civil services - chahalacademy.com affairs monthly magazine...civil services - chahalacademy.com

CIVIL

SERVICES

MONTHLY

JUNE 2019KIMBERLY PROCRESS

G20 2019

PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY

FOREIGN TRIBUNALS

NRC

LIBRA

NATIONAL POLICY ON BIOFUELS

KALESHWAR PROJECT

STATE OF INDIA'S ENVIRONMENT

CHAUKHANDI STUPA

GIST OF YOJANA JULY ISSUE

GIST OF KURUKSHETRA JULY

GIST OF EPW

ON

E S

TO

P S

OL

UT

ION

FO

R C

IVIL

SE

RV

ICE

S

1 | C H A H A L A C A D E M Y

INDEX

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL 1 THE FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE 2 G20 SUMMIT 2019 4 KIMBERLEY PROCESS 5 NEW START TREATY 6 ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC COORPERATION 7 WINDRUSH SCHEME 8

ECONOMICS AND DEVELOPMENT

NANDAN NILEKANI PANEL ON DEEPENING DIGITAL PAYMENTS 9 ECONOMIC CAPITAL FRAMEWORK 11 FISCAL PERFORMANCE INDEX 13 DISTRIBUTION OF FORTIFIED RATION 14 GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES 15 THE MULTILATERAL CONVENTION TO IMPLEMENT TAX TREATY RELATED MEASURES TO PREVENT BASE EROSION AND PROFIT SHIFTING

17

NEW DELHI INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION CENTRE BILL 2019 18 PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY 20

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

MOTION OF THANKS 22 SPEAKER AND PROTEM-SPEAKER 22 NITI AAYOG 23 NITI AAYOG’S HEALTH INDEX 24 ALL STATES CAN NOW CONSTITUTE FOREIGNER’S TRIBUNALS 25 NORTH EASTERN COUNCIL 25 NATIONAL REGISTER OF CITIZENS 26 RESERVATION FOR MARATHAS 26 SIMULTANEOUS MEMBERSHIP OF BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT 27 SEZ (AMENDMENT) BILL 2019 28

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NITI AAYOG’S HEALTH INDEX 29 NIPAH VIRUS 30 FACEBOOK’S GLOBAL DIGITAL CURRENCY ‘LIBRA’ 32


FIXED DOSE COMBINATION MEDICINES 33 FALL ARMYWORM 35 E-CIGARETTES 37 THE DNA TECHNOLOGY (USE AND APPLICATION) REGULATION BILL 2019 38 OUTBREAK OF ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS SYNDROME IN BIHAR 40

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY

NATIONAL POLICY ON BIOFUELS 2018 41 DEAD ZONE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO 43 IRENA REPORT RENEWABLE POWER GENERATION COSTS IN 2018 44 FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION 46 KALESWARAM PROJECT 47 CLIMATE CHANGE CAN TRIP SMALL ISLAND STATES ENROUTE SDGS: UN 48 STATE OF INDIA’S ENVIRONMENT 2019 49 WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHT 51

ART AND CULTURE

CHAMLIYAL MELA 53 SINDHU DARSHAN FESTIVAL 54 JAPAN GIFTS MANIPUR A MUSEUM OF PEACE 54 KOLHAPURI CHAPPALS 55 NATIONAL MARITIME HERITAGE MUSEUM AT LOTHAL 56 CHAUKHANDI STUPA 56 SRILANKAN PRESIDENT GIFTS SAMADHI BUDDHA STATUE TO PM MODI 56 ELEPHANTA FESTIVAL 57 YOGA MAHOTSAVA 58

KURUKSHETRA GIST

NON-FARM SECTOR IN INDIA 60 RURAL TOURISM: AN ASSET TO NON-FARM SECTOR 30 FOOD PROCESSING FOR NON-FARM SECTOR 62

YOJANA GIST

EMPOWERING CITIZENS THROUGH E-SERVICES 63 LESS CASH INDIA: VISION TO REALITY 63 TOWARDS A NATIONAL DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM 64 EMPOWERING THE MARGINALISED THROUGH DIGITAL PLATFORMS 65 BRIDGING THE GAPS IN HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT 66 DIGITALIZED FARM CENTRIC SERVICES: E-AGRICULTURE 66


EPW GIST

DOUBLING INDIA’S FARM INCOMES 67 IMPACT ON FARMER INCOMES 68 HOW CAN WE MANAGE DOUGHT WITHOUT WATER-USE DATA 69 NEW RESERVATION PLOICY 70 SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS VS ACCOUNTABILITY 71

UPSC CSE PRELIMS: GENERAL STUDIES PAPER I 73

MAPPING: SOUTH CHINA SEA AND DISPUTED AREAS 95


INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL (UNSC) Why in news?

Recently, Asia Pacific group endorsed India's candidature for UNSC non-permanent seat for two-year term.

More about the news

• India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat in the Security Council has been endorsed unanimously by the Asia Pacific group, which comprises 55 countries, including Pakistan.

• Elections for the five non-permanent members of the 15-nation Council for the 2021-22 term will be held around June next year.

About United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

• The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, charged with ensuring international peace and security, accepting new members to the United Nations and approving any changes to its charter.

• Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations and international sanctions as well as the authorization of military actions through resolutions

• The Security Council consists of fifteen members. • Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and

the United States—serve as the body’s five permanent members and these permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.

• The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.

Election of Non-Permanent Members of the UNSC

• Article 23 of the UN Charter concerns the composition of the Security Council. Each year, the 193-member General Assembly elects five

non-permanent members (out of ten in total) for a two-year term.

• The ten non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis o five for African and Asian countries; o one for Eastern European countries; o two for Latin American and Caribbean

countries; o two for Western European and other

countries. • Out of five seats for Africa and Asia, three are for

Africa and two for Asia; there is an informal understanding between the two groups to reserve one for an Arab country.

• Irrespective of whether a country is a “clean slate” candidate and has been endorsed by its group, it needs to secure the votes of two-thirds of the members present and voting at the General Assembly session (a minimum of 129 votes if all 193 member states participate).

• When contested, the elections for non-permanent seats can be fraught and can go on for several rounds. In 1975, there was a contest between India and Pakistan, which went to eight rounds. Pakistan won the seat that year. In 1996, India lost a contest to Japan.

• Currently the 10 non-permanent members are Belgium, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Indonesia, Kuwait, Peru, Poland and South Africa.

• Early this month(June 2019), Estonia, Niger, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam were elected to the Council for a two-year term beginning January 2020. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is the smallest nation ever to secure a seat.

Why India decided to pursue its candidature for 2021-22 shortly after it had ended its previous tenure in 2011-2012?

• There are several reasons why India decided to pursue its candidature for 2021-22, such as

• The government at the time had felt it was necessary to have India’s voice at the high table as many times as possible, and therefore began the process for another seat shortly after it had ended its previous tenure in 2011-2012.

• By rotation, that seat would have reached India only in the 2030s, and India had to reach out to Afghanistan, which had put in its bid already for the 2021-22 slot, to request it to withdraw.

• Afghanistan did so because of the special relationship between the two countries.


• Given the near-complete polarisation among the permanent members (P-5 nations), with the U.S., the U.K. and France on one side, and Russia and China on the other, India’s ability to work with both sides would prove beneficial.

• India has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the Security Council saying it rightly deserves a place as a permanent member of the Council, which in its current form does not represent the geo-political realities of the 21st Century.

• The year 2022 also has a sentimental value attached to it, as it marks the 75th year of India’s Independence, and a place at the UNSC would no doubt add to the planned celebrations that year.

India at the UNSC's Non Permanent Seat

• Previously, India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Council for the years 1950–1951, 1967–1968, 1972–1973, 1977–1978, 1984–1985, 1991–1992 and most recently in 2011–2012 under the leadership of former Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri.

• India has been elected for seven terms for a two-year non-permanent member seat, the last being 2011-12, only behind Japan, Brazil and Argentina. Except for the first time, when India held the seat earmarked for the Commonwealth group, it has held the seat on every other occasion on behalf of the Asian group.

• During the last term, India won the non-permanent seat with the highest number of votes in the General Assembly showing its impressive electoral popularity. In sharp contrast to 1996 when India had lost the elections to Japan by a wide margin for a non-permanent seat.

THE FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE (FATF) Why in news?

The international terror financing watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF )recently decided to keep Pakistan on its 'Grey' list for failure to curb funnelling of funds to terror groups LeT, JeM and others.

Background

• In June 2018, Pakistan was placed in the 'grey' list and given a 27-point action plan by FATF. This plan was reviewed at the last plenary in October 2018 and for the second time in February, the

country was again put into the 'gray' list after India submitted new information about Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

• History In response to mounting concern over money laundering, the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) was established by the G-7 Summit that was held in Paris in 1989. Recognising the threat posed to the banking system and to financial institutions, the G-7 Heads of State or Government and President of the European Commission convened the Task Force from the G-7 member States, the European Commission and eight other countries.

• The FATF currently comprises 36 member jurisdictions and 2 regional organisations, representing most major financial centres in all parts of the globe.

• The FATF's decision making body, the FATF Plenary, meets three times per year.

• The FATF President is a senior official appointed by the FATF Plenary from among its members for a term of one year

• The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. The FATF is therefore a “policy-making body” which works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas

• The FATF monitors the progress of its members in implementing necessary measures, reviews money laundering and terrorist financing techniques and counter-measures, and promotes the adoption and implementation of appropriate measures globally.

Black and Grey list of FATF

• FATF maintains two different lists of countries • 1. Grey List- those that have deficiencies in their

Anti-Money Laundering (AML)and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT)regimes, but they commit to an action plan to address these loopholes, and

• 2. Blacklist- " blacklist means the country concerned is "non-cooperative" in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

• Once a country is blacklisted, FATF calls on other countries to apply enhanced due diligence and


counter measures, increasing the cost of doing business with the country and in some cases severing it altogether. As of now there are only two countries in the blacklist — Iran and North Korea — and seven on the grey list, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria and Yemen.

India and FATF

• India became Observer at FATF in the year 2006. Since then, India had been working towards full-fledged Membership of FATF. Finally India became a full-fledged member of Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Importance of FATF to India

• FATF is very important for India in its quest to become a major player in the International finance.

• It helps India to build the capacity to fight terrorism and trace terrorist money and to successfully investigate and prosecute money laundering and terrorist financing offences.

• India benefits in securing a more transparent and stable financial system by ensuring that financial institutions are not vulnerable to infiltration or abuse by organized crime groups.

• The FATF process also helps India in co-ordination of AML/CFT efforts at the international level.

India's Stand on Greylisting Pakistan

• India is one of the major victim of terror financing and India's stand at the FATF Plenary and other related discussions have always been consistent regarding Pakistan. Along with the nominating countries India has always voiced concerns that Pakistan is not doing enough to contain terror funding on its soil.

• In a recent statement India again expressed concerns and suggested Pakistan to take all necessary steps to effectively implement the FATF Action Plan fully within the remaining time frame i.e. by September 2019 in accordance with its political commitment to the FATF.

Pakistan's Defence

• In its defence, Pakistan continues to state that it has seized more than 700 properties of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), similar to what it did as a result of its previous grey listing in 2012. However, , FATF

members are concerned that there are no cases registered against the terror leadership, namely Saeed and Masood and other UN-designated terrorists.

• Pakistani authorities have shown arrests of LeT, JeM, JuD and FiF cadres. But all were apprehended under its Maintenance of Public Order Act and not under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997

• Moreover, the FATF implements UN designations, which do not warrant arrest. They ask only for freeze of funds, denial of access to weapons and travel embargo. The financial watchdog also wants nations to impose penalties that are proportionate and dissuasive.

• Pakistan also wants India to be removed from the from the co-chair of a body that is reviewing Islamabad's progress on the implementation of an action plan to combat terrorism as it believes that India is deliberately trying t show Pakistan in a negative light.

Political and Economic implications on Pakistan

• Pakistan’s economy will be adversely impacted following decision by the FATF to put the country in the ‘grey list’ for failing to fulfil obligations to prevent terror financing.

• IMF is an observer organisation to FATF and has complete visibility of whatever happens within the grouping including a very detailed understanding of what the Pakistani action plan is. The FATF continuing Pakistan in the 'Grey' list means its downgrading by IMF, World Bank, ADB, EU and also a reduction in risk rating by Moody's, S&P and Fitch.

• As a result, the Pakistani stock market is expected to fall significantly and China is likely to take advantage of the economic situation by expanding its investment footrprint.

• Downgrading by ratings agencies would make it harder or more expensive for Pakistan to raise debt from international markets, and also reduces Pakistan’s credibility in the world

• Being in the “grey list” means that accessing funds from international markets, for instance, would become tougher for Islamabad . This will add to the financial problems of Pakistan, which is seeking aid from all possible international avenues.

• Politically, the FATF decision would be a “major setback for Islamabad’s efforts to improve its image” . The decision could make it harder for foreign investors and companies to do business in Pakistan. Islamabad would be made to go through


all the (extra) scrutiny which can hurt the economy very badly. A decline in foreign transactions and foreign currency inflows could lead to further widening of Pakistan’s already large current account deficit (CAD). Pakistani economy had to be bailed out by the IMF in 2013.

• Amid intense pressure from global regulators to guard against money laundering and terrorist financing, banks have been retreating from highrisk countries in recent years. The level of due diligence by banks is already high in countries such as Pakistan, but after the listing, banks may have to reassess the risk-reward scenario.

G20 SUMMIT, 2019. Why in news?

The annual Summit of the Group of 20 nations recently took place in Osaka, Japan.

About Group of Twenty (G20)

Introduction

• It is an international forum of leaders from the countries with the largest and fastest-growing economies. Its members account for 80% of the world's GDP, and two-thirds of its population.

History .

• After the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997-1998, it was acknowledged that the participation of major emerging market countries is needed on discussions on the international financial system, and G7 finance ministers agreed to establish the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in 1999.

• It was founded in 1999 with an aim to discuss policy pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability.

• Initially, G20 summits were primarily focused on governance of the global economy and was mostly attended by finance ministers and central bank governors. However,G20 has expanded its agenda since 2008 and heads of government or heads of state, as well as finance ministers and foreign ministers, have periodically conferred at summits ever since.

Members

• Full membership of the G20 Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi

Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union(represented by the European Commission and by the European Central Bank)

Management Arrangements

• The group has no permanent staff of its own, so every year in December, a G20 country from a rotating region takes on the presidency. That country is then responsible for organising the next summit, as well as smaller meetings for the coming year

• They can also choose to invite non-member countries along as guests. Spain is always invited

G20 Summits

• The G20 Summit is formally known as the “Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy”. As the “premier forum for international economic cooperation” (agreed by leaders at the Pittsburgh Summit in September 2009).

• The first G20 meeting took place in Berlin in 1999, after a financial crisis in East Asia affected many countries around the world.

• In November 2008, the inaugural G20 Summit was held in Washington, D.C. in response to the global financial crisis that occurred in the wake of the collapse of the Lehman Brothers.

• The G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors was upgraded to the head of state level, as a forum for leaders from major developed and emerging market countries.

• In September 2009, the third summit was held in Pittsburgh where the leaders designated the G20 as the “premier forum for international economic cooperation.”

• From thereon, the summit meetings were held semi-annually until 2010 and annually from 2011 onwards.

Significance of G20

• Representing more than 80% of the global GDP, the G20 has made continuous efforts toward achieving robust global economic growth.

• As globalization progresses and various issues become more intricately intertwined, the recent G20 summits have focused not only on macro economy and trade, but also on a wide range of global issues which have an immense impact on the global economy, such as development, climate


change and energy, health, counter-terrorism, as well as migration and refugees.

• The G20 has sought to realize an inclusive and sustainable world through its contributions towards resolving these global issues

• G20 serves as a platform for leaders from the countries with the largest and fastest-growing economies to discuss and resolve various issues and promote peace and sustainable development.

Highlights of the G20 Summit, 2019

• The 2019 G20 summit was held in Osaka, Japan, this is the first time the summit has taken place in Japan.

