap) products in other countries and damage the domestic agriculture sector of other country.

7. UNION CABINET APPROVES ₹76,000 CRORE PUSH FOR SEMICONDUCTOR MAKERS

THE CONTEXT: In an attempt to push Semiconductor manufacturing within the country, the Union Cabinet,cleared a Rs 76,000 crore production-linked incentive scheme (PLI) for semiconductor and display manufacturers to make the country an electronic system design and manufacturing global hub.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the government, it proposes to provide incentives worth Rs 76,000 crore for semiconductor production over the next six years.
• “The programme will usher in a new era in electronics manufacturing by providing a globally competitive incentive package to companies in semiconductors and display manufacturing as well as design”.
• The PLI scheme will provide monetary support of up to 50% of the project cost for setting up semiconductor and display fabrication units in the country. Moreover, the government noted that the Centre will work with the States to set up high-tech clusters with the necessary infrastructure such as land and semiconductor-grade water.

What is the need?

Semiconductors and displays are the foundation of modern electronics driving the next phase of digital transformation under Industry 4.0. Semiconductors and display manufacturing is very complex and technology-intensive sector involving huge capital investments, high risk, long gestation and payback periods, and rapid changes in technology, which require significant and sustained investments.

• The program will give an impetus to semiconductor and display manufacturing by facilitating capital support and technological collaborations.
• The programme aims to provide attractive incentive support to companies / consortia that are engaged in Silicon Semiconductor Fabs, Display Fabs, Compound Semiconductors / Silicon Photonics / Sensors (including MEMS) Fabs, Semiconductor Packaging (ATMP / OSAT), Semiconductor Design.

Following broad incentives have been approved for the development of semiconductors and display manufacturing ecosystem in India:

Semi-conductor Laboratory (SCL): Union Cabinet has also approved that Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will take requisite steps for modernization and commercialization of Semi-conductor Laboratory (SCL).MeitY will explore the possibility for the Joint Venture of SCL with a commercial fab partner to modernize the brownfield fab facility.

Compound Semiconductors / Silicon Photonics / Sensors (including MEMS) Fabs and Semiconductor ATMP / OSAT Units: The Scheme for Setting up of Compound Semiconductors / Silicon Photonics / Sensors (including MEMS) Fabs and Semiconductor ATMP / OSAT facilities in India shall extend fiscal support of 30% of capital expenditure to approved units. At least 15 such units of Compound Semiconductors and Semiconductor Packaging are expected to be established with Government support under this scheme.

Semiconductor Design Companies: The Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme shall extend product design linked incentive of up to 50% of eligible expenditure and product deployment linked incentive of 6% – 4% on net sales for five years.

India Semiconductor Mission: In order to drive the long-term strategies for developing a sustainable semiconductors and display ecosystem, a specialized and independent “India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)” will be set up. The India Semiconductor Mission will be led by global experts in semiconductor and display industry. It will act as the nodal agency for efficient and smooth implementation of the schemes on Semiconductors and Display ecosystem.

Significance:

• In the current geopolitical scenario, trusted sources of semiconductors and displays hold strategic importance and are key to the security of critical information infrastructure. The approved program will propel innovation and build domestic capacities to ensure the digital sovereignty of India. It will also create highly skilled employment opportunities to harness the demographic dividend of the country.
• Development of semiconductor and display ecosystem will have a multiplier effect across different sectors of the economy with deeper integration to the global value chain. The program will promote higher domestic value addition in electronics manufacturing and will contribute significantly to achieving a USD 1 Trillion digital economy and a USD 5 Trillion GDP by 2025.

BACKGROUND:

What is a Semiconductor?

• A semiconductor material is defined by its ability to conduct electricity and its conductivity properties lie between conductor and insulator.
• Under specific conditions, Semiconductors have the ability to act either as a pure conductor or a pure insulator.
• Examples of Semiconductor materials are Silicon, Germanium, Gallium Arsenide etc., where Silicon is the most commonly used.
• Gallium arsenide stands as the second-best semiconductor material and is used in solar cells, laser diodes, microwave frequency integrated circuits etc.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

1.Consider the following are in the UNESCO intangible heritage sites:

1. Kuttiyattam
2. Nowruz
3. Holi
4. Kalbelia

Which of the statements given above are incorrect?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) None

ANSWER FOR 13TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: c)

Explanation:

1. Statement 1 is correct: WPI measures inflation at the first stage of transaction i.e. at wholesale level.
2. Statement 2 is correct: It is compiled by Office of Economic Advisor in DIPP, in Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
3. Statement 3 is incorrect: It measures inflation on a year-on-year basis.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. THE DELHI SPECIAL POLICE ESTABLISHMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2021

THE CONTEXT: The Rajya Sabha passed the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which seeks to amend the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, and the Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021.  It replaces the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021, passed in Lok Sabha in early December 2021. It seeks to extend the tenure of the director of the Enforcement Directorate to a maximum of five years. And also, the bill extends the tenure of the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to a maximum of five years from the present two years, is a move by the Central Government to check corruption and to ensure and enhance transparency.

According to the Government, the nation is faced with the triple menace of corruption, black money and international crime that is linked to drug trafficking, terrorism and criminal offences and all these are a threat to the security and financial structure of the country.

BACKGROUND:

Delhi Special Police Establishment Act was passed in 1946. CBI derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. It was established in 1941 as the Special Police Establishment, entrusted with domestic security. Later, the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption recommended the establishment of the CBI. It is the main investigating agency of the GOI.

The CBI figures in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule of the constitution of India. Sl. No. 8 of this List reads: “Central Bureau of Intelligence and Investigation.”

About the CBI Director and his appointment:

• The Director of the CBI is appointed as per section 4A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act of 1946.
• The Director is appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a Committee consisting of the: (i) Prime Minister (Chairperson), (ii) Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, and (iii) Chief Justice of India (CJI) or a judge of the Supreme Court nominated by the CJI. Under the Act, the Director has a tenure of minimum two years (Now it is 5 years).

About Enforcement Directorate:

• The origin of this Directorate goes back to 1st May 1956, when an ‘Enforcement Unit’ was formed, in the Department of Economic Affairs, for handling Exchange Control Laws violations under Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947 (FERA ’47).
• In the year 1957, this Unit was renamed as ‘Enforcement Directorate’.
• Presently, it is part of the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
• The Organization is mandated with the task of enforcing the provisions of two special fiscal laws – Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) and Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

Composition: Besides directly recruiting personnel, the Directorate also draws officers from different Investigating Agencies, viz., Customs & Central Excise, Income Tax, Police, etc. on deputation. Now the tenure of the director of the Enforcement Directorate is up to a maximum of 5 years.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. INDIA VOTES AGAINST UN DRAFT RESOLUTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

THE CONTEXT: India voted against a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) linking climate to security, saying it was an attempt to shift climate talks from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to the Security Council and a “step backward” for collective action on the issue.

THE EXPLANATION:

India was the only other country in the 15-member group to vote against the move. One of the objectives of the debate was to examine how terrorism and security risks could be linked to climate change, as per a concept note circulated by Niger.

What was the proposal?

• The proposal of the draft resolution was tabled during the debate titled ‘Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Security in the Context of Terrorism and Climate Change.’ The debate sought to understand how security risks would evolve over the coming decades as a result of climate change.
• Climate change often leads to food and water shortages, loss of land or livelihoods, or migration. All these factors contribute to increasing global instability and insecurity, which the supporters of the draft said were pertinent matters for the UNSC to discuss.
• The draft resolution would have created the framework and space necessary for the UNSC to discuss matters of climate change as well. The resolution was sponsored by Niger and Ireland, the former also holding the presidency of the UNSC for the month of December.

Undermining progress

• The draft resolution, according to India would undermine progress made at Glasgow, where the latest round of talks under the UNFCCC, the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26), concluded in November 2021.
• According to India, the developing and ‘least developed’ countries had worked, over the last two decades, to make “common but differentiated” responsibilities a fundamental tenet of climate action,
• Also, it noted, that this attempt is to link climate with security really seeks to obfuscate the lack of progress on critical issues under the UNFCCC process.

About UNSC:

• Established in 1945, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations, charged with the maintenance of international peace and security as well as accepting new members to the United Nations and approving any changes to UN Charter.
• Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions; it is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. CLIMATE SMART CITIES ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

THE CONTEXT: The Centre used a competitive process to select 100 cities for upgradation with significant investments through the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) launched on June 25, 2015.

THE EXPLANATION:

THE STATUS OF THE SMART CITIES MISSION:

• In September 2020, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) expanded the emphasis on climate-friendly infrastructure in smart cities through the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework 2.0 and a “Streets for People” plan that would put pedestrians and non-motorised road users at the centre of urban planning.
• Yet, many plans under the SCM, which is funded partly by the Centre, remain incomplete due to the COVID-19 pandemic that stalled activities for most of 2020. In response, the Smart Cities Mission has extended the implementation date and given cities until June 2023 to complete the work.

How far have smart cities progressed?

The Urban Affairs Ministry says that as of November 12, 2021, a total of 6,452 projects at a cost of ₹1,84,998 crore had been tendered. In terms of work progress, 5,809 projects worth ₹1,56,571 crore were under implementation or had been completed, it says, although it is not clear how many were completed.

Image Courtesy: Smart city mission, GOI

What challenges are faced by smart city plans?

