TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (19th SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. EXTINCTION OF THE SPECIES

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, a study published in journal PNAS stated that between 1500 and 2022 AD, 73 genera of vertebrates (excluding fish) went extinct.

EXPLANATION:

To gain insights into patterns of extinction beyond the species level, researchers from the United States and Mexico studied how the current extinction crisis is impacting land vertebrates at the generic level.
The team first gathered information on species’ conservation statuses from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Birdlife International and other databases.
Overall, they examined 5,400 genera of land-dwelling vertebrate animals and as per their analysis 73 genera of land-dwelling vertebrates have vanished since 1500 AD.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT:

As per the study, human actions are compounding the severity of the ongoing sixth mass extinction. Humans are putting a big dent in the evolution of life on the planet in the long term.
Humans have fuelled a surge of genus extinctions in the last five decades, which otherwise would have taken 18,000 years to occur.
The current rate at which entire genus of vertebrates, or animals with spinal cords, are going extinct is 35 times greater than the last million years.
A genus is a group of animals or plants which share some common characteristics.
For example, dogs and wolves are in the same genus, Canis.
Previous studies have focused on the extinction of species and found thousands of species and myriad populations have vanished.
For example, around 10,000,000 African elephants roamed Earth at the beginning of the 20th century. Now, only about 450,000 remain.
It was found that from 1500 AD the birds have suffered the heaviest losses with 44 genus extinctions, followed by mammals (21 genus extinctions), amphibians (five extinctions) and reptiles (three extinctions).
Most extinctions were recent. The years between 1800 and 2022 saw 55 total extinctions.
Birds ranked the highest with 36 extinctions, followed by mammals (12), amphibians (five) and reptiles (two).
Without humans, the researchers estimated that Earth would likely have lost only two genera between 1500-2022.

WHAT ARE IMPACTS OF THE EXTINCTION?

This mass extinction is transforming the whole biosphere, possibly into a state in which it may be impossible for our current civilisation to persist.
Losing a genus could impact the functioning of an entire ecosystem.
For example, when the passenger pigeons went extinct, it narrowed human diets in northeastern North America and altered ecosystem structure over wide areas. It also triggered population declines of cougars and wolves, leading to shifts in rodent communities.
According to the study, the region became more conducive to outbreaks of infectious diseases that jump from animals to humans.
An example is Lyme disease, a bacterial infection spread to humans by infected ticks.
Then, there is impact on climate change also.
Climate disruption is accelerating extinction and extinction is interacting with the climate.
Because the nature of the plants, animals, and microbes on the planet is one of the big determinants of what kind of climate we have.

WHAT IS MASS EXTINCTION?

A mass extinction event is when species vanish much faster than they are replaced. This is usually defined as about 75% of the world’s species being lost in a short period of geological time – less than 2.8 million years.
It’s difficult to identify when a mass extinction may have started and ended.
However, there are five big events that we know of, where extinction was much higher than normal background rate, and these are often used to decide whether we are going through a sixth one now.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/sixth-mass-extinction-more-severe-than-estimated-73-genera-vanished-since-1500-study-91820

2. THE GLOBAL BIOFUEL ALLIANCE (GBA)

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister of India along with the leaders of Singapore, Bangladesh, Italy, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Mauritius and UAE, launched the Global Biofuel Alliance on 9 September 2023, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

GLOBAL BIOFUEL ALLIANCE (GBA):

The Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) is an initiative by India as the G20 Chair.
The Alliance intends to expedite the global uptake of biofuels through:
facilitating technology advancements,
intensifying utilization of sustainable biofuels,
shaping robust standard setting and
certification through the participation of a wide spectrum of stakeholders.
The alliance will also act as a central repository of knowledge and an expert hub.
To ensure energy security, affordability, and accessibility for the future, the GBA will facilitate global collaboration, supporting the development and deployment of sustainable biofuels.
It will help raise awareness of biofuels’ vital role in greenhouse gas reduction.
According to G20 Biofuels Study report, biofuels account for 0 to 7 per cent of G20 country’s energy mix.
It drives global sustainable biofuel development, aids national programs, shares policy insights, builds capacity, reshapes perception, and boosts global trade.
It will help promote best practices for efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable feedstock use.
It will ensure a stable supply of eco-fuels and create a virtual marketplace connecting industries, countries, and tech providers, enhancing demand-supply mapping.

OBJECTIVES:

GBA aims to serve as a catalytic platform, fostering global collaboration for the advancement and widespread adoption of biofuels.
It brings together biofuel producers and consumers with the intent to strengthen global biofuels trade for a greener sustainable future.
It is also expected to contribute to job creation and economic growth.

COUNTRIES PART OF THIS PROJECT:

Nineteen countries and 12 international organisations have already agreed to join the GBA.
Seven G20 member countries supporting GBA are: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, Italy, South Africa, and the USA have joined. Four G20 invitee countries, Bangladesh, Singapore, Mauritius, and UAE also support it.
Eight non-G20 countries are also supporting GBA. Iceland, Kenya, Guyana, Paraguay, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Finland are the countries.
12 international organisations such as World Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Economic Forum, World LPG Organization, UN Energy for All, UNIDO, Biofutures Platform, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Energy Agency, International Energy Forum, International Renewable Energy Agency, World Biogas Association are supporting.
GBA Members constitute major producers and consumers of biofuels, such as the USA (52 per cent), Brazil (30 per cent) and India (3 per cent), contributing about 85 per cent share in production and about 81 per cent in consumption of ethanol.

HOW WILL THIS ALLIANCE HELP INDIA IN ACHIEVING ITS TARGET?

This will help India become the voice of the global south by getting countries which are still to start their biofuels programme.
For India, it will provide additional opportunities to its industries by exporting technology and equipment.
It will help accelerate India’s existing biofuel programmes such as – PM-JIVANYojna, SATAT, and GOBARdhan scheme — thereby contributing to increased farmers’ income, creating jobs and overall development of the Indian eco-system.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blexplainer/bl-explainer-what-is-the-global-biofuel-alliance-all-about/article67320708.ece

3. SANTINIKETAN AND HOYSALA TEMPLES

TAG: GS 1: ART AND CULTURE

THE CONTEXT: Santiniketan, the university town in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, has been inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. Hoysala Temples of Belur, Halebid, and Somnathapura in Karnataka are also added to UNESCO World Heritage list.

SANTINIKETAN:

It has been inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2023.
This was announced by the international agency on 17^th Sep, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee is being held till September 25.
Santiniketan becomes the 41st UNESCO World Heritage Site in India and the third in West Bengal, after the Sundarbans National Park and the Darjeeling Mountain Railways.
It was established in rural West Bengal in 1901 by the renowned poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore.
It was a residential school and centre for art based on ancient Indian traditions and a vision of the unity of humanity transcending religious and cultural boundaries.
A ‘world university’ was established at Santiniketan in 1921, recognizing the unity of humanity or “Visva Bharati”.
Distinct from the prevailing British colonial architectural orientations of the early 20th century and of European modernism, Santiniketan represents approaches toward a pan-Asian modernity, drawing on ancient, medieval and folk traditions from across the region.

HOYSALA TEMPLES:

Date of Inscription: 2023
The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala — the famed Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebid and Somananthpura in Karnataka have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
This inclusion marks the 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site in India and comes just a day after Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan also received this distinguished recognition.
This serial property encompasses the three most representative examples of Hoysala-style temple complexes in southern India, dating from the 12th to 13th centuries.
The Hoysala style was created through careful selection of contemporary temple features and those from the past to create a different identity from neighbouring kingdoms.
The shrines are characterized by hyper-real sculptures and stone carvings that cover the entire architectural surface, a circumambulatory platform, a large-scale sculptural gallery, a multi-tiered frieze, and sculptures of the Sala legend.
The excellence of the sculptural art underpins the artistic achievement of these temple complexes, which represent a significant stage in the historical development of Hindu temple architecture.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE:

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

UNESCO’s World Heritage mission is to:

Encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage.
Encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites.
Provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger.
Support States Parties’ public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation.
Encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world’s cultural and natural heritage.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/santiniketan-makes-it-to-unescos-8944445/

4. THE OLD PARLIAMENT INSPIRATION

TAG: GS 1: ART AND CULTURE

THE CONTEXT: The old Parliament will be turned into a museum as from September 19, 2023, the ongoing special House session moved to the new Parliament building.

EXPLANATION:

The circular, colonnaded Parliament building has for long been a symbol of India’s democracy, its graceful, dignified architecture enshrining the jostling aspirations of a billion people.
A similar, round, and pillared structure in India pre-dates the Parliament by several centuries, and many believe it inspired the 20th century building. This structure is the Chausath Yogini temple in Mitaoli, Madhya Pradesh.

THE OLD PARLIAMENT AND ITS INSPIRATIONS:

The old parliament was designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker when the British decided to move their capital to New Delhi.
After Independence, it served as the Constituent Assembly of India, and once the Constitution was adopted and India became a republic, as the Parliament of India, housing the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
When New Delhi was being planned, the then Viceroy, Lord Hardinge, was quite clear that the buildings should have Indian elements and not look like foreign structures transplanted on Indian soil.
Even though Lutyens was quite convinced of the superiority of Western architecture.
However, Hardinge made Lutyens and Baker visit most of the ancient and medieval sites of northern and central India for inspiration, like Mandu, Lahore, Lucknow, Kanpur, and Indore.
Thus, the Parliament, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and other buildings are a mix of Indian and Western-style architecture.

THE CHAUSATH YOGINI TEMPLE AND ITS MYSTERIES:

The grand Chausath Yogini temple stands atop a hillock in Mitaoli, about 40 kilometres from Gwalior, in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh.
It was built around 1323 by King Devapala of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty.
Dedicated to the 64 (chaunsath) yoginis, its architecture is different from the temples dedicated to one deity.
The 64 yoginis are believed to be powerful warriors and sorceresses.
The Mitaoli temple is circular, with 64 chambers dedicated to the 64 yoginis, and a central shrine dedicated to Shiva.
While most Hindu temples have a shikhara, or projecting dome, the Mitaoli temple, like other Chausath Yogini temples, is hypaethral, which means it has no roof.
The Parliament-like pillars are on the inside of the stone temple complex.
The central shrine has a slab with perforations, for excess rainwater to drain off. According to an article on the Madhya Pradesh government’s tourism portal, the temple has a diameter of 125 feet.

DID THE CHAUSATH YOGINI TEMPLE INSPIRE THE PARLIAMENT?

Though there is no evidence Lutyens or Baker ever visited it, but locals in the area say so.
However, the Chausath Yogini Temple is in a Seismic Zone 3 area.
Since its construction in the 1300s, the temple has withstood many an earthquake with almost no visible damage. One theory suggests that this could be the reason why Lutyens may have sought reference or inspiration from a building of such an unusual shape.
One of the historians says that Lutyens and Baker were sent off on this tour to look at examples of Indian architecture. They also might have seen photographs collected by the Archaeological Survey of India. So even though there is no proof of them emulating Indian monuments, it is not inconceivable that they might have done so.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-culture/old-parliament-madhya-pradesh-temple-8945663/

5. DISQUALIFICATION OF MLAs IN MAHARASHTRA

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court directed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to not delay hearing of disqualification petitions against 56 Maharashtra MLAs and decide within one week of time period.

EXPLANATION:

Mr Thackeray, an MLA of Maharashtra urged the Deputy Speaker to initiate disqualification proceedings against the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs who distanced themselves from the coalition government of Maharashtra and showed faith in a new leader, Mr Eknath Shinde.
Later the Thackery faction approached the Supreme Court regarding the disqualification of the MLAs.
The Supreme Court referred the matter to the Constitution bench.
The Speaker must decide on disqualification petitions within a reasonable period and the Supreme Court cannot ordinarily adjudicate petitions for disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India in the first instance.
A three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India recalled that the Supreme Court’s May 11, 2023 judgment in the Maharashtra political crisis matter had asked the Speaker to decide the petitions “within a reasonable period”.
Because of inaction of the speaker regarding the disqualification proceedings against MLAs, supreme court on 18^th Sep, 2023 directed the Speaker to fix the time schedule for adjudicating the petitions within “no later than one week”.

ABOUT ANTI – DEFECTION LAW:

The Tenth Schedule – popularly known as the Anti-Defection Act – was included in the Constitution via the 52nd Amendment Act, of 1985. This was done to bring stability to governments by discouraging legislators from changing parties.
The decisions on questions as to disqualification on the ground of defection are referred to the Speaker/Chairman of the House, which is subject to ‘Judicial review’.
However, the law does not provide a timeframe within which the presiding officer has to decide a defection case.
The 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003, changed the initially envisaged 1/3rd to now at least two-thirds of the members of a party must be in favour of a “merger” for it to have validity in the eyes of the law.

THE GROUNDS OF DISQUALIFICATION UNDER ANTI DEFECTION LAW:

The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution deals with the grounds for disqualification of legislators on account of defection. These are:

If an elected member voluntarily gives up his membership in a political party.
If he votes or abstains from voting in such House contrary to any direction issued by his political party or anyone authorized to do so, without obtaining prior permission.
As a pre-condition for his disqualification, his abstention from voting should not be condoned by his party or the authorized person within 15 days of such an incident.
If any independently elected member joins any political party.
If any nominated member joins any political party after the expiry of six months.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sc-maha-speaker-timeline-disqualification-cm-shinde-others-8945504/

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (18th SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. PM VISHWAKARMA SCHEME.

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: The PM Vishwakarma scheme has an outlay of Rs 13,000 crore, aimed at the skill up-gradation and income-boost of carpenters, washermen, cobblers, coir weavers, etc.

EXPLANATION:

The scheme will be fully funded by the central government.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries will also be provided Rs 15,000 each as toolkit incentives through e-vouchers or e-RUPI. It will be a purpose-specific voucher issued by banks on behalf of the central government. This means the voucher can be utilized only for the purpose of purchase of toolkits.
The minimum age of the beneficiary should be 18 years on the date of registration.

About the scheme:

The name of the scheme is kept in honor of the divine builder and craftsman lord Vishwakarma. The PM Vishwakarma scheme is a central sector scheme.
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) will handle the scheme.
It would be open to traditional artists and crafters from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
Eighteen(18) traditional trades such as carpenter, boat maker, armorer, blacksmith, hammer and tool kit maker, locksmith, goldsmith, potter, sculptor, stone breaker, cobbler, ma son, basket/mat/broom maker/coir weaver, traditional doll and toy maker, barber, garland maker, washerman, tailor and fishing net maker will be covered under the Scheme.

Aim of the scheme:

The scheme aims to support and preserve the “Guru-Shishya parampara” (teacher-student tradition), or the family-based practice of ancient skills by artisans and craftspeople using their hands and tools.
The scheme also aims to improve the quality and reach of the artisans’ and craft-people’s products and services as well as to make sure that the Vishwa karmas are integrated with the domestic and international value chains.

Benefits of the scheme:

Training and Skill Development: A comprehensive 6-day training program will provide traditional artists with an invaluable opportunity to develop their talents. By equipping them with cutting-edge skills and knowledge, this program is specifically designed to meet the demands of carpenters, tailors, basket weavers, barbers, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, potters, confectioners, cobblers, and others.
Financial Support: The PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card, as well as credit support up to Rs. 1 lakh (first tranche) and Rs. 2 lakh (second tranche) at a concessional interest rate of 5% without any collateral, would be given to artisans and craftspeople.
Opportunities for Employment: The PM Vishwakarma Scheme is a catalyst for opening doors for employment. It aims to promote economic stability and prosperity by creating jobs for about 15,000 people each year.

Challenges:

DMK and its allies have opposed the scheme saying it promoted traditional businesses and lured students with its eligibility age of 18, thus discouraging them from entering colleges.
Lack of Awareness: Many artisans and craftsmen are frequently not aware of the different government programs, financial assistance, and training possibilities available to them. They are unable to use the resources that could assist them advance their knowledge and enterprises due to their ignorance.
Economic viability: Due to poor demand, insufficient price, and a lack of effective marketing channels, some craftsmen find it difficult to make a reasonable living from their crafts. Younger generations may become less interested in pursuing traditional crafts as a result of this.
Infrastructure and Training: For artisans to improve their trade, they need access to specialized training facilities, adequate infrastructure, and raw materials. The enhancement of product quality and skill development may be hampered by a lack of these facilities.

Source:(https://www.deccanherald.com/india/pm-modi-launches-rs-13000-crore-pm-vishwakarma-scheme-for-traditional-workers-2689848)

2. OVER THE TOP PLATFORM REGULATIONS (OTT)

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: The telecom regulatory authority of India asking for opinions on selectively banning OTT services such as WhatsApp, Facebook, X etc.

EXPLANATION:

Authority of India (TRAI) invited responses to a consultation paper it released on a regulatory mechanism for over-the-top (OTT) communication services.
Telecom Service Providers are of the opinion that OTTs should be regulated and charged because they use and thrive on the infrastructure built by operators over the years.

OTT Services:

A company that offers streaming media as a stand-alone product is known as an “over-the-top” media service. OTT communication services like WhatsApp, Signal, Meta, Google Meet, Zoom, X, etc. Audio streaming, messaging services, or internet-based voice calling solutions also come under the OTT communication services.
In India, there is currently no formal regulatory structure in place for OTT communication services.
Since 2015, TRAI has published a number of consultation papers on this subject, but no recommendations or regulations have been finalized.

Banning of OTT service: Banning of OTT service is a set of service rules that the operator applies to the specific set of BTSs (Base Stations) that it intends to block. Through this rule, the targeted BTSs can be set for zero or very low data rates, so that all kinds of data services emanating or targeted towards them get throttled — making them useless.

Selective Blocking (OTT level): Selective blocking of OTT applications can get executed either at the OTT player level or at the telecom operator level. Now for the OTT player to block services in a specific geography it will need the location information of all the users. The location information can be at the GPS level or at the Cell ID level.

Why is there a need for a regulatory framework for over-the-top (OTT) communication services?

OTT communications services have led to erosion of revenues for the telcos.
These platforms offer users an array of services, sending of Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS), instant messaging to voice and video calls, delivered over the internet.
This circumvents the need for traditional telecom services, particularly voice calls and text messages, leading to a significant reduction in the revenue streams of telecom companies, responded the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing telecom players like Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea.
OTT communication service providers neither contribute to the exchequer nor make investments like the TSPs in the spread of network infrastructure in the country.
The OTT communication service providers take a free ride on TSP funded networks without contributing to the setting up and maintaining digital infrastructure for access networks.

What is the argument for banning OTT services?

For:

OTTs obtain the location of the customers and can easily bar access. Once the OTT communication services are under license this barring will be much easier to implement.
Telecom service providers in India are regulated by several laws, including the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933 and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, and have to adhere to requirements such as lawful interception. Such requirements are not applicable to OTT services currently.
According to the Internet Service Providers Association of India, if OTT services are a substitutable service offered by licensed service providers, then such OTT services should be considered as the same services offered under the telecom licence granted by the Government.

Against:

According to COAI, the Government should consider source-level blocking so that the desired outcome may be achieved without any significant difficulties.
The IAMAI believes that there is no need to implement additional regulations governing OTT services, or even a regulatory framework for the selective banning of OTT services.
The Broadband India Forum (BIF) firmly opposed any selective ban on OTT services as they are adequately regulated under the existing IT Act, 2000, Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and other associated Acts and Rules.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/explained-why-is-the-government-pushing-for-regulatory-mechanisms-for-ott-services/article67319360.ece#:~:text=Telecom%20Service%20Providers%20are%20of,of%20revenues%20for%20the%20telcos.)

3. ANAMUDI SHOLA NATIONAL PARK

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Anamudi Shola National Park, near Munnar has transformed into a green heaven teeming with life, through an initiative by the Forest department.

EXPLANATION:

Munnar Wildlife Division converted a park filled with exotic species of trees into 50 hectares of forest land. The project was implemented through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It was started in 2019 and completed in 2022.

About Anamudi shola National Park:

The Anamudi shola National Park is located in the western Ghats.
The Park is surrounded by Eravikulam National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary, Mathikettan Shola National Park.
Anamudi shola National Park consists of three Shola Reserve Forests namely Pannavan shola, Pullaradi shola and Indivara shola together occupying an area of 42068 Sq.Km.
The area is drained by small streams and they finally join Pambar river, which flows east and joins Amaravathi reservoir.

Forest:

Anamudi Shola consists of southern subtropical hill forests, southern montane wet temperate forests and moist deciduous forests. The unique things are the dense shola woods that houses a dense patch of stunted trees and the luxurious presence of lichen, mosses, and climbers, which are all hallmarks of the pure air in such high altitudes.

Fauna:

The park provides safe and comfortable habitat to the wild species of flora and fauna. The rich wildlife includes Elephant, Tiger, Panther, Indian Bison, Nigiri Tahr, Gaur, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Giant Grizzled Squirrel, Hanuman Langur, Sloth Bear, Flying Squirrels etc.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/eco-restoration-project-covers-anamudi-shola-national-park-area-in-munnar-with-natural-grasslands/article67318532.ece#:~:text=The%20project%20was%20implemented%20through,converted%20into%20a%20natural%20grassland.)

4. THE SCRUB TYPHUS

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Odisha has been hit by a deadly disease called scrub typhus.

THE SCRUB TYPHUS:

Scrub typhus is also referred to as bush typhus.
It is a life-threatening infection caused by the bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi.
Scrub typhus is transmitted to humans by bites from tiny, infected mites.
The transmission to humans mostly occurs through the bites of chiggers, which are infected larval mites.
Chiggers are also called berry bugs, bush-mites, red bugs or scrub-itch mites.
The disease is predominantly seen in the rural locales of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, China, Japan, India, and northern Australia.
The symptoms of scrub typhus typically begin within 10 days of being bitten.
Some of the symptoms of the scrub typhus: Fever and chills Headache, Body aches and muscle pain, Mental changes: ranging from confusion to coma.
One-third of patients develop a severe disease that affects multiple organs in the body and leads to lethally low blood pressure.

SCRUB TYPHUS: TREATMENT

In March 2023, a team of Indian scientists has identified a significantly more effective treatment for severe scrub typhus.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), showed that treating patients with a combination of intravenous antibiotics doxycycline and azithromycin is more effective than the current monotherapy of using either drug alone.
The study found that when both azithromycin and doxycycline were administered together to patients with severe scrub typhus, the bacteria were cleared away quicker and patients improved faster.
This could be because doxycycline and azithromycin stop the bacteria from producing proteins through different, but complementary, mechanisms.

SOURCE: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/46-scrub-typhus-cases-in-kumaon-since-aug/articleshow/103723769.cms?from=mdr

5. GROWTH IN THE BASMATI RICE EXPORTS

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Approximately $5 billion export of basmati rice from India is testimony of what can be accomplished with effective public sector breeding and industry collaboration.

EXPLANATION:

Basmati rice annual exports from India have soared from 0.3-0.35 million tonnes valued at $200-250 million to 4.5-4.6 million tonnes (mt) worth $4.7-4.8 billion, in the past three decades.
Much of this has been courtesy of scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi.

BASMATI RICE:

Basmati rice is known for its fragrance and unique flavour. It is popularly known as ‘Queen of Rice’ and ‘Pearl of Rice’.
India is the largest cultivator, consumer, and exporter of basmati rice.
India enjoys monopoly over basmati in the world markets.
Basmati rice is exported to more than 80 countries mainly to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Kuwait and others Gulf and European Countries United Kingdom, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy.
Half the quantity of basmati exported from the country is sela (parboiled) basmati mainly to the gulf countries.

Origin:

Basmati rice originated in India.

Distribution:

Basmati rice is grown in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh.

Climate:

The rainfall requirement is 700 mm to 1100 mm.
The mean temperature ranges from 16.4 to 32.1 ° C.
Relative humidity ranges from 65 to 92%.

Soil:

Basmati type rice is mostly cultivated in alluvial and Tarai soils.
The soils are neutral to slightly alkaline and calcareous.
Soils are loam to clay loam.

Now, let’s see revolution of basmati rice in India with passage of time.

THE FIRST REVOLUTION (PB-1):

Till the late 1980s, Indian farmers grew traditional basmati varieties having tall plants (150-160 cm) which were prone to lodging (bending over when heavy with well-filled grains) and yielding barely 10 quintals of paddy an acre over 155-160 days from nursery sowing to harvesting.
These included Taraori (also called Karnal Local or HBC-19) and Dehraduni (Type-3).
The breakthrough happened with Pusa Basmati-1 (PB-1); an improved variety released in 1989.
It was a cross between Karnal Local and Pusa-150, a high-yielding non-basmati line.
With a plant height of 100-105 cm, PB-1 didn’t lodge, yielded 25-26 quintals grain per acre, and matured in 135-140 days.
PB-1 was bred by a team of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) scientists.
At the turn of the century, India was exporting 0.6-0.7 mt of basmati rice fetching $400-450 million annually, with PB-1’s share at roughly 60%.

THE SECOND REVOLUTION (PB-1121):

PB-1 delivered a yield revolution and helped double India’s basmati exports. But the real revolution came in 2003, with the release of Pusa Basmati-1121 (PB-1121).
PB-1121 yielded less (20-21 quintals/acre) with a slightly longer maturity of 140-145 days with the good quality of grain.
Between 2001-02 and 2013-14, India basmati rice exports surged from 0.7 mt to 3.7 mt, and from $390 million to $4.9 billion in value terms.
Over 70% of that was from PB-1121.

THE THIRD REVOLUTION (PB-1509):

In 2013, the IARI released Pusa Basmati-1509 (PB-1509).
It yielded just as much as PB-1, with the milled rice length before and after cooking comparable to PB-1121’s.
PB-1509’s seed-to-grain duration was just 115-120 days.
Being an early-maturing high-yielding variety made PB-1509 advantageous for farmers, as they could now take an extra crop.
Crop combinations being adopted by farmers after harvesting of PB-1509 include planting of a three-month potato crop in the first week of October, followed by sunflower, sweet corn or onion in early-January and maturing in 90-100 days.

BREEDING FOR DISEASE RESISTANCE:

In the last few years, IARI scientists have focused on preserving the yield gains from their improved basmati varieties by incorporating genes for disease resistance.
PB-1121, for instance, has become susceptible to bacterial leaf blight.
To control it, the scientists have sought to transfer genes from landrace cultivars and wild relatives of paddy that are resistant to this bacterial disease.
Such genes have been identified through a technique called marker-assisted selection.
In 2021, IARI released Pusa Basmati-1885 and Pusa Basmati-1847.
These were basically PB-1121 and PB-1509 having “in-built resistance” against bacterial blight as well as rice blast fungal disease.
Both incorporated two bacterial blight resistant genes Xa21 and xa13, derived from a wild rice species (Oryza longistaminata) and a traditional indica landrace (BJ1) respectively.
They also carried two other genes Pi2 and Pi54 against blast, similarly, sourced and transferred from an indica rice cultivar (5173) and landrace (Tetep).
In-built resistance to bacterial blight and blast through such marker-assisted backcross breeding means farmers no longer have to use streptomycin or tetracycline combinations and fungicides such as tricyclazole, azoxystrobin and picoxystrobin.
Minimising the spraying of crop protection chemical also helps protect the premium value of Indian basmati in the global market.

RISK FACTORS:

There’s no minimum support price (MSP) for basmati paddy. Also, its rice is mostly exported with only a limited domestic market.
Farmers are also exposed to the vagaries of the market and government policy with regard to exports.
The recent restrictions not allowing basmati shipments priced below $1,200 per tonne is only a pointer to that.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/how-basmati-in-india-is-reaping-the-rewards-of-research-8944481/V

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (15th SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. PRADHAN MANTRI MATSYA SAMPADA YOJANA

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: PMMSY: bridging gaps in the fisheries sector

EXPLANATION:

PMMSY began to bridge the gaps in the fisheries value chain from fish production, productivity, and quality to technology, postharvest infrastructure and marketing.
The PMMSY has successfully pulled inland fisheries from traditional waters, and infused technology, inspiring many talented and enterprising youth to venture into fisheries.
The PMMSY has empowered fisher women to explore remunerative options and alternative livelihoods, such as ornamental fisheries, pearl culture, and seaweed cultivation.
India is now counted among the world’s top three countries in fish and aquaculture production and is also the biggest shrimp exporter in the world.

About PMMSY:

Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) on September 2020.
PMMSY has brought the Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of the fisheries sector in India at a total investment of ₹ 20,050 crore for holistic development of the fisheries sector including the welfare of fishers.
PMMSY will be implemented in all the States and Union Territories for a period of 5(five) years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25.
Fishermen are given insurance protection, financial aid, and the option of a Kisan Credit Card (KCC) in order to make access to institutional credit easier.

Objectives of PMMSY:

Harness the potential of the fisheries sector in a sustainable, responsible, inclusive, and equitable manner.
Enhance fish production and productivity through expansion, intensification, diversification, and productive utilization of land and water.
Modernize and strengthen the value chain including post-harvest management and quality improvement.
Double fishers and fish farmers’ incomes and generate meaningful employment.
Enhance the contribution of the fisheries sector to Agricultural GVA and exports.

Benefits

Financial assistance for fishing infrastructure: The scheme provides financial assistance to develop fishing infrastructure like fishing harbors, fish landing centers, fish markets, fish feed plants, fish seed farms, and fish processing units.
Financial assistance for fish farmers: The scheme provides financial assistance to fish farmers for various activities like the construction of ponds, cages, hatcheries, and nurseries, and for the installation of aeration systems and other equipment.
Assistance for fisheries management: The scheme provides financial assistance for the management of fishery resources through the adoption of scientific methods, setting up of fishery management plans, and developing fishery information systems.
Credit-linked subsidy for fish farmers: The scheme provides a credit-linked subsidy for fish farmers to encourage them to take up fish farming as a business.
Assistance for marketing and export of fish products: The scheme provides assistance for the development of cold chains, fish processing units, and packaging facilities to promote the export of fish products.

Source:(https://epaper.thehindu.com/reader?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=TH_ePaper_BrandSearchExact&tpcc=THEPGS&gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwgZCoBhBnEiwAz35RwlVuIGxRhaHq8ISbr4c4gbxKlrYc6htj17YZRxceUd6wimjWPFRK6hoCkeEQAvD_BwE)

2. RUBBER BOARD OF INDIA

TAG: GS 1: GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: Rubber Board to increase area under rubber in Northeast.

EXPLANATION:

In a move to expand the area in non-traditional States, the Rubber Board is implementing a project to bring 2 lakh hectares under natural rubber in the Northeastern States, except Sikkim, but including West Bengal.
The northeastern states, particularly Tripura and Assam, account for over 16 percent of the total production, up from around 10 per cent a few years ago. The share of Kerala has come down from around 90 percent to 78 percent. The non-traditional regions of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra have a combined share of 6 percent in the total output.
“The current rise in production has come more from higher output in northeastern states than from Kerala. Low prices and high production costs have reduced tapping in Kerala.

Rubber board of India:

The Rubber Board is a statutory body constituted by the Government of India, under the Rubber Act 1947, for the overall development of the rubber industry in the country.
The Rubber Board functions under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry of the Government of India. The Board is headed by a Chairman appointed by the Central Government and has 28 members representing various interests of the natural rubber industry. The Board’s headquarters is located at Kottayam in Kerala.

About Rubber: Rubber is made up of latex of a tree known as Hevea Brasiliensis. It is an equatorial crop.

Climate: Rubber plants are native to tropical areas, so they don’t like to be hit with cold blasts of air from doors or drafty windows and may begin to drop some leaves if they are.
Temperature: It requires high temperature throughout the year – ranging between 20°-35°C or average monthly mean of 27°C. Less than 20°C temperature is detrimental. Similarly, rubber also requires heavy rainfall(200cm).
Soil: Rubber will do well on a wide variety of soils, some of which would be too poor for many crops. Deep, friable, well-drained soils are ideal as they promote root development, and acidic soils are also suitable.

Production and Consumption in India:

India is currently the sixth largest producer of NR in the world with one of the highest productivities. The production capacity in India is around 900,000 tonnes, of which around 75% is tapped. Traditional rubber-growing states comprising Kerala and Tamil Nadu account for 81% of production. Major non-traditional rubber growing regions are the North Eastern states of Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
India is the 2nd largest consumer of NR globally with current consumption of around 1.1 million tonnes.. Around 40% of the total NR consumption in India is at present met from import of rubber.

Challenges faced by Rubber industry:

The sector also faces many challenges, some of which are sub-optimal agro-climatic conditions and adverse impact of climate change, saturation of area for new planting in traditional regions, agro-climatic, topographic, social, cultural, institutional and infrastructure constraints in non-traditional regions, global price volatility and low-price situations, and its repercussions on production, lack of competitiveness, stagnation in the growth of Non-Tyre Rubber manufacturing sector etc.

Government Initiative:

National Rubber policy,2019.
Rubber plantation development scheme.
100% FDI in Plantation of Rubber.
The Rubber Board, in association with major tyre companies, is implementing the NE Mitra scheme in northeastern states that contemplates fresh cultivation of rubber in 200,000 hectares in five years.

Top Rubber producing state in India: 1. Kerala, 2.Tamil Nadu, 3.Tripura, 4.Assam

Largest Rubber producing countries in the world: Thailand, Indonesia , Vietnam ,Ivory Coast , China, India.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/business/rubber-board-to-increase-area-under-rubber-in-northeast/article67307179.ece#:~:text=In%20a%20move%20to%20expand,Sikkim%2C%20but%20including%20West%20Bengal.)

3. KALAIGNAR MAGALIR URIMAI THITTAM SCHEME

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin launches Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam in Kancheepuram.

EXPLANATION:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam in Kancheepuram on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) founder C.N. Annadurai.

About Scheme:
- Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam is a basic income scheme.
- The main objective behind launching this scheme is to empower women financially so that their livelihood and standard of living will improve.
- Women Head of a Family whose Age is 21 Years and above are eligible for monthly financial assistance under this scheme.
- Registration for Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam is started by Tamil Nadu Government.

Universal Basic Income (UBI):

It is a guaranteed, ongoing cash distribution from the government to all residents, regardless of their financial situation or level of income. UBI will serve as a universal safety net for all people, regardless of their income or age.
The Universal Basic Income (UBI) comprises three components, namely universality, unconditionality, and agency, according to the Economic Survey (2016–17).
- Universal: All citizens will be covered by UBI.
- Unconditional: The beneficiaries of UBI are not chosen based on any criteria.
- Agency: Providing financial assistance in order to respect rather than impose the recipients’ preferences.
UBI is intended to be distributed to individuals, not families, on a regular basis, in the form of money (rather than vouchers or coupons).

Benefits of UBI:

Combating Extreme Events: By providing a basic income to everyone, the general public will be better able to withstand shocks like the COVID-19 Pandemic and other shocks like natural disasters (floods, tsunami, earthquakes, etc.). According to numerous reports, the majority of rural poor people have become financially vulnerable, while the lowest of the poor are essentially going hungry as a result of the pandemic’s effects.
Economic Recovery: The current economic condition has forced the closure of numerous businesses and led to significant job losses. Due to this, the economy’s demand for goods and services has decreased. UBI can assist ignite the demand and boost the economy.
Ensuring Dignity: A guaranteed quarterly financial transfer would make it possible for everyone to live a more dignified life, honoring everyone’s right to life as guaranteed by Article 21.
Social justice: A society will not pass the justice test if it does not ensure that every citizen receives a respectable minimum income. As a result, UBI advances social justice by ensuring a minimum, unconditional income.

Challenges:

The problem in the scheme comes when cut-offs are set and benefits are targeted at certain groups.
Fiscal issues also surface when, rather than having a fixed budget for the scheme covering all citizens, cut-offs for various segments have to be worked out.
A targeted scheme cannot be called universal and this will also require another round of Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) to get updated data on beneficiaries as the 2012 data is now outdated and does not provide the correct picture.
Recipients may abuse the funds they receive and defeat the goals of social security. UBI will further discourage individuals from working or cause them to work less.

