THE CONTEXT: Recently, the third Belt and Road Forum(BRF) was convened in Beijing, China which has put the spotlight back on Chinese signature initiative of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Even though the BRI is criticised for ground realities, all eyes will be on the future of the Belt and Road Initiative.

OUTCOME OF THE BRF

• The BRF III is themed on “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity”.
• Three high-level forums were held under the topics of Connectivity in an Open World Economy, Green Silk Road for Harmony with Nature, and Digital Economy as a New Source of Growth, respectively.
• Six thematic forums with focuses on Trade Connectivity, Maritime Cooperation, Clean Silk Road, Think Tank Exchanges, People-to-People Bonds, and Subnational Cooperation were respectively convened.

Chinese President announced the following major steps:

• Building a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network.
• Supporting an open world economy
• Carrying out practical cooperation
• Promoting green development
• Advancing scientific and technological innovation.
• Supporting people-to-people exchanges
• Promoting integrity-based Belt and Road cooperation
• Strengthening institutional building for Belt and Road international cooperation

WHAT IS BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE (BRI)?

• Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a large-scale infrastructure development programme launched by China in 2013.
• In October 2017, the Belt and Road Initiative was written into the Communist Party’s Constitution, signalling an all-out effort to realize the vision.
• The initiative aims to connect Asia with Europe and Africa through a network of railways, highways, ports, airports, and other infrastructure projects with the intent to promote trade, investment, and economic growth in participating countries.
• The BRI comprises two main components:

1. 1. The Silk Road Economic Belt : It focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation between China and countries in Central Asia, Europe, and West Asia.
   2. Maritime Silk Road: It focuses on strengthening maritime cooperation between China and countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa.

CHINA’S INTENT OF BRI

• From regional to global: Early debates in China reveal the intent behind the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It was intended to be a gateway for China to transition from a regional power with global influence to a global power with comprehensive strength. It is argued that the BRI was China’s bid to reboot globalisation and rectify its shortcomings.
• Infrastructure to counter rivals: A rising China also felt the need to develop new transport and trade arteries as alternatives to counter rivals to boost Chinese economy.
• Challenging other lending institutions: China intends to put its money all over the world through the initiative and having a strong economic hold by challenging other lending institutions.
• Building an economic order centred on countering the dollar: At the onset, China was pitching for the use of local currency in trade, with the intent of pushing out the dollar to build an economic order centred on China.

ACHIEVEMENT OF BRI

Since its introduction in 2017, the BRI has evolved into a comprehensive strategy for China, with greater involvement in projects.

• The Chinese government’s white paper on BRI (“The Belt and Road Initiative: A Key Pillar of the Global Community of Shared Future”) revealed that over 200 BRI cooperation pacts had been inked with over 150 nations.
• The document also stated that total two-way investment between China and partner countries from 2013 to 2022 touched $380 billion.
• Under China’s Marshall Plan, motorways, power plants, ports, railway networks, and digital infrastructure have been built.
• Some of the key projects are:

1. 1. Laos High-speed railway: Laos took on huge loans from China to partially finance a $6 billion high-speed railway connecting it with the underdeveloped, landlocked nation.
   2. Djibouti Naval base: China showered Djibouti with investment after bringing the small African nation into the BRI’s orbit, and a military base is the centerpiece of the project.

ISSUES WITH BRI:

• Debt sustainability: One of the most significant criticisms of the BRI is that it is a debt trap, which involves China lending money to developing countries for infrastructure projects that they cannot afford to repay. Critics argue that this leads to countries becoming trapped in a cycle of debt and dependence on China, which can undermine their sovereignty and increase their vulnerability to economic and political pressure from China.
• Social and environmental impact: There are also concerns regarding social and environmental impact of the infrastructure projects. A report from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute on the BRI has highlighted issues related to ecological damage, displacement of people, disputes over payouts and labour unrest.
• Decentralised approach: The BRI is not a multilateral initiative but seen as a collection of bilateral projects. This decentralized approach leads to lack of coordination and create governance challenges. It lacks a centralized governing structure, making it difficult to address issues collectively.

INDIA’S POSITION

• India is among the first countries to oppose the project, India had signalled its strong displeasure ahead of the first BRF over the inclusion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a BRI project.
• The CPEC passes through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and is the main reason for India not participating in the BRI. It is against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• India’s initiative: India need to participate actively with its partners in the region to offer alternative connectivity arrangements to its neighbours.
• Global initiative: There is a need of strengthening of global initiatives to counter BRI. With the emergence of alternative initiatives, such as the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) and the EU’s Global Gateway Plan, could also shape the future of infrastructure development in developing countries.
• China’s role: The future of the BRI will depend on China’s ability to address the challenges and concerns raised by participating countries and to adapt to changing global conditions.

To ensure the long-term sustainability and success of the BRI, China may need to focus on promoting greater transparency and sustainability in BRI projects and work collaboratively with participating countries to address debt sustainability concerns.

THE CONCLUSION: The BRI faces significant challenges, including concerns about debt sustainability and the impact of China’s economic slowdown. Here, there is a need to provide an alternative to BRI, but the larger and stronger economies have to come together to find a way ahead.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS:

Q.1 The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is viewed as a cardinal subset of China’s larger ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative. Give a brief description of CPEC and enumerate the reasons why India has distanced itself from the same. (2018)

Q.2 “China is using its economic relations and positive trade surplus as tools to develop potential military power status in Asia”. In the light of this statement, discuss its impact on India as her neighbour. (2017)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q.1 BRI has raised geopolitical concerns regarding Chinese control over critical infrastructure, and it is blamed for its “debt-trap diplomacy’’. Analyse.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-bri-at-10-some-hits-many-misses/article67435346.ece

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Cabinet approves Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2024-25 READ MORE
2. How quantum algorithms solve problems that classical computers can’t READ MORE
3. Parliamentary Panel examining Bill to increase minimum age of marriage for women gets another extension READ MORE  
4. Centre notifies transfer of 16 High Court judges, appointment of 17 READ MORE
5. OBCs and subcategories: Why this has been a hot-button issue for long READ MORE
6. Severe drought grips the Amazon rainforest: The impact, cause and grim future READ MORE
7. Israel using white phosphorus in Gaza? 5 things about the controversial weapon READ MORE
8. Flash floods in Kerala: A junked breakwater plan may have been Achilles’ heel READ MORE
9. Microalgae are adapting to warming climate, declining nutrient levels in seas with novel strategy READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. In India, reproductive autonomy remains a pipedream READ MORE
2. Why Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage verdict opens no doors for queer people READ MORE
3. Same-Sex Marriage: An opportunity lost, hope not forever READ MORE
4. Holes in the green cover READ MORE
5. Is climate change the reason for Sikkim flash floods? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Revamp governance to make cities liveable READ MORE
2. Limits to women’s reproductive rights READ MORE
3. Same-Sex Marriage : Onus on legislature to initiate reforms READ MORE
4. Two decades on, India plans to strengthen diplomatic corps READ MORE
5. Federalism puzzle READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. India Improve nutrition delivery and don’t bristle at low rank READ MORE
2. Global Hunger Index a stark reminder to address hunger, poverty READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The BRI at 10, some hits, many misses READ MORE
2. The old Middle East is not back READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The measure of the working woman READ MORE
2. Fear factor: On the inflation battle READ MORE
3. Going beyond the International Year of Millets to achieve decade-long action READ MORE
4. Tackling urban poverty READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Accelerating green innovation through EVs READ MORE
2. India’s energy transition: Who will lead the way? READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. The explosion of digital uncertainty READ MORE
2. The final frontier READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Localise strategies to build climate resilience READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Cybercrime surge: Focus on persistent vigil, collaborative efforts READ MORE
2. Beyond ‘Black Mirror’s’ fiction – Impact of Generative AI on policing, security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Consciousness chronicles, from duality to bliss READ MORE
2. Happy greetings READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. As the threat of climate change grows stark in the Himalayan regions, the Early Warning System should be deployed to avoid numerous disasters. Comment.
2. Despite the emergence of numerous education policies in the post-independence period, India has yet to generate an indigenous system of education that is propelled by rationality, scientific temper and empathy. Do you agree that transforming education into the practice of freedom is an effective way forward?
3. The Electoral Bonds scheme not only creates an uneven playing field for political parties but is a danger to our democracy. Comment.
4. The SHG federations with the existing panchayat-level committees have opportunities to contribute to the development process of the village to upgrade education, health, sanitation and infrastructure facilities. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• You cannot continue to victimise someone else just because you yourself were a victim once.
• Our real enemies are not men and women but suspicion, fear, hatred, violence and feeling of revenge and these enemies cannot be eliminated by military means.
• Discoms will be profitable only when they are unshackled from state controls and electricity distribution is deregulated.
• The goal should be to create more employers than employees, and it is hoped that “PM Vishwakarma” will help make this a reality.
• The SHG federations can work with the existing panchayat-level committees to contribute to the development process of the village to upgrade education, health, sanitation and infrastructure facilities.
• The SHG model is a flexible and comprehensive tool to steer holistic development services as opposed to only providing financial and livelihood services to SHG women.
• While women-led federations role in promoting empowerment and livelihoods promotion is well known, not much has been highlighted about the SHG federation’s work in providing non-financial and development services in their communities.
• As the threat of climate change grows stark in the Himalayan regions the Early Warning System should be deployed to avoid numerous disasters.
• The biggest concern for India right now is the decline in both merchandise exports and imports over the past eight months.
• If the Indian government remains convinced about not joining the RCEP, it must have strategic reasons, which is fine. But it must nevertheless address the ongoing outcomes of such a decision, and that’s where agility in policymaking comes in.
• Despite the emergence of numerous education policies in the post-Independence period, India is yet to generate an indigenous system of education that is propelled by rationality, scientific temper and empathy.
• Education has to set its epistemic and moral worth and the goals of education should be quality, equity and efficiency in learning outcomes.
• A level playing field in terms of educational opportunities and competition, coupled with affirmative action, can enhance classroom accountability.
• To integrate critical thinking, educational reform has to assimilate the willingness to be rationally critiqued and learning must inculcate the ability to question from different vantage points.
• One is the legalisation of anonymous donations, and the other is the violation of citizens’ right to information about the funding of parties.
• The legalisation of anonymous donations would amount to facilitation and legitimisation of corruption.
• In a democracy, the public have the right to know who funds parties because the funding may be used to influence policies.

50-WORD TALK

• While arguments on who bombed al-Ahli Hospital rage, it underlines the horrors ahead if war grinds on in densely-populated Gaza. The killing of innocent civilians is empowering extremists and defeating the international peacemaking crisis. Leaders on all sides must refrain from stoking a fire threatening to spread beyond the region.
• As the threat of climate change grows stark, events like the recent glacial lake outburst flood that caused death and devastation in Sikkim are becoming frequent. This underlines the urgency of installing early warning systems in the fragile Himalayan range. Governments can no longer afford to ignore such red flags.
• Faced with a moral, legal and ethical dilemma, the Supreme Court walked on eggshells to reject a 26-week-old pregnant woman’s plea to abort her foetus on the ground that it risked her psychologically. The issue will be debated in the coming days as a prudent balance between competing fundamental rights.
• GIFT City has many infrastructural marvels, and attractive tax incentives. But, it’s nowhere near being the next Singapore. It needs to come out of Gujarat government’s shadows and allow a restriction-free, socially liberal lifestyle that youthful, global workforce thrives on. Relax prohibition, improve connectivity, housing, open spas, and golf courses.

Things to Remember:

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

1. GLOBAL MARITIME INDIA SUMMIT 2023

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY, GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister has virtually inaugurated the third edition of the Global Maritime India Summit 2023 on 17^th October 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• The summit is the biggest Maritime Event in the country and will witness the participation of Ministers from across the globe representing countries from Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia (including central Asia, Middle East and BIMSTEC region).
• The summit is also to be attended by Global CEOs, Business leaders, Investors, Officials, and other stakeholders worldwide.
• Further, several Indian states will also be represented at the summit by the Ministers and other dignitaries.
• The three-day summit will discuss and deliberate key issues of the maritime sector:
  • Ports of the future
  • Decarbonisation
  • Coastal shipping and inland waterways
  • Shipbuilding, repair, and recycling
  • Finance, insurance, and arbitration
  • Maritime clusters
  • Innovation and technology
  • Maritime safety and security
• The first Maritime India summit was held in 2016 in Mumbai while the Second Maritime Summit was held virtually in 2021.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMIT:

• ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’, a blueprint for the Indian maritime blue economy was unveiled.
• The blueprint outlines strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing port facilities, promoting sustainable practices, and facilitating international collaboration.
• In line with this futuristic plan the foundation stone for projects worth more than Rs 23,000 crores was laid that are aligned with the ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’ for the Indian maritime blue economy.
• The summit provides an excellent platform for attracting investment in the country’s maritime sector.
• The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Tuna Tekra all-weather deep draft terminal, to be built at a cost of more than Rs 4,500 crores at Deendayal Port Authority in Gujarat.
• This state-of-the-art greenfield terminal will be developed in Public–Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
• The terminal, which is likely to emerge as an international trade hub, will handle next-gen vessels exceeding 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
• It will act as a gateway for Indian trade via the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC).
• The Prime Minister also dedicated more than 300 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth more than 7 lakh crore for global and national partnerships in the maritime sector.

ABOUT THE SUMMIT:

• Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023 is a flagship event aimed at propelling the Indian maritime economy by promoting global and regional partnerships and facilitating investments.
• It is an annual meet of the Indian and international maritime community to address key industry issues and exchange ideas to bring the sector forward.
• Driven by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, GMIS 2023 brings together global maritime players, policy makers and regulators, key opinion leaders and industry leaders.
• The event includes an investor summit and an international exhibition to facilitate interaction and collaboration among the Indian and international maritime companies, policy makers, investors, and other stakeholders.
• To encourage dialogue and cooperation among key industry leaders, the event features a Global CEOs’ Forum.
• Further, to recognize partners that have made outstanding contributions to India’s development as a leading maritime center, the event will host Maritime Excellence Achievers’ ceremony.
• The 3-day event will be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and expected to be attended by the globally renowned industry players.

SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1968331

2. SAME SEX MARRIAGE

TAG: GS 2: POLITY, GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court upheld constitutionality of Special Marriage Act in present form and entrusts legislature to debate, decide on providing legal status to same-sex relationships.

EXPLANATION:

• The Constitution Bench ruled that courts cannot intervene in the matter as there is no fundamental right to marry.
• It held that only the legislature can recognise or regulate queer marriage.
• All five judges on the Bench unanimously accepting that laws and society discriminate against same-sex couples.
• But they failed to reach a consensus to provide even long-abiding relationships between queer couples the status of a legally recognised “civil union”.

OPINION OF THE MINORITY OF THE BENCH:

• Minority of the bench hold the view that queer people have a fundamental right to form a relationship, and the state should not fail to give such unions a legal status so that same-sex couples could avail the material benefits provided under the law.
• The right to enter into a union cannot be restricted on the basis of sexual orientation. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is violative of Article 15 of the Constitution.
  • Right to form a union was a feature of the fundamental right to choose partners and lead a dignified, meaningful life.
  • Equality cannot be denied to same-sex couples on the basis of their sexual orientation. Queer persons have a right to form abiding relationships.
• Legal recognition to same-sex relationships was a step forward towards “marriage equality”.
• They held that constitutional authorities should carve out a regulatory framework to recognise the civil union of adults in a same-sex relationship.
• The majority views of Justices disagreed on the point, holding that it was for the legislature, and not the Court, to formally recognise and grant legal status to non-heterosexual relationships.
• But all the five judges on the Bench agreed that the Special Marriage Act of 1954 was not unconstitutional for excluding same-sex marriages.
• They said that tinkering with the Special Marriage Act of 1954 to bring same-sex unions within its ambit would not be advisable. It is Parliament and State legislature to enact laws on marriage.

FORMATION OF THE COMMITTEE:

• The Bench nevertheless unanimously agreed that same sex couples face discrimination and harassment in their daily lives.
• The court urged the government to form a high-powered committee chaired by the Union Cabinet Committee to expeditiously look into genuine human concerns faced by same-sex partners.
• The Chief Justice suggested that the committee should look into whether queer couples could be treated as members of the same family for the purpose of ration card; succession; maintenance; opening of a joint bank account; arrangement of last rites of partners; access benefits of rights and benefits of employment, etc.

LEGAL BATTLE OF THE SAME SEX MARRIAGE:

• The legal battle for same-sex marriage in India began in 2001, when Naz Foundation (India) Trust filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the constitutionality of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalized “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”.
• In 2009, the Delhi High Court ruled that Section 377 was unconstitutional in so far as it applied to consensual sexual activity between adults.
• However, the Supreme Court of India overturned the Delhi High Court’s ruling in 2013 and held that the decision to decriminalise homosexuality could only be made by Parliament and not the Court.
• In 2014, a group of LGBTQ+ activists filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of Section 377 once again.
• In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that Section 377 was unconstitutional in its entirety.
• The Supreme Court’s ruling was a major victory for the LGBTQ+ community in India, and it paved the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage.
• In 2019, a group of LGBTQ+ activists filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking the legalization of same-sex marriage.
• The legal battle for same-sex marriage in India has been long and arduous However significant progress has been made in recent years.
• The Supreme Court’s ruling decriminalizing homosexuality and the Supreme Court’s recent judgement are both signs of progress.
• It is important to note that the legal battle for same-sex marriage is not just about the right to marry but right to equality and the right to be free from discrimination.
• The LGBTQ+ community in India faces discrimination in many areas of life, including employment, housing, and healthcare. The legalization of same-sex marriage would send a powerful message that the LGBTQ+ community is equal to any other community in India.
• The legal battle for same-sex marriage in India is a complex issue with many different perspectives. It is important to be respectful of all perspectives and to engage in civil discourse.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/sc-declines-to-legalise-same-sex-marriage-says-legislature-to-decide/article67431746.ece

3. LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS (LF)

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Lao People’s Democratic Republic has eliminated lymphatic filariasis (LF), a disease that cripples and has significant social and economic impact on the affected communities according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

EXPLANATION:

• This is the country’s second neglected tropical disease (NTD) to be eliminated in six years, following the elimination of trachoma as a public health hazard in 2017.
• The WHO attributed the success to decades of hard effort by the Lao government, health-care workers, communities, and national and international partners.
• Lao PDR is now the second country after Bangladesh to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) in 2023.
• Nineteen countries have been able to eliminate LF, according to the WHO progress report on the disease released on October 13, 2023.

LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS (LF):

• Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease.
• Over 882 million people in 44 countries worldwide remain threatened by lymphatic filariasis and require preventive chemotherapy to stop the spread of this parasitic infection.

CAUSE, TRANSMISSION AND SYMPTOMS:

• Lymphatic filariasis is caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea.
• There are 3 types of these thread-like filarial worms:
  • Wuchereria bancrofti, which is responsible for 90% of the cases.
  • Brugia malayi, which causes most of the remainder of the cases.
  • Brugia timori, which also causes the disease.
• Infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes.
• Infection is usually acquired in childhood and causes hidden damage to the lymphatic system.
• Lymphatic filariasis impairs the lymphatic system and can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts, causing pain, severe disability and social stigma.

ELIMINATION:

• Lymphatic filariasis can be eliminated by stopping the spread of infection through preventive chemotherapy with safe medicine combinations repeated annually.
• More than 9 billion cumulative treatments have been delivered to stop the spread of infection since 2000.
• As of 2018, 51 million people were infected – a 74% decline since the start of WHO’s Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis in 2000.
• Due to successful implementation of WHO strategies, 740 million people no longer require preventive chemotherapy.
• An essential, recommended package of care can alleviate suffering and prevent further disability among people living with disease caused by lymphatic filariasis.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/lao-pdr-becomes-second-country-in-2023-after-bangladesh-to-eliminate-lymphatic-filariasis-92355

4. BRIGHT TRANSIENT SURVEY BOT (BTSBOT)

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: For the first time, artificial intelligence (AI) has searched for, detected, confirmed, classified, and announced a supernova discovery without any human intervention.

EXPLANATION:

• This new AI tool called Bright Transient Survey Bot (BTSbot) has been developed by an international team of scientists, using over 1.4 million images from nearly 16,000 sources to train its machine-learning algorithm.
• It is reported that the new system allows automation of the entire star explosion discovery process, which not only eliminates human error but also dramatically increases speed.
• Removing humans from the loop provides more time for the research team to analyze their observations and develop new hypotheses to explain the origin of the cosmic explosions that we observe.
• This significantly streamlines large studies of supernovae and help to better understand the life cycles of stars and the origin of elements supernovae create, like carbon, iron and gold.

BRIGHT TRANSIENT SURVEY BOT:

• It is a machine-learning algorithm which has been trained by using over 1.4 million images from nearly 16,000 sources.
• It detected the newly discovered supernova named SN2023tyk in data from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) which is believed to be a Type Ia supernova located around 760 million light-years from Earth.

WORKING MECHANISM:

• It automatically requested the potential supernova’s spectrum from Palomar Observatory – where another robotic telescope, the Spectral Energy Distribution Machine (SEDM) performed an in-depth observation to obtain the source’s spectrum.
• This new system not only allows automation of the entire search for new supernovae across the night sky but also eliminates human error and dramatically increases speed.
• It searched, detected, confirmed, classified, and announced the findings without any human intervention.

WHY IS IT COMPARATIVELY DIFFICULT FOR HUMANS TO DETECT?

• The current process of detecting and analysing supernovae involves humans working hand in hand with robotic systems.
• Though supernovae are bright and energetic events, they are not that common, and certainly not easy to spot.
• The traditional method involves relying on robotic telescopes repeatedly taking images of the same sections of the night sky to detect new sources of light after which humans take over.
• Subsequently, astronomers have to visually inspect large volumes of data.
• This time-consuming process is believed to be the reason why astronomers have only discovered a small fraction of all supernovae that occur in the universe.
• But automated software presents a list of candidate explosions to humans, who spend time verifying the candidates and executing spectroscopic observations.

SOURCE: https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/ai-finds-supernova-the-biggest-explosion-in-universe-first-without-human-help-2450230-2023-10-17

5. RICE FORTIFICATION

TAG: GS 3: AGRICULTURE

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court on October 14, 2023, directed the Centre to respond to concerns regarding the government’s iron fortified rice programme and its indiscriminate distribution to even those suffering from thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

EXPLANATION:

• The Supreme Court asked the government to apprise it in four weeks about the steps taken to comply with a provision of the regulations.
• Provision of the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018 provides that labels on bags containing fortified rice should carry an advisory that it is harmful for people suffering from thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia.
• The 2018 regulations provided that every package of food fortified with iron shall carry a statement, “People with thalassemia may take under medical supervision and persons with Sickle Cell Anaemia are advised not to consume iron fortified food-products”.
• The directions were given in response to a public interest litigation filed by Rajesh Krishnan and others, challenging the government’s iron fortified rice programme.

ISSUES WITH THE IRON FORTIFIED FOOD:

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s statutory regulations has warned patients with thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia against consuming iron-fortified food or about using it only under strict medical supervision.
• Patients of haemoglobinopathies (a group of blood disorders that affect red blood cells) like thalassemia and sickle cell disease are contraindicated to eat iron, according to clause 7 (4) of the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulation, 2018 and also based on global scientific evidence.
• Consuming iron could lead to adverse outcomes like organ failure for people with such conditions.
• This means that giving iron-fortified rice indiscriminately, without any screening for such patients, is a non-compliance of the government with their own warnings.
• A fact-finding visit by Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture and Right to Food Campaign in the two states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
• It revealed that the labelling requirements and the operational guidelines were not being followed; importantly, in food schemes where the food distribution is unpackaged or even cooked, there were no written or verbal warnings.

FOOD FORTIFICATION:

• Food fortification refers to the addition of chemical / synthetic vitamins and minerals (like iron, folic acid, iodine, zinc, vitamins B12, A, D) that are not available naturally in particular foods and is used as a strategy to address malnutrition in India.

HOW IS RICE FORTIFIED WITH IRON?

• Under the fortification scheme, milled broken rice is ground to dust and a premix of vitamins and minerals is added to it.
• Thereafter, an extruder machine is used to produce fortified rice kernels (FRK) resembling rice grains.
• The kernels are then mixed in a 1:100 ratio with regular rice to produce fortified rice.
• The cost to the consumer is estimated to be less than 50 paisa per kg.
• According to the food ministry, the fortification programme aims to cover 291 aspirational and high burden (nutrient deficient) districts across the country by March 2023, for which 9 million tonnes of fortified rice has been produced.