• The key features of smart cities, according to the Ministry, are liveability, economic ability and sustainability. These broad ideas have a universal character and incorporate access to clean water, safe streets and public spaces, good public transport, facilities for health and education and places for recreation. They also seek to expand economic opportunity for all and address environmental stresses – rising temperatures, extreme weather events, bad air quality, flood and drought, and lost urban biodiversity.
• A core factor of liveability and inclusivity, such as affordable rental housing, determines the usability of other features of a smart city.
• Some centres, such as Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Indore, and Thane have pencilled in housing developments of various models, ranging from slum improvement to free sale of houses, into their smart city projects, a few involving over ₹1,000 crores; others have smaller levels of outlays for housing.
• Ongoing smart city plans also face the pressure of designing for climate change. The Climate Smart Assessment Framework would need to put in compulsory features to align all investments with national commitments towards obligations under the Paris Agreement of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

THE INDIAN ECONOMY

4. WHOLESALE INFLATION RISES

THE CONTEXT: Wholesale inflation, based on the Wholesale Price Index, jumped to 14.23 per cent in November from 12.54 per cent in October 2021 (on a year-on-year basis), primarily due to a rise in food prices especially of vegetables, and minerals and petroleum products, data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Fuel and power prices rose 81 per cent versus 37.18 per cent in October, while manufactured product prices rose 11.92 per cent, against 12.04 per cent in the prior month.
• Inflation rates at both wholesale and retail levels are showing a rising trend. The WPI grew 12.54 per cent during October, while the WPI for September was revised to 11.80 per cent from 10.66 per cent. The WPI inflation rate in November 2020 was at 2.29 per cent. The retail inflation print for October was at 4.48 per cent and 6.93 per cent in November 2020. It is, however, within the 4+/-2 per cent targeted range of the Reserve Bank of India.

Factors behind the uptick

• High food, fuel and commodity prices along with supply-side bottlenecks are reflected in the inflation rates at both retail and wholesale level. A sharp surge in primary articles inflation which doubled to 10.34 per cent in November 2021 from 5.20 per cent in October 2021 was mainly responsible for taking the wholesale inflation to record levels.
• Within primary articles, food articles inflation jumped to 4.88 per cent in November from a negative 1.69 per cent a month ago. At the retail level, food inflation increased to 1.87 per cent in November from 0.85 per cent in October 2021.
• Core inflation — the non-food, non-fuel inflation component — jumped to a five-month high of 6.08 per cent at the retail level in November. At the wholesale level, it climbed to a fresh high of 12.3 per cent in November 2021.

Value Addition:

• Inflation is the rate at which the value of a currency is falling and, consequently, the general level of prices for goods and services is rising.
• Inflation is sometimes classified into three types: Demand-Pull inflation, Cost-Push inflation, and Built-In inflation.
• The most commonly used inflation indexes are the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Wholesale Price Index (WPI).
• The core inflation rate is the price change of goods and services minus food and energy. Food and energy products are too volatile to be included.
• As per RBI, an inflation target of 4 per cent with a +/-2 per cent tolerance band, is appropriate for the next five years (2021-2025).

5. ADB GROWTH UPDATE

THE CONTEXT: The Manila-based lender now sees 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7.0% for developing Asia, down from 7.1%, and 2022 growth of 5.3%, down from 5.4% in September 2021.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “COVID-19 has receded in developing Asia but rising infections worldwide and the emergence of a fast-spreading variant suggests that the pandemic will take time to play out,” the ADB said in a supplement to its Asian Development Outlook report.
• Most of developing Asia’s subregions are forecast to grow slower than previously thought this year, due in part to weak recovery in China.
• China’s economy, which staged an impressive rebound from last year’s pandemic slump, has lost momentum in recent months as it grapples with surging prices, a slowing manufacturing sector, debt problems in the property market and persistent COVID-19 outbreaks.
• The ADB projects China’s economy will grow 8.0% this year, slightly weaker than its 8.1% estimate in September, before it slows to 5.3% in 2022, down from its earlier projection of 5.5%.

For India:

• “India, South Asia’s largest economy, is now expected to grow 9.7% in fiscal year (FY) 2021, which ends 31 March 2022.
• The reduction of 0.3 percentage points comes amid supply chain issues that are affecting the industry. India’s outlook for FY2022 is maintained at 7.5%, as domestic demand is expected to normalize.

About ADB:

• It is a regional development bank, established on 19 December 1966.
• It’s headquartered at Manila, Philippines.
• ADB is an official United Nations Observer.

Who can be its members?

• The bank admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE) and non-regional developed countries.
• ADB now has 68 members, 49 from within Asia.

Voting rights:

• It is modelled closely on the World Bank and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions.
• As of 31 December 2019, ADB’s five largest shareholders are Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares), the People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%).

Roles and functions:

• Dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
• This is carried out through investments – in the form of loans, grants and information sharing – in infrastructure, health care services, financial and public administration systems, helping nations prepare for the impact of climate change or better manage their natural resources, as well as other areas.

THE INTERNAL SECURITY

6. BORDER DISPUTES WITHIN STATES

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 11 States and one Union Territory have boundary disputes between them. It added that “occasional protests and incidents of violence are reported from some of the disputed border areas”.

THE EXPLANATION:

“There are boundary disputes arising out of demarcation of boundaries and claims and counter-claims over territories between Andhra Pradesh-Odisha, Haryana-Himachal Pradesh, Union Territories of Ladakh-Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra-Karnataka, Assam-Arunachal Pradesh, Assam-Nagaland, Assam-Meghalaya, Assam-Mizoram”.

Assam-Mizoram:

Mizoram borders Assam’s Barak Valley, and both border Bangladesh. The boundary between the two states, which runs 165 km today, has a history dating back to the time when Mizoram was a district of Assam and known as Lushai Hills. Boundary demarcations in 1875 and 1933, particularly the second one, are at the heart of the dispute.

The 1875 demarcation, notified on August 20 that year, derived from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act, 1873. It differentiated Lushai Hills from the plains of Cachar in Assam’s Barak Valley. This was done in consultation with Mizo chiefs, and it became the basis for the Inner Line Reserve Forest demarcation in the Gazette.

Assam-Arunachal Pradesh

The boundary issue between Assam and Arunachal is as ancient as the reign of the Ahom Kings who ruled Assam till the British annexed Assam in 1826. Encroachments by residents across the 804-km border that Assam shares with Arunachal Pradesh have led to rising tensions occasionally. A suit has been pending in Supreme Court since 1989 on the issue. Border Roads Organisation has marked Kim in Arunachal Pradesh as part of Assam by mistake.

Assam-Nagaland

Assam and Nagaland share a 434-km border and the disputes relate to 66000 Sq Km of land mostly along the Sivasagar district of Assam. The two states have been disputing their shared border ever since Nagaland was carved out of Assam’s Naga Hills district. While Assam wants the status quo and sticks to the border decision taken on December 1, 1963, Nagaland demands all Naga territories be transferred to the state. Claiming that all Naga territories belong to them, Nagaland wants restoration of land-based on a 16-point agreement of 1960, which led to the creation of the state.

Assam-Meghalaya

Meghalaya shares its internal border only with Assam and there are disputes along the 733 km border at 12 places. The border row between both States started with the formation of states under the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. As per the Act, Blocks I and II of the Mikir Hills—presently, the Karbi Anglong district—were granted to Assam. Meghalaya claims that both these blocks were part of the erstwhile United Khasi and Jaintia Hills when it was created in 1835.

Himachal Pradesh-Haryana

Himachal Pradesh has an inter-state boundary dispute at Parwanoo with Haryana. Haryana also claims that a large area of the land bordering Himachal in Parwanoo belongs to them and has asked the Survey of India to demarcate the land. Haryana blames that Himachal does not accept joint forest demarcations. A Survey of India had recently reported that Himachal Pradesh encroached upon some land at Parwanoo that belongs to Haryana.

Ladakh-Himachal Pradesh

Sarchu, situated at an elevation of 4,290 metres on the Leh-Manali highway, is a disputed territory between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.

Maharashtra-Karnataka

Maharashtra is claiming Marathi-speaking regions consisting of more than 800 villages of Belgaum, Karwar and Nippani that were included in Karnataka. Belgaum district in Karnataka, which has both Kannada and Marathi speakers, was added to Karnataka in 1956 when states were reorganised on a linguistic basis. As part of the Bombay Presidency in British India, Belgaum was under Bombay state. Karnataka says that some of its Kannada-majority villages had been included in Maharashtra.

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha

The border dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha over the contentious Kotia Gram Panchayat in the Koraput district. The Kotia Gram Panchayat has 28 revenue villages; Odisha mistakenly did not survey 21 villages during its formation in 1936. At the time of the creation of Andhra Pradesh in the year 1955, those 21 villages were also not surveyed by Andhra resulting in a perpetual dispute over these bordering villages.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Consider the following statements about the Wholesale Price Index (WPI):

1. It measures inflation at the first stage of the transaction.
2. It is compiled by the Office of Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
3. It measures inflation on a month-on-month basis.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

       a) 1 and 2 only                   b) 2 and 3 only

       c) 3 only                              d) 1 and 3 only

ANSWER FOR 14TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: D

Explanation:

1. CPI for Industrial Workers (IW): Compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
2. CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL): Compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
3. CPI for Rural Labourer (RL): Compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
4. CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined): Compiled by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. INDIA SIGNS AIRBUBBLE AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIA

THE CONTEXT: The Indian government has finalized an air bubble agreement with Australia, which will allow all eligible passengers to travel between the two countries.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Air Bubble Agreement?

• A bilateral air bubble is a mechanism to resume flights between two nations with preconditions during the pandemic.
• As things stand, scheduled international flight operations remain suspended at least till 31 January 2022, according to a recent notification by civil aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). As things stand, scheduled international flight operations remain suspended at least till 31 January 2022, according to a recent notification by civil aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
• India suspended international flight operations, effective 23 March 2020. This was periodically extended every month till 30 November, before the government on 26 November announced plans to resume scheduled international flight services.

With other countries:

India currently has bilateral air bubble agreements with 33 countries, which include Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, Seychelles, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the UAE, the UK, and the USA, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

2. FIVE CENTRAL ASIAN LEADERS INVITED AS R-DAY CHIEF GUESTS

THE CONTEXT: India is awaiting responses from leaders of five Central Asian nations to an invitation to attend as chief guests of Republic Day, with the details expected to be finalised during a ministerial-level meeting of the India-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ dialogue (third India-Central Asia Dialogue).

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the officials, uncertainty over the COVID-19 situation, as well as the extra coordination required for multiple invitations, has led to the delay in the process of the invitations, which is normally wrapped up by December each year.
• If they accept, this will be the first time all five countries will attend the Republic Day parade together.