• The US-China trade war and climate change have been contentious issues during the G20 summit.

• Leaders agreed on a climate deal similar to the one struck in Argentina in 2018.

• Along with the meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate bilateral meetings. Overall, Modi held nine bilateral meetings with the leaders of Japan, the US, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Germany, Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey and Australia; eight pull-aside meetings with Thailand, Vietnam, the World Bank, the UNSG, France, Italy, Singapore and Chile; two plurilaterals -- JAI (Japan-America-India) and RIC (Russia-India-China); one multilateral meeting of BRICS and four G20 sessions and a community event.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump came closer to resolving trade issues when they met in Osaka on the 2nd day, but on technological issues such as data storage and 5G network, India placed itself across the divide from Japan and the U.S., and alongside leaders of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa).

5G issue

• The U.S. had earlier demanded that countries should ban Chinese telecom major Huawei’s 5G network because of its ability to spy on them. However, India is already preparing to begin technology trials in September, and while that deadline may be postponed, India has not yet decided on whether to include Huawei from the trials. If India drops the company from consideration, Beijing has made it clear it would protest the decision strongly.

KIMBERLEY PROCESS

Why in news?

India is the Current Chair of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The Intersessional meeting of Kimberley Process (KP) was hosted by India from 17th to 21st June, 2019 in Mumbai and the Plenary meeting of Kimberley Process is scheduled to be held from 11th to 15th November, 2019 in New Delhi.

About the Kimberley Process (KP)

• The Kimberley Process (KP) is a multilateral trade regime established in 2003 with the goal of preventing the flow of conflict diamonds.

• The core of this regime is the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) under which States implement safeguards on shipments of rough diamonds and certify them as “conflict free".

• It is a joint initiative involving Government, international diamond industry and civil society to stem the flow of Conflict Diamonds.

• At present, KPCS has 55 members representing 82 countries including EU with 28 members and is open to all countries that are willing and able to implement its requirements.

• The Kimberley Process is chaired, on a rotating basis, by participating countries. KP Vice-Chair is generally elected by KP Plenary each year, who becomes the Chair in the next year.

The KP is not strictly an international organisation because it has no permanent offices or permanent staff. It relies on the contributions – under the principle of ‘burden-sharing’ – of participants, supported by industry and civil society observers. Neither can the KP be considered as an international agreement from a legal perspective, as it is implemented through the national legislations of its participants.

History

• In 1998, certain rebel movements in Africa (Sierra Leone, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia) were selling, among other things, illegally obtained diamonds – known as Conflict


Diamonds – to fund their wars against legitimate governments.

• With a view to find ways to stop trade in Conflict Diamonds, world’s diamond industry, United Nations, Governments and leading NGOs came together and in November 2002 at Interlaken, Switzerland, where the final draft of the Kimberley Process measures was ratified by more than fifty countries.

• The KPCS came into effect from 1st January, 2003 and evolved into an effective mechanism for stopping the trade in Conflict Diamonds.

Conflict Diamonds

• Conflict Diamonds means rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments. It is also described in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.

Functioning of Kimberly Process

• The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) imposes extensive requirements (*) on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as ‘conflict-free' and prevent conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate trade.

• Under the terms of the KPCS, participating states must meet ‘minimum requirements' and must put in place national legislation and institutions; export, import and internal controls; and also commit to transparency and the exchange of statistical data.

• Participants can only legally trade with other participants who have also met the minimum requirements of the scheme, and international shipments of rough diamonds must be accompanied by a KP certificate guaranteeing that they are conflict-free.

Rough diamond trading under the KPCS

• As per the Scheme, each shipment of rough diamonds being exported and imported by crossing an international border be transported in a tamper proof container and accompanied by a validated Kimberley Process Certificate. The shipment can only be exported to a co-participant country in the KPCS. No uncertified shipments of rough diamonds are permitted to enter a participant country.

India and the KPCS

• India is one of the founder members of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and is the Chair of Kimberley Process for the year 2019 with Russian Federation as Vice Chair.

• India had earlier chaired KPCS in the year 2008. • Since 2003, India has been actively participating in

the KPCS process and is a member of all Working Groups of KP (except for Working Group on Artisanal and Alluvial Production, WGAAP).

• India is actively involved in KP activities to ensure that almost 99% of the diamond trade in the world is conflict free. India is committed to maintain KP as an efficient and effective process in order to ensure the conflict diamond free status.

• India is at the forefront in addressing the issue of differentiation between Natural Diamonds and Lab Grown Diamonds and ensure responsible business in this area.

• Department of Commerce is the nodal Department and Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) is designated as the KPCS Importing and Exporting Authority in India.

• GJEPC is responsible for issuing KP Certificates and is also the custodian of KP Certificates received in the country.

NEW START TREATY Why in news?

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is prepared to drop a nuclear weapons agreement treaty with the US

He said Washington showed no genuine interest in conducting talks on extending the New START treaty which caps the number of nuclear warheads well below Cold War limits.

New START treaty

• New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation with the formal name of Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.

• It was signed April 8, 2010 in Prague by Russia and the United States and entered into force on Feb. 5, 2011.

• New START replaced the 1991 START I treaty, which expired December 2009, and superseded the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty


(SORT), which terminated when New START entered into force.

US and Russian Measures for Arms Control

• Over the past four decades, American and Soviet/Russian leaders have used a progression of bilateral agreements and other measures to limit and reduce their substantial nuclear warhead and strategic missile and bomber arsenals. The following is a brief summary.

Strategic Nuclear Arms Control Agreements

• SALT I The treaty began in 1969 and required both US and Soviet to reduce strategic missile defences

• SALT II In November 1972, Washington and Moscow agreed to pursue a follow-on treaty to SALT I. SALT II was signed in 1979.

• START I The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), first proposed in the early 1980s by President Ronald Reagan and finally signed in July 1991, required the United States and the Soviet Union to reduce their deployed strategic arsenal delivery vehicles. The agreement’s entry into force was delayed for several years because of the collapse of the Soviet Union. START I reductions were completed in December 2001 and the treaty expired on Dec. 5, 2009.

• START II It was a follow-on accord to START I, signed in 1993.

• SORT- Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty It is also known as the Treaty of Moscow. It was a strategic arms reduction treaty that was in force from June 2003 until February 2011 when it was superseded by the New START treaty.

ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC COOPERATION (OIC) Why in news

India recently slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation after it announced a Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir.

More about the News

• The OIC on May 31 appointed Yousef Aldobeay of Saudi Arabia, an assistant secretary general of the organisation, a special envoy for Jammu and Kashmir during the 14th OIC summit held in Makkah.

• The Final Communique of the 14th Islamic Summit Conference in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, “reaffirmed its principled support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the realization of their legitimate right to self-determination, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions”.

• The Conference “condemned the recent outbreaks of violence in the region and invited India to implement the relevant Security Council resolutions to settle its protracted conflict with its neighbour”. It also called for “the expedited establishment of a UN commission of inquiry to investigate into the grave human rights violations in Kashmir, and called on India to allow this proposed commission and international human rights organizations to access Indian-occupied Kashmir”.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

• The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents.

• The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 25 September 1969.

• In 1970 the first ever meeting of Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister (ICFM) was held in Jeddah which decided to establish a permanent secretariat in Jeddah.

• The Organization claims that it is the collective voice of the Muslim world and endeavours to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.

India and OIC

• At the inaugural session of OIC held in Rabat, Moroccoin 1969,India was denied membership of the OIC despite its insistence that as the country with the third largest Muslim population in the world deserved a seat at the “Islamic” table.

• The situation today is different from 1969 and this was clearly reflected in India’s latest experience with the OIC. In an apparent gesture of goodwill, the organisers of the OIC Foreign Ministers meeting in Abu Dhabi, which in effect meant the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia invited External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as the guest of honour and keynote speaker despite Pakistan’s objections.


• India’s participation in the OIC meeting was important because ever since the OIC’s inception, Pakistan has used the platform to spread canards about the so-called mistreatment of Muslims in India and to alienate India from the Islamic world. Moreover, Islamabad has used the forum to internationalize issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

• However, the recent remarks of OIC on J&K is being considered as major diplomatic setback for India. India has been consistently criticised by the OIC for its alleged human rights violations in Kashmir, often seen at the behest of Pakistan.

• Moreover, Pakistan has always avoided India’s observer status to the OIC, on its part Pakistan had objected stating that any country wishing to get observer status should not be involved in any dispute with an OIC member state the reference being to the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir.

• The recent reference to Jammu and Kashmir in a communiqué adopted at the summit meeting is the continuation of the OIC's stand at the issue over the years, despite of improving India's ties with some of the member countries.

• However India's stand on OIC's statements has always been crystal clear and time and again India has stated that the OIC has no locus standi in matters relating to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

• India has consistently and emphatically underlined that Jammu and Kashmir is an “integral part of India and is a matter strictly internal to India”. The strength with which India has made this assertion has varied slightly at times, but never the core message.

Importance of OIC to India

• OIC Countries are important for Economic and Energy Independence of India, which is emerging as the world’s third-largest economy and one of the biggest hydrocarbon importers and labour exporters.

• India has one of the world’s largest Muslim populations and hence it becomes important to engage with OIC and OIC rightly provides a platform and framework for India’s engagement with the Muslim world and the Middle East.

• OIC has always been used as a forum by Pakistan to spread Anti-India propaganda which very well reflects in the statements of OIC in reference to the J&K issue. Good ties with OIC may help India to minimise the Pakistan's efforts to demean India in Summits.

Options for India

• Should India look at full membership or only seek Observer status? Or should New Delhi continue engaging with important OIC member states, as it is doing now, without any formal association with the OIC?

• A decision should be based on what optimally serves India’s national interests. If India is invited to join and accepts full membership, it will correct the historic anomaly of 1969 and may provide it an opportunity to deny Pakistan the use of the OIC to spread anti-India propaganda.

• However, given the current state of relations between India and Pakistan and the sensitivities of managing their own domestic public opinion, OIC members are unlikely to offer India full membership. It would also be difficult to pull off since such a proposal would vehemently be opposed by Pakistan from within the OIC.

• On the other hand, Observer status does not entail voting rights, and Pakistan will continue to embarrass India by raising the J&K dispute in the OIC even if India had Observer status.

• Therefore, in the given circumstances, the best option would be for India to continue to work with individual members of the OIC to establish friendly relations and deepen bilateral cooperation, and work to negate the machinations of Pakistan within the OIC rank

WINDRUSH SCHEME Why in news?

UK Home Secretary recently issued an apology for the Windrush scandal, involving migrants being wrongly denied their British citizenship rights.

About Windrush Scheme

• The Windrush Scheme enables Commonwealth citizens, their children, and some other long term residents of the UK to obtain documentation confirming their status free of charge.

• People who arrived in the UK many years ago and do not have documentation confirming their immigration status have faced difficulties in proving their right to work, to rent property and to access benefits and services to which they are entitled. The Government has apologised to people in this position and has made a commitment to help them get the documents they need through Windrush Sheme.


Background

• The Windrush generation refers to citizens of former British colonies who arrived before 1973, when the rights of such Commonwealth citizens to live and work in Britain were substantially curtailed.

• After World War II, in 1948 Britain invited immigration because it was facing a labour shortage due to the destruction caused by World War II.

• The term Windrush refers to the ship MV Empire Windrush, that arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, on the 22nd of June 1948, bringing workers from Tobago, Trinidad and Jamaica and other islands, as a response to post-war labour shortages in the UK.

• Along with others from the Commonwealth, they and their families were encouraged to move to Britain to help meet acute labour shortages, whether in the National Health Service (NHS) or beyond.

• With the enactment of the 1971 Immigration Act, the immigration influx ended and the Commonwealth citizens already living in the UK were given indefinite leave to remain.

Windrush Scandal

• The Windrush scandal saw Commonwealth nationals living in the UK wrongly threatened with deportation and deprived of medical care because they lacked the correct documentation.

• In 2012, there was a change to immigration law and people were told they needed official documents to prove they could get things like free hospital treatment or benefits in this country. This led to some being been sent to immigration detention centres and facing deportation.

• Currently the issue of Windrush scandal centres around thousands of UK-based Jamaicans facing forced deportations due to lack of documentary evidence that they had the right to live and work in Britain because they arrived pre-1973, when stricter new visa norms came into force for all Commonwealth nationals migrating to the UK.

• The scandal emerged as many who arrived as children around that period were struggling to access state services or even threatened with deportation because they did not possess any documents to prove they arrived before 1973.

India’s Plight

• While a large proportion of those who were affected by the UK government's Windrush scandal were of Jamaican/Caribbean descent who came on the ship Windrush, there were many Indians and other South Asians were also affected by the scandal.

• According to the latest update by UK Home Secretary Javid, a total of 737 Indians have been able to confirm their status in the wake of the scandal involving Commonwealth nationals wrongly denied their citizenship rights in Britain.

• Indians who migrated to the UK as Commonwealth citizens before 1971 are estimated as the second-largest nationality after Jamaicans, the group caught up in the ongoing Windrush scandal

• No specific cases of Indians from that era facing unfair deportations have emerged so far but as many as 13,000 Indian nationals are estimated to fall within that criteria of migrants, according to the UK's Migration Observatory based at the University of Oxford.

British Response

• The scandal led British Prime Minister Theresa May to issue a formal apology in Parliament and the UK Home Office, under then minister Rudd, announced a new taskforce to fast-track such cases towards citizenship.

• The British government introduced the Windrush Scheme which is not only applicable to the Jamaicans but also to the Commonwealth citizens, their children, and some other long term residents of the UK.

• A compensation scheme has also been set up for individuals who suffered "loss or damage" because of their inability to evidence their right to be in the UK and to access services.

ECONOMICS AND DEVELOPMENT

NANDAN NILEKANI PANEL ON DEEPENING DIGITAL PAYMENTS Why in news

Recently, a Reserve Bank-appointed committee headed by Aadhaar architect Nandan Nilekani submitted its suggestions on promoting digital payments to RBI.


More about the High level Committee

• In January, the Reserve Bank of India had set up the five-member panel on deepening digital payments with a view to encouraging digitisation of payments and enhance financial inclusion through digitisation in India.

• The high-level committee was headed by former chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Nandan Nilekani to set up a robust digital payments ecosystem in the country.

• The panel was tasked with reviewing the existing status of digitisation of payments in the country, identifying the current gaps in the ecosystem and suggesting ways to bridge them and assessing the current levels of digital payments in financial inclusion.

• In a statement, the Reserve Bank said the committee held its deliberations including consultations with various stakeholders and submitted its report to Governor Das.

• The Reserve Bank of India will examine the recommendations of the committee and will dovetail the action points, wherever necessary, in its Payment Systems Vision 2021 for implementation

Major recommendations of the Committee

• In their recommendation report the committee listed a comprehensive set of regulatory interventions and a wide range of recommendations for various stakeholders, some of the major recommendations are as follows

• The Committee recommends that the RBI and the Government plan for digital transactions volume to grow by a factor of 10 in three years. This would result in per capita digital transactions to reach 220 in three years from current level of 22. The corresponding increase in value relative to GDP would be 2 times. This growth may be accompanied by a corresponding increase in the number of users of digital transactions by a factor of three, from approximately 100M to 300M.

• The report has made policy recommendations to all major regulators such as RBI, SEBI, IRDAI and DoT with the objective to reduce cash based payments.

• Additionally, the committee has put the onus on government to be at the forefront of the transition by taking steps such as removing transaction charges on all digital payments made by customers to the government

• The committee has put a Special impetus on digitising mass volume channels such as recurring bill payments, toll and ticket payments at public facilities and digital onboarding of khirana store merchants has also been recommended by the panel in order to achieve the targeted growth

• The Committee recommends the government to set up special risk mitigation and complaint registering digital portals. A special data monitoring mechanism to garner granular district level data on consumer trends and payment behaviour has also been suggested by the committee for targeted intervention to improve the existing infrastructure.