Way forward:

First, since the wealthy can be excluded from cash transfer programs, the government can reconsider real universality. specific classes of residents may be automatically excluded (for example, if they possess specific assets).
Second, the government should exploit the potential of the JAM(short for Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) trinity (biometric identification, financial inclusion, and mobile penetration) for direct cash transfers to household bank accounts after agreeing on the quasi-basic income criterion.

Source:(https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/tamil-nadu-cm-stalin-launches-kalaignar-magalir-urimai-thittam-in-kancheepuram/article67310529.ece)

4. THE POST OFFICE BILL, 2023

TAG: GS 2: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: The Post Office Bill 2023 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha to repeal the Indian Post Office Act 1898.

PROVISIONS OF THE POST OFFICE BILL 2023 AND POST OFFICE ACT 1898

Post Office Act 1898

The Act provides for the issuance of postage stamps as per the Rules prescribed by the central government.

The Act provides that wherever the central government establishes posts, it will have the exclusive privilege of conveying letters by post, as well as incidental services such as receiving, collecting etc.

The Act specifies the services provided by the Post Office to include: (i) the delivery of postal articles including letters, postcards, and parcels, and (ii) money orders.

The Act allows for the interception of a shipment being transmitted through the post on certain grounds. An interception may be carried out on the occurrence of any public emergency, or in the interest of public safety or tranquillity. Such interceptions may be carried out by the central government, state governments, or any officer specially authorised by them.

Under the Act, the Director General has powers to decide the time and manner of delivery of postal services. Under the Act, the central government can notify charges for postal services through notifications.

The Act specifies various offences and penalties. For instance, theft, misappropriation etc.

The Act exempts the government from any liability related to the loss, mis delivery, delay or damage to a postal article. This does not apply where the liability is undertaken by the central government in express terms. Officers are also exempt from such liability unless they have acted fraudulently or wilfully.

Post Office Bill 2023

The Bill also states that the Post Office will have the exclusive privilege of issuing postage stamps.

The Bill does not contain such privileges.

The Bill provides that the Post Office will provide services prescribed by the central government.

The Bill instead provides that the interception of a shipment being transmitted through post may be carried out on the following grounds: (i) security of the state, (ii) friendly relations with foreign states, etc. An officer empowered by the central government through a notification may carry out an interception.

As per the Bill, the Director General may make regulations to specify charges. The Director General may also make regulations on supply and sale of postage stamps and postal stationery.

The Bill does not provide for any offences or consequences, except one. Amounts not paid or neglected by a user will be recoverable as arrears of land revenue.

The Bill retains these provisions. However, it provides that instead of the central government, the Post Office may prescribe the liability regarding its services.

WHY THERE IS NEED TO REPEAL THE ACT?

The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 was enacted in 1898 with a view to govern the functioning of the Post Office in India which was primarily related to mail services provided through the Post Office.
With time the services available through the Post Office have diversified beyond mails and the Post Office network has become a vehicle for delivery of a variety of citizen centric services. Further with India Post Payments Bank the postal department has entered banking too.
All this necessitated the repeal of the said Act and enactment of new law in its place.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/changing-the-way-the-postman-knocks/article67308498.ece

5. K2-18B EXOPLANET

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: A new investigation with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope into K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide.

EXPLANATION:

Webb’s discovery adds to recent studies suggesting that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet, one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface.

K2-18B EXOPLANET:

K2-18b is an interesting exoplanet, a planet that orbits another star.
It is discovered in 2015 by the Kepler Space Telescope’s K2 mission. It is a type of planet called a sub-Neptune. These are smaller than Neptune in our own Solar System.
The primary science objective of the Kepler mission was transit-driven exoplanet detection with an emphasis on terrestrial planets located within the habitable zones of Sun-like stars.
The planet is about eight and a half times heavier than Earth and orbits a type of star called a red dwarf, which is much cooler than our Sun.
However, K2-18b orbits much closer to its star than Neptune does in the habitable zone.
This is the area that is not too hot and not too cold, where liquid water can exist (instead of freezing to ice or boiling into steam).
Earth is called a rocky planet, but sub-Neptunes are gas planets, with much larger atmospheres containing lots of hydrogen and helium. Their atmosphere can also contain other elements.

NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope: NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope is an observatory in space dedicated to finding planets outside our solar system, with a particular focus on finding planets that might resemble Earth. The observatory was in commission for just under nine years, from its launch in March 2009 to its decommission on Nov. 15, 2018.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STUDY:

The new study found a lot of carbon dioxide and methane.
It also found a small amount of dimethyl sulfide. Dimethyl sulfide is an molecule, made up of carbon, hydrogen and sulfur.
On Earth, dimethyl sulfide is linked to life, on other planets it may somehow be related to geological or chemical processes.
On Earth, it’s generally a bit smelly. But it’s also closely linked to life.
Marine life and plankton emit it in the form of flatulence(gas).

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/science-technology/signs-of-life-why-astronomers-are-excited-about-carbon-dioxide-methane-in-atmosphere-of-alien-world-91741

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (12th SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. G20 AND TRADE MEASURES

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

THE CONTEXT: The G20 members took major trade measures and reiterated their commitment to reforming the World Trade Organization (WTO).

EXPLANATION:

The New Delhi declaration has the trade and investment agenda under the title “unlocking trade for growth”.
G20 Members emphasized the need to avoid discriminatory green economic policies and promote fair competition. The G20 also expressed support for positive outcomes at the WTO’s Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13).
G20 leaders have committed to reforming the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement system, which has been dysfunctional since 2019, leading to protectionism in global trade by 2024.
They affirm that a rule based, non discriminatory, fair, open, inclusive, equitable, sustainable and transparent multilateral trading system with WTO at its core is indispensable.
They agreed to mobilise necessary resources to WTO’s ‘Aid for Trade’ initiative to enable developing countries, notably LDCs to effectively participate in global trade, including through enhances local value creation.
The five outcomes of G20 Trade and Investment of G20 Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting which culminated into Jaipur Call for Action are:

Digitilisation of trade documents
Enhancing information access to MSMEs
Framework to map global value chains
Best practices on mutual recognition agreements for professional services
A standards dialogue

In the declaration, the G20 referred to this Jaipur call for Action for enhancing micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) access to information to promote their integration into international trade.
As per the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration, the G20 Generic Framework for Mapping Global Value Chains (GVCs) will help members identify risks and build resilience.
The members said that trade and environment policies should be mutually supportive, consistent with WTO and multilateral environmental agreements.

For more information on WTO refer to 19^th July DNA.

SOURCE: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/g20-delhi-declaration-wto-reform-discouraging-protectionism-mutually-supportive-trade-and-green-policies/articleshow/103537903.cms?from=mdr

2. G20 ON TAX EVASIONS AND CRYPTO AND FOREIGN ASSETS

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

THE CONTEXT: In their joint declaration, the G20 leaders agreed to continue cooperation towards a globally fair, sustainable and modern international tax system appropriate to the needs of the 21st century.

EXPLANATION:

The leaders of G20 met and deliberated upon various socio-economic and geo-political policy decisions including ‘tax’, which is seen as being progressive.
The G20 has reaffirmed its commitment to the swift implementation of the ‘Two-Pillar’ international tax package.
‘Pillar One’ allocates certain portion of the taxing right to market jurisdictions, from residential jurisdictions.
For instance, under ‘Pillar ‘One, India will be able to impose certain portion of income tax on the sales generated in the Indian marketplace by giant e-commerce digital platforms like Amazon, Google, Facebook, ChatGPT etc,. These digital platform otherwise claim non-applicability of any Indian tax liability in the absence of any permanent establishment (PE) of these companies in the country.
‘Pillar Two’ provides for the levy of a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% on big MNCs, whereby any shortfall between such global minimum tax rate and the tax rate in the low tax jurisdiction will have to be paid by such MNCs as a top-up tax.
The big US-based multinational companies (MNCs) such as Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook have consistently used complex networks of international subsidiaries incorporated in low tax jurisdictions or tax havens with multiple routes to minimise their tax incidences by moving their bases or profits from higher tax jurisdictions to lower tax jurisdictions or tax havens.
One of the major highlights of the joint declaration is the G20’s call for the swift implementation of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) and amendments to the Common Reporting Standard (CRS).
CARF is developed in light of the rapid growth of the crypto-asset market and for the reporting of tax information on transactions in crypto assets in a standardized manner. It automatically exchange such information with the jurisdictions of residence of taxpayers on an annual basis.
So, now crypto transactions undertaken by Indians on foreign-domiciled crypto exchanges will also come under the purview of automatic exchange of information protocol under CARF, and as such it will no longer be possible to hide such crypto transactions.
Similarly, the amended CRS, requires more tax transparency with respect to financial accounts held abroad, that will make it impossible for Indians not to disclose their foreign bank accounts and assets holdings abroad to the tax authorities.
So, from now, non-disclosure of any crypto transaction, foreign bank account, or real estate holding abroad by an Indian resident to Indian tax authorities may prove to be a very costly affair in terms of regulatory fines and penalties.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/money/personal-finance/what-g20-decided-on-crypto-and-foreign-assets-11694453267825.html

3. MEGALITH CULTURE

TAG: GS 1: ART AND CULTURE

THE CONTEXT: Ancient terracotta figurines found during archaeological explorations at megalithic dolmen site near Moodbidri.

EXPLANATION:

Unique terracotta figurines in different states of preservation, with bone and iron pieces have been found in recent archaeological explorations conducted in the megalithic dolmen site at Mudu Konaje, near Moodbidri, in Dakshina Kannada.
According to historian these ancient terracotta figurines were datable to 800-700 B.C and provide solid ground for the study of Bhoota cult or Daiva Aradhane of coastal Karnataka.
Cow bovine or Cow goddess had its parallels in Malampuzha megalithic terracotta figurines of Kerala and Egypt.
Of the eight figurines found, there are two cow bovines, one mother goddess, two peacocks, a horse, a hand of a mother goddess, and an unknown object.
The megalithic site at Mudu Konaje is located near Moodbidri. It was the biggest megalithic dolmen site which consisted nine dolmens on the slope of a stone hill.
The terracotta figurines found at Mudu Konaje in a megalithic context are a rare find of India as they were found inside the surface of dolmens.
Under a dolmen, huge stone slabs known as orthostats were erected in clockwise order, which created a square room. This square chamber was closed by an another huge stone slab as a cap stone. Generally, on the Eastern slab, a round or U-shaped entrance known as port-hole was created.
Dolmen is known by different names in South India like Kalmane, Pandavara Mane, Moriyara Mane, Moriyara Betta, Panara Arekallu, Madmal Gunda, Kandi Kone, Kottya, Toonth Kal, Pandavara Kal and so on which reveals its popularity among the common people.

Megalith :

Megalith refer to monuments built of large stones. But all monuments constructed of big stones are not megaliths. The megalithic usually refer to burials made of large stones in graveyards away from the habitation area.
Megaliths are spread across the Indian subcontinent, though the bulk of them are found in peninsular India, concentrated in the states of Maharashtra (mainly in Vidarbha), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Some types of Megalith structures are given below:

Menhir: Menhir is the name used in Western Europe for a single upright stone erected in prehistoric times which is sometimes called a “standing stone”.

Stone circles: A stone circle is a ring of standing stones. They are usually grouped in terms of the shape and size of the stones, the span of their radius, and their population within the local area’s

Dolmen: A Dolmen is a megalithic form created by placing a large capstone on two or more support stones creating a chamber below, sometimes closed in on one or more sides. It is often used as a tomb or burial chamber.

Cist: A Cist is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Burials are megalithic forms very similar to dolmens in structure. These type of burials were completely underground. There were single- and multiple-chambered cists.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/ancient-terracotta-figurines-found-during-archaeological-explorations-at-megalithic-dolmen-site-near-moodbidri/article67295586.ece

4. GOLD AND COPPER SULPHIDE HYBRID NANOPARTICLES

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed hybrid nanoparticles, a new approach to potentially detect and kill cancer cells, especially those which form a solid tumour mass as per a study published in ACS Applied Nano Materials.

GOLD AND COPPER SULPHIDE HYBRID NANOPARTICLES:

Scientists have created hybrid nanoparticles made of gold and copper sulphide, which can kill cancer cells using heat, and enable their detection using sound waves.
Copper sulphide nanoparticles have previously received attention for their application in cancer diagnosis.
Gold nanoparticles can be chemically modified to target cancer cells which have shown anticancer effects.
In the current study, the IISc team decided to combine these two into hybrid nanoparticles.
These particles have photothermal, oxidative stress, and photoacoustic properties.

HOW IT WORKS?

When light is shined on these hybrid nanoparticles, they absorb the light and generate heat, which can kill cancer cells.
These nanoparticles also produce singlet oxygen atoms that are toxic for the cancer cells.
Both these mechanisms are needed to kill the cancer cells.

HOW CAN IT HELP OTHER EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES?

Nanoparticles can also help diagnose certain cancers. Existing methods such as standalone CT and MRI scans require trained radiology professionals to decipher the images.
The photoacoustic property of the nanoparticles allows them to absorb light and generate ultrasound waves, which can be used to detect cancer cells with high contrast once the particles reach them.
The ultrasound waves generated from the particles allow for a more accurate image resolution as sound waves scatter less when they pass through tissues compared to light.
Scans created from the generated ultrasound waves can also provide better clarity and can be used to measure the oxygen saturation in the tumour, boosting their detection.
Nanoparticles can integrate with existing systems of detection or treatment.
For example, the nanoparticles can be triggered to produce heat by shining a light on them using an endoscope that is typically used for cancer screening.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/iisc-scientists-develop-novel-approach-to-detect-and-kill-cancer-cells/article67294803.ece

5. DROUGHT

TAG: GS 3: DISASTER MANAGEMENT; GS 3: AGRICULTURE

THE CONTEXT: As per the Drought Early Warning System (DEWS), 30 per cent land area in India was under different degrees of drought in the first week of September 2023, worsening crop failure troubles for farmers and increasing food security concerns.

EXPLANATION:

According to the data by DEWS, 11.5 per cent area was under ‘severe’, ‘extreme’ and ‘exceptional’ dry conditions, while 18.9 per cent was under ‘abnormal’ to ‘moderate’ dry conditions.
DEWS is India’s first real-time drought-monitoring platform run by IIT Gandhinagar’s Water and Climate Lab.
August 2023 was the driest August since 1901.
The country received only about 162 millimetres of rainfall in the month of the August, instead of the expected 255 mm — a deficiency of 36 per cent.
The drought has increased troubles for farmers:
It delayed sowing in June and July because of low rainfall.
Farmers have to face crop failures and a decrease in crop output because of increase in the evapotranspiration rates.

Standardised Soil Moisture Index (SSI):

The Standardised Soil Moisture Index (SSI) showed that many districts are facing extreme stress of which maximum districts lie in the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
SSI represents soil moisture drought.
SSI is an indication of the water that is available to plants.
Some of the worst affected districts experiencing soil moisture stress are Satara, Raigad, Nashik, and Kohlapur in Maharashtra, West Nimar in Madhya Pradesh, Balangir in Odisha, Korba and Raigarh in Chhattisgarh, Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, Chandauli and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Murshidabad and Hugli in West Bengal, Udupi and Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka, Ernakulam and Thrissur in Kerala.

Standardised soil moisture index (as on September 6, 2023)

The yellow to red colours on the map show the degree of deviations from the historic mean soil moisture.

Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI):

It is used to show meteorological drought, based on rainfall data.
It highlighted a substantial increase in rainfall deficit in the northern, western and central parts of the country in the month of August.

Standardised precipitation index (as on September 6, 2023)

The overall drought condition has been worsening in the last three months.
While 22.1 per cent land area was under drought in June, it increased to 24.4 per cent on August 7, 28.8 per cent on August 30 and 30.4 per cent on September 6, 2023.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/30-of-india-s-land-area-experiencing-different-degrees-of-drought-data-shows-91683

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (11th SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. INDIA – MIDDLE EAST – EUROPE ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (IMEC)

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

THE CONTEXT: On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Governments of India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, the UAE, France, Germany and Italy to establish the India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

EXPLANATION:

The new project is a part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII) – a West-led initiative for funding infrastructure projects across the world, seen as a counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The IMEC is being envisioned as a network of transport corridors, including railway lines and sea lanes, that is expected to aid economic growth through integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.

What is the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII)?

The infrastructure plan was first announced in June 2021 during the G7 (or Group of Seven) summit in the UK.
US President had called it the Build Back Better World (B3W) framework. However, it did not register much progress.
In 2022, during the G7 summit in Germany, the PGII was officially launched as a joint initiative to help fund infrastructure projects in developing countries through public and private investments.
The stated purpose of both the PGII and the BRI is to help secure funding for countries to build critical infrastructure such as roads, ports, bridges, communication setups, etc. to enhance global trade and cooperation.

What was the need for an alternative?

China began the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013. It aims to revive the ancient trade routes crossing to and from China–from Rome in Europe to East Asia.
Under this, the Chinese government helped in providing loans for infrastructure projects to various countries, and in many cases, Chinese companies were awarded contracts for carrying out the work. This helped China mark its footprints at a global level.
However, China was criticised in the West and by some other countries for providing unsustainable debts to countries that will be unable to repay them. According to a 2019 World Bank report, among the 43 corridor economies for which detailed data was available, 12 could face a situation where debts were not sustainable, which could lead to public assets being handed over to foreign contractors or China itself.
India, however, opposed the BRI as it included the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which connected Kashgar in China with the Gwadar port in Pakistan via Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

What has been announced so far as part of PGII initiatives?

European Commission (the executive arm of the European Union) chief said the IMEC is a further step in the PGII process that was launched last year during the G20 summit in Bali.
It announced several projects in Indonesia, among other countries, on clean energy, telecommunications, etc.
India was also a part of this meet, where one of the outcomes for funding was investments in its health infrastructure.
The US government’s agency, its International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) would invest over $15 million in India’s health infrastructure, including support for the expansion of a chain of eye clinics for conducting corrective surgery for underserved individuals, and an India-based social enterprise that manufactures safe and affordable women’s hygiene products for underserved women in non-metro areas.
The EU, through its Global Gateway programme, has now said it will “activate 300 billion of investments in critical connectivity projects during the period 2021-2027, half of which is destined for Africa.” Over 90 projects have been identified in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, and in the Western Balkans.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/everyday-explainers/india-europe-economic-corridor-pgii-explained-8933335/

2. GLOBAL BIOFUELS ALLIANCE

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Indian Prime Minister launched the global biofuel alliance on the sidelines of the G 20 summit. It marked a watershed moment in our quest towards sustainability and clean energy.

EXPLANATION:

With an eye on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec)-plus grouping this alliance is being positioned as a global forum to help boost demand and technology transfer for the production of biofuels and enhance trade.
Recently released G20 Leaders’ Declaration said that the member countries “recognize the importance of sustainable biofuels in our zero and low- emission development strategies, and note the setting up of a Global Biofuels Alliance”.
China and oil producers Saudi Arabia and Russia have however decided not to be part of the alliance.

Global Biofuel Alliance:

The Global Biofuel Alliance is an India-led Initiative to develop an alliance of Governments, International organizations, and Industry to facilitate the adoption of biofuels.
The initiative aims to position biofuels as a key to energy transition and contribute to jobs and economic growth.
The Alliance which will help strengthen India’s position globally and will focus on collaboration. It will provide additional opportunities to Indian industries in the form of exporting technology and equipment.
GBA will support worldwide development and deployment of sustainable biofuels by offering capacity-building exercises across the value chain, technical support for national programs and promoting policy lessons-sharing.
It will facilitate mobilizing a virtual marketplace to assist industries, countries, ecosystem players and key stakeholders in mapping demand and supply, as well as connecting technology providers to end users.
It will also facilitate development, adoption and implementation of internationally recognized standards, codes, sustainability principles and regulations to incentivize biofuels adoption and trade

GBA members:

The GBA members include 19 countries and 12 international organizations have so far agreed to join the alliance, including both G20 members and non-member countries.
GBA founding members constitute major producers and consumers of biofuels. USA (52 per cent), Brazil (30 per cent) and India (3 per cent), and contribute about 85 per cent share in production and about 81 per cent in consumption of ethanol.
While the four G20 Invitee countries supporting GBA are Bangladesh, Singapore, Mauritius and the UAE. Similarly, the eight non-G20 countries are Iceland, Kenya, Guyana, Paraguay, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Finland.
International organisations include the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Economic Forum, World LPG Organisation, International Energy Agency, International Energy Forum, International Renewable Energy Agency and World Biogas Association.
The global ethanol market was valued at $99.06 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% by 2032 and surpass $162.12 billion by 2032.

Status of Biofuel energy:

According to estimates from the International Energy Agency (IEA), global biofuel production would need to triple by 2030 to put the world’s energy systems on track toward net zero emissions by 2050.
In its ambitious energy transition journey, India has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2070.
India also has an ambitious biofuel roadmap. The government has advanced its target to achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025-26 from an earlier target of 2030.
The target of petrol supplies with 10% ethanol blending was achieved in June 2022, ahead of the original schedule of November 2022.
Being set up at par with the International Solar Alliance, the biofuel alliance’s focus is on accelerated adoption of biofuels, creating new biofuels, setting globally recognized standards, identifying global best practices, and ensuring industry participation.
The global ethanol market was valued at $99.06 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% by 2032 and surpass $162.12 billion by 2032.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/pm-modi-launches-global-biofuels-alliance-11694267712942.html

3. G20 DECLARATION ON HEALTH

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Recently released G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration mentions three health priorities of India’s G20 presidency.

EXPLANATION:

The G-20 declaration stressed the importance of one health approach where diseases in animals, plants, and humans are tracked by the same mechanism with focus on tackling antimicrobial resistance.
The declaration spoke of strengthening primary healthcare, health workforce, and essential health services to better-than-pre-pandemic levels, ideally within the next two to three years.
In addition to focusing on epidemics such as tuberculosis and AIDS, the G20 recognised the importance of research on long COVID.

The priorities included:

Building resilient systems for health emergency prevention, preparedness, and response.
Strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector with focus on ensuring equitable availability and access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics during a pandemic.
Creating a platform for sharing digital health innovations and solutions to ensure better and universal health coverage, like CoWIN and e-Sanjeevani.

What is this digital health programme?

With the pandemic highlighting the importance of digital health innovation, India committed to develop a platform for sharing scalable solutions under the World Health Organisation (WHO) that can be utilised by its member states.
This culminated in the launch of Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH), with four main pillars

An investment tracker
A repository of existing digital health solutions
Knowledge sharing for implementation and country-specific adaptation of these solutions
An Ask tracker to monitor the needs of different countries

While a $200-million fund proposed by India did not find consensus among countries, several non-profits have committed to the fund.
India has committed to offering its vaccine management platform CoWIN, its tele-medicine platform e-Sanjeevani, and its Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission platform as digital public goods to others.

The Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH)

The Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH) is a WHO managed network of stakeholders organized to facilitate the implementation of the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025 and other WHO norms and standards for Digital Health System Transformation.
The Initiative will serve as a platform to enable a wide global ecosystem to work collectively to promote country capacity and strengthen international cooperation in digital health.
The Initiative will work to address variability in the quality of digital solutions and emerging technologies related to standards, data privacy, security, and interoperability, etc.
Digital health is a proven accelerator to advance health outcomes and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health-related Sustainable Development Goals.
The Initiative will strive to help Member States to advance their national digital health transformation by strengthening collaboration among partners and existing networks and amplify current multi-national and regional activities.
The key components of the GIDH will leverage existing evidence, tools and learnings and will be co-created through a transparent and inclusive process. Through this evidence-based and comprehensive co-creation process, GIDH will ultimately aim to:

ALIGN efforts to support of the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2025;
SUPPORT quality-assured technical assistance to develop and strengthen standards-based and interoperable systems aligned to global best practices, norms, and standards;
FACILITATE the deliberate use of quality assured digital transformation tools that enable governments to manage their digital health transformation journey.

GIDH: a network of networks

As a WHO Managed Network (“Network of Networks”), GIDH will address challenges such as duplication of efforts and “products-focused” digital health transformation through a focus on four foundational pillars:

Country Needs Tracker – facilitating digital health investments to be informed by country priorities;
Country Resource Portal – identifying traditional as well as innovative resource opportunities, and promoting transparency, while reducing the risk of duplication for enabling a standards-based prospective and retrospective analysis of resourcing gaps in digital health.
Transformation Toolbox – advocating for quality-assured tools and resources that strengthen country capacity and autonomy to manage the national digital health transformation.
Convening and Knowledge Exchange – promoting strengthened collaboration and knowledge exchange across global, regional, and national networks in digital health.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-health/g20-declaration-on-health-mention-of-indias-3-priorities-digital-push-8933900/

4. GLOBAL STOCKTAKE

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

CONTEXT: The United Nations’ Global Stocktake, a report that was released just ahead of the G-20 meet, set out the scope of challenges. This stocktake is to serve as a template to guide discussion ahead of the 28th Conference of Parties scheduled in Dubai in November 2023.

THE GLOBAL STOCKTAKE REPORT:

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) released the Global Stocktake synthesis report, which offers the most comprehensive overview of climate action since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015.
The Paris Agreement’s Global Stocktake process is designed to assess the global response to the climate crisis every five years.
It also provides a roadmap for governments moving forward.
It evaluates the world’s progress on slashing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience to climate impacts, and securing finance and support to address the climate crisis.
The COP28 summit in Dubai, UAE, will center around how countries leverage the findings of the Global Stocktake report to keep the global goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C alive and address the impacts of climate change.

Key findings of the report:

It lays how far the world is from achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals and emphasize the closing window of opportunity.
It underscores that if we don’t take stronger action before the second Global Stocktake in 2028, we may witness the devastating reality of global temperatures soaring beyond 1.5 degrees C.
The report also illuminates a path forward that governments will need to follow to combat the climate crisis.
It pinpoints key areas where immediate action must happen and provides a roadmap for the systems transformations needed to dramatically reduce emissions, build resilience and safeguard our future.

The Global Stocktake would address climate progress in three key areas:

Mitigation: Evaluating global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) and ideally 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) and identifying opportunities for additional emissions cuts.
Adaptation: Measuring progress in countries’ abilities to enhance their resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate impacts.
Means of implementation, including finance, technology transfer and capacity building: Assessing progress on aligning financial flows with emissions-reduction goals and climate-resilient development, and providing support to developing nations to address the climate crisis.

The above diagram depicts the Global Stocktake Process.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/stocktaking-the-calamity-the-hindu-editorial-on-climate-crisis-and-the-un-global-stocktake-report/article67292060.ece

5. G20 SUMMIT ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The Group of Twenty (G20) has adopted the G20 New Delhi Leader’s Declaration on September 9, 2023, with consensus on several issues. These include sustainable development goals (SDG), climate finance, energy transitions, using and restoring natural ecosystems, harnessing, and preserving ocean-based economy, plastic pollution, reducing disaster risk and building resilient infrastructure.

NEW DELHI LEADER’S DECLARATION ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS:

GREEN DEVELOPMENT PACT FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE:

The countries have committed to urgently accelerate actions to address environmental crises and challenges including climate change.
It reaffirmed the objective of UNFCCC, to tackle climate change by strengthening the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and its temperature goal, reflecting equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances.

√ Macroeconomic risks stemming from climate change and transition pathways:

It critically assesses and account for the short, medium and long-term macroeconomic impact of both the physical impact of climate change and transition policies, including on growth, inflation, and unemployment.

√ It committed to implement the G20 High-Level Principles on Lifestyles for Sustainable Development (LiFE).

√ It acknowledged the critical role played by circular economy, extended producer responsibility and resource efficiency in achieving sustainable development.

√ Conserving, Protecting, Sustainably Using and Restoring Ecosystems

It committed to restore by 2030 at least 30% of all degraded ecosystems and scaling up efforts to achieve land degradation neutrality with the following goals:
For the restoration of natural ecosystems, the G20 countries committed to the full and effective implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and encouraged other countries to do the same.
It supported the ambition to reduce land degradation by 50% by 2040 on a voluntary basis, as committed under the G20 Global Land Initiative (GLI) and note the discussions on the Gandhinagar Implementation Roadmap and the Gandhinagar Information Platform.
It called for enhancing global cooperation and sharing of best practices on water, and welcome the deliberations at the UN 2023 Water Conference and G20 Dialogue on Water.

√ Harnessing and Preserving the Ocean-based Economy

It welcomed the Chennai High Level Principles for a Sustainable and Resilient Blue / Ocean based economy.
The adoption of “the new international legally binding instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine Biological diversity of areas Beyond National Jurisdiction”.

√ It is determined to end plastic pollution and it will also build on the G20 Marine Litter Action Plan as elucidated in the Osaka Blue Ocean Vision.

√ Reducing Disaster Risk and Building Resilient Infrastructure:

It noted the institutionalisation of the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group under the presidency of India, which catalysed efforts towards disaster risk reduction.
The document also talks about accelerating progress on early warning and early action through strengthening national and local capacities, innovative financing tools, private sector investments and knowledge sharing.
The members supported the United Nations’ initiatives such as the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in “furtherance of such collaboration and sharing”.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/governance/g20-summit-new-delhi-leaders-declaration-adopted-with-consensus-on-various-environmental-goals-91658

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (9th SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. BILLION-LIGHT-YEAR-WIDE ‘BUBBLE OF GALAXIES’ DISCOVERED

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

CONTEXT: Astronomers have discovered the first “bubble of galaxies,” a huge cosmic structure thought to be a fossilised remnant from just after the Big Bang sitting.

EXPLANATION:

The bubble spans a billion light years, making it 10,000 times wider than the Milky Way galaxy. This giant bubble cannot be seen by the naked eye, is a relatively close 820 million light years away from our home galaxy.
The bubble can be thought of as a spherical shell with a heart. Inside that heart is the Bootes supercluster of galaxies, which is surrounded by a vast void sometimes called “the Great Nothing”.
The shell contains several other galaxy superclusters already known to science, including the massive structure known as the Sloan Great Wall.
It confirms a phenomenon first described in 1970 by US cosmologist and future physics Nobel winner Jim Peebles. He theorised that in the primordial universe then a stew of hot plasma the churning of gravity and radiation created sound waves called baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs). As the sound waves rippled through the plasma, they created bubbles.
Around 380,000 years after the Big Bang the process stopped as the universe cooled down, freezing the shape of the bubbles. The bubbles then grew larger as the universe expanded, similar to other fossilised remnants from the time after the Big Bang.
Astronomers previously detected signals of BAOs in 2005 when looking at data from nearby galaxies. But the newly discovered bubble is the first known single baryon acoustic oscillation, according to the researchers.
The astronomers called the bubble Ho’oleilana meaning “sent murmurs of awakening” taking the name from a Hawaiian creation chant.
It may be the first, but more bubbles could soon be spotted across the universe. Europe’s Euclid space telescope have potential to enable to show some more bubbles and a massive radio telescopes called the Square Kilometre Array, being built in South Africa and Australia, could also offer a new image of galaxies from the viewpoint of the Southern Hemisphere.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/billion-light-year-wide-bubble-of-galaxies-discovered/article67285040.ece

2. AFRICAN UNION JOIN G-20

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

CONTEXT: African Union becomes permanent member of G-20 under India’s presidency.

EXPLANATION:

At the inaugural session of the two-day G-20 Summit in New Delhi, 55-nation African Union is welcomed as the new member of the grouping.
Inclusion of the African bloc will enhance the effectiveness of the G-20 and also strengthen the the voice of the Global South. After the EU, African Union is the second regional bloc to join the G20.
Apart from supporting the inclusion of African Union as a permanent member of G-20, India has also invited Nigeria, Egypt, and Mauritius as part of the ‘Guest Countries’ at the G-20 summit.

What is African Union?

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent.
Its headquarters is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999).
The work of the AU is implemented through several principal decision making organs:-

Assembly of Heads of State and Government: It is the highest decision-making body, consisting of the heads of state and government of member countries
Executive Council: It is made up of foreign affairs ministers, handles policy matters and makes recommendations to the Assembly
Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC)
Specialised Technical Committees (STCs)
Peace and Security Council: It is responsible for maintaining peace and security on the continent.
African Union Commission.

The AU structure promotes participation of African citizens and civil society through the Pan-African Parliament and the Economic, Social & Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).

Aims of the AU are:

Achieve greater unity and solidarity between African countries and their the people
Defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States
Accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent
Promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples
Encourage international cooperation
Promote peace, security, and stability on the continent
Promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/g-20-african-union-becomes-permanent-member-under-indias-presidency/article67287988.ece

3. RBI TO DISCONTINUE INCREMENTAL CASH RESERVE RATIO (I-CRR)

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently announced that it would discontinue the incremental cash reserve ratio (I-CRR) in a phased manner.

EXPLANATION:

The RBI announced I-CRR as a temporary measure on August 10, 2023, to absorb excess liquidity from the banking system. The central bank will release the amount which banks have maintained under I-CRR in stages so that system liquidity is not subjected to sudden shocks and money markets function in an orderly manner.
The level of surplus liquidity in the system surged because of the return of Rs 2,000 banknotes to the banking system, RBI’s surplus transfer to the government, pick up in government spending and capital inflows.

When was I-CRR introduced?

On August 10, after announcing the monetary policy, RBI Governor said that banks will have to maintain an I-CRR of 10 per cent on the increase in their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) between May 19, 2023, and July 28, 2023. It came into effect from the fortnight starting August 12.

Why was I-CRR needed?

The daily absorption of liquidity by the RBI in July was Rs 1.8 lakh crore. Excessive liquidity could pose risks to price stability and also to financial stability.
Hence, efficient liquidity management requires continuous assessment of the level of surplus liquidity so that additional measures are taken as and when necessary to impound the element of excess liquidity.

What was the impact of I-CRR on liquidity conditions?

I-CRR measure absorbed above Rs 1 lakh crore of excess liquidity from the banking system.

The banking system’s liquidity turned deficit for the first time in the current fiscal on August 21 after the RBI’s I-CRR mandate.

The tight liquidity condition was also contributed by outflows on account of goods and services tax (GST) and the selling of dollars by the central bank to stem the rupee’s fall.

What is CRR?

The Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) is the minimum amount of the total deposits which banks have to maintain as cash reserve with the Reserve Bank of India.
It is an essential tool to maintain the health of the banking system. Banks cannot use this amount for lending or for any investment purposes. Currently, CRR stands at 4.5 per cent.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/rbi-discontinue-i-crr-8930573/

4. CENTRAL EMPOWERED COMMITTEE (CEC)

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

CONTEXT: Experts irked over revised structure of Central Empowered Committee as new notification gives unprecedented powers to central government.

EXPLANATION:

The Central government on September 5 notified the formation of a “permanent” Central Empowered Committee (CEC). The committee on environment issues, which has been ad hoc so far, will now be recognised as a permanent statutory body.
It has been formed on a permanent basis following the SC directions in 2002, which was directed to be constituted at national level for monitoring the apex court orders pertaining to forests and wildlife cases.
However, the new structure announced by the Union government, which omits the non-government members or two members of non-governmental organisations as existed in previous CEC, has irked the experts who alleged the move removes accountability and autonomy of the committee.
With the ultimate decision remaining with the government, there is no independence and can be used as a tool to override decision making power of the states.

Central Empowered Committee (CEC):

The Union Environment Ministry has set up a new Central Empowered Committee (CEC) replacing an ad hoc expert panel with the same name which assisted the Supreme Court in matters of forest and environment issues.
The CEC, initially established by the apex court in 2002, served as a watchdog for issues pertaining to environmental conservation and compliance.
Over the years, the committee has played a pivotal role in shaping India’s environmental policy and governance landscape.
Under the revamped structure, the CEC will comprise a chairperson, a member secretary and three expert members, all selected by the union government.
The chairperson, with a minimum of 25 years of experience in environmental, forestry, or wildlife fields or substantial administrative expertise in government, will serve a maximum term of three years.
The member secretary must hold a rank not lower than deputy inspector general or director in the government and possess at least 12 years of experience in environmental, forestry or wildlife matters. The three expert members, one each from environment, forest, and wildlife sectors, should have a minimum of 20 years of expertise.