FORTIFIED RICE PROGRAMME:

• Prime Minister in his Independence Day address in 2021, said the government aims to distribute fortified rice via the government schemes by 2024.
• Thereafter, a scheme for the distribution of fortified rice, containing prescribed micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12) was launched in October 2021 in a phased manner in order to address the problem of anaemia in children and women.
• In April 2022, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the supply of fortified rice throughout the Public Distribution System (PDS), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman-PM POSHAN (erstwhile Mid-Day Meal Scheme) and other welfare schemes in all states and Union Territories (UTs) by 2024 in a phased manner.
• The entire cost of rice fortification, which is around Rs 2,700 crore per annum, would be borne by the Centre as part of the food subsidy till its full implementation up to June 2024.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/food/no-health-warnings-on-iron-fortified-rice-sc-directs-govt-to-respond-in-4-weeks-92348

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. PM inaugurates Global Maritime India Summit 2023 READ MORE
2. SC declines to legalise same-sex marriage, says legislature to decide READ MORE
3. Kerala mulls planting bamboo along Munnar’s Gap Road to avert landslips READ MORE  
4. ST status for Meiteis was considered and rejected in 1982 and 2001, government records show READ MORE
5. How synergistic barriers are affecting progress on SDGs READ MORE
6. AI finds supernova, the biggest explosion in universe, first without human help READ MORE
7. India-Sri Lanka ferry service restarted after 40 yrs: Opportunities, challenges READ MORE
8. Scientists using AI to decode secrets of ancient Pompeii scroll READ MORE
9. Amazon forests threatened: 10% more wildfires than last year, environmental gains may be undone READ MORE
10. No health warnings on iron fortified rice: SC directs govt to respond in 4 weeks READ MORE  

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Why Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage verdict opens no doors for queer people READ MORE
2. Solve water woes to save TN growth target READ MORE
3. Is climate change the reason for Sikkim flash floods? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Demolishing the frame from outside the Constitution READ MORE
2. Centralised procurement as a powerful health idea READ MORE
3. Law and custom: On the Supreme Court’s verdict on same-sex marriage READ MORE
4. Invoking the spectre of judicial legislation READ MORE
5. Empowered CAG: Guardian of public purse must stay independent READ MORE
6. Providing non-financial services to rural communities READ MORE
7. Electoral Bonds must be scrapped READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Food deprivation & hunger remain widespread in India READ MORE
2. Higher education at crossroads READ MORE
3. Transform learning READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. A ferry tale from the neighbourhood READ MORE
2. Building bridges READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. How to read India’s latest employment data READ MORE
2. Role of banks in a knowledge economy READ MORE
3. Gig workers law deepens industrial democracy READ MORE
4. Watch out for global headwinds READ MORE
5. Farm to fork: An overview of millet supply chains in India READ MORE
6. GM crops need more research READ MORE
7. Indian Agriculture has a problem. We farm too much for too little READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Climate lessons from G20 for Dubai COP28 READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. AI could redefine police techniques READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Localise strategies to build climate resilience READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Cybercrime surge: Focus on persistent vigil, collaborative efforts READ MORE
2. Beyond ‘Black Mirror’s’ fiction – Impact of Generative AI on policing, security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. This Quote Means: ‘Women… are fuelled by a will to survive’, from Iran’s Nobel Peace Prize winner READ MORE
2. The Buddha’s wisdom can help to heal the mind READ MORE
3. Supreme intelligence READ MORE
4. Civil servants who say no to scams are national icons READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. As the threat of climate change grows stark in the Himalayan regions, the Early Warning System should be deployed to avoid numerous disasters. Comment.
2. Despite the emergence of numerous education policies in the post-independence period, India has yet to generate an indigenous system of education that is propelled by rationality, scientific temper and empathy. Do you agree that transforming education into the practice of freedom is an effective way forward?
3. The Electoral Bonds scheme not only creates an uneven playing field for political parties but is a danger to our democracy. Comment.
4. The SHG federations with the existing panchayat-level committees has opportunities to contribute to the development process of the village to upgrade education, health, sanitation and infrastructure facilities. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The Constitution’s identity is endangered not just by a textual transformation but also in the subversion of its liberal, democratic environment.
• Our real enemies are not men and women but suspicion, fear, hatred, violence and feeling of revenge and these enemies cannot be eliminated by military means.
• Discoms will be profitable only when they are unshackled from state controls and electricity distribution is deregulated.
• The goal should be to create more employers than employees, and it is hoped that “PM Vishwakarma” will help make this a reality.
• The SHG federations can work with the existing panchayat-level committees to contribute to the development process of the village to upgrade education, health, sanitation and infrastructure facilities.
• The SHG model is a flexible and comprehensive tool to steer holistic development services as opposed to only providing financial and livelihood services to SHG women.
• While women-led federations role in promoting empowerment and livelihoods promotion is well known, not much has been highlighted about the SHG federation’s work in providing non-financial and development services in their communities.
• As the threat of climate change grows stark in the Himalayan regions the Early Warning System should be deployed to avoid numerous disasters.
• The biggest concern for India right now is the decline in both merchandise exports and imports over the past eight months.
• If the Indian government remains convinced about not joining the RCEP, it must have strategic reasons, which is fine. But it must nevertheless address the ongoing outcomes of such a decision, and that’s where agility in policymaking comes in.
• Despite the emergence of numerous education policies in the post-Independence period, India is yet to generate an indigenous system of education that is propelled by rationality, scientific temper and empathy.
• Education has to set its epistemic and moral worth and the goals of education should be quality, equity and efficiency in learning outcomes.
• A level playing field in terms of educational opportunities and competition, coupled with affirmative action, can enhance classroom accountability.
• To integrate critical thinking, educational reform has to assimilate the willingness to be rationally critiqued and learning must inculcate the ability to question from different vantage points.
• One is the legalisation of anonymous donations, and the other is the violation of citizens’ right to information about the funding of parties.
• The legalisation of anonymous donations would amount to facilitation and legitimisation of corruption.
• In a democracy, the public have the right to know who funds parties because the funding may be used to influence policies.

50-WORD TALK

• As the threat of climate change grows stark, events like the recent glacial lake outburst flood that caused death and devastation in Sikkim are becoming frequent. This underlines the urgency of installing early warning systems in the fragile Himalayan range. Governments can no longer afford to ignore such red flags.
• Faced with a moral, legal and ethical dilemma, the Supreme Court walked on eggshells to reject a 26-week-old pregnant woman’s plea to abort her foetus on the ground that it risked her psychologically. The issue will be debated in the coming days as a prudent balance between competing fundamental rights.
• GIFT City has many infrastructural marvels, and attractive tax incentives. But, it’s nowhere near being the next Singapore. It needs to come out of Gujarat government’s shadows and allow a restriction-free, socially liberal lifestyle that youthful, global workforce thrives on. Relax prohibition, improve connectivity, housing, open spas, and golf courses.

Things to Remember:

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

THE CONTEXT: 2023 theme for the World Food Day is “Water is Life. Water is Food”. In this context, it needs to be assessed how far India has progressed in achieving food security and using its water resources in agriculture.

WORLD FOOD DAY

• October 16 is observed as World Food Day to mark the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in 1945.
• Its main purpose was to ensure food and nutrition security around the world in the aftermath of World War II.

STATUS OF FOOD SECURITY IN INDIA

• Food security has three dimensions: i) Availability, ii) Accessibility iii)Affordability. Thus, Food security is ensured in a country only when sufficient food is available for everyone if everyone has the means to purchase food of acceptable quality, and if there are no barriers to access.
• India has come a long way in achieving food security from a time of “ship to mouth” in mid 1960s to being top exporter of foodgrains in current times. For example, only in the last three years, 2020-21 to 2022-23, India exported 85 million tonnes (MT) of cereals, mainly rice, wheat and corn.
• From the green and white revolution, India has also now ushered in a pink (poultry) and blue (fishery) revolution to achieve food security.

CURRENT FRAMEWORK FOR FOOD SECURITY IN INDIA

• Constitutional Provisions: Right to food can be covered in fundamental right to life enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution.
• Public Distribution System and Buffer Stock: Public Distribution System has become an important part of Government’s policy for management of the food economy in the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has the responsibility of procuring the food grains at minimum support price (MSP) and maintaining buffer stock.
• National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA): It marks a paradigm shift in the approach to food security from welfare to rights based approach.

HOW IS INDIA USING ITS WATER RESOURCES IN AGRICULTURE?

• While India is home to almost 18% of the world’s population, it has only 4% of global freshwater resources. Much of this water is used in agriculture. While FAO puts this figure at 90%, the Indian Central Water Commission says it is 78%.
• Groundwater contributes about 64 per cent, canals 23 per cent, tanks 2 per cent and other sources 11 per cent to irrigation.
• Climate change is likely to increase pressure on water resources, even as the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts in the country increases.

ISSUES IN FOOD SECURITY

• Disappointing data: India ranked 111th out of 121 countries in the 2023 edition of the Global Hunger Index (GHI). According to the latest National Family Health Survey, almost 16.6% of India’s population is malnourished, 35% of its children below the age of five years are stunted and 32% are underweight. In this respect, India will not be able to achieve its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of zero hunger (including malnutrition) by 2030.
• Not enough investment: India has not succeeded in attracting private sector investments in reservoirs and canal networks. The government lacks fund to invest after food and fertilizer subsidies costing more than Rs 4 lakh crores. Under such a scenario, Indian agriculture remains a risky venture in the wake of climate change.
• Inefficiency in the use of water in agriculture: There are inefficiencies in the allocation and use of water in agriculture, which is another concern for food security.

THE WAY FORWARD

• Switching to less water intensive crops: To ensure food security with respect to climate change requires rewarding farmers to switch from irrigation-heavy crops like paddy and sugarcane to less water-intensive crops like millets, pulses and oilseeds. As there is a need of both producing more food along with saving water.
• Increase investment: There is a need to increase investment in agriculture infrastructure for sustainable practices by engaging private sector participation and ensuring political will.
• Sustainable use of water: India needs to adopt a two-pronged strategy with respect to water in agriculture. First, on the supply side, it must augment buffer stocking of water during the monsoon season in its reservoirs, and recharge groundwater through check dams and watersheds, etc. Second, it must work on the demand side to ensure more rational allocation and efficient use of water across crops.

THE CONCLUSION: To minimise the climate risk to ensure food security in India, there is a need for a paradigm shift in our thinking. For this there is a need of revamping of policies, farm practices, and products, keeping water at the centre of agriculture.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION

Q. In what way could replacement of price subsidy with Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) change the scenario of subsidies in India? Discuss. (2015)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.1 Despite several measures taken by the government, there are challenges for food security in the Indian context. Suggest measures that need to be taken to tackle these challenges.

Q.2 What are the legal provisions of food security in India? How far these measures have been successful in ensuring food security in India?

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/ashok-gulati-writes-how-india-can-minimise-climate-risk-in-agriculture-8984596/

1. QUANTUM ENGINE

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT:A team of physicists in Germany has developed a new type of quantum engine that works by flipping the identity of atoms.

EXPLANATION:

• The engine is still in its early stages of development, but it could have far-reaching implications for the future of energy production and computing.
• The new quantum engine is based on a theoretical concept called the Pauli engine, which was first proposed in 2003.
• The Pauli engine is a type of heat engine that converts the energy difference between two quantum states of a group of atoms into work.

HOW IT WORKS:

• The engine works by exploiting a fundamental difference between two types of subatomic particles: fermions and bosons.
• Fermions are particles that obey the Pauli exclusion principle.
  • It means that no two fermions can occupy the same quantum state at the same time.
• Bosons, on the other hand, do not obey the Pauli exclusion principle, which means that they can all occupy the same quantum state.
• The engine works by starting with a group of fermions that are cooled to very low temperatures.
• At these temperatures, the fermions will all occupy the lowest energy level possible.
• However, if the fermions are then exposed to a strong magnetic field, their energy levels will change, and they will be forced to occupy higher energy levels.
• This process is known as a Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC).
• Once the fermions have been converted to bosons, they can be used to power the engine.
• The engine works by exploiting the fact that bosons have a lower energy than fermions.
• By flipping the identity of the atoms back and forth between fermions and bosons, the engine can release energy.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:

• The new quantum engine could have a wide range of potential applications.
• For example, it could be used to develop new types of batteries and fuel cells that are more efficient and have a higher energy density than current technologies.
• It could also be used to develop new types of quantum computers that are more powerful and faster than current computers.

CHALLENGES:

• One of the main challenges facing the development of the new quantum engine is that it is still very inefficient.
• The current prototype engine has an efficiency of only about 25%.
• However, the researchers believe that they can improve the efficiency of the engine significantly in the future.
• Another challenge is that the engine is very sensitive to temperature.
• It only works at very low temperatures, close to absolute zero.
• This means that the engine would need to be cooled using a cryogenic system, which would be expensive and complex.

CONCLUSION:

• The new quantum engine is a promising new technology with the potential to revolutionize energy production and computing.
• However, there are still a number of challenges that need to be overcome before the engine can be commercialized.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/pauli-engine-bec-bcs-crossover-quantum-thermodynamics/article67410557.ece/amp/

2. INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT:The Indian Ocean Rim Association’s (IORA) Council of Ministers (COM) held in Colombo on October 11 was attended by foreign ministers and senior officials of the 23-nation grouping of countries with the theme “Reinforcing Indian Ocean Identity”.

WHAT IS THE IORA AND HOW WAS IT FORMED?

• The Indian Ocean Rim Association includes 23 countries from Africa, West Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, Australia and littoral states situated in and around the Indian Ocean.
• Its apex body is the Council of Foreign Ministers which meet annually.
• The grouping moves by rotation through members every two years.
• Sri Lanka took charge as Chair 2023 from Bangladesh, and India is Vice-Chair, meaning that the troika of IORA is within the South Asian region.
• IORA’s membership includes 23 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, the Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the UAE and Yemen.
• It also has 11 dialogue partners: China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Türkiye, the U.K. and the U.S.
• The IORA was formed in 1997 (then called the Indian Ocean Region-Association for Regional Cooperation) in Mauritius.
• Itsgenesis came from a speech Nelson Mandela gave in Delhi in 1995.

IMPORTANCE OF THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION:

• A third of the world’s population (2.6 billion people) live in the region.
• 80% of global oil trade, 50% of the world’s containerised cargo and 33% of its bulk cargo passes through it.
• The region produces a combined total of $1 trillion in goods and services and intra-IORA trade is billed at around $800 billion.
• IORA, remains a “safe space” for India and other countries of the region that wish to keep out the constant challenge of big-power rivalries.
  • India’s other regional organisations, like SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) and BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), face their own challenges.
  • While the QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), has made progress, it remains U.S.-led, along with military allies Australia and Japan.
  • Meanwhile, China is actively trying to rope in India’s neighbours with groupings like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation, China-South Asian Countries Poverty Alleviation and Cooperative Development Centre, which exclude India.
• IORA membership is based on consensus, and Pakistan has not been admitted to the grouping since it first applied in 2001.
  • Because it has not extended MFN (most favoured nation) status to India, making the IORA a less contentious space for India as well, compared to groupings like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

IORA’s FOCUS:

• According to its charter, the IORA’s seven priority areas are
  • Maritimesafety and security;
  • Tradeand investment facilitation;
  • Fisheriesmanagement;
  • Disasterrisk management;
  • Academic;
  • Science and technology;
  • Tourism and cultural exchanges; and
  • Gender empowerment.
• The IORA also runs a special fund in addition, disbursing $80,000-$150,000 for project grants to members, and has a particular focus on climate change.
• Strategic issues and the importance of keeping a free and open sea lane, guarding against piracy, have become an integral part of the discussions.
• Speaking at the conference this year, External Affairs Minister of India stressed the importance of maintaining the Indian Ocean as a “free, open and inclusive space” where there was “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

SOURCE:https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/news/national/how-is-the-indian-ocean-rim-association-a-key-bloc-for-india-explained/article67421544.ece/amp/

3. AMUR FALCONS

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT:The Manipur Forest Department will carry out a head count of Amur falcons-the world’s longest travelling raptors- in Tamenglong district.

EXPLANATION:

• The district’s forest unit as well as Tamenglong based Rainforest Club Tamenglong (RCT) are all set to hold a series of programmes jointly to spread awareness among the villages.
• Tamenglong’s district magistrate also released an order, banning on hunting, catching, killing and selling of the birds and using of air guns during the raptors’ roosting period.

IMPORTANCE OF THE HEAD COUNT:

• The head count will provide valuable data on the population of Amur falcons in Manipur, which is essential for developing effective conservation strategies.
• The data will also help to identify any new or emerging threats to the birds.
• The head count is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of Amur falcons and the need to protect them.
• The head count is also a sign of the Manipur Forest Department’s commitment to conserving Amur falcons and other wildlife in the state.

THREATS TO THE AMUR FALCON:

• Habitat loss:
  • Amur falcons rely on a variety of habitats during their migration, including grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands.
  • However, these habitats are increasingly being lost to development, agriculture, and other human activities.

• Hunting:
  • Amur falcons are hunted for food and for sport in some parts of their range.
  • This is a major threat to the species, especially in areas where populations are already declining.

• Pesticide poisoning:
  • Amur falcons can be poisoned by pesticides that are used in agriculture.
  • This is a particular threat to the birds during their wintering grounds in Africa, where pesticides are often used intensively.

• Climate change:
• • Climate change is also a threat to Amur falcons.
  • As the climate warms, the birds are forced to change their migration patterns and habitats.
  • This can make it more difficult for them to find food and nesting sites.

AMUR FALCONS:

• The Amur falcons are locally known as Akhuaipuina.
• They usually arrive in Manipur in thousands, mostly in Tamenglong in mid-October from their breeding grounds in South Eastern Siberia and Northern China.
• Feeds on dragonflies that follow a similar migration path over Arabian Sea.
• These pigeon-sized birds undertake a yearly journey covering up to 22,000 km(longest sea crossing of any raptor).
• They leave the region at November-end after having enough food for their non-stop flight to Africa, where they spend their winters.
• They also cross over the Indian Ocean between Western India and tropical East Africa, a journey of more than 4,000 km, which also includes nocturnal flight.
• This bird is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
• Migrates west through India and across the Arabian Sea to Southern Africa
• Flyway: East-Asian Australasian and African Eurasian
• Population of more than 1,000,000 breeding individuals.

SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/others/manipur-to-conduct-census-of-amur-falcon-world-s-longest-travelling-raptors-101697291617259.html

4. DECLINE IN POLLINATION IN TROPICAL AREAS

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT:According to a new study led by researchers from the University College London and the Natural History Museum, tropical crops like coffee, cocoa, watermelon and mango, face a potential crisis due to the loss of insect pollinators.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STUDY:

• According to the United States Department of Agriculture, three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 per cent of the world’s food crops depended on animal pollinators to reproduce.
• Using a dataset containing 2,673 sites and 3,080 insect pollinator species, the researchers showed that the combined pressures of climate change and agricultural activities have led to large reductions in insect pollinators.
• The researchers looked at which pollination-dependent crops were most at threat till 2050.
• The number of insects that pollinate those plants declined by 61 per cent.
• The highest risk to crop production from pollinator losses will be in the tropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.
• In terms of total production potentially at risk, China, India, Indonesia, Brazil and the Philippines emerged as being most at risk.
• Among crops, cocoa was estimated to be at the highest risk, by a large margin, especially in Africa, followed by mango, particularly in India, and watermelon in China.
• The main factors driving this decline were identified to be destruction of habitat, improper land-use such as grazing, fertilisers and crop monoculture of farming, along with high pesticide use.

FACTORS DRIVING THE DECLINE OF INSECTS POLLINATION:

• Altered climate and change in land-use have reduced the number of insects pollinating key tropical crops.
• Destruction of habitat,
• Improper land-use such as grazing
• Fertilisers
• Crop monoculture of farming, along with high pesticide use.

WAYS TO PROTECT INSECT POLLINATORS:

• Protect and restore natural habitats, such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands.
• Reduce the use of pesticides, especially systemic pesticides, which can harm insect pollinators even at low doses.
• Plant pollinator-friendly plants in gardens and other urban areas.
• Support sustainable agricultural practices that promote biodiversity.
• Educate the public about the importance of insect pollinators and how to protect them.

POLLINATION:

• Pollination is the process of transferring pollen from the male part of a flower to the female part of a flower.
• This is essential for the reproduction of many plants, including many of the crops that we rely on for food.

POLLINATION PROCESS:

• There are two main types of pollination: self-pollination and cross-pollination.
• Self-pollination:
• • This is when pollen from the male part of a flower is transferred to the female part of the same flower. Self-pollination is common in some plants, such as beans and peas.

• Cross-pollination:
• • This is when pollen from the male part of one flower is transferred to the female part of another flower. Cross-pollination is common in many plants, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

IMPORTANCE OF POLLINATION:

• Cross-pollination is important for crop production because it can lead to higher yields and better-quality crops.
• For example, cross-pollinated tomato plants produce more fruit and larger fruit than self-pollinated tomato plants.
• Insect pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and moths, play a vital role in the cross-pollination of crops.
• When insects visit flowers to feed on nectar, they pick up pollen on their bodies.
• When they visit another flower, they transfer the pollen to the female part of that flower.
• The loss of insect pollinators is a serious threat to global food security.
• It is estimated that insect pollination contributes over €153 billion to the global economy each year.
• The loss of insect pollinators could lead to higher food prices and reduced food availability, especially for poor and vulnerable populations.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/tropical-crops-at-risk-from-pollinator-loss-due-to-climate-change-shift-in-land-use-finds-study-92306

5. INDIAN RAILWAYS UNLIKELY TO MEET ASSET MONETISATION TARGET

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: As per reports, the Indian Railways is unlikely to meet the asset monetisation targets given to it for the four-year period ending 2024-25.

EXPLANATION:

The National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), proposed a monetisation target of Rs 1.52 lakh crore for the railways till FY25 but it has been able to achieve only a lower single-digit percentage of this goal.

Figures:

• During the FY22- FY25 period Indian Railways had the second largest target under the NMP which is 26% of the total value over 4 year period.
• It has managed to achieve asset monetisation of around Rs 30,000 crore against the target of Rs 57,222 crore in FY23.

Reasons for the skewed response to NMP in Indian Railways:

• The station redevelopment projects which were initially proposed in a public-private partnership (PPP) mode are now implemented under engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode.
• Attempts to privatise train operations have also not seen the success as envisaged owing to the pandemic and also due to risky nature of contracts skewed towards the interest of
• Higher premiums being the deciding factor for the winning bid and restrictions on routes and train timings etc are some reasons
• Indian Railways is a monopsony which also enhances the risk perception.

National Monetisation Pipeline:

• Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs in August 2021 launched the asset monetisation pipeline of Central ministries and public sector entities as ‘National Monetisation Pipeline’.
• Under the ambitious NMP, the government identified 13 sectors – including airports, railways, roads, shipping, gas pipeline among others to be privatised as the government aims to monetise its brown-field infrastructure assets.
• It is considered as one of the key factors in fulfilling the government’s goal of providing universal access to high-quality and affordable infrastructure to its citizens.
• The NMP estimated aggregate monetisation potential of Rs 6 lakh crores through core assets of the Central Government, over a four-year period, from FY 2022 to FY 2025.

SOURCE: https://www.deccanherald.com/business/indian-railways-unlikely-to-meet-rs-1-52-lcr-asset-monetisation-target-2727924

1. GREEN CREDIT PROGRAM (GCP) AND THE ECOMARK SCHEME INITIATIVES

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Green Credit Program (GCP) and the Ecomark Scheme initiatives have been introduced by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

EXPLANATION:

• It seeks to encourage environmentally friendly practices rooted in tradition and conservation, reflecting the ideas of LiFE concept.
• These two pioneering initiatives indicates the country’s pro-active approach to climate change, sustainability and promotion eco-conscious practices.

GREEN CREDIT PROGRAM (GCP): INCENTIVIZING ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS:

• Green Credit Program (GCP) has been notified on 13th October, 2023.
• It is an innovative market-based mechanism designed to incentivize voluntary environmental actions across diverse sectors, by various stakeholders like individuals, communities, companies etc.
• The GCP’s governance framework is supported by an inter-ministerial Steering Committee.
• The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) serves as the GCP Administrator, responsible for program implementation, management, monitoring, and operation.
• In its initial phase, the GCP focuses on two key activities:
  • Water conservation and
  • Afforestation
• Draft methodologies for awarding Green Credits have been developed and will be notified for stakeholder consultation.
• These methodologies set benchmarks for each activity/process, to ensure environmental impact and fungibility across sectors.
• The Green Credit Registry and trading platform, being developed by ICFRE along with experts, would facilitate the registration and thereafter, the buying and selling of Green Credits.
• The Administrator will grant a Green Credit certificate which will be tradable on the green credit platform.

ECOMARK SCHEME: PROMOTING ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS:

• The philosophy behind LiFE, (Lifestyle for Environment) is nudging individual choices and behaviour towards sustainability.
• In line with this approach, the MoEF&CC has released its Ecomark notification on 13th October 2023 replaces the previous Notification.
• It will help consumers to make choices among products that are eco-friendly in their design, process etc.
• It provides accreditation and labelling for household and consumer products that meet specific environmental criteria while maintaining quality standards as per Indian norms.
• Products accredited under the Ecomark Scheme will adhere to specific environmental criteria, ensuring minimal environmental impact.
• It will build consumer awareness of environmental issues and encourage eco-conscious choices.
• It will also motivate manufacturers to shift towards environmentally friendly production.
• The scheme seeks to ensure accurate labelling and prevent misleading information about products.
• The Central Pollution Control Board administers the Ecomark Scheme in partnership with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is the national body for standards and certification.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), PLEASE REFER TO THE SEPTEMBER CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE.

SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1967476

2. STATE INFORMATION COMMISSIONS

TAG: GS 2: POLITY 

THE CONTEXT: Recently, a report is released by Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) regarding the performance of Information Commissions in India.

EXPLANATION:

• According to the report released by the SNS (an organisation trying to hold the government accountable vis-a-vis the Right to Information Act, 2005), 29 information commissions in India are completely defunct.
• Jharkhand, Telangana, Mizoram and Tripura have had no information commission with the incumbents retiring.
• Manipur has been functioning without a chief for more than 2 years and another officer has been made acting commissioner, though no such provision exists in the act or law.
• There are now vacant leadership positions in six information commissions, including the Central Information Commission and those of Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Punjab.
• The 2022 assessment has found that more than 3 lakhs appeals and complaints are pending in the 26 information commissions.
• The report found that the commissions did not impose penalties in 91% of the cases where penalties were potentially imposable.

STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION:

• The State Information Commission was constituted under the Right to Information Act of 2005.
• The State Information Commission is a high-powered independent body which interalia looks into the complaints made to it and decides the appeals.
• It entertains complaints and appeals pertaining to offices, financial institutions, public sector undertakings, etc
• The Commission consists of a State Chief Information Commissioner and not more than ten State Information Commissioners.
• They are appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Chief Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and a State Cabinet Minister nominated by the Chief Minister.
• The State Chief Information Commissioner and a State Information Commissioner shall hold office for such term as prescribed by the Central Government or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

CHALLENGES FACED BY STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION: 

• High Appeal and Complaint Pendency: Hearings are delayed and commissioners are overworked when seats go vacant. A slow resolution process is frequently the result of insufficient staffing and resources.
• Delay in Commissioner Appointment: Political influences in the appointment process can hamper impartial appointments. The commission’s operation is hampered by failure to make appointments on schedule.
• Decrease in autonomy and independence: The independence of information commissions may be threatened by efforts to weaken the Act. The independence and effectiveness of commissioners are compromised when their status or authority are reduced.