India- Central Asia relations:

• The invitation was part of India’s reach-out to the former Soviet States, that intensified since 2015, when Prime Minister visited all five capitals.
• India joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2017, which all Central Asian States other than Turkmenistan are members of.
• The India-Central Asia dialogue was launched in 2019, and in July 2021, External affairs Minister attended the Central Asia-South Asia connectivity conference.
• The invitation is also a signal that India wants to increase its links to the region, where land connectivity has been difficult due to Pakistan’s [obstructive] position.
• Maritime connectivity remains important, and the Republic Day meeting will help strengthen India’s initiatives through Chabahar and through the al North South Transport Corridor.
• It is also part of the present government’s attempts to bring together immediate neighbours and “far neigh- bours” in a group format on multiple occasions. Govt. invited SAARC and BIMSTEC group leaders to his swearing in ceremonies in 2014 and 2019 respectively and invited 10 leaders of the ASEAN as Republic Day guests in 2018.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. THE MARINE PLASTIC POLLUTION

THE CONTEXT: According National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report, the US produces a large share of the global supply of plastic resin – the precursor material to all plastic industrial and consumer products. It also imports and exports billions of dollars’ worth of plastic products every year.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Plastic waste of all shapes and sizes permeates the world’s oceans. It shows up on beaches, in fish and even in Arctic Sea ice.
• On a per-capita basis, the US produces an order of magnitude more plastic waste than China – a nation often vilified over pollution-related issues. These findings build off a study published in 2020 that concluded that the US is the largest global source of plastic waste, including plastics shipped to other countries that later are mismanaged.
• Humans also consume plastic that fragments into beverages and food from packaging and inhale microplastic particles in household dust. Scientists are only beginning to assess what this means for public health.
• Research to date suggests that exposure to plastic-associated chemicals may interfere with hormones that regulate many processes in our bodies, cause developmental problems in children or alter human metabolic processes in ways that promote obesity.

Impacts on marine ecosystems

According to IUCN, the most visible impacts of plastic debris are the ingestion, suffocation and entanglement of hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fish and turtles mistake plastic waste for prey; most then die of starvation as their stomachs become filled with plastic.

How India can face the tidal wave of marine plastic

• The Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Annual Report on Implementing the Plastic Garbage Rules, 2016, is the only regular estimate of the quantum of plastic waste generated in India. According to it, the waste generated in 2018-19 was 3,360,043 tonnes per year (roughly 9,200 tonnes per day).
• Given that total municipal solid waste generation is between 55 and 65 million tonnes per day, plastic waste contributes about 5-6 per cent of total solid waste generated in India.
• Approximately 12 per cent has been burnt, while the remaining 79 per cent has accumulated in landfills. Plastic waste is blocking our sewers, threatening marine life and generating health risks for residents in landfills or the natural environment.

The Way forward:

1. Designing a product: Identifying plastic items that can be replaced with non-plastic, recyclable, or biodegradable materials is the first step. Find alternatives to single-use plastics and reusable design goods by working with product designers. Countries must embrace circular and sustainable economic practices throughout the plastics value chain to accomplish this.
2. Pricing: Plastics are inexpensive because they are made with substantially subsidised oil and may be produced at a lower cost, with fewer economic incentives to employ recycled plastics. Price structures that reflect the adverse impacts of plastic consumption and promote alternative materials or reused and recycled plastics are necessary.
3. Technologies and Innovation: Developing tools and technology to assist governments and organisations in measuring and monitoring plastic garbage in cities. ‘Closing the loop’ project of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific assists cities in developing more inventive policy solutions to tackle the problem. A similar approach can be adopted in India.
4. Promoting a plastic-free workplace: All catering operations should be prohibited from using single-use plastics. To encourage workers and clients to improve their habits, all single-use goods can be replaced with reusable items or more sustainable single-use alternatives. By reconsidering how we operate, this initiative can save tonnes of plastic waste each year.
5. Producer responsibility: Extended responsibility can be applied in the retail (packaging) sector, where producers are responsible for collecting and recycling products that they launch into the market.

Initiatives to Curb Plastic Waste

• GoLitter Partnerships Project
• Swachh Bharat Mission
• Project REPLAN
• Un-Plastic Collective
• India Plastics Pact

4. THE GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD HABITAT UNDER THREAT

THE CONTEXT: The Centre has approached the Supreme Court seeking modification of its order directing that all transmission cables in the habitat of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) be laid underground, saying that the area falling in Rajasthan and Gujarat contains a large proportion of the country’s total solar and wind energy potential and the process will escalate the cost of renewable energy production and hurt India’s renewable energy cause.

THE EXPLANATION:

• In a bid to check the dwindling numbers of the endangered Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican, a Supreme Court bench headed by the then Chief Justice of India S A Bobde had, on April 9, directed that overhead power lines be laid underground, wherever feasible, passing along the habitat of the birds in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Seeking modification of this order, the application filed jointly by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said the SC direction “has vast adverse implications for the power sector in India and energy transition away from fossil fuels” and that the MNRE was not heard before the order was passed.
• The government said that energy transition is essential for reducing emission and controlling climate change and India has made international commitments including under the agreement signed in Paris in 2015 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for transition to non-fossil fuels and for emission reduction. India, it added, has set a target to achieve installed renewable energy capacity (excluding large Hydro) of 175 GW by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030.
• The government said that to ensure conservation of the GIB and its habitat, MoEF&CC has developed the National Bustard Recovery Plans which are currently being implemented by conservation agencies. MoEF&CC, Rajasthan government and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have also established a conservation breeding facility in Desert National Park at Jaisalmer in June 2019.
• It said that the threat to GIBs is due to multiple reasons requiring measures at Central, State and local levels spanning across different sectors. The plea also pointed to several technical difficulties in undertaking the project as “there is no manufacturer of underground/ insulated cables for 765 kV in the world”.

ABOUT GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD:

• GIBs are the largest among the four bustard species found in India – the other three being MacQueen’s bustard, lesser florican and the Bengal florican. GIBs prefer grasslands as their habitats.  It is important to note that Great Indian Bustards are State bird of Rajasthan.
• Being terrestrial birds, they spend most of their time on the ground with occasional flights to go from one part of their habitat to the other.
• They feed on insects, lizards, grass seeds etc.
• GIBs are considered the flagship bird species of grassland and hence barometers of the health of grassland ecosystems.
• In February 2020, the Central government told at the 13th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) that the GIB population in India had fallen to just 150.
• Maximum numbers of GIBs are found in Jaisalmer and the Indian Army controlled field firing range near Pokhran, Rajasthan.
• Other areas where they are found in less than 10 in number are Kutch district in Gujarat, Nagpur and Solapur districts in Maharashtra, Bellary and Koppal districts in Karnataka and Kurnool district and Amravati in Andhra Pradesh.
• Pakistan is also believed to host a few GIBs.
• The GIB lays one egg every 1-2 years, and the success rate of these eggs is 40-50 % due to predators like foxes and dogs.

Protected areas:

• Rajasthan: Desert National Park – Jaisalmer and Balmer
• Gujarat: Naliya Sanctuary in Kutch
• Madhya Pradesh: Karera Wildlife Sanctuary (The species disappeared from Madhya Pradesh in early 90s’)
• Maharashtra: Nannaj Grasslands, Solapur
• Andhra Pradesh: Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary

Recent Development:

India’s proposal to include Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant and Bengal Florican in Appendix I of UN Convention on migratory species was unanimously accepted during the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). This conference was held at Gandhinagar in Feb 2020. The mascot for CMS COP13 was “Gibi – The Great Indian Bustard”.

THE INDIAN ECONOMY

5. BANK-NBFC CO-LENDING MODEL

THE CONTEXT: Recently, several banks have entered into co-lending ‘master agreements’ with NBFCs, and more are in the pipeline. This, however, has come in for criticism from several quarters.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Co-Lending Model?

• Co-lending or co-origination is a set-up where banks and non-banks enter into an arrangement for the joint contribution of credit for priority sector lending. To put it simply, under this arrangement, both banks and NBFCs share the risk in a ratio of 80:20 (80 percent of the loan with the bank and a minimum of 20 percent with the non-banks).

How does a co-lending model work?

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had come out with the co-origination framework in 2018 to push lending in priority sectors including rural areas, renewable energy and MSMEs and allowing banks and NBFCs to co-originate loans. These guidelines were later amended in 2020 and rechristened as co-lending models (CML) by including Housing Finance Companies and some changes in the framework.
• The primary aim of CLM is to improve the flow of credit to the unserved and underserved segment of the economy at an affordable cost. This happens as banks have lower cost of funds and NBFCs have greater reach beyond tier-2 centres.
• As per RBI norms, a minimum 20 percent of the credit risk by way of direct exposure shall be on NBFC’s books till maturity and the balance will be on the bank’s books. Upon maturity, the repayment or recovery of interest is shared by the bank and NBFC in proportion to their share of credit and interest.
• This joint origination allows banks to claim priority sector status in respect of their share of credit. NBFCs act as the single point of interface for the customers and a tripartite agreement is done between the customers, banks and NBFCs.

SBI AND ADANI TIE-UP:

• On December 2,2021 SBI, the country’s largest lender, signed a deal with Adani Capital, a small NBFC of a big corporate house, for co-lending to farmers to help them buy tractors and farm implements.
• SBI’s giant network includes 22,230 branches, 64,122 automated teller machines (ATMs) and cash deposit machines (CDMs), and 70,786 business correspondent (BC) outlets across the country. Adani Capital has a network of just 60 branches and has disbursed around Rs 1,000 crore, according to its website.
• On November 2021, Union Bank of India entered into a co-lending agreement with Capri Global Capital Ltd (CGCL), with the aim “to enhance last-mile finance and drive financial inclusion to MSMEs by offering secured loans between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 100 lakh” initially through “100+ touch points pan-India”.

Risk in co-lending

• The move by big banks to tie up with small NBFCs for co-lending has come in for criticism from several quarters.
• Under the CLM, NBFCs are required to retain at least a 20 per cent share of individual loans on their books. This means 80 per cent of the risk will be with the banks — who will take the big hit in case of a default.
• The terms of the master agreement may provide for the banks to either mandatorily take their share of the individual loans originated by the NBFCs on their books, or to retain the discretion to reject certain loans after due diligence prior to taking them on their books.
• Interestingly, the RBI guidelines provide for the NBFCs to be the single point of interface for customers, and to enter into loan agreements with borrowers, which should lay down the features of the arrangement and the roles and responsibilities of the NBFCs and banks. In effect, while the banks fund the major chunk of the loan, the NBFC decides the borrower.