Concerns:

Critics have voiced concerns that this change concentrates excessive power within the government. Previously, the CEC comprised members nominated by the environment ministry and two NGOs selected in consultation with the amicus curiae, offering a more balanced approach.
As per the new structure, the committee will include three expert members, who are civil servants appointed by the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Earlier, the expert members constituted non-governmental appointments.
In addition to the revised structure, clause 3 of the notification states the Centre has retained the ultimate decision making authority. As per the notification: “In case any suggestion or recommendation of the Central Empowered Committee, not acceptable to the state or central government, the government shall give reasons in writing for not accepting the same and such decision of the central government shall be final.”

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/environment/experts-irked-over-revised-structure-of-central-empowered-committee-91628

5. HORIZON PROJECT AND COPERNICUS PROGRAMME

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

CONTEXT: Recently, Britain agreed to join the European Union’s flagship Horizon science research programme and its Copernicus earth observation programme.

EXPLANATION:

Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for scientific research and innovation with a budget of 95.5 billion euros ($102.3 billion).
It is a 7-year European Union scientific research initiative, successor of the Horizon 2020 programme and the earlier Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development.
The European Commission drafted and approved a plan for Horizon Europe to raise EU science spending levels by 50% over the years 2021–2027.
It has five main missions: Adapting to climate change, making climate neutral cities, combating cancer, and restoring oceans and soil.
Britain’s government said a new automatic clawback mechanism “means the UK will be compensated as UK scientists receive significantly less money than the UK puts into the programme”.

Euratom Research and Training programme

The EU describes the Euratom Research and Training programme as a “complementary funding programme to Horizon Europe” covering nuclear research and innovation, using the same instruments and participation rules.
Britain will not associate with Euratom, as “in line with the preferences of the UK fusion sector, the UK has decided to pursue a domestic fusion energy strategy instead.

Copernicus Programme

Copernicus, previously known as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security), is the Earth observation component of the EU’S Space programme.
It gathers data from satellites and other measurement systems to examine the changing climate, shifts in land use, information on oceans and atmospheric conditions such as air quality.
Britain said the association would give its earth observation sector access to data that could help with early flood and fire warnings, and the ability to bid for contracts they had been shut out of for three years.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/horizon-project-which-eu-science-schemes-has-britain-joined/article67284378.ece

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (8th SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. SBI UNVEILS NATION FIRST TRANSIT CARD

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced ‘Nation First Transit Card’ to facilitate seamless and convenient customer commuting experience.

EXPLANATION:

It will ensure easy digital ticketing fare payments in metro, buses, water ferries and parking, through a single card.
Individuals can use this RuPay NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) Prepaid Card for making retail and e-commerce payments
It is powered by RuPay and National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) technology and is set to revolutionise commuting experience and is aligned with the nation vision of “One Nation One Card.

One Nation One Card

The idea of NCMC was floated by the Nandan Nilekani committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India.
The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is an automatic fare collection system.
NCMC was launched in India with the tagline of ‘One Nation One Card’ on 4 March 2019.
This service enables passengers from any part of the country to use their NCMC-compliant RuPay debit card for seamless travel.
The same card can also be used for shopping, banking transactions, among others, across the country.

Benefits

This will help in higher digital payments penetration, savings on closed loop card lifecycle management cost and reduced operating cost.
The rich data insights may be used by operators for business intelligence leading to efficient operation.
NCMC Ecosystem will further help government in digitization of low value payments and reduced cost for the entire ecosystem.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/industry/banking/sbi-launches-nation-first-transit-card-for-digital-fare-payments-11694106427642.html

2. ADOPT A HERITAGE 2.0

TAG: GS 1: ART AND CULTURE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) launched a revamped version of the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ programme along with an Indian Heritage app and an e-permission portal.

EXPLANATION:

‘Adopt a Heritage 2.0’, is the upgraded version of ‘Adopt a Heritage’ programme. The programme encourages corporate stakeholders to utilise their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to enhance facilities at historically-important monuments.
The Indian Heritage app provides a comprehensive guide to monuments under ASI’s ambit. It lists historical structures along with pictures, public facilities available on site and geo-tagged locations.
The e-permission portal has been designed to simplify and speed up the process for acquiring approvals for photography, filming, and developmental initiatives concerning heritage monuments, with the goal of expediting the permission-granting process.
The Adopt a Heritage 2.0 has incorporated a host of changes for the partner agencies, clear guidelines for semi-commercial activities and detailed scope of work and amenities required for monuments was proposed in the earlier version.
1,000 additional monuments have also been added to the list for adoption.
Earlier, the corporate partners’ proposed visions and expression of interest would go through two levels of scrutiny via three committees. Corporate partners were also encouraged to adopt smaller monuments or “low visibility sites” along with the monuments they adopted.
In the updated programme, more freedom has been given to companies such as the option to either adopt a monument in whole and develop its tourism infrastructure, or provide a particular amenity such as drinking water facility or cleaning services for one or several sites.
Earlier, there were a lot of restrictions as well on what they could construct on the site and the timings for their work, all of that has been looked into in the new programme.
According to ASI officials, permissible activities have been now clearly stated as per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958.

Adopt a Heritage

It was initially launched in 2017 under the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the ASI which invited corporate stakeholders to adopt from over 3,000 protected monuments spread across the country,
Only 0.72% of CSR funds go into heritage conservation, and the Adopt a Heritage programme hopes to raise that number further.
This project is envisioned to fulfill the objective of the Government of India to provide an enhanced tourism experience to all travelers.
It aims at ensuring quality & inclusive provision of amenities and facilities across heritage, natural, & tourist sites through active participation of private and public sector organizations and individuals.
These organizations would be known as “Monument Mitras” for their collaboration initiative.

The project plans to entrust development, upgradation and maintenance of amenities and facilities at the heritage, natural & tourist sites to the Monument Mitras, coupled with innovation and technology interventions.
The project began with 93 ASI monuments and has extended to heritage, natural and tourist sites across India.
These sites are classified into various categories based on visibility and footfall. The ‘Monument Mitras’ would take up the sites of varied visibility and footfall as a package, based on their viability.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/asi-launches-revamped-adopt-a-heritage-2-0-programme-8924849/

3. SALEM SAGO

TAG: GS 1: ART AND CULTURE

THE CONTEXT: The Salem Starch and Sago Manufacturers Service Industrial Cooperative Society Ltd (popularly called as SAGOSERVE) received Geographical indication tag or GI tag for Salem sago recently.

EXPLANATION:

Sago is derived from raw tapiocas and is in the form of small hard globules or pearls and is pearl white in colour.
Tapioca is a major horticulture crop cultivated on nearly 3 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu, producing 60 lakhs tonnes of the crop.
Sago was produced first in Salem district, which is the main centre for sago production in the country, on a cottage scale basis.
Sago is manufactured from the wet starch powder crushed from tapioca roots. Around 30-35% of starch content is said to be found in the Indian Tapioca root.
The wet starch powder is used for producing sago and the dry powder has been used as a raw material for industrial purposes.

Sago has low calorific value (310 kcal/100g) and its size generally ranges from 2 to 4.5 mm. One kg tapioca sago can be produced from 5kg of tapioca tubers.
Currently over 80% of sago in India is produced in the Salem region and a majority of this is marketed through Sagoserve, while the rest are through direct sales.
Sago is used in various industries, including food, paper, construction, textile, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, mining, and alcohol, among others.

Note: For more information on GI tag, refer to DNA of 2^nd August, 2023.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/watch-salem-sago-gets-gi-tag/article67280886.ece

4. ONE SUN, ONE WORLD, ONE GRID(OSOWOG)

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Conference on Transnational Grid Interconnections for One Sun, One World, One Grid held in New Delhi.

EXPLANATION:

The conference was organized by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a ‘Maharatna’ company under Ministry of Power, Govt. of India.
India has already established cross border interconnections with its neighbours and that strengthening of various cross border links is under process.
Also, following the theme of G20 “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” i.e. One-Earth, One-Family and One-Future, India under its G20 presidency highlighted the importance of transnational grid Interconnections in enhancing energy security.
It will foster economic growth, and facilitate universal energy access for all, in affordable, reliable and sustainable manner which will accelerate integration of Renewable Energy towards energy transition, with enhanced resiliency.

About OSOWOG Initiative

The idea for the One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) initiative was put forth by the Prime Minister of India at the first assembly of the International Solar Alliance in October 2018. The initiative aims at connecting energy supply across borders.

Vision behind the Initiative

The vision behind the OSOWOG initiative is the mantra that “the sun never sets”.
The rationale behind the sun never sets is that every hour, half the planet is bathed in sunshine, harnessing energy from sun would facilitate generation of clean energy which would be enough to meet the needs of everyone on the earth.
However, this requires transnational exchange of electricity through grid interconnections. These efforts need to be synergized and supplemented by establishing an inter-connected global electricity grid through transnational interconnections.
The OSOWOG initiative aims to connect different regional grids through a common grid that will be used to transfer renewable energy power and, thus, realize the potential of solar energy.

Launch of Green Grid Initiative-OSOWOG:

The Green Greed Initiative-OSOWOG was jointly launched by Prime Minister of India and then, Prime Minister of United Kingdom during the ‘Accelerating Innovation and Clean Technology Deployment’ event at the World Leaders Summit held on 2 November 2021 during COP26.

Benefits

It will make round-the-clock renewable energy much cheaper. It will also reduce the necessity for reserves. It will bring down the cost of electricity for the general population and will help in energy transition.
This will unite the world and ensure energy access to the millions of people who do not have access. Globally, energy transition and energy security, driven by renewable capacity addition are the thrust areas towards sustainability.

SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1955243

5. ZERO DRAFT OF GLOBAL TREATY TO END PLASTIC POLLUTION

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) released a zero draft of global treaty to end plastic pollution.

EXPLANATION:

It reflects the objective and mandate of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution 5/14.
The resolution (5/14) of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) refer to convene an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC)to develop “the instrument,” which is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design and disposal.
The text of the draft is prepared by the INC Chair, is guided by the views expressed at the INC’s first and second sessions.

INC- 1 was held in Uruguay’s Punta Del Este. It ended in December 2022. The session implicitly endorsed the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)’s position that plastic pollution is rooted in the material’s lifecycle.
INC- 2 was held in June 2023 in Paris.
INC- 3 which is to be held in Nairobi from November 13-19, 2023.

The text is divided into four parts:

Part I covers the objectives of the instrument and leaves substitutes, as requested at the second session of the committee for elements that members may wish to include.
Part II are broadly structured around the life cycle of plastics and plastic products with the aim of addressing plastic pollution. It aim to collectively promote the sustainable production and consumption of plastics through product design and environmentally sound waste management and circular economy approaches. This is consistent with paragraph 3(b) of the UNEA resolution 5/14.
Part III and Part IV outline different options of measures aimed at collectively addressing the implementation of the instrument. This is consistent with paragraphs 3(c) through (p) of UNEA resolution 5/14.

India’s Efforts In Tackling Plastic Waste

The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016: It clearly mentions that urban local bodies (ULBs) should ban less than 50 micron thick plastic bags and not allow the usage of recycled plastics for packing food, beverage or any other eatables. It introduced the concept Extended Producer Responsibility to manage plastics in India.
Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022: It banned the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic less than seventy-five microns. The Central Pollution Control Board, along with state pollution bodies, will monitor the ban, identify violations, and impose penalties already prescribed under the Environmental Protection Act.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/world/zero-draft-of-global-treaty-to-end-plastic-pollution-released-ahead-of-nairobi-meet-91556

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (7th SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. PADMA AWARDS

TAG: GS 1: ART AND CULTURE

THE CONTEXT: The last date for online nominations for the Padma Awards 2024 is 15^th September, 2023. Padma Awards will later be announced on the occasion of Republic Day in 2024.

EXPLANATION:

The Padma Awards nominations and recommendations will be received online on the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal (https://awards.gov.in). Online nominations were opened on 1st May 2023.

About Padma Awars:

The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India. It is instituted in 1954 and these awards are announced on the occasion of the Republic Day every year.
The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service).
The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
The Padma Awards Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes Home Secretary, Secretary to the President and four to six eminent persons as members.
The award seeks to recognize ‘work of distinction’ and is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements in various fields where an element of public service is involved.
All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these Awards. Every citizens can make nominations and recommendations, including self nomination.
Government servants including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for Padma Awards.

The award is normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving cases, the Government could consider giving an award posthumously.
A higher category of Padma award can be conferred on a person only where a period of at least five years has elapsed since conferment of the earlier Padma award. However, in highly deserving cases, a relaxation can be made by the Awards Committee.
The awards are presented by the President of India where the awardees are presented a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.
The recipients are also given a small replica of the medallion, which they can wear during any ceremonial/State functions etc.
The names of the awardees are published in the Gazette of India on the day of the presentation ceremony.
The total number of awards to be given in a year (excluding posthumous awards and to NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more than 120.
The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name.
The Padma Awards has been briefly suspended twice, from July 1977 to January 1980 and from August 1992 to December 1995.

History and Relevance

The Government of India instituted two civilian awards-Bharat Ratna & Padma Vibhushan in 1954.
The latter had three classes namely Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg and Tisra Varg. These were subsequently renamed as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri vide Presidential Notification issued on January 8, 1955.

List of Fields:

The award seeks to recognize works of distinction and is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields of activities/disciplines. An illustrative list of the fields is as under:

Art (includes Music, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Cinema, Theatre etc.)
Social work (includes social service, charitable service, contribution in community projects etc.)
Public Affairs (includes Law, Public Life, Politics etc.)
Science & Engineering (includes Space Engineering, Nuclear Science, Information Technology, Research & Development in Science & its allied subjects etc.)
Trade & Industry (includes Banking, Economic Activities, Management, Promotion of Tourism, Business etc.)
Medicine (includes medical research, distinction/specialization in Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Sidhha, Allopathy, Naturopathy etc.)
Literature & Education (includes Journalism, Teaching, Book composing, Literature, Poetry, Promotion of education, Promotion of literacy, Education Reforms etc.)
Civil Service (includes distinction/excellence in administration etc. by Government Servants)
Sports (includes popular Sports, Athletics, Adventure, Mountaineering, promotion of sports, Yoga etc.)
Others (fields not covered above and may include propagation of Indian Culture, protection of Human Rights, Wild Life protection/conservation etc.)

SOURCE: https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=Nominations-for-Padma-Awards-2024-open-till-15th-September%2C-2023&id=467349

2. WHITE SAMBAR DEER SPOTTED IN CAUVERY WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The presence of a leucistic sambar has been documented in the Sangama range of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary during studies carried out on leopards by researchers.

EXPLANATION:

This is the first time a leucistic sambar deer has been spotted in this forest area. A similar deer was spotted at Bandipur Tiger Reserve earlier in 2014.
This condition is identified as leucistic which is caused due to lack of melanin in body parts. In the condition of albinism, the eyes become pink or red. But in leucistic animals, the eye colour is normal.
This condition can occur naturally from birth due to a phenotype (a trait of any living being) that may have formed from a defect in the animal’s development.

Sambar deer

The sambar (Rusa unicolor) is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent, South China and Southeast Asia.
It is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008.
Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local insurgency, and industrial exploitation of habitat.

Habitat

The sambar is distributed in much of South Asia in the slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal, Bhutan and India and in mainland Southeast Asia including Burma, Thailand, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia (Sumatra and Borneo), Taiwan, and South China.
It inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical seasonal forests, subtropical mixed forests with stands of conifers and montane grasslands, broadleaved deciduous and broadleaved evergreen trees, to tropical rainforests.

Behaviour

Sambar are nocturnal species and they often congregate near water, and are good swimmers.
The males live alone for much of the year, and the females live in small herds of up to 16 individuals.
Like most deer, sambar are generally quiet, although all adults can scream or make short, high-pitched sounds when alarmed. However, they commonly communicate by scent marking and foot stamping.

Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

Cauvery wildlife division is spread over three districts, namely, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Ramanagara.
The wildlife sanctuary was originally notified in 1987 with an area of about 510 Km². Subsequently it was expanded by adding more forest areas in stages, and its present extent is 1,027 Km².
Cauvery wildlife division has two sub-divisions, namely, Hanur and Kanakapura sub-divisions, and consists of seven ranges, namely, Kothnur, Hanur, Cowdally, Gopinatham, Halagur, Sangam and Muggur ranges.
The sanctuary provides a vital link between Bannerghatta National Park in the north and Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple Tiger Reserve and Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in the south.
The area is drained by three rivers, namely, Cauvery, Arkavathi and Shimsha, along with their numerous rivulets.
The forest is primarily of dry deciduous and scrub types, but a wide range of forest types including moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, evergreen, shola, riverine, Hardwickia forest, etc. are encountered at different altitudes.
Important animals found in the sanctuary are tiger, elephant, leopard, bison, wild dog, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, sloth bear, wild boar, common langur, bonnet macaque, giant squirrel, honey badger (ratel), chevrotain, kollegal ground gecko, varieties of reptiles and birds, etc.

SOURCE: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/white-sambar-deer-spotted-at-cauvery-wildlife-sanctuary-2-2676028

3. UPI ENABLED ATM

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Hitachi Payment Services, a subsidiary of Japan’s Hitachi, has introduced a new UPI enabled ATM in collaboration with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

EXPLANATION:

The launch of the ‘UPI ATM’ will mark a significant milestone in banking services by seamlessly integrating the convenience and security of UPI into traditional ATMs.
This innovative concept is designed to provide quick access to cash even in remote areas of India without the use of debit or credit cards.
These ATMs will allow customers to make cash withdrawals from bank accounts through the UPI apps. Anyone with a registered UPI app will be eligible for UPI ATM transactions. Both Android and iPhone users will be able these ATMs.
These UPI-ATMs are also expected to improve security by eliminating the risk of card smikking by scammers and fraudersters.

Features of UPI-ATM

Compatible with various systems.
Transactions without the need for a physical card.
Transaction limit of up to ₹10,000 per transaction is aligned with existing UPI daily limits and issuer bank’s UPI-ATM transaction limits.
Offers convenience by eliminating the necessity to carry an ATM card for cash withdrawals

How does this work?

The UPI-ATM service, also known as Interoperable Cardless Cash Withdrawal (ICCW), offers a convenient way for customers of participating banks who are using UPI to withdraw cash from any ATM that supports UPI-ATM functionality.
When a customer selects the ‘UPI cash withdrawal’ option at the ATM, they will be prompted to enter the desired withdrawal amount.
Once the amount is entered, a unique and secure dynamic QR code will appear on the ATM screen.
To complete the transaction and obtain cash from the ATM, the customer simply needs to scan this QR code using any UPI app and authorize the transaction with their UPI PIN on their mobile device.

How is it different from cardless cash withdrawals offered by banks?

The current card-less cash withdrawals depend on mobile numbers and OTPs, whereas UPI-ATM functions through QR-based UPI cash withdrawals.
UPI-ATM is available to individuals using UPI who have installed a UPI application on their Android or iOS smartphones.
To conduct transactions, users need to have a UPI application installed on their Android or iOS mobile devices.

National Payments Corporations of India (NPCI)

It is an umbrella organisation launched in 2008 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
The NPCI, owned by a consortium of banks, is aimed at creating robust payments and settlement systems.
NPCI is promoted by ten major banks, including the State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Citibank, Bank of Baroda, and HSBC. In 2016 the shareholding was broad-based to 56 member banks to include more banks representing all sectors.
The regulatory board of the NPCI, headquartered in Mumbai, includes nominees from the RBI along with nominees from ten core promoter banks.
Payment systems that the NPCI can operate include National Financial Switch (NFS), Immediate Payment System (IMPS), Aadhaar-enabled Payments System (AEPS) and National Automated Clearing House (NACH).
NPCI has also launched products including RuPay, Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), and Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

SOURCE: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/explained-upi-only-atms-and-how-they-can-help-users/articleshow/103436077.cms

4. HEAT INDEX

TAG: GS 1: GEOGRAPHY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Iran recorded a scorching heat index of 70 degrees Celsius (°C) in the coastal part of the country.

EXPLANATION:

This is not the first time that Iran is dealing with extreme heat. In July as well, U.S.-based weather observer reported that the Persian Gulf Airport reported a heat index of 66.7 °C.

What is heat index?

Heat index, also known as apparent temperature, is a measure of how the temperature feels to humans. Relative humidity is an important factor that determines heat index, along with air temperature.
Heat index is an important indicator for how atmospheric temperatures and humidity impact populations during heat waves.

Heat index calculation

Hot air can hold more moisture than cold air. Therefore, when temperature rises, the air’s capacity to hold moisture also increases, thus affecting the apparent temperature or heat index.
Dew point, which is the temperature at which gas is transformed into liquid state, is an important factor in the calculation of heat index.
In terms of atmospheric moisture, dew point is the temperature at which air cannot hold any more water vapour, and droplets of water begin to form. In heat index 14 °C is taken as the dew point.
In 2024, India is scheduled to launch its own heat index to quantify the impact of heat on its population and generate impact-based heat wave alerts for specific locations.

Why is it important to measure heat index?

High humidity can lead to heat stress, meaning the body is unable to get rid of excess heat. Humans usually maintain a core temperature in the range of 36.1 to 37.2 °C.
When the body is unable to get rid of excess heat, the heart rate increases due to a rise in core temperature, leading to heat-related exhaustion and rashes, among other symptoms.
This is why a measure of heat index is more useful than just the temperature to gauge the impact of heat on humans.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/explained-what-is-heat-index-and-why-is-it-important-to-measure/article67226405.ece

5. ASEAN AND THE EAST ASIA SUMMIT

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister attended the ASEAN-India and the East Asia summit in Indonesia to discuss the future contours of India’s partnership with the countries in the strategically important region.

EXPLANATION:

The comprehensive strategic partnership between India and the ASEAN has injected new dynamism into the group’s ties with India. Engagement with ASEAN is an important pillar of India’s ‘Act East’ policy’.
This year’s theme of ASEAN is ‘’ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth’’.
PM emphasised the importance of establishing “a rule-based post-COVID world order and collective particpation towards human welfare and spoke about “free and open Indo-pacific” and amplifying the voice of the global south.
East Asia Summit forum provides a useful opportunity to deliberate on issues of importance to the region including food and energy security, environment, health, and digital transformation.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

ASEAN is a regional grouping that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The group has played a central role in Asian economic integration, joining negotiations to form the world’s largest free trade agreement and signing six free trade deals with other regional economies.
ASEAN Secretariat is located in Indonesia, Jakarta.
The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are:

(1) to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region (2) to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.

Fundamental principles

ASEAN Member Countries have adopted the following fundamental principles in their

relations with one another, as contained in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast

Asia (TAC):

mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and
national identity of all nations;
the right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference,
subversion or coercion;
non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;
settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;
renunciation of the threat or use of force; and
effective cooperation among themselves.

Working of the ASEAN:

ASEAN is headed by a chair a position that rotates annually among member states and is assisted by a secretariat based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Important decisions are usually reached through consultation and consensus guided by the principles of noninterference in internal affairs and peaceful resolution of conflicts.

History of ASEAN

It was formed in 1967, by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, who sought to create a common front against the spread of communism.
In 1976, the members signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia which emphasizes mutual respect and noninterference in other countries’ affairs.
Membership doubled by the end of the 1990s. With the addition of Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997), and Cambodia (1999), the group started to launch initiatives to boost regional cooperation.
In 2007, the ten members adopted the ASEAN Charter, a constitutional document that provided the grouping with legal status and an institutional framework. The charter enshrines core principles and delineates requirements for membership.
The charter laid out a blueprint for a community made up of three branches: the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the ASEAN Political-Security Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

East Asia Summit (EAS)

The EAS was established in 2005 as an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led initiative.
The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a regional forum held annually by leaders of, initially, 16 countries in the East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian and Oceanian regions, based on the ASEAN Plus Six mechanism. Membership expanded to 18 countries including Russia and the United States at the Sixth EAS in 2011.
The EAS comprises 18 members: the 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and eight dialogue partners (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States)
The EAS is the only leader-led forum in the Indo-Pacific that brings together all key partners to discuss political, security and economic issues of strategic importance.
Since its establishment, ASEAN has held the central role and leadership in the forum. EAS meetings are held after the annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings, and plays an important role in the regional architecture of Asia-Pacific.
The EAS has six priority areas of cooperation: environment and energy; education; finance; global health issues and pandemic diseases; natural disaster management; and ASEAN connectivity.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-modi-arrives-in-indonesia-to-attend-asean-india-east-asia-summits/article67278949.ece

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (6th SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. SPECIAL SESSION OF PARLIAMENT

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The five-day session of Parliament was announced from Sept 18-22 by the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister recently. However, the agenda for the session has not been revealed yet.

EXPLANATION:

Opposition had expressed its dissatisfaction with the government’s apparent lack of transparency regarding the forthcoming special parliamentary session.
They have raised that government should have a debate on the continuing violence in Manipur, price rise, unemployment, Chinese transgressions among others, during the five-day special session of Parliament.

What is Special session of Parliament?

The Constitution does not define a ‘special session’. The term sometimes refers to sessions the government has convened for specific occasions, like commemorating parliamentary or national milestones.
The announcement has led to speculation about the government’s legislative plans for the session.
Usually, a few days before a Parliament session, the government convenes an all-party meeting to share its agenda and build consensus on possible issues for discussion.
However, Article 352 (Proclamation of Emergency) of the Constitution does refer to a “special sitting of the House”.
Parliament added the part relating to the special sitting through the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978.
Its purpose was to add safeguards to the power of proclaiming Emergency in the country. It specifies that if a Proclamation of Emergency is issued and Parliament is not in session, then one-tenth of Lok Sabha MPs can ask the President to convene a special meeting to disapprove the Emergency.
For the two Houses to be in session, the presiding officers should chair their proceedings. The presiding officers can also direct that the proceedings of their respective Houses would be limited and procedural devices like question hour would not be available to MPs during the session.

When does Parliament meet?

India’s Parliament has no fixed calendar of sittings.
The government determines the date and duration of parliamentary sessions.
The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs takes this decision. It currently has ten Ministers, including those for Defence, Home, Finance, Agriculture, Tribal Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, and Information and Broadcasting.
The Law Minister and the Minister of State for External Affairs are special invitees to the Committee.
The President is informed about the Committee’s decision, who then summons Members of Parliament to meet for the session.

Constitutional provisions:

The Constitution specifies that six months should not elapse between two parliamentary sessions. The framers of the Constitution borrowed it from the Government of India Act of 1935.
It allowed the British Governor General to call a session of the central legislature at his discretion, requiring that the gap between two sessions should not be more than 12 months. The Constituent Assembly reduced the gap between sessions to six months.

How often do Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha meet?

Before independence, the central assembly met for a little more than 60 days a year. This number increased to 120 days a year in the first 20 years after Independence. Since then, the sitting days of the national legislature have declined.
Between 2002 and 2021, Lok Sabha averaged 67 working days. The situation in state legislatures is much worse. In 2022, 28 state Assemblies met for 21 days on average.
On multiple occasions, the conference of presiding officers has recommended that Parliament should meet for more than 100 days. The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution set up in 2000 made a similar recommendation.
Individual MPs have introduced private member Bills that stipulated increased sitting days for Parliament. If the 1955 recommendations of the Lok Sabha committee were accepted, Parliament would be in session for eight months every year.

History of Earlier Parliament Special Sessions:

The first-ever special session of the Parliament was convened on 14 and 15 August in 1947, to mark India’s independence.
During the India-China war in 1962, another special session under the leadership of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to discuss the incursion made by China at length.
On 15 August 1972, a special session was called to mark the 25 years of India’s Independence.
A midnight session was called on 9 August 1992 to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the ‘Quit India Movement’.
On 15 August 1997, a midnight session was convened to mark 50-years of India’s independence.
On 30 June 2017, the government called for a joint midnight session of both the houses to roll out the Goods and Services Tax (GST). This was the first special session of the Parliament where a bill was discussed. All previous such sessions were convened to commemorate historical events.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/parliament-special-session-24-india-bloc-parties-to-attend-sonia-gandhi-set-to-write-to-pm-modi-11693961560663.html

2. G20 LEADERS’ SUMMIT

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: The G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held in New Delhi on September 9-10. Leaders from the most powerful nations in the world will flock to New Delhi for the G20 Heads of State and Government Summit.

EXPLANATION:

The culmination of India’s year-long presidency of the G20, the summit will be concluded with the adoption of a G20 Leaders’ Declaration.
Declaration will state the participating leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings.

G20 and its objectives:

The G20, or the Group of Twenty, comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States) and the European Union.
These members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
As a forum for international economic cooperation, it plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues.

Some of its major objectives are as follows:

Policy coordination between its members in order to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth
To promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises; and
To create a new international financial architecture.

Origin of the G20

The Soviet Union fell in 1991, bringing an end to the Cold War. At the same time, vibrant economies were emerging in the Global South, in countries such as Brazil, China and India.
It was in this context that a need for reform emerged in global governance and international institutions.
In 1997, the Asian financial crisis ripped through some of the fastest-growing economies in East Asia. It soon spread to Latin America. It was in the context of this crisis that the G22, G20’s earliest iteration, was set up in 1998.
While initially conceived as a one-time crisis-response meeting, in early 1999, two more meetings were convened including 33 members (G33) to discuss reforms of the global economy and the international financial system.
It was in late 1999 that the G20, with its current composition, was finally founded as an informal forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of its members to meet annually.
The global financial crisis of 2008 forced G20 to its present status. As the world reeled from the greatest economic crisis to hit since the Great Depression, France, which held the EU presidency at the time, argued for an emergency summit meeting to address the crisis.
The G8 (comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK and the US) was not sufficiently influential on its own to stabilise a crisis on this scale. Typically, diplomats would deliberate for months to decide which countries to call, but amid the ongoing crisis, there was simply no time. The G20 was the obvious answer.
The first G20 Leaders’ Summit (the ‘Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy’) was convened in Washington DC in November 2008. In addition to the leaders of its 20 members, the heads of the IMF, the World Bank and the United Nations were invited, along with Spain and the Netherlands. Annual summits have been held ever since.

How does the G20 work?

G20 is an informal grouping and unlike the United Nations (UN), it does not have a permanent secretariat or staff.
Rather, the G20 presidency rotates annually among the members and is responsible for bringing together the G20 agenda, organising its workings and hosting summits.
The presidency is supported by the “troika” previous, current and incoming presidencies. India holds the presidency from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023, with the troika comprising Indonesia (the previous presidency), India, and Brazil (the incoming presidency).
The G20 is also informal in another sense while the decisions of the G20 are important, they do not get implemented automatically.
Rather, the G20 is a forum where leaders discuss various issues and make pronouncements, which signals their intentions. Then, they are implemented by relevant nations or international organisations.

How is the G20 presidency determined?

The G20 presidency is rotated among its members who (except the EU) are divided into 5 groups.

Group 1	Group 2	Group 3	Group 4	Group 5
Australia	India	Argentina	France	China
Canada	Russia	Brazil	Germany	Indonesia
Saudi Arabia	South Africa	Mexico	Italy	Japan
USA	Türkiye		UK	South Korea

The presidency rotates from group to group. However, each country within a group is eligible for presidency when it is their group’s turn.
Thus, the countries in the eligible group negotiate among themselves to determine the group’s presidency.

What is the working structure of the G20?

The G20 works in three major tracks two of them are official and one is unofficial. The official tracks are the Finance Track and the Sherpa Track. The unofficial track includes engagement groups or civil society groups.
FINANCE TRACK: It is headed by the finance ministers and central bank governors, who usually meet four times a year, it focuses on fiscal and monetary policy issues such as the global economy, infrastructure, financial regulation, financial inclusion, international financial architecture, and international taxation. It currently has 8 working groups.
SHERPA TRACK: It is established after the inception of G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2008, it is headed by Sherpas, who are the appointed representatives of the member countries’ president/ prime minister. It focuses on socio-economic issues such as agriculture, anti-corruption, climate, digital economy, education, employment, energy, environment, health, tourism, trade, and investment. It currently has 13 working groups.
ENGAGEMENT GROUPS: The unofficial track comprises non-government participants from each member country dealing with a gamut of issues. These groups draft recommendations to the G20 leaders that contribute to the policy-making process. There are 11 Engagement Groups at the moment.

What is the theme of the G20 this year?

This year’s theme is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — One Earth, One Family, One Future”. It is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad.
Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life human, animal, plant, and microorganisms and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.
Further, the website says the theme also spotlights LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), “with its associated, environmentally sustainable and responsible choices, both at the level of individual lifestyles as well as national development, leading to globally transformative actions resulting in a cleaner, greener and bluer future.”

What is the 2023 G20 logo?

The G20 Logo draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India’s national flag – saffron, white and green, and blue.
It juxtaposes planet Earth with the lotus, India’s national flower that reflects growth amid challenges. The Earth reflects India’s pro-planet approach to life, one in perfect harmony with nature.
The symbol of the lotus in the G20 logo is a representation of hope in this time. Even if the world is in a deep crisis, we can still progress and make the world a better place.
The seven petals of the lotus in the logo are also significant. They represent the seven continents.
The logo is to reflect the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the whole earth is a family). “The lotus flower symbolises our Puranic heritage, our aastha (belief) and boddhikta (intellectualism).

SOURCE:https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/g20-summit-delhi-8926140/

3. THE TRANSITION OF LOANS FROM FLOATING TO FIXED RATES

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Reserve Bank of India issued a circular that provided borrowers the option to transition from a floating interest-based regime to a fixed interest rate for their loans.

EXPLANATION:

According to RBI, the endeavour was to address borrowers’ grievances pertaining to elongation of loan tenure and/or increase in the EMI amount in the event of an increase in the benchmark interest rate..
The provisions would be extended to existing as well as new loans by the end of the current calendar year.

What exactly has the RBI instructed?

This would be based on a board-approved policy drafted by the lending entity. The policy must also specify the number of times such a switch would be allowing during the tenure.
The lender must also transparently communicate to the borrower all relevant charges alongside service charges or administrative costs associated with the transition.
The responsibility would rest with the lender to communicate clearly, at the time of loan sanction, the impact emanating from the change in regime (floating to fixed), such as the change in EMI and/or tenure of the loan or both.
Additionally, the borrower would now also have the option to choose between enhancement of the EMI or elongation of the tenure or a combination of both.
The instructions would apply to all equated installment-based loans of different periodicities with certain changes based on the nature of the loan.

What is the difference between a fixed and floating interest rate?

Fixed interest rates are those that do not change during the tenure of the loan. On the other hand, floating interest rates are subject to market dynamics and the base rate therefore, the risk differentiation.
Floating interest rates are generally lower than the fixed interest rates. For example, if the floating interest rates for home loans is 10.5%, the fixed interest rate would be 12%.
Lenders argue that even if the floating interest rate were to rise by up to 2.5 percentage points, the borrower would be able to save more money when it is below the fixed rate.
The floating interest rate loans do not draw any prepayment penalty unlike fixed rate loans.
However, the fixed rate-based regime endows a borrower with greater certainty and security. This also helps in better planning and structuring of individual budgets.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/business/the-transition-of-loans-from-floating-to-fixed-rates-explained/article67241615.ece

4. SCRUB TYPHUS

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: As per reports, at least 5 people have succumbed to scrub typhus and more than 700 people have tested positive.

EXPLANATION:

Recently, a bacterial infection has emerged known as scrub typhus which is claiming lives Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.

What is scrub typhus?