ACTIONS TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE FUNCTIONING OF INFORMATION COMMISSIONS:

• Giving the commissions a sufficient amount of financial resources and infrastructure support.
• Appointing commissioners with diversity, and filling vacancies as soon as possible.
• Streamlining the processes for submitting and resolving complaints and appeals.
• Establishing online platforms where people may submit applications, appeals, complaints, and check on the progress of those submissions.
• Providing staff and commissioners with frequent training and capacity-building programs.

SOURCE: https://m.thewire.in/article/government/satark-nagrik-sangathan-report-card-information-commission-rti/amp

3. CHERIYAPANI

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, an international, high-speed passenger ferry service Cheriyapani between Nagapattinam on the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai in the northern province of Sri Lanka, has been resumed after a gap of nearly four decades.

EXPLANATION:

• The high-speed craft (HSC) Cheriyapani, embarked on its journey around 8.15 a.m. with 50 passengers and 12 crew members.
• Ferry service will help strengthen cultural, commercial, and civilisational ties between the two nations.

CHERIYAPANI:

• The high-speed ferry operated by the Shipping Corporation of India has a capacity of 150 pax.
• The distance of about 60 nm (110 Km) between Nagapattinam and KKS will be covered in approx. 3.5 hours depending on sea conditions.
• To commence the service, the Government of India supported the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board in upgrading facilities at the Nagapattinam port.
• Similarly, the Government of Sri Lanka has created necessary infrastructure at the port of KKS.
• The Government of India’s efforts to start the ferry service are in line with the Government’s priority to enhance connectivity with neighbours and in the wider Indian Ocean Region.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FERRY SERVICES:

• A direct passenger ferry between Sri Lanka and India will provide an efficient and cost-effective means of travel for the people of the two countries, boost tourism and trade links and strengthen ties.
• The ferry will also enhance economic activity around the two ports and invigorate local economies.
• It may be recalled that direct air connectivity between Chennai and Jaffna, which was suspended during the Covid pandemic, was resumed in December 2022.
• Enhancing direct connectivity with the Northern Province of Sri Lanka complements Government of India’s other ongoing development initiatives in the region.
• The Governments of India and Sri Lanka will continue to work towards commencement of ferry services between other ports, including the traditional route between Rameswaram- Talaimannar.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-sri-lanka-ferry-service-set-to-begin-tuesday-8972757/

4. NexCAR19

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Mumbai-based Immunoadoptive Cell Therapy Private Limited (ImmunoACT) announced the approval of India’s first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy Called NexCAR19 by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).

EXPLANATION:

• ImmunoACT is an IIT Bombay-incubated company founded in 2018 and works on converting research into pharmaceutical products.
• CAR-T cell therapy cost around $400,000 or over Rs 3.3 crore and patients could avail of it in the United States.
• With this development, the therapy will be accessible at 20 Indian government and private hospitals treating cancer across major cities at around Rs 30-35 lakh per patient,

NexCAR19:

• It is an indigenously developed CD19-targeted CAR-T cell therapy.
  • CD-19 is biomarker for B lymphocytes and can be utilised as a target for leukaemia immunotherapies.
• It will be used for treating relapsed-refractory B-cell lymphoma and leukaemia.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

• For CAR-T-cell therapy, a type of cancer immunotherapy treatment, blood is first drawn from the patient.
• Then, immune cells called T-cells are genetically modified in a laboratory and are injected back into the patient to enable the cells to locate and destroy cancer cells more effectively.
• Investigations were led by Dr Hasmukh Jain and Dr Gaurav Narula and their teams at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.
• It is a major breakthrough as the therapy is not available in India outside of clinical trials.
• The multi-centre Phase I and II clinical trials were conducted with 60 patients with r / r B-cell lymphomas and leukemia.
• The clinical data indicated a 70 per cent overall response rate.

SIDE EFFECTS:

• CAR T-cell therapy is generally accompanied by some side effects.
• One of them, according to the American Cancer Society, is cytokine release syndrome (CRS).
• It is when CAR T-cells multiply, they can release large amounts of chemicals called cytokines into the blood, which can ramp up the immune system.
• In comparison to other CAR T-cell therapies, the safety profile of CRS and the absence of neurotoxicity indicates a significant improvement.
• NexCAR19 has shown an excellent balance of efficacy and low toxicity, which is a significant advantage in clinical management (post-infusion) of the patients in our resource-constrained settings.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/cancer-treatment-breakthrough-india-s-homegrown-car-t-cell-therapy-a-form-of-immunotherapy-gets-market-authorisation-92302

5. ASTEROID BENNU SAMPLE

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Samples collected from 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu could indicate the building blocks of life on Earth.

EXPLANATION:

• Initial studies on the samples collected in space and recently brought back on earth have shown evidence of high-carbon content and water-bearing clay minerals.

BENNU:

• Bennu is a small near-Earth asteroid that passes close to Earth every six years.
• It is 4.5 billion-year-old relic of our solar system.
• Bennu’s current composition was established within 10 million years of the formation of our solar system.
• The material collected from the asteroid acts as a time capsule from the earliest days of our solar system and can help us answer big questions about the origins of life and the nature of asteroids.
• The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer, better known as OSIRIS-REx, is the first United States mission to collect a sample from an asteroid.
• The spacecraft was launched on September 8, 2016 and the sample was collected three years ago.
• OSIRIS-REx returned to Earth on September 24, 2023 to drop off material from asteroid Bennu.
  • The mission has provided an “abundance” of samples.
  • The goal of the OSIRIS-REx sample collection was to collect 60 grams of asteroid material.
  • But scientists disassembling the sample return hardware found bonus particles covering the outside of the collector head, canister lid and base. The total sample weight has been estimated at around 250 gms.
• After dropping off the sample, it continued on to a new mission to explore the asteroid Apophis.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BENNU AND OSIRIS-Rex, PLEASE REFER TO THE SEPTEMBER CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/nasa-finds-proof-of-carbon-water-in-asteroid-bennu-samples-92276

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Ministry of Ayush’s endeavours towards Special Campaign 3.0 gear up READ MORE
2. Notification issued for Green Credit Program (GCP) and Ecomark scheme Under LiFE Initiative to Promote Sustainable Lifestyle and Environmental Conservation READ MORE
3. Indian Railways’ PSUs, RITES Ltd and IRCON granted Navratna status READ MORE  
4. India’s 1st CAR-T cell therapy developed by ImmunoACT gets CDSCO nod READ MORE
5. CJI says India’s abortion law is liberal, pro-choice and far ahead of other countries READ MORE
6. Government mulls partnerships to make semiconductor chips READ MORE
7. What is Australia’s Indigenous Voice referendum? READ MORE
8. Farmers lost $3.8 trillion to disasters over 30 years: FAO’s first-ever global estimation READ MORE  
9. More than half of world’s poor out of safety net coverage, says World Bank READ MORE
10. World’s water cycle severely impacted by climate change and human activities in 2022: WMO READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Parents and educators must reduce student stress READ MORE
2. Changed outlook READ MORE
3. Is climate change the reason for Sikkim flash floods? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Testing the waters for General Elections 2024 READ MORE
2. Democracy dies when justice suffers READ MORE
3. 16th Finance Commission’s political challenge READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Hunger pangs: Alarming findings of 2023 global index READ MORE
2. India Ranks 111 in Global Hunger Index; Report Makers Reject Indian Government Objections READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Balancing policy: On Israel, Palestine and India’s line: India must pressure Israel to act responsibly in the face of terror READ MORE
2. A war that ends the Saudi-Israel ‘normalisation’ process READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Claudia Goldin’s quiet revolution: How she helped feminise economic enquiry READ MORE
2. Why we must cheer the Nobel for Goldin READ MORE
3. The economic mosaic: Chugging along at the ‘new-old normal’ growth rate READ MORE
4. DC Edit | Inflation falls, RBI still cautious READ MORE
5. Role of Banks in Promoting Risky Financial Assets READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Clearing the air: Contrary to general perception, there is no change in India’s stand on Palestine READ MORE
2. Meeting the Goals of the Paris Agreement READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. AI could redefine police techniques READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Localise strategies to build climate resilience READ MORE
2. India’s cyclone warning system is the model for disaster-proofing the country. Floods next READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. How the Khalistan movement is interlinked with Punjab’s growing drug problem, gun culture READ MORE
2. Beyond ‘Black Mirror’s’ fiction – Impact of Generative AI on policing, security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Working and praying READ MORE
2. Narges’ Nobel and the all-pervasive fear of freedom READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Repeated elections have a cost, but the benefits of enhanced democracy that they trigger are far greater. Critically examine the statement in the light of recent debate about One Nation, One Election.
2. India is diverse, with different regions confronting diverse issues, and that impacts politics in the states. In light of statement, how far do you agree with this view that the concept of One Nation, One Election goes against the reality of India’s diversity?
3. Balancing growth and inflation is a complex endeavour, requiring a steady hand on the economic tiller. Discuss how India can this balance in the ongoing uncertain global economic landscape?
4. Assessing vulnerabilities is the first step in reducing disaster risk. In light of recent disasters in the Himalayan region, discuss how the climate resilience approach in infrastructure development can minimize the disaster risk in that region.
5. The bureaucracy delivers on episodic events like conducting elections, which have a clear exit date but when it comes to daily events such as provision of civic amenities, the result is deeply unsatisfactory. Do you think that the division of bureaucracy between the three levels of government is a likely reason for such unamenities?
6. Modern states have evolved from directly running factories to regulating economic activity and for that, the Indian government need to revisit the bureaucracy’s recruitment process and should focus on more domain expertise. Discuss.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.
• Delhi’s history of intervening positively also led to the ironical consternation of the Maldivian opposition parties who started a disquiet campaign against the Maldivian Government’s traditional ‘India First’ policy to suggest a compromise to Maldivian sovereignty.
• Democracy weakens when the people’s choice is not based on who will represent their interests and fulfil their aspirations.
• Democracy is always in a state of flux and not in its ideal form.
• To strengthen democracy, politics needs to be more accountable.
• Having one election every five years will make political parties more unaccountable and free to fulfil the agenda of vested interests. That will weaken democracy and cost the nation far more than the direct and indirect costs of elections at present.
• Even if India had a perfect democracy, the ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea assumes homogeneity in the nation.
• A one-size-fits-all approach goes against the reality of the nation’s diversity and can lead to severe political backlash.
• The reality is that India has an imperfect democracy that needs to be strengthened.
• Elections are the times when the public can force political parties to become answerable.
• Repeated elections have a cost, but the benefits of enhanced democracy that they trigger are far greater.
• No farmers’ company can address climatic aberrations amidst a changing climate, broken landscapes, tattered ecologies and market volatilities unless supported by policies and incentives.
• Balancing growth and inflation is a complex endeavour, requiring a steady hand on the economic tiller.
• Ever since the artificial intelligence chatbot GPT technology burst on the global computer media scene suggesting its multifarious applications and uses in almost any area of human endeavour.
• If the ASEAN has to remain relevant, it needs to reinvent itself to suit the changing regional environment.
• Shortage of workers is pushing the demand for farm equipment. India can dominate the world market by leveraging its machine tools.
• The UN has the responsibility to resolve conflicts. But its failure should not be taken as an opportunity to abet terrorism in the name of freedom.
• It is crucial to re-evaluate building typologies and focus on developing climate-resilient designs.
• The bureaucracy delivers on episodic events like conducting elections, which have a clear exit date. But when it comes to daily events such as provision of civic amenities, the result is deeply unsatisfactory.

50-WORD TALK

• Instead of issuing defensive reactions to the Global Hunger Index, the government should instead engage with the root issue—nutrition. India might not have the empty-bellied hunger such indices imply, but it does have widespread and severe malnutrition and anaemia. Free foodgrain alleviates hunger, but balanced meals are what Indians need.
• Israel cannot carpet bomb Gaza into rubble. It has a right to defend itself and respond to terrorism, but indiscriminately targeting civilian areas isn’t the way. Israel will find it increasingly difficult to have the unambiguous support of its allies. It also risks ceding Middle East leadership role to Iran.

Things to Remember:

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

1. INTENSIFIED MISSION INDRADHANUSH 5.0

TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI 5.0), the flagship routine immunization campaign of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will conclude all 3 rounds on 14th October 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• IMI 5.0 ensures that routine immunization services reach the missed-out and dropped out children and pregnant women across the country.
• For the first time the campaign is being conducted across all the districts in the country and includes children up to 5 years of age (Previous campaigns included children up to 2 years of age).

INTENSIFIED MISSION INDRADHANUSH (IMI 5.0):

• Mission Indradhanush (MI) was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on 25th December 2014.
• It is a special catch-up campaign under the Universal Immunization Program (UIP).
• It is conducted in the areas of low immunization coverage to vaccinate all the children and pregnant women left out or dropped out from Routine Immunization.

AIM:

• IMI 5.0 campaign aims to enhance immunization coverage for all vaccines provided under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) as per the National Immunization Schedule (NIS).
  • Under UIP, immunization is being provided free of cost against 12 vaccine preventable diseases: Nationally against 11 diseases.
  • Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, severe form of Childhood Tuberculosis, Rotavirus diarrhea, Hepatitis B, Meningitis & Pneumonia caused by Hemophilus Influenza type B and Pneumococcal Pneumonia and sub-nationally against 1 disease – Japanese Encephalitis (JE vaccine is provided only in endemic districts).

SPECIAL FOCUS:

• Special focus is on improvement of Measles and Rubella vaccination coverage with the aim of Measles & Rubella elimination by 2023.
• It also focusses on use of U-WIN digital platform for Routine Immunization in pilot mode across all districts in the country.

GROUND EXECUTION:

• IMI 5.0 is being conducted in three rounds i.e., 7 -12 August, 11-16 September, and 9-14 October 2023 i.e., 6 days in a month with the inclusion of a Routine Immunization Day.
• All States/UTs except Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Punjab would conclude all the three rounds of IMI 5.0 campaign by 14th October 2023.
• These four states could not start the IMI 5.0 campaign in August due to some inevitable circumstances.
• These states have concluded 1st round and are currently conducting the 2nd round.
• They plan to conduct the 3rd round of IMI 5.0 campaign in the month of November 2023.
• As on 30th September 2023, over 34,69,705 children and 6,55,480 pregnant women were administered vaccine doses during the first 2 rounds of IMI 5.0 campaign across the country.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/imi-50-reaches-children-up-to-five-years-for-the-first-time/article67411672.ece

2. AMA ODISHA, NABIN ODISHA SCHEME

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE, GS 2: SOCIAL ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: Ahead of the simultaneous General and Assembly elections in Odisha due in April-May 2024, Chief Minister (October 10, 2023) rolled out a scheme, ‘Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha’ (our Odisha, new Odisha).

AMA ODISHA, NABIN ODISHA SCHEME:

• It is a flagship program of the Government of Odisha that was launched in October 2023.
• The Government have modified the earlier “Ama Gaon Ama Bikash” by giving it a new dimension in the form of “Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha”.
• The scheme has a budget of Rs 3,397 crore and will cover all 6,794-gram panchayats in Odisha.
• Each gram panchayat will receive Rs 50 lakh to implement projects under the scheme.

KEY COMPONENTS OF THE SCHEME:

• Promotion of Jagannath culture:
  • The scheme will support the development and renovation of Jagannath temples and other religious places in Odisha.
  • It will also promote Jagannath culture through festivals, arts, and other cultural activities.

• Strengthening of digital infrastructure:
  • The scheme will provide internet connectivity, science parks, and skill development centers to villages.
  • It will also help to establish works hubs in villages to provide employment opportunities to rural youth.

• Empowerment of women and youth:
  • The scheme will support the creation of self-help groups for women and skill development programs for youth.
  • It will also provide financial assistance to women and youth entrepreneurs.

• Improvement of rural infrastructure:
• • The scheme will support the construction of roads, bridges, and other infrastructure in villages.
  • It will also help to improve the quality of education and healthcare in rural areas.
• The Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha scheme is a comprehensive program that aims to address the key challenges facing rural Odisha.
• The scheme is expected to create jobs, improve rural infrastructure, and promote sustainable development in the state.

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THE AMA ODISHA, NABIN ODISHA SCHEME:

• The Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha scheme has the potential to have a significant impact on rural Odisha. The scheme could help to:
  • Create jobs and boost the rural economy.
  • Improve rural infrastructure and access to education and healthcare.
  • Promote sustainable development and preserve Jagannath culture.
  • Empower women and youth.

CONTROVERSY OVER THE SCHEME:

• The Opposition party has questioned use of the ‘conch’ symbol in government advertisements for the Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha scheme.
• The conch is the electoral symbol of ruling political party.
• The opposition party has also questioned the timing of the scheme, coming months before the 2024 polls.
• It also alleged that the use of the conch symbol in government ads shows that the govt. is trying to “manipulate public opinion” and state the possibility challenge the use of the symbol in court.
• The ruling government was also accused of not following proper guidelines while implementing the scheme.
• Earlier, the Orissa High Court had issued a notice to the Odisha government in response to a petition challenging the implementation process of the Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha scheme.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-politics/odisha-govts-rural-development-scheme-controversy-8980142/

3. INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC)

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: The conflict between Israel and Palestinian forces since militant group Hamas’ assault have created a huge and rising death toll on both sides. The war falls under a complex international system of justice that has emerged since World War Two.

EXPLANATION:

• Internationally accepted rules of armed conflict emerged out of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which have been ratified by all UN member states and supplemented by rulings at international war crimes tribunals.
• Here’s how they apply to the ongoing Israel-Hamas violence.

WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE CONFLICT?

• Internationally accepted rules of armed conflict emerged out of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which have been ratified by all UN member states.
• A series of treaties governs the treatment of civilians, soldiers and prisoners of war in a system collectively known as the “Law of Armed Conflict” or “International Humanitarian Law”.
• It applies to government forces and organised armed groups, including Hamas militants.
• If alleged Palestinian perpetrators of atrocities in Israel and all alleged perpetrators of crimes on the occupied Palestinian territories are not brought to justice at home, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is the only international legal organ able to bring charges.
• The ICC’s founding Rome Statute gives it legal authority to investigate alleged crimes on the territory of its members or by their nationals, when domestic authorities are “unwilling or unable” to do so.
• Recently, the office of the prosecutor of the ICC confirmed that its mandate applies to potential crimes committed in the current conflict.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE ICC?

• The International Criminal Court (ICC), the world’s permanent war crimes tribunals, opened in The Hague in 2002.
• It has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in its 123 member states or committed by its nationals.
• Many of the world’s major powers are not members, including China, the United States, Russia, India and Egypt.
• The ICC recognises Palestine as a member state, while Israel rejects the court’s jurisdiction and does not formally engage with it.
• The ICC has had an ongoing investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories since 2021.
• It has not issued any arrest warrants.
• Prosecutors said in 2021 there was a reasonable basis to believe that violations had been committed on all sides, including by Israeli troops, Hamas militants and other armed Palestinian groups.

ACTS THAT CAN VIOLATE WAR CRIMES LAW:

• The possible war crimes are the deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate rocket attacks, and the taking of civilians as hostages by Palestinian armed groups, as well as the Israeli counter-strikes in Gaza that killed hundreds of Palestinians.
• Deliberate killings of civilians, hostage-taking, and collective punishment are heinous crimes that have no justification.
• The taking of hostages, murder and torture are explicitly banned under the Geneva Conventions, while Israel’s response could also be subject to a war crimes investigation.
• Israeli Defence Minister drew criticism from UN officials and human rights groups by announcing a tightened blockade to prevent food and fuel from reaching the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/what-war-crimes-laws-apply-to-the-israel-palestinian-conflict-8980317/

4. GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX (GHI)

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE, GS 1: SOCIAL ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: India ranks 111 out of a total of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• India ranked 101 out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021.
• The Union government, though, contested India’s performance for the third year in a row, citing flawed methodology.
• Its progress against hunger nearly halted since 2015.
  • India made significant strides between 2000 and 2015, with its score improving from 38.4 in 2000 to 35.5 in 2008 and 29.2 in 2015, over the past eight years.
• Afghanistan, Haiti and 12 sub-Saharan countries perform worse than India on the GHI.
• India’s ranking is based on a Global Hunger Index score of 28.7 on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst. This categorises India’s severity of hunger as “serious”.

HOW IS THE METHODOLOGY FLAWED?

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) questioned the GHI and called it a “flawed measure of hunger that doesn’t reflect India’s true position”.
• MoWCD said that data recorded on its Poshan Tracker portal showed child wasting prevalence of 7.2% among a total of 7.24 crore under-five-year-olds whose data was captured.
• Whereas the GHI used a value of 18.7% for child wasting.
• The latter, comes from the National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS) 2019-2021, which is reported in the global repository, Joint Malnutrition Estimates Joint Data Set Including Survey Estimates, set up to ensure harmonised child nutrition estimates.
• The GHI uses the same data sources for all countries to calculate the respective country scores.
• This ensures that all the rates used have been produced using comparable methodologies.
• Introducing exceptions to this process for any country or countries would compromise the comparability of the results and the ranking.
• The second objection the MoWCD reiterated this year was the alleged use of a telephone-based opinion poll to calculate undernourishment, one of the indicators used in GHI.
• The GHI has maintained that it doesn’t use the poll but relies on data from India’s Food Balance Sheet to calculate undernourishment.

GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX:

• The Global Hunger Index is a peer-reviewed annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
• It is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.
• The aim of the GHI is to trigger action to reduce hunger around the world.
• The GHI is an annual report and each set of GHI scores uses data from a 5-year period. The 2022 GHI scores are calculated using data from 2017 through 2021.
• GHI scores are based on the values of four component indicators:
  • Undernourishment
  • Child stunting
  • Child wasting
  • Child mortality

• Undernourishment:
  • The share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient.
  • This makes up 1/3 of the GHI score.

• Child Stunting:
  • The share of children under the age of 5 who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
  • This makes up 1/6 of the GHI score.

• Child Wasting:
  • The share of children under the age of 5 who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
  • This makes up 1/6 of the GHI score.

• Child Mortality:
• • The share of children who die before their 5th birthday, reflecting in part the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.
  • This makes up 1/3 of the GHI score.
• The GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale reflecting the severity of hunger – zero is the best score (implies no hunger) and 100 is the worst.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-ranks-111-out-of-a-total-of-125-countries-in-global-hunger-index/article67412042.ece/amp/

5. INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION (IIP)

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Industrial output rose in August 2023 as the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) increased by 10.3%, showed the official data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO).

EXPLANATION:

• According to the latest IIP data, the industrial growth in August 2023 is the highest in 14 months.
• The data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed that the manufacturing sector’s output increased by 9.3 per cent in August 2023.
• The Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) are released on 12th of every month with a six week lag.
• It is compiled with data received from source agencies, which in turn receive the data from the producing factories/ establishments.
• The Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-12 stands at 145.1. The Indices of Industrial Production for the Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity sectors for the month of August 2023 stand at 111.9, 143.5 and 220.5 respectively.

INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION (IIP):

• The All-India index of Industrial Production (IIP) is a composite indicator that measures the short-term changes in the volume of production of a basket of industrial products during a given period with respect to that in a chosen base period.
• The IIP is a quantum index, the production of items being expressed in physical terms.
• It is compiled and published monthly by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation six weeks after the reference month ends.