Corporates in banking

• While the RBI hasn’t officially allowed the entry of big corporate houses into the banking space, NBFCs — mostly floated by corporate houses — were already accepting public deposits. They now have more opportunities on the lending side through direct co-lending arrangements.
• This has come at a time when four big finance firms — IL&FS, DHFL, SREI and Reliance Capital — which collected public funds through fixed deposits and non-convertible debentures, have collapsed in the last three years despite tight monitoring by the RBI. Collectively, these firms owe around Rs 1 lakh crore to investors.
• While the RBI has referred to “the greater reach of the NBFCs”, many bankers point out that the reach of banks is far wider than small NBFCs with 100-branch networks in serving underserved and unserved segments.

Value Addition:

Non-Banking Financial Corporation (NBFC)

• An NBFC is a company incorporated under the Companies Act 2013 or 1956.
• According to section 45-I (c) of the RBI Act, a Non–Banking Company carrying on the business of a financial institution will be an NBFC.
• It further states that the NBFC must be engaged in the business of Loans and Advances, Acquisition of stocks, equities, debt etc issued by the government or any local authority or other marketable securities.

NBFC business:

• The NBFC business does not include business whose principal business is the following:
• Agricultural Activity
• Industrial Activity
• Purchase or sale of any goods excluding securities
• Sale/purchase/construction of any immovable property – Providing of any services

Difference between Banks and NBFCs:

• NBFCs lend and make investments and hence their activities are akin to that of banks; however there are a few differences as given below:
• NBFC cannot accept demand deposits;
• NBFCs do not form part of the payment and settlement system and cannot issue cheques drawn on itself;
• Deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in the case of banks.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. THE SUPERSONIC MISSILE- SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED

THE CONTEXT: A supersonic missile-assisted torpedo system (SMART) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully launched from Wheeler Island in Odisha.

THE EXPLANATION:

• It’s designed to enhance anti-submarine warfare capability far beyond the conventional range of the torpedo.
• According to DRDO, the system is a next-generation missile-based standoff torpedo delivery system. During the mission, full-range capability of the missile was successfully demonstrated. The system has been designed to enhance anti-submarine warfare capability far beyond the conventional range of the torpedo”.
• Also, DRDO, stated It was a textbook launch, where the entire trajectory was monitored by the electro-optic telemetry system, various range radars, including the down range instrumentation and down range ships. The missile carried a torpedo, parachute delivery system and release mechanisms.
• This canister-based missile system consists of advanced technologies – two-stage solid propulsion, electro-mechanical actuators and precision inertial navigation. The missile is launched from ground mobile launcher, and it can cover a range of distances.

What is SMART?

• SMART is a missile-assisted release of lightweight Anti-Submarine Torpedo System for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations far beyond torpedo range.
• It takes off like a regular supersonic missile when launched from a warship or a truck-based coastal battery.
• Most of its flight in the air is covered at lower altitudes with two-way data link from the warship or an airborne submarine target detection system.
• It is also provided the exact location of the hostile submarine to correct its flight path midway.
• When it approaches close to a submerged submarine, the missile would eject the torpedo system into the water and the torpedo will start moving towards its target to hit the submarine

What is Supersonic Missile?

• Speed of an object such as missile moving through any media like air, or water compared to speed of sound at certain physical conditions is measured in Mach. 1Mach is equal to speed of sound.
• 2 Mach is double than the speed of sound. Speed more than a Mach but less than 5 Mach is called supersonic. Speed less than 1 Mach is called Subsonic. The speed between 0.8 to 1.2 Mach is also referred to sometimes as A speed more than 5 Mach but less than 10 Mach is called Hypersonic. An object moving at speed of more than 10 Mach is called High-hypersonic. India’s BrahMos is a Supersonic Cruise Missile.

THE COVID CORNER

7. EFFECT ON COVID-19: WHO

THE CONTEXT: According to WHO, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted global health services and dealt a debilitating blow to people’s “ability to obtain healthcare and pay for it”.

THE EXPLANATION:

Around half a billion people were pushed into extreme poverty because they had to pay healthcare costs. A wide gap in affordable healthcare access, combined with reduced income can exacerbate crisis.

• The pandemic halted work being done to achieve Universal Health Coverage, while also plunging a significant population into economic crisis, the United Nations health agency noted.
• A wide gap in affordable healthcare access, combined with reduced income can exacerbate the crisis for the poorest population.
• Also, WHO noted, In the first year of the pandemic, the health systems were spread thin, making it difficult to run other services such as the general immunisation programmes and treatment of other communicable diseases. “As a result, for example, immunization coverage dropped for the first time in ten years, and deaths from tuberculosis and malaria increased.“
• Healthcare costs were driving around half a billion people into extreme poverty and the number is estimated to have gone up, the organization noted. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, almost 1 billion people were spending more than 10 per cent of their household budget on health”.
• Also, the UN agency noted, To make matters worse, around 90 per cent of households “incurring impoverishing out-of-pocket health spending are already at or below the poverty line”.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Which of the following index is not compiled by Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment?

a) CPI for Industrial Workers (IW)

b) CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL)

c) CPI for Rural Labourer (RL)

d)  CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined)

ANSWER FOR 13TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: a)

Explanation:

French territories:

• Reunion island, Mayotte, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Indian Ocean)
• French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna (Pacific Ocean)
• The Islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Atlantic Ocean).

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. NO PROPOSAL TO SCRAP SECTION 124A

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, that there is no proposal under consideration to scrap Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Further, the question of law regarding Section 124A is pending for adjudication before the Supreme Court of India.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the controversy?

• Recently, the Chief Justice of India made remarks in open court to the Government about the chilling effect of the “colonial law” which suppresses the freedoms of ordinary people.

About Sedition Law

• The sedition law, enshrined in Section 124A of IPC, was introduced by the British government in 1870 to tackle dissent against colonial rule.
• The original draft of the IPC, which was enacted in 1860, did not consist of this law and the Section was drafted by Thomas Babington Macaulay in 1970.

Section 124A states:

• “Whoever, words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in India shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”
• In the 19th and 20th centuries, the law was used primarily to suppress the writings and speeches of prominent Indian nationalists and freedom fighters.
• The first known instance of the application of the law was the trial of newspaper editor Jogendra Chandra Bose in 1891.
• Other major examples of the application of the law include the trials of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Abul Kalam Azad and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Trials of Tilak and Gandhi

• In 1922, Gandhi was arrested on charges of sedition in Bombay for taking part in protests against the colonial government and was sentenced to six years in prison. However, he was released after two years because of medical reasons.
• Tilak faced three trials in cases related to sedition and was imprisoned twice. In 1897, he was charged with sedition for writing an article in his weekly publication called Kesari and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment. In 1908, he was tried again for his writings and was represented by Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Arguments For Section 124A

• Section 124A of the IPC has its utility in combating anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements.
• It protects the elected government from attempts to overthrow the government with violence and illegal means.
• The continued existence of the government established by law is an essential condition of the stability of the State.
• Many districts in different states face a Maoist insurgency and rebel groups virtually run a parallel administration.
• These groups openly advocate the overthrow of the state government by revolution.
• Therefore, there is a need to retain the provision to effectively combat anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements.
• The plea had contended that the provision which was used by the British against Mahatma Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak is still being “grossly abused” to stifle freedom of speech and expression of those who choose to express dissent against policies of the Governments in power

Arguments Against Section 124A

• Mahatma Gandhi called Section 124A “the prince among the political sections of the IPC designed to suppress the liberty of the citizen”.
• Jawaharlal Nehru said that the provision was “obnoxious” and “highly objectionable”, and “the sooner we get rid of it the better”.
• It is a constraint on the legitimate exercise of constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and expression.
• Dissent and criticism of the government are essential ingredients of robust public debate in a vibrant democracy.
• The British, who introduced sedition to oppress Indians, have themselves abolished the law in their country. There is no reason why India should not abolish this section.
• The sedition law is being misused as a tool to persecute political dissent. A wide and concentrated executive discretion is inbuilt into it which permits the blatant abuse.

Supreme Court’s Earlier Stand

• The sedition law has been challenged several times over the last few years but it has managed to survive all of the challenges against it.
• In the landmark Kedar Nath versus Union of India case (1962), the SC upheld the constitutional validity of the sedition law while trying to curtail its misuse.
• The Court upheld the law on the basis that this power was required by the state to protect itself.
• However, it had added a vital caveat that “a person could be prosecuted for sedition only if his acts caused incitement to violence or intention or tendency to create public disorder or cause disturbance of public peace”.
• It also added that unless accompanied by incitement or call for violence, criticism of the government cannot be labelled sedition.
• The SC laid down that every citizen has a right to say or write about the government, by way of criticism or comment, as long as it does not “incite people to violence” against the government established by law or with the intention of creating public disorder.
• In September 2016, the SC had reiterated these necessary safeguards and held that they should be followed by all authorities.

 2. THE GOVERNOR’S ROLE IN STATE, CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES

THE CONTEXT: A controversy has erupted in Kerala over the reappointment of Vice Chancellor of Kannur University, with Kerala Governor saying he approved the decision against his “better judgement” as Chancellor. In a letter to Chief Minister, Governor expressed his desire to step down as Chancellor, alleging political interference in the universities.

What is the role of Governors in state universities?

• In most cases, the Governor of the state is the ex-officio chancellor of the universities in that state. While the Governor’s powers and functions as the Chancellor are laid out in the statutes that govern the universities under a particular state government, their role in appointing the Vice Chancellors has often triggered disputes with the political executive.
• In Kerala’s case, the Governor’s official portal asserts that “while as Governor he functions with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, as Chancellor he acts independently of the Council of Ministers and takes his own decisions on all University matters”. In marked contrast, the website of Rajasthan’s Raj Bhawan states that the “Governor appoints the Vice Chancellor on the advice/ in consultation with the State Government”.