Scrub typhus is an emerging infectious disease with seasonal flare caused by the bacterium ‘Orientia tsutsugamushi’, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mites found in areas with heavy vegetation.
It is commonly found in the Asia-Pacific region, including India, and is more prominent during rains and in hilly areas.
It is majorly spread in human beings by the bites of infected mites known as chiggers. These mites are usually present in dense forest green environments and tall grasses.
The symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, rashes, and swollen lymph nodes.
Additionally, a characteristic feature of scrub typhus is an eschar (a type of necrotic tissue that can develop on severe wounds), a dark, scab-like lesion at the site of the chigger bite.
Without treatment, severe cases can lead to organ dysfunction, including respiratory and renal failure.

Diagnosis and treatment

Scrub typhus is a disease of concern in India because of potential to cause significant morbidity and in some cases, mortality if not diagnosed and treated promptly.
It has overlapping symptoms in monsoon season with malaria, dengue and other febrile illnesses making overt diagnosis and management both challenging and crucial.
Those at risk of scrub typhus include people living in rural or forested areas, being involved in outdoor activities such as farming, camping or hiking in endemic regions, and lack of protective measures.
To prevent scrub typhus, it is important to take preventive measures such as wearing protective clothing, using insect repellents, and avoiding areas with dense vegetation.
Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics like doxycycline or azithromycin can effectively treat scrub typhus.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/scrub-typhus-deaths-india-infectious-disease-symptoms-causes-prevention-treatment-8925299/

5. AEROSOL FORMATION BY BLIZZARDS CONTRIBUTE TO ARCTIC WARMING

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Fine sea salt aerosols produced under blizzardy conditions has been found to contribute to Arctic warming, according to new research published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

EXPLANATION:

The study analysed data collected by the Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), an international collaboration and a year-long expedition into the Central Arctic from September, 2019 to October, 2020.
Fine sea salt aerosols, which refer to the suspended sea salt particles in the air, are good for forming clouds, trap the heat emitted by Earth and contribute to warming.
According to the study, sea salt aerosols thus produced account for 30 per cent of all the aerosols in the Arctic.
Considering the absence of sunlight in the winter and spring Arctic, these clouds have the capacity to trap surface long-wave radiation, thereby significantly warming the Arctic surface.
In the central Arctic, the coldest winter nights are the clearest, when heat from Earth can escape into space unimpeded.
While the presence of sea salt in the Arctic atmosphere is common because of breaking ocean waves, these particles are large and not abundant.
However, under blizzardy conditions, when snow is blown about by strong winds, the sea salt particles were much finer and abundant.
The study has further revealed that the sea salt aerosols thus produced contributes a more substantial fraction to the total aerosol population in the central Arctic.
Even as ‘Arctic haze’, resulting from pollutants being transported over long distances, has previously been identified as the primary source of aerosols in the Arctic during winter and spring.

The Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC)

It is an international research expedition to study the physical, chemical, and biological processes that coupled the Arctic atmosphere, sea ice, ocean, and ecosystem.
The project has been designed by an international consortium of leading polar research institutions, under the umbrella of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC).

India’s initiatives in the Arctic:

India’s engagement with the Arctic began when it signed the Svalbard Treaty in February 1920 in Paris between Norway, the US, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Ireland, and the British overseas Dominions and Sweden concerning Spitsbergen.
The Indian Arctic policy is built on six central pillars: science and research, environmental protection, economic and human development, transportation and connectivity, governance and international cooperation, and national capacity building.
India initiated its Arctic research program in 2007 with a focus on climate change in the region. The objectives included studying teleconnections between Arctic climate and Indian monsoon, to characterize sea ice in the Arctic using satellite data, to estimate the effect on global warming.
India presently has a single station, Himadri established in 2008 by the Minister of Earth Sciences, in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, where research personnel is usually present for 180 days.
India is one of the five Asian and 13 Observer states to the Arctic council, having obtained the membership in 2013, which was subsequently reaffirmed in 2019.

SOURCE: https://www.deccanherald.com/science/aerosol-formation-by-blizzards-contribute-to-arctic-warming-study-finds-2673437

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (5th SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. UPI QR CODE-CENTRAL BANK DIGITAL CURRENCY INTEROPERABILITY

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: A few banks, including State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and IDFC First Bank, have introduced UPI interoperability on their digital rupee application.

EXPLANATION:

Banks enabled the interoperability of Unified Payments Interface’s (UPI) Quick Response (QR) code with their central bank digital currency (CBDC) or e₹ application.
Users of retail digital rupee will now be able to make transactions by scanning any UPI QR at a merchant outlet. Merchants can also accept digital rupee payments through their existing UPI QR codes.
This integration of UPI and CBDC is part of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) ongoing pilot project on pushing the retail digital rupee (e₹-R).

What is interoperability?

According to RBI, Interoperability is the technical compatibility that enables a payment system to be used in conjunction with other payment systems.
Interoperability allows system providers and participants in different systems to undertake, clear and settle payment transactions across systems without participating in multiple systems.

And what is UPI QR code-CBDC interoperability?

Interoperability of UPI with the digital rupee means all UPI QR codes are compatible with CBDC apps. Initially, when the pilot for the retail digital rupee was launched, the e₹-R users had to scan a specific QR code to undertake transactions.However, with the interoperability of the two, payments can be made using a single QR code.
The digital rupee issued by the RBI, or the CBDC, is a tokenised digital version of the rupee. The e₹ is held in a digital wallet, which is linked to a customer’s existing savings bank account. UPI is directly linked to a customer’s account.

How will it benefit customers and merchants?

The interoperability of UPI and CBDC will ensure seamless transactions between a customer and merchant without having the need to switch between multiple digital platforms.
Even merchants are not required to keep a separate QR code to accept the digital rupee payments. They can accept CBDC payments on their existing QR code.
The seamless integration of CBDC with UPI will enhance the acceptance and utilization of digital currencies in everyday transactions.

What is a QR code?

A Quick Response (QR) code consists of black squares arranged in a square grid on a white background, which can be read by an imaging device such as a camera.
It contains information about the item to which it is attached, according to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
QR code is an alternate contactless channel of payments. It allows merchants or businesses to accept payments from their customers directly into their bank accounts.

Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)

Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are a form of digital currency issued by a country’s central bank. They are similar to cryptocurrencies, except that their value is fixed by the central bank and equivalent to the country’s fiat currency.
The main goal of CBDCs is to provide businesses and consumers with privacy, transferability, convenience, accessibility, and financial security.
CBDCs also decrease the cost of maintenance that a complex financial system requires, reduce cross-border transaction costs, and provide those who currently use alternative money-transfer methods with lower-cost options.
CBDCs also reduce the risks associated with using digital currencies, or cryptocurrencies, in their current form.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/upi-qr-code-cdbc-banks-explained-e-rupee-8925038/

2. DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR KNOWLEDGE SHARING (DIKSHA) PLATFORM

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: The National eGovernance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is set to integrate Personalised Adaptive Learning (PAL) into its existing Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) platform.

EXPLANATION:

PAL’s software-based approach will allow each student to have an individualised learning experience over the course of the curriculum based on their unique needs and abilities.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has sought the MeitY’s expertise in facilitating PAL for DIKSHA.
In an example of how PAL works, if a student of Class 9 is learning the Pythagoras theorem and makes a calculation mistake, the AI learning system flags it and loops the student back to a basic video of how to make the calculation.
In some States, private players are already administering PAL, which works on AI or Artificial Intelligence, but budget constraints have been an obstacle.
The NeGD will float an Expression of Interest to assess the market for edtech companies that can help launch PAL and possibly integrate it with DIKSHA 2.0.

Personalized adaptive learning

Personalized adaptive learning is a software platform approach that provides each student with an individualized learning experience by allowing them to progress along their unique learning path through the course content.
Adaptive learning systems customize the presentation of the content or present new concepts to the student based on their individual activities and responses.

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR KNOWLEDGE SHARING (DIKSHA) PLATFORM

DIKSHA portal comes under the Ministry of Education and provides e-content for schools via an online portal and a mobile application.
DIKSHA portal serves as National Digital Infrastructure for teachers and enable, accelerate and amplify solutions in realm of teacher education.
It aids teachers to learn and train themselves for available assessment resources. It helps teachers to create training content, profile, in-class resources, assessment aids, news and announcement and connect with teacher community.
It is built considering the whole teacher’s life cycle – from the time student teachers enroll in Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs) to after they retire as teachers.
States, government bodies and even private organisations, can integrate DIKSHA into their respective teacher initiatives based on their goals, needs and capabilities.
It also has embedded assistive technologies for learners with visual or hearing impairments.
DIKSHA features digitised National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks used national and State Boards.
Apart from this, DIKSHA hosts 2.43 lakh contributions by 11,624 academicians by way of teaching videos, explainers, and practice questions. Currently, all these contributions are scattered across the platform.

They can use DIKSHA’s features to create:

In-class resources
Teacher training content
Assessment aids
Teacher profile
News and announcement
Teacher community

It envisages to provide:

Teacher training courses (example – training on learning outcomes, CCE, etc.)
Teaching resources such as lesson plans, concept videos, worksheets, mapped to curriculum
Assessments for teachers, to find out their strengths and areas of improvement

It contains the following features:

Courses for teachers to enable continuous learning
Resources for use in classroom
Dashboards for progress and assessment
Communities for collaboration and discussions
Announcements, notifications and circulars

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/education/centres-digital-infrastructure-for-knowledge-sharing-education-platform-to-offer-ai-help/article67263862.ece

3. GREEN RATING FOR INTEGRATED HABITAT ASSESSMENT (GRIHA)

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The Indian Army’s new Thal Sena Bhawan (TSB), coming up on a sprawling 39 acre site with a built-up area of 143,450 sq. m., boasts of several green measures conforming with GRIHA-IV (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) norms.

EXPLANATION:

The top soil of the entire 39 acre site will be preserved; the plan includes transplantation of 476 trees and compensatory planting of over 5,000 trees. It has been designed for a building life of about 100 years, and is earthquake-resistant.
Some of the measures would include grid interactive solar photo-voltaic system, sensor-based LED lighting, and chargers for electric vehicles in parking areas.
A building management system will be in place for energy monitoring, temperature control and ventilation, with high efficiency chillers.

Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA)

Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment also known as GRIHA was jointly established as an autonomous, not-for-profit organization by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
It is a rating tool that evaluates the environmental performance of a building holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a ‘green building’.
The rating system, based on accepted energy and environmental principles, will seek to strike a balance between the established practices and emerging concepts, both national and international.
Human Habitats (buildings) interact with the environment in various ways. Throughout their life cycles, from construction to demolition, they consume resources in the form of energy, water, materials, etc. and emit wastes either directly in the form of municipal wastes or indirectly as emissions from electricity generation.
GRIHA attempts to minimize a building’s resource consumption, waste generation, and overall ecological impact to within certain nationally acceptable limits / benchmarks.
The GRIHA rating system consists of 34 criteria divided into four categories. They are:

Site selection and planning
Resource conservation and efficient utilisation
Building operation and maintenance
Innovation points

The basic features of GRIHA

Pre-construction stage: (intra- and inter-site issues like proximity to public transport, type of soil, kind of land, where the property is located, the flora and fauna on the land before construction activity starts, the natural landscape and land features).
Building planning and construction stages: (issues of resource conservation and reduction in resource demand, resource utilization efficiency, resource recovery and reuse, and provisions for occupant health and well-being). The prime resources that are considered in this section are land, water, energy, air, and green cover.
Building operation and maintenance stage: (issues of operation and maintenance of building systems and processes, monitoring and recording of energy consumption, and occupant health and well-being, and also issues that affect the global and local environment).

The benefits

Reduced energy consumption without sacrificing the comfort levels
Reduced destruction of natural areas, habitats, and biodiversity, and reduced soil loss from erosion etc.
Reduced air and water pollution (with direct health benefits)
Reduced water consumption
Limited waste generation due to recycling and reuse
Reduced pollution loads
Increased user productivity
Enhanced image and marketability

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indian-armys-new-thal-sena-bhawan-will-conform-to-griha-iv-green-norms/article67266990.ece

4. ALIEN SPECIES

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has released its new publication named “Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control”.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT:

The report has found that there are 37,000 alien species including plants and animals that have been introduced in the regions and biomes around the world.
These invasive alien species have played a key role in 60% of global plant and animal extinctions.
It is reported that invasive alien species are one of the five major direct drivers of biodiversity loss globally, climate change etc.
About 6% of alien plants, 22% of alien invertebrates, 14% of alien vertebrates, and 11% of alien microbes are found to be invasive, posing major risks to nature and to people.
85% of the impacts of biological invasions on native species are negative.
The annual costs of invasive alien species have at least quadrupled every decade since 1970, as global trade and human travel increased.
The report has warned that warming temperatures and climate change could favour the expansion of invasive species.
Invasive alien species can also amplify the impacts of climate change.

EXAMPLES AND IMPACTS OF THE INVASIVE SPECIES:

The water hyacinth is the world’s most widespread invasive alien species on land. Lantana, a flowering shrub, and the black rat are the second and third most widespread globally.
The brown rat and the house mouse are also widespread invasive alien species.
The reduction of food supply has been cited by the report as the most common impact of alien invasive species.
For example, the European shore crab impacting commercial shellfish beds in New England.
The Caribbean false mussel damaging locally important fishery resources in Kerala, by wiping out native clams and oysters.
Invasive alien species like Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegyptii spread diseases such as malaria, Zika and West Nile Fever.
The water hyacinth in Lake Victoria in East Africa led to the depletion of tilapia, impacting local fisheries.
Invasive alien plants especially trees and grasses can sometimes be highly flammable and promote more intense fires.

Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES):

It is established in 2012.
It is an independent intergovernmental body established to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services, working in a similar way to the IPCC, which is the UN’s climate science body.
India is a member of the IPBES.

Functions of IPBES is to:

respond to government requests for information on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
identify and prioritize key scientific information needed for policymakers.
perform regular and timely, scientifically credible, independent, and peer-reviewed assessments of knowledge on biodiversity etc.
support policy formation and implementation by identifying relevant tools and methodologies.
identify and create key capacity-building tools to support the use of science in policy.

Projects Status

IPBES projects fall under four main objectives.
Capacity and Knowledge Foundations
Regional and Global Assessments
Thematic and Methodological Issues
Communication and Evaluation

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/biodiversity-loss-37000-alien-species-introduced-by-human-activities-says-report-8924756/

5. DYNAMICS OF THE SUN

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Studying deeper into the variability, functioning and purpose with reference to the sun with the launch of the Aditya L 1 mission by ISRO.

EXPLANATION:

Aditya L1 will function as a space weather station. Understanding space weather is an international issue, and the data from the spacecraft will help in making models and predicting storms in advance.
Observations from Adtiya L1 will help us understand the dynamics of the Sun and how solar variability impacts the climate on Earth and affects the space weather.
It becomes important to develop an understanding about sun, space weather and related phenomenon.

How are Lagrange Points beneficial for the Aditya L1 mission?

Aditya L1 mission will be placed at lagrangian point 1. Let’s understand what are lagrangian points.
Lagrange points are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put. At Lagrange points, the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.
These points in space can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.
There are five special points where a small mass can orbit in a constant pattern with two larger masses.
Of the five Lagrange points, three are unstable and two are stable.
The unstable Lagrange points are L1, L2 and L3, lie along the line connecting the two large masses.
The stable Lagrange points are L4 and L5 form the apex of two equilateral triangles that have the large masses at their vertices.
L4 leads the orbit of earth and L5 follows.
The L1 point of the Earth-Sun system affords an uninterrupted view of the sun and is currently home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite SOHO.

Understanding the climate variability of the sun:

Solar activity is measured in terms of the number of sunspots.

Sunspots:

Sunspots are areas that appear dark on the surface of the Sun. They appear dark because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface. The temperature of a sunspot is still very hot though—around 6,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why are sunspots relatively cool? It’s because they form at areas where magnetic fields are particularly strong. These magnetic fields are so strong that they keep some of the heat within the Sun from reaching the surface.

Every 11 years or so, the Sun’s magnetic field completely flips switching the Sun’s north and south poles. Then it takes about another 11 years for the Sun’s north and south poles to flip back again.
When the Sun is active, the number of sunspots is in the hundreds, and at solar minimum, the numbers are nearly zero.

Solar flares:

The magnetic field lines near sunspots often tangle, cross, and reorganize. This can cause a sudden explosion of energy called a solar flare.
Solar flares release a lot of radiation into space. If a solar flare is very intense, the radiation it releases can interfere with our radio communications here on Earth.
Solar flares are sometimes accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME for short). CMEs are huge bubbles of radiation and particles from the Sun.
They explode into space at very high speed when the Sun’s magnetic field lines suddenly reorganize.

Effects of Solar Activity on Earth:

When charged particles from a CME reach areas near Earth, they can trigger intense lights in the sky, called auroras.
When particularly strong, a CME can also interfere in power utility grids, which at their worst can cause electricity shortages and power outages.
Solar flares and CMEs are the most powerful explosions in our solar system.

Features of the payloads of the Aditya L1:

The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) of the Aditya L1 will observe the UV radiation from different zones of the solar atmosphere.
The onboard intelligence system will detect any sudden appearance of bright spots, such as solar flares (a sudden burst of high energy visible light, UV rays, X rays and Gamma rays) on the disc.
The automated system will trigger the rapid imaging of different layers, and thus, we will obtain a 3D tomographic view of the Sun.
With this system in place, the event’s progression through the layers of the solar atmosphere can be imaged.
Combining the data from the Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) and the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) will help us gain insights into the emergence, progression, and energetics of transient events on the surface of the Sun in the UV region”.
Observing the Sun using the SUIT will enable us to better understand climate variation on Earth.
Earth’s climate has changed. Global warming is real. The data from SUIT and other papers of Aditya L1 will help us resolve the contribution of natural and anthropogenic factors driving climate change.

THE SPACE WEATHER:

The solar wind along with other explosive/ eruptive solar events like Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) affects the nature of space. During such events, the nature of magnetic field and charge particle environment near to the planet change.
In case of the Earth, the interaction of Earth magnetic field with the field carried by CME can trigger a magnetic disturbance near the Earth. Such events can affect the functioning of space assets.
Space weather refers to changing environmental conditions in space in the vicinity of Earth and other planets. We use more and more technology in space, as understanding space weather is very important.
Also, understanding near Earth space weather sheds light on the behaviour of space weather of other planets.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/aditya-l1-its-functioning-and-purpose/article67269560.ece

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (1st SEPTEMBER 2023)

1. THE PARDONING POWER OF PRESIDENT

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: A death-row convict whose mercy petition has been disposed of by the president will have no right to appeal in a court against the decision when the new Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill (BNSS), 2023 becomes law.

WHAT IS BHARATIYA NAGARIK SURAKSHA SANHITA (BNSS) BILL, 2023?

3 New Bills have been brought up by the parliament to repeal Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 and Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973 will be replaced by the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023.

WHAT DOES BNSS BILL PROPOSES?

Article 72 of the Constitution empowers the president to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of anyone convicted of any offence.
According to section 473, an addition to the BNSS Bill, no appeal shall lie in any court against the order of the president made under Article 72 of the constitution and it shall be final, and any question as to the arriving of the decision by the President shall not be enquired into in any court.
Section 473 of the BNSS Bill also seeks to rule out delays on account of separate pleas filed by multiple death-row convicts in the same case. E.g., In the Nirbhaya case, the four convicts had filed their mercy pleas at separate times, forcing a delay until the last plea was rejected.
It proposes that a jail superintendent shall ensure that every convict, in case there are more than one in a case, submits the mercy plea within 60 days.
If no such petition is received from the other convicts, he shall himself send the names, addresses, copies of the case records and all other details to the Centre or the state government, along with the original mercy petition.
However, no time-limit has been specified for the president for disposing of the mercy petitions.
Section 473 of the BNSS Bill also seeks to give the Union 60 days’ time from the date of receipt of the state government’s comments on the pleas to send its recommendation to the president.
Although there is no deadline for the president to decide on mercy petitions, the Union requests that the president’s decision be conveyed to the state home department and jail superintendent involved within 48 hours of the decision being made.

RULING OF SUPREME COURT:

There have been several instances in the past where death row convicts approached the court at the eleventh hour, seeking a review of the president’s rejection of their mercy petitions.
In Shatrughan Chauhan & Anr vs Union Of India , 1947 case, the Supreme Court has ruled in the past that the exercise of prerogative powers, such as clemency and pardons, by the president or the governor is justiciable and may be challenged on grounds like an “undue and unexplained” delay, solitary confinement etc.
For e.g., 1991 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon in 2015 and the four Nirbhaya case convicts in 2020.

SOURCE: https://m.thewire.in/article/rights/new-bill-proposes-to-make-presidents-call-on-mercy-plea-final-to-reduce-judicial-delays/amp

2. THE INDUS WATERS TREATY (IWT)

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Pakistan ‘unilaterally’ initiated arbitration at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) to address the interpretation and application of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in Jan 2023. But today, India and Pakistan must recognise their common interest in the optimum development of the Indus rivers system.

INDUS WATER TREATY:

WHAT IS THE ISSUE OVER IWT?

The Kishanganga and Rattle hydroelectric power projects in Jammu and Kashmir are at the centre of the current conflict between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan has objected, citing treaty violations and potential harm to its water supply, which is against the terms contained in the treaty’s Annexure D.
Pakistan first raised its concerns over the Kishanganga project in 2006 and the Rattle project on the Chenab in 2012. In 2010, the dispute on the Kishanganga project was taken to the Court of Arbitration (CoA).
Pakistan contended that India’s plan is not in line with Article III, Article IV (6) and Paragraph 15(iii) of Annexure D of the IWT.
In 2013, the CoA delivered the final judgment, ruling that the Kishanganga hydroelectric project is a run-of-river dam.
India, under the IWT, can divert water from the river Kishanganga/Neelum for power generation.
India has to maintain a minimum flow of water in the Kishanganga/Neelum river to nine cusecs (cubic metre of water per second).
The two countries reached an amicable resolution on only one out of four issues that were expected to be resolved.
In 2016, Pakistan requested the World Bank to form a CoA:
India requested a neutral expert be appointed to deal with the dispute. At that time, the World Bank paused the works on the Kishanganga and Rattle projects “to allow the two countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements”.

STANCE OF INDIA:

In 2023, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) unanimously rejected India’s objections and confirmed its competence to consider and resolve the disputes raised by Pakistan.
The PCA, based on its interpretation of paragraph 1 of Annexure G and Article IX of, unanimously said that it is competent to “consider and determine the disputes set forth in Pakistan’s Request for Arbitration”.
India said: It cannot be “compelled to recognize or participate in illegal and parallel proceedings not envisaged by the Treaty”.
India has been participating in the neutral expert’s proceedings whose first meeting was held at The Hague on February 27-28.

WAY FORWARD:

Revisiting the Indus Water Treaty will be helpful rather than the Court action. The need is to incorporate equitable and reasonable utilisation and the no harm rule in the IWT.
It requires better ties and enduring trust between India and Pakistan.
There is a remote chance that Pakistan will agree to India’s request to renegotiate to modify parts of the IWT’s clauses because of a wide trust gap between the two nations.
There is a need to involve local stakeholders in any negotiation process between India and Pakistan on shared water issues.
A Joint group comprising technocrats, climate experts, water management professionals, and scientists from both countries can be set up to look at the core of the problem.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/cross-the-boulders-in-the-indus-waters-treaty/article67253004.ece

3. THE GOODS AND SERVICES TAX

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: India’s goods and services tax collections grew 11 per cent to Rs 1.60 lakh crore on an annual basis in August 2023.

EXPLANATION:

The collection from Goods and Services Tax (GST) was Rs 1,43,612 crore in August 2022.
in July 2023, the central and state governments collected ₹1.65 trillion in GST revenue, an improvement of 11 percent from the year-ago period.
Among large state economies, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu reported double-digit revenue growth.
While Delhi witnessed a 25% annual improvement in GST revenue in July at ₹5405 crore.
Uttar Pradesh had reported a 24 percent jump in revenue at ₹8802 crore.
In June 2023, the gross GST revenue collected was ₹1,61,497 crore of which CGST was ₹31,013 crore, SGST was ₹38,292 crore, IGST was ₹80,292 crore and cess is ₹11,900 crore.
GST collections have grown by more than nominal GDP, despite being no increase in tax rates.
This is because of better compliance and improved tax collection efficiency. Tax evasion and avoidance is low.
With the onset of festival season, the increased consumer spending for homes, cars, vacations, and other consumer items may also ensure higher monthly GST collections.

Goods and Services Tax (GST):

It is an indirect tax (not directly paid by customers to the government) that came into effect on July 1, 2017, as a result of the 101st Amendment to the Indian Constitution.
It is imposed on both manufacturers and sellers of goods, as well as suppliers of services.
For tax collection, it is divided into five tax slabs – 0%, 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%.

GST Council:

It is an apex committee to modify, reconciles or make recommendations to the Union and the States on GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected or exempted from GST, model GST laws, etc.
Article 279A of the Indian Constitution empowers the President of India to constitute a joint forum of the Centre and States called the GST Council.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/economy/gst-revenues-grow-11-to-about-rs-1-6-lakh-crore-in-august-govt/amp-11693556117569.html

4. Red Sand Boa

TAG: GS 3: Ecology and Environment

Context: A report by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)-India has pointed out 172 incidents of seizures of red sand boa (Eryx johnii) between the years 2016-2021. The report, compiled by the Counter Wildlife Trafficking unit of WCS-India, and titled ‘Illegal Trade of Red Sand Boa in India 2016-2021 ‘ collates information from media reports on the seizures.

EXPLANATION:

Red Sand Boa:

The red sand boa is a non-venomous snake found in Iran, Pakistan, and India. It is a primarily reddish-brown and thick-set snake that grows to an average length of 75 cm. Unlike most snakes, the tail is almost as thick as the body and gives the reptile the appearance of being “double-headed”.
The red sand boa is found in dry, semi-desert scrub plains and rocky dry foothills. It is a burrowing snake that spends most of its time underground. It feeds on small mammals, lizards, and birds.
The red sand boa is a popular pet snake in India. However, it is also a highly sought-after species in the illegal wildlife trade. The snake is believed to have medicinal and supernatural properties, and its price can be very high.
The red sand boa is listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The main threats to the snake are habitat loss and illegal trade.
The scientific name of the red sand boa, Eryx johnii, is in honor of the English naturalist John John Smith.
The red sand boa is the largest of the sand boas in the world.
The red sand boa is listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/172-incidents-of-seizures-of-red-sand-boa-recorded-from-2016-to-2021-wcs-india-report/article67249299.ece

5. THE LASER-INDUCED BREAKDOWN SPECTROSCOPY (LIBS)

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the south pole. These in-situ measurements confirm the presence of Sulphur in the region unambiguously, something that was not feasible by the instruments onboard the orbiters.

EXPLANATION:

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS):

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a rapid, non-destructive analytical technique that uses a laser to ablate a small amount of material from the surface of a sample and then analyzes the light emitted from the resulting plasma. The light emitted from the plasma contains information about the elemental composition of the sample.

LIBS is a scientific technique that analyzes the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses.
It a high-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as a rock or soil.
The laser pulse generates an extremely hot and localized plasma.
The collected plasma light is spectrally resolved and detected by detectors such as Charge Coupled Devices.
Preliminary analyses, graphically represented, have unveiled the presence of Aluminum (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface.
That measurement has revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). Thorough investigation regarding the presence of Hydrogen is underway.
LIBS payload is developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS)/ISRO, Bengaluru.

THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF A LIBS SYSTEM ARE:

A laser: The laser is used to ablate the sample material. The most common lasers used for LIBS are Nd:YAG lasers, which operate at a wavelength of 1064 nm.
A spectrometer: The spectrometer is used to collect and analyze the light emitted from the plasma.
A detection system: The detection system is used to convert the light signal into an electrical signal that can be processed by a computer.

LIBS can be used to analyze a wide variety of materials, including metals, minerals, rocks, and biological materials. It is a versatile technique that can be used for a variety of applications, including:

Quality control: LIBS can be used to quickly and easily analyze the elemental composition of materials for quality control purposes.
Forensic analysis: LIBS can be used to identify materials and trace the origin of materials.
Environmental monitoring: LIBS can be used to measure the elemental composition of air, water, and soil for environmental monitoring purposes.
Cultural heritage: LIBS can be used to analyze archaeological and cultural heritage objects to learn more about their composition and history.

The advantages of LIBS:

It is a non-destructive technique, meaning that the sample is not damaged during analysis.
It is a rapid technique, with analysis times typically taking a few seconds.
It is a versatile technique, capable of analyzing a wide variety of materials.
It is a sensitive technique, capable of detecting even trace amounts of elements.

Limitations of LIBS:

It can be difficult to obtain accurate results for samples with high concentrations of refractory elements.
The results can be affected by the surface condition of the sample.
The technique can be affected by atmospheric conditions.

Source: https://www.isro.gov.in/LIBSResults.html#:~:text=LIBS%20is%20a%20scientific%20technique,extremely%20hot%20and%20localized%20plasma

https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=LIBS-confirms-presence-of-Sulphur-(S)-on-lunar-surface-through-unambiguous-in-situ-measurements&id=466926

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (29th AUGUST 2023)

1. SEETHAKALI FOLK ART

TAG: GS 1: ART AND CULTURE

THE CONTEXT: The Perinad Seethakali Sangham, a 20-member folk dance group is all set to perform Seethakali folk art outside Kerala for the first time.

EXPLANATION:

Origin of the Art

It is a vibrant and flamboyant folk art which traces its roots from Perinad in Kollam district, Kerala.
This art form emerged around 150 years ago and was initially performed by Dalit artistes belonging to the Veda and Pulaya communities.

Features of the Art:

It is a dance drama which presents minuscule episodes of the Ramayana at every homestead and breathes life into mythical characters such as Rama, Seetha, Ravana, and Hanuman.
Seethakali songs were orally passed on from one generation to the next, the tradition came to a standstill at one point.
Seethakali was a part of Onam festivities in the past and it is a Dravidian dance form portraying the portions from vanayatra (exile to the forest) to Sita’s andardhanam (descend into the earth).
It’s a blend of songs, story telling and fast movements while ganjira, manikatta, chiratta and kaimani are among the accompaniments.

Instruments and Attire

Seethakali performances captivate with their dynamic music, traditional instruments, and spontaneous rhythmic movements.
Natural materials like bamboo and palm leaves find artistic expression in Seethakali.
The costumes and makeup are strikingly vibrant and characters like Rama and Laxmana are adorned in green, a color symbolic of gods and goddesses in Kathakali.

SOURCE:https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/artistes-breathe-a-new-life-into-seethakali-folk-art/article67234768.ece#:~:text=Shajimon%2C%20a%20Kerala%20Folklore%20Akademi,(descend%20into%20the%20earth)

2. ESG (ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE) REGULATIONS

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Analysts stated that new regulations pertaining to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Regulations disclosures issued by market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) are stringent and will help in better regulations.

EXPLANATION:

SEBI’s new ESG rules have become mandatory for top listed companies from this year.
These new standards are expected to provide uniformity and transparency in ESG disclosures.

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Regulations

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Regulations refer to the regulatory measures designed to promote sustainable and responsible business practices.
Environmental factors cover a range of issues related to climate change, pollution, resource depletion, waste management etc.
Social factors cover issues related to labour practices, human rights, and community impact etc.
Governance factors cover issues related to business ethics, transparency, board composition and corporate governance etc.
These factors are increasingly being considered by investors to evaluate the long-term sustainability of companies and also to guide their investment decisions.
This trend has been driven by recognition of the critical role that long-term sustainability plays in the success and stability of global economy.

ESG Regulations in India and Role of SEBI

In India, ESG regulations have been gaining traction, driven by growing awareness of ESG risks and opportunities among investors, increasing focus on corporate sustainability, and the regulatory push towards responsible investment practices.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the regulator of the Indian securities market, has been actively promoting ESG investing in India through various initiatives.
In 2012, SEBI issued a guidance note on ESG disclosure, which recommended that companies listed on Indian stock exchanges should disclose their ESG performance in their annual reports.
This guidance note was updated in 2015 to include more detailed reporting requirements, such as reporting on water usage, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, SEBI has been periodically issuing circulars and guidelines on ESG disclosure, and many companies have started reporting on their ESG performance.
In 2020, SEBI took a major step towards promoting ESG investing in India by mandating the top 1,000 listed companies to disclose their ESG-related information in their annual reports from the financial year 2021-22 onwards.
The disclosure requirements cover a range of ESG issues, including carbon emissions, water usage, waste management, diversity and inclusion, employee health and safety, and board composition.

Implications for Companies

ESG regulations require companies to disclose their ESG performance and risks to investors, which increases transparency and accountability.
Companies that fail to meet ESG standards may face reputational damage and loss of investor confidence, which can have a significant impact on their bottom line.
ESG regulations may require companies to change their business practices to align with ESG standards, which would involve significant investments in new technology, processes, and systems.

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA (SEBI)

SEBI is a statutory body and a market regulator, which controls the securities market in India.
The basic functions of SEBI is to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote and regulate the securities market.
SEBI is run by its board of members. The board consists of a chairman and several other whole time and part time members. The chairman is nominated by the union government.
The others include two members from the finance ministry, one member from Reserve Bank of India and five other members are also nominated by the Centre.
The headquarters of SEBI is situated in Mumbai and the regional offices are located in Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi.

Functions and powers of SEBI

SEBI controls activities of stock exchanges, safeguards the rights of shareholders and also guarantees the security of their investment.
It also aims to check fraudulence by harmonising its statutory regulations and self-regulating business.
The regulator also enables a competitive professional market for intermediaries.
Apart from the above functions, Sebi provides a marketplace in which the issuers can increase finance properly.
It also ensures safety and supply of precise and accurate information from the investors. Sebi analyses the trading of stocks and safes the security market from the malpractices.
It provides education regarding the market to the investors to enhance their knowledge.

SOURCE:https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/sebi-esg-rules-tough-in-right-direction-11693249398152.html#:~:text=The%20new%20regulations%20pertaining%20to,at%20Mint%20Sustainability%20Summit%202023

3. RECONSTITUTION OF PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEES

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: Rajya Sabha Chairman has re-constituted eight Department–related Parliamentary Standing Committees, coming under his administrative jurisdiction.

EXPLANATION:

The Chairman, Rajya Sabha has, in consultation with the Speaker, Lok Sabha, re-constituted the eight Department–related Parliamentary Standing Committees, coming under the administrative jurisdiction of the Chairman, Rajya Sabha.
The new Parliamentary Standing Committees will come into effect from September 13, 2023.
These eight committees include Committee on Commerce; Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports; Committee on Health and Family Welfare; Committee on Home Affairs; Committee on Industry, etc.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES

A Parliamentary Committee is a panel of MPs that is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker, and which works under the direction of the Speaker. It presents its report to the House or to the Speaker.
Parliamentary Committees have their origins in the British Parliament. They draw their authority from Article 118, which gives Parliament authority to make rules to regulate its procedure and conduct of business.

What are the various Committees of Parliament?

Broadly, Parliamentary Committees can be classified into Financial Committees, Departmentally Related Standing Committees, Other Parliamentary Standing Committees, and Ad hoc Committees.
The Financial Committees include the Estimates Committee, Public Accounts Committee, and the Committee on Public Undertakings. These committees were constituted in 1950.
Seventeen Departmentally Related Standing Committees came into being in 1993 to examine budgetary proposals and crucial government policies. The aim was to increase Parliamentary scrutiny, and to give members more time and a wider role in examining important legislation.
The number of Committees was subsequently increased to 24. Each of these Committees has 31 members — 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
Ad hoc Committees are appointed for a specific purpose and they cease to exist when they finish the task assigned to them and submit a report. The principal Ad hoc Committees are the Select and Joint Committees on Bills etc.
Apart from the Ad hoc Committees, each House of Parliament has Standing Committees like the Business Advisory Committee, the Committee on Petitions, the Committee of Privileges and the Rules Committee.