REVISION OF IIP TO 2011-12 BASE YEAR:

• The Central Statistics Office (CSO) revised the base year of the all-India Index of Industrial Production (IIP) from 2004-05 to 2011-12 in 2017.
• The base year revision captures structural changes in the economy and improves the quality and representativeness of the indices.
• The revised IIP (2011-12) not only reflect the changes in the industrial sector but also aligns it with the base year of other macroeconomic indicators like the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1967120

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Mission Indradhanush 5.0 (IMI 5.0) campaign with special focus on improvement of Measles and Rubella vaccination coverage, will conclude all three rounds on 14 October 2023 READ MORE
2. INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION RISES TO 10.3% IN AUGUST 2023 READ MORE
3. India ranks 111 out of 125 countries in Global Hunger Index READ MORE  
4. What war crimes laws apply to the Israel-Palestinian conflict? READ MORE
5. Why Odisha govt’s new rural development scheme has triggered a controversy READ MORE
6. Dragonfly: The faces of wetlands in India READ MORE
7. IMI 5.0 reaches children up to five years for the first time READ MORE  
8. Biohydrogen’s role in India’s green hydrogen pathway READ MORE
9. Targeted methane mitigation can avoid 0.1°C warming in 2050, should be adopted with decarbonisation efforts: Report READ MORE
10. Joshimath sinking: Landslides in region not a new problem, says GSI report READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. The case for caste census in India | Explained READ MORE
2. Changed outlook READ MORE
3. Is climate change the reason for Sikkim flash floods? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Should the 50 % legal ceiling on reservation be reconsidered? READ MORE
2. Administrators: All services need more officers, not just IFS. So do local govts. And recruit more specialists READ MORE
3. Pharma laxity: No tainted firm deserves leniency READ MORE
4. Make funding truly transparent and free of cash for fair polls READ MORE
5. ‘One Nation, One Election’ Will Further Weaken Indian Democracy READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Pro-choice, pro-women: A split SC verdict reflects a wider judicial-medical confusion about abortion rights. This must change READ MORE
2. India Ranks 111th Among 125 Countries in Global Hunger Index Report READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Non-state actors are a threat to world peace READ MORE
2. ASEAN must reinvent itself to stay relevant in region READ MORE
3. India-Maldives Ties: A Walk on Eggshells As New Delhi Faces the China Question READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Ways to make IBC more effective READ MORE   
2. Terms of Trade | Let’s discuss India’s growth forecast READ MORE
3. The right path: IMF raises India’s growth rate, validating that its economy is on a firm footing READ MORE
4. India’s farm machinery has global market READ MORE
5. By the farmers READ MORE
6. IMF and India READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Curbing air pollution: Centre, states need to work in close coordination READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. AI could redefine police techniques READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Localise strategies to build climate resilience READ MORE
2.  India’s cyclone warning system is the model for disaster-proofing the country. Floods next READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. How the Khalistan movement is interlinked with Punjab’s growing drug problem, gun culture READ MORE
2. Beyond ‘Black Mirror’s’ fiction – Impact of Generative AI on policing, security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Lies, levels, life: Cultivating your best being READ MORE
2. Misery is a choice READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Repeated elections have a cost, but the benefits of enhanced democracy that they trigger are far greater. Critically examine the statement in the light of recent debate about One Nation, One Election.
2. India is diverse, with different regions confronting diverse issues, and that impacts politics in the states. In light of statement, how far do you agree with this view that the concept of One Nation, One Election goes against the reality of India’s diversity?
3. Balancing growth and inflation is a complex endeavour, requiring a steady hand on the economic tiller. Discuss, how India can this balance in the ongoing uncertain global economic landscape?
4. Assessing vulnerabilities is the first step in reducing disaster risk. In light of recent disasters in the Himalayan region, discuss how the climate resilience approach in infrastructure development can minimize the disaster risk in that region.
5. The bureaucracy delivers on episodic events like conducting elections, which have a clear exit date but when it comes to daily events such as provision of civic amenities, the result is deeply unsatisfactory. Do you think that the division of bureaucracy between the three levels of government is a likely reason for such unamenities?
6. Modern states have evolved from directly running factories to regulating economic activity and for that Indian government needs to revisit the bureaucracy’s recruitment process and should focus on more domain expertise. Discuss.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.
• Delhi’s history of intervening positively also led to the ironical consternation of the Maldivian opposition parties who started a disquiet campaign against the Maldivian Government’s traditional ‘India First’ policy to suggest a compromise to Maldivian sovereignty.
• Democracy weakens when the people’s choice is not based on who will represent their interests and fulfil their aspirations.
• Democracy is always in a state of flux and not in its ideal form.
• To strengthen democracy, politics needs to be more accountable.
• Having one election every five years will make political parties more unaccountable and free to fulfil the agenda of vested interests. That will weaken democracy and cost the nation far more than the direct and indirect costs of elections at present.
• Even if India had a perfect democracy, the ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea assumes homogeneity in the nation.
• A one-size-fits-all approach goes against the reality of the nation’s diversity and can lead to severe political backlash.
• The reality is that India has an imperfect democracy that needs to be strengthened.
• Elections are the times when the public can force political parties to become answerable.
• Repeated elections have a cost, but the benefits of enhanced democracy that they trigger are far greater.
• No farmers’ company can address climatic aberrations amidst a changing climate, broken landscapes, tattered ecologies and market volatilities unless supported by policies and incentives.
• Balancing growth and inflation is a complex endeavour, requiring a steady hand on the economic tiller.
• Ever since the artificial intelligence chatbot GPT technology burst on the global computer media scene suggesting its multifarious applications and uses in almost any area of human endeavour.
• If the ASEAN has to remain relevant, it needs to reinvent itself to suit the changing regional environment.
• Shortage of workers is pushing the demand for farm equipment. India can dominate the world market by leveraging its machine tools.
• The UN has the responsibility to resolve conflicts. But its failure should not be taken as an opportunity to abet terrorism in the name of freedom.
• It is crucial to re-evaluate building typologies and focus on developing climate-resilient designs.
• The bureaucracy delivers on episodic events like conducting elections, which have a clear exit date. But when it comes to daily events such as provision of civic amenities, the result is deeply unsatisfactory.

50-WORD TALK

• The external affairs ministry’s statement has rightly made it clear that India’s condemnation of the Hamas terror attack on Israel and New Delhi’s stated support to two-states solution on Palestine are not mutually exclusive. Unnecessarily obfuscating the two issues only sullies public debate. India’s position has been nuanced but consistent.
• Supreme Court listing electoral bonds case for final hearing after six years is welcome. Issues at stake are vital for democracy— need for transparency in political funding and undue advantage to ruling party. From passage as Money Bill to legalization of anonymity—this haze-shrouded scheme calls for thorough judicial scrutiny.

Things to Remember:

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

THE CONTEXT: The impacts of the ongoing conflict in West Asia are being felt in markets across the world and India is no exception. In this respect, there is a need to look into the impact on India and how policymakers respond to overcome the situation.

MORE ON THE NEWS

• Indian stock markets have shown weakness, and Foreign portfolio investors pulled out close to Rs 1,000 crores. Crude oil prices rose around 4% as fears of instability in the region gained prominence.
• Continuing conflict in the region is likely to add to the prevailing uncertainty in global markets already weighed down by tighter financial conditions.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS ON INDIA

• Implication on Crude oil prices: As India imports more than 80% of its requirements, one of the particular concerns is an escalation in the conflict engulfing the region could push crude oil prices higher.
• Inflation: Higher crude oil prices could push up inflation above the RBI’s estimate of 5.4% for the full year.
• Current account deficit: Higher crude oil prices and inflation can also have implications for the current account deficit. As per some analysts, the deficit is expected to rise in the second quarter from 1.1 per cent of GDP in the first quarter.

SOME OTHER CONCERNS FOR INDIA

• Impact on Diaspora: Indian diaspora in Israel have got affected due to the conflict and are stranded who needs to be evacuated safely. India has launched Operation Ajay is this regard for their successful evacuation.
• Impact on Remittances: West Asia region accounts for more than 50% of global remittances for India, and conflict in the region can impact the livelihoods and economy of the country.
• Impact on connectivity projects: This conflict may also have implications for the recently announced India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and even older projects as Chabahar port.

THE WAY FORWARD

• Can act as mediator: India has an image of peaceful country and has better diplomatic relations with both sides of the stakeholder countries. In this respect, it should act proactively by playing the role of a mediator for de-escalation of the conflict.
• Ensuring energy security: India should explore other options of energy security by substituting oil for some sort of renewable energy to ensure energy security with minimal impact on environment.
• Maintain enough Foreign Reserve: Foreign reserves of India needs to be enhanced to cope up with the situation of emergency. In this regard, various reserve management practices should be followed.
• Grab the opportunity: The time is quite significant for India to seize the opportunity as it can provide an alternative stable market with an efficient workforce with an increase in instability in the West Asia region.

THE CONCLUSION

The conflict situation in Israel has created turmoil which affects not only the West Asia region but also India which can have significant impact on Indian economy. In this regard, policymakers in India must act proactively to achieve both peace and economic stability.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION:

Q.1 “India’s relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be rolled back.” Discuss. (2018)

Q.2 The question of India’s Energy Security constitutes the most important part of India’s economic progress. Analyze India’s energy policy cooperation with West Asian Countries. (2017)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.1 In what ways the ongoing West Asia conflict can affect the economic situation in India, and how should India respond to this situation?

Q.2 Indian Diaspora has an important role to play in West Asian economy and society. To what extent the use of soft power could help generate goodwill and stability in the region?

Note: Please refer to Mains Focus article of 9^th October ‘Toofan al-aqsa jolts west asian geostrategic architecture’ for more detailed analysis.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/fallout-from-flaring-of-west-asia-conflict-and-the-challenge-for-policymakers-8977070/

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Cabinet approves royalty rates for mining of three critical and strategic minerals- Lithium, Niobium and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) READ MORE
2. Cabinet approves establishment of an autonomous body Mera Yuva Bharat READ MORE
3. ‘Operation Ajay’ set to evacuate Indian nationals from Israel READ MORE  
4. Cauvery Committee retains water release recommendation of 3,000 cusecs to T.N. READ MORE
5. The cases before the new CJI-led nine-judge Constitution Bench | Explained READ MORE
6. Order on cleaning rivers not followed, NGT issues notice to Chief Secretaries of all States, Ministry of Jal Shakti READ MORE
7. India, China agree to maintain momentum of ‘dialogue and negotiations’ READ MORE  
8. How new royalty rates for strategic minerals lithium, REEs can help cut their imports READ MORE
9. What the GI tag can mean for the cashew industry in Goa READ MORE
10. India’s first bamboo-based biorefinery to start operations in March READ MORE
11. Chhattisgarh Baiga tribe gets habitat rights under FRA READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Globally, 9 million girls face extreme risks of climate disaster and child marriage every year: Report READ MORE
2. Changed outlook READ MORE
3. Even temporary global warming above 2°C will affect life in the oceans for centuries READ MORE
4. Is climate change the reason for Sikkim flash floods? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Women’s quota — rhetoric and reality READ MORE
2. CrPC, IPC changes fall short of expectations READ MORE
3. RTI Act: Time to make it more effective READ MORE
4. Transparency Law | CIC’s evolution from defender to bystander READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Learning for the future READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. UN Security Council reform is a song in a loop READ MORE
2. Are reunifications the key to world peace? READ MORE
3. Global Leadership Is Not Just About Drafting a Statement READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India may face economic trouble as fertility levels drop READ MORE   
2. The labour market is tougher on women. This is what the Economics Nobel for 2023 acknowledges READ MORE
3. Good, do better: For India, to be the fastest growing major economy isn’t enough. Real change needs 8% growth READ MORE
4. Focus on economy’s basics for 8% growth READ MORE
5. India Needs Stronger Exports to Hold the Line READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Curbing air pollution: Centre, states need to work in close coordination READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Generic drugs are everywhere – and that’s a problem READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. How the government covered up the severity of Teesta floods by blaming them on a ‘cloudburst’ READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. How the Khalistan movement is interlinked with Punjab’s growing drug problem, gun culture READ MORE
2. Beyond ‘Black Mirror’s’ fiction – Impact of Generative AI on policing, security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. The inescapable meaning of life READ MORE
2. Dealing with failure READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. India’s economy is navigating a labyrinth of interconnected challenges, and addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach encompassing domestic policy reforms. Comment on the statement in light of global economic uncertainties and supply chain disruptions.
2. The challenges against world leadership cannot be addressed if the global institutions are not reformed with time. Analyse the statement in the light of recent global challenges.
3. If global institutions are not reformed as per occurring challenges, then instead of solving problems, they risk becoming part of the problem. In the light of statement, discuss the need for reforms in the United Nations.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Unlike carbon-based fuels, the wind and the sun and the earth itself provide fuel that is free.
• China’s Tibet policy is primarily based on ruthless exploitation hidden under the façade of mega infrastructure projects which are showcased to the rest of the world as a sign of development in this region.
• Goldin’s Nobel and her own awarded work which took decades of research provides a tremendous intellectual platform for a wider level of global policy discussion and action on issues of gender wage gap, women and work, and more.
• Based on its achievements in key fields of technology, India is not in the global game. Yet, as a geopolitical pivot whose importance is derived not by its national power but its sensitive location, India is being courted by all three geostrategic players.
• The inclusion of the African Union as the new G-20 member was a pyrrhic victory compared with the six new members added to the BRICS (these include all global major energy exporters and importers) given that 50 of the 54 African nations attended the 2023 BRICS summit.
• India’s economy is navigating a labyrinth of interconnected challenges and addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach encompassing domestic policy reforms, diversification of export markets and enhancing economic resilience to global shocks.
• India’s ability to overcome global economic uncertainties and supply chain disruptions hurdles will be critical in ensuring continued economic growth and stability in an ever-evolving global landscape.
• Non-urban India has remained blindsided for decades in terms of superannuation, benefits, and social security. Rural India will now catch up with its urban counterpart at a quicker pace.
• The Central Information Commission’s job is to strike a balance between people’s right to know and the State’s legitimate need for limited secrecy.
• Right to Information (RTI) has brought transparency and systemic reforms but there is need to prevent its misuse and plug in loopholes.
• Climate change is exacerbating the risks. Because of global warming, more and more glaciers are melting.
• We must be careful in granting permission for the design of our mega hydro projects. We must do proper environment assessment of these projects and ensure that these withstand any water discharge that may happen in case of a glacier outburst.
• An increase in investment in traditional sectors such as mining and utilities because they trigger wider economic activities.
• Frequent tweaks of irritants aside, the GST regime needs a holistic reform plan, including a road map to bring in excluded items such as electricity, petroleum and alcohol.

50-WORD TALK

• A radical re-imagination of growth and developmental opportunities offering a wider platform for Indian (and other developing countries’) women (especially those at the margin in the employment landscape) through a greater, more assertive policy can be a starting point for subsequent transformations to happen across other nations too.
• The disaster in Sikkim is only the latest in a string of related incidents. But it must serve as an urgent reminder at all levels of the state and Central governments that the fragile condition of the Himalayas as the effects of climate change escalate will pose a continued and imminent danger to residents of India’s hill states.

Things to Remember:

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

1. DANCING FROGS OF WESTERN GHAT

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Dancing frogs of Western Ghat are among the most threatened amphibians globally.

EXPLANATION:

• According to the Wildlife Trust of India, Dancing frogs are the most threatened amphibian genus of India.
• The world is facing a critical Amphibian crisis with 41 percent of species on the brink of extinction.
• The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot spread across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is rich in amphibian diversity.
• About Dancing frogs: 
  • Dancing frogs belong to the Micrixalus genus and there are about 24 frog species in this family. It is also known as the Kottigehar dancing frog.
  • The dancing frogs are endemic to the Western Ghats
  • IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
  • Only the males dance.
• Habitats: Their preferred habitats are shola grasslands, myristica swamps and evergreen forests within the Western Ghats, where they mainly reside near slow-moving perennial streams.
• Breeding:
  • The males stretch up their hind legs one at a time and wave their webbed toes in the air in a rapid motion akin to a dance.
  • This is to attract mates as well as ward off competition, probably preferred because their mating calls are drowned out by the gurgling of the streams.
  • This act is called “foot flagging” and gives the species their name.
• Threats: They are threatened by invasive species like the mosquito fish, land use change, variation in temperature and humidity, extreme weather events such as floods and excess rainfall, infectious diseases, water pollution, light pollution, and infrastructure projects such as dams.

Source:(https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/dancing-frogs-of-western-ghats-among-most-threatened-amphibians-globally-92226)

2. ELECTORAL BOND 

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT:  The Supreme Court fixed October 31 for hearing a slew of petitions challenging the electoral bonds scheme.

EXPLANATION:

• A petition filed in the Supreme Court against the legality and transparency of Electoral bonds.
• The petition is filed on the basis of two main issues concerning the electoral bonds scheme:
  • The legalisation of anonymous donations to political parties.
  • The violation of citizens’ right to information about the funding of political parties, promoting corruption.
  • The above two issues are violating Articles 19, 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

Electoral bond: 

• An electoral bond is like a promissory note that can be bought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from select branches of State Bank of India.
• The bonds are similar to bank notes that are payable to the bearer on demand and are free of interest.
• An individual or party will be allowed to purchase these bonds digitally or through cheque.
• The electoral bond will be valid only for fifteen days.

When was the electoral bond introduced?

• The electoral bond scheme was first announced during the 2017 budget session.
• It was notified in January 2018 as a source of political funding by way of money bills introducing amendments in the Finance Act and the Representation of the People Act.

Use of electoral bond: 

• Using electoral bonds is quite simple.
• The bonds will be issued in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 100,000 and Rs 1 crore (the range of a bond is between Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 crore).
• A donor with a KYC-compliant account can purchase the bonds and can then donate them to the party or individual of their choice.
• Now, the receiver can encash the bonds through the party’s verified account.

Eligibility for foreigners:  

• The Finance Act, 2016 was amended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010, to allow foreign companies with subsidiaries in India to fund political parties in India.

Tax exemption: 

• Donations made under an electoral bond scheme by companies and even foreign entities enjoy 100% tax exemption, while identities of the donors are kept confidential both by the bank as well as the recipient political parties.

Benefits:

• Electoral bonds are a more transparent tool than cash because the contributor acquires them after providing the bank with their KYC information.
• The short 15-day life of these bonds limits the potential for abuse.
• Political parties must provide the Election Commission with information about contributions made through electoral bonds. As a result, the bonds contribute to the improvement of India’s electoral financing system.

Challenges: 

• It is an obscure funding system which is unchecked by any authority.
• There is no cap on how much a company or individual can donate to a political party.
• Anonymity of donors under the scheme makes the process opaque instead of meeting its aim of bringing about transparency.
• The bonds are sold via a government-owned bank (SBI), leaving the door open for the government to know exactly who is funding its opponents.
• It violates the Right to Information of Citizens.
• By allowing foreign companies it effectively exposing Indian politics and democracy to international lobbyists.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-to-hear-final-arguments-in-electoral-bonds-case-on-october-31/article67402901.ece)

3. PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION FRAMEWORK

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY 

THE CONTEXT: RBI extends prompt corrective action framework to government NBFCs.

EXPLANATION:

• The Reserve Bank of India has decided to extend the ‘prompt corrective action (PCA) framework for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs)‘ to government NBFCs.
• The PCA Framework for NBFCs came into effect from October , 2022.

Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework:

Reserve Bank of India had introduced a Prompt Corrective Action Framework (PCA) for Scheduled Commercial Banks in 2002 and the same has been reviewed from time to time based on the experience gained and developments in the banking system.

Objective:

• 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.
• The framework is also intended to act as a tool for effective market discipline. It does not preclude the apex bank from taking any other action as it deems fit at any time in addition to the corrective actions prescribed in the Framework.

 PCA framework for NBFCs: 

• NBFCs have been growing in size and have substantial interconnectedness with other segments of the financial system.
• Accordingly, it has now been decided to put in place a PCA Framework for NBFCs to further strengthen the supervisory tools applicable to NBFCs.
• The PCA Framework for NBFCs, as contained in the enclosed Annex, comes into effect from October 1, 2022, based on the financial position of NBFCs.

Actions taken under PCA framework:

source:(https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/pca-regime-to-cover-psu-nbfcs-from-october-2024/articleshow/104324374.cms)

4. PM CARES FUND 

TAG: GS 2: POLITY, GOVERNANCE, SOCIAL JUSTICE.

THE CONTEXT: State of Rajasthan alleged that there is discrimination in the treatment of the CM Relief Fund as compared to the PM CARES Fund in the context of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

EXPLANATION:

• The State of Rajasthan had raised concerns over excluding the CM Cares Fund as a CSR activity under Schedule 7 of the Companies Act, 2013, while the PM Cares Fund enjoys such recognition.
• An original suit filed by the State of Rajasthan under Art 131 of the Constitution challenging the Union of India challenging the exclusion of CM Relief Fund from CSR Activity.
• State of Rajasthan formed a separate Rajasthan CMRF COVID-19 Mitigation Fund (CMRF). This fund functioned as a specialized account within the Chief Minister Relief Fund, with a clear focus on addressing the negative consequences of COVID-19.
• However, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs did not include in Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013 and therefore any contribution to such funds shall not qualify as admissible CSR Expenditure.

About PM CARES fund:

• The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation (PM-CARES) Fund has been set up to provide relief to those affected by any kind of emergency or distress situation.
• PM CARES Fund has been registered as a Public Charitable Trust. The trust deed of PM CARES Fund has been registered under the Registration Act, 1908 at New Delhi on 27th March, 2020.
• Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund and Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance, Government of India are ex-officio Trustees of the Fund.
• The fund consists entirely of voluntary contributions from individuals/organizations and does not get any budgetary support. The fund will be utilized in meeting the objectives as stated above.
• Donations to PM CARES Fund would qualify for 80G benefits for 100% exemption under the Income Tax Act, 1961.
• Donations to PM CARES Fund will also qualify to be counted as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure under the Companies Act, 2013
• PM CARES Fund has also got exemption under the FCRA and a separate account for receiving foreign donations has been opened. This enables PM CARES Fund to accept donations and contributions from individuals and organizations based in foreign countries.

Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR):

• Corporate Social Responsibility is a management concept whereby  companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business  operations and interactions with their stakeholders.
• All businesses that have a net worth of at least Rs 500 crore, a revenue of at least Rs 1 billion, or a net profit of at least Rs 5 crore are expected to devote 2% of their annual profits, on average, to CSR initiatives.
• According to the updated CSR regulations, businesses may put aside CSR expenses that exceed the minimum 2% requirement in any fiscal year against mandatory expenses for up to three financial years.

Chief Minister’s relief fund: 

• The Chief Minister’s relief fund aims at providing immediate relief to the people in distress in the State as well as in the country.
• The Chief Minister Relief fund provides financial assistance to the people affected by the major natural calamities like flood, drought, fire accident etc.
• It also provides financial assistance to the economically weaker citizens for treatment of some of the major diseases.
• This fund was specifically designed to counter the adverse impacts of COVID-19 and had a separate account for funds.

Source:(https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/supreme-court-cm-relief-fund-vs-pm-cares-fund-csr-discrimination-rajasthan-government-plea-article-131-constitution-239799?infinitescroll=1)

5. MULTINATIONAL SECURITY MISSION OF UNITED NATION

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

Context:  Haiti approached the United Nations seeking urgent help to combat deadly gang violence.

Explanation:

• Haiti has experienced a surge in violence over the past year as armed groups (G-9) took control of large parts of the country, including the capital Port-au-Prince.
• Haiti has approached the United Nations seeking urgent help to combat deadly gang violence in the country.
• The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has approved international intervention in the form of multi-national security mission (MSS) to restore security, protect critical infrastructure and control spiralling violence in the country.
• The multi-national security mission (MSS) will not be operated by the United Nations.
• However, Kenya has volunteered to lead the force. Other countries like the Bahamas, Jamaica and Antigua and Barbuda have also offered support.

Multinational security mission:

• A multinational security mission is a military or police operation that is conducted by two or more countries.
• Multinational security missions are often carried out under the auspices of an international organization, such as the United Nations or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
• Multinational security missions can be used for a variety of purposes:
  • Maintaining or restoring peace and security in a conflict zone.
  • Protecting civilians from harm.
  • Promoting democracy and human rights.
  • Combating terrorism and other transnational crimes.
  • Providing humanitarian assistance.
• Multinational security missions can be complex and challenging. Multinational missions must coordinate the efforts of different countries, which can be a challenge.
• However, multinational security missions can be an effective way to address global security challenges. By working together, countries can bring more resources and expertise to bear on a problem.

Examples of multinational security missions:

• The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)
• The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan
• The European Union-led Operation Atalanta to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia
• The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)

About “G9 and Family”:

• The “G9 and Family” (G9 fanmi e alye) is a criminal federation of over a dozen gangs based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
• It was founded in June 2020 by former police officer turned gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, alias “Barbecue.”
• The G9 has emerged as one of the most powerful gangs in Haiti, and controls large swaths of territory in the capital city.
• The group has been accused of a wide range of crimes, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking.
• The G9 has also been linked to Haitian politics and has been accused of carrying out assassinations and other attacks on behalf of politicians. The group has also been accused of manipulating elections.

What is the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)?

• The United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) was a peacekeeping operation established by the United Nations Security Council on April 30, 2004, to help Haiti recover from a rebellion and coup that had ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
• The mission was authorized to use all necessary means to protect civilians and promote political stability.
• MINUSTAH was deployed to Haiti on June 1, 2004, and remained in the country for over 13 years. During its time in Haiti, MINUSTAH played a significant role in helping to stabilize the country and support the democratic process.
• The mission also helped to improve security conditions and provide humanitarian assistance to the Haitian people.

Source: (https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/haiti-crisis-explain-kenya-united-nations-international-mission-security-force-support-international-affairs/article67388970.ece)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Competition Commission of India to host 8th BRICS International Competition Conference during October 11-13, 2023 in New Delhi READ MORE
2. SC to hear pleas challenging electoral bond scheme on October 31 READ MORE
3. Net direct tax collections up 21.8% to ₹9.57 lakh crore READ MORE  
4. PCA regime to cover PSU NBFCs from October 2024 READ MORE
5. IMF raises India growth forecast to 6.3% for FY24 READ MORE
6. India, Italy sign defence cooperation agreement READ MORE
7. SC to hear petition challenging electoral bonds: What is the scheme and its criticisms? READ MORE  
8. Dancing frogs of Western Ghats among most threatened amphibians globally READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Mental disorders 10 times more likely following detention among asylum-seeking children: Report READ MORE
2. Women want change, society needs change READ MORE
3. DC Edit | Caste census to address inequity READ MORE
4. Something changed about cyclone formation in the 1990s | Explained READ MORE  
5. What the hottest September ever reveals about climate change READ MORE
6. India can reap the demographic dividend – but there’s a deadline READ MORE
7. Why does Delhi NCR frequently experience earthquakes, what causes seismic activity in region? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Caste census: Why the liberal intelligentsia’s opposition is misplaced READ MORE
2. Stop being vindictive’: SC directive to ED welcome READ MORE
3. DC Edit | SC’s relook at PMLA provisions welcome READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Learning for the future READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. BRICS: The mortar of competition in a globalised world READ MORE
2. ‘West is hypocritical’ is now India’s go-to foreign policy response. Delhi not exempt either READ MORE
3. India and the Israel-Palestine War: Choices, challenges and trade-offs READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The impact of Claudia Goldin’s work READ MORE  
2. Achieving the green energy goal READ MRE
3. Centre’s push on infra is transforming India READ MORE
4. West Asia crisis can hit global economy READ MORE
5. Claudia Goldin’s Nobel is a Wake-up Call for India’s Disjointed Labour Markets READ MORE
6. DC Edit | RBI keeps its focus on inflation READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Deregulation of biodiversity regime to impact environment READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. We need evidence-based traditional medicine READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. More people moved into high flood zones, exposing larger populations to water disasters: World Bank READ MORE
2. Sikkim’s Chungthang dam collapse signals the need for dam safety & emissions reduction READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. How the Khalistan movement is interlinked with Punjab’s growing drug problem, gun culture READ MORE
2. Beyond ‘Black Mirror’s’ fiction – Impact of Generative AI on policing, security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Gita unfolds the true essence of sanatan dharma READ MORE
2. Dealing with failure READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Why does Delhi NCR frequently experience earthquakes? What causes seismic activity in this region?
2. There is a need to redefine the relationship between the State and universities for a truly autonomous and thriving academic environment. Comment on the statement in light of recent developments.
3. While constitutional safeguards and legal protection for Dalits exist, caste-based discrimination has taken on new forms in the modern era. Discuss why the safeguards and legal protection failed to address the issue of discrimination in higher educational institutions?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• A leader who doesn’t hesitate before he sends his nation into battle is not fit to be a leader.
• India must carefully weigh the situation, its long-term trajectory, and fall outs and find sensible geopolitical choices and security measures to deal with future challenges.
• The growing perception of Canada being a sanctuary for global offenders not only tarnishes its international reputation but also poses a threat to its societal fabric.
• It is difficult to fathom how a pause in policy rates or controlling liquidity could bring down food inflation, which was caused mainly because of supply shortages.
• Inclusion does not happen on its own in a society beset with inequalities which have a history of thousands of years; it takes deliberate and forceful attempts.
• While the apex court puts its imprimatur on the law finding it an effective tool to take on international terror rackets, its use on the ground does not share that confidence.
• It may be a paradox that a country which runs per a democratic Constitution and vouches by the rule of law has for all these years let an investigating agency infringe on the fundamental right to liberty of citizens without offering them a reason.
• Future-ready education is one that will help students adapt to ever-changing circumstances, prepare them for the drastic fallouts of climate change, teach them the importance of maintaining a balanced ecology and help them to be genuine global citizens.
• Generative AI’s impact on military warfare can be both revolutionary and riddled with ethical and legal considerations. It has significant implications for defence strategies, intelligence gathering, and training simulations.
• The fall in prices and the strengthening of international financial linkages will allow India to attain a current account surplus.
• The United Nations’ report on ageing in India serves as a reminder that the country’s opportunity to reap the demographic dividend is not perpetual.
• Russia’s increasing involvement in Africa is about its geopolitics, economics, and intricate security concerns.
• Reservation is the most effective form of affirmative action and equity is the first step to equality.