• The committee recommends that the Government, being the single largest participant in payments, take the lead on all aspects of digitization of payments… just as the Government budgets for accepting payments in cash, it is recommended that it also budget for accepting digital transactions, ensuring that no convenience fee is charged on C2G payments

• Further the committee has also asked RBI to set an interchange rate for transaction between customers and leave the MDR on competitive market pricing which would reduce the transaction cost for customers.

• With a view to expand the usage of digital payments, the committee recommends including Non-Banking entities to be an associate member of payment systems and become an active player in enhancing acceptance infrastructure in the country

• Keeping in mind that digital transactions result in larger balances with the bank, the committee is of the view that customers must be allowed to initiate and accept a reasonable number of digital payment transactions with no charges

• With a view to improving security of the financial system, the committee recommends the operationalization of the FINCERT for oversight, and monitoring security of the digital payment systems.

• To ensure that users are aware of the risks, and the steps that they can take to protect themselves, the committee recommends that RBI publish aggregated fraud data periodically, and educate users on the emerging risks.

• In order to improve customer confidence, and to borrow a good feature from BHIM UPI, various payment systems operators may make the necessary changes to allow for auto-reversal of failed transactions.


• With a view to cover customers in villages and semi urban centres also, who are banking with RRBs, the committee recommends that all RRBs should be brought under the ambit of UPI at the earliest.

• Keeping in view the customer convenience and to give increased thrust to digitisation, the committee recommends to increase the timings for RTGS window and to make NEFT facility available 24 ×7 for customers.

• With a view to encouraging innovation and developing solutions for customers who might otherwise be hard to serve, the committee commends the RBI initiative to setup a regulatory sandbox, and recommends that mass market use cases be tested on a priority basis

Digital Payments Definition

• “Digital Transaction’ means a payment transaction in a seamless system effected without the need for cash at least in one of the two legs, if not in both. This includes transactions made through digital / electronic modes wherein both the originator and the beneficiary use digital / electronic medium to send or receive money.”

Financial Inclusion

• The RBI defines Financial Inclusion as the “process of ensuring access to appropriate financial products and services needed by all sections of the society in general and vulnerable groups such as weaker sections and low income groups in particular, at an affordable cost in a fair and transparent manner by regulated, mainstream institutional players”.

ECONOMIC CAPITAL FRAMEWORK Why in news

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-appointed committee to review the economic capital framework of the RBI failed to arrive at a consensus during a meeting held recently, leading to a delay in finalising its report.

Last year, the government had set up a high-level committee headed by Bimal Jalan for examining the Economic Capital Framework (ECF) to determine the appropriate levels of reserve the central bank should hold.

Basics

• Economic Capital It refers to the capital that a Central Bank requires or needs to hold as a counter against unforeseen risks or events or losses in the future. It involves assessing the amount of risk capital required by the central bank while taking into account different risks.

• Economic Capital framework It refers to the policy which determine the appropriate levels of reserve the central bank should hold and the surplus distribution to the government.

How does the RBI generate surplus profits?

• The RBI prints the currency notes held by the people, and issues deposits to commercial banks. Those are fixed liabilities for which the RBI does not pay any interest. However, as the central bank issues these liabilities, it also buys financial assets, in forms of domestic and foreign government bonds, from the market. Now, these assets get RBI interest and he total cost of printing the currency is around 1/7th of the total net interest income.

How does surplus profits transfer work?

• Every year the central bank transfers the balance of its profits to its owner i.e the government, as per the RBI Act, after making provisions for bad or doubtful debts, contribution to staff, depreciation of assets and superannuation funds.

• There’s no fixed benchmark for the transfer of this surplus profits. Before every union budget, the government and the RBI discuss the surplus amount. The government, then, puts its surplus expectations in the budget, while the RBI announces the actual amount in August after making the calculation.

• The RBI usually transfers entire surplus to the government after making provisions for two funds—Contingency Fund (CF) and Asset Development Funds (ADF).

• Though the RBI has a target of 12% (ratio of CF and ADF to total assets), it has not been able to maintain this and currently the ratio is about 7%.

Why the RBI needs resources?

• The needs includes, o market intervention operations o carrying out the functioning of the

lender of last resort o to derisk the financial system.

• Moreover, if the central banks suffer losses and do not have adequate buffers they would have to depend on the Sovereign for recapitalization. The


dependence on the Sovereign has implications on the autonomy of the Central Bank as well as the concern that the Sovereign might not have the fiscal space in a crisis situation where the fiscal situation would in itself be under stress.

Conflict between the Government and the RBI

• The RBI does its risk analysis and sets out a part of its surplus profits to be transferred to the government. Now, the reason for the conflict is simple the government wants more surplus; the RBI wants to make more reserves from profits for unforeseen risks, thus leading to lesser surplus transfer.

• The government and the RBI under its previous governor Urjit Patel had been at loggerheads over the Rs 9.6 lakh crore surplus capital with the central bank.

• The Finance Ministry was of the view that the buffer of 28 per cent of gross assets maintained by the central bank is well above the global norm of around 14 per cent. Following this, the RBI board in its meeting on November 19, 2018, decided to constitute a panel to examine Economic Capital Framework.

• The six-member panel, under former RBI Governor Jalan, was appointed on December 26, 2018, to review the economic capital framework (ECF) for the Reserve Bank after the Finance Ministry wanted it to follow the global best practices and transfer more surplus to the government.

Global Practices

• The Bank of Japan transfers its surplus at 5%, Greece at 8%, and Turkey at 12%.

• In the US, federal reserve banks, which were established by the Congress as the operating arms of the nation’s central banking system, are required by law to transfer net earnings to the US treasury after providing for all necessary expenses of the reserve banks, legally required dividend payments, and maintaining a limited balance in a surplus fund.

• The UK has a formal Memorandum of Understanding on the financial relationship between the Treasury and the Bank of England, which lays down a clear framework for passing on 100% of net profits to the government.

History of Surplus Distribution and the Related Committees

• Few years back in 2013-14 RBI had referred the matter to a technical committee headed by Mr. YH Malegam. The terms given to the technical committee in 2013-14 included "to review the level and adequacy of internal reserves and surplus distribution policy of the RBI."

• Soon after in 2013-14 a follow up technical committee was appointed to examine the level and adequacy of internal reserves and the surplus distribution policy. Based on the report it was decided that RBI at that time held excess reserves. The committee recommended that till such time the reserves were considered "excess" the complete surpluses should be transferred to the government as dividends.

• The following image depicts the surplus transferred by the RBI to the Government previous years

• In the past, the issue of the ideal size of the RBI

reserves was examined by three committees -- V Subrahmanyam in 1997, Usha Thorat in 2004 and YH Malegam in 2013.

• While the Subrahmanyam panel recommended for building a 12 per cent contingency reserve, the Thorat panel suggested it should be maintained at a higher 18 per cent of the total assets of the central bank.

• The RBI board did not accept the recommendation of the Thorat committee and decided to continue with the recommendation of the Subrahmanyam committee.

• The Malegam panel said the RBI should transfer an adequate amount of its profit to the contingency reserves annually but did not ascribe any particular number.


FISCAL PERFORMANCE INDEX(FPI) Why in news

Recently, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) launched a Fiscal Performance Index (FPI) to assess state and central budgets.

About Fiscal Performance Index(FPI)

• The composite Fiscal Performance Index (FPI) developed by CII is an innovative tool using multiple indicators to examine quality of Budgets at the Central and State levels.

• The index is constructed using UNDP’s Human Development Index methodology. By construction, a higher value of index is indicative of an improved performance and vice versa.

• CII has constructed the FPI for the period 2004-05 to 2017-18 for both the Central and State budgets (for States, the end year is 2016-17).

• This study is based on a new assessment of Fiscal Deficit that measures the Government’s revenue and expenditure balance. The composite FPI uses multiple indicators to examine quality of Budgets at the Central and State level.

Components of the Index

• The proposed composite index of fiscal performance evolved by CII comprises of six components for holistic assessment of the quality of Government Budgets. These include

o Quality of revenue expenditure measured by the share of revenue expenditure other than interest payments, subsidies, pensions and defence in GDP,

o Quality of capital expenditure measured by share of capital expenditure (other than defence) in GDP,

o Quality of revenue ratio of net tax revenue to GDP (own tax revenue in case of States),

o Degree of fiscal prudence I fiscal deficit to GDP,

o Degree of fiscal prudence II revenue deficit to GDP and

o Debt index Change in debt and guarantees to GDP

Significance of Fiscal Performance Index

According to CII,

• It is important to study diverse sources of revenue and expenditure heads to truly assess the fiscal situation of a nation.

• A single criterion such as the ‘fiscal deficit to GDP ratio’ does not tell us anything about the quality of the Budget. Hence, the Government should use multiple indicators to measure the quality of Budgets at the Central and the State levels rather than a single indicator.

• A comprehensive measure of fiscal conditions can better help target Government’s social and capital expenditures keeping in mind fiscal stability. It would also contribute to strategy formulation to manage economic development with macroeconomic prudence.

• As per the CII FPI, expenditure on infrastructure, education, healthcare and other social sectors can be considered beneficial for economic growth. At the same time, tax revenues are sustainable sources of revenues for the Government as compared to one-time income sources.

Key Highlights of FPI

• CII has constructed the FPI for the period 2004-05 to 2017-18 for both the Central and State budgets (for States, the end year is 2016-17)

• At the Centre, the CII analysis shows that fiscal consolidation was highest in 2007-08 while 2009-10 emerged as the worst year. After staging a recovery in 2010-11, FPI deteriorated from 2011-12 onwards till 2014-15 despite the fiscal deficit index posting an improvement. This was mainly due to poor performance of the tax revenue and expenditure quality indices (both revenue and capital).

• The index started to improve from 2015-16 onwards and reached a high in 2016-17, before dipping again in 2017-18. The dip in 2017-18 was underpinned by a sharp moderation in capital expenditure despite recording an improvement in the fiscal deficit index.

Inadequacy of one single criterion in judging the overall quality of Budgets

• At the State level, the CII calculations show that the States which are presumed to be good in fiscal health (based on fiscal deficit to GDP ratio) and fall in the high-income category such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, etc. are not necessarily doing well on the composite fiscal performance index front.


• This clearly is indicative of the inadequacy of one single criterion such as the fiscal deficit to GDP ratio in judging the overall quality of Budgets of the State governments. These States have performed poorly on the Expenditure Quality and Revenue Quality Index as compared to the other States.

• On the other hand, among the low-income States, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have shown a consistently good performance on the FPI over the years mainly due to good performance in Expenditure Quality Indices (Revenue and Capital). However, the performance of these States on the Fiscal Deficit Index has remained below average.

About the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

• CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, playing a proactive role in India's development process.

• Founded in 1895, it is regarded as India's premier business association consisting around 9000 members, from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from around 276 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.

• CII works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, Government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.

DISTRIBUTION OF FORTIFIED RATION Why in news

As per the information received from Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Department of Food & Public Distribution has recently approved the "Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on Fortification of Rice & its distribution through Public Distribution System".

Fortification of Food

• Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, Vitamin A & D to staple foods such as rice, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content. These nutrients may or may not have been originally present in the food before processing.

Need for Fortification of Food

• Deficiency of micronutrients or micronutrient malnutrition, also known as hidden hunger, is a serious health risk.

• Access to safe and nutritious food is a must and sometimes due to lack of consumption of a balanced diet, lack variety in the diet or unavailability of food one does not get adequate micronutrients. Often, there is considerable loss of nutrients during the processing of food as well. .

• One of the strategies to address this problem is fortification of food. This method complements other ways to improve nutrition such as such as diversification of diet and supplementation of food.

Indian Perspective

• India has a very high burden of micronutrient deficiencies caused by Vitamin A, Iodine, Iron and Folic Acid leading to Night Blindness, Goitre, Anaemia and various birth defects.

• An estimated 70% of people in India do not consume enough micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

• About 70 percent of pre-school children suffer from anaemia caused by Iron Deficiency and 57 percent of preschool children have sub–clinical Vitamin A deficiency.

• Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) are the most common congenital malformation with an incidence that varies between 0.5-8/1000 births. It is estimated that 50-70% of these birth defects are preventable. One of the major causes is deficiency of Folic Acid.

• According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) o 58.4 percent of children (6-59 months) are

anaemic o 53.1 percent women in the reproductive age

group are anaemic o 35.7 percent of children under 5 are

underweight • Therefore, Fortification is a globally proven

intervention to address the much prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in the population.

Benefits of Fortification

• Targeting large section of the population Since the nutrients are added to staple foods that are widely consumed, this is an excellent method to improve the health of a large section of the population, all at once.


• High benefit-to-cost ratio Food Fortification has a high benefit-to-cost ratio. The Copenhagen Consensus estimates that every 1 Rupee spent on fortification results in 9 Rupees in benefits to the economy. It requires an initial investment to purchase both the equipment and the vitamin and mineral premix, but the overall costs of fortification are extremely low. Even when all program costs are passed on to consumers, the price increase is approximately by 1-2%.

• Safe Method It is a safe method of improving nutrition among people. The addition of micronutrients to food does not pose a health risk to people. The quantity added is small and well under the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) and are well regulated as per prescribed standards for safe consumption.

• No Change in Food Characteristics Fortification of food does not alter the characteristics of the food like the taste, aroma or the texture of the food. Hence it would be easier to adapt in our daily food habits.

• Simple and Cost effective It is a cost-effective intervention and does not require any changes in eating patterns or food habits of people. It is a socio-culturally acceptable way to deliver nutrients to people.

Rice Fortification

• Rice fortification is a cost effective, culturally appropriate strategy to address micronutrient deficiency in countries with high per capita rice consumption.

• As per Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, India's rice production has increased at Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 1.43 percent during 2005-06 and 2016-17. India was the second leading rice producer followed by Indonesia and Bangladesh in 2015-16.

• Rice fortification may be considered as having the highest potential to fill the gap in current staple food fortification programs as it is the staple food of 65 percent of the Indian population and reaches the most vulnerable and poorer section - with the highest uptake in the government safety net programmes.

• Fortifying rice makes it more nutritious by adding vitamins and minerals in the post - harvest phase; many of which are lost during the milling and polishing process.

• The cost of fortification is determined by a multitude of context specific variables such as the structure and capacity of the rice industry, the

complexity of the supply chain, the policy and regulatory environment and the scale of the relevant programme.

Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on Fortification of Rice

• The centre has approved the "Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on Fortification of Rice & its distribution through Public Distribution System".

• Financial Assistance up to 90% in case of North-Eastern, Hilly and Island States and up to 75% in case of rest of the States has been extended.

• Further, Government of India has also advised all States/UTs especially those States/UTs that are distributing wheat flour through Public Distribution System (PDS), to distribute fortified wheat flour through PDS.

• The Nutrient requirements and recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for all age groups of the population including children are set and revised periodically by the National Institute of Nutrition - Indian Council of Medical Research.

• The requirement of nutrients in children varies with the age, gender and nutritional status of the children. The RDAs for Indian population are finalized by National Institute of Nutrition – Indian Council of Medical Research (NIN-ICMR) based on the recommendations of the Expert Group, based on individual variability and nutrient bioavailability from the habitual diet.

GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES (GSP) Why in news

President Donald Trump recently terminated India's designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the key GSP trade programme.

About Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)

• The Generalized System of Preference (GSP) is the largest and oldest US trade preference programme and is designed to promote economic development by allowing duty-free entry for thousands of products from designated beneficiary countries.

• It was established by the Trade Act of 1974. • GSP is designed to promote economic growth in

the developing world by providing preferential duty-free entry for up to 4,800 products from 129 designated beneficiary countries and territories.


• GSP is helping these countries to increase and diversify their trade with the United States. The GSP program provides additional benefits for products from least developed countries.

• Eligibility Criteria The GSP criteria includes, among others, respecting arbitral awards in favour of the US citizens or corporations, combating child labour, respecting internationally recognised worker rights, providing adequate and effective intellectual property protection, and providing the US with equitable and reasonable market access.

• The products covered under GSP are mainly agricultural products including animal husbandry, meat and fisheries and handicraft products. These products are generally the specialised products of the developing countries.