How are the Committees constituted, and how are their chairpersons chosen?

There are 16 Departmentally Related Standing Committees for Lok Sabha and eight for Rajya Sabha; however, every Committee has members from both Houses. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha panels are headed by members of these respective Houses.
Among the important Lok Sabha panels are: Agriculture; Coal; Defence; External Affairs; Finance; Communications & Information Technology; Labour; Petroleum & Natural Gas; and Railways.
The important Rajya Sabha panels include Commerce; Education; Health & Family Welfare; Home Affairs; and Environment.
Presiding Officers use their discretion to refer a matter to a Parliamentary Committee, but this is usually done in consultation with leaders of parties in the House.
MPs typically have a one-year tenure on Parliamentary Committees. Usually, the composition of a Committee remains more or less the same in terms of representation of the various parties.

How important are the recommendations of the Committees?

Reports of Departmentally Related Standing Committees are recommendatory in nature. They are not binding on the government, but they do carry significant weight.
These panels also examine policy issues in their respective Ministries and make suggestions to the government. The government has to report back on whether these recommendations have been accepted.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/rajya-sabha-chairman-re-constitutes-8-department-related-parliamentary-standing-committees-11693278824296.html

4. ECHIDNA

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Echidnas are even more mysterious and unusual than commonly assumed. They sense electric fields, tolerate snow, and have ‘mating trains.

ABOUT ECHIDNAS:

They’re ancient egg-laying mammals:
Short beaked echidnas and long beaked echidnas are two types of echidnas among others.
Short-beaked echidnas are one of just five species of monotreme surviving in the world, alongside the platypus and three worm-eating long-beaked echidna species found on the island of New Guinea.
Short-beaked echidnas can weigh up to six kilograms, but the Western long-beaked echidna can be as large as 16 kg.
These ancient mammals lay eggs through their cloacas (monotreme means one opening) and incubate them in a pouch-like skin fold, nurturing their tiny, jellybean-sized young after hatching.
Scientists believe echidnas began as platypuses who left the water and evolved spines.
Bigibila(Gamilaraay) and Yinarlingi (Warlpiri) are the other names of echidnas.
From deserts to snow, echidnas are remarkably adaptable:
Echidnas can be found on northern tropical savannah amid intense humidity, on coastal heaths and forests, in arid deserts and even on snowy mountains. There are few other creatures which can tolerate broad climate ranges.
Subspecies are also markedly different, with variations to hairiness and the length and width of spines.
Kangaroo Island echidnas have longer, thinner, and paler spines compared to the mainland species.
Tasmanian echidnas are well adapted to the cold, boasting a lushness of extra hair. Sometimes their spines can’t be seen amidst their hair.
What do marsupials and monotremes have in common?
Marsupials bear live young when they’re very small and complete their development in a pouch.
Despite this key difference with monotremes, there’s a fascinating similarity between Australia’s two most famous mammal families.
At 17 days after conception, the embryo of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) hits almost the same developmental milestone as echidna embryos. Both are in the somite stage, where paired blocks of tissue form along the notochord, the temporary precursor to the spinal cord and each have around 20 somites.
Despite millions of years of evolutionary pressure and change, these very different animals still hit a key embryo milestone at the same time.
In echidnas, this milestone is tied to egg-laying and the embryo is packaged up in a leathery egg the size of a grape and laid into the mother’s pouch. The baby puggle hatches 10–11 days later. In tammar wallabies, the embryo continues to develop in-utero for another 9–10 days before being born.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/the-animal-that-senses-electric-fields-tolerates-snow-and-has-mating-trains/article67244337.ece

5. KAMPALA DECLARATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: 48 African countries have agreed to adopt the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC) to address the nexus of human mobility and climate change in the continent.

EXPLANATION:

The continental expansion of the KDMECC was discussed at a three-day Conference of States that began August 23, 2023, held at Nairobi, Kenya.
It was co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Uganda with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
It also enabled the African States to develop a common position ahead of the Africa Climate Summit and the Conference of Parties (COP 28).

Representatives from 48 African countries gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Conference of States on the continental expansion of the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment, and Climate Change.

The Declaration calls for enhanced cooperation and action to address five areas of concern:

Progressive desertification and land degradation creating forced mobility of people and livestock.
Unsustainable use of ecosystems and the impact of frequent and intense extreme weather events on people and livestock
Unplanned migration of people from rural to urban centres because of climate change and disasters
Paucity of data and statistics on the impact of climate change on human and livestock mobility in the region
Limitations of partnerships and financing to respond to the climate crisis adversely affecting the mobility of our people and livestock in the region.

Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment, and Climate Change (KDMECC): –

It was signed in 2022 at Kampala, Uganda by 15 African States to address the nexus of human mobility and climate change in the continent.
The declaration is the first comprehensive, action-oriented framework led by Member States to address climate-induced mobility in a practical and effective manner.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/kampala-declaration-on-climate-change-human-mobility-now-has-48-african-countries-as-members-91393

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (28th AUGUST 2023)

1. PRADHAN MANTRI JAN DHAN YOJANA (PMJDY) COMPLETES NINE YEARS

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), launched to enable financial inclusion, completes nine years on 28 August 2023.

EXPLANATION:

The total number of PMJDY accounts stood at 500 million, up from 147.2 million at the end of March 2015. At the end of March 2023, the total number of PMJDY accounts stood at 486.5 million.
Meanwhile, total deposits in these accounts combined stood at a ₹03 trillion on 16 August, up from ₹15,670 crores at the end of March 2015.
Similarly, the number of Rupay debit cards issued for PMJDY accounts increased to 339.8 million as of 16 August, from 131.5 million at the end of March 2015.
The PMJDY scheme is responsible for providing basic banking facilities to the underprivileged, catalysing the government’s mission for financial inclusion.
According to data from the Ministry of Finance, of the total Jan Dhan accounts, 56% belong to women and 67% accounts have been opened in rural/semi-urban areas.
The PMJDY scheme has been successful in changing the financial landscape of the country and has brought near saturation in bank accounts for adults.
The success of PMJDY lies in the comprehensive nature of the scheme with an attempt to connect the last mile with the formal banking system through technology, collaboration and innovation.
Meanwhile, a total of 6.01 lakh villages have been mapped on the Jan Dhan Darshak mobile application, which provides citizen centric platform for locating banking touch points like bank branches, ATMs, etc.

JAN DHAN YOJANA

The Scheme was announced on 15 August 2014 to provide universal access to banking services. The scheme was launched on 28 August 2014.
The National Mission of Financial Inclusion named as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana seeks to integrate the poorest of the poor with bank accounts.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is the National Mission for Financial Inclusion.
It ensures access to financial services, namely, Banking/ Savings & Deposit Accounts, Remittance, Credit, Insurance, Pension in an affordable manner.
The scheme offers multiple advantages to account holders such as a bank account without requirement of minimum balance, free of cost RuPay debit cards with inbuilt accident insurance of ₹2 lakh and overdraft facility of up to ₹10,000.

Salient features of the scheme

All households across the countryboth rural and urban are to be covered under the scheme. Bank accounts will be opened for 15 crore poor persons. The current focus is on opening accounts from “every household to every adult”.
PMJDY accounts are being opened with zero balance.
All bank accounts opened under the scheme are to have an overdraft (OD) facility of Rs 10,000 for Aadhar-linked accounts after satisfactory operation in the account for 6 months. There will not be any conditions attached for OD upto Rs 2,000. Age limit for availing OD facility is 18-65 years.
Issuance of RuPay Debit Card with inbuilt Rs 2 lakh personal accident insurance cover. The increased coverage amount of Rs. 2 lakh is for PMJDY accounts opened after 28.08.2018.
A minimum monthly remuneration of Rs 5,000 to business correspondents who will provide the last link between the account holders and the bank.
PMJDY accounts are eligible for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Bank (MUDRA) scheme.

Jan Dhan Darshak App (JDD App)

JDD App is a mobile application which provides a citizen centric platform for locating banking touch points such as bank branches, ATMs, Banking Correspondents (BCs), Indian Post Payment Banks etc. in the country.
Over 13 lakh banking touchpoints have been mapped on the JDD App. The facilities under Jan Dhan Darshak App could be availed as per the need and convenience of common people.
This app is also being used for identification of villages which are yet to covered by banking outlets within 5 km radius.
These identified villages are allocated to various banks by concerned SLBCs for opening of banking outlets. The efforts have resulted in a significant decrease in number of uncovered villages.

SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1952793

2. P75 (I) PROGRAMME

TAG: GS 3: SECURITY; SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: A combination of structural inefficiencies, budgetary changes, tendering problems, delays, and institutional ad-hocism have hindered India’s submarine manufacturing ambitions. India must ensure adequate institutional thrust on overcoming impediments and moving ahead with the P75(I) programme for submarine manufacture.

EXPLANATION:

The original P75 proposed the domestic construction of six Scorpène-class conventional diesel-electric submarines by Mazagaon Docks Limited through a transfer of technology collaboration with France’s Naval Group.
The project was supposed to be completed by 2017. However, far from completion, the lead boat of the P75 project, INS Kalvari, was only commissioned in 2017.
Only recently has the country commissioned the fifth submarine out of the proposed six submarines; the final one is expected next year.
The more recent P75(I) programme budgeted at approximately Rs 40,000 crore to build six conventional submarines with state-of-the-art sensors and weapons and, with an air-independent propulsion system (AIP) is also lagging behind schedule.
It is now essential for India to reinvigorate the P75(I) programme and capitalise on the reported bids.
The Navy and the ministry of defence must sort out impractical delivery schedules, stringent technology transfer requirements, detrimental liability clauses, restrictive contractual practices, and penalties that have impeded the programme.

What is Project-75 (I)?

Project-75 (India) or P-75(I), is a military acquisition initiative by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The initiative aims to procure diesel-electric attack submarines with fuel cells and Air-Independent Propulsion System (AIP) for the Indian Navy to build India’s naval strength and develop indigenous submarine-building capabilities.

Difference between Project 75 and Project 75I

Project 75I is a follow-up to Project 75 and improves upon the design and technology of its predecessor.
The conventional diesel-electric submarines such as the Scorpene, under Project 75, come with improved stealth features such as advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, long-range guided torpedoes, tube-launched anti-ship missiles, sonars and sensor suites.
The AIP technology will improve on this in Project 75I building six submarines that can stay submerged for up to two weeks. These submarines may even be larger in size compared to the ones under Project 75.

What is Project 75?

Project-75 was conceived in 1997 for the construction of two indigenous Submarines known as Type 1500.
The project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the decision-making body of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), which comes under MoD, was contracted to build the submarines in collaboration with Thomson-CSF (TCSF), France, at an estimated cost of Rs. 700 crore.
Project 75 was aimed at building six conventional Scorpene-class attack submarines.
6 Submarine Names List in Project 75

The first submarine under Project 75 was INS Kalvari. It was delivered in 2015 and joined the service in December 2017.
Within only two years, in September 2019, INS Khanderi, the 2nd submarine under Project 75, was deployed.
The third submarine, INS Karanj, was inducted in March 2021.
INS Vela, the fourth submarine under Project 75, joined the fleet in November 2021.
The fifth submarine, INS Vagir, commenced in November 2020 and is anticipated to be appointed by the latter quarter of 2022.
The sixth submarine completed under the project is INS Vagsheer. It is a reincarnation of the first Vagsheer, withdrawn from service in April 1997. The vessel is titled after the name of a fatal deep sea hunter in the Indian Ocean and was launched in April 2022.

Five of these submarines have now been built, with the last one, INS Vaghsheer, being readied to commence sea trials. It will likely be inducted into the Navy by the end of this year.

SOURCE: https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/p75i-programme-indias-rocky-submarine-making-voyage/3224299/

3. THE UN COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW (UNCITRAL)

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: India and Iran drop foreign arbitration clause in Chabahar port issue. Both sides have agreed to pursue arbitration under rules framed by the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) which is favoured by India over other international trade arbitration mechanisms.

EXPLANATION:

In a move aimed at boosting India-Iran commercial relations, Tehran and New Delhi have agreed to drop the clause for arbitration in foreign courts concerning the Chabahar port.
The new move to pursue arbitration under rules framed by the UN Commission on International Trade Law will help firm up longer-term agreement and boost investor confidence in Chabahar.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Both countries reiterated their commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation including to realise the full potential of Chabahar Port as a connectivity hub.
A longer-term term agreement between India and Iran over Chabahar will ensure greater predictability and boost the confidence of stakeholders in the feasibility of the facility which is located in southeastern coast of Iran.

UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)

The term United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) established in 1966, refers to a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly.
It is the core legal body of the U.N,’s system in the field of international trade law. The official function of UNCITRAL is to modernize and harmonize the rules of international business.
UNCITRAL is headquartered in New York, which is the same location as the U.N.’s headquarters. Annual sessions take place once each year usually in the summer and are held alternatively in New York and at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna.
UNCITRAL aims to formulate modern, fair, and harmonized rules for such commercial transactions. The organization is responsible for helping to facilitate international trade and investment.
Its work includes conventions, model laws, and rules which are acceptable worldwide; legal and legislative guides, and practical recommendations; updated information on case law and enactments of uniform commercial law; technical assistance in law reform projects; and regional and national seminars on uniform commercial law.
Membership of UNCITRAL is determined by the U.N. General Assembly. The original membership comprised 29 member states of the U.N. But this number was expanded to 36 in 1973. Its membership grew again in 2002 to 60 states, and again in 2022 with a total of 70 member states.
Member states are deliberately chosen to be globally representative. The organization aims to include 14 African states, 14 Asian states, eight Eastern European states, 10 Latin American and Caribbean states, 14 Western European states, and others.
It was established in response to the rapid rise of global trade that took place in the 1960s. At the time, national governments recognized the need for harmonized global standards to replace the various national and regional regulations.
The organization is also responsible for coordinating the work of other bodies active in international trade, both within and outside of the UN, to enhance cooperation, consistency, and efficiency while avoiding duplication.

Its mandate covers include:

Dispute resolution
International contract practices
Transport
Insolvency
Electronic commerce
International payments
Secured transactions
Procurement
The sale of goods

CHABAHAR PORT

Chabahar Port is India’s first foreign port project and is considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with Central Asian countries.
The Chabahar port actually contains two separate ports called Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti.
It is located in South eastern Iran in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan in the Gulf of Oman.  It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the ocean.
The idea is that the port would enable India to bypass Pakistan and access Afghanistan, and ultimately Central Asia.
Moreover, the port could serve as a hub for transit trade between India, Iran, and Afghanistan, and provide an alternative route to the traditional Silk Road that passes through China.
With its strategic location near the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean, the port offers significant potential.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-and-iran-drop-foreign-court-arbitration-for-chabahar-port/article67234071.ece

4. ADITYA L1 MISSION

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Indian Space & Research Organization (ISRO) is all set to launch the Aditya L1 on 2^nd September 2023 after the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3.

WHAT IS ADITYA L1 MISSION?

Aditya L1 shall be the first space based Indian mission to study the Sun.
The spacecraft shall be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth.
A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses.
This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time.
The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors.
Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun, and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1.
It will provide important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium.

Layers of the sun

WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF ADITYA-L1 MISSION?

The major objectives of Aditya-L1 mission are:

Study of Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics.
Study of chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares.
Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun.
Physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism.
Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma’s temperature, velocity, and density.
Development, dynamics, and origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).
Identify the sequence of processes that occur at multiple layers (chromosphere, base, and extended corona) which eventually leads to solar eruptive events.
Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona.
Drivers for space weather (origin, composition, and dynamics of solar wind.

ADITYA-L1 PAYLOADS:

The instruments of Aditya-L1 are tuned to observe the solar atmosphere mainly the chromosphere and corona.
In-situ instruments will observe the local environment at L1.
There are total seven payloads on-board with four of them carrying out remote sensing of the Sun and three of them carrying in-situ observation.

Type	Sl. No.	Payload	Capability
Remote Sensing Payloads	1	Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)	Corona/Imaging & Spectroscopy
	2	Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)	Photosphere and Chromosphere Imaging- Narrow & Broadband
	3	Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)	Soft X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation
	4	High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS)	Hard X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation
In-situ Payloads
	5	Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)	Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Protons & Heavier Ions with directions
	6	Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA)	Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Electrons & Heavier Ions with directions
	7	Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers	In-situ magnetic field (Bx, By and Bz).

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/after-moon-mission-space-physics-lab-at-vssc-preparing-to-study-the-solar-wind/article67241668.ece

5. XV BRICS SUMMIT

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to become full members of BRICS from 1 January 2024.

EXPLANATION:

The 15th BRICS Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 22-24 August 2023.
Its theme was “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism”.
Terrorism, multilateral reform, digital economy, trade and food security issues were discussed during the summit.

EXPANSION OF BRICS:

In a landmark decision, members of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in August 2023 declared expansion of the grouping by welcoming six new countries into the fold.
Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to become full members of BRICS from 1 January 2024.
BRICS would be able to have new dynamism and energy in its actions.
Addition of Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE is of special significance as the three will represent both flanks of the energy-rich Gulf in the BRICS.
Joining the BRICS is also the first time that Iran and Saudi Arabia took a common diplomatic decision months after they normalised relation in April 2023.

BRICS Nations and prospective countries

Blue colour represent members.

Orange colour represent new members.

Green colour represent Prospective members.

BRICS:

The term “BRIC” was coined by the British Economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
The leaders of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries met for the first time in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the margins of G8 Outreach Summit in July 2006.
In September 2006, the group was formalised as BRIC during the 1st BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which met on the sidelines of the General Debate of the UN Assembly in New York City.
After a series of high-level meetings, the 1st BRIC summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia on 16 June 2009.
BRIC group was renamed as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) after South Africa was accepted as a full member at the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York in September 2010.
South Africa attended the 3rd BRICS Summit in Sanya, China on 14 April 2011.
BRICS is an important grouping bringing together the major emerging economies from the world, comprising 41% of the world population, having 24% of the world GDP and over 16% share in the world trade.
BRICS countries have been the main engines of global economic growth over the years.
Over a period, BRICS countries have come together to deliberate on important issues under the three pillars of political and security, economic and financial and cultural and people to people exchanges.
The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S. South Africa is the chair for 2023.
Initiatives of BRICS:

New Development Bank (NDB)
Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)
BRICS Payment System
Customs Agreements
Remote Sensing Satellite
BRICS is planning to launch its own “new currency” system, a major step towards de-dollarization (reducing dependence on the US dollar for trade)

For comprehensive analysis of the BRICS Summit 2023 please watch the editorial discussion class to be held on 5^th September 2023 at 6 PM. Classes available in offline and online (youtube also) mode.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/brics-plus-6-the-outcome-of-the-jo-burg-summit-11693156184114.html

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (26th AUGUST 2023)

1. INDIA-GREECE ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister’s visit to Greece is the first visit by an Indian PM in 40 years. The visit saw the two nations upgrading their relationship to a strategic partnership with focus on expanding political, defence & security cooperation.

EXPLANATION:

The last high-level visit to Greece took place in September 1983 when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi travelled to the country.
India and Greece enjoy civilisational ties, which have strengthened in recent years through cooperation in areas like maritime transport, defence, trade and investments and people-to-people ties.
Discussions during the visit encompassed trade, defence, security, technology, infrastructure, digital payments, shipping, pharma, agriculture, migration, mobility, tourism, skill development, culture, education, and regional and multilateral issues.
They jointly called for respect for international law, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

Highlights of the meeting:

After his arrival at the ancient city, PM laid a wreath at the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ in Athens. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a war memorial located in Syntagma Square in Athens, in front of the Old Royal Palace. It is a cenotaph dedicated to the Greek soldiers killed during various wars.
India and Greece agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to the level of strategic partnership and both the countries will collaborate in the field of defence industry.
Both sides also set a target of doubling bilateral trade by 2030 and decided to firm up a migration and mobility partnership pact soon to facilitate skilled migration between the two countries.
Both the countries signed an agreement regarding agricultural production that will also allow for cooperation in research, animal rearing and animal products.
The two also discussed the great importance of establishing direct flights between Greece and India, noting “great opportunities” in the sectors of tourism as well as economic cooperation in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors.
They expressed their intent to expand cooperation across various domains, including defence, shipping, science and technology, cyber space, education, culture, tourism, and agriculture.
They also agreed “that an early finalisation of a Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement (MMPA) would be mutually beneficial, facilitating in particular the free movement of workforce between the two countries.”
Both countries underscored their vision of a “free, open, and rules-based Mediterranean Sea and Indo-Pacific,” emphasising adherence to international law, particularly UNCLOS, while respecting sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom of navigation.
Greek Prime Minister described Greece as a “gateway to Europe” for India and extended support for a free trade pact between India and the European Union (EU).

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-modi-hold-talks-with-greek-president-katerina-sakellaropoulou-and-pm-kyriakos-mitsotakis/article67234455.ece

2. PM GATI SHAKTI INITIATIVE

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Network Planning Group (NPG) under the PM Gati Shakti initiative has recommended four infrastructure projects.

EXPLANATION:

Network Planning Group has put forward a recommendation for six infrastructure projects.

The meeting was chaired by the special secretary of the DPIIT logistics division, where various agencies examined and recommended the projects.

The recommended projects include an inter-state transmission system for renewable energy projects in Ladakh, an elevated railway track along Kanpur Anwarganj-Mandhana, a rail bridge across the Ganga, a rail line between Ajmer and Chittaurgarh, 4-laning of Bijni to Mandi section road, and 4-laning of the Belgaum-Hungsund-Raichur road.
The project will improve the roads, which will help the local people by bringing down the travel costs, time, and distance. Also, it will promote tourism and socio economic development along the project road.
The projects aim to provide multimodal connectivity, efficient logistics, and seamless movement of goods and passengers across the country.
The project is essential to provide smooth and faster connectivity to eastern region from northern region and will boost the economic growth in economically backward regions.

PM GATI SHAKTI

The Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti National Master Plan is a huge project worth Rs 100 lakh crore, initiated by the Indian government to transform the country’s infrastructure.
It was announced on the occasion of the 75th Independence day, 2021 aimed at transforming the infrastructure landscape of India. This plan is supposed to lessen the time taken for infrastructure projects and upgrade India’s competitiveness in the market.
The project aims to break the inter-ministerial tangles and silos and foster cooperation and integration in the fasttrack implementation of projects.
The scheme is expected to smooth out the execution of projects across the nation and foster coordination between different ministries engaged with these projects.

Objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti

To reduce logistics costs and improve supply chains, thereby making products manufactured in India more competitive globally.
To attract investment from all over the world for improving the infrastructure of the country.
To address the issue of high logistics and supply chain costs, which account for around 12% of the GDP in India, compared to the global average of 8%.
To reduce the excessive dependence on road transportation and under-utilisation of waterways, air, and rail networks.
To consolidate infrastructure projects in specific corridors and enable better coordination among different ministries, states, and departments.
To facilitate ease of planning and bring down the overall costs of implementation.
To help resolve the issues of interministerial delays, approval delays, and communication gaps between various stakeholders.
To achieve infrastructure-led growth by expediting decision-making and timely completion of infrastructure projects.

Targets of the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti

The national highway network will be extended to expand the limit of roadways and touch the 2 lakh-km mark.
The scheme imagines the making of around 200 new airports, heliports, and water aerodromes to support aviation.
The limit of railways to move cargo will be expanded to around 1,600 tons by FY25.
The transmission network for power will be extended to 454,200 circuit km to easy access.
The scheme intends to increment renewable capacity to 225 GW by FY25 and complete around 17,000 km of gas pipelines.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/pm-gati-shakti-network-planning-group-recommends-4-infra-projects-11692871966291.html

3. CHANDRAYAAN-3 LAND ON THE NEAR SIDE OF THE MOON

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The controlled descent of the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 made it one of the closest approaches of a lunar mission to the moon’s South Pole. However like most of the lunar-landing missions before, Vikram too landed on the near side of the moon.

EXPLANATION:

Tlll now, the Chinese Chang’e 4 mission is the only one to have landed on the far side.
This vehicle landed on the Von Karman crater situated within a larger 2,500 km wide crater called the South Pole Aitken basin.

What are the moon’s ‘near’ and ‘far sides’ and ‘dark’ side?

The near side refers to the portion of the moon that is 60% visible to us. It is always the same side that is visible from Earth because the moon takes the same time to rotate about its axis as it does to circle around the Earth.
The ‘new moon’ or when the moon is invisible from Earth is the time when the other ‘far side’ of the moon is bathed in sunlight and continues to receive light for nearly a fortnight.
The ‘dark side’ is thus dark only in the sense that it was mysterious and its various topographical features hidden until the Soviet spacecraft Luna 3 in 1959 photographed it and the Soviet Academy of Sciences released an atlas of these images.
Astronauts aboard the Apollo 8 mission of 1968 were the first humans to see the far side of the moon.

Is the dark side very different from the near side?

The major difference between the two sides is that the near side is relatively smoother and has many more ‘maria’ or large volcanic plains compared to the far side.
On the far side however, there are huge craters, thousands of kilometres wide, which have likely resulted from collisions with asteroids.
The crust on the near side is thinner because of which, over millions of years, the volcanic lava in the lunar crust has flowed more extensively into the thinner side and filled up its craters.
The resulting plains that have thus formed are far more conducive to space missions because they provide a relatively flat terrain for landers and rovers.
Chandrayaan-3 identified an area 2.4 km wide and 4.8 km long that had spots of 150 m spaces that would be conducive to a safe descent.

What’s special about the Chandrayaan-3’s landing?

The Chandrayaan-3 mission, while still on the near side, has managed to land Vikram the closest ever to the lunar South Pole.
The coordinates of Chandrayaan-3 at 69.36 S and 32.34 E make it about 600 km away from the South Pole.
The choice of being as close as possible to the South Pole was to get closer to a “permanently shadowed region” or where no sunlight ever reaches.
This would mean increasing the chances of encountering frozen water-ice along with several “interesting deposits” that can reveal more about the moon and its harvestable resources.
The mission’s guiding purpose was to execute a successful controlled or ‘soft landing’ and the chances of doing that best while being near the South Pole were best served by keeping it in the near side.
Crucially, landing on the far side would have meant no direct, line-of-sight communication with the Earth, necessary for regular near-real-time updates. That is the reason that determined the choice of landing locations.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/explained-why-did-chandrayaan-3-land-on-the-near-side-of-the-moon/article67235632.ece

4. CORALS IN LOW NUTRIENT ZONES

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: A recent study finds out how the Coral Reefs can thrive in parts of the ocean that are low in nutrients.

EXPLANATION:

There was a mystery of corals, which puzzled the scientists for centuries, that how coral reefs thrive despite being in low nutrient regions.
It has inspired the discovery of several important processes that can help to explain this phenomenon. We can now add the missing piece of the puzzle and help to solve the long-running mystery.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STUDY:

Nutrients from the symbionts:
The symbiotic algae living within the corals are very efficient at taking up dissolved inorganic nutrients, like nitrate and phosphate, from the surrounding seawater.
Even in nutrient-poor areas of the ocean, these compounds are present in considerable amounts as excretion products of organisms, such as sponges, that live close by.
Ocean currents can also transport these nutrients to reefs.
The coral host cannot absorb or use nitrate and phosphate directly, so they digest some of their symbiont population to access the nitrogen and phosphorus that these algae absorb from the water.

Symbiont algae from a reef coral viewed under a microscope.

Nutrients from the bird’s excrements:

Corals have the potential to farm and feed on their symbiont algae in the wild too.
The reefs around some of these islands are supplied with substantial amounts of nutrients that come from “guano” – the excrement of seabirds nesting on the islands.
We found out that growth was more than twice as fast on reefs that were supplied with seabird nutrients.
About half of the nitrogen molecules in the tissue of the coral animals from islands with seabirds could be traced back to uptake by the symbiont algae.

Reefs around islands in the Indian Ocean receive additional nutrients if the islands are inhabited by seabirds.

If these factors are unavailable to the corals in low nutrient regions, then population of symbiotic algae will cease to exist.

The coral will undergo bleaching and eventually leading to death.
Bleaching refers to the white appearance of the corals with low symbiont numbers in their tissue.
Corals grew fast in nutrient-rich water despite the absence of food (top in diagram).
Corals in nutrient-depleted water stopped growing and showed a bleached appearance (bottom inn diagram)

What are corals and how do they get food?

They are soft-bodied animals made up of many individual polyps that live together as a colony.
They secrete limestone skeletons that form the foundation of reefs.
The coral polyps acquire nutritious compounds rich in nitrogen and phosphorus by catching prey like zooplankton with their tentacles.
Many coral animals are also dependent on a symbiosis a mutually beneficial relationship with the microscopic algae that live inside their cells.
These photosynthetic algae produce large amounts of carbon-rich compounds, such as sugars, and transfer them to the host coral to generate energy.
However, as most photosynthetic products are deficient in nitrogen and phosphorous, they cannot sustain the growth of the animals.
The question as to why coral reefs thrive in parts of the oceans that are poor in nutrients is known as Darwin’s Paradox of Coral Reefs.

SOURCE: https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/explained-how-do-coral-reefs-thrive-in-parts-of-the-ocean-that-are-low-in-nutrients-2660416

5. STATE OF INDIA’S BIRDS’ REPORT

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The State of India’s Birds 2023, released on August 25, 2023, finds that a few bird species like the Indian peafowl are thriving in India, many species are declining.

EXPLANATION:

The report is based on 30 million observations contributed by 30,000 birdwatchers across the country.
The report highlighted major threats to bird populations across the country.
It listed 178 bird species in the country as being of “High Priority” for immediate conservation action.
These include migratory wetland birds like the Ruddy shelduck, and resident species such as the Indian courser.

Highlights of the State of India’s Birds 2023:

What is the overall decline?

Of the 338 species that had enough data to assess for long-term trends, 60% of the species showed long-term declines.
The trends showed that 204 species have declined in the long term, 98 species declined rapidly, 98 species are stable, and 36 species showed increases.
Of the 359 species analysed for current annual trends, 40% are declining.
The current trends showed that 142 species are declining (of which 64 are in a “rapid decline”), 189 are stable and 28 are increasing.
Birds endemic to the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot have rapidly declined in India over the past few decades.
Birds that feed on vertebrates and carrion including raptors (specifically habitat-specialist raptors such as some harriers and the Short-toed snake eagle), and vultures have declined greatly.
As per the report, this could be suggestive of harmful pollutants in their food resources, a decline in prey availability, or both.

What are the increases?

A few generalist bird species such as the national bird – the Indian peafowl, are doing extremely well in the country.
There has been a 150% increase in the abundance of peafowl across the country over the past decades.
The good news of the increase is tempered by a recognition of increased reports of crop damage in different parts of the country, and the negative impacts on snakes and other reptiles.
Therefore, it is important to investigate the impacts of this peafowl boom on both people and ecosystems.
Other species that are doing remarkably well are the Ashy Prinia, the feral Rock pigeon, and the Asian koel.

Indian Peafowl.

Ashy Prinia

Asian Koel Female

Species of high conservation priority:

Out of all 942 species, 178 species are classified as High Priority, 323 as Moderate Priority, and 441 as Low Priority.
The High Priority species include migratory wetland birds like the Ruddy shelduck, resident species such as the Indian courser, endemics such as the Narcondam hornbill and the Nicobar megapode on Nicobar Island.
Of the High Priority species, 90 are classified as globally of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List 2022.
The report recommended that 17 of these would qualify for a different IUCN threat status nationally.
These include the Indian Roller, a grassland and scrub bird which shows a 30% decline in 12 years, and the Northern shoveler, a species of duck that shows a 58% decline in 14 years.

Indian Courser

What are the threats to the birds species?

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/state-of-birds-most-species-show-dip-indian-peafowl-among-those-flourishing-8909776/

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (24th AUGUST 2023)

1. CHANDRAYAAN-3

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: India’s Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 scripted history by successfully landing on the lunar surface at 6:04 pm on 23^rd August, 2023.

EXPLANATION:

India becomes the only country to have accomplished a ‘soft landing’ on the Moon’s south pole and a rover, which is a small vehicle came out of the Lander.
According to ISRO, the mission’s three objectives were to

Demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface
To demonstrate a Rover roving on the Moon
To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

What is a soft landing, and why did Chandrayaan-3 land on the south pole?

Soft landing simply means landing at a gentle, controlled speed to not sustain damage to a spacecraft. It showcases a spacecraft’s technical capabilities.
Chandrayaan’s 3 landing site is near the south pole of the moon at 70 degrees latitude.
All of the previous spacecraft to have landed on the Moon have landed in the region near the Moon’s equator, firstly because it is easier and safer here. The terrain and temperature are more conducive for a long and sustained operation of instruments. Sunlight is also present, offering a regular supply of energy to solar-powered instruments.
The polar regions of the Moon, however, are different. Many parts lie in a completely dark region without sunlight, and temperatures can go below 230 degrees Celsius. This creates difficulty in the operation of instruments. In addition, there are large craters all over the place.
As a result, the polar regions of the Moon have remained unexplored. The extremely cold temperatures could mean that anything trapped in the region would remain frozen in time, without undergoing much change. The rocks and soil in Moon’s north and south poles could therefore provide clues to the early Solar System.
Notably, Chandrayaan-2 also planned to land in this region in 2019, but it was not able to accomplish a soft landing and lost contact after it hit the surface.

How did Chandrayaan-3 landed successfully?

Chandrayaan-3 Lander performed the critical technical manoeuvre when it entered the final 15 minutes of its attempt to make a soft landing on the Moon, where it had to transfer its high-speed horizontal position to a vertical one in order to facilitate a gentle descent on to the surface.
It includes four phases:

Rough Braking phase: This phase includes reducing the lander’s horizontal velocity from a range of 1.68 km/sec (more than 6,000 km/h) at a height of 30 km from the lunar surface, to almost zero for a soft landing at the designated site. This has to be done with precision, within certain durations. 2.
Attitude hold phase: At a height of 7.42 km from the surface, the lander is to go into an “attitude hold phase” lasting around 10 seconds, during which it should tilt from a horizontal to a vertical position while covering a distance of 3.48 km.
Fine braking phase: This phase lasts around 175 seconds, during which the lander is to move fully into a vertical position. It is to traverse the final 28.52 km to the landing site, the altitude will come down to 800-1,000 m, and it would reach a nominal speed of 0 m/sec. It was between the “attitude hold phase” and the “fine braking phase” that Chandrayaan-2 lost control and crashed.
Terminal descent phase: This is the final stage, when the spacecraft is supposed to descend totally vertically onto the surface.

After Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing on the Moon:

Chandrayaan is carrying certain instruments and experiments with them called payloads that observe and record what is happening in Space. This information is then relayed to Earth for scientists to analyse and study.
The six payloads on the Vikram lander and rover Pragyan remain the same as the previous mission.
There will be four scientific payloads on the lander to study lunar quakes, thermal properties of the lunar surface, changes in the plasma near the surface, and a passive experiment to help accurately measure the distance between Earth and the Moon.
The fourth payload comes from NASA.
There are two payloads on the Rover, designed to study the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface and to determine the composition of elements such as magnesium, aluminium and iron in the lunar soil and rocks.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/property-tax-in-jk-why-it-has-been-proposed-and-how-it-will-work-8484855/

2. PRAGYAN ROVER AND VIKRAM LANDER

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan rover ramped down from the Vikram Lander. The rover will stay on the lunar surface for 1 Lunar day or 14 Earth days.