50-WORD TALK

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is complaining about India to a growing list of global leaders from the UK, the UAE, and now Jordan. If Trudeau has concrete evidence of Indian wrong-doing, he should present it. Else, he’ll have to get used to the eye-rolling all whiny children eventually get.
• Awarding the Economics Nobel to economic historian Claudia Goldin is entirely appropriate. She’s greatly enhanced our understanding of women’s pay and labour participation, and historical issues therein. That she’s only the third woman to win this Nobel, and the first to do it solo, highlights how vital her research is.

Things to Remember:

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

1. MULTIMODAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Artificial intelligence models have evolved with the passage of time and changed all the dimensions of growth in each and every sector. For the next possible frontier of AI models, ideas are pointing towards multimodal systems.

EXPLANATION:

• ChatGPT-maker OpenAI announced on September 25, 2023, that it had enabled its GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models to study images and analyse them in words.
• Its mobile apps will have speech synthesis so that people can have full-fledged conversations with the chatbot.
• The Microsoft-backed company had promised multimodality in March, during the release of GPT-4.
• A report by “The Information” revealed that Google’s new yet-to-be-released multimodal large language model called Gemini, was already being tested in a bunch of companies.
• The report also stated that Google had an easy advantage over competitors in the multimodal world because of its readily available bank of images and videos via its search engine and YouTube.
• But OpenAI is moving fast to make inroads.
• The company is actively hiring multimodal experts with pay packages up to a hefty $3,70,000 per year.
• It is also reportedly working on a new project called Gobi which is expected to be a multimodal AI system from scratch, unlike the GPT models.

WHAT IS MULTIMODAL AI?

• Multimodal AI is artificial intelligence that combines multiple types, or modes, of data to create more accurate determinations, draw insightful conclusions or make more precise predictions about real-world problems.
• Multimodal AI systems train with and use video, audio, speech, images, text and a range of traditional numerical data sets.
• Most importantly, multimodal AI means numerous data types are used in tandem to help AI establish content and better interpret context, something missing in earlier AI.

HOW DOES MULTIMODEL AI WORK?

• Multimodal AI systems are trained on large datasets of multimodal data.
• This training data allows the system to learn how to combine the different modalities in a way that produces accurate and meaningful outputs.
• For e.g. OpenAI’s text-to-image model, DALL.E, upon which ChatGPT’s vision capabilities are based, is a multimodal AI model that was released in 2021.
• E is built on another multimodal text-to-image model called CLIP that OpenAI released the same year.
• E is underpinned with the same concept that runs other popular AI image generators like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, linking together text and images in the training stage.
• The system looks for patterns in visual data that can connect with data of the image descriptions.
• GPT’s voice processing capabilities are based on its own open-source speech-to-text translation model, called Whisper, which was released in September last year.
• Whisper can recognise speech in audio and translate it into simple language text.

APPLICATIONS OF AI:

• Image captioning:
  • Multimodal AI can be used to generate text descriptions of images.
  • This is useful for applications such as accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, and for improving the accuracy of image search.
• Video summarization:
  • Multimodal AI can be used to summarize videos into shorter, more concise versions.
  • This is useful for applications such as video surveillance and social media.
• Machine translation:
  • Multimodal AI can be used to improve the quality of machine translation by incorporating information from multiple modalities, such as images, audio, and video.
• Medical diagnosis:
  • Multimodal AI can be used to help doctors diagnose diseases by combining information from medical images, patient records, and other sources.
• Robotics:
  • Multimodal AI is essential for robots to be able to interact with the real world in a meaningful way.
  • Robots need to be able to perceive their surroundings and respond to stimuli from multiple modalities, such as vision, audio, and touch.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/what-is-multimodal-artificial-intelligence-and-why-is-it-important/article67401139.ece

2. THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1988

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court will hear a plea challenging Section 17A Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act & 2018 PC Act Amendments on Nov 20, 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• The petition was filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation.
• The constitutionality of Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 has been challenged on the ground that it violates fundamental rights guaranteed under the Article 14 (Equality before law) and 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty) of the Indian Constitution.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?

• Primarily, the challenge is two-fold.
• The petition stated that the amendments have rendered the Act almost ineffective by dilluting some of the original provisions, by deleting some of the earlier offences and also by introducing new provision.
  • Its effect would protect corrupt officials and exponentially increase level of corruption.
• Inter-alia, the petitioner has also assailed Section 12 of the Amendment Act that had introduced Section 17A (1) under the Act.
  • It provides that no investigation/inquiry/enquiry can be initiated against any public servant in relation to the offences under the Act without prior approval from the appointing government.
• Section 7 of the Amendment Act, 2018 has also been challenged.
• This provision substituted sub-section (1) of Section 13 and thereby, deleted old provision under Section 13 (1) (d) (ii) of the Act.
• It has been contended that the deletion of Section 13 (i) (d) (ii) of the Act has substantially diluted the scope of the Act and would make it a very weak law.
  • Section 13(1)(d)(ii) of the unamended Act made it an offence if a public servant abused his position to obtain for himself or for any other person any valuable thing or pecuniary advantage.
  • This was irrespective of whether the public servant obtained or attempted to obtain a bribe/gratification or undue advantage.
  • As per the petition: It is the provision of section 13 (1)(d)(ii) that is the very essence of saving the country from the evil of corruption and realization of Preambular ideals on equality and economic justice.
  • It is the heart of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
• Although abuse of position has now been included in the amended section 7 of the Act.
• The marginal heading of section 7 states ‘Offence relating to public servant being bribed’.
  • It makes clear that abuse of position by a public servant resulting in pecuniary advantage for any Person (including himself), would not by itself constitute an offence under the Act unless the element of bribery is necessarily established.

PREVIOUS SUPREME COURT RULINGS:

• The Supreme Court, in Vineet Narain’s case, has already had struck down the validity of a Single Directive issued by the Government which required prior sanction of the designated authority to initiate the investigation against officers of the Government and the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), nationalised banks above a certain level.
• The Central Vigilance Commissioner Act, 2003, reinstated this requirement.
• However, this directive was again struck down by the Supreme Court in the course of another judgment in 2014 on the basis that it violated the right to equality guaranteed by the Constitution.

THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1988:

• It came into force on 9th September, 1988.
• It was aimed at making anti-corruption laws more effective by widening their coverage and by strengthening the provisions to make the overall statute more effective.
• It incorporates the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1952, and Sec. 161 to 165-A of the Indian Penal Code with certain tweaks in the original provisions.
• It has enlarged the scope of the definition such as Public Duty and Public Servant.
• It has shifted the burden of proof from the prosecution as mentioned in the CrPC to the accused who is charged with the offense.
• The provisions of the Act clearly state that the investigation is to be made by an officer, not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.
• The Act covers corrupt acts as bribe, misappropriation, obtaining a pecuniary advantage, possessing assets disproportionate to income and the like.

SOURCE: https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/supreme-court-prevention-of-corruption-act-constitutional-validity-centre-for-public-interest-litigation-v-union-of-india-239712?infinitescroll=1

3. NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS FOR 2023

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Nobel Prize in Economics for 2023 was awarded to Claudia Goldin, a Harvard University professor, for “having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes”.

EXPLANATION:

• Goldin is only the third woman to win this honour.
• In 2009, Elinor Ostrom got the award along with Oliver E Williamson, while in 2019, Esther Duflo shared it with Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer.

KEY FINDINGS OF HER RESEARCH:

• OLDER DATA GAVE MORE PERSPECTIVE:
  • Researchers believed that as the economy grew, so did women’s labour force participation.
  • Goldin reached back to older data to reveal that before industrialisation, more women were likely to have been involved in economic activity related to agriculture and various cottage industries.
  • With greater industrialisation, work was concentrated in factories, and women found it difficult to leave their homes and travel to work.
  • This trend reversed in the early 20th century, with the growth of the services sector.
  • Two other factors played a crucial role in women’s access to higher education and employment marriage and the contraceptive pill.

• THE LIMITATIONS OF MARRIAGE:
  • Goldin’s work found that by the beginning of the 20th century, while around 20 per cent of women were gainfully employed, the share of married women was only five per cent.
  • Marriage bars prevented married women from continuing their employment as teachers or office workers.
  • Despite an increasing demand for labour, married women were excluded from parts of the labour market.
  • This type of legislation peaked during the 1930s’ Great Depression and the years following it but was not the only reason.
  • Women’s expectations were based on the experience of their mothers, and thus their educational and professional decisions were not taken with the expectation of having a long, uninterrupted, and fruitful career.

• CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS:
  • By the end of the 1960s, as easy-to-use contraceptive pills became more popular, women could exercise greater control over childbirth and actually plan careers and motherhood.
  • Women also ventured beyond the services sector, studying subjects like law, economics, and medicine.
  • Now, women were catching up in terms of education and fields of employment.

• PAY GAP AND PARENTHOOD:
• • Till the time men and women worked in factories, where the pay depended on the day’s countable output, the pay gap was not too high.
  • It became wider when monthly pay contracts came into the picture.
  • One factor significantly impacted how men were paid versus women childbirth.
  • As women had to shoulder more of the parenting responsibilities once a child was born, they were also punished for this at the work front in terms of a slower rise on the pay scale.

NOBEL PRIZE:

• Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has been honouring men and women from around the world for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and for work in peace.
• The prizes consist of a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary award.
• In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) established the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize.
• The prize is based on a donation received by the Nobel Foundation in 1968 from Sveriges Riksbank on the occasion of the bank’s 300th anniversary.
• The first prize in economic sciences was awarded to Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen in 1969.
• The prize in economic sciences is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden, according to the same principles as for the Nobel Prizes that have been awarded since 1901.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/everyday-explainers/economics-nobel-2023-claudia-goldin-explained-8975198/

4. INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION (IORA)

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Sri Lanka is set to take over the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) succeeding Bangladesh during the 23rd Council of Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for October 11, 2023, in Colombo.

EXPLANATION:

• The Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo will see the participation of 16 Ministers including those of India, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Iran, Malaysia and South Africa.
• Sri Lanka will hold the chairmanship of the association from 2023 to 2025, with the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh ceremoniously handing over the chairmanship to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister.
• The Ministers will deliberate on ways to cooperate on six priority areas identified by the IORA which are:
  • Trade and Investment,
  • Maritime Safety and Security,
  • Fisheries Management,
  • Strengthening Regional Ties,
  • Disaster Risk Management and
  • Blue Economy.

STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE FOR SRI LANKA:

• Navigating Geopolitical Dynamics:
  • Sri Lanka often finds itself managing complex strategic interests involving India and China within the Indian Ocean Region, positioning it as a crucial player in the IORA.

• Regional Inclusivity:
• • Sri Lanka’s active participation in the forum aligns it with neighbouring nations, fostering regional inclusivity and cooperation.
  • This engagement extends to countries such as Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan.

INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION (IORA):

• It is an inter-governmental organisation which was established on 7 March 1997.
• It aims at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region through its 23 Member States and 11 Dialogue Partners.
• The association’s Secretariat is based in Cyber City, Ebene, Mauritius, responsible for managing, coordinating, servicing, and monitoring policy decisions, work programs, and projects adopted by member states.

IORA CHAIR:

• The Council of Ministers, on voluntary offer by Member States, elects a Chair of the Association for a period of two years.
• If there is no voluntary offer, the Chair is elected on the basis of geographical consideration.
• The incoming Chair is the Member State that served as the Vice-Chair of the Association during the term of office of the incumbent Chair.

STRUCTURE:

• IORA’s apex body is the Council of Foreign Ministers (COM) which meets annually.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) assumed the role of Chair since November 2019 November 2021, followed by the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
• A committee of Senior Officials (CSO) meets twice a year to progress IORA’s agenda.
• CSO consider recommendations by Working Groups and forums of officials, business and academics to implement policies and projects to improve the lives of people within the Indian Ocean Member States.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/sri-lanka-to-take-over-as-chair-of-indian-ocean-rim-association/article67398819.ece

5. COLLAPSE OF CHUNGTHANG DAM

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the abrupt eruption of South Lhonak Lake, led to the collapse of the Chungthang dam situated in northern Sikkim.

EXPLANATION:

• The dam’s collapse triggered a staggering surge in water levels, elevating them by an alarming 15-20 metres within the Teesta River.
• The resultant flash flood wreaked havoc across numerous districts. On October 9, the death toll was at 74.
• Moreover, approximately 100 individuals, encompassing civilians and army personnel, are still reported as missing.
• The ongoing scientific investigations over Chungthang dam bursting are trying to unravel the exact cause of the abrupt eruption.

CHUNGTHANG DAM:

• The Chungthang dam was a part of the 1,200-megawatt (MW) Teesta Stage III Hydro Electric Project.
• It was constructed along the Teesta River and became operational in 2017, primarily for hydroelectric power generation.
• The dam stood at 817 metres and had a net head of 778 metres.
• This hydroelectric project was established to generate revenue for the Sikkim government.
• The project was designed to generate electricity at a scale nearly twelve times greater than the state’s demand, surpassing the typical requirement of approximately 100 MW.
• The primary objective was to export surplus power to neighbouring states, including West Bengal.
• Chungthang is situated at 1,700 metres above mean sea level and is the confluence point for the Lachen River, originating from South Lhonak Lake and the Lachung River, together forming the Teesta River.

For more information, please refer to the 5^th September 2023 DNA.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/natural-disasters/sikkim-s-chungthang-dam-collapse-signals-the-need-for-dam-safety-emissions-reduction-92192

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Harvard professor Claudia Goldin wins Nobel Economics Prize for gender gap research READ MORE
2. Scientists untangle mystery about the universe’s earliest galaxies READ MORE
3. Sri Lanka to take over as Chair of Indian Ocean Rim Association READ MORE  
4. Ahead of Bima Vistaar rollout, IRDAI issues guidelines on Bima Vahaks READ MORE
5. ICMR to set up study to develop solutions to remedy childhood undernutrition READ MORE
6. What is multimodal artificial intelligence and why is it important? READ MORE
7. Joint Statement during the State Visit of the President of Tanzania to India and launch of Strategic Partnership between India and Tanzania (8-10 October 2023) READ MORE  
8. Appointment of Manipur HC CJ to be notified soon, Centre tells apex court READ MORE
9. Unemployment rate drops to 6.6% in urban areas in Q1 READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Mental health and the floundering informal worker READ MORE
2. Socio-economic takeaways from Bihar caste survey READ MORE
3. Does India need a caste census? READ MORE
4. Extreme weather impact: 20,000 children displaced every day in last 6 years READ MORE  
5. How climate crisis will trigger more water wars in India READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. The state of India’s Scheduled Areas READ MORE
2. Uncertain timing, Census and delimitation hurdles cast shadow over women’s reservation READ MORE
3. Law Commission age of consent recommendations threaten to criminalise the young READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. The ‘invisible’ disability of mental illness: Challenges of social security access READ MORE
2. Fundamental health services for women: Analysing gender disparities READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The end of the two-state solution: Hamas’s spectacular terrorism will push back Palestinian statehood by a generation READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. With food inflation limited to dal roti, why govt policy may need changes READ MORE  
2. Economics Nobel 2023: How Claudia Goldin shed light on the status of women in the workforce READ MORE
3. Is RBI heading in the right direction? READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Why India is launching a national framework for climate services Extreme weather impact: 20,000 children displaced every day in last 6 years READ MORE
2. Natural disasters occur due to our apathy towards environment READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. More people moved into high flood zones, exposing larger populations to water disasters: World Bank READ MORE
2. Sikkim’s Chungthang dam collapse signals the need for dam safety & emissions reduction READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Back to square one on theatre commands READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. It’s okay to be not okay READ MORE
2. Only we can reform our society READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Empowering women with the right to a safe and inclusive online environment is a crucial step toward a more equitable and just society in the digital age. Comment.
2. There is a need to redefine the relationship between the State and universities for a truly autonomous and thriving academic environment. Comment on the statement in light of recent developments.
3. While constitutional safeguards and legal protection for Dalits exist, caste-based discrimination has taken on new forms in the modern era. Discuss why the safeguards and legal protection are failed to address the issue of discrimination in higher educational institutions?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Palestine is the cement that holds the Arab world together, or it is the explosive that blows it apart.
• The disturbing trends seen in women’s mental health call for immediate gender mainstreaming action in mental health policies.
• Policy neglect, uncertain job market, and increased contractualisation are making labourers’ economic condition worse. Inflation is negating purchasing power too.
• Wages of informal labourers neither become an election issue nor do they count as a measure of poverty.
• ]The only way to protect the Indian rupee is through price stability. Assured stability through firmer anti-inflationary measures sends an effective message to overseas investors.
• We need to enhance our responsibility and responsiveness towards climate cure and healing; we must investment in climate-pro solutions.
• Enhance cooperation for mitigation efforts, and develop sustainable and viable ecosystems for a crisis-free society.
• A caste census is deemed discriminatory and opposed by those who seek equal rights for all. Besides, opinions are sharply divided on its impact.
• The release of the socio-economic profile of various SRCs can bring back the lost focus on the ‘economic’ aspect of social justice.
• The promise of a caste census could influence outcomes in the upcoming assembly elections but not do much for the cause of universal welfarism.
• India and South Korea, guided by universal values, should build beyond bilateralism as they refuse to be bystanders amid global disorder.
• Law Commission recommendations on age of consent sidestep key question of how to protect the young from sexual abuse, while ensuring they are not punished for consensual sexual activity with peers.
• Informal workers, despite their significant contribution to national income, are perennially exposed to economic, physical, and, in turn, mental vulnerabilities.
• The only way forward is for a Palestinian leadership that can credibly signal to the Israeli people that it will not use the freedoms it gains from any peace deal to hurt Israel. The prospects for that seem dim.

50-WORD TALK

• The shocking failure of Israel’s security services to preempt Hamas’ brutal strikes illustrates the damage caused when elected dictators operate without scrutiny and the perils of emulating Erdogan-style rule. PM Netanyahu’s politics undermined Jerusalem’s military and intelligence leadership. Israel will prevail—but at a price that need not have been paid.
• Army signing contracts worth Rs 18,000 crore under emergency procurement and asking it be institutionalised shows how convoluted military procurement has become. It is a shame that Services have to use EP to fill up critical gaps. This piecemeal approach should be stopped and procurement systems decluttered for faster procurement.

Things to Remember:

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

RELEVANCE TO UPSC SYLLABUS: GS 3: INDIAN ECONOMY AND ISSUES RELATING TO PLANNING, MOBILIZATION OF RESOURCES

THE CONTEXT

India’s gross revenues from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) stand at over ₹9.92 lakh crore in September 2023 which is halfway through the financial year, marking an 11.1% increase over collections between April and September 2022.

MORE ON THE NEWS

• Central and state governments collected ₹62 trillion in Goods and Services Tax (GST) in September, 2023 marking the fourth highest monthly collection since the inception of the indirect tax regime and a 10% annual growth from the year-ago period.
• It places government at a comfortable place regarding GST revenues in the fiscal context, as during the January-March 2024 quarter central bank expects real GDP growth to slow to 5.7% from 7.8% in the first quarter.

WHAT IS GST?

• GST has been introduced by 101st Amendment Act of 2016 and is one indirect tax for the whole nation, which will make India one unified common market. GST is a single tax on the supply of goods and services, right from the manufacturer to the consumer. It essentially is a tax only on value addition at each stage.
• The final consumer will thus bear only the GST charged by the last dealer in the supply chain, with set-off benefits at all the previous stages.

At the Central level, the following taxes are being subsumed:

1. Central Excise Duty
2. Additional Excise Duty
3. Service Tax
4. Additional Customs Duty commonly known as Countervailing Duty
5. Special Additional Duty of Customs.

At the State level, the following taxes are being subsumed:

1. Subsuming of State Value Added Tax/Sales Tax,
2. Entertainment Tax (other than the tax levied by the local bodies), Central Sales Tax (levied by the Centre and collected by the States),
3. Octroi and Entry tax,
4. Purchase Tax,
5. Luxury tax, and
6. Taxes on lottery, betting and gambling.

BENEFITS OF GST

• Easy compliance: All the tax payer services such as registrations, returns, payments, etc. are available to the taxpayers online, which would make compliance easy and transparent.
• Uniformity of tax rates and structures: GST ensure that indirect tax rates and structures are common across the country, thereby increasing certainty and ease of doing business.
• Removal of cascading: A system of seamless tax-credits throughout the value-chain, and across boundaries of States, ensure that there is minimal cascading of taxes. This reduce hidden costs of doing business.
• Higher revenue efficiency: GST mechanism decrease the cost of collection of tax revenues of the Government, and therefore, lead to higher revenue efficiency.

GST COUNCIL

• GST Council has been introduced for smooth and efficient administration of GST by cooperation and coordination under Article 279-A in the constitution of India.
• The GST Council consists of the following members:

1. The Union Finance Minister (as Chairman).
2. The Union Minister of State in-charge of Revenue or Finance.
3. The Minister in charge of Finance or Taxation or any other Minister, nominated by each State Government.
4. The members of the Council from the states have to choose one amongst themselves to be the Vice-Chairperson of the Council. They can also decide his term.
5. The Union Cabinet also decided to include the Chairperson of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) as a permanent invitee (non-voting) to all proceedings of the Council.

• The council is devised in such a way that the centre will have 1/3^rd voting power and the states have 2/3^rd. The decisions are taken by 3/4^th

Reasons for the Increase in GST Revenue

• Improvement in economic activity: One of the main reasons for the increase in GST revenue is the improvement in economic activity.
• Enhanced compliance: Another reason for the increase in GST revenue is the enhanced compliance and anti-evasion measures taken by the government.
• Reforms introduced by government: The government has introduced several reforms such as e-invoicing, e-way bills, Aadhaar authentication, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to plug leakages and prevent tax evasion.

THE ISSUES

• Impact of slowdown not evenly distributed: The impact of the slowdown has not been evenly distributed across income groups and categories.
• Beyond the macro resilience that these numbers indicate, a few areas of concern deserve closer scrutiny from policymakers and the GST Council:
• Slowdown in growth of GST: There is slowdown in the growth of GST inflows and in domestic transactions and services imports between July and September, the slowest since July 2021.
• Mandatory E-invoicing: E-invoicing became mandatory for all firms with a turnover of over ₹5 crore since August 1, 2023 ,so there comes need of another compliance mechanism.
• Shrink in revenue from goods: Revenues from goods imports that have shrunk four times in 2023 despite high import. Authorities must check for revenue leakages from imports.

THE TRENDS

• Increase in taxpayers: A substantial increase has been observed across different categories individuals, firms and companies. For example, number of taxpayers increased by 64% between 2014 and 2022.
• More number of returns filed: There is growth in number of taxpayers filing returns.

However, this growth in taxpayers is insufficient as the most of the tax returns are associated with nil taxes.

• Rise in direct tax: There is growth in direct tax collections and higher tax buoyancy with increase in taxpayers and increase in returns filed which suggests noticeable gains in compliance.

THE WAY FORWARD

• Strengthening of GST Council: There is need of strengthening of GST Council for its better functioning. There have been instances of disagreements in resolving issues such as dispute resolution mechanism and revenue-sharing formulas that needs to be resolved.
• Simplification of GST rates: The rationalization of GST rates and slabs would reduce compliance costs, improve tax buoyancy, and eliminate classification disputes.
• Mechanism for higher revenue generation: An increase in returns filed is however not an end in itself. It must lead to higher revenues for which newer mechanism needs to be developed.
• Need scrutiny: Amid broadly healthy GST inflows, some trends need greater scrutiny. There is need of capacity building of state tax authorities as success of GST depends on adapting to the new requirements.

THE CONCLUSION

With higher revenue and simplified tax regime, GST is termed as positive step towards shifting Indian economy from the informal to formal economy. There is need of certain reforms to overcome the impending challenges.

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

1. Explain the rationale behind the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act of 2017. How has COVID-19 impacted the GST compensation fund and created new federal tensions? (2020)
2. Enumerate the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the goods and services tax (GST) in India. Also, comment on the revenue implications of the GST introduced in India since July 2017.(2019)

 MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. Although there has been improvement in GST revenue collection, the GST regime suffers from multiple challenges. Comment.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/revenue-riddles-the-hindu-editorial-on-gst-inflows-and-areas-of-concern/article67389922.ece

1. THE NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR CLIMATE SERVICES

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: India is embarking on a major programme to launch the National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS).

EXPLANATION:

• It will be Spearheaded by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• It envisions to bring a seamless working platform for users of climate information and services, and help decide and mitigate climate risks for key sectors like agriculture, energy, disaster management, etc.

WHAT THE NFCS IS BASED ON?