• The beneficiaries of GSP are around 120 developing countries. As on December 2018, India and Brazil were the major beneficiaries in terms of export volume realised under GSP. Imports from China and some developing countries are ineligible for GSP benefits. The beneficiaries and products covered under the scheme are revised annually.

Why India's designation was terminated?

• President Donald Trump announced in March he would end India's access to the decades-old Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade programme over what the U.S. said was lack of access to India's market for US dairy, medical device industry, trade imbalance with India and issues related to data localization norms etc.

• Background The seeds for this discord were sown way back when the Trump administration introduced steel and aluminium tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, citing national security reasons. India was one of the countries affected by the U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs. India retaliated immediately and announced tariffs on U.S. importations into India worth about $240 million although these are yet to take effect. Since then, the U.S. had been threatening to withdraw India’s benefits from the GSP system.

Why is India in the cross-hairs?

• The Trade Representative accepted two petitions asserting that India did not meet the criterion one from the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the other from the Advanced Medical Technology Association. India wants dairy products, which could form part of religious worship, certified that they were was only derived from animals that have not been fed food containing internal organs. Other exporters such as EU nations and New Zealand certify their products, but the U.S. has so far not done so. Second, India has recently placed a cap on the prices of medical devices, like stents, that impacts U.S. exports of such devices.

Benefits of GSP to India

• Indian exporters benefit indirectly - through the benefit that accrues to the importer by way of reduced tariff or duty free entry of eligible Indian products.

• Reduction or removal of import duty on an Indian product makes it more competitive to the importer - other things (e.g. quality) being equal.

• This tariff preference helps new exporters to penetrate a market and established exporters to increase their market share and to improve upon the profit margins, in the donor country.


Impact on India

• India was the largest beneficiary of the programme in 2017 with $5.7 billion in imports to the US given duty-free status. With higher duties, Indian exports will become more expensive and lose their competitiveness vis-à-vis other developing countries' exports to the US. In many of its exports, India is facing severe competition from countries in South East Asia and Africa. It will hamper India's export growth to the US.

• Specific sectors, such as gem and jewellery, leather and processed foods will lose the benefits of the programme.

• India exports nearly 50 products of the 94 products on which GSP benefits may be stopped. The GSP removal will leave a reasonable impact on India as the country enjoyed preferential tariff on exports worth of nearly $5.6 billion under the GSP route out of the total exports of $48 billion in 2017-18.

• However some experts believe GSP withdrawal will not have a significant impact on India's exports to the US" since the duty benefit, or savings on import tariffs, amounts to only $190 million annually.

• The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) also believes that India's exports to the US will remain unaffected by Trump's latest move since it will only have a marginal impact on a few domestic sectors such as processed food, leather, plastic, building material and tiles, engineering goods, and hand tools, among others

Impact on US economy

• In a statement, Coalition for GSP executive director Dan Anthony said Trump’s decision will cost American businesses over USD 300 million in additional tariffs every year. “Without GSP benefits American small businesses face a new tax

that will mean job losses, cancelled investments and cost increases for consumers. Only a year after the Senate and House passed a three year reauthorisation of the GSP by a near unanimous margin, the Trump administration has kicked out the GSP country that saves American companies more money than any other,” he said.

American importers will pay more, while some American exporters may face current and new market access barriers in India and others, including farmers, are very likely to be subject to new retaliatory tariff.

Way forward

• It is unfortunate that despite the fact that India was working on an “extensive and reasonable” trade package, the US decided to go ahead with its decision to scrap the preferential trade benefit. The package was covering all concerns related to bilateral trade with the US on sectors including medical devices, dairy products and agricultural goods

• The buzz is that India may take a firm stance by imposing retaliatory tariffs on the US from the next month. If this comes to pass, a total of 29 items imported from the US, including walnuts, lentils, boric acid and diagnostic reagents, will face higher duties, cutting benefits to the US exporters. The move will put extra burden of $290 million per year on US items exported to India. However, India is not in a position to retaliate immediately and is probably tinkering with the idea of what strategy to take. By not taking a belligerent stand, the government showed its intentions to improve the economic relations with the US in the future.

• India through negotiations can try for the reversal of GSP withdrawal like in the case of Chile.

THE MULTILATERAL CONVENTION TO IMPLEMENT TAX TREATY RELATED MEASURES TO PREVENT BASE EROSION AND PROFIT SHIFTING ("MLI") Why in news?

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, recently approved the ratification of the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (MLI).


Base Erosion and Profit Shifting(BEPS)

• Base erosion and profit shifting (“BEPS”) is a phrase commonly used to refer to tax avoidance strategies that taxpayers use to shift their profits from high tax jurisdictions to low tax jurisdictions. Such strategies are aimed at minimizing the tax paid and are usually premised on the exploitation of mismatches between the tax rules of different countries.

• In other words, BEPS are tax planning strategies that exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules to artificially shift profits to low or no-tax locations where there is little or no economic activity, resulting in little or no tax being paid.

About MLI

Background

• In 2013, the members of the OECD and the G20 nations adopted a 15 point Action Plan to address the problem of BEPS (“BEPS Action Plan”). Over the course of the next two years, these countries (including India) came together to work on the BEPS Action Plan (“BEPS Project”), such work resulting in the release, in 2015 of the final reports on each of the 15 items identified in the BEPS Action Plan (“BEPS Action Reports”).\

• However the BEPS Action Reports contain a number of tax treaty related measures, requiring the implementation of wholesale changes to the existing international tax treaty network.

• Carrying out such large scale changes on a treaty-by-treaty basis would have been time consuming and may have led to inconsistencies across treaties due to the politics and vagaries of bilateral negotiations. Therefore, Action 15 of the BEPS Action Plan recognized the MLI, a multilateral treaty, as an innovative mechanism that would allow a more coordinated approach with immediate effect, while retaining the flexibility required to implement these changes in a broadly consensual framework to tackle base erosion.

Details of the Convention

• It was developed through inclusive negotiations involving more than 100 countries and jurisdictions, under a mandate delivered by G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at their February 2015 meeting.

• The OECD is the depository of the MLI and is supporting Governments in the process of signature, ratification and implementation.

• The Convention enables countries to implement the tax treaty related changes to achieve anti-abuse BEPS outcomes through the multilateral route without the need to bilaterally re-negotiate each such agreement which is burdensome and time consuming.

• It ensures consistency and certainty in the implementation of the BEPS Project in a multilateral context.

• The Convention enables all signatories, inter alia, to meet treaty-related minimum standards that were agreed as part of the Final BEPS package, including the minimum standard for the prevention of treaty abuse under Action 6.

• The Convention will operate to modify tax treaties between two or more Parties to the Convention. It will not function in the same way as an amending protocol to a single existing treaty, which would directly amend the text of the Covered Tax Agreement. Instead, it will be applied alongside existing tax treaties, modifying their application in order to implement the BEPS measures.

India and MLI

• India was part of the Ad Hoc Group of more than 100 countries and jurisdictions from G20, OECD, BEPS associates and other interested countries, which worked on an equal footing on the finalization of the text of the Multilateral Convention, starting May 2015. The text of the Convention and the accompanying Explanatory Statement was adopted by the Ad hoc Group on 24 November 2016.

• India had signed the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting in Paris, on 7 June 2017 and now the cabinet approved the ratification of the treaty.

• Ratification of the Multilateral Convention will enable application of BEPS outcomes through modification of existing tax treaties of India in a swift manner.

• The Convention will modify India's treaties in order to curb revenue loss through treaty abuse and base erosion and profit shifting strategies by ensuring that profits are taxed where substantive economic activities generating the profits are carried out and where value is created.

NEW DELHI INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION CENTRE BILL, 2019.


Why in news?

The Union Cabinet recently approved a bill for the creation of an independent and autonomous regime for institutionalised domestic and international arbitration.

The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) Bill, 2019, which seeks to replace an ordinance issued in March this year by the previous government will be introduced in the ongoing session of Parliament beginning.

Arbitration

• Arbitration refers to the settlement of a dispute (whether of fact, law, or procedure) between parties to a contract by a neutral third party (the arbitrator) without resorting to court action.

• Arbitration is usually voluntary but sometimes it is required by law. If both sides agree to be bound by the arbitrator's decision (the 'award') it becomes a binding arbitration. The exact procedure to be followed (if not included in the contract under dispute) is governed usually by a country's arbitration laws.

About the NDIAC Bill, 2019

Background

• To establish an independent and autonomous institution for resolving International and domestic commercial disputes expeditiously by Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, a High-Level Committee (HLC), headed by Mr. Justice B.N. Srikrishna, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, was constituted in the year 2017.

• The HLC recommended that the Government may take over the International Centre For Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR), an existing institution which has been established in the year 1995 using the public funds and develop it as an Institution of National Importance.

• Taking into consideration the HLC's recommendations, a Bill, namely the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) Bill 2018 was approved for introduction in the Parliament by the Cabinet in its meeting held on 15th December, 2017. However, the bill could not be taken up for consideration and thereafter, the Parliament was adjourned sine die on 13th February, 2019.

• The President, in view of the importance of the matter and urgency to make India a hub of

institutionalized arbitration and promote 'Ease of Doing Business' in India, promulgated an Ordinance namely "The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Ordinance, 2019" on 2nd March, 2019.

• Now the NDIAC bill, 2019 is proposed to be introduced in the Parliament which will replace the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Ordinance, 2019.

Composition

• NDIAC will be headed by a Chairperson, who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court or a Judge of a High Court or an eminent person, having special knowledge and experience in the conduct or administration of arbitration, law or management.

• The chairperson to be appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.

• It will also have two Full-time or Part-time Members from amongst eminent persons having substantial knowledge and experience in institutional arbitration in both domestic and international.

• In addition, one representative of a recognized body of commerce and industry shall be nominated on rotational basis as a Part-time Member.

• The Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice, Financial Adviser nominated by Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance and Chief Executive Officer, NDIAC will be ex-officio Members.

Objectives of NDIAC

• bring targeted reforms to develop itself as a flagship institution for conducting international and domestic arbitration

• provide facilities and administrative assistance for conciliation, mediation and arbitral proceedings;

• maintain panels of accredited arbitrators, conciliators and mediators both at national and international level or specialists such as surveyors and investigators;

• facilitate conducting of international and domestic arbitrations and conciliation in the most professional manner;

• provide cost effective and timely services for the conduct of arbitrations and conciliations at Domestic and International level;

• promote studies in the field of alternative dispute resolution and related matters, and to promote


reforms in the system of settlement of disputes; and

• co-operate with other societies, institutions and organisations, national or international for promoting alternative dispute resolution.

Impact of NDIAC

• It will facilitate India becoming a hub for institutional arbitration.

• The benefits of institutionalized arbitration will be manifold for the Government and its agency and to the parties to a dispute.

• This will result in quality experts being available in India and also an advantage in terms of cost incurred.

Implications

• The Bill provides for setting up of an independent an autonomous body for institutional arbitration and to acquire and transfer the undertakings of International Centre For Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR) to New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC).

• The Bill also provides for the repeal of the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Ordinance, 2019 and saves all the actions done or taken under the Ordinance which will be deemed to have been done or taken under the provisions of this Bill.

PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY (PLFS) Why in news

• Recently the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the latest edition of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).

• The data was collected by NSSO from July 2017 to June 2018.

• The Ministry constituted the PLFS under the chairmanship of Amitabh Kundu.

• The measurement of unemployment is based on the Usual status and Current Weekly status. The Usual Status (ps+ss) approach to measuring unemployment uses a reference period of 365 days i.e. one year preceding the date of the survey of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) for measuring unemployment.

• The Current Weekly Status (CWS) approach to measuring unemployment uses seven days preceding the date of survey as the reference period. A person is considered to be employed if

he or she pursues any one or more gainful activities for at least one hour on any day of the reference week.

Background

In India, Several Ministries, Departments and agencies collect and disseminate employment data in various forms, such as

• Household based Employment-Unemployment Surveys (EUS) are conducted by National Sample Survey (NSS) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI)

• The Annual Labour Force Survey by Labour Bureau in Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE)

• The Population Census by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner.

• Among the above surveys, (EUS) is a comprehensive household survey providing labour force statistics in India. It was first conducted in the 9th round of the National Sample Survey (NSS) in 1955. The current format of quinquennial surveys started in the 27thround in 1972-73, based on M.L. Dantwala committee report. Since then, 8 quinquennial surveys have been conducted with the last one conducted during 2011-12. The EUS is carried out over a period of 12 months to account for seasonal variations in employment.

• Recognizing India’s evolving economy and requirements and Considering the need for availability of labour force statistics at more frequent intervals, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation had launched the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) during 2017-18, with the objective of measuring quarterly changes of various statistical indicators of the labour market in urban areas as well as generating the annual estimates of different labour force indicators both in rural and urban areas. Households in urban areas were visited four times, constituting a rolling panel for 3 quarters. This facilitates analysis of the changes in seasonal employment and employment characteristics in urban areas.

Major findings of PLFS

• Unemployment rate o The overall unemployment rate is 6.1

per cent in India according to the usual status and according to CWS, the unemployment rate (UR) in both rural


and urban India is at its highest since 1972

• Urban-Rural o The unemployment rates in urban areas

are higher than those in rural areas- In rural areas, the UR is 5.3 per cent, whereas in urban areas, the UR is 7.8 per cent according to the usual status.

o According to CWS, the rural employment rate is 8.5 per cent whereas the urban rate is 9.6 per cent.

• Male-Female o The unemployment rates among men

and women in both rural and urban groups, are also the highest ever. The increase in the UR is more than three times among rural men and more than double among rural women according to the usual status since 2011-12.

o In urban areas, the UR among men is more than twice and has increased twice among women since 2011-12. It is to be noted that the UR between 1972 and 2012 was almost static or did not have many differences . Besides, the UR rose sharply among youth of ages between 15-29 years and those who got better education. In urban areas, the unemployment rates for females are higher than those for males.

• Youths o The unemployment rate among youth

between 15 and 29 years has risen sharply since 2011-12. Among rural males and females, the UR is almost three times since 2011-12, whereas among urban males and females, this rate is more than double.

• Educated o The UR has also sharply increased

among those who are more educated. Since 2011-12, the UR among rural males has increased by almost three times, from 1.7 per cent to 5.7 per cent. Those who have higher degree of education and those who are completely not-literate have witnessed almost the same level of unemployment.

o Interestingly, unemployment among rural not-literate females has reduced and among urban females, the number of those who are literate up to primary-level jobs, is the same as 2011-12.

• Social Groups

o Among social groups, the highest UR is among the 'General' or 'Others' category — 6.7 per cent. This groups is followed by Schedule Castes (6.3 per cent), Other Backward Classes (6 per cent) and Scheduled Tribes (4.3 per cent).

• Religious Groups o Among religious groups, Christians

have the highest UR in both urban and rural areas. In rural areas, Christians have a UR of 7.4 per cent, Muslims have a UR of 6.5 per cent, Sikhs 6.3 per cent and Hindus 5.2 per cent.

o In urban areas, Christians have a UR of 11 per cent, Sikhs 9.1 per cent, followed by Muslims 8.5 per cent and Hindus 7.6 per cent.

NOTES:


POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

MOTION OF THANKS Why in news?

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the motion of thanks on the President’s address, in Rajya Sabha.

Basics

• Under Article 87 of the constitution, President of India specially addresses both Houses of Parliament together at the beginning of the

o first session of each year. o first Session after each general election

when the reconstituted Lok Sabha meets for the first time.

• The President’s speech essentially highlights the government’s policy priorities and plans for the upcoming year.

• The discussion on the Address takes place a few days and is initiated by a Motion of Thanks moved by a member and seconded by another member.

• Members who have to move and second the Motion are from the ruling party.

• The notice of such a Motion is received through the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

• The Chairman allots time for the discussion of the Address under article 87(2) in consultation with the Leader of the House.

• Although article 86(1) does not contain any provision for allotment of time for discussion of the matters referred to therein, nonetheless a rule has been made enabling the Chairman to allot time for the discussion of such Address also.