PRAGYAN ROVER AND VIKRAM LANDER

Chandrayaan-3 successfully soft-landed on the Moon’s southern pole, beginning a new phase of lunar exploration.
This lunar mission comprises a propulsion module weighing 2,148 kg and a lander module of 1,752 kg (Vikram Lander), accompanied by a 26 kg rover (Pragyan rover).
The Pragyan rover will conduct a series of experiments on the surface of the moon.
Pragyan will check the chemical composition of the lunar surface and examine the lunar soil and rocks.
It will measure the ions and electrons density and the thermal properties of the lunar surface near the polar region.
This will be the first of its kind study as no other country has ever ventured to the moon’s south pole.
This data will then be relayed to the Vikram lander, which will subsequently transmit these data back to Earth for thorough scientific study.

What will happen to Chandrayaan-3 after 14 days?

A significant alteration occurs as the 14-day lunar day comes to an end. The Moon enters a 14-day night that is known for its bone-chilling cold.
This extreme condition renders both the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover
ISRO has designed its lander and rover to harness solar power and charge its onboard batteries, but that would be possible only during the lunar day.
After lunar day, comes lunar night for 14 days when temperatures drop severely and go well below -150ºC.
If the lander and rover survive the lunar night (14.75 earth days), it might be possible for them to get revived when the lunar day breaks and solar power is available.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/science/news/chandrayaan3-what-will-pragyan-rover-vikram-lander-do-now-explained-11692857783498.html

3. INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANISATION’S TELEMETRY, TRACKING AND COMMAND (ISTRAC) AND MISSION OPERATIONS COMPLEX (MOX)

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that the communication link has been established between the Chandrayaan-3 Lander and MOX-ISTRAC, Bengaluru after the India’s lunar satellite’s soft landing.

What is the role of ISTRAC and MOX?

ISTRAC:
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command centre in Bengaluru will receive data from the spacecraft and provide command tracking support.
It provides telemetry, tracking and command services from the time a rocket launches with a satellite or spacecraft to injection of the satellite into orbit and through the lifespan of the satellite.
It has a network of ground stations at Bengaluru, Lucknow, Mauritius, Sriharikota, Port Blair, Thiruvananthapuram, Brunei, and Biak (Indonesia) and Deep Space Network stations.
It is networked with a Deep Space Network established outside Bengaluru for ISRO’s deep space mission and will also be linked to ground stations of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the US and the European Space Agency for Chandrayaan-3.
MOX:
MOX consists of a Mission Control Room and a Mission Analysis Room.
It is the centre from where scientists will monitor the spacecraft 24×7.
There are two MOX complexes at ISTRAC.
It has been managing the health and other flight parameters of the spacecraft since Chandrayaan-3’s launch.
The MOX facilities were first set up at ISTRAC for the Chandrayaan-1 fly-by-the-moon mission in 2008.
It can accommodate over 100 scientists to monitor a spacecraft.
It resembles an operation theatre, with scientists seated on either side of a gallery poring over streams of data from a spacecraft.
Spacecraft are monitored for over 1,000 parameters to assess their overall health.

The image captured by the Landing Imager Camera after the landing. It shows a portion of Chandrayaan-3’s landing site.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the space agency of India.
ISRO was previously the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), set up by the Government of India in 1962, as envisioned by Dr. VikramA Sarabhai.
ISRO was formed on August 15, 1969, and superseded INCOSPAR with an expanded role to harness space technology.
Department of Space (DOS) was set up and ISRO was brought under DOS in 1972.
The organisation is involved in science, engineering, and technology to harvest the benefits of outer space for India and the mankind.
It is a major constituent of the Department of Space (DOS), Government of India. The department executes the Indian Space Programme primarily through various Centres or units within ISRO.
The prime objective of ISRO is the development and application of space technology for various national needs.
To fulfil this objective, ISRO has established major space systems for communication, television broadcasting and meteorological services; resources monitoring and management; space-based navigation services.
ISRO has developed satellite launch vehicles, PSLV and GSLV, to place the satellites in the required orbits.

SOURCE:https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/chandrayaan-3-mission-role-istrac-mox-8905478/lite/

4. NASA’S DEEP SPACE NETWORK AND CHANDRAYAAN

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: In addition to ISRO’s own deep space communication antenna, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has been relying on support from ground stations around the world, coordinated by NASA.

EXPLANATION:

India joined an elite group of three nations to have sent a spacecraft on the moon as Chandrayaan-3 landed a rover on the lunar surface to explore the uncharted territories near the south pole.
Meanwhile, ISRO collaborated with different space agencies including the European, Australian, and US counterparts of ISRO.
The lander module is equipped with instruments which is a laser retroreflector provided by NASA to measure the surface temperature and seismic activity around the landing site.

What is NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN):

NASA’s Deep Space Network is the largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications system in the world.
The Deep Space Network is NASA’s international array of giant radio antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions, plus a few that orbit Earth.
The DSN also provides radar and radio astronomy observations that improve our understanding of the solar system and the larger universe.
The DSN is operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which also operates many of the agency’s interplanetary robotic space missions.
The DSN consists of three facilities spaced equidistant from each other approximately 120 degrees apart in longitude around the world. These sites are at Goldstone, near Barstow, California; near Madrid, Spain; and near Canberra, Australia.
The strategic placement of these sites permits constant communication with spacecraft as our planet rotates before a distant spacecraft sinks below the horizon at one DSN site, another site can pick up the signal and carry on communicating.
The antennas of the Deep Space Network are the indispensable link to explorers venturing beyond Earth.
They provide the crucial connection for commanding our spacecraft and receiving their never before seen images and scientific information on Earth, propelling our understanding of the universe, our solar system and ultimately, our place within it.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/science/news/how-nasas-deep-space-network-dsn-helped-isro-in-communicating-with-chandrayaan3-11692798962508.html

5. PUBLIC TECH PLATFORM FOR FRICTIONLESS CREDIT

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched the pilot project for public tech platform for frictionless credit to ease credit flows.

EXPLANATION:

It was done via the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the RBI.
The platform will enable the delivery of frictionless credit by facilitating a seamless flow of required digital information to lenders.

What is the ‘Public Tech Platform for Frictionless Credit’?

It is an end-to-end digital platform that have an open architecture, open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and standards to which all banks can connect in a “plug and play” model.

What is frictionless credit?

Frictionless credit is a borrowing approach that seeks to streamline the lending process for consumers.
Unlike the traditional credit systems, where individuals need to go through extensive paperwork, credit checks and lengthy approval procedures, frictionless credit promises a smoother and faster experience.
RBI’s project is designed to smoothen Kisan Credit Card lending by automating various processes within the banks and integrating their systems with service providers.

How will the public tech platform help disburse loans?

Before a credit or loan is approved, it often takes lenders several days, a week or even months to process several sets of information.
Currently, data has to be sourced from credit information bureaus, account aggregators, and banks, which has led to obstacles in the timely delivery of lending.
The public tech platform seeks to make this process seamless by providing all the required information in one place to facilitate credit.

How RBI’s Public Tech Credit Platform works?

The digital platform allows central and state government entities, banks, credit information companies, and digital identity authorities to share information.
This allows the various stakeholders in the lending process to collate the data for each borrower faster leading to speedier processing of loan requests.
Apart from faster dispersion of loans to borrowers, the digital platform will help in reducing costs while increasing transparency, efficiency, and scalability.
The platform has been designed to have open application programming interface (API) standards, which will allow other financial institutions to readily adopt it into their systems.
Instead of having discrete information systems, the centralisation of borrower information can make it much easier for new loan applicants to avail credit facility.

Key benefits

“The platform is uniting disparate pieces of digital data from across the ecosystem into a cohesive, unified view.
By integrating banking, credit, and even corporate and governmental information, it facilitates swift and dependable underwriting which will, in turn, extend credit accessibility to segments of the population that were previously underserved.
This aligns well with our government’s vision of establishing a digital public infrastructure, which empowers banks, NBFCs, Fintech enterprises, and Startups to devise and deliver innovative solutions in payment, credit, and other financial domains.
It would facilitate a smooth flow of necessary digital information to lenders, enabling the supply of ‘frictionless finance’.
It will make the lending process more efficient by lowering costs, enabling faster distribution, and improving scalability.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/easing-credit-flow-on-the-reserve-bank-of-indias-public-tech-platform-for-frictionless-credit/article67223310.ece

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (23rd AUGUST 2023)

1. FORTIFICATION OF RICE

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE; GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The government will implement fully rice fortification programme before the scheduled target of March 2024.

EXPLANATION:

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 the first phase, the target was to cover ICDS and PM POSHAN in India by March 2022.
Under the second phase, the plan was to extend the scheme to beneficiaries of PDS and other welfare schemes in all aspirational and high-burden districts on stunting (a total of 291 districts) by March 2023.
In the third phase, the target was to cover the remaining districts of the country by March 2024.
The first phase got started only in October 2021 and about 17 lakh tonnes of fortified rice was lifted, the first phase was implemented under the budgetary provision of the Women and Child Development Ministry.
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 ₹ 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.
As of date, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has 240 lakh tonnes of rice, of which just 12 lakh tonnes are non-fortified rice.
The government will also look at revising the advisory on fortified rice being harmful to people with sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia in light of new evidence.
Food regulator FSSAI, the regulatory/licensing authority for food fortification, has drafted standards for FRK and Pre-mix, and provided direction to all the stakeholders for the operationalisation of draft standards with immediate effect.

What is fortified rice?

According to the Food Ministry, fortification of rice is a cost-effective and complementary strategy to increase vitamin and mineral content in diets. According to FSSAI norms, 1 kg fortified rice will contain iron (28 mg-42.5 mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram) and Vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).
In addition, rice may also be fortified with micronutrients, singly or in combination, with zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3 and Vitamin B6.
Fortified rice is nearly identical to traditional rice in aroma, taste, and texture. This process is done in the rice mills at the time of milling of rice.

How is rice fortified with iron?

Under the fortification scheme, milled broken rice is reduced 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.
It is found to be a cost-effective and complementary strategy to increase vitamin and mineral content in diets with low turnaround time (TAT) and a step towards nutritional security and helps in fighting anaemia and malnutrition in the country.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-to-fully-implement-rice-fortification-programme-before-march-2024-target/articleshow/102953731.cms?from=mdr

2. 7TH GEF ASSEMBLY: GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK FUND

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Seventh Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) held on Vancouver, Canada. Here, member countries got together to ratify Global Biodiversity Framework Fund.

EXPLANATION:

The ratification of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) would ensure that sufficient money is available for conservation and restoration of species and ecosystems.
The fund was envisaged at the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15 CBD) in December, 2022.
It aims to ensure that countries have enough financial support to meet the goals and targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
GEF, which is the world’s largest multilateral funder of environmental action, is tasked with running the fund and has to mobilise at least $200 billion per year by 2030.
For this, GEF will accept donations from countries, philanthropies and the private sector, along with stimulating schemes such as payment for ecosystem services, green bonds, biodiversity offsets and credits, and benefit-sharing mechanisms.
Under its current work plan, GEF has just $1.4 billion for action on three major environmental issues: Climate, biodiversity, and pollution.
This amount is likely to reach $10.5 billion as GEF plans to generate another $9.1 billion in co-financing from other sources by 2026.
Biodiversity is set to receive the maximum amount 47% of these funds. Climate change will receive 16 per cent, while land degradation will get 12 per cent. International waters and chemical waste will get 11 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively.
The proposed fund allocations are as follows:

20 per cent will go to Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLC). This is an aspirational goal.
25 per cent will go to GEF agencies and must be enforced.

Allocation of funds to IPLCs would be reviewed two years after ratification in August. SIDS and LDC will get 36 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively. This would be reviewed three years after ratification.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/world/7th-gef-assembly-member-countries-get-together-to-ratify-global-biodiversity-framework-fund-91287

3. RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the first vaccination to save newborns from Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

EXPLANATION:

The new vaccine is made by Pfizers and is given to mothers late in their pregnancies. It provides protection to infants through their first six months of life.
During the trial of the vaccine on more than 7,000 pregnant people and their infants, it was found that it cut the risk that infants needed to see a doctor. It also reduced the cases of hospitalisation among infants.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes infections of the lungs and respiratory tract. It’s so common that most children have been infected with the virus by age 2. Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-ul) virus can also infect adults.
In adults and older, healthy children, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) symptoms are mild and typically mimic the common cold. Self-care measures are usually all that’s needed to relieve any discomfort.
RSV can cause severe infection in some people, including babies 12 months and younger (infants), especially premature infants, older adults, people with heart and lung disease, or anyone with a weak immune system (immunocompromised).

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of respiratory syncytial virus infection most commonly appear about four to six days after exposure to the virus. In adults and older children, RSV usually causes mild cold-like signs and symptoms. These may include:

Congested or runny nose
Dry cough
Low-grade fever
Sore throat
Sneezing
Headache

In severe cases

RSV infection can spread to the lower respiratory tract, causing pneumonia or bronchiolitis — inflammation of the small airway passages entering the lungs. Signs and symptoms may include:

Fever
Severe cough
Wheezing — a high-pitched noise that’s usually heard on breathing out (exhaling)
Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing — the person may prefer to sit up rather than lie down
Bluish color of the skin due to lack of oxygen (cyanosis)

United States Food and Drug Administration

The United States Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The FDA is led by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The FDA has its headquarters in unincorporated White Oak, Maryland.
The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, caffeine products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/science/health/usfda-gives-nod-to-first-vaccine-to-protect-newborns-from-respiratory-syncytial-virus-11692671178258.html

4. RAJASTHAN’S FIFTH TIGER RESERVE IN DHOLPUR-KARAULI

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change has accorded the final approval to Rajasthan’s fifth Tiger Reserve in Dholpur-Karauli.

EXPLANATION:

With increasing big cat population in RTR, the Rajasthan state forest department had moved the proposal to develop Dholpur-Karauli the fifth tiger reserve in Rajasthan. NTCA gave its approval in February, 2023.
It is the country’s 54th tiger reserve. The ministry also gave in-principle approval to declare Kumbhalgarh as a tiger reserve in Rajasthan.
The other four tiger reserves in Rajasthan are – Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Sawai Madhopur, Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar, Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Kota and Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi, which was added in May 2022.
Currently around 8-10 tigers are moving in Dholpur-Karauli forest area. The protected natural tiger corridor will increase from Ramgarh Vishdhari- RTR-Dholpur to Mukundra – the stretch would be around 4,000sq km.

Tiger Reserve

A tiger reserve is made up of two areas: a “Core” or “Critical Tiger Habitat” that must be managed as a protected space, and a “Buffer” or “Peripheral” region that borders the Core area but may get less habitat protection.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority, which oversees Project Tiger, is in charge of the Indian tiger reserves, which were established in 1973.

Project Tiger

Project Tiger was launched in the year 1973. It was one of the most important conservation efforts initiated to protect Tigers in India.
It was the first of its kind of Project in India to maintain the population of Tigers in India and to protect them from Poaching and other threats.

Aims of Project Tiger:

To identify factors causing a reduction in tiger habitats and mitigate them through suitable management practices. The damages already done to the habitat were to be corrected so that the natural ecosystem can be recovered to the extent possible.
To maintain a viable tiger population for their economic, ecological, cultural, and aesthetic significance.

National Tiger Conservation Authority

The National Tiger Conservation Authority is set up under the Chairmanship of the Minister for Environment and Forests.
The Authority have eight experts or professionals having qualifications and experience in wildlife conservation and welfare of people including tribals, apart from three Members of Parliament of whom two will be elected by the House of the People and one by the Council of States.
The Inspector General of Forests, in charge of project Tiger, will be ex-officio Member Secretary.
The Authority lay down normative standards, guidelines for tiger conservation in the Tiger Reserves, apart from National Parks and Sanctuaries.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/dholpur-karauli-to-be-rajasthans-5th-tiger-reserve-indias-54th/articleshow/102959871.cms?from=mdr

5. REPORT ON STALLED REAL ESTATE PROJECTS

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: A 14-member committee chaired by former NITI Aayog CEO and India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, which was constituted to examine stalled real estate projects and recommend ways to complete them, submitted its report.

EXPLANATION:

The committee was set up in March,2023 by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry and Amitabh Kant was appointed its head.
It included officials of the Union Finance Ministry, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana state governments, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, the National Housing Bank and the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) of Haryana and UP.

What did the committee find?

The committee’s report cited that 4.12 lakh dwelling units of Rs.4.08 lakh crore were “stressed” and about 2.40 lakh (44%) of these were in the National Capital Region. Another 21% of the units were in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The committee concluded that the main reason for the stress in these projects was the “lack of financial viability”, which had led to cost overruns and time delays.
The committee said the way to solve the problem would be to improve the Internal Rate of Return of the projects in order to attract funding.
Judicial interventions, like the use of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, should be the last resort.

What did the committee recommend?

The committee began its list of recommendations by reiterating provisions of the Real Estate(Regulation and Development)Act, 2016 to be enforced.
Real Estate(Regulation and Development)Act, 2016 mandates that all projects where the land is over 500 square metres or the number of apartments to be constructed are more than eight are registered with the respective state RERA.
The committee recommended de-linking the grant of registration or sub-lease by the land authorities to the homebuyers from the recovery of dues from developers.
The committee recommended that the RERAs identify such projects where the homebuyers were not being given no-objection and completion certificates in projects that were substantially completed and expedite the process to grant certificates, irrespective of the developers’ paying their dues to the authorities.
One of the main recommendations of the committee was for state governments to set up a rehabilitation package to get the stalled projects running again. Those developers who sign up for the package would have to commit to completing the projects in three years.
The committee proposed a “partial surrender policy”, in which developers can give back some of the unused lands to the authority in exchange for a waiver on the dues for that land.
The report said the MoHUA should prepare a detailed scheme for using the Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Fund to “proactively” finance the stalled projects and sent it to the Finance Ministry.
It said the requirement of minimum Internal Rate of Return and first charge in the SWAMIH fund should be reworked.

Real Estate(Regulation and Development)Act, 2016:

It aims to protect the rights and interests of consumers by minimising the malpractices done by the developers and promoting uniformity business practices and transactions in the real estate sector.
The RERA Act came into effect on and from 1 May, 2016. The centre, through the Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry, released the general rules of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016.
The Act was legislated under entry 6 and entry 7 of the concurrent list of the Indian Constitution.
The provisions of the RERA Act apply to residential apartments, buildings and plots whether residential or commercial. The Real Estate Project defined in the Act includes the development of buildings consisting of apartments, converting existing buildings into apartments and developing land into plots for the sale of all or some of the said apartments to carry out the purpose of this Act.

Salient features of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016

To regulate and promote the real estate sector by establishing the Real Estate Regulatory Authority.
To protect the interests of the consumers and buyers and ensure the prevention of malpractices against them.
To establish adequate and speedy dispute redressal systems and also establish Appellate Tribunals to hear and adjudge appeals from the orders, directions or decisions of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority.
Establishes state-level regulatory authorities called RERA.
To ensure that the money collected from project buyers must be kept in a separate bank account and utilised solely for the construction of the project. This sum is subject to change by the State Government.
The Act provides the right to legal representation on behalf of the client by a CA, CS or CMA or legal practitioners

Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Fund

It is a social impact fund specifically formed for completing stressed and stalled residential projects and considered as the lender of last resort for distressed projects.
It was launched in November 2019, with an aim to provide priority debt financing for the completion of stressed, brownfield and RERA-registered residential projects that fall in the affordable, mid-income housing category.
The Fund is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and is managed by SBICAP Ventures Ltd., a State Bank Group company.
The Fund considers first-time developers, established developers with troubled projects, developers with a poor track record of stalled projects, customer complaints and NPA accounts, and even projects where there are litigation issues

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/panel-stalled-real-estate-projects-report-findings-recommendations-8903719/

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (22nd AUGUST 2023)

1. E-GOVERNANCE DELIVERY REPORT RELEASED

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the fifth edition of ‘National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) – Way Forward Monthly Report for States/UTs’ on status of e-service delivery across States/UTs has been released.

EXPLANATION:

Findings of the report:

National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) initiative has been undertaken by Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DAPRG), Govt. of India.
It aims to boost the e-government endeavors at all levels of governance and embark on the journey for Digital Government excellence.
The report showed that e-services saturation had reached 69 per cent with the maximum e-services reported in the Local governance and Utility services sector.
State Wise assessment showed, 21 out 36 States/UTs have achieved saturation of mandatory e-services in the Tourism sector while 17 states have achieved saturation in the Environment sector.

National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) framework:

It was launched in August 2018, was conceptualized with an overall objective to measure the depth and effectiveness of existing e-Governance service delivery mechanisms.
This framework, based on the Online Service Index (OSI) of UNDESA eGovernment Survey, has been customized for the Indian federal structure and the e-Governance landscape of the States and UTs.
The first edition of the biennial study – National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment 2019 was released during February 2020.

NeSDA Framework

Categorisation of states

To account for the variations in the size and diversity of the States, they have been categorized into three groups:
North East States and Hill States (11)
Union Territories (7), and
Remaining States (18)

Sectors covered

2019 – The framework covers six sectors, viz. Finance, Labour & Employment, Education, Local Government & Utilities, Social Welfare (including Agriculture & Health) and Environment (including Fire) sectors.
2021 – In NeSDA 2021, Additional services added such as Public Procurement, Home Department, and Tourism in alignment to the UN eGovernment Survey online services coverage and country’s priority sectors.
2023 – In NeSDA 2023, Transport and Public Grievance sectors are added.

Parameters covered

The State / UT / Ministry Portals – seven parameters, namely, Accessibility, Content Availability, Ease of Use, Information Security & Privacy, Open Government Data (OGD), E-Participation and Leveraging Emerging Technologies.
The Services Portals – eight parameters, viz. Accessibility, Content Availability, Ease of Use, Information Security & Privacy, End-service Delivery, Integrated Service Delivery, Status & Request Tracking and Leveraging Emerging Technologies
The City Portals – seven parameters, namely, Accessibility, Content Availability, Ease of Use, Information Security & Privacy, Open Government Data (OGD), E-Participation and Leveraging Emerging Technologies.

SOURCE: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/e-governance-delivery-report-released/articleshow/102918144.cms?from=mdr

2. BHARAT NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (BHARAT NCAP)

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has announced the implementation of new safety rating system for passenger cars from October 1, 2023.

EXPLANATION:

With the launch of the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), India is set to get its own crash safety assessment system.
With NCAP, the Centre is aiming to increase demand for safer cars and encourage manufacturers to comply with customer needs.
High safety standards could help Indian cars compete better in the global market and increase the export potential of Indian car manufacturers.

What is Bharat NCAP?

The Bharat NCAP is a safety assessment initiative introduced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
It aims to evaluate the safety performance of passenger vehicles in India that weigh less than 3.5 tonnes and can accommodate up to eight passengers.
The programme aims to provide a tool to the car customers to make a comparative assessment of crash safety of motor vehicles available in the market.
It is designed to align India’s safety standards with countries like the USA, Australia, Japan and the UK.
The vehicles will be given star ratings based on crash tests and point-based evaluations.

How will the rating be given?

The rating will be given based on a series of crash tests. A frontal crash test is conducted at a speed of 64 kilometres per hour (kmph). Side and pole-side tests occur at 50 kmph and 20 kmph, respectively.
Ratings are assigned based on two criteria: Adult safety for front passengers and child safety at the rear. For adult safety, a car needs to score a minimum of 27 out of a maximum of 32 points to achieve a 5-star rating
A 5-star rating for child safety is granted to vehicles scoring at least 41 out of 49 points.

How can automakers get a BNAP rating for their cars?

Under the BNCAP, manufacturers or importers of motor vehicles will have to apply for FORM 70-A to the agency designated by the central government.
Under this programme, car manufacturers can voluntarily offer their cars to be tested as per the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197.
Based on the performance of the car in the tests, car will be awarded star ratings for Adult Occupants (AOP) and Child Occupant (COP).
The vehicle’s star rating shall be uploaded on the designated portal by the designated agency.

SOURCE: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/auto-news/indias-new-safety-ratings-for-passenger-cars-to-start-on-oct-1-govt/articleshow/102933251.cms?from=mdr

3. INDIA, ASEAN AGREE TO REVIEW FTA BY 2025

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

THE CONTEXT: Recently, India and the ASEAN countries reached an agreement to review their free trade pact for goods and set a 2025 goalpost for concluding the review aimed at addressing the “asymmetry” in bilateral trade.

EXPLANATION:

India and the ASEAN have agreed to fast track negotiations for the review of the existing free trade agreement in goods between the two regions and conclude the talks in 2025.
The issue was discussed during the 20^th ASEAN Economic Ministers-India Consultation meeting, held at Semarang, Indonesia.
The commerce ministry said that the main agenda of this year’s meeting was the timely review of ASEAN -India Trade in Goods Agreement which was signed in 2009 and implemented in January 2010.
The economic ministers’ meeting was preceded by AITIGA Joint Committee meeting, which deliberated the roadmap for the review and finalised the term of reference and the work plan of the review negotiations.
The review of AITIGA is expected to enhance and diversify trade while addressing the current asymmetry in bilateral trade.
Trade experts said the review demand is there because India’s exports to ASEAN have been affected due to non-reciprocity in FTA concessions, non-tariff barriers, import regulations and quotas.

Associated concerns:

Concerns have been raised about routing of goods from third countries in India through ASEAN members by taking the duty advantages of the agreement.
ASEAN also has a much deeper economic engagement with China through the ASEAN China Trade and Goods Agreement.
The trade deficit has widened to $43.57 billion in the last fiscal from $25.76 billion in 2021-22. It was just $5 billion in 2010-11.

ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA)

It aims to enhance the free flow of goods in the region to lessen trade barriers and deeper economic linkages among Member States to translate into lower business costs, increased trade, and a larger market and economies of scale for businesses.
It goes beyond tariff reductions and contains specific provisions on rules of origin (ROO), non-tariff measures (NTMs), trade facilitation, and sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) measures.

Through ATIGA, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand have eliminated intra-ASEAN import duties on 99.65 percent of their tariff lines.
Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam have reduced their import duties to 0-5 percent on 98.86 percent of their tariff lines.

Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration).
Its founding members included Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
It is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia i.e Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

ASEAN’s primary objectives are:

to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region; and
to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/business/india-asean-agree-to-review-fta-by-2025/article67220771.ece

4. METHYLOTUVIMICROBIUM BURYATENSE 5GB1C BACTERIA

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: According to a study published in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”, 240 million tonnes of methane could be prevented from reaching the atmosphere by using Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense 5GB1C bacteria extensively by 2050.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STUDY:

Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense 5GB1C is a bacterial strain that consumes methane and can help mitigate global warming.
Researchers explained that the global average temperature rise can be reduced 0.21-0.22 degree Celsius by removing 0.3-1 petagrams of methane by 2050.
Bacteria that consume methane (methanotrophs) can be a desirable choice. However, they thrive in environments with methane concentrations of between 5,000 and 10,000 parts per million (ppm).
But methane levels in key emission sites are around 500 ppm.
To identify methanotrophs that consume such low methane (500 ppm) at much higher rates, researchers screened a range of existing methanotrophs.
At 500 ppm, they discovered that Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense 5GB1C performed at its best. Additional research revealed that this strain continued to grow effectively at 200 ppm.
It can grow at low methane concentrations ranging from 200-1,000 ppm.
These features make this strain a promising candidate for methane removal technology.

What are the constraints?

Scaling up the technology is challenging.
To control temperature is tricky. As the optimal temperature range is 25-30oC, both too-low and too-high temperatures become problematic for bacterial growth.
Controlling temperature will be expensive and will have an impact both economic feasibility and energy balance.
When comparing temperate temperatures to tropical climates and polar climates, the issue is cost and energy utilisation.
To test the feasibility of the technology in implementation, researchers called for additional field experiments.

Methane:

It is flammable and is used as a fuel worldwide.
It has a shorter lifespan in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide.
Oil and natural gas networks, agricultural practises, coal mining, and garbage are some of the common sources of methane.
Methane is 85 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) on a 20-year timescale.
Methane is responsible for around 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution.

What are the other initiatives to tackle methane emissions?

India shifted from Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms.
National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was launched in 2008, aimed to create awareness among the representatives of the public, industries, communities etc on the threat posed by climate change and the steps to counter it.
India Greenhouse Gas Program is an industry-led voluntary framework to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions.
Global Methane Initiative (GMI) is an international public-private partnership focused on reducing barriers to the recovery and use of methane as a clean energy source.
Global Methane Pledge at the Glasgow climate conference (UNFCCC COP 26) in 2021 to cut methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 from the 2020 levels. India is not a part of Global Methane Pledge.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/now-a-bacteria-that-can-eat-methane-can-it-reduce-global-warming-researchers-say-it-s-possible-91289

5. JAXA’ s XRISM and SLIM spacecraft

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Japan’s Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is ready to launch X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) spacecraft along with Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) on 26 August.

X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM):

It aims to study the universe’s hottest regions, largest structures, and objects with the strongest gravity.
It is a joint initiative of NASA and JAXA.
The spacecraft would be able to detect X-ray light from gas released from galaxy clusters and help astronomers to measure the total mass of these systems.
It will reveal information about the formation and evolution of the Universe, according to European Space Agency.
XRISM’s observations of galaxy clusters will also provide insight into how the chemical elements were produced and distributed by the Universe.

Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM):

JAXA’s SLIM set to land on Moon from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.
It aims to demonstrate accurate landing techniques by a small explorer.
This will give an impetus to Moon and planet study through lighter exploration systems.
It is scheduled to launch as a “ride-share” payload with XRISM.
It will ride a Mitsubishi H-IIA launch vehicle.
It has clocked up over 30 successful missions in a row since 2005.
Successful landing will lead to a qualitative shift towards being able to land where we want and not just where it is easy to land.
It also has high-resolution cameras and an image processing algorithm. The smart lander would be able to calculate and finalising an optimal spot for landing based on information of craters and their position.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/science/news/japans-space-agency-to-launch-xrism-and-slim-moon-sniper-spacecraft-26-august-nasa-mission-to-moon-jaxa-lunar-mission-11692682731077.html

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (18th AUGUST 2023)

1. FINFLUENCERS WILL REQUIRE REGISTRATION OR LICENCE FROM SEBI, IRDAI

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: In a bid to safeguard consumer interests, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has tightened its guidelines for financial social media influencers also known as “finfluencers.”

EXPLANATION:

The revised guidelines by ASCI comes at a time when SEBI has raised concerns about finfluencers spreading misleading advice regarding investments and stock trading.
In its revised guidelines, ASCI said that ‘finfluencers’ can now offer investment-related advice only after being registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
The self-regulatory body has also tightened guidelines for influencers who endorse products making health and nutrition-related claims.
It has said that such influencers must hold relevant qualifications such as medical degrees or certification in nursing, nutrition, dietetics, physiotherapy or psychology.
They should prominently display their registration number alongside name and qualifications.
For other financial advice, influencers must possess appropriate credentials such as a licence from the IRDAI and be a qualified as a chartered accountant, hold a company secretaryship, among others.
The self-regulatory body added that health and financial influencers must give proper disclosure about their qualifications and registration details on all types of promotional material.
These disclosures should be superimposed on the visuals prominently and upfront, or mentioned as the opening remark in the video.
Moreover, they are expected to adhere to all disclosure prerequisites as stipulated by financial sector regulators from time to time.

Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI):

It was established in 1985 under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.
It has been defined as a “voluntary, self-regulatory council” which has been registered as a non-profit company.
The ASCI team consists of a Board of Governors, members of the Consumer Complaints Council and a Secretariat.
The Board of the ASCI consists of a governor and 16 members, which comprise of members of reputable firms including media agencies, advertisers and other individuals involved with the advertising business.
The Secretariat consists of 5 members and is headed by the Secretary General.
The ultimate mission of the ASCI is to promote truthfulness, honesty, public decency, societal standards and to oppose hazardous products.
The objectives of the ASCI include to “monitor, manage and promote” standards with respect to advertising practices in the country, with a view to ensure the following:

That advertising claims are presented with truthfulness and honesty, and that no misleading and false claims are made.
That the advertisements are not made and presented in a manner which is offensive to the general public in India, and that the standards of public agency are followed.
That no advertisement is made in respect of products or services regarded as hazardous or unacceptable to individuals or to the society.
That no unfair means are used by anyone player in the market, and that advertisements are made in a competitive manner.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/finfluencers-will-require-registration-or-licence-from-sebi-irdai-asci/article67206218.ece

2. UDGAM PORTAL

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently unveiled a centralised Web Portal UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits Gateway to Access information) as part of its statement on Development and Regulatory Policies.

EXPLANATION:

The web portal will aid users to identify their unclaimed deposits/ accounts and enable them to either claim the deposit amount or make their deposit accounts operative at their respective banks.
Reserve Bank Information Technology Pvt. Ltd. (ReBIT), Indian Financial Technology & Allied Services (IFTAS), and participating banks have collaborated on developing the portal.
It allows users to search their unclaimed deposits across multiple banks in one place.
For now, customers of the seven banks listed on the portal, including State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Central Bank of India, Dhanlaxmi Bank, South Indian Bank, DBS Bank, and Citibank can start using the UDGAM portal. The search facility for remaining banks on the portal would be made available in a phased manner by October 15, 2023.
The UDGAM portal only allows users to access the details of the bank account, not the actual funds.
The proceedings to access unclaimed deposits then continue at the concerned branch of the bank where the deposit is sitting.
The launch comes months after the RBI started work in April on an AI-enabled web portal that helped users locate unclaimed deposits sitting in bank accounts.
The RBI said all the bank deposits unclaimed for ten years are transferred to the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund.
Unclaimed deposits, which are 10 years or more, in the public sector banks (PSBs), grew by over 70% between December 2020 and February 2023. Moreover, PSBs transferred INR 35,012 Cr in such deposits to the DEA Fund as of February 2023.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/business/rbi-unveils-udgam-portal-for-search-of-unclaimed-deposits/article67206262.ece

3. INS VINDHYAGIRI

TAG: GS 3: INTERNAL SECURITY, DEFENCE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, The President launched INS Vindhyagiri a frigate, in the series of Project 17A (Alpha) frigates built by the Indian Navy at Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).

EXPLANATION:

President said that Project 17A, under which INS Vindhyagiri was developed, reflects the country’s commitment to self-reliance and technological advancement as well as indigenous innovation for developing state-of-the-art technology.
Following the launch, Vindhyagiri will join its two sister ships INS Nilgiri, INS Udaygiri, at the Outfitting Jetty at GRSE, to progress remaining activities and equipment trials, in the run-up to their delivery and commissioning.

INS Vindhyagiri:

Vindhyagiri, named after the mountain range in Karnataka, is the sixth ship of the Project 17A program.
These warships are follow-ons of the Project 17 Class Frigates (Shivalik Class), with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
Vindhyagiri’, a technologically advanced Frigate, pays a befitting tribute to the distinguished service of its predecessor, the erstwhile INS Vindhyagiri, the Leander Class ASW Frigate.
The old Vindhyagiri in its nearly 31 years of service from July 1981 to Jun 2012, had witnessed various challenging operations and multinational exercises.
The newly christened Vindhyagiri stands as a symbol of India’s determination to embrace its rich naval heritage while propelling itself towards a future of indigenous defence capabilities.

What is Project 17A of the Indian Navy?

Project 17 Alpha frigates (P-17A) were launched by the Indian Navy in 2019. Project 17A Frigates are the follow-on class of the Project 17 (Shivalik Class) Frigates, with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
The project was launched by the defence forces of India to construct a series of stealth guided-missile frigates, which are currently being constructed by two companies – Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).
Under the Project 17A program, a total of four ships by Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) and three ships by GRSE are under construction. The project’s first five ships have been launched by the MDL and GRSE between 2019 and 2022.
The ships have been named as INS Nilgiri, INS Himgiri, INS Udaygiri, INS Dunagiri, INS Taragiri, INS Vindhyagiri and INS Mahendragiri after the names of hill ranges in India.
Project 17A ships have been designed in-house by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau, the pioneer organization for all warship design activities.
These guided-missile frigates have been constructed with a specific stealth design, which has radar-absorbent coatings and is low-observable which can make its approach undetectable for the enemies. The new technology also reduces the infrared signals of the ship.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/president-murmu-launches-my-bengal-addiction-free-bengal-campaign-in-kolkata/article67205978.ece

4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SULINA CHANNEL FOR UKRAINE GRAIN TRADE

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: The Danube delta has provided Ukraine with an alternative passage for its grain after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal.