• The NFCS is based on the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).
• The Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) is a partnership of governments and organisations at a global level, for the production and better usage of climate information and services.
• The GFCS aims to facilitate researchers and users of climate information and services to join hands to make informed and actionable decisions for the long-term betterment.
• The announcement to establish a GFCS was made during the third World Climate Conference held in Geneva in 2009.
• This framework, led by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) in their respective nations, includes active participation of policymakers, investors, vulnerable sectors etc.
• The five major components under GFCS are:
  • Observations and Monitoring,
  • Research, Modelling and Prediction,
  • Climate Services Information System,
  • User Interface Platform and
  • Capacity Building.
• At present, the priority sectors where the GFCS focuses upon are agriculture and food security, energy, health, water and disaster risk reduction.

WHAT THE NFCS WILL DO?

• In lines with the global framework, the national framework will be based on country-specific weather and stakeholder needs.
• Unlike the GFCS, the nodal agency for the formulation and implementation of the national framework in India will be the IMD.
• Along with the identified sectors of focus, India could add other relevant sectors like transport, tourism and other emerging sectors from time to time.
• Initially, the NFCS will work in bridging functioning gaps between the various agencies who require climate services.
• These include the hydrological, power, renewable energy, transport, dams and irrigation, health agencies are central, state and other levels.

WHY THE NFCS IS NEEDED?

• The IMD makes daily weather forecasts and season predictions for the winter, summer and the monsoon seasons.
• There remain many gap areas across terrains and the seas, wherein no weather data is available.
• It results in the lack of long-term (100 years or more) climatological data from the Himalayan regions, the oceans, besides inexistence of radar and satellite-based climatology.
• This is one of the major reasons why the IMD could make limited in providing climate predictions.
• To have a complete composite of climatological information of all the weather parameters, in order to make climate predictions. There is a need to integrate the weather and climate services.
• With NFCS, the Meteorological department aims to strengthen the observational network on land and the seas, improve the data inflow and eventually use it to run weather and climate models for deriving climate predictions.
• Suitable to the user’s needs, the climate data and information products will be tailored and help identify agricultural production, health trends, population distribution in high-risk areas etc.
• The framework aims to support efforts to prepare for new climate conditions and adapt to their impacts on water supplies, health risks, extreme events, farm productivity etc.

HOW THE NFCS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED?

• Switzerland, China, Germany and the United Kingdom have launched the NFCS, since the 2009 declaration of frameworks for climate services.
• Countries where the NFCS implementation is in the advanced stages include Benin, Madagascar, Moldova, Niger, and South Africa etc.
• With the first workshop organised recently in Pune, India has joined Cuba, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville and Ethiopia, where the NFCS-related national consultation workshops are being planned.
• India will be soon releasing the statement of NFCS after consensus received from the key partnering stakeholders.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-climate/national-framework-for-climate-services-nfcs-8972568/

2. ASIATIC WILD DOGS

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: As per a new study, overlapping prey availability or habitat suitability could dictate a positive association between dholes or Asiatic wild dogs and tigers, facilitating co-existence or even cooperative behaviours between the two species of carnivores.

EXPLANATION:

• The activity of the Asiatic wild dog in Assam’s Manas National Park showed the highest temporal overlap with the leopard and the lowest with the clouded leopard.

An Asiatic wild dog at Manas National Park, Assam.

FRAGMENTATION OF THE DHOLE POPULATION AS PER THE STUDY:

• Operating in packs of 5-10 individual larger groups of more than 30 were observed in 2004.
• Dholes were once widespread across southern and eastern Asia.
• Factors such as habitat loss, declining prey availability, persecution, disease, and interspecific competition have contributed to the ongoing fragmentation of its populations.
• The global population of adult dholes are classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
• It is estimated to be between 949 and 2,215 individuals, scattered in localised areas of India and Thailand.
• Study findings revealed a surprising positive relationship between dhole habitat use and tiger, rejecting the habitat exclusivity hypothesis.
• This unexpected result challenges the assumption of antagonistic interactions between these two species and suggests a more complex ecological dynamic.

DHOLE OR ASIATIC WILD DOG:

• Appearance:
  • Depending on their habitat, these wild dogs vary in colour from charcoal grey to rust red to sandy beige. They have a long, brushy, fox-like tail that often has a black tip. They usually have a white belly, chest, and feet. Adults have rounded ears and a pointed snout.

• Habitat:
  • Dholes occupy a wide variety of climates and habitats, such as dense forests, scrub, steppes, and alpine regions.

• Geography:
  • Dholes are found in Central, South, East and Southeast Asia.

• Lifespan:
  • Dholes live about 10 years in the wild and up to 16 years in captivity.

• Threats:
  • The greatest threat to dholes is habitat loss and fragmentation.
  • As human activity expands, dholes are losing their places to live, reproduce and feed.
  • Not only are dhole at risk, but so is their prey.
  • In 2008, there were estimated to be less than 2,500 adult dholes in the wild.
  • Other threats include disease and human conflict. These wild dogs can easily catch diseases like distemper and rabies from domestic dogs brought by humans moving into the wild dogs’ habitat.
  • Dholes are viewed as dangerous pests in some areas and are trapped and poisoned as a result.

• Conservation Status:
  • As of 2015, the IUCN has classified the dhole as Endangered on its Red List of Threatened Species.

• Conservation Efforts:
• • Scientists and conservationists are working to better understand dholes.
  • For example, scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Species Survival (CSS) are working to study and save dholes by tracking animals with satellite collars, monitoring human-dhole conflict, and doing community outreach.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/prey-habitat-dictate-dhole-tiger-coexistence-study/article67395637.ece/amp/

3. 52^ND GST COUNCIL MEETING

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The 52nd GST Council met under the Chairpersonship of Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs in New Delhi on 7^th October 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• The meeting was also attended by Union Minister of State for Finance, Chief Ministers of Goa and Meghalaya holding finance portfolio.
• The GST Council inter-alia made the recommendations relating to changes in GST tax rates, measures for facilitation of trade and measures for streamlining compliances in GST.

RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO GST RATES ON GOODS AND SERVICES:

• CHANGES IN GST RATES OF GOODS
  • GST rates on “Food preparation of millet flour in powder form, containing at least 70% millets by weight”, falling under HS 1901, with effect from date of notification, have been prescribed as:

1. 1. 0% if sold in other than pre-packaged and labelled form
   2. 5% if sold in pre-packaged and labelled form

• • Foreign going vessels are liable to pay 5% IGST on the value of the vessel if it converts to coastal run.

• OTHER CHANGES RELATING TO GOODS
• • GST Council recommended to keep Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) used for manufacture of alcoholic liquor for human consumption outside GST.
  • To reduce GST on molasses from 28% to 5%. This step will increase liquidity with mills and enable faster clearance of cane dues to sugarcane farmers.
  • A separate tariff HS code has been created at 8 digit level in the Customs Tariff Act to cover rectified spirit for industrial use.

• CHANGES IN GST RATES OF SERVICES
• • The GST Council has also recommended to exempt services of water supply, public health, sanitation conservancy, solid waste management and slum improvement and upgradation supplied to Governmental Authorities.

• OTHER CHANGES RELATING TO SERVICES
• • To clarify that job work services for processing of barley into malt attracts GST @ 5% as applicable to “job work in relation to food and food products” and not 18%.
  • To clarify that District Mineral Foundations Trusts (DMFT) set up by the State Governments across the country in mineral mining areas are Governmental Authorities.
  • Thus eligible for the same exemptions from GST as available to any other Governmental Authority.

MEASURES FOR FACILITATION OF TRADE:

• Amnesty Scheme for filing of appeals against demand orders in cases where appeal could not be filed within the allowable time period.
• Clarifications regarding taxability of personal guarantee offered by directors to the bank against the credit limits/loans being sanctioned to the company.
• Taxability of corporate guarantee provided for related persons including corporate guarantee provided by holding company to its subsidiary company.
• Provision for automatic restoration of provisionally attached property after completion of one year.
• The Council has recommended to issue a Circular to clarify the place of supply in respect of the supply of services.
• Issuance of clarification relating to export of services.

OTHER MEASURES PERTAINING TO LAW AND PROCEDURES:

• The Council has recommended amendments in section 110 of the CGST Act, 2017 to provide that:
  • an advocate for ten years with substantial experience in litigation under indirect tax laws for the appointment as judicial member;
  • the minimum age for eligibility for appointment as President and Member to be 50 years;
  • President and Members shall have tenure up to a maximum age of 70 years and 67 years respectively.

GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (GST):

• The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a value-added tax levied on most goods and services sold for domestic consumption.
• The GST is paid by consumers, but it is remitted to the government by the businesses selling the goods and services.
• The GST (122nd Constitutional Amendment) Bill, 2014 was passed in May 2015.
• It was enacted as Constitution (101st Amendment) Act, 2016, with effect from, 16th September, 2016.

GST COUNCIL:

• Article 279A – GST Council to be formed by the President to administer & govern GST. It’s Chairman is Union Finance Minister of India with ministers nominated by the state governments as its members.
• The council is devised in such a way that the centre will have 1/3rd voting power and the states have 2/3rd.
• The decisions are taken by 3/4th majority.

SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1965431

4. PACIFIC ASIA TRAVEL ASSOCIATION (PATA)

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has committed to work with India to expand Travel for LiFE initiative across Asia Pacific region.

EXPLANATION:

• India hosted 46th edition of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart 2023 from Oct 4 to Oct 6 at the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC), Pragati Maidan, in New Delhi.
• PATA Mart saw the participation of around 1000 delegates, is one of the major international trade exhibitions catering to the tourism sector.
• It serves as a platform for trade interactions between global buyers and sellers.

PACIFIC ASIA TRAVEL ASSOCIATION (PATA):

• It was founded in 1951.
• The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership-based association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.
• By bringing together private and public sector members, PATA facilitates meaningful partnerships to enhance the value, quality and sustainable growth of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.
• It serves as a platform for trade interactions between global buyers and sellers.
• Besides facilitating trade interactions between Buyer Sellers meet, the PATA Travel Mart (PTM) 2023 also included thought provoking knowledge sessions at PATA Forum and youth engagement at PATA Youth Symposium.
• Travel for LiFE initiative was showcased by the Ministry across all the events and it generated huge interest from international travel trade community.

LiFE (LIFESTYLE FOR ENVIRONMENT):

• Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) was formally launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 19th October 2022, in the presence of the UN Secretary General António Guterres, at the Statue of Unity, Ekta Nagar, Gujarat.
• It is a global mass movement led by India urging individuals and communities to act for protection of the environment against the effects of the climate change.
• Ministry of Tourism will set up a PATA desk to strengthen engagement with PATA on Travel for LiFE and other areas of cooperation in tourism sector.
• This is the first major international partnership for Travel for Life (TFL) program after its global launch on September 27, 2023, world tourism day.
• Ministry of Tourism is already working with UNEP and UNWTO on strengthening the TFL program.
• Travel for LiFE embodies the spirit of the Pro Planet People and functions on the basic principles of “Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet”.
• It aspires to bring large-scale behavioral change amongst tourists and tourism businesses, which will have a significant impact on environment protection while ensuring socio-cultural sustainability.
• The Travel for LiFE program has identified an illustrative list of actions that are designed in line with the eight themes of Travel for LiFE
  • Save Energy,
  • Save Water,
  • Say No to Single Use Plastic,
  • Reduce Waste,
  • Empower Local Businesses and Communities,
  • Respect Local Culture and Heritage,
  • Consume Local Foods and
  • Conserve Nature
• Travel for LiFE Program will position India as leader in promoting sustainable and responsible tourism and using tourism as a vehicle for achieving Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1965805

5. ATTACK ON ISRAEL

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Israel witnessed the largest attack from the Palestinian enclave and perhaps the worst security crisis in 50 years.

EXPLANATION:

• Dozens of Hamas militants, using motorcycles, pickup trucks, boats, paragliders and mid-range rockets, launched a highly coordinated attack.
• They infiltrated Israeli cities, hitting military bases and killing and taking hostage soldiers and civilians.
• Israeli officials say at least 200 people were killed and hundreds of others injured.
• The attacks, reminiscent of the 1973 Yom Kippur holiday attack by Egyptian and Syrian troops, took Israel by surprise.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose right-religious government’s key promise is Israel’s security, has declared war on Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that runs the Gaza strip.

PALESTINE-ISRAEL RELATIONS:

• The Palestine-Israel relations have steadily deteriorated in recent years.
• Israel has been carrying out military raids in the occupied West Bank almost on a daily basis, besides tightening the screws of the occupation.
• At least 200 Palestinians and some 30 Israelis have been killed so far in 2023.
• In April 2023, Israeli police raided Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest place of worship, triggering rocket attacks from Gaza, which were followed by Israeli air strikes.
• In May 2023, Israel and the Palestine Islamic Jihad, which is based in Gaza, fought a short battle.
• In July 2023, Israel carried out a major raid in the West Bank town of Jenin, which has emerged as a hotbed of militancy in the West Bank.
• Currently, there is no peace process. Violence is perverse. And anger has been building up among Palestinians against both the Israeli occupiers as well as the Palestinian Authority.
• By launching such a massive attack from Gaza (which is controlled by Hamas) and asking “all Arabs of Palestine”, including the Israeli Arab citizens to take up arms against the state of Israel.
  • Israeli Arab make up some 20% of the Israel’s population.
• Hamas is both trying to cash in on the public anger against occupation and emerge as the sole pole of the Palestinian cause.

DIVISIONS IN ISRAELI SOCIETY:

• Israel is also going through a difficult phase.
• The country is ruled by its most right-wing government whose key domestic agenda is to overhaul the structures of power so that the elected government would be more powerful than other institutions.
• The government has already pushed one part of its ambitious legislative agenda seeking to curtail the powers of the judiciary through Parliament, which triggered massive protests.
• Thousands of military reservists had joined the sit-ins and threatened to resign in protest against the Netanyahu government’s judicial overhaul plan.
• So, the government’s focus was on its legislative agenda; rights groups are up in arms showing deep divisions in society; and there were resenting voices even within the military.
• Hamas might have thought that Israel was at a weak moment internally, which provides an opportunity for it to launch an unprecedented attack from Gaza and trigger more resistance violence in the occupied West Bank.

GEOPOLITICAL ANGLE:

• It is unlikely to be a coincidence that the Hamas attack came when Israel and Saudi Arabia are in an advanced stage of normalisation talks.
• Recently, Saudi Crown Prince said in an interview that both countries were making progress every day.
• If Saudi Arabia, the custodian of the two holiest mosques of Islam and arguably the most influential Arab country, normalises ties with Israel, it would not only reset West Asian geopolitical dynamics but also put Hamas at a further disadvantageous position.
• Such a realignment is also not in the interests of Iran (which backs the Islamic Jihad and Hamas) and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has its own problems with Israel.
• Iran and Hezbollah were quick to welcome the Hamas operation, describing it as “heroic”.
• As Gaza is set to witness massive Israeli retaliation in the coming days, if not weeks, the prospects for an immediate normalisation deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be further complicated.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/why-did-hamas-launch-a-surprise-attack-on-israel-analysis/article67393000.ece/amp/

1. BAN ON THE CULTIVATION OF PUSA-44

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Punjab Chief Minister announced on October 4, 2023 that the state will ban the cultivation of the PUSA-44 paddy variety from next year onwards.

PUSA-44:

• PUSA-44 was developed in 1993 by the Delhi-based Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• Punjab’s farmers started increasing the area under PUSA-44 by multiplying the seed, after getting a high yield from the crops.
• By the end of 2010, it had gained widespread popularity among farmers across the Punjab, covering approximately 70 to 80% of the area under paddy cultivation.
• However, the Agriculture Department and Punjab Agricultural University have never promoted it from the beginning and discouraged farmers due to declining groundwater levels.
• By 2018, the Punjab government reduced the area under PUSA-44 to 18 per cent of the total area under paddy, but it rebounded to 22 per cent last year.
• According to the Agriculture Department, in the previous year, 7.74 lakh hectares (19.12 lakh acres) of paddy were under Pusa-44, out of a total non-Basmati paddy area of 26.61 lakh hectares.

PUSA-44 YIELD AS COMPARED TO OTHER VARIETIES:

• PUSA-44 yields nearly 85 to 100 mann (34 to 40 quintals) per acre, while other varieties’ yield average is 28 to 30 quintals per acre.
• Many farmers are able to get a yield of 36 to 40 quintals per acre with PUSA-44 if the weather is favourable.
• Currently, the Minimum Support Prince (MSP) offered for paddy is Rs 2,205 per quintal, so if it yields farmers 7-10 quintals more than the other varieties, then it will add to their income by Rs 15,000 to 22,000 per acre.

Punjab wants to ban the cultivation of PUSA-44 paddy variety for the following reasons:

• It is a water-intensive crop.
  • PUSA-44 takes around 152 days to mature, which is about 35 to 40 days more than other varieties.
  • This requires 5-6 extra cycles of irrigation, which puts a strain on Punjab’s already depleting groundwater resources.
• It produces a lot of stubble.
  • PUSA-44 is a long-duration variety, which means that its straw is also longer and more difficult to manage.
  • This contributes to the problem of stubble burning in Punjab, which causes severe air pollution in the region during the winter months.
• It is susceptible to pests and diseases.
  • PUSA-44 is more susceptible to pests and diseases than other varieties, which requires farmers to use more pesticides.
  • This can increase the cost of cultivation and reduce the profitability of the crop.
• Despite its high yield, PUSA-44 is no longer considered a sustainable crop for Punjab.
  • The state government is encouraging farmers to switch to shorter-duration, less water-intensive varieties, such as PR-126.
  • These varieties produce less stubble and are less susceptible to pests and diseases.
• It contributes to climate change.
  • Stubble burning releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which contribute to climate change.
  • By banning PUSA-44, the Punjab government is hoping to reduce stubble burning and its associated environmental impacts.
• It is harmful to human health.
  • Air pollution from stubble burning can cause a range of health problems, including respiratory infections, heart disease, and cancer.
  • By banning PUSA-44, the Punjab government is hoping to improve the health of its citizens.

WAY FORWARD:

• The Punjab government is facing some resistance from farmers who are reluctant to switch to other varieties.
• Farmers argue that PUSA-44 gives them a higher yield, which is essential for their livelihood.
• However, the government is providing incentives to farmers to switch to other varieties, such as higher subsidies and guaranteed procurement of their produce.
• The ban on PUSA-44 is a step in the right direction for Punjab.
• It will help to conserve water, reduce stubble burning, and improve the environment and human health.
• However, the government needs to ensure that farmers are adequately compensated for switching to other varieties.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/punjab-ban-pusa-44-paddy-explained-8969472/

2. MAHATMA GANDHI NATIONAL RURAL EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE ACT (MGNREGA)

TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE, GS:2 SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: According to government data, the demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has surged to its highest in a decade in 2023-2024.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DATA:

• The programme is reeling under a severe budget crisis due to the lowest budget assigned during the current financial year.
• While nearly 54 million people demanded work in 2023-2024, only 48 million workers could access it.
• The scheme has over 150 million registered workers. However, almost 52 million workers lost their job cards in 2022-2023.
• Only 40 per cent of the registered workers are eligible for payments under the Aadhar-based payment system (ABPS) mandated by the government.
• The Centre, in its 2023-24 fiscal budget, allotted Rs 60,000 crore for the programme against the pre-budget estimates of Rs 89,400 crore.
• The allocation of 0.198 per cent of the gross domestic product is the lowest in the history of the programme which started in 2005.
• West Bengal, one of the major contributors to the scheme, has witnessed no payment of wages for the past 18 months.

The surge in demand for work under MGNREGS in 2023-2024 is likely due to a number of factors, including:

• The ongoing economic slowdown.
  • The Indian economy has been slowing down in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the situation.
  • This has led to job losses and reduced incomes in rural areas, which has pushed more people towards MGNREGS for work.
• The impact of climate change.
  • Climate change is having a significant impact on rural India, with more frequent and severe droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events.
  • These events can damage crops and livestock, and lead to food insecurity and loss of income.
  • This can also push people towards MGNREGS for work.
• The high cost of living.
  • The cost of living, especially the cost of food and fuel, has been rising steadily in recent years.
  • This has made it difficult for many rural households to make ends meet, and has increased their reliance on MGNREGS.
• The budget crisis facing MGNREGS is a major concern.
  • The government has allocated the lowest budget for MGNREGS in the current financial year since the scheme was launched in 2006.
  • This is likely to lead to a shortage of funds and make it difficult to meet the demand for work.

The following are some of the consequences of the budget crisis facing MGNREGS:

• Reduced employment opportunities.
  • The shortage of funds will likely lead to a reduction in the number of workdays available under MGNREGS.
  • This will make it difficult for rural households to earn a decent living.
• Increased distress and migration.
  • If rural households are unable to find work under MGNREGS, they may be forced to migrate to urban areas in search of work.
  • This can lead to social problems such as family separation and urban poverty.
• Impact on rural development.
  • MGNREGS has played a significant role in rural development in India.
  • It has helped to create infrastructure, such as roads, canals, and ponds, and has improved the quality of life in rural areas.
  • The budget crisis facing MGNREGS could jeopardize this progress.

MGNREGA:

• It is also known as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), is a legislation enacted on 25th August, 2005.
• It provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage.
• According to the act, the workers should receive work within 15 days of demanding work.
• The worker becomes eligible for unemployment allowance if the work is not given.
• After receiving and completing work, the worker must get wages within 15 days or compensation for each day of delayed payment.
• The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments.
• This act was introduced with an aim of improving the purchasing power of the rural people, primarily semi or unskilled work to people living below poverty line in rural India.
• It attempts to bridge the gap between the rich and poor in the country.
• According to the law roughly one-third of the stipulated work force must be women.
• The registered person can submit an application for work in writing (for at least fourteen days of continuous work) either to Panchayat or to Programme Officer.

WAY FORWARD:

• The government needs to take urgent steps to address the budget crisis facing MGNREGS.
• This could involve increasing the budget for the scheme or finding other sources of funding.
• Need to leverage technology to tackle corruption and reduce the issue of late payments through efficient management of resources.
• The government should also work to create more employment opportunities in rural areas, so that people are less reliant on MGNREGS.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/governance/lack-of-budget-high-demand-slow-mgnregs-92144

3. NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: The recent developments in the South Caucasus region (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan) have implications for India, in connectivity and ties with the region.

EXPLANATION:

• The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh is called one of the “frozen conflicts” of the world.
• This conflict erupted on September 19, 2023, when Azerbaijan launched an offensive and within 24 hours, declared victory over the separatist province of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Authorities of the province have said the ethnic Armenian enclave would dissolve on January 1, 2024.

THE CONFLICT OVER THE DECADES OF THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH:

• The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is a decades-long dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• It is de facto controlled by the self-declared Republic of Artsakh.
• The region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
• The conflict has its roots in the early 20th century, when the region was part of the Russian Empire.
• After the Russian Revolution, Nagorno-Karabakh was disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
• In 1921, the Soviet Union awarded the region to Azerbaijan, but granted it an autonomous status.
• In the late 1980s, tensions between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh increased.
• In 1991, Nagorno-Karabakh declared its independence from Azerbaijan.
• This led to a full-scale war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which lasted from 1992 to 1994.
• The war resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the displacement of millions more.
• A ceasefire was signed in 1994, but the conflict remained unresolved.
• The two sides have negotiated a number of peace agreements over the years, but none of them have been successful.
• In 2020, the conflict erupted again. The war lasted for six weeks and resulted in the deaths of thousands of people on both sides.
• The war ended with a ceasefire that resulted in Azerbaijan regaining control of most of the territory it had lost in the 1990s war.
• The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is a complex and difficult one.
• There is no easy solution. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have legitimate claims to the region, and neither side is willing to give up its claims.
• The conflict has had a devastating impact on the people of the region. Millions of people have been displaced, and the economy of the region has been severely damaged.
• The conflict has also destabilized the region and increased tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan’s neighbors, including Turkey and Russia.
• The international community has been unable to resolve the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
• The United Nations Security Council has passed four resolutions demanding that Armenia withdraw its forces from Nagorno-Karabakh, but Armenia has refused to comply.
• The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is a complex and difficult one, and it is likely to remain unresolved for the foreseeable future.

WHAT IS THE STANCE OF INDIA?

• India has a neutral stance on the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
• India has close ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
• Importantly, the region is central to its plans of connectivity through the south Caucasus region.
• India has called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and it has supported the efforts of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to mediate a settlement.
• India has also provided humanitarian assistance to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• India’s neutral stance on the conflict is in line with its foreign policy of non-alignment.
• However, India’s neutral stance on the conflict has been criticized by some who argue that India should support Armenia’s right to self-determination.
• Others argue that India should support Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.
• India is in a difficult position on the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/nagorno-karabakh-conflict-history-indias-response-8970391/

4. CABLE TELEVISION NETWORKS (REGULATION) ACT, 1995

TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: The punishments specified under Section 16 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 were decriminalized through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provision) Act, 2023.

EXPLANATION:

• Recently, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has notified amendments in the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.

WHAT DOES SECTION 16 DEAL WITH?

• Section 16 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 dealt with the punishment for contraventions under any of its provisions.
• This section had provision for imprisonment which might extend upto 2 years, in case of first instance and 5 years for every subsequent offence.
• Punishments specified under Section 16 were re-examined and were decriminalized through the Jan Viswas (Amendment of Provision) Act, 2023.
• With an aim to make the Act more business-friendly and to boost the investor confidence in the sector, Section 16 has been decriminalised.
• The imprisonment provisions have been now replaced with monetary penalty and other non-monetary measures like Advisory, Warning and Censure.
• These measures will be enforced through the “designated officer” defined in the rules notified.
• Moreover, Section 16 now introduces an appeal mechanism against the order made by designated officer.
• Sections 17 and 18 were omitted for being redundant.

CABLE TELEVISION NETWORKS (REGULATION) ACT, 1995:

• The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to regulate the operation of cable television networks in the country.
• The Act was passed in the wake of the rapid growth of cable television in India in the early 1990s.
• The Act has been amended several times since it was passed.
• The most recent amendment was in 2011.
• The 2011 amendment introduced a number of new provisions, including a requirement for cable television operators to provide set-top boxes to their subscribers and a requirement for cable television channels to be uplinked only from India.
• It has played an important role in regulating the cable television industry in India.
• The Act has helped to ensure that the industry is orderly and that consumers are protected from harmful content.