What about central universities?

• Under the Central Universities Act, 2009, and other statutes, the President of India shall be the Visitor of a central university. With their role limited to presiding over convocations, Chancellors in central universities are titular heads, who are appointed by the President in his capacity as Visitor.
• The VCs too are appointed by the Visitor from panels of names picked by search and selection committees formed by the Union government. The Act adds that the President, as Visitor, shall have the right to authorize inspections of academic and non-academic aspects of the universities and also to institute inquiries.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

3. THE INDO-SRILANKA ACCORD OF 1987

THE CONTEXT: A group of Opposition MPs in Sri Lanka, representing Tamils from the north and east, hill country (Malaiyaha Tamils), and Tamil-speaking Muslims sought the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to ensure “existing rights are not snatched away”.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the Accord?

• Popularly referred to as the Rajiv-Jayewardene Accord, after its architects Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and President J.R. Jayewardene.
• It sought to collectively address all the three contentious issues between India and Sri Lanka: strategic interests, people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka and Tamil minority rights in Sri Lanka.
• This accord saw the induction of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka.
• According to the terms of the accord, Sri Lankan forces would withdraw from the north and the Tamil rebels would disarm.
• The accord was expected to resolve the Sri Lankan Civil War by enabling the thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act of 1987.

Why the 13th Amendment contentious?

• As per the 13th amendment, Sri Lanka was divided into nine provinces each governed by a council headed by an elected chief minister.
• The north and east was merged into one province called North-East province. Also, Tamil was made an official language along with the Sinhalese. The powers were divided into three lists viz. Provincial, Reserved and Concurrent.
• However, since all the provisions of 13th amendment were not implemented, it is called 13-Minus. 13 Minus implies that Police, Land and Financial powers have not been devolved. The provinces have struggled to get adequate financial powers. Then in 2007, the North and East were demerged. This was followed by more centralized powers in the hands of President, eroding whatsoever autonomy was with the provinces.
• Before LTTE was decimated, the Sri Lankan government was ready to go well beyond what was promised in 13th amendment, but then LTTE rejected it. In 2006, the then President Rajapaksha had appointed an All Party Representative Committee (APRC) in April 2006 to design a solution which looks good and reasonable enough to address the concerns in the aftermath of LTTE end.
• This committee recommended in 2008 about full implementation of 13th amendment along with creation of a second house. However, once LTTE decimated, implementing 13 itself has hit a roadblock.
• Further, when former President Rajapaksha met Indian Prime Minister, and said that devolving police powers would be “risky and difficult”, thus putting more suspense to the 13th amendment story.

Stance of India

India has always emphasised on a meaningful devolution package, based on the 13th Amendment. India’s interest is not only cultural but also demographic as around 1 lakh Tamil refugees are living in India. Until a political reconciliation is achieved in Sri Lanka, return of these refugees will not be possible.

4. NEW CALEDONIA VOTES TO REMAIN A FRENCH TERRITORY

THE CONTEXT: Voters in the French island territory of New Caledonia chose overwhelmingly to stay part of France, in a referendum boycotted by pro-independence forces.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The vote was the third and last in a decades-long decolonization process that stemmed from violence in 1988, which led to the French government handing New Caledonia broad autonomy under the Noumea Agreement.
• The official results showed 96% of those who took part chose to stay in France. Overall turnout was just 42% — less than half the numbers who showed up in a previous independence referendum last year, where support for breaking away was 46.7%.
• The vote was monitored by the U.N. and regional powers, amid global efforts toward decolonization and amid growing Chinese influence in the region. New Caledonia, colonized by Napoleon’s nephew in the 19th century, is a vast archipelago of about 270,000 people east of Australia that is 10 time zones ahead of Paris — and hosts a French military base.

BACKGROUND:

• In the first such referendum in 2018, 43.6% of voters supported independence, and 46.7% favoured it in a second vote held in 2020. While support for a “yes” vote seemed to be growing, the region’s first coronavirus outbreak in September threw the political debate into disarray. Until then, New Caledonia had been one of the few virus-free places left on the planet.
• France is trying to cement its presence in the Indo-Pacific region after it lost a multibillion-dollar submarine contract because of a partnership Australia formed with the United States and the U.K. The secretly negotiated submarine project, announced in September and aimed at countering Chinese ambitions in the region, was a huge blow to France. New Caledonia hosts one of two French military bases in the Pacific.

New Caledonia

• It is an archipelago.
• It is located in the southwest Pacific Ocean.
• It was discovered in 1774 by the British navigator James Cook.
• It was annexed by France in 1853.
• In 1946, it became an overseas territory.
• By 1953, French citizenship had been granted to all New Caledonians, regardless of ethnicity.
• It accounts for around 10% of the world’s nickel reserve.

French Overseas Territories:

• The Islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Atlantic Ocean)
• Reunion island, Mayotte, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Indian Ocean)
• French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna (Pacific Ocean)

The French Overseas Territories cover almost 120 000 km² and are home to more than 2.6 million people.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

5. ROYAL BENGAL TIGER SIGHTED AT BUXA RESERVE

THE CONTEXT: A camera trap set up at Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Alipurduar district of West Bengal have captured a sight of Royal Bengal Tiger, that the region has not witnessed in more than two decades.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the state forest officials of Buxa Tiger Reserve, there is an improve within the forest density and the large cat prey base, particularly deer, had attracted a Royal Bengal tiger, a primary such sighting in 23 years.
• The favourable habitat at the tiger reserve would invite more tigers, which had migrated to neighbouring Bhutan. The state shares a contiguous range of the protected area with Bhutan.
• The forest department has of late relentlessly tried to increase the density of the jungle. A herd of deer was introduced to the forest so that tigers could find their food from the jungle. The movement of human beings was restricted specially in the core tiger reserve. These measures led to the success. As a result, tigers are now returning from Bhutan.
• In 2020, the report released by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change said the ‘Buxa reserve had no tiger, and its infrastructure was found wanting. “Buxa needs to be rebuilt as a tiger habitat. Tigers may have been brought from Kaziranga.

About Buxa Tiger Reserve:

• Located in Northern West Bengal, India
• Located in the Buxa Hills of the southern hilly area of Bhutan.
• Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan
• Animals found -Royal Bengal Tiger, civet, elephant, gaur (Indian bison), Indian boar and red jungle fowl
• The fragile “Terai Eco-System” constitutes a part of this reserve.
• The Phipsu Wildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan is contiguous to the north of BTR.
• Tiger reserve located inside the Buxa National Park.

The Royal Bengal Tiger:

The Royal Bengal Tiger belongs to specific population of the Panthera tigris tigris subspecies, which is native to the Indian subcontinent. The tiger is threatened by poaching and fragmentation of habitat. India’s tiger population was 2,967 in 2019. 300–500 tigers are found in Bangladesh, 220–274 in Nepal while 103 tigers in Bhutan. In the red list of IUCN, it has been list into Endangered category.

6. WORLD’S ONLY BREEDING CENTRE FOR ASIATIC LIONS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Sakkarbaug zoo of Junagadh in Gujarat as three of its Asiatic lionesses have given birth to 13 cubs.

THE EXPLANATION:

The Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden is a 210-acre facility that provides pure-bred Asiatic lions for the Indian and international endangered species captive-breeding programme. Wild, free-ranging Asiatic lions have become extinct in most parts of Asia and are now found only in and around the Gir Forest.

However, it is important to note that, Sakkarbaug Zoo of Junagadh is the only breeding centre in the world for Asiatic lions, and the Gir Forest, the Asiatic lion population went to 674 in 2020.”

ABOUT ASIATIC LION:

• It is one of five big cat species found in India and Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is the only habitat for Asiatic lions.
• Historically, it inhabited much of Western Asia and the Middle East up to northern India.
• More than two dozen lions died in an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) and Babesiosis.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I

Factors responsible for steady rise in population:

Over the last several years, the lion population in Gujarat has been steadily rising.

This is powered by:

• community participation
• emphasis on technology
• wildlife healthcare
• proper habitat management
• steps to minimise human-lion conflict.

7. ILLEGAL TRADE OF WILD ANIMALS

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Environment, forest, and climate change, between 2018 and 2020, about 2,054 cases were registered for killing or illegal trafficking of wild animals in India.

THE EXPLANATION:

• In the three years, about 3,836 accused were arrested for the crime. The number of cases registered in the year 2018 was 648 and 1,099 persons were arrested; followed by 805 cases and 1,506 arrests in 2019; and 601 cases and 1,231 arrests in 2020.
• The WCCB (Wildlife Crime Control Bureau) had launched operation “Save Kurma” from to December 2016 to January 2017 to focus on the poaching, transportation and illegal trade of live turtles and tortoises. The operation resulted in seizure of more than 15,912 live turtles and the arrest of 55 suspects.
• Another operation “Operation Turtshield- I” from December 2019 to January 2020 and Operation Turtshield-II” (December 2020 to February 2021) was taken up to tackle the illegal trade of live turtles, resulting in the seizure of 4,601 live/dead turtles and arrest of 45 accused in the first operation.
• In the second operation, 59 accused were arrested and the efforts led to the recovery of 11,771 live turtles/tortoises and 45 kilograms of turtle calipee.
• “Operation Softgold” was undertaken from October 2018 to March, 2019 to tackle illegal trade in Shahtoosh shawls (made from Chiru wool). During the operation, 350 shawls were found.

About Wildlife Crime Control Bureau:

• Considering the seriousness of organised Wildlife Crime and illegal trade of wildlife parts and products, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was created in 2007 under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is designated nodal agency for CITES related enforcement.
• WCCB is a statutory multi-disciplinary body under the MoEFCC.

Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, WCCB is mandated to

• collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime.
• disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies to apprehend the criminals.
• to establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank.
• co-ordinate actions by various agencies in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of the Act.
• assist international organizations & foreign authorities to facilitate wildlife crime control.
• capacity building of the wildlife crime enforcement agencies.
• assist State Governments to ensure success in prosecutions related to wildlife crimes; and
• advise the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes.
• It also assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna as per the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, CITES and EXIM Policy governing such an item.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

8. PINAKA ROCKET SYSTEM

THE CONTEXT: “The DRDO, along with the Army, conducted a series of performance evaluation trials. In these trials, enhanced range Pinaka rockets were test-fired at different ranges with various warhead capabilities. All the trial objectives were met satisfactorily. 24 rockets were fired for different ranges and warhead capabilities to meet the objectives of accuracy and consistency.”

THE EXPLANATION:

Also stated with this, the initial phase of technology absorption of the Pinaka-ER (Enhanced Range) by the industry partner has successfully been completed, making the upgraded rocket system ready for production.

What is Pinaka-ER?

The Pinaka-ER is the upgraded version of the earlier Pinaka, which has been in service with the Indian Army for the last decade. The system has been designed in light of emerging requirements with advanced technologies. The extended range of the new Pinaka is over 70 km, as opposed to the 45 km the system currently has.

About Pinaka Rocket System:

• Pinaka is an all-weather, artillery multi-barrel rocket system. It can fire 72 rockets in 44 seconds. It delivers lethal and responsive fire against a variety of area targets such as exposed enemy troops, armoured and soft skin vehicles, communication centres, air terminal complexes, fuel and ammunition dumps.
• The Pinaka gives a deep strike option to the forces on the ground and is capable of hitting critical military installations.
• The Pinaka rocket system was recently deployed at the China border amid tensions that began in Ladakh.
• The system was jointly designed by laboratories of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) – Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune.
• The Area Denial Munition (ADM) variants designed by ARDE and manufactured by industry partners under technology transfer were successfully carried out at Pokhran Field Firing Ranges. These trials are part of performance evaluation under technology absorption.
• The indigenously developed proximity fuses for Pinaka rockets have also been tested.
• The initial version of weapon system was called Mark I, which had a range of 40 km. The upgraded version or Pinaka Mark II has an extended range of 70 to 80 km.

9. AI TOOL TO SIMPLIFY IDENTIFICATION OF CANCEROUS TISSUE IN TUMOURS

THE CONTEXT: IIT Madras researchers developed this tool using deep learning and traditional machine learning to develop a tool that can diagnose cancer by looking at whole slide images of the tumour. The tool has been tested on datasets of breast, liver and colon cancer tissue images.

THE EXPLANATION:

Digital histopathology

• Traditionally, histopathologists slice the tumour tissue into approximately 20-micron-thick slices which they put on slides. They look at enlarged images of the slides and go over it cell by cell to manually classify it as cancerous or otherwise. This is highly time-consuming, and it is to alleviate this burden that digital histopathology developed.
• In this, after preparing the slides, the entire slide is scanned using a high-resolution microscope and digitised. This is then analysed using computerised tools.This digital process has its own challenges. The first of this is the sheer size of the scanned images which can run into gigabytes.
• A single image could be 100,000 by 100,000 pixels large – compare this with a shot generated by a smart phone which is about 7,000 by 7,000 pixels in size,” says Ganapathy Krishnamurthy of the Engineering Design Department of IIT Madras in an email, giving an idea of the challenge to computer time posed by this task.
• The technique posed further challenges, such as insufficient training data and the variation in staining across labs.
• Also extracting clinically relevant information, that is, directly inferring fine-grained disease classification using deep learning alone was turning out to be prohibitively expensive in terms of computational time.

Algorithms:

To test the algorithms, the researchers enrolled in three open challenges – the CAMELYON17 challenge, the DIGESTPATH 2019 challenge and the PAIP 2019 challenge. “This paper takes data from three different challenges. In two of these, we were placed in the top 3 performing methods and in one challenge (CAMELYON) we were placed in the top 10 out of several hundred entries.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Which of the following pairs of French overseas territory is incorrectly matched?

1. French Polynesia – Atlantic Ocean
2. New Caledonia – Pacific Ocean
3. Reunion island – Indian Ocean

Select the correct answer using codes given below?

     a) 1 only             b)  1 and 2

     c) 2 and 3           d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR 11TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: a)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The ISA was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilise efforts against climate change through the deployment of solar energy solutions.
• Statement 2 is correct: Its headquarter is located in Gurugram, Haryana.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Countries that do not fall within the Tropics can join the alliance and enjoy all benefits as other members, with the exception of voting rights.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. THE CHINESE PROJECT AT BALOCHISTAN PORT

THE CONTEXT: Amid continuous protests in Gwadar, Balochistan against mega development plans of the port city as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Despite the severe conservatism of Balochistan, women protesters have come out in large numbers.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Balochistan is among the least developed even though the most resource-rich of Pakistan’s four provinces. The main means of livelihood for people in the region is Balochistan has the lowest access to drinking water, electricity, and even the gas that is the main resource of the region.
• The port development at Gwadar is perhaps the single most strategically important project of the CPEC, and Chinese involvement there predates the CPEC by at least a decade.
• Protesters pointed out that while Gwadar fishermen had given up their fishing spots for development of the port after assurances that it would greatly improve their economic condition, their existing condition was only worsening because of the unequal competition with the Chinese fishing vessels, which were also harming the eco-system.

• Work there began during the 10-year rule of General Pervez Musharraf, who pitched it as a strategic energy corridor that would provide the Chinese an alternative to the sea route for its oil imports from the middle east. Now it is integral to the Chinese President’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• Ever since, Baloch nationalists have been angry at their exclusion, and separatist insurgent groups like the Baloch Liberation Army and others have targeted Chinese interests in and around Gwadar. The attacks have only risen after the CPEC took off. An attack on the Serena in 2019 took place during a visit by an official Chinese delegation. In response, more Pakistani troops have flooded the port city. One of the protesters’ demands is a reduction in the number of checkpoints.

Concerns of India, West

India has been concerned that Gwadar, which gives China strategic access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, is not just being developed as a trade entrepot but as a dual-purpose port for use by PLAN (the Chinese Navy) and is intended to expand Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region alongside Kyaukpyu in Myanmar and Hambantota in Sri Lanka. With vital military interests in West Asia, the US too is concerned about the Chinese presence in Gwadar.

About CPEC:

• Launched in 2015, the CPEC is the flagship project of the multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a pet project of Chinese President, aimed at enhancing Beijing’s influence around the world through China-funded infrastructure projects.
• The 3,000 km-long China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) consists of highways, railways, and pipelines.
• CPEC eventually aims at linking the city of Gwadar in South Western Pakistan to China’s North Western region Xinjiang through a vast network of highways and railways.

• The proposed project will be financed by heavily-subsidised loans, that will be disbursed to the Government of Pakistan by Chinese banks.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

2. THE DECLINE OF DRAGONFLY POPULATION

THE CONTEXT: According to the update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the number of species is at risk of extinction on the Red List has exceeded 40,000 for the first time. The destruction of wetlands is leading to the decline of dragonflies worldwide.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “Dragonflies are highly sensitive indicators of the state of freshwater ecosystems, and this first global assessment finally reveals the scale of their decline. It also provides an essential baseline we can use to measure the impact of conservation efforts.
• Their decline is symptomatic of the widespread loss of the marshes, swamps, and free-flowing rivers they breed in, mostly driven by the expansion of unsustainable agriculture and urbanization around the world. The IUCN Red List now includes 142,577 species of which 40,084 are threatened with extinction.

• “Marshes and other wetlands may seem unproductive and inhospitable to humans, but in fact, they provide us with essential services. They store carbon, give us clean water and food, protect us from floods, as well as offer habitats for one in ten of the world’s known species.”
• To conserve these beautiful insects, it is critical that governments, agriculture, and industry consider the protection of wetland ecosystems in development projects, for example by protecting key habitats and dedicating space to urban wetlands.”

PYRENEAN DESMAN

• The Pyrenean desman (Galemyspyrenaicus), a semiaquatic mammal found only in rivers in Andorra, France, Portugal, and Spain, has moved from Vulnerable to Endangered. This unusual species is related to moles and has a long, sensitive nose and large webbed feet. It is among the last of its evolutionary line; one of only two remaining desman species in the world.

• The Pyrenean desman population has declined throughout its range by as much as 50% since 2011, largely due to human impacts on its habitats.
• Disruption to river flow and reduced water levels as a result of the hydropower plant, dam and reservoir construction, and water extraction for agriculture make significant areas inhospitable to the desman, isolate populations, and markedly reduce desman prey and shelter.

Threats:

• Invasive alien species, illegal fishing using poison, nets, and explosives, increasing droughts due to climate change, excavation of riverbeds and banks, and water pollution further threaten the desman.
• Preserving and restoring the natural flow of rivers and surrounding vegetation, controlling invasive alien species, and tackling climate change are key for this species to recover.

  3. THE RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION IN WATER

THE CONTEXT:  Radioactive pollution of water is newly emerging but is of grave concern for water pollution and human health. Recently, radioactive contamination and associated health impacts have been reported in many parts of the globe.

What is Radioactive Pollution?

• The radioactive pollution is defined as the physical pollution of living organisms and their environment as a result of release of radioactive substances into the environment during nuclear explosions and testing of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapon production and decommissioning, mining of radioactive ores, handling and disposal of radioactive waste, and accidents at nuclear power plants.The proportion of radioactive pollution is 15% of the total energy of the explosion.
• Radioactivity is the phenomenon of spontaneous emission of particles or waves from the
• unstable nuclei of some elements. There are three types of radioactive emissions: Alpha, Beta and Gamma.
• Alpha particles are positively charged He atoms, beta particles are negatively charged electrons and gamma rays are neutral electromagnetic radiations. Radioactive elements are naturally found in the earth’s crust.

Radioactive pollution in water:

Percolation of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) from the soil sediments to the aquifer causes groundwater contamination. In anthropogenic sources of radioactive pollution, nuclear weapon investigation, nuclear calamities, nuclear power houses and dumping of radioactive waste are major sources of contamination, while application of radioisotopes in industries and scientific laboratories are the minor sources.