EXPLANATION:

The Sulina Channel is particularly significant in this ‘new’ trading route.
The deal, which was brokered by the UN and Turkey, used to provide grain-carrying cargo ships a safe route to and from the Ukrainian Black Sea ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi.

DANUBE RIVER

The Danube is the second largest river of Europe.
It has historically been crucial for the movement of freight.
The river starts to expand out into its delta around Tulcea, Romania, some 80 km from the sea.
This delta has three main channels: Chilia, Sulina, and St. George.
Only the Sulina Channel, which has been dredged and straightened, is deep and wide enough for the freight transportation.
It flows through the Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine.
The Danube River is the second-longest river in Europe after the Volga.

SULINA CHANNEL

Sulina is situated at the mouth of the Danube.
Sulina Channel is the distributary of Danube with a length of 63 km.
The Sulina Channel is situated in the eastern part of Romania, near the town of Sulina.
It connects major Ukrainian ports on the river to the Black Sea, lying completely within the borders of Romania.

CONSTRAINTS OF THE ROUTE

Russia has desisted from attacking NATO-controlled territories.
Though continued targeting of Ukrainian ports and grain facilities on the Danube can be crippling.
Ukraine has historically not used the Danube for grain exports.
They relied instead on its rail network and Black Sea ports.
This has meant that the capacity of Ukrainian ports to handle the volume of grain suddenly coming their way is fairly limited.
Another problem, given the sheer traffic on the Channel, has been congestion at its mouth.
Boats are having to wait for days before they can enter the Channel, causing major delays in shipping.
One solution is to transport the grain from Ukraine to Romania via rail and use Romanian ports instead.
This would lead to considerable loss of revenue in the form of loading fees and other expenses for Ukraine.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/the-importance-of-the-sulina-channel-to-ukraine-grain-trade-8895778/

5. INTERNATIONAL CROPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR THE SEMI-ARID TROPICS (ICRISAT)

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY, AGRICULTURE

THE CONTEXT: ICRISAT’s World Vegetable Centre in Hyderabad is helping farmers in crop diversification.

EXPLANATION:

The World Vegetable Centre under the aegis of ICRISAT is helping farmers from Telangana and across India in diversifying their crop production.
Recently, the centre has invited the farmers to the centre and made them aware of several strategies like grafting, staking etc.
Demonstrations were also organised on how to put these strategies to use for better crop production.
The aim behind the outreach to farmers is to bridge their knowledge gap and encourage them to take up vegetable farming.
The centre has also been promoting home gardening, urban/semi-urban vegetable cultivation and marketing.
The centre is also looking at collaborating with the government of Telangana to start home gardens in communities located in Hyderabad.
According to the centre, the current average daily consumption of vegetables stands at 86 grams in India. This is significantly less compared to FAO standard of daily consumption of 200 grams of vegetables.
Promotion of vegetable farming by the centre can help reduce the supply-demand gap which can increase the daily consumption of vegetables.

World Vegetable Centre

The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) was established in 1971 as the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) in Taiwan.
The World Vegetable Center conducts research and builds networks.
It carries out training and promotion activities to raise awareness of the role of vegetables for improved health and global poverty alleviation.
The Center’s research and development work focuses on breeding improved vegetable lines.
It also aims at developing and promoting safe production practices, reducing postharvest losses, and improving the nutritional value of vegetables.
It aims for healthier lives and more resilient livelihoods through greater diversity.

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

It is an international organization which conducts agricultural research for rural development.
Its headquarters is in Patancheru (Hyderabad, Telangana).
It was founded in 1972 by a consortium of organisations convened by the Ford and the Rockefeller foundations.
Its charter was signed by the FAO and the UNDP.
It is a non-profit, non-political public international research organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
It has been awarded the 2021 Africa Food Prize, for its work that has improved food security across 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/icrisats-world-vegetable-centre-helping-farmers-in-crop-diversification/article67205283.ece

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (17th AUGUST 2023)

1. INCOIS LAUNCHES ‘SAMUDRA’ MOBILE APP

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has come out with a new mobile application ‘SAMUDRA’ – Smart Access to Marine Users for Ocean Data Resources and Advisories.

EXPLANATION:

It offers comprehensive information on all ocean related services, useful for both seafarers and the fishing community.
It will be especially beneficial to the fishing community as it disseminates potential fishing zone advisories which will guide them to the probable fish aggregation locations. Fishermen can be guided to the most probable fish aggregation locations enabling them to maximise catch rates, and thus, improve livelihoods.
It empowers users with real-time updates and critical alerts on oceanic disasters such as tsunamis, storm surges, high waves, and swell surge alerts, for the individuals and communities to stay informed and take necessary precautions.
Till now, INCOIS has been providing fishing zone and Ocean State Forecast (OSF) services through SMS messaging to about seven lakh fishermen across all the coastal states.
The OSF services are being provided to various public and private firms like the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, shipping industries, maritime boards, ONGC – Oil & Natural Gas Commission and others.
The five-day advanced OSFs will help mariners, fishermen, and coastal communities to plan their activities in advance, mitigating risks and optimizing operations based on predicted ocean conditions.
The app also has interactive maps, charts, and animations for enhanced comprehension of complex oceanic phenomena, explained the scientists.
It is a cutting-edge tool helping users to navigate the marine domain with confidence on their safety, and profitable fishing operations.
It will catalyse sustainable ocean activities, thus enabling a way forward for the Blue Economy.

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)

INCOIS was established as an autonomous body in 1999 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and is a unit of the Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO).
It is mandated to provide the best possible ocean information and advisory services to society, industry, government agencies and the scientific community through sustained ocean observations and research.

Activities:

Provides daily advisories to fisher folk to help them easily locate areas of abundant fish in the ocean while saving on both fuel and time used to search for the same.
Deploys and maintains a suite of Ocean Observing Systems in the Indian Ocean to collect data on various oceanic parameters to understand the processes in the ocean and to predict their changes.
Carries out Research and Modeling to optimize the performance of mathematical models used for ocean state forecasts, prediction of tsunami waves, storm surges, etc. along the coast.

The Earth System Science Organization (ESSO):

It was established in October, 2007 as a virtual organization in New Delhi. It operates as an executive arm of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) for its policies and programmes.
It provides overall direction for the centers/units and review the implementation of the programs. It aims to address holistically various aspects relating to earth processes for understanding the variability of earth system.
It brings all meteorological and ocean development activities under one umbrella, recognizing the importance of strong coupling among various components of the earth viz. atmosphere, oceans, cryo-sphere and geo-sphere.
It has four major branches of earth sciences:

Ocean Science & Technology
Atmospheric and Climate Science
Geosciences and Technology
Polar Science and Cryosphere

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/incois-launches-samudra-mobile-app-for-seafarers-and-fishing-community/article67193794.ece

2. GUIDELINES ON GENERIC MEDICINES

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE.

THE CONTEXT: The National Medical Commission (NMC) is taking steps to better enforce the use of generic medicines by issuing fresh guidelines on it.

EXPLANATION:

The NMC has directed doctors to prescribe generic drugs instead of branded drugs.
Branded drugs are much more expensive than generic drugs and they are supported by large-scale commercial promotion by pharma companies.
Generic drugs have the same composition, effects, side effects and usage as the branded drugs but are often ignored as there is a nexus between doctors, pharma companies and medical shops to promote branded drugs.
It has also directed that prescriptions should be written clearly and legibly, preferably in capital letters. Carelessly written prescriptions create confusion and have sometimes resulted in patients taking wrong medicines.
Doctors will now have to prescribe only generic medicines, except for cases where medicines have a narrow therapeutic index drugs where a small difference in dosage may lead to adverse outcomes and in other exceptional cases.
The guidelines have also sought judicious use of fixed-dose combinations and asked doctors only to prescribe approved, rational combinations.
Doctors have been told to educate people on generics being equivalent to branded medicines, urge pharmacies to stock them, and to encourage people to buy medicines from Jan Aushadhi Kendras and other generic drug outlets.
The enforcement of the guidelines will make a big difference to patients with respect to their out-of-pocket expenditure.

National Medical Commission (NMC)

The National Medical Commission is a regulatory body of 33 members which regulates medical education and medical professionals.
It replaced the Medical Council of India on 25 September 2020.
The Commission grants recognition of medical qualifications, gives accreditation to medical schools, grants registration to medical practitioners, and monitors medical practice and assesses the medical infrastructure in India.

The commission consists of four autonomous boards:

Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB),
Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB),
Medical Assessment and Rating Board and
Ethics and Medical Registration Board

What are generic medicines?

Generic medicines are pharmaceutical drugs that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by chemical patents.
Generic medicines are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire. Because the active chemical substance is the same, the medical profile of generics is equivalent in performance.
A generic medicine has the same Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) as the original, but it may differ in some characteristics such as the manufacturing process, formulation, excipients, color, taste, and packaging.

SOURCE: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/editorial/guidelines-on-generic-medicines-welcome-2648867

3. AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT ROJGAR YOJANA (ABRY)

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE; GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The government has fallen short of its target for employment generation in the formal sector under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY), launched in 2020 at the time of the pandemic.

EXPLANATION:

As per latest government data, enrolments under ABRY stood at 6.04 million as on July 22, 2023, which is less than target of the revised target of generating 7.18 million jobs under the scheme but higher than its initial target of 5.85 million.
The centre has so far spend 9663.82 crore under the scheme, which is only 42.3% of the initial target expenditure of 22810 crore for the entire scheme period.
Instead, the Centre reimburses provident fund and pension contribution of either both the employee and employer (24% of wages) or only the employee(12% of wages) in case the establishment has over 1000 workers.
As per government data, the number of beneficiaries under the scheme stood at 1.29 million in 2021-22, about 5,40,000 in 2022-22 and 9082 till July 18 in 2023-24.
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujrat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Telangana, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh are the top 10 states in creating formal employment under ABRY.
These 10 states contribute 79.4% of the total beneficiaries under the scheme and have drawn 76.6% of the centres’s expenditure under it so far.

Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana

It was launched in December 2020 as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 package and aims to boost employment in formal sector and incentivize creation of new employment opportunities during the Covid recovery phase.
The scheme, being implemented through EPFO, covers employees hired till March 2022, and those who lost their job between March 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020, and are drawing less than Rs 15000 a month.
The scheme is to be operational for the period 2020-2023.

Beneficiaries

An employee drawing monthly wage of less than Rs. 15000/- who was not working in any EPFO registered establishment and did not have a Universal Account Number (UAN) prior to 01st October, 2020 who joins employment in any establishment on or after 01.10.2020 up to 31.03.2022 and who is allotted Aadhaar validated UAN.
Any EPF member, already allotted with UAN, who made exit from employment during the period from 01.03.2020 to 30.09.2020 (Covid Pandemic) from any establishment and who joins in any establishment on or after 01.10.2020 and up to 31.03.2022.
The incentive is payable by the Central Government by upfront credit in the UANs of the new employees.

Eligibility criteria for Establishments

Establishments registered with EPFO if they add new employees compared to reference base of employees as in September, 2020 as under:

minimum of two new employees if reference base is 50 employees or less.
minimum of five new employees if reference base is more than 50 employees.

Benefits

Government of India will provide subsidy for two years in respect of new employees engaged on or after 1st October, 2020 and upto 30th June, 2021 at following scale

Establishments employing up to 1000 employees: Employee’s contributions (12% of Wages) & Employer’s contributions (12% of wages) totalling 24% of wages
Establishments employing more than 1000 employees: Only Employee’s EPF contributions (12% of EPF wages)

The subsidy support to get credited upfront in Aadhaar seeded EPFO Account (UAN) of eligible new employee.

SOURCE: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/scheme-for-formal-employment-generation-falls-short-of-target/articleshow/102781224.cms?from=mdr

4. CARBON SEQUESTRATION

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Carbon sequestration has become a potent ally in our fight against rising carbon dioxide levels and the resulting environmental consequences.

EXPLANATION:

The impacts of climate change are an issue for the entire world.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ideas are becoming more and more important for businesses to incorporate into their operations.
Carbon sequestration stands out among these ideas as a crucial business requirement.

What is carbon sequestration?

Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
It is one method of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with the goal of reducing global climate change.
Carbon sequestration can be done naturally as well as artificially.
Carbon sequestration has been recognised as essential to the fight against climate change, which threatens Earth’s ecosystems and human well-being.
India is the 3rd largest emitter of CO2 in the world after China and the US, with estimated annual emissions of about 2.6 gigatonne per annum (gtpa).

Methods of Carbon Sequestration

There are two primary types of carbon sequestration: natural and artificial.
Natural Sequestration:
Natural carbon sequestration occurs through various ecosystems and processes, such as photosynthesis in plants, which captures CO2 and converts it into organic matter.
Forests, wetlands, and oceans are natural carbon sinks, where CO2 is absorbed and stored over time.
Artificial Sequestration:
Artificial carbon sequestration involves human-driven methods to capture and store CO2. E.g.:
Direct air capture, where CO2 is extracted directly from the air using special technology
Carbon capture and storage (CCS), where CO2 emissions from industrial processes are captured before they are released into the atmosphere.

How does carbon sequestration help in dealing climate issues?

Carbon dioxide, the most commonly produced greenhouse gas, is being captured in the process of carbon sequestration.
About 25% of our carbon emissions have historically been captured by Earth’s forests, farms, and grasslands.
30% of the carbon dioxide we emit from burning fossils fuels is absorbed by the upper layer of the ocean.
45% of carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere, the rest is sequestered naturally by the environment.

India’s initiative in tackling the issue.

The Government of India has committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050.
India aims to reach net zero goal by 2070. (Net Zero means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible)
India’s Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage programme aims to reduce carbon emission by either storing or reusing it so that captured carbon dioxide does not enter the atmosphere.
The growth of renewable power capacity has been one of the key success stories of the clean energy transition in India.
Power sector contributes to about 1/3 rd of the aggregate CO2 emissions, which will continue to abate as renewables increasingly replace fossil fuel-based power generation.

SOURCE: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/how-to/whats-carbon-sequestration-and-how-it-can-help-deal-climate-issues/articleshow/102779362.cms?from=mdr

5. UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Tamil Nadu is developing the nation’s first Common Testing Centre for Unmanned Aerial Systems (drones).

EXPLANATION:

This centre would be established over an area of about 2.3 acres at the SIPCOT Industrial Park, Vallam Vadagal near Sriperumbudur.
The initiative is led by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) as part of the TN Defence Industrial Corridor.
The testing centre would enable the State to be a significant contributor to the self-reliance of the country in the aerospace and defence sectors.
The lack of a Common Testing Centre has been a barrier for organizations in this sector.
TIDCO has initiated the setup of such testing centres under the Centre’s Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme.

What is Drone or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle?

It is powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift.
It is commonly known as a drone.
UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system, which include additionally a ground-based controller and a system of communications with the UAV.
Drones have been divided into five categories based on their weight:
Nano: Less than or equal to 250 grams
Micro: From 250 grams to 2kg
Small: From 2 kg to 25kg
Medium: From 25kg to 150kg
Large: Greater than 150kg.

Drone flying restrictions in India.

A micro drone may not fly higher than 60 metres above ground level (AGL) or faster than 25 metres per second.
A small drone may not fly higher than 120 metres above ground level or faster than 25 metres per second.
Drones that are medium or large must fly in compliance with the conditions outlined in the DGCA’s Operator Permit.
Prohibited zones are completely off-limits, whereas restricted areas require prior approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Drones’ regulations in India

Drone regulations are under the ambit of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).

Drone rules 2021
A single-window online system with a business-friendly interface will be created for the Digital Sky Platform.
Green zones and the area between 8 and 12 kilometres from the airport’s boundary do not require a flying permission for flights higher than 400 feet or 200 feet, respectively.
No pilot licence required for micro drones (for non-commercial use), nano drones and for R&D organisations.
There are no restrictions on foreign-owned businesses with Indian registration using drones.
No security clearance is necessary prior to the issue of any registration or licence.
No requirement of certificate of airworthiness, unique identification number, prior permission and remote pilot licence for R&D entities.
Coverage of drones under Drone Rules, 2021 increased from 300 kg to 500 kg. This will cover drone taxis also.
Issuance of Certificate of Airworthiness delegated to Quality Council of India and certification entities authorised by it.
Manufacturer may generate their drone’s unique identification number on the digital sky platform through the self-certification route.
Maximum penalty under Drone Rules, 2021 reduced to INR 1 lakh. This shall, however, not apply to penalties in respect of violation of other laws.
Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries.
Drone promotion council to be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime.
Drone rules 2022
The requirement of a drone pilot licence has been abolished.
There will be no requirement for a remote pilot certificate when using a drone up to two kilogrammes for non-commercial activities.
The Remote Pilot Certificate issued by a Directorate General of Civil Aviation approved drone school through the single window Digital Sky platform will be sufficient for operating drones in the country.
An individual owning any unmanned aircraft system manufactured in India or imported into India on or before 30th of November, 2021 must make an application to register and obtain a unique identification number and state the required details in form D-2 and the stipulated fee under Rule 46.
To promote Made in India drones, the import of foreign drones has been prohibited in the country.

PLI Scheme for Drones and Drone Components

Central government approved the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components for implementation during the year 2022-23 till 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 120 crore.
The PLI scheme and new drone rules are intended to catalyse supernormal growth in the upcoming drone sector.
The annual sales turnover of the drone manufacturing industry may grow from INR 60 crore in 2020-21 fold to over INR 900 crore in FY 2023-24.
The incentive programme may result in investments more than 5,000 crore Indian rupees over the course of the following three years in the manufacturing of drones and drone components.
India has the potential to establish itself as a major drone hub by 2030 given its historical prowess in innovation, information technology, cost-effective engineering, and local demand.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indias-first-unmanned-aerial-systems-drone-common-testing-centre-under-defence-testing-infrastructure-scheme-to-be-established-in-tamil-nadu/article67202641.ece

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (16th AUGUST 2023)

1. ARBITRAGE FUNDS

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Investors are back to arbitrage funds, pouring in as much as Rs 10,074 crore in July, with cumulative flows rising to Rs 23,800 crore this financial year.

EXPLANATION:

The inflows reflect high returns and better taxation treatment these funds offer compared to debt plans.
Over the last year, data from value research show arbitrage funds generated 6.25% returns. This is higher than 2.7-3% that big banks pay for parking money savings accounts.

What is an arbitrage fund? How does it generate returns?

An arbitrage fund seeks to generate returns on the price differential in the cash and futures market.
In such a scheme, the fund manager simultaneously buys a company in the cash market and sells an equivalent quantity in the futures segment as long as the futures trade at a reasonable premium.The spread between the two generates the return for the scheme.
The fund does not take any naked exposure to any individual security or an index as each buy transaction in the cash market has a corresponding sell transaction in the futures
While 65% of the corpus is allocated to arbitrage products the fund manager is free to choose the balance of 35% between arbitrage or debt products, depending on his view on the market.

Why is it gaining popularity with investors?

High returns compared with savings accounts and better taxation are driving investors to arbitrage funds.
Rich investors also prefer these funds as they are treated as equity funds for taxation, which significantly increases post tax returns.
Investors holding for less than a year pay 15% capital gains tax, while if they sell after a year they pay only 10% long term capital gains tax for gains above Rs 1 lakh. Compared to this in a debt fund, rich investors have to pay short term capital gains tax at 30%.

What are the risks of investing in this scheme?

Arbitrage funds rank high on safety. The scheme always has a market neutral position by buying in the cash market and simultaneously selling the same security in the futures market.
Compared to debt funds where there could be some credit risk, there is no such risk here.

What is Futures Market?

A futures market is an auction market in which participants buy and sell commodity and futures contracts for delivery on a specified future date.
Futures contracts are derivatives contracts to buy or sell specific quantities of a commodity or financial instrument at a specified price with delivery set at a specified time in the future.
Futures market provide physical or electronic trading venues, details of standardized contracts, market and price data, clearing houses, exchange self-regulations, margin mechanisms, settlement procedures, delivery times, delivery procedures and other services to foster trading in futures contracts.
Futures market can be organized as non-profit member-owned organizations or as for-profit organizations.
Futures markets can be integrated under the same brand name or organization with other types of exchanges, such as stock markets, options markets, and bond markets.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/mf/analysis/why-are-arbitrage-funds-gaining-popularity-with-investors/articleshow/102757727.cms?from=mdr

2. THE BHARATIYA SAKSHYA BILL, 2023

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Union Home Minister introduced the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill in Lok Sabha that would repeal the current Indian Evidence Act of 1872.

EXPLANATION:

The new Bharatiya Sakshya Bill has 167 sections. Of these, 23 sections sourced from the Evidence Act have been amended, 1 section is entirely new, and 5 sections have been removed.

Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 definition:

As per the Bill, it aims to ‘consolidate and to provide for general rules and principles of evidence for fair trial’.
Citing the reason for bringing this Bill, the government said that the existing Indian Evidence Act has not kept up with the technological advancements and societal changes of the past decades.
Adding on, the government says the new Bill aims to align the laws with the contemporary needs and aspirations of the people.

Key provisions of the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill:

The Bill makes electronic or digital records admissible as evidence, thereby they will have the same legal effect as paper documents.
It repeals five existing provisions of the Evidence Act, modifies 23 provisions, and adds one new provision.
Also, the Bill proposes amendments to 23 Sections and contains 170 Sections in total.
In the Bill, the scope of expansion for secondary evidence to include copies made from the original by mechanical processes, counterparts of documents, and oral accounts of document contents has been done.
Through the Bill, the government is aiming to introduce precise and uniform rules for dealing with evidence during the trial of cases.

Indian Evidence Act, 1872

The Indian Evidence Act, originally passed in India by the Imperial Legislative Council in 1872, during the British Raj, contains a set of rules and allied issues governing admissibility of evidence in the Indian courts of law
It consolidates, defines, and amends the law of evidence in India. It extends to the whole of India. It introduced a standard set of law applicable to all Indians. It has eleven chapters and 167 sections,
The Act applies to all judicial proceedings in or before any Court in India, including Courts-martial (except those convened under the Army Act, the Naval Discipline Act, or the Indian Navy Discipline Act, 1934, or the Air Force Act).
It does not apply to affidavits presented to any Court or officer, or proceedings before an arbitrator.
The enactment and adoption of the Indian Evidence Act was a path-breaking judicial measure introduced in India, which changed the entire system of concepts pertaining to admissibility of evidences in the Indian courts of law.
Until then, the rules of evidences were based on the traditional legal systems of different social groups and communities of India and were different for different people depending on caste, community, faith and social position.
The law is mainly based upon the firm work by Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, who could be called the founding father of this comprehensive piece of legislation.
When India gained independence on 15 August 1947, the Act continued to be in force throughout the Republic of India. After 1947, the Act continues in force in India.
However, it was repealed in Pakistan in 1984 by the Evidence Order 1984 (also known as the “Qanun-e-Shahadat”).

This Act is divided into three parts and there are 11 chapters in total under this Act.

Part 1: Part 1 deals with relevancy of the facts. There are two chapters under this part: the first chapter is a preliminary chapter which introduces to the Evidence Act and the second chapter specifically deals with the relevancy of the facts.

Part 2: Part 2 consists of chapters from 3 to 6. Chapter 3 deals with facts which need not be proved, chapter 4 deals with oral evidence, chapter 5 deals with documentary evidence and chapter 6 deals with circumstances when documentary evidence has been given preference over the oral evidence.

Part 3: The last part, that is part 3, consists of chapter 7 to chapter 11. Chapter 7 talks about the burden of proof. Chapter 8 talks about estoppel, chapter 9 talks about witnesses, chapter 10 talks about examination of witnesses, and last chapter which is chapter 11 talks about improper admission and rejection of evidence.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/bharatiya-sakshya-bill-to-replace-indian-evidence-act-heres-what-may-change-11691776626038.html

3. LUNA -25: RUSSIAN LUNAR MISSION

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Russia has once again shown its interest into lunar exploration with the much-anticipated launch of the Luna-25 recently. If successful, this will be the first lunar mission by Russia to touch down on the moon’s surface in 47 years since 1976.

EXPLANATION:

The launch comes nearly a month after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sent its own moon lander, Chandrayaan-3, which is supposed to land on August 23, 2023.
The US, China and the erstwhile USSR are the only three countries that have managed to successfully execute a soft-landing on the moon.

What is the Luna-25 mission?

The Luna 25 mission’s main objective is to execute a pinpoint landing near the moon’s south pole, due to its potential for revealing critical insights into the moon’s geological composition.
The mission aims to collect geological samples which will give scientists the opportunity to study this unexplored region of the moon.
Furthermore, scientists also hope that the mission is successful in finding water or at least its building blocks which could aid in establishing human colonies in the near future.
The landing craft was launched in a Souyz-2 Fregat rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome and is expected to stay on the moon for a year.
In the meantime, it will collect samples using its robotic arm, collect data from its spectrometers, use the imaging systems to take pictures and beam all the information back to Earth.

Why is this mission important for Russia?

Russia’s Luna-25 mission is also called as Luna-Glob-Lander which is seen as a bid to reclaim some of its prestige back as one of the leaders in space exploration.
The last successful lunar mission was the Luna-24 probe launched by the Soviet space programme in 1976. This mission returned with geographical samples which showed the presence of water on the moon.
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia has tried to launch two landing missions to Mars–Mars-96 in 1996 and the Phobos Grunt in 2011. Both missions ended with the spacecrafts crash-landing into the Pacific Ocean.
Russia’s space programme has been hampered due to the multiple sanctions imposed on the country since 2014 and the latest sanctions imposed in 2022 due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The restriction of access to equipment and expertise from western countries have impeded on the success of the Russian space programme.

Luna-25 mission and Chandrayaan-3:

According to Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, the landing of Luna-25 will not have any impact on Chandrayaan-3 as the landing region of the spacecrafts is different and “there is enough space on the moon for everyone.”
Moreover, the Luna-25 landing craft is stationary while Chandrayaan-3 comes with a landing craft and a rover.
Also, the Chandrayaan-3 mission is supposed to last for two weeks though both missions have similar objectives–find traces of water on Earth’s only natural satellite while collecting scientific data.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/russia-luna-25-mission-explained-isro-chandrayaan-3-artemis-mission-roscosmos-space-race-china/article67194691.ece

4. VISHWAKARMA SCHEME

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister announced Vishwakarma scheme, which will allocate between 13,000 and 15,000 crores for people with traditional skills.

EXPLANATION:

On the occasion of India’s 77th Independence Day, the Prime Minister addressed the nation from the Red Fort’s ramparts and unveiled several programmes for the urban poor, women’s self-help groups, and skilled professionals.
The Vishwakarma scheme, which is for skilled workers like barbers, goldsmiths, washing men, etc., is one of the programmes.
On the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti (on 17^th September), the programme will be unveiled.

Vishwakarma Scheme

Prime Minister Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman (PM-VIKAS) scheme has been announced for traditional artisans and craftsmen in the budget 2023-24.

The components of the scheme will include access to
Financial support
Access to advanced skill training to increase the calibre.
Knowledge of modern digital techniques and efficient green technologies
Brand promotion
Linkage with local and global markets
Digital payments
Social security
The Vishwakarma Scheme strives to raise the quality, scope, scale, and accessibility of the goods and services provided by artisans and craftspeople.
It seeks to incorporate them into both the national and international value chains.
These workers will become more economically empowered, particularly those from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Communities, women etc.

SOURCE: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/pm-modi-announces-vishwakarma-scheme-allocates-rs-13-000-cr-15-000-cr-for-those-with-traditional-skills-details-here-11692067668533.html

5. BIRD SURVEY AT CORBETT TIGER RESERVE

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Recently, a bird survey was conducted in Corbett Reserve in Nainital, Uttarakhand.

EXPLANATION:

The Corbett Tiger Reserve in Nainital conducted a bird study that resulted in a count of about 275 bird species.
A 62-member team consisting of ornithologists, conservationists, volunteers from World Wide Fund (WWF) India, Tiger Conservation Foundation, and Village Volunteer Protection Force conducted the survey between June 20 and June 23.
It covered overall 540 km of 135 forest trails provided insights into the diverse bird species inhabiting at Corbett Tiger Reserve.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT

The report is compiled by Oriental Trials, an NGO working for conservation of wildlife.
The data included both non-resident species that seek shelter during their hard treks and resident species, who call the reserve their year-round home.
The survey documented two species that are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list of critically endangered.
Red-headed vulture
White-rumped vulture
It covered the vast range of landscape in the reserve, including grassland, dense forest, rivers, and hilly terrains.
The researchers included two endangered species in their survey:
Egyptian vulture
Pallas’s fish-eagle.
The scientific names of Pallas’s fish-eagle and Egyptian vulture are halieetus leucoryphus and neophron percnopterus respectively.
Four threatened bird species were also counted in the survey:
Great hornbill
Great slaty woodpecker
Grey-crowned prinia
River tern.
The reserve is home to about 10 near-threatened bird species:
Alexandrine parakeet
River lapwing
Red-breasted parakeet
Oriental darter
Lesser fish-eagle
Himalayan griffon
Great thick-knee
Gray-headed fish-eagle
Black-necked stork
Asian woolley-necked stork.
The IUCN classifies around 256 of the species found in the survey as being of least concern.

Corbett Tiger Reserve

Corbett tiger reserve is located in Ramnager in Nainital district.
The distinctive features of the park are:
It has sub-Himalayan belts.
It is the best eco-tourism destination.
It has 488 different species of plants.
Rich fauna
The climate is sub-tropical.
It has Dhikala, Bijrani, Jhirna, Durgadevi and Sitavani zones.
Ramganga, Sonanadi, Mandal, Palain and Kosi are the major rivers are the most significant hydrological resource flowing through the Corbett.
It shelters lots of endangered species includes 50 mammal species, 549 bird species, and 26 reptile species.
Corbett Tiger Reserve which covers 1288.31 sq. kms spreading over three districts of Uttarakhand viz., Pauri, Nainital and Almora comprising of Sonanadi wildlife sanctuary & reserve forest area, Corbett National Park of 521sq km forms.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/two-critically-endangered-four-vulnerable-and-two-endangered-species-found-during-bird-survey-at-corbett-tiger-reserve-in-nainital/article67197809.ece

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (14th AUGUST 2023)

1. CAG AUDITS NATIONAL SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME (NSAP)

TAG: GS 1: SOCIETY; GS 2: GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: The CAG report found several irregularities in National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP).

EXPLANATION:

The CAG report found several irregularities in beneficiary payments, the most glaring being that all states, except for Haryana and Kerala, did not maintain a database of eligible beneficiaries.
This led to several eligible beneficiaries being left out of the scheme while payments worth several crores were made to ineligible persons.
Around Rs 79 crore has been transferred to ineligible beneficiaries under the Ministry of Rural Development’s National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) between 2017 and 2021. Of this, Rs two crore was paid to beneficiaries even after their deaths.
At the same time, many eligible beneficiaries were likely to have been excluded from the welfare programme either due to non-maintenance of Below Poverty Line (BPL) lists or due to states not carrying out periodic surveys to identify eligible beneficiaries.
Additionally, ineligible payments of Rs 15.11 crore under IGNDPS as disability pension was paid to 21,322 people in 16 states / UTs. In these cases, the percentage of disability was either below 80 per cent or could not be ascertained.
Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Ladakh are among the States that made the highest numbers of ineligible payments.
The beneficiaries were to be selected from the BPL list until the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) was finalised. Though the governments are mandated to identify beneficiaries using SECC once it is finalised, they continued to use BPL lists that were not regularly updated.
In the absence of proactive identification and non-maintenance of database of eligible beneficiaries as intended, the scheme was being implemented in a demand-driven mode where benefits were provided to only those beneficiaries who applied for pensions/benefits under NSAP themselves.
The eligible beneficiaries who were unaware/lack resources to apply for the benefits were left out of ambit of NSAP,” the report revealed.
Further, funds of Rs 57.45 crore earmarked for NSAP were diverted for other schemes and purposes in six states/UTs, while funds amounting to Rs 18.78 crore were lying idle for a period ranging from one to five years in eight states/UTs.

NATIONAL SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME (NSAP)

NSAP was launched on 15th August, 1995 to provide social security to the destitute population living below the poverty line and vulnerable groups in 1995.
The programme includes five sub-schemes, of which three Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) and Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) are pension schemes.
The other two sub-schemes are the National Family Benefit Scheme which provides one-time assistance to the bereaved family in the event of death of the breadwinner and the Annapurna scheme, which ensures food security to eligible old age persons who are not covered under IGNOAPS.
The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) represents a significant step towards the fulfillment of the Directive Principles in Article 41 and 42 of the Constitution recognizing the concurrent responsibility of the Central and the State Governments in the matter.

Objective of NSAP

It is a social security and welfare programme to provide support to aged persons, widows, disabled persons and bereaved families on death of primary bread winner, belonging to below poverty line households.

Components of NSAP

The NSAP at its inception in 1995 had three components namely

National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS,
National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) and
National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS). The National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS) was subsequently transferred on 1st April, 2001 from the Ministry of Rural development to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Presently NSAP comprises of five schemes, namely –

Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS),
Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS),
Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS),
National Family Benefit Scheme NFBS) and

Eligibility and scale of assistance

For getting benefits under NSAP the applicant must belong to a Below Poverty Line (BPL) family according to the criteria prescribed by the Govt. of India.
The other eligibility criteria and the scale of central assistance under the sub – schemes of NSAP are as follows. Besides the central assistance, states / UT contribute an equal amount as their share.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/governance/rs-79-crore-transferred-to-ineligible-beneficiaries-under-nsap-finds-cag-91122

2. PRADHAN MANTRI UCHCHATAR SHIKSHA ABHIYAN (PM-USHA)

TAG: GS 1: SOCIETY; GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: 14 States as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are yet to join Centre’s flagship education scheme which mandates the implementation of the National Education Policy. It is important in order to avail funds worth almost ₹13,000 crore for the next three years, under the Centre’s flagship scheme for State-run higher education.

EXPLANATION:

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre mandates National Education Policy implementation.
However, some Opposition-ruled States are against MoU, given that PM-USHA scheme has 60:40 funding split between Centre and States, with no extra money for NEP reforms.
The Centre says it holding discussions to iron out differences with dissenting States.
The MoU is to show the willingness of States and UTs to participate in the PM-USHA scheme and it will help in the better implementation of the scheme.

NEP reforms need more funds:

The MoU which makes it mandatory for States to undertake the administrative, academic, accreditation, and governance reforms detailed in the NEP, including an academic credit bank, entry and exit flexibility, and the Samarth e-governance platform has irked some State governments.
Opposition states remarked that this MoU does not say anything about finding funds for changes envisaged under the NEP.
Centre however, said that multiple consultations had been undertaken before finalising the structure of PM-USHA. The MoU contains clauses regarding proper planning, implementation and monitoring of the scheme.
Commitment on planning and drafting the proposals by the State by aligning it with NEP will lead to integration between NEP and PM-USHA.
The Centre points that PM-USHA reduces the fragmentation of resources by streamlining the number of scheme components to six.
More flexibility has been given to States/UTs to undertake activities as per felt needs. Unit costs of some components have been rationalised for tangible outcomes.
States and UTs have also been given the flexibility to identify their focus districts on the basis of various indicators, such as low gross enrolment ratio, gender parity, population proportion of Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
These districts will be prioritised under the scheme to address the diverse needs of each State or UT.

Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA).