Here are some of the key features of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995:

• It requires all cable television operators to register with the government.
• It empowers the government to regulate the content that is broadcast on cable television networks.
• It establishes a Cable Television Authority of India to oversee the implementation of the Act.
• It requires cable television operators to provide set-top boxes to their subscribers.
• It requires cable television channels to be uplinked only from India.
• The Act has been criticized by some for being too restrictive. However, the government has defended the Act, arguing that it is necessary to protect consumers and to ensure that the cable television industry is orderly.

Some of the benefits of decriminalization of provisions under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 are:

• The amendments are likely to encourage compliance with the Act without resorting to harsh punishments and sensitive to minor or unintended contraventions.
• The amended provision allows for the use of a range of penalties, which provides flexibility in addressing different types of contraventions.
• The amendment in the rules defines a “designated officer” for imposing penalties.
• The amended provision explicitly addresses subsequent contraventions and in addition to the provision for higher penalties, includes the provisions for suspension or cancellation of registration.
• The inclusion of an appeal mechanism provides individuals or entities the opportunity to challenge penalties or decisions.
• This ensures a fair and transparent process and safeguards against potential abuse of power.
• The definition of common terms in cable industry like “platform services” and “local cable operator” have been defined in the rules for the first time to bring about uniformity in their usages.

SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1964677

5. DOMESTIC CARD SCHEME (DCS)

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY, GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Al Etihad Payments (AEP) for Domestic Card Scheme (DCS) Implementation in UAE.

ABOUT THE AGREEMENT:

• As per the agreement, NIPL and AEP will work together to build, implement, and operationalize UAE’s national domestic card scheme.
  • NIPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
  • AEP is an indirect subsidiary of the Central Bank of UAE (CBUAE).
• The DCS will aim to facilitate:
  • the growth of e-commerce;
  • digital transactions in the UAE;
  • bolster financial inclusion;
  • support the UAE’s digitization agenda;
  • increase alternate payment options;
  • reduce the cost of payments;
  • enhance the UAE’s competitiveness and
  • position as a global payments leader.
• The partnership aligns perfectly with NIPL’s mission to offer its knowledge and expertise to assist other countries in establishing their own cost-efficient, and secure payment systems.
• The DCS solution is based on the principles of:
  • Sovereignty;
  • speed to market;
  • innovation;
  • digitization, and
  • strategic independence.
• The DCS solution provided by NIPL consists of a RuPay stack and value-added services like fraud monitoring services and analytics.
  • RuPay is an indigenous, highly secure, and widely accepted card payment network in India.
  • RuPay cards have debit, credit, and prepaid propositions.
  • More than 750 Million RuPay cards are in circulation as of date.
  • RuPay cards make up more than 60% of total cards issued in India, with every second Indian having a RuPay card now.
  • These cards are issued through the entire banking spectrum, including public sector, private, and small banks.
• NIPL will also assist AEP in formulating the operating regulations for their domestic card scheme.

DOMESTIC CARD SCHEME (DCS):

• It is a payment card system that is operated and managed by a domestic entity.
• It is independent of international card networks such as Visa and Mastercard.

DCSs offer a number of benefits, including:

• Lower transaction fees:
  • DCSs typically charge lower transaction fees than international card networks.
  • This is because DCSs do not have to pay royalties to international card networks.
• Greater control over the payment system:
  • DCSs give domestic governments and central banks greater control over the payment system.
  • This can be important for managing the economy and financial stability.
• Increased innovation:
  • DCSs can foster innovation in the payments industry, as they are not bound by the rules and regulations of international card networks.

Here are some examples of DCSs around the world:

• RuPay (India)
• UnionPay (China)
• MIR (Russia)
• Elo (Brazil)
• Troy (Turkey)
• Interac (Canada)

BENEFITS OF THE DCSs:

• DCSs are becoming increasingly popular, as they offer a number of advantages over international card networks.
• DCSs are also seen as a way to reduce reliance on foreign payment systems and to promote financial sovereignty.
• DCSs are typically used for domestic transactions, but they can also be used for international transactions.
• For example, RuPay cards can be used in over 100 countries around the world.
• DCSs are a growing trend in the payments industry, and they are expected to play an increasingly important role in the future.

SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1964712

1. ANGIOSTRONGYLUS CANTONENSIS 

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

THE CONTEXT:  Dangerous rat-borne disease threatens the southeastern US.

EXPLANATION:

• In southeastern America, a parasitic worm is spreading. The worm can cause coma or even death in humans and can also infect pets.

Angiostrongylus Cantonensis:

• Angiostrongylus cantonensis is also known as the rat lungworm, causes eosinophilic meningitis and is prevalent in Southeast Asia and tropical Pacific islands.
• However, recently it has been identified in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and most recently in Georgia.
• It is a parasitic worm typically found in rats.
• It is spread through rat faeces and can infect humans and other animals through produce or other food items.
• Inside the human body, the parasitic worm migrates to the brain, eyes or lungs, and in severe cases can lead to coma and death.

 Symptoms: 

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Neck stiffness
• Headaches
• Sometimes arm and leg tingling

Precaution:

• Washing your hands.
• Washing vegetables, fruits and other produce.
• Not eating raw or undercooked snails or slugs, crabs,etc.
• Wear gloves if handling snails or slugs etc.

Source:https://www.wionews.com/science/dangerous-rat-borne-disease-threatens-southeastern-us-warn-scientists-639873

2. INTERNET COOKIES 

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

THE CONTEXT:  Inside the digital world of cookies.

EXPLANATION:

• The digital world of cookies plays a significant role in any online experience.
• In the digital world, cookies help in personalisation and user convenience.
• These unassuming bits of code, stored on a device when one visits websites, play a pivotal role in shaping any online experience.

What are cookies and how do they work?

• Cookies are text files with small pieces of data like a username and password, that are used to identify your computer as you use a network.
• Cookies remember your login information on websites. This means you do not have to repeatedly enter your credentials every time you revisit a site, making it convenient for use.
• For example, websites like Amazon, cookies remember your previous interactions; from products you have browsed to purchases you have made, on the basis of that they recommend you tailored products.
• Platforms like Facebook and Google use cookies to track online behaviour, ensuring the ads you encounter align with your preferences.

Types of cookies:

• Session cookie: It is temporary cookies like post-it notes for websites. They are stored in your computer’s memory only during your browsing session. Once you close your browser, they vanish. 
• Persistent cookies: Persistent cookies are the digital equivalent of bookmarks. They stay on your device after your browsing session ends. It remembers your login information, language preferences, and even the ads you have interacted with. They are handy for a more personalised web experience.
• Secure cookies:  They are only sent over encrypted connections, making them safer from prying eyes. Secure cookies are often used for sensitive data like login credentials.
• Third-party cookies: They come from a domain other than the one you are visiting. They are often used for tracking and advertising purposes, which can be both useful and, at times, intrusive.

Significance of cookies:

• They act as digital ID cards, aiding in user authentication by allowing websites to recognise and keep you logged in during your visit.
• They foster a sense of personalisation, recalling your preferences such as language choice or website theme.
• They function as the digital equivalent of a persistent shopping cart, ensuring that items you have added online remain there when you return.
• Cookies play a pivotal role in targeted advertising, as advertisers use them to display ads that align with your interests and browsing history, making online shopping more enticing.

Challenges:

• Privacy concerns arise as cookies could track your online behaviour, which can sometimes encroach upon your digital privacy.
• Security risks loom when cookies are inadequately secured, opening doors for cybercriminals to steal your personal information.
• Third-party cookies have sparked debates, prompting many web browsers to curb their usage to safeguard user privacy.
• The data deluge generated by the multitude of cookies can potentially clog your browser, leading to a sluggish web experience.

Way forward:

• The era of user consent has dawned, due to privacy regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation and The California Consumer Privacy Act, necessitating websites to seek your approval before deploying certain cookie types, resulting in those somewhat irksome pop-ups and prompts.
• India’s newly enacted Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 now necessitates websites to acquire explicit consent from users prior to collecting or processing their personal data via cookies. 

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/inside-the-digital-world-of-cookies/article67357119.ece)

3. CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Current account deficit (CAD) of India has widened to $9.2 billion (1.1% of GDP) from $1.3 billion (0.2% of GDP).

EXPLANATION:

• According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Current account deficit (CAD) of India has widened to $9.2 billion (1.1% of GDP) from $1.3 billion (0.2% of GDP).
• The reasons for the CAD are lower surplus in net services and decline in private transfer receipts.

Current Account Deficit:

• Current Account Deficit (CAD) is the shortfall between the money received by selling products to other countries and the money spent to buy goods and services from other nations. If the value of goods and services we import exceeds the value of those we export, the country is said to be in a deficit.
• A lower CAD can improve investor confidence and make the country’s currency more appealing to investors.
• A surplus in the current account can increase foreign exchange reserves and the value of the local currency.

Impact of increase in CAD:

• Rupee depreciation: As a result of the growing current account deficit, there will be a greater demand for foreign currency, which will cause the domestic currency to lose value.
• Depleted foreign currency reserves: As the powerful dollar rises, the Reserve Bank of India will continue to defend against the rupee’s decline, which depletes the forex reserves.
• Imported inflation: An additional effect of the weakening rupee is the increase in imported inflation, which in turn causes broad-based inflation in India to increase.
• Costlier Imports: Since India imports expensive goods and commodities like crude oil, the falling rupee has made imports more expensive.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/business/current-account-deficit-widens-qoq-to-92-billion-on-higher-trade-deficit/article67357408.ece)

4. FIVE EYES INTELLIGENCE ALLIANCE

TAG: GS:2 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: The Five Eyes intelligence-sharing agreement, which is thought to have provided the information that “helped” Canada, has come been in spotlight following recent charges made by the Canadian Prime Minister tying the execution of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar to the Indian government.

WHAT IS FIVE EYES INTELLIGENCE ALLIANCE?

• The Five Eyes Alliance is characterised by a unique multilateral arrangement.
• Its partner countries share a wide range of intelligence, united by common principles of rule of law, robust human rights, etc according to the the National Counter intelligence and Security Center.
• This alliance plays a crucial role in safeguarding their shared national interests by facilitating information exchange.
• The Five Eyes, often referred to as FVEY, constitutes a coalition consisting of five intelligence agencies:

1. 1. United States
   2. United Kingdom
   3. Australia
   4. New Zealand
   5. Canada

• It is both surveillance-based and signals intelligence (SIGINT).

HOW DID THE ALLIANCE COME INTO BEING?

• The alliance between the U.S. and the U.K. evolved around the Second World War to counter the Cold War Soviet threat.
• The two countries had successfully deciphered German and Japanese codes during the World War.
• They forged a collaboration to share intelligence related to signals such as radio, satellite and internet communications.
• In the aftermath of the war in 1946, the alliance was formalised through an agreement for cooperation in signals intelligence.
• The treaty was called the British-U.S. Communication Intelligence Agreement, or BRUSA (now known as the UKUSA Agreement),
• Scope of the agreement was limited to “communication intelligence matters only” related to “unrestricted” exchange of intelligence products in six areas:
  • collection of traffic;
  • acquisition of communication documents and equipment;
  • traffic analysis;
  • cryptanalysis;
  • decryption and translation; and
  • acquisition of information regarding communication organisations, practices, procedures, and equipment.
• The arrangement was later extended to ‘second party’ countries Canada joined in 1948, while Australia and New Zealand became part of the alliance in 1956.

FUNCTIONING OF THE FIVE EYES ALLIANCE:

• The Five Eyes countries engage in intelligence gathering and security cooperation, aligning closely in recent years due to shared interests, such as addressing the rise of China.
• They maintain this closeness through the Five Eyes Intelligence Oversight and Review Council.
  • It is an entity that facilitates the exchange of views, best practices, and annual in-person meetings among non-political intelligence oversight and review agencies of the member countries.
• Despite their proximity, the Five Eyes countries do not always align in their foreign policies.
• For stance, New Zealand’s stance on certain Chinese actions differs from that of the other four countries due to its deep trade ties with China.
• The US has also sought to exert its influence through other groupings like the Quad and AUKUS, involving like-minded countries on security matters.

WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS?

• Lack of transparency and accountability:
  • The FVEY is a highly secretive alliance, and its members have often been reluctant to disclose information about their intelligence-sharing activities.
  • This lack of transparency makes it difficult to hold the FVEY accountable for its actions.
• Invading privacy:
  • The FVEY’s mass surveillance programs have been criticized for violating the privacy rights of individuals.
  • For example, the Edward Snowden leaks revealed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) was collecting the phone records of millions of Americans without a warrant.
• Abuse of the power:
  • There have been concerns that the FVEY has abused its power by spying on foreign leaders and businesses.
  • For example, in 2013, it was revealed that the NSA had been spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone.
• Discrimination:
  • Some critics have argued that the FVEY’s intelligence-sharing practices discriminate against countries that are not members of the alliance.
  • For example, the NSA’s PRISM program allowed the US government to collect data from major internet companies, including Google and Facebook.
  • This data could then be shared with other FVEY members, even if the target countries were not members of the alliance.
• In addition to these general concerns, there have also been specific concerns raised about the FVEY’s role in certain countries and regions.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/five-eyes-canada-india-justin-trudeau-nijjar-explained-intelligence-agency/article67344290.ece

5. ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE

TAG: GS:3 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Surveillance Network of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) released its annual report for 2022.

EXPLANATION:

• This is the sixth report which sheds light on the evolving landscape of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the country.
• The report showed a trend of declining susceptibility towards critically important antimicrobials (CIA).
• The report is based on data collected from 107,053 culture-positive isolates from 50 medical institutions across India.
• The data was collected from patients with a variety of infections, including bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, and lower respiratory tract infections.
• The report found that the most common pathogens isolated were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus.
• Resistance to a variety of antibiotics was observed, including carbapenems, cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones.
• The report also found that resistance to carbapenems, a last-resort class of antibiotics, is increasing in India.
• This is a serious concern, as carbapenems are often the only effective treatment for infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.

The report makes a number of recommendations to address the growing threat of AMR in India. These recommendations include:

• Strengthening antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospitals and other healthcare settings
• Increasing public awareness about AMR
• Promoting the use of alternative therapies to antibiotics, such as vaccines and phage therapy
• Investing in research on AMR

ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR):

• It is also known as drug resistance.
• According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective.
• When the microorganisms become resistant to most antimicrobials they are often referred to as “superbugs”.
• This is a major concern because a resistant infection may kill, can spread to others, and imposes huge costs to individuals and society.

CIA AND HPCIA:

• Critically important antimicrobials (CIA) and Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials (HPCIA) are the categories of antimicrobial agents identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) based on their importance in human medicine and the urgency to preserve their effectiveness.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/various-pathogens-increasingly-becoming-resistant-to-critically-important-antimicrobials-icmr-report-92013

1. APPOINTMENT OF JUDGES

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: According to the Supreme Court the judiciary is losing fresh talent like never before as prospective candidates shortlisted for judgeships in High Courts give up as months tick by without a decision from the government.

EXPLANATION: 

• The Supreme Court of India has set a deadline for the government to take action on pending recommendations for judgeships, transfers of high court judges, and the appointment of a chief justice.
• The recommendation for judgeships was made by the High Court Collegiums, which have been pending with the government for over 10 months, since November 2022.

What is the Collegium system?

• It is a system under which appointments and transfers of judges are decided by a forum of the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. It has no place in the Indian Constitution.
• The word Collegium is nowhere mentioned in the Constitution, it has come in force as per Judicial Pronouncement.
• The origin of the concept for establishment of the system may be traced by the recommendations of the Bar Council of India made on 17 October 1981, during a national seminar of the lawyers at Ahmedabad.

• The Collegium consists of:
  • The Chief Justice of India
  • Four senior Judges of the Supreme Court
  • Two representatives who would be representing the Bar Council of India and the Supreme Court Bar Association.

• The collegium recommendations to the President regarding appointment of a Supreme Court or High Court Judge.

Criticism of Collegium system:

• The Collegium System has been criticized for its opacity and lack of openness.
• There is scope of nepotism in collegium system.
• The judiciary has total authority over the nomination process under the collegium system, which functions without any external checks and balances.
• The collegium system has also come under criticism for being ineffective at handling transfers and appointments, which causes vacancies in the judiciary and delays in the administration of justice.

Strength and Composition of the Supreme Court: 

• The Supreme Court was initially composed of eight justices, including one chief justice.
• The number of judges has grown throughout time due to the Parliament.
• Currently, there are 34 judges on the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice.

Constitutional provision regarding appointment of Judges:

• Article 124 deals with the appointment of Supreme Court judges. It says the appointment should be made by the President after consultation with such judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court as the President may deem necessary. The CJI is to be consulted in all appointments, except his or her own.
• Article 217 deals with the appointment of High Court judges. It says a judge should be appointed by the President after consultation with the CJI and the Governor of the state. The Chief Justice of the High Court concerned too should be consulted.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/judiciary-losing-fresh-talent-to-govts-silence-segregation-of-names-sc-tells-centre/article67347939.ece)

2. BLACK SEA GRAIN INITIATIVE

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

THE CONTEXT: Disruption in Black Sea Grain Initiative can worsen food security across the Middle East, North Africa.

EXPLANATION: 

• Many countries in the Middle East and North Africa regions are experiencing severe food crises due to inability to afford food and exposure to the negative effects of conflict and trade dynamics in the Black Sea.
• The expanding population and growing demand for important food items, these countries were faced with food insecurity for decades.
• India also banned rice export to protect local supply.
• The combined shocks of above issues may result in the beginning of an era of unprecedented food inflation in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Black Sea Grain initiative:

• The Black Sea Grain initiative aims to address rising food costs brought on by supply chain interruptions as a result of Russian actions in the “breadbasket” of the globe.
• The agreement, which was mediated by the UN and Turkey, was signed in Istanbul in July 2022.

Objective:

• The agreement, which was initially set up for a duration of 120 days, was intended to give Ukrainian exports (especially those of food grains) a secure maritime humanitarian corridor.
• The main goal was to control market volatility by assuring a sufficient supply of grains and preventing an increase in food prices.

Why is the Black Sea Grain Initiative Important?

• Ukraine is one of the world’s top exporters of rapeseed, sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, and wheat.
• It may directly contact grain importers from the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Russia and Europe, due to its access to the deep-sea ports in the Black Sea.
• The initiave has also been praised for making a significant difference in the world’s affordability dilemma.
• Since the initiative started, almost 9.8 million tonnes of grains have been transported.
• The occupied Palestinian Territories, Tunisia and Egypt have a historical dependence on grain exports from Russia and Ukraine.
• Due to the shortage of supplies, those who had been stockpiling grain in the hopes of selling it for a significant profit were suddenly forced to do so.

Source:(https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/food/disruption-in-black-sea-grain-initiative-can-worsen-food-security-across-middle-east-north-africa-report-91981)

3. ANGEL TAX

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT:  The Income Tax Department has notified new angel tax rules that comprise a mechanism to evaluate the shares issued by unlisted startups to investors. Rule 11UA for valuation of shares for the purposes of section 56 of the Act has been modified via a notification.

THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CHANGES IN RULE 11 UA ARE:

• The Finance Act, 2023 amended the Income Tax Act 1961 which provided for payment of income tax by unlisted companies.
• The tax needs to be paid on the difference between the fair market value(FMV) of shares and the consideration received for shares.
• The notification adds that the tax needs to be paid only when the consideration exceeds the fair market value.
• The introduction of five alternative valuation methods for equity shares will give merchant bankers more flexibility to value a company.
• Under Rule 11UA, five more valuation methods have been made available for non-resident investors, namely;

a) Comparable Company Multiple Method,

b) Probability Weighted Expected Return Method,

c) Option Pricing Method,

d) Milestone Analysis Method,

e) Replacement Cost Method.

• FMV of the equity shares for resident and non-resident investors, subject to the following:

(i) To the extent the consideration from such FMV does not exceed the aggregate consideration that is received from the notified entity, and

(ii) The consideration has been received by the company from the notified entity within a period of ninety days before or after the date of issue of shares which are the subject matter of valuation.

• The government has also offered a 10% tolerance for deviations from the accepted share valuations. This means that a startup can be valued at up to 10% more than its fair market value without being liable for angel tax.

Angel tax:

• Angel tax, introduced in 2012, refers to tax levied on capital raised by unlisted companies.
• Objective was to deter generation and use of unaccounted money through subscription of shares of a closely held company, at a value which is higher than fair market value.
• Prior to 2023 Budget proposal, angel tax provisions were applicable only for investments received from resident investors.
• However, Finance Bill 2023 has now extended its applicability to non-resident investors as well.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/business/amid-startups-funding-winter-centre-seeks-to-soften-angel-tax/article67349609.ece

4. WELFARE OF TRANSGENDER PERSONS

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on September 26. 2023 issued an advisory to the Centre, State governments and Union Territory Administrations to ensure the welfare of transgender persons.

EXPLANATION:

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued an advisory on the welfare of transgender persons, calling for a number of measures to protect their rights and ensure their welfare.
• Some of the key recommendations of the NHRC include:
  • Separate toilets: Provision of separate toilets for transgender persons in all public places.
  • Free sex reassignment surgery: Ensuring that transgender persons have access to free sex reassignment surgery.
  • Pension rights and Inheritance rights: Granting transgender persons pension rights. Allowing transgender persons to inherit ancestral agricultural land.
  • Multi-purpose identity card and Insurance: Providing a multi-purpose identity card to transgender persons to help them access government schemes and other benefits. Advising insurance companies to consider and accept the Transgender Certificate issued by the appropriate authority for document verification purposes.
  • Transgender Welfare Board and Transgender Protection Cell: Setting up a Transgender Welfare Board under Section 10(1) of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020. Establishing a Transgender Protection Cell under the Director General of Police or his/ her nominee in the State to monitor cases of offences against transpersons.
  • Respect and dignity: Ensuring that transpersons are treated with respect and dignity so that they do not face hurdles in education and growth. Taking steps to tackle the sexual harassment of transgender persons and prevent violence or discrimination.
  • Medical boards: Setting up medical boards at the district level to assist transpersons in medical consultation, besides making provisions in every district civil hospital for consultation, treatment and counselling for sex reassignment surgery.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Advising the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to consider incorporating welfare activities of Transgender Persons explicitly in Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013, which provides the list of activities that can be included for making expenditures for CSR activities.
• These recommendations are a welcome step towards ensuring the welfare of transgender persons in India.
• Transgender persons are often marginalized and discriminated against, and these measures will help to protect their rights and ensure that they have access to the same opportunities as everyone else.
• The NHRC’s advisory is a significant step in raising awareness of the challenges faced by transgender persons and promoting their rights.

Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019:

• The Act calls for establishing a National Council for Transgender persons (NCT).
• No transgender person shall be separated from parents or immediate family on the ground of being a transgender.
• The Act also seeks to provide rights of health facilities to transgender persons including separate HIV surveillance centres, and sex reassignment surgeries.
• The Bill prohibits discrimination of transgenders in relation to opportunities for education, job, health care services, and access to services etc.
• Every person has a right to be recognized as a transgender.
• A certificate of identity has to be obtained from the District Magistrate, who will issue the certificate based on the District Screening Committee.
• Penal Provisions: it criminalizes: (i) begging, forced or bonded labor (ii) denial of use of a public place; (iii) denial of residence in the household, village, etc.; (iv) physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nhrc-advisory-for-transpersons-pushes-for-separate-toilets-pension-rights-free-sex-reassignment-surgery/article67349098.ece

5. “ciTRAN” A SPECIFIC CIRCULAR RNA

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal (IISER Bhopal) identified a specific circular RNA (circRNA) called ‘ciTRAN’, which plays a crucial role in the multiplication of the AIDS-causing HIV-1 virus within the human body.

EXPLANATION:

• The research shows how ciTRAN helps the process of copying genetic information from the virus, essentially helping the virus multiply more efficiently.
• HIV-1 infects human cells by binding to a protein called CD4.
• Once the virus has entered the cell, it releases its genetic material, which is RNA.
• The virus then uses the cell’s machinery to copy its RNA and produce new viruses.
• ciTRAN helps HIV-1 to copy its RNA by stabilizing a protein called Rev.
  • Rev is a protein that is essential for the transport of HIV-1 RNA from the nucleus of the cell to the cytoplasm, where the virus assembles and buds from the cell membrane.
• ciTRAN binds to Rev and prevents it from being degraded. This helps to ensure that Rev is available to transport HIV-1 RNA to the cytoplasm, which is essential for the virus to multiply.

CIRCULAR RNA:

• Ribonucleic acid is a molecule in living cells that carries genetic information and helps in the production of proteins.
• RNAs are in general straight-chain, free-end structures but these circular RNA (‘circRNA’) forms a closed-loop.
• The circRNA plays a pivotal role in regulating gene expression and is essential for various biological processes.
• Its role in HIV-1 replication has remained unclear for a long time.
• Characterizing circular RNA can be tricky because it usually is less abundant, making it further challenging to detect in the native form.
• During viral infections, there’s so much information from the virus that it can make it hard to find the less common ones like circular RNA.

HIV AND AIDS:

• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infection that attacks the body’s immune system.
• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of the disease.
• HIV targets the body’s white blood cells, weakening the immune system. This makes it easier to get sick with diseases like tuberculosis, infections and some cancers.
• HIV is spread from the body fluids of an infected person, including blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal fluids. It can also spread from a mother to her baby.
• HIV can be treated and prevented with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Untreated HIV can progress to AIDS, often after many years.
• WHO now defines Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) as CD4 cell count less than 200cells/mm3 or WHO stage 3 or 4 in adults and adolescents. All children with HIV younger than 5 years of age are considered to have advanced HIV disease.

PRESENT SITUATION REGARDING HIV AND AIDS:

• The present situation on HIV is that it is a global pandemic that continues to affect millions of people around the world.
• In 2022, there were an estimated 39.0 million people living with HIV, and 1.5 million new HIV infections.
• However, there has been significant progress in the fight against HIV in recent years.
• The number of new HIV infections has declined by 59% since 2001, and the number of AIDS-related deaths has declined by 69% since 2004.
• This progress is due in part to the widespread availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), which can suppress HIV replication and allow people with HIV to live long and healthy lives.
• However, there are still significant challenges to overcome in the fight against HIV.