• Radioactive contamination is more prevalent in groundwater as compared to surface water since it is much exposed to radioactive elements found in the rocks. Sometimes, magma also releases radioactive gases into the environment.
• The deposition of these radioactive gases in waterbodies also cause radioactive contamination. Atmospheric deposition (both dry and wet) of cosmogenic radionuclides also add radioactive nuclei in the surface water.
• A number of radionuclides are found in surface and subsurface waters, among which 3H, 14C, 40K, 210Pb, 210Po, 222Rn, 226Ra, 228Ra, 232Th and 234,235,238U are common. Uranium, thorium and actinium are three NORM series that contaminate water resources.
• Radium, a descendant of the NORM series, is one of the decidedly radiotoxic elements found in aquatic systems and can be penetrated into groundwater via
• aquifer rock dissolution
• decaying of 238U and 232Th,
• desorption processes.
• Nuclear reactors and nuclear warhead experiments are the key sources of human-induced radionuclides discharge. Nuclear reactors produce radioisotopes (Cobalt-60, Iridium-192, etc) that hand out as sources of gamma radiation in radiotherapy and numerous industrial appliances.
• Oceans and seas are the natural repositories of naturally occurring uranium. Where it is found in the form of uranyl carbonate ion. A significant concentration of uranium is supposed to be found in the greater salinity of the marine water. 40K is also found in considerable concentration in the marine environment.
• Nuclear power plants placed at the coastal regions add to the radiological contaminants in the marine water by releasing atomic wastes. Water is also used as coolants in these powerhouses, which also get contaminated.

Example:

• Nuclear submarines cause radioactive contamination in the marine environment. Radioactive pollution due to submarine accidents and sinking have been reported. The Rocky Flats plant in Colorado, Fukushima and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster are some examples of such nuclear accidents.

Radioactivity is measured in Becquerel (SI unit) or in Curie. Energy absorbed per unit mass is measured by Gray, while the unit Sievert measures the quantity of radiation absorbed by human tissues.

A small amount of radiation is found in all types of water but the extended amount of radiation is harmful to human health. Radioactivity in drinking water can be determined by a gross alpha test.

• Radioactive elements have an effect on the environment and can cause a risk to human healthiness if inhaled, injected or exposed.
• Human tissues absorb radiation through polluted water and foodstuff, which can cause serious health risks. High doses of radiation can cause acute radiation syndrome or cutaneous radiation injury.
• Exposure to radiation causes various disorders in human physiology, including cancer, leukaemia, genetic mutations, osteonecrosis, cataracts and chromosomal disruption.

The harmful impacts of nuclear radiation are:

• Immediate, recoverable consequences distressing skin, lungs, genitals, and causing hair fall.
• Long-standing, permanent outcomes such as various infections like radiation damage, bone marrow fatality, cataract initiation, cancer stimulation, cholera, dysentery, tuberculosis and pneumonia. Sometimes, these outcomes may be fatal also.
• Genetic effects ionizing radiation induces mutations in germ cells (male sperm cells and female egg cells) or germ cells, resulting in structural alteration in germ cell DNA that are passed on to offsprings. Hereditary disorders can lead to premature death and severe mental illness.

Nowadays, proper analysis and monitoring of radioactive pollutants are also required for a safe water supply. Prevention and precaution measures can check the anthropogenic sources of radioactive contamination in water resources.

Various treatment methods like aeration, reverse osmosis, ion exchange and granule carbon adsorption are effective remedial measures for treating the radioactive contaminated water.

4. WORLD’S COLDEST REGIONS HAVE BEEN ON FIRE

THE CONTEXT: According to the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, some of the coldest regions of the world have been on fire in 2021, some even through the winter months, indicating an influence of a changing climate. Wildfires around the world emitted 1.76 billion tonnes of carbon in 2021 (till November 30, 2021 ).

THE EXPLANATION:

• The wildfires mostly occurred in Siberia, North America, North Africa and the Mediterranean.
• This is the equivalent of 6.45 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide and was 148 per cent more than the total fossil fuel emissions of the European Union.
• This was mainly due to dry and hot conditions in the regions, Mark Parrington, a senior scientist with Copernicus, pointed out.
• Globally, even though the carbon emissions from wildfires was not the maximum recorded by Copernicus, the EU agency said such emissions would increase in a world reeling under climate change.
• Wildfires in Siberia affected the western part of the region, around Omsk and Tyumen in the early part of the year. By summer, the eastern part of the region started feeling the heat of the wildfires, especially the Sakha Republic in the northeast.
• The Mediterranean was also affected by wildfires during the same period, leading to an increase in the PM 2.5 levels in the region. Turkey was the worst-affected country but there were fires from Tunisia in North Africa to Italy in Europe.

Impacts on India

• Fires were a major concern in India. The report highlighted the seasonal stubble burning in northwest India as the major cause of fires in October and November 2021

• Neighbouring Pakistan also witnessed an increase in fire activity. This increased the particulate matter pollution across the Indo-Gangetic plains, from Pakistan till Bangladesh.
• Earlier, Odisha had reported 51,968 forest fires from November 2020 to June 2021 — the highest in India for the period, according to the Ministry of Environment, forest and climate change.
• A total of 345,989 forest fires were recorded across the country. The other states with huge losses due to forest fires were Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Mizoram, Assam and Manipur.
• Forest fires had ravaged Uttarakhand in the early part of the year. The fires had been going on continuously for six months.
• There were 989 fire incidents in the forests of the state, which would have ignited multiple forest fires, from October 1, 2020, to April 4, 2021, according to forest department figures. Some 1,297.43 hectares of forest got burned down in the fires, as per estimates.
• The important thing to note here is that Uttarakhand is a mountain state and the fires were burning through the entire winter season.

• The current outlook for the winter season released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the state also does not look promising as temperatures are going to be higher than normal.

Significance of Forests:

• Forests play an important role in mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
• They act as a sink, reservoir and source of carbon.
• A healthy forest stores and sequesters more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem.
• In India, with 1.70 lakh villages in close proximity to forests (Census 2011), the livelihood of several crores of people is dependent on fuelwood, bamboo, fodder, and small timber.

Efforts to Mitigate Forest Fires:

• Since 2004, the FSI (Forest Survey of India) developed the Forest Fire Alert System to monitor forest fires in real time.
• In its advanced version launched in January 2019, the system now uses satellite information gathered from NASA and ISRO.
• National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF) 2018 and Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. NASA’S IXPE MISSION

THE CONTEXT: NASA launched a new mission named Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer or IXPE. Onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, it was sent to its orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

THE EXPLANATION:

• IXPE observatory is a joint effort of NASA and the Italian Space Agency. The mission will study “the most extreme and mysterious objects in the universe – supernova remnants, supermassive black holes, and dozens of other high-energy objects.”

• The mission’s primary length is two years and the observatory will be at 600 kilometers altitude, orbiting around Earth’s equator. IXPE is expected to study about 40 celestial objects in its first year in space.

What are the instruments onboard?

• IXPE carries three state-of-the-art space telescopes. Each of the three identical telescopes hosts one light-weight X-ray mirror and one detector unit. These will help observe polarized X-rays from neutron stars and supermassive black holes. By measuring the polarization of these X-rays, we can study where the light came from and understand the geometry and inner workings of the light source.
• This new mission will complement other X-ray telescopes such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton.

Why is it important?

According to NASA, IXPE’s polarization measurements will help scientists answer questions such as:

• How do black holes spin?
• Was the black hole at the center of the Milky Way actively feeding on surrounding material in the past?
• How do pulsars shine so brightly in X-rays?
• What powers the jets of energetic particles that are ejected from the region around the supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies?

THE MISCELLANEOUS

6. INDIA SKILLS REPORT 2022

THE CONTEXT:  India Skills Report 2022 was released by Wheebox, a talent assessment platform, with AICTE, Association of Indian Universities, Confederation of Indian Industries, and other agencies.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to the report, 51% Indian women will be employable in 2022, compared to 46% men.
• The theme of ISR 2021; “Reengineering Education and skilling-building for future of work’.
• States with Maximum hiring Activity: Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are the 3 states that have a higher job demand.
• Pune, Maharashtra is the list with the most highly employable resources with 78% of the test takers above 60 percent.

Analysis of the report:

• This year’s report is based on responses gathered from an assessment of 3 lakh candidates across India who took part in the Wheebox National Eligibility Test (WNET), and a report from the India Hiring Intent Survey that covered 150 corporations spanning more than 15 industries and sectors.
• It also says that the sectors in which the most hiring will take place are IT, pharmaceutical, e-commerce, and banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI). These sectors are expected to hire 20 per cent more fresh graduates in 2022 than in 2021.
• The annual report examines hiring patterns and skill distribution in the country with an eye on the future. It uses an aptitude test to measure the employability of Indian youth.
• It says the pool of employable women is steadily increasing. This stands at 51.44 per cent for 2022, compared to 41.25 per cent in 2021. The 2022 figure for men is 45.97 per cent, against 34.26 per cent in 2021.
• According to the 2022 report, 2 per cent of skilled youth overall were found to be highly employable, compared to 45.97 per cent in 2021.
• In a new trend that has emerged this year, 6 per cent of graduates were found to be seeking internship positions within organisations.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Consider the following statements about International Solar Alliance (ISA):

1. It was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilise efforts against climate change through the deployment of solar energy solutions.
2. Its headquarter is located in Gurugram, Haryana.
3. Countries that do not fall within the Tropics can not join the alliance.

Which of the statements are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only             b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only             d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 10^TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: a)

Explanation:

1. Hurricane – Atlantic Ocean
2. Willy Willy – Western Australia
3. Typhoons – South China Sea and Western Pacific Ocean
4. Cyclone – Indian Ocean

THE SOCIAL ISSUES & SOCIAL JUSTICE

NEW ZEALAND ANNOUNCES PLAN TO END SMOKING

THE CONTEXT New Zealand has announced it will outlaw smoking for the next generation so that those who are aged 14 and under will never be legally able to buy tobacco.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The government announced the rising age alongside other measures to make smoking unaffordable and inaccessible, to try to reach its goal of making the country entirely smoke-free within the next four years. Other measures include reducing the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products to very low levels, cutting down the shops where cigarettes could legally be sold, and increasing funding to addiction services. The new laws will not restrict vape sales.
• New Zealand’s daily smoking rates have been dropping over time – down to 11.6% in 2018, from 18% a decade earlier.
• Smoking has already been widely replaced by vaping among teenage New Zealanders and is also attracting many young people who would never have taken up smoking – according to the surveying of 19,000 high school students this year, nearly 20% were vaping daily or several times a day, the majority with high nicotine doses. That’s compared to 3% of those aged 15-17 who smoked daily in 2018, or 13% who smoked a decade earlier.