• Notices of amendments to the Motion of Thanks can be given only after the President has delivered the Address.

• Members of Parliament vote on this motion of thanks.

• This motion must be passed in both of the houses. • A failure to get motion of thanks passed amounts

to defeat of government and leads to collapse of government.

• This is why, the Motion of Thanks is deemed to be a no-confidence motion.

• Notices of amendments to Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address can be tabled after the President has delivered his Address.

• Amendments may refer to matters contained in the Address as well as to matters, in the opinion of the member, the Address has failed to mention.

• Amendments can be moved to the Motion of Thanks in such form as may be considered appropriate by the Speaker.

SPEAKER AND PROTEM-SPEAKER Why in news?

Om Birla from kota ,rajasthan has been named as the new Lok Sabha Speaker by the NDA. Virendra Kumar a BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh will be the Protem Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha.

Basics

• The chairman or the Presiding Officer of Lok Sabha is called Speaker.

• The speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected from all other members by simple majority.

• Any member of Parliament is eligible to be nominated as a speaker but conventionaly the candidate of ruling party or the party with majority wins this post.

• However, there are certain cases when the elected Speaker does not belonged to the majority ruling party of Lok Sabha .

Functions and Powers of Lok Sabha Speakers

• Speaker of Lok Sabha is basically the head of the house and presides over the sittings of Parliament and controls its working.

• The constitution has tried to ensure the independence of Speaker by charging his salary on the consolidated Fund of India and the same is not subject to vote of Parliament.

• While debating or during general discussion on a bill, the members of the parliament have to address only to the Speaker.

• Whenever there is a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha) the Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides over this meeting.

• The Speaker of Lok Sabha comes at sixth position in the Order of Precedence of Government of India.

• In the normal circumstances the Speaker does not casts his vote over any matter in Lok Sabha.


• But whenever there is a tie on votes between the ruling party and opposition, the Speaker at that time can exercise his vote.

• It is the Speaker who decides the agenda of various discussions.

• The speaker has the power to adjourn or suspend the house/meetings if the quorum is not met.

• The Speaker ensures the discipline and decorum of the house.

• If the speaker finds the behaviour and a member of Parliament is not good, he/she can punish the unruly members by suspending.

• The Speaker decides whether a bill brought to the house is a money bill or not.

• In the case Speaker decides some bill as a money bill, this decision cannot be challenged.

• Speaker is the final and sole authority to allow different types of motions and resolutions such as No Confidence Motion, Motion of Adjournment, Censure Motion etc.

• The Speaker of Lok Sabha does not leave the office just after dissolution of the assembly.

• He continues to be in the office till the newly formed assembly takes its first meeting and elects the new Speaker.

• The Speaker of Lok Sabha automatically disqualifies from his post if

o he is no longer the Member of Parliament.

o if he tenders his resignation to the Deputy Speaker.

o if he holds the office of profit under central government or any state government.

o if he is of unsound mind and that too declared by the court of law.

o if he is declared undischarged insolvent. o if he is no longer the citizen of India or

voluntarily accepts the citizenship of any other country.

o if he is removed from the post of Speaker by passing a resolution by majority of the members of Lok Sabha. This is to note that during resolution for removal of Speaker, the Speaker is not in position to cast his vote even if there is tie.

Speaker and the Committees

• The Committees of the House function under the overall direction of the Speaker. All such Committees are constituted by her or by the House.

• The Chairmen of all Parliamentary Committees are nominated by her.

• Any procedural problems in the functioning of the Committees are referred to her for directions.

• Committees like the Business Advisory Committee, the General Purposes Committee and the Rules Committee work directly under her Chairmanship.

Protem Speaker

• Protem Speaker is a temporary speaker appointed for a limited period of time.

• Usually the senior most member is elected as the protem speaker.

• The president/governor will administer the oath of the office for the protem speaker.

• When the house elects the new speaker the office of the protem speaker ceases to exist.

• The main duty of the Protem speaker is to administer the oath to the newly elected members.

• Protem also enables the house to elect the new speaker.

NITI AAYOG Why in news?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the reconstitution of government of India’s policy think tank NITI Aayog.

Basics

• Planning has been in Indian psyche as our leaders came under influence of the socialist clime of erstwhile USSR.

• Planning commission served as the planning vehicle for close to six decades with a focus on control and command approach.

• Planning Commission was replaced by a new institution – NITI AAYYOG on January 1, 2015 with emphasis on ‘Bottom –Up’ approach to envisage the vision of Maximum Governance, Minimum Government, echoing the spirit of ‘Cooperative Federalism’.

Administrative Skeletal

• Chairperson Prime Minister • Vice-Chairperson To be appointed by Prime-

Minister • Governing Council Chief Ministers of all states

and Lt. Governors of Union Territories.


• Regional Council To address specific regional issues, Comprising Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors Chaired by Prime Minister or his nominee.

• Adhoc Membership 2 member in ex-officio capacity from leading Research institutions on rotational basis.

• Ex-Officio membership Maximum four from Union council of ministers to be nominated by Prime minister.

• Chief Executive Officer Appointed by Prime-minister for a fixed tenure, in rank of Secretary to Government of India.

• Special Invitees Experts, Specialists with domain knowledge nominated by Prime-minister.

NITI Aayog Hubs

• Team India Hub acts as interface between States and Centre.

• Knowledge and Innovation Hub builds the think-tank acumen of NITI Aayog.

• The Aayog planned to come out with three documents — 3-year action agenda, 7-year medium-term strategy paper and 15-year vision document.

NITI AAYOG’S HEALTH INDEX

Why in news?

NITI Aayog Releases the Second Edition of “Healthy States, Progressive India” Report.

Basics

• The report is an annual systematic performance tool to measure the performance of the States and UTs.

• It ranks states and union territories on their year on year incremental change in health outcomes, as well as, their overall performance with respect to each other.

• The ranking is categorized as Larger States, Smaller States and Union Territories (UTs), to ensure comparison among similar entities.

• The Health Index is a weighted composite Index based on 23 indicators grouped into the domains of Health Outcomes, Governance and Information, and Key Inputs/Processes.

• The Health Index is a weighted composite Index, which for the larger States, is based on indicators in three domains (a) Health Outcomes (70%); (b) Governance and Information (12%); and (c) Key Inputs and Processes (18%), with each domain assigned a weight based on its importance.

Performance of various states

• The Kerala has emerged as the top-ranking state in terms of overall health performance.

• Uttar Pradesh is the worst when it comes to overall health performance.

• Gujarat, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh stood at fourth, fifth and sixth spots.

• Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have emerged as the top ranking states based on historical performance across health indicators.

• Haryana, Rajasthan and Jharkhand top the index based on incremental performance.

• Among the UTs, Chandigarh jumped one spot to top the list with a score of (63.62), followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli (56.31), Lakshadweep (53.54), Puducherry (49.69), Delhi (49.42), Andaman and Nicobar (45.36) and Daman and Diu (41.66).

• Only about half the States and UTs showed an improvement in the overall score between 2015-16 (base year) and 2017-18 (reference year).

• Among the eight Empowered Action Group States, only three States — Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh — showed improvement in the overall performance.


Significance of report

• Health Index has been developed as a tool to leverage co-operative and competitive federalism to accelerate the pace of achieving health outcomes.

• It would also serve as an instrument for “nudging” States & Union Territories (UTs) and the Central Ministries to a much greater focus on output and outcome-based measurement of annual performance than is currently the practice.

• With the annual publication of the Index and its availability on public domain on a dynamic basis, it is expected to keep every stakeholder alert to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal number 3.

ALL STATES CAN NOW CONSTITUTE FOREIGNER’S TRIBUNALS Why in news?

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, and has empowered district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.

Background

• So far, the powers to constitute tribunals were vested only with the Centre.

• The 1964 order on Constitution of Tribunals said “The Central Government may by order, refer the question as to whether a person is not a foreigner within meaning of the Foreigners Act, 1946 (31 of 1946) to a Tribunal to be constituted for the purpose, for its opinion.”

• Last month ministry of Home Affairs has convened a meeting with representatives of all States regarding procedures to be followed for the detection, detention and deportation of foreign nationals staying illegally in India and for the deportation of arrested foreigners.

• These were Chandigarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

• With Assam’s National Register of Citizens as the backdrop, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has laid out specific guidelines to detect, detain and deport foreign nationals staying illegally across the country.

Changes proposed as per the amendment

• It has empowered district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.

• The amended Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 2019 also empowers individuals to approach the Tribunals.

• The amended order also allows District Magistrates to refer individuals who haven’t filed claims against their exclusion from NRC to the Tribunals to decide if they are foreigners or not.

NORTH EASTERN COUNCIL Why in news?

Centre releases 3rd issue of Newsletter of North Eastern Council.

Basics

• Headquarter Shillong • Ministry Ministry of Development of North

Eastern Region • Chairman Union Minister, Ministry of

Development of North Eastern Region • Constituted By an Act of Parliament in 1971 i.e it

is an statutory body. The NEC act has been amended in 2002 to add Sikkim and restructure it as the regional planning body for the North Eastern Region.

• Consists of Eight states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The chief ministers and governors represent them.

Functions

• The North Eastern Council is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region.

• It is an apex level body for securing balanced and coordinated development and facilitating coordination with states.

• The Council is an advisory body and may discuss any matter in which the north-eastern states have a common interest and advise the Central Government as to the action to be taken on any such matter.

• The funding of council mainly lies with the central government with small portions contributed by the state governments as well.


Recent Changes

• The Union Cabinet has approved proposal of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) for nomination of Union Home Minister as ex-officio Chairman of North Eastern Council (NEC).

• It also approved that Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of DoNER will serve as Vice Chairman of NEC.

• New arrangement with Home Minister as Chairman and Minister of DoNER as Vice Chairman will provide forum for discussing inter-state matters more comprehensively and also consider common approaches to be taken in future.

• NEC now can perform tasks undertaken by various Zonal Councils to discuss such inter-State issues as smuggling of arms and ammunition, drug trafficking, boundary disputes etc.

• NEC will also have such powers as may be delegated to it by the Central Government.

NATIONAL REGISTER OF CITIZENS (NRC) Why in news?

Over one lakh people who were part of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) published in July last year but were found ineligible thereafter — they have been named in the Additional Draft Exclusion List published recently.

Basics

• The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the list of Indian citizens of Assam.

• It was prepared in 1951, following the census of 1951.

• For a person’s name to be included in the updated NRC list of 2018, he/ she will have to furnish

o Existence of name in the legacy data The legacy data is the collective list of the NRC data of 1951 and the electoral rolls up to midnight of 24 March 1971.

o Proving linkage with the person whose name appears in the legacy data.

• March 24, 1971 is the cut-off date because there have been several waves of migration to Assam from Bangladesh, but the biggest was in March 1971 when the Pakistan army crackdown forced many to flee to India.

• The Assam Accord of 1985 that ended the six-year anti-foreigners’ agitation decided upon the midnight of March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date

Issues

• Over one lakh people were found ineligible during re-verification for any one of the following reasons

o Persons who were found to be DF (Declared Foreigner) or DV (Doubtful Voter) or PFT (persons with cases Pending at Foreigners Tribunals) or their descendants, as applicable, discovered after publication of draft NRC.

o Persons who were found to be ineligible while appearing as witness in hearings held for disposal of Claims & Objections

o Persons who were found to be ineligible during the process of verification carried out by the Local Registrars of Citizens Registration (LRCRs) after publication of draft NRC.

NRC Assam Additional Draft List 2019

• People in the latest list will be informed individually through Letters of Information (LOI) to be delivered at their residential addresses along with the reason for exclusion.

• Such persons will have the opportunity to file their Claims which will be disposed through a hearing by a Disposing Officer.

• The submission of Claim and it’s disposal by the Disposing Officer through a hearing will happen together.

Basis of the Assam NRC additional draft exclusion list

• The preparation of the draft exclusion list of the NRC was approved by the SC under the Clause 5 of the Schedule of the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.

• The provision of suo moto verification is mentioned in Section 4 (3) of the Schedule of the above mentioned Citizenship Rules, 2003, which says that the local registrar of citizen registration (LRCR) may at any time before the final publication of NRC in the state of Assam may verify names already in the final draft NRC if considered necessary.

RESERVATION FOR MARATHAS Why in news?


• The Bombay High Court has upheld reservation for Marathas in the State of Maharashtra.

• However, the court has suggested that it should not exceed 12% for education and 13% for jobs as recommended by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC).

Basics

• In 2018, following the state wide agitations by Maratha Community, the Maharashtra legislature passed a bill granting 16% reservation in education and government jobs for Marathas.

• Maratha Community was also declared a socially and educationally backward class by government.

Historical importance

• The Marathas are almost one-third of Maharashtra’s population are not a homogeneous community.

• Historically, they have evolved from the farming caste of Kunbis who took to military service in medieval times and started assuming a separate identity for themselves.

• However, the real differentiation has come through the post-independence development process, creating classes within the caste.

Current scenario

• A tiny but powerful section of elites has control over cooperatives of sugar, banks, educational institutions, factories and politics, called “Gadhivarcha” (topmost strata) Maratha.

• The next section comprises of owners of land, distribution agencies, transporters, contracting firms, and those controlling secondary cooperative societies, called the “Wadyavarcha” (well-off strata) Maratha.

• The rest of the population of Marathas comprises of small farmers called the “Wadivarcha” (lower strata) Maratha.

Need for reservations:

• Reservation in India is the process of facilitating people in education, scholarship, jobs, etc that have faced historical injustice.

• It is a form of quota-based affirmative action, governed by constitutional laws, statutory laws, and local rules and regulations.

• The system of reservation in India comprises a series of measures, such as reserving access to seats in the various legislatures, to government

jobs, and to enrolment in higher educational institutions.

• It is undertaken to address the historic oppression, inequality and discrimination faced by those communities and to give these communities a place.

• It is intended to realise the promise of equality enshrined in the Constitution.

Current aspects of reservation

• Reservation is increasingly seen as a remedy for the adverse effects of ill-thought out development policies.

• It is also called ‘Discrimination in Reverse’ or Reverse Discrimination. It connotes that reservation, which works as a protection to the reserved categories, acts as a reverse discrimination against the upper castes.

• For political parties, reservation discourse is convenient because it allows them to keep subscribing to the consensus over economic policies, avoiding a critical approach to the root causes of the problem.

Way Forward

• There is a need to expand the economic aspect and create fresh opportunities so that people, especially youth, who leave agriculture are absorbed in non-farm sectors.

• India needs to make a critical assessment of its affirmative action programmes.

• Progressive steps should be taken to ensure that poorer section among the backward communities get the benefit of reservation system.

• The policy of reservation should be gradually phased out after it serves its purpose.

SIMULTANEOUS MEMBERSHIP OF BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMNET Why in news?

• With the commencement of the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha, some of those who won in the elections were elected from more than one constituency; some were already members of either Rajya Sabha or the legislature of a state.

• These MPs must vacate one of their seats

Basics


• The under the Constitution, an individual cannot simultaneously be a member of both Houses of Parliament (or a state legislature), or both Parliament and a state legislature, or represent more than one seat in a House.

Procedures and Timelines

• Seat won under Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha • According to Article 101(1) of the Constitution

read with Section 68(1) of The Representation of the People Act, 1951, if a person is elected simultaneously to both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, and if he has not yet taken his seat in either House, he can choose, within 10 days from the later of the dates on which he is chosen to those Houses, the House of which he would like to be a member.

• Failing the intimation within the specified time, the seat in Rajya Sabha falls vacant.

• No such option is, however, available to a person who is already a member of one House and has contested the election for membership of the other House.

• Thus, if a sitting Rajya Sabha member contests and wins a Lok Sabha election, his seat in the Upper House becomes automatically vacant on the date he is declared elected to Lok Sabha.

• The same also applies to a Lok Sabha member who contests an election to Rajya Sabha.

Both seats won under Lok Sabha

• Under Sec 33(7) of RPA, 1951, an individual can contest from two parliamentary constituencies.