SOURCE: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/indian-researchers-identify-circular-rna-that-can-lead-to-treatment-strategies-against-aids/articleshow/103928375.cms?from=mdr

1. THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS 

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Three years have been completed of the Abraham Accords.

EXPLANATION:

• About the Abraham Accords:
  • The normalization pact between Israel and the UAE is formally known as the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement.
  • It was signed in 2020,  between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, under the auspices of the U.S. government.
  • In December 2020, Morocco joined the process, signing a normalization agreement with Israel.
  • The Abraham Accords permitted Muslims from all over the globe to visit Israel’s historic sites and pray at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest mosque in Islam.

• Previous Agreements: In more than 25 years, Israel and the Arab States have only ever reached two peace agreements.
  • The first Arab nation to reach a peace agreement with Israel was Egypt in 1979.
  • In 1994, Jordan signed a peace accord.

• Significance:
  • The agreements have ushered in a new era of normalization and peace that not only connects governments but also brings people together, despite the differences in their language, religious beliefs, cultures and more.
  • Abraham Accords have offered a mere glimpse into the full potential of regional cooperation. For example, the scope of trade between Israel and other West Asian countries increased 74% between 2021 and 2022. Another example is tourism, mostly non-existent in the past, which has skyrocketed.
  • The Accords have also had a significant influence on reinforcing Israel’s relations with neighboring countries. For example, the Prosperity Green & Blue agreement between Israel, the UAE, and Jordan determined that a solar field to supply 600 megawatts of electricity to Israel would be established in Jordan.
  • The Abraham Accords encourage collaboration and education. In the summer of 2022, Ben­Gurion University welcomed students from Morocco. Bahrain has also embraced the prospects for shared educational activities and signed a number of agreements with Israel to advance student and professor exchanges.
  • Normalization has also helped foster increased levels of diplomatic engagement and conflict de-escalation across the Middle East, as seen through an array of bilateral and multilateral initiatives such as the Baghdad summits, the Negev summit and the Israel–Lebanon Maritime Agreement.

• Benefits for Indians: The Abraham Accords have also opened up exciting opportunities for India and its thriving business community, which maintains strong relations and active engagement with our nations.
  • Regional connectivity of West Asia will help the vibrant Indian diaspora in the Gulf, now they will have the convenience of direct flights between the UAE and Israel, as well as between Israel and Bahrain.
  • The Accords have laid the foundation for expanded regional and multinational cooperation, and this has resulted in a flow of economic opportunities reaching India. We have witnessed substantial commercial collaborations between companies from the UAE, Israel, Bahrain, and the U.S., partnering with the Indian private sector.
  • A concrete example of this high-level economic cooperation between Indian and west Asian governments is the establishment of the I2U2 Group, formed by Israel, India, the UAE, and the U.S.
  • The Abraham Accords made the I2U2 Group possible, and its primary focus will be on joint investments in critical areas such as water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.

• Challenges:
  • Palestinian matters: Regional leaders have expressed displeasure with the Palestinian leadership’s ‘failure’ to reach a peace deal with Israel or at least their continuous lack of opportunities. Even in September 2023, there is tension going on between Palestinian and Israel over the West bank.
  • Iran problem: Tensions with Iran are a critical component of the Israeli–Emirati relationship. Unlike in past years, Iran’s obstructionist role is driving regional states to deepen their engagement. ‘Iran’s destabilizing regional activities is a common denominator for many MENA states that are forging cooperation.
  • Geopolitics and the US dimension: The Middle East since the signing of the Abraham Accords is experiencing an important period of transition that offers agency, activism and opportunities. The war in Ukraine has become an added challenge and complication for MENA states. With geopolitical competition accelerating, those states have been trying to navigate a weakened but still influential Russia and US–China polarization.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/three-years-of-the-abraham-accords/article67327731.ece)

2. THE CITIZENSHIP ACT, 1955

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud decided to hear a series of petitions challenging the constitutionality of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955.The Section 6 A was added to the 1955 Act in the context of the Assam Accord.

EXPLANATION:

About Assam Accord:

• Section 6A is a special provision inserted into the 1955 citizenship Act in furtherance of a Memorandum of Settlement called the ‘Assam Accord’ signed on August 15, 1985 by the then Rajiv Gandhi government with the leaders of the Assam Movement to preserve and protect the Assamese culture, heritage, linguistic and social identity.
• It is a result of a six-year-long agitation by the All-Assam Students Union to identify and deport illegal immigrants.
• Section 6A of Citizenship Act was added in the Constitution by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 1985, which added the following special provisions as to citizenship of persons covered by the Assam Accord (which related to the foreigners’ issue):
  • Individuals of Indian origin who came to Assam before January 1, 1966, subject to some conditions deemed to be Indian citizens.
  • Every Individuals of Indian origin who came to Assam on or after January 1, 1966, but before March 25, 1971, from Bangladesh, subject to some condition deemed to be a foreigner and shall have to register himself.
  • Such a registered person shall be deemed to be a citizen of India for all purposes as from the date of expiry of a period of ten years from the date of detection as a foreigner. But, in the intervening period of ten years, he shall have the same rights and obligations as a citizen of India, excepting the right to vote.

 What are the challenges against Section 6A of Citizenship Act,1955?

• It is discriminatory in nature because, it grants citizenship to immigrants and illegal ones.
• This special provision was in violation of Article 6 of the Constitution, which fixed the cut-off date for granting citizenship to immigrants.
• It provides different cut off dates for regularising illegal migrants who entered Assam.
• It is claimed that it is violative of right to equality (Article 14), right to life (Article 21) and minority rights (Article 29) under the Constitution of India.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/constitution-bench-to-hear-challenge-to-section-6a-of-citizenship-act-on-oct-17/article67325390.ece)

3. GALAXY EVOLUTION.

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: How gravitational instabilities affect evolution of galaxies.

EXPLANATION: 

• Scientists have compared the star formation rate, gas fraction, and timescale for the growth of gravitational instabilities of nearby galaxies and investigated the stability levels of a sample of 175 galaxies taken from the Spitzer Photometry and Accurate Rotation Curves (SPARC) database.
• This comparison helped them to trace the role of dark matter in regulating the stability levels of the galaxies and understand if stars and gas can self-regulate the stability levels.
• Scientists have found that spiral galaxies like the Milky Way exhibit a higher median star formation rate, lower stability, lower gas fraction, and a smaller timescale for the growth of gravitational instabilities.
• “This indicates that gravitational instabilities in spirals rapidly convert a substantial amount of gas into stars, depleting the gas reservoirs.

Formation of galaxy and Stars:

• In the early universe, matter and energy were not even distributed.
• These earlier variations in density led to variations in gravitational forces, which brought the stuff together. These served as the foundation on which galaxies were built.
• A galaxy has a lot of stars in it. The immense distances between galaxies, estimated in thousands of light-years, are enormous.
• Individual galaxies’ sizes range from 80,000 to 150,000 light years.
• When hydrogen gas gathers into a massive cloud termed a nebula, a galaxy begins to form. An expanding nebula eventually forms small, localized gas clusters.
• As these aggregates keep expanding into denser and denser gaseous masses, stars begin to form.

Spiral galaxies:

Spiral galaxies are twisted collections of stars and gas that often have beautiful shapes and are made up of hot young stars. Most spiral galaxies contain a central bulge surrounded by a flat, rotating disk of stars. The bulge in the center is made up of older, dimmer stars, and is thought to contain a supermassive black hole. Best example of Spiral galaxy is the Milky Way.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/2023-09-21/th_delhi/articleG5QBPC0H8-4317008.ece)

4. CANINE BRUCELLOSIS

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Canine brucellosis, an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Brucella Canis (B. Canis), is increasingly posing a threat to human health in the UK.

CANINE BRUCELLOSIS:

• Canine brucellosis is a contagious bacterial infection caused by the bacterium, Brucella Canis (B. Canis).
• This bacterial infection is highly contagious among dogs.
• Infected dogs usually develop an infection of the reproductive system, or a sexually transmitted disease.
• Different species of Brucella infect sheep, goats, cattle, deer, elk, pigs, and other animals.
• Brucella canis was first described in 1966 in the United States, where it caused mass abortions of beagles in a research facility. Since then, it has been reported in many countries around the world, especially where dogs are bred intensively or imported without testing.

SIGNS OF BRUCELLOSIS:

• Male dogs infected with brucellosis develop epididymitis, an infection in part of the testicle.
• It can manifest in various ways and may include symptoms such as lethargy, fever, swollen lymph nodes, reproductive problems (such as infertility and spontaneous abortion in females), joint pain, and testicular swelling in males.
• Female dogs infected with brucellosis develop an infection of the uterus.
• Canis will infect the intervertebral discs, eyes, kidneys, heart or brain.

TRANSMISSION:

• It primarily affects dogs but can also spread to humans.
• The origin of Brucella canis is thought to be zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted between animals and humans.
• Brucella canis is primarily transmitted among dogs through direct contact with bodily fluids, such as urine, saliva, and reproductive fluids, from infected individuals.
• It can also be spread through contaminated materials, like bedding or equipment.
• In humans, transmission typically occurs through contact with infected dogs or their secretions, although this is relatively rare.

SYMPTOMS IN HUMANS:

• Human infection with Brucella canis, known as brucellosis, often starts with flu-like symptoms.
• These initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, and body aches. These symptoms can be mistaken for common illnesses like the flu, making diagnosis challenging without proper testing.
• Joint pain (arthralgia) is a common symptom of brucellosis in humans.
• The joints, especially the larger ones like the knees, can become painful and swollen. This can lead to reduced mobility and discomfort.
• In more severe cases of brucellosis, the infection can affect various organs in the body resulting in swelling of organs.
• Organs commonly involved include the liver and spleen. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), and splenomegaly (enlarged spleen). These symptoms can be indicative of a more advanced stage of the disease.
• In rare instances, brucellosis can lead to reproductive complications in women.
• This can include miscarriages, stillbirths, or difficulty conceiving. The bacteria can infect the reproductive organs and interfere with fertility.

TREATMENT:

• There is no definitive cure for Brucella canis infection in dogs.
• Management typically involves controlling the spread of the disease through isolation and quarantine of infected animals.
• Infected dogs may be prescribed antibiotics to manage symptoms and reduce the risk of transmission, but complete eradication of the bacterium is challenging.
• In humans, it can be treated with a course of antibiotics such as doxycycline and rifampin.
• Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for a favourable outcome.
• Preventative measures, such as avoiding contact with infected animals and practising good hygiene, are crucial in preventing the spread of Brucella canis to humans.

SOURCE: https://www.indiatoday.in/health/story/incurable-dog-disease-brucella-canis-infects-humans-in-uk-what-is-it-2438117-2023-09-20

5. KISAN RIN PORTAL AND WINDS PORTAL

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Finance Minister launched Kisan Rin Portal along with Weather Information Network Data Systems (WINDS) manual in Delhi.

KISAN RIN PORTAL:

• It is developed in collaboration with multiple government departments, is poised to revolutionize access to credit services under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC).
• The Kisan Rin digital platform will offer a comprehensive view of farmer data, scheme utilization progress, loan disbursement specifics, and interest subvention claims, enhancing integration with banks for more efficient agriculture credit.

Ghar-Ghar KCC Abhiyaan: Door to Door KCC Campaign

• The event marks the beginning of the “Ghar Ghar KCC Abhiyaan,” an ambitious campaign to extend the benefits of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme to every farmer across India.
• This campaign aims to achieve universal financial inclusion, ensuring that every farmer has unhindered access to credit facilities that drive their agricultural pursuits.
• This campaign will play a pivotal role in reaching out to non-KCC account holder PM KISAN beneficiaries and fostering the saturation of KCC Accounts among eligible PM Kisan beneficiary farmers.
• Total number of operative KCC Accounts as on March 2023 are 7.35 Crores with total sanctioned limit of Rs. 8.85 lakh crores.
• For KCC Ghar Ghar Abhiyaan, NABARD has been identified as the Primary Executing Organization, vested with the responsibility of overall execution and monitoring of the programme.
• In this regard, NABARD has taken the initiative to develop a portal to facilitate in monitoring the conduct of saturation drive camps in the field as also processing and issuance of KCCs to all eligible PM Kisan beneficiaries by the respective banks.

WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK DATA SYSTEMS (WINDS):

• The portal was launched in July, 2023 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
• It leverages advanced weather data analytics to provide stakeholders with actionable insights on weather for informed decision-making in agriculture.
• This comprehensive manual also provides stakeholders with an in-depth understanding of the portal’s functionalities, data interpretation, and effective utilisation, empowering farmers, policymakers, and various agricultural entities to make well-informed choices.
• The WINDS initiative is laying emphasis on setting up a strong network of weather stations.
• Through this initiative, the target is to establish a wide network of weather stations at the block and gram panchayat level.
• This extensive network of weather stations will enable accurate monitoring of weather patterns, effective planning, risk assessment and timely response to meteorological challenges.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/govt-launches-kisan-rin-portal-and-weather-winds-manual-rrb-nirmala-sitharaman-11695139080059.html

1. WOMEN’S RESERVATION BILL

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT:  Government of India introduces women’s quota Bill in Lok Sabha.

EXPLANATION:

• About Women’s Reservation Bill,2023:
  • The Government of India introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill to reserve one-third seats in the Parliament and state legislative assemblies.
  • It is a constitutional amendment bill.
  • The Hindi title of the Bill is ‘Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam’.

• Background:
  • The women’s reservation Bill was brought in earlier by the Deve Gowda government in 1996, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1998 and 1999 and the Manmohan Singh government in 2008, when it was introduced in the Rajya Sabha.

• Key features of the Bill:
  • Reservation for women: The Bill reserves, as nearly as may be, one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.  This will also apply to the seats reserved for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and state legislatures. There is, however, no separate reservation for women from the Other Backward Classes.
  • Commencement of reservation: The reservation would be implemented only after the 2026 delimitation exercise using data from the Census to be conducted after the passage of the Bill.  Based on the census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for women.  The reservation in the Lok Sabha can hence be implemented only in the Lok Sabha election in 2029 and not in 2024.
  • Tenure:  The reservation will be provided for a period of 15 years. However, it shall continue till such date as determined by a law made by Parliament.
  • Rotation of seats: Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation, as determined by a law made by Parliament.
  • Number of seats: The number of women representatives in Lok Sabha would reach 181 from the current 82.

• Amendment in the constitution: 
  • This bill will amend the article 239AA(Delhi legislative assembly shall have the power to make laws for the whole or any part of the NCT with respect to any of the matters in the State List or Concurrent List ), 330 (deals with the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People.), 332(The number of seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of any State) of the Indian constitution.

• Present on women MPs:
  • Women MPs make up a mere 15% of the strength of the Lok Sabha and around 10% in many Assemblies in the 17th Lok Sabha.

• Advantage: 
  • The allocation of seats in parliament to women empowers women and motivates them to get involved in politics and parliamentary affairs.
  • By designating such reservations for women, a spirit of equality is upheld and women have the same rights to enter parliament as males.
  • It will strengthen the democracy of the country.

• Disadvantage: 
  • Reservation of one-third of seats for women in Parliament would restrict the choice of voters in the reserved constituencies.
  • Political parties may assign women candidates to constituencies where they are weak.
  • The MP may be less motivated to grow his constituency if reserved constituencies are rotated throughout elections because he may not be able to run for reelection from that constituency.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/womens-reservation-bill-govt-introduces-nari-shakti-vandan-adhiniyam-in-lok-sabha/article67322055.ece#:~:text=Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%20appealed,for%20the%20last%2027%20years.)

2. ELEPHANT CORRIDORS

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT:  Centre identifies 62 new elephant corridors; total now 150.

EXPLANATION:

• A new elephant corridor report released by the central government showed a 40 per cent increase in elephant corridors across 15 elephant range states in India.
• The number of elephant corridors have increased to 150 against 88 registered by the Government of India in 2010. The elephant population in the country is estimated to be over 30,000.

• What Are Elephant Corridors?
  • Elephant corridors can be described as a strip of land that enables elephant movement between two or more friendly habitats. Or Elephant corridors are linear, narrow, natural habitat linkages that allow elephants to move between secure habitats without being disturbed by humans. The corridors were reported by respective state governments and ground validation methods were used to verify them.

• Total  150 Elephant corridors in India:
  • West Bengal has 26 elephant corridors , that is 17 percent.
  • The East central region contributed 52 corridors, that is 35 percent.
  • The North East region was second largest with 48 corridors, that is 32 percent.
  • Southern India registered 32 elephant corridors, that is 21 percent.
  • Northern India was lowest with 18 corridors that is 12 per cent.

• Need of Elephant corridors :
  • The Asian elephant is currently facing major problems in India despite being a symbol of traditional cultural reverence, having been named a National Heritage Animal, and enjoying the greatest level of legal protection.
  • The demand for resources has expanded tremendously over the past few decades along with India’s population growth. This need essentially comes down to the requirement for additional land, which is required for homes, roads, dams, mining, and farmland in order to produce more food.
  • Elephants are having to travel farther and farther away, which puts them in confrontation with people.

• Asiatic elephants: Asian elephants come in three subspecies: Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan.
  • Estimated population of the world: 20–40,000.
  • The majority of the continent’s remaining elephants belong to the Indian subspecies, which has the largest range.
  • In India, there are over 30,000 elephants, with Karnataka housing about 25% of them.
  • Status on the IUCN Red List: Endangered.
  • Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
  • Status of Appendix I of CITES.

• Elephants in Africa:
  • The Savanna (or bush) elephant and the Forest elephant are two subspecies of African elephants.
  • African Forest Elephant IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered
  • Savanna elephant:endangered

Source:(https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/centre-identifies-62-new-elephant-corridors-total-now-150-91825)

3. SDG SUMMIT

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT:  Leaders from around the world gathered for the High-level Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit (2023) and agreed to intensify their efforts to deliver SDGs by 2030.

EXPLANATION:

• The SDG summit of 2023 was held in New York.
• Member nations of submit endorsed a resolute political declaration which outlined the shared commitment to create a sustainable and inclusive world by 2030.
• Key outcome: Member nations acknowledge that the objectives of the SDGs 2030 will not be achieved without making a quantum jump in investments to enable just and equal access to food, energy, digital transitions, a revolution in education and strong social security in developing nations.
• The annual SDG funding gap has risen, that’s why leaders in the declaration reiterated that the Addis Ababa Action Agenda is a crucial component of the 2030 Agenda.
• About Addis Ababa Action Agenda: In 2015, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda had emphasised on efficient use of all financial flows, both public and private, for sustainable development and the need for integrated national financing frameworks.

SDG goals:

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
• The Brundtland Commission’s report Our Common Future (1987) provided the definition of sustainable development that is currently most widely recognized.
• To create an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future for people and the earth, sustainable development (SD) asks for coordinated actions.
• There are 17 SDGs:

SDG summit of 2023:

• The President of the United Nations General Assembly convened Heads of State and Government for the 2023 High-level political forum on sustainable development.
• The Summit marks the mid-point of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and provides a crucial opportunity to accelerate our efforts.
• The SDG Summit will be the centrepiece of the High-level General Assembly. It will respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world and is expected to reignite a sense of hope, optimism, and enthusiasm for the 2030 Agenda.
• The Summit is envisaged to be forward-looking and action-oriented, with the aim of accelerating international action to improve people’s lives and reinvigorating the sense of hope, optimism and enthusiasm that characterized the adoption of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda.

Source:(https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/governance/sdg-summit-2023-political-declaration-for-massive-increase-in-investments-to-attain-sdgs-adopted-91836)

4. THE GDP GROWTH RATE

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the economic growth data for the first quarter (April, May, June) of the current financial year. It showed that the India’s economy grew by 7.8% in Q1.

EXPLANATION:

• But it led to a controversy on two different counts.
• First, General Secretary of the Indian National Congress, the main Opposition party, alleged that the Q1 GDP data was overstating the GDP by a full percentage point.
• Second, some economists pointed to the two main ways in which India calculates its GDP and argued that they did not match up.
• In other words, the allegation is that the government is favouring the higher estimate of GDP by using a statistical tool called “discrepancy”.
• However, to understand these two criticisms, we need to understand the how GDP is calculated in India.

What is GDP and how is it calculated?

• The GDP is the most basic way to assess the performance of any economy from one year to another. The idea behind the concept is to assess the size of an economy.
• Ideally, the size of the economy should grow from one year to another except years when some terrible crisis happens like in 2020 there was a global pandemic — all economies tend to grow from one year to another.
• That’s because technically GDP is defined as the total “market value” of all final goods and services in an economy.
• GDP can grow either because an economy actually produces more of goods and services or because the same level of goods and services are priced higher, or as it happens almost always — a combination of the two factors.
• REAL GDP VERSUS NOMINAL GDP:
• It is important here to distinguish between nominal GDP and real GDP.
• The overall GDP that one observes by adding up the market value is called the nominal GDP.
• But to arrive at the “real” GDP, statisticians remove the effect of price inflation from nominal GDP.
• GDP deflator:
• It is the ratio of the value of goods and services an economy produces in a particular year at current prices to that of prices that prevailed during the base year.
• GDP price deflator = (nominal GDP ÷ real GDP) x 100
• Since the real GDP growth rate is a derived number, it crucially depends on the rate of GDP deflator that the official statisticians assume to be the rate of inflation in the country.

Two ways to calculate GDP:

• To arrive at the size of the economy, should one look at all the money earned by everyone in the country, or should one look at all the money spent by everyone in the country?
• The former method is the income method, and the latter method is called the expenditure method of calculating the GDP. India calculates the GDP through both the methods.
• On paper, GDP should be the same no matter which method one uses. But in reality, many issues crop up.
• For instance, timely data availability. Official statisticians can’t always know exactly how much money was spent or earned at least not within the time frame of a quarter or a year. That is why national income data often gets revised.
• The difference between the two GDP estimates is called “discrepancy” it is like that “miscellaneous” heading under which one puts small expenditures that one cannot immediately recall or verify.

IS INDIA OVERSTATING ITS REAL GDP GROWTH RATE?

• India’s real GDP is a derived number and depends entirely on what statisticians assume to be the GDP deflator (the proxy rate of inflation during a period).
• India’s nominal GDP in Q1 of FY24 was 8%. On the face of it, a real GDP growth rate of 7.8% implies that inflation was just 0.2% in the three months — April, May, and June.
• As consumers, the real GDP growth rate of 7.8% an obvious overstatement.
• That’s because the retail inflation rate (the inflation consumers face) in these three months was 4.7%, 4.3% and 4.9%, respectively.
• If one was to “deflate” nominal GDP using consumer price inflation, the real GDP would fall to less than 4%.
• But then if one goes by wholesale inflation, the real GDP will actually be much higher than 8%.
• That’s because wholesale inflation was negative in all the three months -0.8%, -3.6%, and -4.2%, respectively.

CHART  shows how rare this is. It maps both nominal GDP growth rate (in orange colour) and GDP deflator (in blue) for each quarter (going back all the way to Q3 of 2008.

WAY FORWARD:

• This is not the first time that experts have raised a question mark on the credibility on India’s GDP estimates.
• The former Chief Economic Advisor (under the current government itself) had also argued that India was overstating its GDP.
• The important thing to understand is that the credibility of India’s GDP estimates depends on the quality of underlying data.
• Over the past decade many of these databases have not received the attention they deserved.
• If policymakers do not address the quality of Indian macroeconomic data, the credibility of India’s GDP estimates will continue to be questioned repeatedly.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/explainspeaking-india-gdp-controversy-8947783/

5. RASHTRIYA VIGYAN PURASKAR

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Department of Science and Technology has proposed the constitution of a new Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar which will be the highest recognition in the field of science, technology, and innovation in India for 13 domains.

EXPLANATION:

• The awards will be announced on the National Technology Day (11 May), while the ceremony will take place on National Space Day on 23 August.
• These are the days on which India successfully conducted its second nuclear test in 1998, and then catapulted the Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander on the moon this year.
• Scientists and innovators working in government as well as private sector organisations, or even those working in their individual capacity, who have made distinguished contributions in science and technology-led innovations will be eligible for these awards.
• These awards will be given in four categories — Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award and Vigyan Team.
• There will be three Vigyan Ratna, 25 Vigyan Shri, 25 Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, and three Vigyan Team awards every year.
• Like the prestigious Padma awards, these awards will not include any cash component; instead, they will likely bestow only a certificate and medallion on the awardee.
• It has been drafted in consultation with other departments of the Ministry of Science and Technology and sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the final approval is awaited yet.
• The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar will be given in the following 13 domains: physics, chemistry, biological sciences, mathematics & computer science, earth science, medicine, engineering sciences, agricultural science, environmental science, technology & innovation, atomic energy, space science and technology.

Open to PIOs and Age limit:

• The new awards will also be open to persons of Indian origin (PIOs), though a maximum of one such may be awarded the Vigyan Ratna, while three PIOs each can be selected for the Vigyan Shri and the VY-SSB.
• However, PIOs will not be eligible for the Vigyan Team awards.
• The Vigyan Ratna awards shall be for “lifetime contributions along with excellence made in any field of science”.
• The Vigyan Shri for “distinguished contribution to any field”.
• The SSB for “exceptional contribution by young scientists”.
• The team awards shall be for three or more researchers who have made an “exceptional contribution as a team”.
• There are no age limits for any prizes except the SSB, for which recipients must be 45 years or younger.

COMMITTEE PROPOSED:

• A Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Committee (RVPC) will be constituted by the science minister and chaired by the principal scientific advisor to the government, will recommend names for the award from the nominations placed before it.
• The RVPC will comprise secretaries of the six departments and related ministries the department of science and technology, the department of biotechnology, the department of scientific and industrial research, the ministry of earth sciences, the department of space and the department of atomic energy.
• The committee will also have six scientists and technologists from different fields of science and technology, along with four presidents of science and engineering academies.
• The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) will coordinate the administration of the awards process for two years, after which it will be taken over by the proposed National Research Foundation.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/science-and-tech-awards-to-get-padma-style-makeover-into-rashtriya-vigyan-puraskar/article67322829.ece