INDIA’S MEASURES:

• India is the 2nd largest producer and consumer of tobacco and a variety of forms of tobacco use is unique to India. Apart from the smoked forms that include cigarettes, bidis and cigars, a plethora of smokeless forms of consumption exist in the country.
• The Government of India has enacted “The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003”.
• India also ratified the WHO-Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) in February 2004.
• Further, in order to facilitate the effective implementation of the Tobacco Control Law, to bring about greater awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco as well as to fulfil the obligations under the WHO-FCTC, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in 2007- 08 in 42 districts of 21 States/Union Territories of the country.

Objectives

• To bring about greater awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use and Tobacco Control Laws.
• To facilitate effective implementation of the Tobacco Control Laws.
• The objective of this programme is to control tobacco consumption and minimize the deaths caused by it. The various activities planned to control tobacco use are as follows:
• Training and Capacity Building
• IEC activity
• Monitoring Tobacco Control Laws and Reporting
• Survey and Surveillance

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE IMPACT OF GLOBAL WARMING ON THE ATMOSPHERE

THE CONTEXT: According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the number of Cyclones and the Number of stations reported very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall events have increased in recent years.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Also, the analysis of past data of cyclones over the North Indian Ocean (the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea) during the period from 1891 to 2020 indicates that the frequency of Very Severe Cyclonic Storms has increased in the recent few years over the Arabian Sea.
• However, the coastal vulnerability to the categories of Extremely Severe Cyclones is more continues over the Bay of Bengal region, as there is no significant trend in the frequency of Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storms (ESCS).
• On the other hand, the increase in frequency over the Arabian Sea has not posed a corresponding increase in the coastal vulnerability along the west coast since most of such Cyclones forming over the Arabian Sea are making landfall over the coasts of Oman, Yemen etc and hence the threat to Gujarat & Maharashtra coasts remains same.
• On average, out of 5 Cyclones developing over the North Indian Ocean (NIO) comprising the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, about 3 to 4 of them make landfall causing loss of life and property.
• Low lying coastal belts of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu & Puducherry are more prone to the impact of these systems. The number of deaths due to cyclones has decreased significantly, as a result of the improvement in the early warning skill by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and effective mitigation measures and response actions by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Still, there is a huge loss to property.

Oxygen makes up one-fifth of the air we breathe, and few recent studies reported declining oxygen content in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels, population growth and deforestation. However, the loss of oxygen is negligible when compared to its abundance in the atmosphere and it is also found that the ecosystem is compensating for some of the loss.

Ministry of Earth Sciences has the mandate only to provide forecasts and early warnings. However, as an adaptive measure to minimize the effects of increasing temperatures, IMD in collaboration with local health departments have started a heat action plan in many parts of the country to forewarn about the heat waves and also advise action to be taken during such occasions.  The heat action plan became operational in 2013.

Heat Action Plan

The Heat Action Plan is a comprehensive early warning system and preparedness plan for extreme heat events. The Plan presents immediate as well as longer-term actions to increase preparedness, information-sharing, and response coordination to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations. NDMA and IMD are working with 23 states prone to high temperatures at present with respect to the heat action plans.

• IMD has started Forecast Demonstration Project (FDP) on heatwaves from April 2017 for the hot weather season under which a detailed daily report including realized data of heatwaves, weather systems leading to the occurrence of heatwaves, diagnosis on the basis of Numerical Model outputs and forecast and warnings for five days is prepared. This bulletin is disseminated to all concerned including health departments.
• From April 2018 onwards, IMD started issuing an additional bulletin on the heatwave in the morning (08 a.m.) valid for 24 hours to support the planning of activities for the day and this bulletin is also disseminated to all concerned. All these bulletins are posted to the IMD website also, on a special page created for heatwaves.

UNCBD AND INDIGENOUS LANDS

THE CONTEXT: The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi targets to set goals for each country to create protected areas in 2010, and roughly 15 per cent of the world’s land surface is under official state protection. Protected areas have largely been able to reduce deforestation.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The world lost more than 12 million hectares of tropical forest in 2020, an area about half the size of the UK. Tropical forests contain much of the world’s animal and plant species and store more than half of their terrestrial carbon. They are home to people who depend on them for their livelihoods, spiritual and cultural practices and wellbeing.
• But their creation can also mean the eviction of communities that have lived in forests for generations, barring them from resources and sacred sites. These injustices have often been made possible by human rights abuses, including violent intimidation and even killings by state forces and other groups.
• Areas managed by Indigenous peoples cover more than 25 per cent of the world’s land and overlap with 40 per cent of protected areas globally. Studies in Nicaragua and Brazil have found that Indigenous communities with ownership of their land have lower rates of deforestation than neighbouring areas. Often, deforestation in these places is even lower than in protected areas.
• This is usually because Indigenous peoples have developed practices and institutions that prevent the over-exploitation of forests. The Cofán community in Zábalo in the Ecuadorian Amazon, for example, see themselves as tsampima coirasundeccu (caretakers of the forest). They share their daily observations at community meetings and arrive at a consensus over whether to prohibit harvesting certain plants and animals if they are declining.

Indigenous lands and deforestation:

• Deforestation rates on Indigenous lands were between 17 per cent and 26 per cent lower on average compared to unprotected tropical forests globally. In Africa, Indigenous lands preserved forest cover better than protected areas, which had similar levels of deforestation to unprotected areas.
• In the Asia-Pacific region, spanning from India to Fiji, deforestation rates were similar on Indigenous lands and in protected areas. Both had deforestation rates that were roughly one-fifth lower than unprotected areas.

Forest degradation

• Research bolsters the status of Indigenous communities as effective stewards of the land. This is particularly important as countries prepare for the 15th UN biodiversity conference in April 2022, where they’ll set fresh targets for halting species and habitat loss and agree on a new global framework for protecting nature.
• Indigenous communities and their leaders must be at the negotiating table when the world meets to develop this roadmap. Growing evidence shows Indigenous peoples benefit the environment through their stewardship. Conservationists should support that by respecting their rights to land and autonomy and providing adequate funding.

Remedial Measures

• Intensive development schemes for afforestation should be adopted. High yielding varieties should be planted in suitable areas.
• The latest techniques of seasoning and preservation are necessary to avoid wastage.
• Proper arrangements to save forests from fires and plant diseases can go a long way to solve several problems.
• A thorough inventory of forest resources is necessary to make an accurate assessment of our forest resources and make plans for their proper use.
• Shifting cultivation should be discouraged and tribals depending on this type of cultivation should be provided with alternative sources of livelihood.
• People associated with forest protection should be properly trained.

Value Addition:

About CBD:

• At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for “sustainable development” — meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations. One of the key agreements adopted at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• The Convention on Biological Diversity is the international legal instrument for “the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources” that has been ratified by 196 nations.

What are Aichi Targets?

The ‘Aichi Targets’ were adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at its Nagoya conference. It is a short term plan provides a set of 20ambitious yet achievable targets, collectively known as the Aichi Targets. They can be divided into:

• Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society.
• Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use.
• Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity.
• Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building.

A NEW TOOL FOR EXOTIC WILDLIFE TRADE

THE CONTEXT: Recent trends suggest that smugglers of exotic wildlife species might be trying to take advantage of the advisory brought out by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to regulate the growing market of exotic animals in the country.

 THE EXPLANATION:

• With a complete ban on wildlife trade of Indian species, there has been a surge in demand in India, for exotic species from different parts of the world, noted the Smuggling in India Report 2019-2020, published by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

What is the government’s voluntary disclosure scheme?

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has come out with an advisory on a one-time voluntary disclosure scheme that allows owners of exotic live species that have been acquired illegally, or without documents, to declare their stock to the government between June and December 2020.
• With this scheme, the government aims to address the challenge of zoonotic diseases, develop an inventory of exotic live species for better compliance under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and regulate their import. In its current form, however, the amnesty scheme is just an advisory, not a law.

How big a problem is the illegal trade of exotic animals in India?

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which enforces anti-smuggling laws,  stated India has emerged as a big demand centre for exotic birds and animals with an increase in the smuggling of endangered species from different parts of the world. Most of this exotic wildlife is imported through Illegal channels and then sold in the domestic market as pets.

What kind of exotic wildlife are covered?

The advisory has defined exotic live species as animals named under Appendices I, II and III of the CITES. It does not include species from the Schedules of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972. The advisory excludes exotic birds from the amnesty scheme.

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):

• It is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in wild animals, birds and plants does not endanger them.
• India is a member. Appendices I, II and III of CITES list 5,950 species as protected against over-exploitation through international trade. Many of these animals, such as iguanas, lemurs, civets, albino monkeys, coral snakes, tortoises, are popular as exotic pets in India.

Identification of beneficiaries eligible for assistance and their prioritisation to be done using information from Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) ensuring total transparency and objectivity. The list will be presented to Gram Sabha to identify beneficiaries who have been assisted before or who have become ineligible due to other reasons.

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. Which of the following is incorrectly matched?

1. Hurricane – Western Pacific Ocean
2. Willy Willy – Western Australia
3. Typhoons – South China Sea

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 only                       b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2 and 3 only           d) 3 only

ANSWER FOR 9^TH DECEMBER 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: C

Explanation: Ken river-

• It is a tributary of the Yamuna.
• It originates near the village Ahirgawan on the northwest slopes of Barner Range in Katni district and travels a distance of 427 km, before merging with the Yamuna at Chilla village, district Banda in Uttar Pradesh.
• Sonar River is its largest tributary.
• The Ken valley separates the Rewa Plateau from the Satna Plateau.
• The Raneh Falls on the Ken river and Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary are tourist attractions. 
• The Ken River passes through Panna National Park.