• If elected from both, he has to resign one seat within 14 days of the declaration of the result, failing which both his seats shall fall vacant.

State Assembly and Lok Sabha

• Under Article 101(2) of the Constitution (read with Rule 2 of the Prohibition of Simultaneous Membership Rules, 1950, made by the President under this Article) members of state legislatures who have been elected to Lok Sabha must resign their seats within 14 days “from the date of publication in the Gazette of India or in the Official Gazette of the State, whichever is later, of the declaration that he has been so chosen”, failing which their seats in Lok Sabha shall automatically fall vacant.

SEZ (AMENDMENT) BILL,2019

Why in news?

• Parliament has passed the SEZ (Amendment) Bill which replaces the SEZ (Amendment) Ordinance promulgated in March 2019, allowing trusts to seek establishments of units in SEZ.

• It is the first legislation to be passed by the newly-constituted 17th Lok Sabha.

Basics

• Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are geographically delineated ‘enclaves’ in which regulations and practices related to business and trade differ from the rest of the country and therefore all the units therein enjoy special privileges.

• SEZs are given government incentives including tax benefits and single-window clearance system.

• The developers and units of these zones enjoy certain fiscal and non-fiscal incentives such as no-licence requirement for imports.

• SEZs have full freedom for sub-contracting; and no routine examination by customs authorities for export/import cargo.

• They also enjoy direct and indirect tax benefits.

SEZ Act, 2005

• The act provides the legal framework for establishment of SEZs and also for units operating in such zones.

• The proposal for establishment of SEZ can be made by any “person”.

• Currently, person under Section 2(v) of the SEZ Act 2005 is defined as individual whether resident in India or outside of India,

• Hindu undivided co-operative society, company (whether incorporated in India or outside India), proprietary, firm, concern, or association of persons or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, local authority and any agency, office or branch owned or controlled by such individual.

Recent Changes

• It amends definition of “person” under Section 2(v) of the SEZ Act 2005 to include ‘trusts’.

• Apart from trusts, it also includes any entity that central government may notify from time to time in the definition of person.


Challenges:

• The cost of investments in zone infrastructure and maintenance in many cases outweigh the benefits.

• Investors may also take advantage of tax breaks without delivering substantial employment or export earnings.

• It often proves difficult to extend benefits outside the zones or to upgrade domestic skills and the production base.

Way forward:

• Due to the new industrial revolution, zones need to rethink their competitive advantages, as the importance of traditional locational advantages are eroding.

• At the same time, SEZs also need to pursue business activities in a more socially and environmentally responsible manner that advances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Thus the challenges call for a modernization of special economic zones.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NITI AAYOG’S HEALTH INDEX Why in news?

NITI Aayog recently released the Second Edition of “Healthy States, Progressive India” Report.

About HEALTHY STATES PROGRESSIVE INDIA REPORT

Background:

• In February 2018, the first round of the Health Index (referred to as Health Index-2017) was released, which measured the annual and incremental performance of the States and UTs over the period of 2014-15 (Base Year) to 2015-16 (Reference Year).

• The second round of Health Index (referred to as Health Index-2018) examined the overall performance and incremental improvement in the States and UTs for the period 2015-16 (Base Year) to 2017-18 (Reference Year), i.e., a two-year period.

Need for an Health Index:

• Despite India's remarkable economic progress, health remains a critical area that needs improvement. When benchmarked against countries with similar levels of economic development, India is lagging on some critical health indicators.

• Moreover, there are huge disparities across States and Union Territories (UTs). The health outcomes of some States are comparable to that of some upper middle-income countries and high income countries- for example, Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) in Kerala is similar to that of Brazil or Argentina, while some other States have health outcomes similar to that in the poorest countries in the world-for example, NMR in Odisha is close to that of Sierra Leone..

• To motivate States to improve population health and reduce disparities in the spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism, NITI Aayog launched the Health Index to measure the performance of States and UTs.

• It ranks states and union territories on their year on year incremental change in health outcomes, as


well as, their overall performance with respect to each other.

Stakeholders Involved:

• The NITI Aayog prepares the report in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), while the World Bank provides technical assistance, the States and UTs, national and international experts contributes to the completion of the Health Index exercise.

Methodology:

• The Health Index is a weighted composite Index based on 23 indicators grouped into the domains of Health Outcomes, Governance and Information, and Key Inputs/Processes.

• Each domain has been assigned weights based on its importance and has been equally distributed among indicators.

• The ranking is categorized as Larger States, Smaller States and Union Territories (UTs), to ensure comparison among similar entities.

Key Results:

• Large Disparities: o Kerala championed the Larger States

with an overall score of 74.01, while Uttar Pradesh was the least performing State with an overall score of 28.61.

o Among the Smaller States, scores varied between 38.51 in Nagaland and 74.97 in Mizoram.

o Among the UTs, the scores varied between 41.66 in Daman and Diu to 63.62 in Chandigarh

• Progress in achieving SDGs: o Kerala and Tamil Nadu have already

reached the 2030 SDG target for NMR, which is 12 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births. Maharashtra and Punjab are also close to achieving the target.

o Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Punjab have already achieved the SDG target related to Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR), which is 25 deaths per 1,000 live births

• Overall Improvement: o Only about half the States and UTs had an

improv`ement in the overall score between 2015-16 and 2017-18.

• Incremental and Overall performance: o Among the Larger States, Haryana,

Rajasthan and Jharkhand are the top three States in terms of incremental performance, while Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra are the top three States in terms of overall performance. Kerala, despite the decrease in overall Health Index score, maintained its ranking as the top performing among the Larger States.

o Among the Smaller States, Mizoram ranked first in overall performance, while Tripura and Manipur were top two States in terms of incremental performance

o Among the UTs, Chandigarh ranked first in overall performance, while Dadra and Nagar Haveli improved the most

• Empowered Action Group States: o Among the 8 Empowered Action Group

States, only 3 States (Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh) showed improvement in the overall performance between 2015-16 and 2017-18.

NIPAH VIRUS Why in news?

After one year, Kerala is again under a threat of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV) infection. A 23-year-old student in Ernakulam district was tested positive for the highly contagious virus on June 4. The state


government has put 311 people, whom he had been in contact with, under observation.

Nipah virus?

• Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people. In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.

• Human Nipah virus (NiV) infection was first recognized in a large outbreak of 276 reported cases in Malaysia and Singapore from September 1998 to May 1999.

Symptoms of the Nipah virus disease:

• Human infections range from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory infection (mild, severe), and fatal encephalitis.

• Other symptoms are fever, altered mental status, severe weakness, headache, respiratory distress, cough, vomiting, muscle pain, convulsion and diarrhea in infected people in general. The case-fatality rate is estimated at 40-75%; however, this rate can vary by outbreak and can be up to 100%. Laboratory diagnosis of a suspected patient can be made by using a combination of tests. In India, testing facility is available at NIV, Pune.

Transmission of Nipah Virus:

• During the first recognized outbreak in Malaysia, which also affected Singapore, most human infections resulted from direct contact with sick pigs or their contaminated tissues. Transmission is thought to have occurred via unprotected exposure to secretions from the pigs, or unprotected contact with the tissue of a sick animal.

• In subsequent outbreaks in Bangladesh and India, consumption of fruits or fruit products (such as raw date palm juice) contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bats was the most likely source of infection.

• Human-to-human transmission of Nipah virus has also been reported among family and care givers of infected patients.

• During the later outbreaks in Bangladesh and India, Nipah virus spread directly from human-to-

human through close contact with people's secretions and excretions.

Treatment:

• There are currently no drugs or vaccines specific for Nipah virus infection although WHO has identified Nipah as a priority disease for the WHO Research and Development Blueprint.

• However, Ribavirin, an antiviral, may have a role in reducing mortality among patients with encephalitis caused by Nipah virus disease. Intensive supportive care is recommended to treat severe respiratory and neurologic complications.

Nipah Virus in India:

• India was hit by Nipah Virus for the first time in 2001 Humans were infected with the virus after consuming date palm saps contaminated by infected fruit bats. In Bangladesh, it has resurfaced several times since then, with the last recorded outbreak in 2015. India witnessed a Nipah outbreak in 2007 and then in 2018.

• NiV infection was not reported in India since 2007 until the recent outbreak which started in the month of May 2018 and now new cases have been reported in Kerala, in June 2019. The epicenter of the outbreak in India is Southern state of Kerala.

Reasons for Reoccurrence of the Nipah Virus in India:

• After Kerala’s last Nipah outbreak was contained by June-end last year, the state and central governments stopped monitoring the virus, calling it a local occurrence despite the country being home to fruit bats that carry the virus.

• In june this year’s first Nipah infection was reported, yet again in Kerala, sending the state government into a scramble to set up isolation wards and initiate surveillance of potential carriers.


• More than 58 species of fruit bats (often called flying foxes) are considered natural hosts of the Nipah virus. After the latest Nipah virus infection (NiV), public health and veterinary experts said the virus can resurface anywhere in India.

• “As such, all India is part of the flying foxes territories. It can be conjectured that Nipah virus can emerge as a human pathogen anywhere in these distribution areas. Countries with serological evidence or molecular detection of the virus in these flying foxes territories include Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan and Thailand," a WHO document said.

FACEBOOK’S GLOBAL DIGITAL CURRENCY ‘LIBRA’ Why in news?

On June 18, Facebook announced that it is going to launch a global digital currency by the first half of 2020. The currency has been named Libra.

About Libra

• Libra is a proposed permissioned cryptocurrency or a blockchain virtual currency. In other words, it is a digital asset built by Facebook and powered by a new Facebook-created version of blockchain, the encrypted technology used by bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

• The name Libra comes from the basic Roman measurement of weight. The abbreviation lb for pound is derived from Libra, and the £ symbol originally comes from an ornate L in Libra.

• It will be run by the Libra Association, a Geneva-based entity that has over two dozen founding partners, including Facebook, Mastercard, Visa, Uber and the Vodafone group.

• A white paper released by the Libra Association says its mission “is to enable a simple global currency and financial infrastructure that empowers billions of people”.

Cryptocurrency:

• A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security.

• A cryptocurrency is difficult to counterfeit because of this security feature. Many cryptocurrencies are decentralized systems based on blockchain technology, a distributed ledger enforced by a disparate network of computers.

• A defining feature of a cryptocurrency, and arguably its biggest allure, is its organic nature; it is not issued by any central authority, rendering it theoretically immune to government interference or manipulation.

• The first blockchain-based cryptocurrency was Bitcoin, which still remains the most popular and most valuable. Today, there are thousands of alternate cryptocurrencies with various functions or specifications.

Major differences between Libra and cryptocurrencies like bitcoin:

• It is true that Bitcoin and Libra are both based on block chain technology, which refers to a form of distributed ledger — not centralised — of transactions. These are created by complicated math functions that make them almost incorruptible. But beyond this, there is very little in common between Bitcoin and Libra.

• Open: Bitcoin is open in nature and is not issued or managed by any central bank. But, that's not going to be the case with Facebook's Libra. Libra is a digital currency with characteristics of fiat currency.

• Governance: The developers and the crypto-community are the ones who decide what happens to the bitcoins. If there is something a person doesn't like or has a better use case, then he/she can hard-fork the code away and create their own coin. Libra obviously won't have that kind of model as it is backed by Mastercard, Uber, Booking Holdings etc.

• Decentralisation: Bitcoin allows people (ten thousand or more) to download the open source code for free and run a node, unlike Facebook's Libra. Facebook's cryptocurrency might also have multiple central nodes which can be shut down by the government if it wants to.

• Secure: Hacking a Bitcoin network is next to impossible and it is the most secure computer network in the world running for over a decade now. However, user still need to take care of your private keys on a hardware wallet. Meanwhile, Libra with its centralized nodes may be vulnerable to DDoS attacks , personal ID hacks etc.

• Volatility: Since bitcoin is not owned or governed by any central party and lives on a decentralized network, it is vulnerable to bring price swings. Libra is a stable coin, backed by a basket of currencies and debt securities. .

Importance of Libra:


• There is definitely a need for a digital currency that can help in cross-border transaction, with minimum regulatory intervention and cost. Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies held promise in this regard. But they have failed to deliver in many aspects such as, lack of intrinsic value, lack of accountability, issues releated to volatility and governance etc.

• Libra is attempting to replace Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies, the designers of Libra have tried to retain the strong points of the existing crypto-currencies while addressing the shortcomings, for example:

o Like bitcoin, Libra is also created through computer algorithms and is based on open source block-chain technology. However, the main problem with Bitcoin and others is lack of intrinsic value. This is being addressed by backing every Libra unit with reserves of real assets made of bank deposits and short-term government securities. The value of Libra will be linked to the value of the assets held in the reserve and thus the currency is expected to be more stable.

o The second issue with Bitcoin and other cryptos — lack of accountability — is addressed by bringing on board many founding members, including Mastercard, PayPal, Visa, eBay, Uber, Spotify, Vodafone, Coin-base and Anchorage, who will be investing in the company and will also promote the usage of the Libra units. The founding members will be given Libras in lieu of their initial investment.

Concerns over Libra:

• Integrating Libra with the existing financial system where global central banks control the strings would be a major task. With currency in circulation having a major bearing on inflation and monetary policies, these banks are unlikely to allow digital currencies to disrupt the balance.

• Also, there are concerns about the involvement of Facebook in the venture. Facebook has been known to trade user information in the past and there are concerns about letting it launch a currency that can disrupt the entire global payment system.

• Already dissenting voices are being raised from global central banks that are forming committees to look in to Libra.

• Bloomberg has reported that the French Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire, has called on the Group of Seven(G7) central bank governors to “prepare a report on Facebook’s project for their July meeting. His concerns include privacy, money laundering and terrorism finance”.

• Markus Ferber, a German member of the European Parliament, has also been reported as saying that Facebook could become a “shadow bank” and that regulators should be on high alert.

FIXED-DOSE COMBINATION (FDC) MEDICINES. Why in news?

Recently, a drug advisory body sub-committee has asked pharmaceutical companies to prove that 324 combination medicines are safe and effective for patients to consume in order to decide whether these drugs should continue to be sold in India.

Background:

• In 2016, the Central Government prohibited the manufacture for sale, sale and distribution for human use of 344 FDCs under section 26 A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Subsequently, the Government had prohibited five more FDCs in addition to the 344 under the same provisions.

• However, the matter was contested in various High Courts and the Supreme Court of India by the multinational and domestic pharmaceutical industries.

• The Supreme Court suggested the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) to decide whether the manufacture and sale of these drugs should be regulated, restricted or banned outright, and submit its report and recommendations to the government within six months.

• An expert panel was then formed under the chairmanship of Nilima Kshirsagar, professor-head clinical pharmacology, G.S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, to review the safety, efficacy and therapeutic justification of these drugs.

• The Board recommended that it is necessary to prohibit the manufacture, sale or distribution of these FDCs under section 26 A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 in the larger public interest, as there is no therapeutic justification for the


ingredients contained in 328 FDCs and that these FDCs may involve risk to human beings.

• The Central Government considered the recommendations of the Expert Committee and DTAB, and based on such consideration, in September, 2018 the Government prohibited the manufacture for sale, sale and distribution for human use of these 328 FDCs in the country. it was concluded that it is necessary and expedient in public interest.

About Fixed-dose combination (FDCs):

• Combination products, also known as fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) drugs, are combinations of two or more active drugs in a single dosage form, i.e combination of two or more drugs in a fixed dosage ratio

• It is a cocktail drug, meaning it has two or more therapeutic ingredients in a single dose.

• Combination drugs are used to improve patients’ compliance, as it is easier to get patients to take one drug rather than several.

Rational Vs Irrational FDCs

Rational FDCs:

• Fixed dose combination (FDC) consists of two or more active ingredients in a single pill that are preferred when patient requires multiple regimens to control particular disease state.

• FDCs are quite beneficial for patients who need to take more than one medication to treat one or more conditions.

• FDCs which offer an incremental benefit in their therapeutic effect or convenience or cost, all within the line of safety, it is considered to be “rational” to use FDCs.