In the light of the National Education Policy, RUSA scheme has been launched as Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA).
PM-USHA is the new name for the Ministry’s scheme to improve the quality of higher education in State Universities through curricular and programme changes, teacher training, physical and digital infrastructure, accreditation, and enhancing employability while ensuring equity, access, and inclusion.
It provides an outlay of ₹12,926.10 crore between 2023-24 and 2025-26.
The first phase of the scheme was launched in 2013 and the second phase was launched in 2018.
PM USHA covers government and government-aided institutions of the States and UTs. As the demand for higher education is increasing continuously over the years, there has been an unprecedented expansion in the number of institutions, universities, and volume of students in the country.

Focus Areas:

a) Equity Access and inclusion in higher education
b) Developing Quality Teaching & Learning processes
c) Accreditation of Non Accredited Institutions and improving accreditation
d) ICT – based Digital Infrastructure
e) Enhancing Employability through Multidisciplinary.

Institutional Structure of PM USHA:

1)Central Level

National Mission Authority : Chaired by Minister of Education.
PAB : Chaired by Secretary Higher Education , GoI
National Project Directorate
Technical Support Group

2)State Level

State Higher Education Council (SHEC)
State Project Directorate
State Technical Support Group

3)Institution Level

Board of Governors
Project Monitoring Unit

Scope of PM- USHA : 1) Focus Districts and 2) Challenge method selection of institutions
1) Focus Districts :

Maximum 50% District of the State will be considered as focus District
• Lack of access to government colleges
• Low GER,
• Population proportion for females, transgender, SC, ST,OBCs
• Aspirational /Boarder Area, left wing extremism prone area
• Gender parity

2) Challenge method selection of institutions:

Institutions will be short listed by the state by giving priority to the focus areas.
On the basis of pre defined criteria weightages will be given to different institutions for
proposal submission.
The proposal bill be submitted and it will be evaluated by MoE and approval will be done by PAB at central level.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/education/14-states-yet-to-sign-mou-with-centre-needed-to-avail-higher-education-funds/article67191204.ece

3. ADITYA L1: INDIA’S FIRST MISSION TO STUDY THE SUN

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Aditya L1 spacecraft, assembled and integrated at the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru, has arrived at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

EXPLANATION:

Aditya L1’s payloads are expected to provide crucial information for understanding the problem of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics etc.
The Aditya L1 mission will be launched by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which also launched Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and the Mars Orbiter spacecraft in 2013.
The launch is likely to take place in August-end or September.

Aditya L1

Aditya L1 shall be the first space based Indian mission to study the Sun. The spacecraft shall be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth.
A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses.
This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time.
The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors.
Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1.
It will provide important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium.
The suits of Aditya L1 payloads are expected to provide most crucial informations to understand the problem of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, propagation of particle and fields etc.

The major science objectives of Aditya-L1 mission are:

Study of Solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics.
Study of chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares
Observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment providing data for the study of particle dynamics from the Sun.
Physics of solar corona and its heating mechanism.
Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma: Temperature, velocity and density.
Development, dynamics and origin of CMEs.
Identify the sequence of processes that occur at multiple layers (chromosphere, base and extended corona) which eventually leads to solar eruptive events.
Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona .
Drivers for space weather (origin, composition and dynamics of solar wind .

Aditya-L1 Payloads:

The instruments of Aditya-L1 are tuned to observe the solar atmosphere mainly the chromosphere and corona.
In-situ instruments will observe the local environment at L1. There are total seven payloads on-board with four of them carrying out remote sensing of the Sun and three of them carrying in-situ observation.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/indias-first-mission-to-study-the-sun-is-getting-ready-for-launch-isro-aditya-l1/article67192992.ece

4. ENGINEERING OF ACINETOBACTER BAYLYI BACTERIA TO DETECT CANCER

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Researchers at the University of California have engineered a specific species of bacteria that can detect cancer in its early stages by incorporating tumour DNA into its system.

EXPLANATION:

According to a study that was published in the journal Science, an engineered bacteria may one day be able to detect cancer wherever it may be hiding in the human body’s intestines.
The goal of the research is to turn these bacteria into a probiotic sensor in the gut that can carefully examine, identify, and report any intestinal disorders.
This discovery is significant since colon cancer rates are growing and early identification in persons under 50 is critical.
Acinetobacter baylyi, a kind of bacterium, has been effectively manipulated by a team at the University of California.

ACINETOBACTER BAYLYI BACTERIA

These bacteria are normally non-pathogenic.
They are naturally competent to take up DNA by horizontal gene transfer.
These bacteria become resistant to a specific drug only when they took up DNA containing a cancer-associated mutation in a specific oncogene.
These species are gram-negative aerobic bacteria that are coccobacillary in shape. (Cocci are sphere-shaped bacteria, while bacilli are rod-shaped bacteria. Bacteria that fall between these two shapes are called coccobacilli).

HOW DOES THIS BACTERIA DETECT CANCER?

Acinetobacter baylyi bacteria is known for its ability to absorb DNA from their surroundings.
It has been programmed to seek specific DNA sequences common in colorectal cancers.
When it incorporates tumour DNA into its system, an antibiotic-resistance gene gets activated.
This gene enables the growth of the bacteria on feces-derived antibiotic-containing agar plates.
It demonstrates the presence of cancer cells.

WAY FORWARD TO ITS USE

It might take some time before the approach is approved for use in clinical trials because the research is still in its early stages.
The effectiveness and safety of the engineered bacteria still need to be meticulously tested.
The bacteria are being engineered to recognise KRAS mutations (The KRAS gene belongs to a class of genes known as oncogenes), which are present in roughly 40% of colorectal malignancies, some lung cancers, and the majority of pancreatic tumours.
For it to be genuinely effective in humans, researchers need to show that Acinetobacter baylyi is safe for oral ingestion and that it consistently yields accurate results when identifying cancer cells in faecal samples.
The level of effectiveness of this bacterial biosensor in comparison to colonoscopy, a more invasive diagnostic procedure, needs to be examined as well.
This discovery is significant since colon cancer rates are growing and early identification in persons under 50 is critical.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/engineered-bacteria-cancer-dna-8888930/

5. INTEGRATION OF NATIONAL PENSION SYSTEM (NPS) STATEMENT OF TRANSACTION WITH CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT STATEMENT (CAS)

TAG: GS 2: POLITY; GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The PFRDA has integrated the NPS Statement of Transaction with CAS is in line with the Centre’s goal to establish a comprehensive record of each person’s financial assets.

EXPLANATION:

The National Pension System (NPS) subscribers now have access to a consolidated view of their personal assets in the securities market because of the updated mark-to-market values provided by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and SEBI.
It includes the investors’ Demat account holdings as well as their mutual fund holdings.
This will benefit over 1.35 crore NPS subscribers.
It is expected to provide a simplified and secured way to stay informed on NPS investments through CAS.

PENSION FUND REGULATORY AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (PFRDA)

It is a statutory regulatory body set up under PFRDA Act enacted in 2014.
It is under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Finance for overall supervision and regulation of pension in India.
Its objective is to promote old age income security and protect the interests of NPS subscribers.
It is ensuring the orderly growth and development of pension market.
COMPOSITION OF THE AUTHORITY:
The Authority shall consist of a Chairperson and not more than six members, of whom at least three shall be Whole-Time Members, to be appointed by the Central Government.

NATIONAL PENSION SYSTEM (NPS)

The Central Government has introduced the National Pension System (NPS) with effect from 2004 (except for armed forces).
PFRDA the regulatory body for NPS, has appointed Protean eGov Technologies Limited as Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) for National Pension System.
CRA is the first of its kind venture in India which will carry out the functions of Record Keeping, Administration and Customer Service for all subscribers under NPS.
National Pension System (NPS) is an important milestone in the development of a sustainable and efficient voluntary defined contribution pension system in India.
It has the following broad objectives:
Provide old age income.
Reasonable market-based returns over the long term.
Extending old age security coverage to all citizens.
NPS is structured into two tiers:
Tier-I account:
This is the non-withdrawable permanent retirement account into which the accumulations are deposited and invested as per the option of the subscriber.
Tier-II account:
This is a voluntary withdrawable account which is allowed only when there is an active Tier I account in the name of the subscriber.
The withdrawals are permitted from this account as per the needs of the subscriber as and when claimed.

CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT STATEMENT (CAS)

It is a single/combined account statement which shows the details of financial transactions made by an investor during a month across all Mutual Funds and also other securities held in Demat mode.
CAS is issued for those accounts wherein a financial transaction has been made during a month and wherein unit holders are identical, identified by Income Tax Permanent Account (PAN).
CAS is generated on a monthly basis in respect of the PANs common to the RTAs and the Depositories.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/pfrda-integrates-nps-statement-with-cas/article67190612.ece

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (12th AUGUST 2023)

1. NEW BILL TO REPLACE CrPC

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 proposes several important changes to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) which guides the criminal justice system.

EXPLANATION:

From technological changes to allow trials via video-conferencing to allowing handcuffs for the arrest of persons in some cases including murder, rape, and counterfeit currency these are some of the main changes proposed in the CrPC.

Greater use of technology

The Bill states that Trials, appeal proceedings, recording of depositions including those of public servants and police officers, may be held in electronic mode.
The statement of the accused too can be recorded through video-conferencing. Summons, warrants, documents, police reports, statements of evidence can be done in electronic form.
The search and seizure of articles and properties, the visit to a crime scene by a forensic expert, and the recording of the victim’s statement shall be audio-videographed, preferably on a mobile phone.
The name and address of an arrested accused and the nature of the offence will be maintained by a designated officer in each police station and district.
It shall be “prominently displayed” including in digital mode in every police station and district headquarters.
Information to police too can be sent electronically, and it shall be taken on record on being signed by the person sending it, within three days.

Communication devices

The Bill adds electronic communication including “communication devices” to the provision on summons to produce a document.
On the directions of a court or police officer, a person is required to produce any document and now devices that is likely to contain digital evidence for the purpose of an inquiry.
Electronic communication is defined as “the communication of any written, verbal, pictorial information or video content transmitted (whether from one person to another, from one device to another or from a person to a device or from a device to a person).”

Use of handcuffs

A police officer may be permitted to use handcuffs while arresting a person if he is a habitual, repeat offender who escaped from custody, or has committed an organised crime, terrorist act, drug-related crime, illegal possession of arms, murder, rape, acid attack, counterfeit currency, human trafficking, sexual offence against children or offences against the state.

Specific safeguards

Section 41A of CrPC which has a prominent safeguard against arrests will get a new number, Section 35.
It has an additional provision: no person can be arrested without prior permission of an officer, not below the rank of a deputy SP, in cases where the offence is punishable with less than three years, or if the person is infirm above 60 years of age.
On receiving information in cognizable cases where the offence attracts 3-7 years, the police officer will conduct a preliminary inquiry to ascertain whether there exists a prima facie case to proceed within 14 days.

Mercy petitions

There is a provision on procedures for the timeframe to file mercy petitions in death sentence cases.
After being informed by jail authorities about the disposal of the petition of a convict sentenced to death, he, or his legal heir or relative can submit a mercy petition within 30 days to the Governor.
If rejected, the person can petition the President within 60 days. No appeal against the order of the President shall lie in any court.

Sanction to prosecute

A decision to grant or reject sanction to prosecute a public servant must be reached by the government within 120 days of receiving a request.
If the government fails to do so, the sanction will be deemed to have been accorded. No sanction is required in cases including sexual offences, trafficking, etc.

Arms in procession

Section 144A of the CrPC gives the district magistrate the power to prohibit the carrying of arms in any procession, mass drill or mass training, to preserve the public peace.
While the provisions granting powers to the DM to pass orders in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger remain as they are in Section 144 of the CrPC, the provision to prohibit carrying arms does not find a mention.

Samples without arrest

The Bill has provisions for the magistrate to order any person to give samples of his signature, handwriting, voice or finger impressions for the purpose of investigation without being arrested.

Detention by police

There are provisions for police to detain or remove any person resisting, refusing or ignoring, or disregarding directions given as part of preventive action.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-law/key-provisions-and-processes-proposed-in-bill-to-replace-crpc-8888602/

2. EG.5 VARIANT OF COVID-19

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: EG.5, a descendent of the Omicron lineage of XBB.1.9.2, was designated a variant of interest (VOI) after risk evaluation by the World Health Organization. It was previously designated a variant under monitoring.

EXPLANATION:

The WHO said EG.5 may spread globally and contribute to a surge in case incidence. However, at present, there is no evidence of an increase in disease severity directly associated with EG.5.
5 was first reported on February 17, 2023. So far, EG.5 has been reported from a total of 48 countries and in India, one EG.5.1 was detected in Maharashtra in May, 2023.
Though not as extensively done as in 2021, global genome sequencing databases indicate the remarkable rise of the new sublineage.
5.1 is taking off everywhere. It is definitely out-competing its predecessors in the XBB lineage that were dominating most of 2023.
According to WHO, the global proportion of EG.5 relative to other circulating variants showed a notable increase, rising from 7.6 per cent to 17.5%.
However it has a low-individual risk for mortality, but if it happens to sweep through vulnerable segments of a large population, the total number of deaths will be considerable.
Although initial symptoms tend to be mild, people should not take COVID lightly as we do not want infection to happen on a large scale.
The recent VOI classification of EG.5 suggests that due to changes in the receptor binding domain of the spike protein, the variant escapes neutralization by antibodies generated from previous infections or vaccinations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
5 carries an additional amino acid mutation in the spike protein compared to the parent XBB.1.9.2 subvariant and XBB.1.5.
Waning immunity and frequent mutations are commonly cited reasons for the continued circulation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
While concurrent increases in the proportion of EG.5 and COVID-19 hospitalizations (lower than previous waves) have been observed in countries such as Japan and the Republic of Korea, no associations have been made between these hospitalizations and EG.5.
However, due to its growth advantage and immune escape characteristics, EG.5 may cause a rise in case incidence and become dominant in some countries or even globally.

Variant under monitoring

A Variant Being Monitored is a strain that has developed specific genetic markers associated with changes that reduce the effectiveness of antibodies generated against previous infection or vaccination, reduce efficacy of treatments, or increase transmission or disease severity.

Variant of interest (VOI)

Variants designated as VOI include variants that have: changes to receptor binding domain (RBD). reduced neutralization by antibodies generated against previous infection or vaccination. reduced efficacy of treatments, or tests.

Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/eg-5-1-covid-variant-takes-off-india-not-at-risk-currently-91161

3. CAG FLAGS IRREGULARITIES IN BHARATMALA PROJECT TENDERS

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE; GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has found instances of irregularities in award of projects by agencies implementing central government funded highway projects.

EXPLANATION:

In its report on implementation of Phase-I of Bharatmala Pariyojana, the auditor has also found deficiencies in the appraisal and approval mechanism proposed to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
CAG said that the implementing agencies violated the tendering processes in many of the high cost Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects.
The violations include successful bidder not fulfilling tender conditions or bidder selected on the basis of falsified documents and award of works without approved Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) or faulty reports.
The implementing agencies were awarding projects without ensuring availability of required land and forest clearance, which are resulting in delayed commencement and completion of projects.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) are the implementing agencies.
It added that even the appraisal and approval mechanism decided by CCEA was not strictly followed. The CAG has also flagged that the DPRs prepared by consultants were not appraised with due diligence before their approval.
Instances of adoption of different specifications by contractors or concessionaires at the time of execution of projects highlighted the fact that specifications of detailed project reports were not found suitable as per site conditions.
On the fund management, the auditor also found that only 75.6% of Cabinet approved length has been awarded while 158% of approved financial outlay had been sanctioned till this March 2023.
In another report, the CAG found that NHAI continued to collect user fee in three toll plazas (namely Nathavalasa, Chalageri, Hebbalu in Southern India) during delayed period of construction.
This was in violation of rules stating that no user fee shall be levied for the delayed period, leading to higher toll collection from commuters, the business daily reported.

Bharatmala Pariyojana

Bharatmala Pariyojana is an umbrella program for the highways sector that focuses on optimizing efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps through effective interventions.
It focuses on areas as development of Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors and Feeder Routes, National Corridor Efficiency Improvement, Border and International connectivity roads, Coastal and Port connectivity roads and Green-field expressways.
All key aspects of the scheme is managed by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry of the country.

Highlights of Bharatmala Pariyojana

Improvement in efficiency of existing corridors through development of Multimodal Logistics Parks and elimination of choke point
Enhance focus on improving connectivity in North East and leveraging synergies with Inland Waterways
Emphasis on use of technology & scientific planning for Project Preparation and Asset Monitoring
Improving connectivity in the North East.

Bharatmala project category

Economic Corridor
Feeder Route or Inter Corridor
National Corridor Efficiency Improvement
Border Road and International Connectivity
Port Connectivity and Coastal Road
Green Field Expressway
Balance National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Works

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/cag-flags-irregularities-in-bharatmala-project-tenders/articleshow/102617116.cms?from=mdr

4. AGRICULTURAL DATA EXCHANGE PLATFORM

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Telangana government has launched India’s first Agricultural Data Exchange (ADeX) and Agricultural Data Management Framework (ADMF) in collaboration World Economic Forum, and the Indian Institute of Science.

EXPLANATION:

The initiatives aim to boost the data economy specifically for the agricultural sector.
Both ADeX and ADMF provide the right platform to ensure fair and efficient usage of agricultural data by the industry and startups and provide a big boost to the data economy specifically in the argi sector.
These initiatives help Telangana lead the country from the front in using innovation and technology to drive food systems transformation and improve the livelihoods of farmers.

Agricultural Data Exchange (ADeX):

In Phase-I of the project, the ADeX Platform is currently deployed in Khammam district and will be expanded to the entire State over a period.
The software platform facilitates secure, standards-based exchange of data between agricultural data users such as agri application developers and agricultural data providers (Government Agencies, Private Companies, NGO’s, Universities, etc).

Agricultural Data Management Framework (ADMF):

ADMF has been developed after extensive public and industry consultations on the crucial aspects of data protection, management, and innovation.
Informed by domestic laws and regulations and converging global best practices, ADMF is an agile, forward-looking framework, with the objective of facilitating consent-based responsible data sharing, the release said.
ADMF is applicable to all government departments dealing with agricultural activities as well as all agriculture information users and providers.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/telangana-launches-indias-first-agricultural-data-exchange-platform/articleshow/102650171.cms?from=md

5. NATIONAL COMMON MOBILITY CARD

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE; GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Government of India asked banks to ensure all the new cards and reissues of old cards have the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) as a default option.

EXPLANATION:

National Common Mobility Card was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in March 2019.
NCMC is designed to promote cashless transactions and offer a unified payment platform for commuters across the country.

How does NCMC work?

NCMC is issued in the form of a prepaid, debit or credit RuPay card and has a separate option for offline transit transactions i.e. without directly accessing the user’s bank account.
Prior to usage, users must load funds onto the card from their bank account or digital wallet. The idea is to eliminate the need for carrying multiple cards by supporting various services on a single card.
Embedded with a near-field communication (NFC) chip, the card securely stores user information and enables data transfer when tapped on compatible readers.
To start using the NCMC, users must first link the card to their bank account or digital wallet. Encrypted NFC communication ensures privacy and security during transactions, while real-time updates keep users informed about their expenses and remaining balance.
The NCMC card relies on the RuPay platform developed by the National Payments Corporation of India.

Foreign variants of common mobility card

Some prominent foreign counterparts of common mobility cards include the Oyster card in the United Kingdom, Navigo in France, Myki in Australia and CharlieCard in the United States.
There are also multi-purpose cards like Octopus Card of Hong Kong, Suica and Pasmo cards in Japan and the EZ-Link card in Singapore which can be used for public transit as well as retail purchases.

What is the progress of implementation in India so far?

While NCMC implementation has begun in certain cities and regions, full interoperability has not been achieved across all cities and states.
The successful interconnection of NCMC cards relies on the collaboration and coordination between transportation operators and financial institutions in all parts of the country.
Select transport operators in Delhi NCR, Ahmedabad, Surat, Bengaluru, Kochi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kanpur currently accept fare payments via NCMC.
While many more public transport operators across the country are in various stages of planning/implementation to become NCMC compatible.

Who can issue the cards?

Commercial banks are the primary issuers of the NCMC. So far 25 Indian banks including the State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Indian Bank and Paytm Payments Bank can issue NCMC cards.
Even, global payment giants Mastercard and Visa have expressed interest so that their branded NCMCs can be issued through partner banks.

What are the challenges tied to implementation in India?

One significant hurdle is the low or no adoption by transport authorities across cities. Metro Rail Corporations across India have smart cards in place along with mobile ticketing through online payment applications, which commuters find very convenient to use.
Inadequate infrastructure and technological integration have been hindering nationwide implementation

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/business/dh-deciphers-all-you-need-to-know-about-national-common-mobility-card-2644187

TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (7th AUGUST 2023)

1. GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES (GMP)

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE; GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: The government recently directed all pharmaceutical companies in the country to implement the revised Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), bringing their processes to par with global standards.

EXPLANATION:

Larger companies with a turnover of over Rs 250 crore have been asked to implement the changes within six months, while medium and small-scale enterprises with a turnover of less than Rs 250 crore have been asked to do so within a year.
This comes at a time when India is promoting itself as the global manufacturing hub for generic medicines.

What is GMP?

It is a system that consists of processes, procedures and documentation that ensures manufacturing products, such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical goods, are consistently produced and controlled according to set quality standards.
Implementing GMP can help cut down on losses and waste, and avoid recall, seizure, fines and jail time. Overall, it protects both company and consumer from negative food safety events.
GMPs examine and cover every aspect of the manufacturing process to guard against any risks that can be catastrophic for products, such as cross-contamination, adulteration, and mislabeling.
Some areas that can influence the safety and quality of products that GMP guidelines and regulation address are the following :
Quality management
Sanitation and hygiene
Building and Facilities
Equipment
Raw materials
Personnel
Validation and qualification
Complaints
Documentation and recordkeeping
Inspections & quality audits

What are the 5 Main Components of Good Manufacturing Practice?

It is paramount to the manufacturing industry to regulate GMP in the workplace to ensure consistent quality and safety of products.
Focusing on the following 5 P’s of GMP helps comply with strict standards throughout the entire production process.

What are the 10 Principles of GMP?

Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Enforce / Implement SOPs and work instructions
Document procedures and processes
Validate the effectiveness of SOPs
Design and use working systems
Maintain systems, facilities, and equipment
Develop job competence of workers
Prevent contamination through cleanliness
Prioritize quality and integrate into workflow
Conduct GMP audits regularly

Benefits of the improved standards:

Implementation of the new norms will bring the Indian industry on par with global standards.
The improved standards will ensure that pharmaceutical companies follow standard processes, and quality control measures and do not cut corners, improving the quality of medicines available in India as well as sold in the global market.
Implementation of the revised good manufacturing practices (GMP) will act as one of the measures to solve the string of incidents where other countries have reported alleged contamination of India-manufactured drugs.
This will bring uniformity across states on processes followed for licensing and inspection, ensuring that the quality of medicine manufactured anywhere in the country would be the same.
Instituting the same quality across the industry will give confidence to regulators from other countries.
It will make India a quality pharmaceutical hub of the world. In addition, it will ensure that our citizens also receive export-quality medicines.

What are the major changes?

The revised GMP guidelines focus on quality control measures, proper documentation, and IT backing to maintain the quality of medicines produced.
The new guideline introduces a pharmaceutical quality system, quality risk management, product quality review, and validation of equipment. This will mean companies will have to carry out regular quality reviews of all their products, verify the consistency of the quality and the processes, and implementation of any preventive actions.
It also suggests a change control system to evaluate all changes that may affect the production or quality of the product.
The companies will also have to carry out stability studies as per the climate conditions. “Most companies at present keep their samples stored under recommended conditions and test for various parameters from time to time.
The guidelines also state that companies should have GMP-related computerised systems, which ensure that there is no tampering of data related to the processes. Such GMP systems will prevent unauthorised access and changes to the data.
In addition, the new schedule M also lists out the requirements for additional types of products, including biological products, agents with radioactive ingredients, or plant-derived products.
The new schedule also lists the requirement for investigational products being manufactured for clinical trials.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-health/revised-manufacturing-rules-for-drug-firms-what-changes-and-why-8879305/

2. NEW ONLINE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ODR) OF SEBI

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE; GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: SEBI is considering implementing a new online dispute resolution (ODR) system involving institutions, conciliators and arbitrators for the capital market.

EXPLANATION:

Recently, SEBI issued a circular streamlining the existing dispute resolution mechanism in the securities market under the aegis of stock exchanges and depositories Market Infrastructure Institutions (MII) by establishing a common ODR portal.
The new system will harness online conciliation and online arbitration for resolution of disputes arising in the securities market.
The introduction of ODR to resolve securities market disputes serves to revolutionize both the process and timeframes for the resolution of such disputes.

What are ODR institutions?

According to SEBI, each MII will identify and empanel one or more independent ODR institutions.
These institutions will have qualified conciliators and arbitrators.
MIIs will, in consultation with their empanelled ODR institutions, establish and operate a common ODR portal.
All listed companies specified intermediaries and regulated entities in the securities market (referred to as market participants) would enrol on the ODR portal.

SEBI’s Adoption of ODR:

The adoption of ODR by SEBI is more than just an incremental increase in the reach of ODR.
It is a revolutionary change that has the potential to fundamentally disrupt the landscape of ADR and ODR, not just in India but globally.
The adoption of ODR by SEBI is among the first of its kind globally, where statutory conciliation and arbitration with private ODR players has been provided for.
Securities market disputes can range from the super-simple to extremely complex. The fact that ODR has now been provided for the entire spectrum of disputes represents a marked shift in attitude.
The adoption by SEBI marks an important milestone of regulatory/government bodies delegating the power of appointment of neutrals to private ADR/ODR participants while also imposing sufficient checks and balances on the exercise of such power.
This is particularly relevant in a country like India where appointment of arbitrators by courts (in ad hoc arbitrations) and government-run facilitation councils and equivalent (in cases like MSME disputes) has been among the largest contributors of delay in dispute resolution.
This opens up the possibility of using private sector participants with a degree of ongoing accountability that any long-term engagement with one or more participants cannot achieve.

Salient features of the SEBI ODR Circular

The SEBI ODR Circular provides a detailed framework for the escalation of cases to ODR, the manner of selection of ODR institutions, the conduct of various ODR processes, the timelines for each process and the cost of each process.
The SEBI ODR Circular enables resolution of disputes arising out of securities market transactions by ODR institutions capable of undertaking time-bound online conciliation and/or arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
Under the Circular, each Market Infrastructure Institution (MII) has to empanel one or more ODR institutions and establish and operate on a common Online Dispute Resolution Portal (ODR Portal), whose creation will be overseen by the various MIIs together.
The ODR portal shall establish due connectivity with the SEBI SCORES portal/ SEBI Intermediary portal.
All Market Participants are required to enrol on the ODR portal within a specific timeline identified in the Circular.
They are also required to clearly communicate the availability of the SCORES portal and the ODR portal to the investor to resolve their disputes if the investor is unsatisfied with the response (or the lack thereof) of the Market Participant.
The ODR portal will have the following features- Enrolling an investor and market participant, filing a complaint, uploading documents and papers, and status update on the complaint, which would be provided by the ODR institution.
A complaint initiated through the portal will be referred to an ODR institution empanelled by an MII and the allocation system on a market-wide basis to govern the allocation of each such dispute among all such empanelled ODR institutions.

SCORES (SEBI Complaints Redress System)

SCORES is a web-based centralized grievance redress system of SEBI. SCORES enables investors to lodge and follow up their complaints and track the status of redressal of such complaints online from the above website from anywhere.
This enables the market intermediaries and listed companies to receive complaints online from investors, redress such complaints and report redressal online.
All the activities starting from the lodging of a complaint till its closure by SEBI, would be online in an automated environment, and the complainant can view the status of his complaint online.
An investor, who is not familiar with SCORES or does not have access to SCORES, can lodge complaints in physical form at any of the offices of SEBI. Such complaints would be scanned and also uploaded in SCORES for processing.

What types of complaints can be registered in the SCORE portal?

Entities against which complaints are handled by SEBI include:
Listed companies / registrar & transfer agents
Brokers / stock exchanges
Depository participants / depository
Mutual funds
Portfolio Managers
Other entities (KYC Collective investment scheme, Merchant banker, Credit rating, Foreign institutional investor etc)

Source: https://www.livemint.com/money/personal-finance/sebi-to-launch-online-dispute-resolution-mechanism-for-investors-on-august-15-11691339001139.html

3. AMRIT BHARAT STATION SCHEME

TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: In a bid to keep it safe for passengers as well as freight transportation, it is essential to modernise its infrastructure with the latest technologies, amenities and others from time to time. In this context, the government is working to transform the railway stations across the country under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS).

EXPLANATION:

Amrit Bharat Station Scheme was launched by the Ministry of Railways in 2022 for the development of stations with a long-term vision.
The scheme involves creating a Master Plan for each station, considering its long-term requirements and the needs of its passengers.
This will guarantee that the modernization process is efficient and tailored to the specific demands of each station.
Out of the 508 stations whose redevelopment has started, 48 are of Bihar, 31 are of Assam, and 18 of Andhra Pradesh.

The broad objectives of the Amit Bharat Station Scheme are:

To prepare Master Plans for railway stations and implement them in phases to improve facilities, including beyond the Minimum Essential Amenities (MEA).
To aim for the creation of Roof Plazas and city centres at stations in the long run.
To prioritize stakeholder needs and station usage studies based on available funds.
To introduce new amenities and upgrade or replace existing ones.
To cover stations where techno-economic feasibility studies have been conducted.
To focus on implementing Master Plans in phases, with special emphasis on relocating structures and utilities as needed.

The scope of work under the Amrit Bharat Station scheme includes the following:

Improve the structure and create aesthetically pleasing entrance porches in a cost-efficient manner.
Relocate old buildings efficiently to make space for priority passenger activities and future development.
Minimize new building construction, except for necessary relocations or improvements.
Provide combined waiting halls and good cafeteria/retail facilities where possible.
Allocate space for at least two stalls for “One Station One Product.”
Improve station approaches with widened roads, proper signages, pedestrian pathways, parking areas, and better lighting.
Incorporate landscaping, green areas, and local art and culture to enhance the station experience.

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/business/railways-what-is-the-amrit-bharat-station-scheme-how-is-it-modernising-the-infrastructure-of-indian-railway-stations-know-its-objectives-and-scope-3201199/

4. OPTICAL FIBERS BASED CONNECTIVITY

TAG: GS 2: GOVERNANCE; GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The cabinet has approved a last-mile broadband connectivity plan under the BharatNet project for 6.4 lakh villages across the country with a financial outlay of Rs 1.39 lakh crore.

EXPLANATION:

The Union Cabinet has approved an allotment of ₹1,39,579 crore for the next phase of Bharat Net to make 5G network available to remote areas of the country.
Its plan is to reach 6.4 lakh villages within the next two years from the current 1.94 lakh connected villages.

BHARATNET PROJECT

BharatNet is one of the biggest rural telecom projects in the world.
It is implemented in a phased manner to all Gram Panchayats (approximately 2.5 lakh) in the country for providing non-discriminatory access to broadband connectivity to all the telecom service providers.
Objective is to enable access providers like mobile operators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Cable TV operators, content providers to launch various services such as applications like e-health, e-education, and e-governance in rural and remote India.
The project has been approved by Union Cabinet in 2011.
The project is being executed by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) namely Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL).
BBNL has been incorporated in 2012 under Indian Companies Act 1956.
In 2016, the Telecom Commission approved to implement the project in three phases.

NATIONAL OPTICAL FIBRE NETWORK (NOFN)

National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) is an ambitious initiative to trigger a broadband revolution in rural areas.
NOFN was envisaged as an information super-highway through the creation of a robust middle-mile infrastructure for reaching broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats.
The National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) aims to connect all the 2,50,000 Gram panchayats in the country and provide 100 Mbps connectivity to all gram panchayats (GPs).
To achieve this, the existing fibres of PSUs (BSNL, Railtel and Power Grid) were utilised and incremental fibre was laid to connect to Gram Panchayats wherever necessary.
Dark fibre network thus created was lit by appropriate technology thus creating sufficient bandwidth at the Gram Panchayats.

OPTICAL FIBERS

Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the technology that transmits information as light pulses along a glass or plastic fiber.
A fiber optic cable can contain a varying number of these glass fibers from a few up to a couple hundred. Another glass layer, called cladding, surrounds the glass fiber core.
The buffer tube layer protects the cladding, and a jacket layer acts as the final protective layer for the individual strand.
Fiber optic cables are commonly used because of their advantages over copper cables. Some of those benefits include higher bandwidth and transmit speeds.
Fiber optics is used for long-distance and high-performance data networking.
It is also commonly used in telecommunication services, such as internet, television, and telephones.
For example, Verizon and Google use fiber optics in their Verizon FIOS and Google Fiber services, respectively, providing Gigabit internet speeds to users.

Source:https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/telecom-news/cabinet-approves-rs-1-39-lakh-cr-for-last-mile-bharatnet-connectivity/articleshow/102451866.cms?from=mdr

5. REINTRODUCTION OF RHINO CONSERVATION SCHEME

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Bihar government is constituting a ‘Rhino Task Force’ for suggesting measures for the reintroduction of the terrestrial mammals in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) in West Champaran district of Assam.

EXPLANATION:

A committee was set up to assess the habitat and security conditions in VTR of Assam and to suggest measures for reintroduction of rhinos in the reserve, about two years back.
The committee recently submitted its report to the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (DEFCC).
Based on the recommendations, State government is preparing to constitute a ‘Rhino Task Force’ for suggesting measures for the reintroduction of rhinos in the VTR.
The process of the reintroduction of the rhino scheme in VTR will start based on the recommendations of the task force.
It has been decided to increase the rhino-bearing areas in VTR by 5% in the next two years.
As per the plan rhinos will be taken out of crowded habitats and shifted to identified areas in the VTR.
The objective is to provide more room for the rhinos to breed and multiply.
The potentially identified areas for the reintroduction scheme in VTR are — Ganauli and Madanpu.

INDIAN RHINO VISION 2020 (IRV2020) / PROJECT RHINO

IRV2020 was initiated as a collaboration between the Assam Forest Department, International Rhino Foundation, and WWF India.
The program was established in 2005 for the purpose of increasing the rhino population in Assam to 3,000 by establishing populations in seven protected areas.
In 2021, a final translocation of two rhinos from Kaziranga National Park to Manas National Park was completed.
Rhinos are now found in four Protected Areas in Assam: Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Orang National Park, Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park.
In 2022, the IRV2020 partners met to outline goals for the coming years, with plans to build on the successes and learnings from the previous program.
Meetings to approve the plan, known as IRV 2.0, have been delayed due to the global pandemic.
The New Program is scheduled to begin soon under the leadership of Assam Forest Department, along with supporting partners, and translocations could begin again by the end of the year.

WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO RESTORE HABITAT IN INDIA

Local community members successfully restored 50 acres of prime rhino habitat under the supervision of our on-the-ground partner, Aaranyak, and Manas National Park officials.
It planned to restore another 250 acres over the next two years.
Engagement of local people in removal of invasive plant species also offers them livelihood and, in that way, it helps park officials to garner better support from local communities along with improvement of grassland habitats.

VALMIKI TIGER RESERVE (VTR)

The VTR occupies a core area of 909.86 sq. km of the Valmiki Sanctuary located in the West Champaran district of Bihar.
VTR has been selected as one of the potential sites under the National Rhino Conservation strategy where rhinos may be brought from other reserves in the country.
The VTR was established as the 18th tiger reserve in 1990 and ranked fourth in the density of the tiger population.
The rivers Gandak and Masan flow through this area.

SOURCE:https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/bihar-to-constitute-rhino-task-force-for-reintroduction-of-rhino-conservation-scheme-in-valmiki-tiger-reserve/article67164420.ece