• Rational Drug therapy means the use of the right medicine in the right manner(dose, route, frequency of administration, duration of therapy etc) in the right patient at the right cost and at the right time.

• Use of rational FDCs provides various benefits such as, enhance the efficacy of individual drugs, decrease the chance of drug resistance, improve patient compliance and also decrease the pill burden on the patients.

• If prescribed correctly, FDCs offer a clear benefit in diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy and HIV, where drug resistance and larger pill burden are common challenges.

Irrational FDCs:

• Those combination can be considered "irrational", when there is no scientific rational for such combinations and use of such “irrational combinations” can only lead to harm.

• Use of irrational drug therapy or FDCs can lead to reduction in quality of drug therapy, increased risk of side effects, drug resistance.

• Unnecessary use of combination drugs makes the human body resistant to treatment.

Indian Perspective:

• Prescribing fixed dose drug combinations has become the “in thing” in medical practice in India. Using the excuse of better patient compliance, many doctors, both in private as well as government prescribe irrational fixed dose drug combinations.

• There are over 6000 FDC products in the Indian market; and many of those combination can be considered "irrational", as there is no scientific rational for such combinations.

• FDCs are widely used in India; and there are more unapproved products than approved on the market. Unapproved formulations are commonly sold, even ones that are restricted, banned, or never approved in other countries.

• Last year's ban on FDCs included painkillers, anti-diabetic, respiratory and gastro-intestinal medicines, covering 6,000 brands.

• The Government banned number of FDCs as it was convinced that a large part of the products sold as FDCs are "irrational" and contains lack "therapeutic justification", besides risking the health of patients.

• Kokate committee, which studied the irrationality of various FDCs in 2015, recommended the ban on 344 of them, citing the rising “antibiotic resistance” in the country as one of the reasons.

Reasons for proliferation of Irrational FDCs in India:

• The growth of FDCs in India, including a large number of irrational FDCs, was fuelled by various factors such as, aggressive commercial and at times irrational outlook from the pharmaceutical companies, lapses of regulatory agencies, negligence among medical practitioners and pharmacists and ignorance of both rural and urban public taking non-prescription-based medications either through unqualified practitioners or as self-medication.


• Regulatory lapses: Inconsistent enforcement of drug laws in India is one of the major reason which has led to a proliferation of such FDCs based on state approvals, rather than from the federal government.

o All the FDCs fall under the category of

‘new drug’ and therefore needs prior approval of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) after submission of documents showing therapeutic benefit. additional advantage and safety profile.

o CDSCO as the national regulator of Indian pharmaceuticals and Central Licensing Authority (CLA) approves the FDCs after reviewing relevant pharmacological studies such as bioequivalence, safety profile and documentation related to the initial clinical trials.

o After the approval from CDSCO, the state licensing authorities (SLAs) can issue licences for its import, manufacturing, marketing and sales.

o However in numerous instances, the SLAs despite not having adequate technical expertise gave licenses for number of FDCs.

o Last year CDSCO warned several pharmaceutical firms, including listed firms like Wockhard, for making and marketing certain combination medicines to treat ailments like fungal infections and diabetes without its approval.

FALL ARMYWORM Why in news?

Recently Agriculture minister informed about the status on Spread of Fall Armyworm in more than 14 states in India.

The Department under the Ministry of Agriculture has also taken a note of Fall Army Worm (FAW) infestation in the country and is working to minimize the damage caused by the infestation.

About Fall Armyworm:

• Fall Armyworm (FAW), or Spodoptera frugiperda, is an insect that is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas and has spread to other

countries such as China, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

• It was first detected in Central and Western Africa in early 2016 and has now spread across Sub-Saharan Africa and recently reached Yemen and India.

Infestation and Life Cycle:

• The adult moth is able to move over 100 km per night. It lays its eggs on plants, from which larvae hatch and begin feeding.

• In its 45-day-long lifecycle, the female moth of this pest lays around 1,500-2,000 eggs on the top of leaves. In the roughly 30-day larval stage, the caterpillar goes through six stages of development or instars.

• The larva is the damaging stage of the insect. It generally prefers corn (maize), and can attack millet, vegetables, rice, sugarcane and sorghum.

• This is the most dangerous part of the lifecycle as the caterpillar feeds on leaves, whorls, stalks and flowers of crop plants. Once this stage is completed, the growing moth pupates in the soil — for 8-9 days in summer and 20-30 days in cold weather. The nocturnal egg-laying adults live for about 10 days, during which they migrate long distances.

• What makes FAW dangerous: is the polyphagous (ability to feed on different kinds of food) nature of the caterpillar and the ability of the adult moth to fly more than 100 km per night. Due to the strong flying ability, it has spread to most of the tropical countries and has entered even India. If the eradication of the pest is delayed, it can cause huge loss to crop yield.


FAW Infestation in India:

• The FAW migrated to India Last year and the worm, which predominantly attacks the maize crop and sorghum and ragi to some extent, affected an area of 2,11,300 hectares in Karnataka and 24,288 hectares in Telangana.

• In comparison, it has so far destroyed 4,553 ha in Nagaland, 4,342 ha in Manipur and 1,877 ha in Mizoram.

• In January 2019, Chhattisgarh was also fell to the infestation of Fall Armyworm (FAW), locally being referred to as American keeda.

• The new States where the FAW infestation is wreaking havoc are those from the North-eastern region. While two major States which the infestation had a major impact on last year — Karnataka and Telangana — have so far remained free of the pest, the attack seems to be rampant in Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, Tomar said in a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

• Fall Armyworm infestation has spread from Karnataka to all southern states, then to western Maharashtra and Gujarat and now to the eastern and the Northern-Eastern States.

• Though it is being detected mostly in maize crops — a preliminary calculation estimates that it has affected nearly 1,70,000 hectares of maize crops — there have also been reports from states where it has infested paddy, sugarcane and sweet corn.

• Maize is the third-most important cereal crop in India after rice and wheat. It accounts for 9 per cent of the total food grain production in the country and if the infestation, if not checked in time, can wreck havoc.

Global Perspective:

• The impact of the FAW is so intense that in one year — 2017-18 — it has damaged 20-25% crop yield worth $3.5 billion to 5 billion in about 40 African countries. For the first time, India has imported 5 million tonnes maize and it is suspected that the impact of FAW might be one of the reasons for that.

• This lepidopteran pest feeds in large numbers on leaves and stems of more than 80 plant species causing major damage to economically important cultivated crops and grasses such as maize, rice, sorghum and sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton. America addressed the problem by introducing BT Maize.

• Four major organisations — USAID, International Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRSAT), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) — have joined hands to prepare strategy to address the issue. A consortium with 45 institutes was established to chalk out strategies to address the problem.

Integrated Pest Management of FAW:

• Most entomologists have suggested the Integrated Pest Management system to control the pest.

• IPM is an integrated strategy of pest control which aims at prevention of pests and its damage through a combination of techniques such as chemical, biological, new cropping system, modification of cultural practices, use of resistant varieties and through mechanical methods.

• IPM emphasizes the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems and encourages natural pest control mechanisms.

Government steps to control the spread of Fall Army Worm in India:

• The Indian Council of Agriculture Research has prepared a detailed Package of Practices (POP) against FAW in Maize crop- the POP, inter-alia, contains mechanical, cultural, biological and chemical measures to control FAW and the POP has been circulated to all the States for its implementation.

• Timely advisories are being issued regularly to State Departments of Agriculture to adopt preventive measures.

• A High Power Committee (HPC) has been constituted, headed by the Secretary (DAC&FW) and Secretary (DARE) to review the status and to recommend appropriate strategies.

• Based on the recommendations of the HPC, various Sub-Committees have also been constituted in the State of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar and Rajasthan States, which are headed by the Director / Commissioner of Agriculture / Principal Secretary of the respective State.

• Regular surveys, surveillance and monitoring were conducted by the Central Integrated Pest Management Centres (CIPMCs) in collaboration with the State Department of Agriculture, SAUs and ICAR etc. Further, awareness programmes for


the farmers were organized to advise them to adopt cultural and farm practices.

• Certain Bio-control Agents have found effective against FAW. Mass production of these bio-control agents has been promoted.

E-CIGARETTES Why in news?

The government’s research wing Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) has recently recommended “complete prohibition” on e-cigarettes and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) to protect public health.

Earlier in May on the eve of World No Tobacco Day the ICMR had released a white paper noting that e-cigarettes and other such devices contained not only nicotine solution, which was highly addictive, but also harmful ingredients such as flavouring agents and vaporizers. The paper also rejected the argument that e-cigarettes could help smokers quit tobacco consumption.

• The white paper was prepared by a committee headed by Dr. K. Srinath Reddy of Public Health Foundation of India analyzing over 300 research articles from across the world.

• The committee included experts from ICMR, AII India Institute of Medical Sciences, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

About Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS):

• Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes are battery-powered devices used to smoke or ‘vape’, a flavoured solution containing a varying concentration of nicotine, an addictive chemical found in cigarettes and other forms of tobacco products.

• There are various types of ENDS devices. The most common type is an e-cigarette that produces an aerosolized mixture of the flavoured liquids and nicotine, which is inhaled by the user. Nicotine is considered as one of the most addictive substances.

Potential harmful health effects:

• The use of ENDS or e-cigarettes adversely affects almost all the human body systems with impact across the life course, from the womb to tomb.

• The cartridges used in ENDS or e-cigarettes are filled with liquid nicotine, flavouring agents and other chemicals and a typical cartridge contains about as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes and can act as a potential source for nicotine addiction.

• The amount of nicotine and other chemicals in these products varies widely, and thus, the consumer remains unaware of the actual contents of the products they use..

• The liquid-vapourizing solutions also contain toxic chemicals and metals that have been demonstrated to be responsible for several adverse health effects, including cancers and diseases of the heart, lungs and brain.

• E-cigarette use adversely affects the cardiovascular system, impairs respiratory, immune cell function and airways in a way similar to cigarette smoking and is responsible for severe respiratory disease.

• Various studies have pointed out particulate nature of vapour in e-cigarettes and most of these particles are ultrafine in nature and can easily reach deep into the lungs and can cross into the systemic circulation.

• The flavouring agents used in e-cigarettes to attract consumers can adversely affect the health of the users due to their cytotoxic effect.

• ENDS can adversely affect pregnant women who are either users or exposed to passive aerosol. It also poses risks to foetal, infant and child brain development.

• Harm to non-users: ENDS have adverse health impacts even when people are exposed to second-hand vapours. Passive exposure to vapours during pregnancy can severely affect the health of both the mother and foetus. There are reports of poisoning due to accidental swallowing by children. These devices also can cause fire and explosion.

ENDS as a tobacco cessation aid:

• ENDS or e-cigarettes are popularly perceived as a smoking cessation aid, but their efficacy and safety as a quitting aid have not yet been firmly established.

• There is very limited evidence regarding the impact of ENDS on tobacco smoking cessation, reduction in cigarette use or adverse health effects

• The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer does not recommend the use of e-


cigarettes for treating nicotine dependence even in cancer patients, due to the absence of sufficient evidence on their efficacy and safety. The Indian Medical Association considered ENDS as an unhealthy and disguised form of tobacco addiction, with serious long-term health effects and unfit to be used for tobacco cessation.

Monitoring and regulation of ENDS:

• Monitoring of these products differs amongst various countries. For example, in the United Kingdom, these are regulated as medicines from 2016, for ensuring their quality and safety, but some countries have introduced restrictions on the sale and use of ENDS

• The sale of e-cigarettes is completely banned in 25 countries, including Brazil, Norway and Singapore, while market authorization is required in 17 other countries. In the United States, ENDS that are marketed for therapeutic purposes are currently regulated by the US-FDA and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

Indian Perspective:

• Tobacco consumption, especially cigarette smoking, has shown a decline in India in recent years, in response to several tobacco control measures. The marketing of a product-like ENDS, with unproven benefit and high potential harm from addiction and health risks, is unwarranted as a tobacco control measure. The risk of youth addiction is high as borne out by international experience and in Indian media reports. The adverse population-level health impact will outweigh any presumed benefit to individual cigarette smokers.

• In India, use of nicotine as an ingredient in any food item is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulation, 2011 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Nicotine and nicotine sulphate are listed as hazardous chemicals under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and in the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989. There are other laws and regulations which are also applicable to ENDS.

• However, as e-cigarettes contain nicotine and not tobacco, they do not fall within the ambit of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), which mandates stringent health warnings on the

packaging and advertisements of tobacco products.

• Since cigarette smoking has shown a decline in India in recent years, the unregulated sale of e-cigarettes may become a gateway for smoking by inducing nicotine addiction and perpetuating smoking by making it more attractive, thereby encouraging persons to become users of tobacco as well as e-cigarettes.

THE DNA TECHNOLOGY (USE AND APPLICATION) REGULATION BILL - 2019 Why in news?

Recently, the Cabinet cleared the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill once again, paving the way for its reintroduction in Parliament.

In January this year the Lok Sabha had passed the bill but could not get the approval of Rajya Sabha. As a result, it lapsed once the tenure of the previous Lok Sabha expired last month.

Basics:

• The Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) is a set of instructions found in a cell. These instructions are used for the growth and development of an organism.

• The DNA of a person is unique, and variation in the sequence of DNA can be used to match individuals and identify them.

• DNA technology, therefore allows for accurate establishment of an individual’s identity.

• DNA Profiling: DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's DNA characteristics, which are as unique as fingerprints. In other words, it is the process where a specific DNA pattern, called a profile, is obtained from a person or sample of bodily tissue and used to identify a person's identity.

Uses of DNA based technology/DNA Profiling:

• DNA-based technology can be used to aid criminal investigations. For example, the identity of a criminal offender may be determined by matching DNA found at the crime scene with the DNA of a suspect.

• In addition, DNA-based technology helps in identification of victims in the event of terrorist attacks or natural disasters such as earthquakes.


For example, DNA technology has been used to identify victims of terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in 2001, and disasters such as the Asian tsunami in 2004.

• Further, DNA profiling can be used in civil matters, such as parentage disputes, issues related to pedigree, immigration or emigration, assisted reproductive technologies, transplantation of human organs, and for the establishment of individual identity.

• DNA profiling is of proven value in solving cases involving offences that are categorized as affecting the human body (such as murder, rape, human trafficking, or grievous hurt), and those against property (including theft, burglary, and dacoity).

Key Highlights of the Bill:

• The Bill regulates the use of DNA technology for establishing the identity of persons in respect of matters listed in a Schedule. These include criminal matters (such as offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860), and civil matters such as parentage disputes, emigration or immigration, and transplantation of human organs.

• The Bill establishes a National DNA Data Bank and Regional DNA Data Banks. Every Data Bank will maintain the following indices: (i) crime scene index, (ii) suspects’ or undertrials’ index, (iii) offenders’ index, (iv) missing persons’ index, and (v) unknown deceased persons’ index.

• The Bill establishes a DNA Regulatory Board. Every DNA laboratory that analyses a DNA sample to establish the identity of an individual, has to be accredited by the Board.

• The Bill provides for the removal of DNA profiles of suspects on filing of a police report or court order, and of undertrials on the basis of a court order. Profiles in the crime scene and missing persons’ index will be removed on a written request.

• Written consent by individuals is required to collect DNA samples from them. Consent is not required for offences with punishment of more than seven years of imprisonment or death.

Need for The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill in India:

• Forensic DNA profiling is of proven value in solving cases involving offences that are categorized as affecting the human body (such as murder, rape, human trafficking, or grievous hurt),

and those against property (including theft, burglary, and dacoity).

• The aggregate incidence of such crimes in the country, as per the statistics of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2016, is in excess of 3 lakhs per year. Of these, only a very small proportion is being subjected to DNA testing at present. It is expected that the expanded use of this technology in these categories of cases would result not only in speedier justice delivery but also in increased conviction rates, which at present is only around 30% (NCRB Statistics for 2016).

• Moreover Currently, the use of DNA technology for identification of individuals is not regulated.

• In the past, several expert groups including the Law Commission, have looked at the use and regulation of DNA technology. The Commission submitted its report as well as a draft Bill in July 2017.

• In this context, the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 9, 2018 and was passed in jaunary 2019.

Key Issues and Concerns:

• Right to Privacy: DNA laboratories are required to share DNA data with the Data Banks. It is unclear whether DNA profiles for civil matters will also be stored in the Data Banks. Storage of these profiles in the Data Banks may violate the right to privacy.

• No guarantee of Data Security: Numerous examples have testified how easily AADHAAR data can be accessed. DNA Database could be another AADHAAR like database, without adequate protection and safeguards. Moreover, there is no linkage shown in the bill between the government’s other cyber security projects and regulations, and the present law.

• Profiling of an individual: DNA samples can reveal not just how a person looks, or what their eye colour or skin colour is, but also more intrusive information like their allergies, or susceptibility to diseases. As a result, there is a greater risk of information from DNA profiling getting misused to create a profile of an individual and use it for surveillance as well as for making profits.

• Consent Clause: The Bill requires consent of the individual when DNA profiling is used in criminal investigations and identifying missing persons. However, consent requirements have not been specified in case of DNA profiling for civil matters.


• Removal of Profiles: DNA laboratories prepare DNA profiles and then share them with DNA Data Banks. The Bill specifies the process by which DNA profiles may be removed from the Data Banks. However, the Bill does not require DNA laboratories to remove DNA profiles. It may be argued that such provisions be included in the Bill and not left to regulations.

OUTBREAK OF ACUTE ENCEPHALITIS SYNDROME (AES) IN BIHAR Why in news?

The Bihar health department recently released state-wide figures putting the total toll following the outbreak, which has spread across 16 districts, at 136.

• Muzzaffapur is the worst-hit among all the districts.

• Outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) have occurred previously in the northern regions of Bihar state and eastern regions of Uttar Pradesh state of India.

• Union health ministry asked a multi-disciplinary panel of experts to help Bihar combat an outbreak. The panel will establish a research centre in worst-hit Muzaffarpur to probe the cycle of the disease and the environmental, weather and other factors that might influence its outbreaks

Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES):

• Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) including Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a group of clinically similar neurologic manifestation caused by several different viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemical/ toxins etc. However, viruses are the main causative agents in AES cases.

• It is characterized as acute-onset of fever and a change in mental status (mental confusion, disorientation, delirium, or coma) and/or new-onset of seizures in a person of any age at any time of the year.

• The disease most commonly affects children and young adults and can lead to considerable morbidity and mortality.

Causes:

• The Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a leading cause of acute encephalitis syndrome in India (ranging from 5-35%), the etiology in a large number of cases however remains unidentified. In

India during 2018, 15% of cases of AES were found positive for infection due to JEV.

• However, in Bihar, the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) claimed that the JE virus had caused only two of the AES cases this year (this assessment came at a time when the total cases were 342).

• Most of the deaths in Bihar have been attributed to hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar.

• Hypoglycaemia is a commonly seen sign among patients of AES, and the link has been the subject of research over the years.

• Hypoglycaemia and AES: o The combination of AES with

hypoglycaemia is unique to Muzaffarpur, Vietnam and Bangladesh- In 2014, a research paper drew a parallel between cases in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur and in Vietnam’s Bac Giang province. In both places, there were litchi orchards in the neighbourhood.

o In Bihar, convulsions in children (which is AES) are found in combination with hypoglycaemia.

o This hypoglycaemia is caused by malnourishment and lack of proper diet.

• With 98% of AES patients in Bihar also suffering hypoglycaemia, doctors are attributing deaths to the latter.

• A 2014 study in Muzaffarpur by Dr Arun Shah and T Jacob John suggested that hypoglycaemia was the trigger that led to diagnosis of encephalitis.

• The AES cases in Muzaffarpur, Bihar and adjoining litchi producing districts have been observed mostly during April to June particularly in children who are undernourished with a history of visiting litchi orchards. In 2014, a relationship between consumption of litchi and AES was postulated by National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi (along with Centre for Disease Control US) in acute encephalitis in children, in Muzaffarpur*.

Debate over Litchi causing hypoglycaemia:

• The biggest worry about AES is the lack of understanding of what exactly causes the disease. However, Most children who are falling ill come from families that work in Bihar’s litchi orchards.

• The April-July period, which is the harvest season for litchis, is where children work to collect the fruits fallen on the ground. These children, who are poor and malnourished, eat litchis on empty stomach, exposing them to a toxin called methylene cyclopropyl glycine (MCPG).


• Methylene cyclopropyl glycine (MCPG) which has been known to be a content of litchi fruit has been shown to cause hypoglycaemia in experimental animals. The toxin interferes with the natural mechanism to correct low blood glucose levels affecting fuel supply to the brain.

• However, this remains a subject of debate. “If toxins from litchi were causing hypoglycaemia, then these cases should have remained consistent each year and affected children of all socio-economic strata. This year, all deaths have all been recorded in the lower income groups,” said Dr Ragini Mishra, Bihar state surveillance officer. She added that while the cause of AES is still being researched, hypoglycaemic AES may be caused by malnutrition, heat, lack of rain, and entero-virus.

Why Muzzarffapur and adjoining region are vulnerable?

• A team from the Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, and Christian Medical College, Vellore, has concluded that heat, humidity, unhygienic conditions and malnutrition, unique to these areas, together contribute to the rise in AES. Incidence is higher in litchi fields around which malnourished children live.

Symptoms and Diagnosis of AES:

• Clinically, a case of AES is defined as a person of any age, at any time of year with the acute onset of fever and a change in mental status (including symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, coma, or inability to talk) AND/OR new onset of seizures (excluding simple febrile seizures). Other early clinical findings may include an increase in irritability, somnolence or abnormal behavior greater than that seen with usual febrile illness.

• The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme in India has set up country wide surveillance for AES through sentinel sites with a focus on detecting Japanese encephalitis (JEV). In the sentinel surveillance network, AES/JE is diagnosed by lgM Capture ELISA, and virus isolation is done in National Reference Laboratory.

Government Initiatives to tackle the Outbreak:

• Several government initiatives have been undertaken to educate and improve the hygiene of people living in the JE endemic zones. Government and non-government organizations

have been instrumental in providing proper nutrition to the AES-affected population as most of the affected people belong to the lower economic strata of the society.

• Govt. of India, as part of the National Programme for Prevention & Control of JE/AES, follows a multi pronged strategy encompassing preventive (sanitation, safe drinking water, improvement in nutrition etc.), case management (capacity building of medical and para-medical staff, referral etc.) and rehabilitation (physical and social rehabilitation of disabled children), measures to address the problems relating to JE/AES.

• For the recent Outbreaks, the Bihar government introduced free vaccines at all primary health centres. The current coverage is 70%. The central and state governments have conducted awareness campaign since February asking people not to expose their children to sun, ensure a proper diet and increase fluid intake. Dr R D Ranjan, DHS director, said early hospital referral and standard treatment for convulsions, high fever and vomiting can save lives.

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY

NATIONAL POLICY ON BIOFUELS – 2018 Why in news?

The National Policy on Biofuels-2018 approved by the Government envisages an indicative target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of bio-diesel in diesel by 2030.

Basics

• A biofuel is any hydrocarbon fuel that is produced from organic matter in a short period of time.

• This is in contrasts with fossil fuels, which take millions of years to form and with other types of fuel which are not based on hydrocarbons like nuclear fuels.

• The structure of the biofuel itself does not change between generations, but rather the source from which the fuel is derived changes.

• First Generation Biofuels were directly using the food crops like wheat and sugar for making


ethanol and oil seeds for bio diesel by conventional method of fermentation. These fuels emitted more greenhouse gases.

• Second Generation Biofuels used non-food crops and feedstock instead of food crops as used in first generation. Wood, grass, seed crops, organic waste are used in fuel preparation.

• Third Generation Biofuels use specially engineered Algae whose biomass is used to convert into biofuels. The greenhouse gas emission here will be low in comparison to others.

• Globally, biofuels have caught the attention in last decade and it is imperative to keep up with the pace of developments in the field of biofuels.

• The two most common types of biofuel are bioethanol and biodiesel.

• Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermentation, mostly from carbohydrates produced in sugar or starch crops such as corn, sugarcane, or sweet sorghum. Cellulosic biomass, derived from non-food sources, such as trees and grasses, is also being developed as a feedstock for ethanol production. Ethanol can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form (E100), but it is usually used as a gasoline additive to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. Bioethanol is widely used in the United States and in Brazil.

• Biodiesel is produced from oils or fats using trans-esterification and is the most common biofuel in Europe. It can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form (B100), but it is usually used as a diesel additive to reduce levels of particulates, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from diesel-powered vehicles.

• Biofuels in India are of strategic importance as it augers well with the ongoing initiatives of the Government such as Make in India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Skill Development and offers great opportunity to integrate with the ambitious targets of doubling of Farmers Income, Import Reduction, Employment Generation, Waste to Wealth Creation.

Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme:

• It was launched by the Government in 2003 on pilot basis which has been subsequently extended to the Notified 21 States and 4 Union Territories to promote the use of alternative and environmental friendly fuels.

• It aims at blending ethanol with petrol, thereby bringing it under the category of biofuels and saving millions of dollars by cutting fuel imports.

• Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme is being implemented by the Ministry or Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).

• This intervention also seeks to reduce import dependency for energy requirements and give boost to agriculture sector.

Salient Features of policy:

• The Policy categorises biofuels as "Basic Biofuels" viz. First Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel and "Advanced Biofuels" - Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels, Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc. to enable extension of appropriate financial and fiscal incentives under each category.

• The Policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of Sugarcane Juice, Sugar containing materials like Sugar Beet, Sweet Sorghum, Starch containing materials like Corn, Cassava, Damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, Rotten Potatoes, unfit for human consumption for ethanol production.

• Farmers are at a risk of not getting appropriate price for their produce during the surplus production phase. Taking this into account, the Policy allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee.

• With a thrust on Advanced Biofuels, the Policy indicates a viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries of Rs.5000 crore in 6 years in addition to additional tax incentives, higher purchase price as compared to 1G biofuels.

• The Policy encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, Used Cooking Oil, short gestation crops.

• Roles and responsibilities of all the concerned Ministries/Departments with respect to biofuels has been captured in the Policy document to synergise efforts.

Expected benefits:

• Import dependency: The policy aims at reducing import dependency.

• Cleaner environment: By reducing crop burning & conversion of agricultural residues/wastes to biofuels there will be further reduction in Green House Gas emissions.


• Health benefits: Prolonged reuse of Cooking Oil for preparing food, particularly in deep-frying is a potential health hazard and can lead to many diseases. Used Cooking Oil is a potential feedstock for biodiesel and its use for making biodiesel will prevent diversion of used cooking oil in the food industry.

• Employment Generation: One 100klpd 2G bio refinery can contribute 1200 jobs in Plant Operations, Village Level Entrepreneurs and Supply Chain Management.

• Additional Income to Farmers: By adopting 2G technologies, agricultural residues/waste which otherwise are burnt by the farmers can be converted to ethanol and can fetch a price for these waste if a market is developed for the same.

DEAD ZONE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO Why in news?

Scientists say this year’s oceanic ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico will be one of the largest in recorded history. It’s expected to grow to over 8,000 sq. miles, and scientists predict severe harm to marine habitat, impacting fish harvests.

Basics:

• Dead zones are hypoxic (low-oxygen) areas in the world’s oceans and large lakes.

• Because most organisms need oxygen to live, few organisms can survive in hypoxic conditions. That is why these areas are called dead zones.

• They are caused by “excessive nutrient pollution from human activities coupled with other factors that deplete the oxygen required to support most marine life in bottom and near-bottom water.

• These occur near inhabited coastlines, where aquatic life is most concentrated.

• The vast middle portions of the oceans, which naturally have little life, are not considered “dead zones”.

Reason for occurrence:

• Dead zones can be caused by natural and by anthropogenic factors.

• Natural causes include coastal upwelling and changes in wind and water circulation patterns.. Anthropogenic causes:

• Dead zones occur because of a process called eutrophication, which happens when a body of

water gets too many nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen.

• At normal levels, these nutrients feed the growth of an organism called cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae.

• With too many nutrients, however, cyanobacteria grows out of control, which can be harmful.

• Human activities are the main cause of these excess nutrients being washed into the ocean.

• Because of this reason, dead zones are often located near inhabited coastlines.

Causes of Eutrophication

• Eutrophic events have increased because of the rapid rise in intensive agricultural practices, industrial activities, and population growth.

• These three processes emit large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous.

• These nutrients enter our air, soil, and water. • Human activities have emitted nearly twice as

much nitrogen and three times as much phosphorus as natural emissions.

Eutrophication and the Environment:

• The eutrophication process has severe environmental impacts.

• Dead zones result from these impacts, which include algal blooms and hypoxia.

Algal Blooms

• Phosphorous, nitrogen, and other nutrients increase the productivity or fertility of marine ecosystems.

• Organisms such as phytoplankton, algae, and seaweeds will grow quickly and excessively on the water’s surface.

• This rapid development of algae and phytoplankton is called an algal bloom.

• Algal blooms can create dead zones beneath them because:

o Algal blooms prevent light from penetrating the water’s surface.

o They also prevent oxygen from being absorbed by organisms beneath them.

o Sunlight is necessary for plants and organisms like phytoplankton and algae, which manufacture their own nutrients from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.

o Oxygen is necessary for almost all aquatic life, from sea grasses to fish.


Hypoxia

• Hypoxia occurs when algae and other organisms die from lack of oxygen and available nutrients.

• The major groups of algae are Cyanobacteria, green algae, Dinoflagellates, Coccolithophores and Diatom algae.

• Cyanobacteria are not good food for zooplankton and fish and hence accumulate in water, die, and then decompose.

• The bacterial degradation of their biomass consumes the oxygen in the water, thereby creating the state of hypoxia.

• Hypoxia events often follow algal blooms.

Effects of dead zone:

• When some types of algae blooms are large and produce chemicals, or toxins, the event is called a harmful algal bloom.

• Harmful algal blooms can occur in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds, bays and coastal waters, and the toxins they produce can be harmful to human health and aquatic life.

• Harmful algal blooms are mainly the result of a type of algae called cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.

• Elevated nutrient levels and algal blooms can also cause problems in drinking water in communities nearby and upstream from dead zones.

• Harmful algal blooms release toxins that contaminate drinking water, causing illnesses for animals and humans.

Some measures can be taken as:

• Improvement of the purifying performance of waste water treatment plants, installing tertiary treatment systems to reduce nutrient concentrations;

• Implementation of effective filter ecosystems to remove nitrogen and phosphorus present in the run-off water (such as phyto-purification plants);

• Reduction of phosphorous in detergents; • Rationalisation of agricultural techniques through

proper planning of fertilisation and use of slow release fertilisers;

• Use of alternative practices in animal husbandry to limit the production of waste water.

• Oxygenation of water for restore the ecological conditions, reducing the negative effects of the eutrophic process, such as scarcity of oxygen and formation of toxic compounds deriving from the anaerobic metabolism;

• Chemical precipitation of phosphorous by the addition of iron or aluminium salts or calcium carbonate to the water, which give rise to the precipitation of the respective iron, aluminium or calcium orthophosphates, thereby reducing the negative effects related to the excessive presence of phosphorus in the sediments.

IRENA REPORT ‘RENEWABLE POWER GENERATION COSTS IN 2018’ Why in news?

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has released a report titled ‘Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2018’.

Basics:

• Renewable energy: Energy generated from renewable sources (which are constantly replenished) is known as renewable energy.

• Example: solar power, wind energy, tidal energy, geothermal energy etc.

Status of Renewable Energy in India Potential:

• 900 GW from commercially exploitable sources • Sources:

o Wind: 102 GW (at 80 metre mast height); o Small Hydro – 20 GW o Bio energy – 25 GW o Solar-750 GW solar powers


• India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution: The GoI in its submission to the UNFCC on Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) has stated that India will achieve 40% cumulative Electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources

• GoI has set a target of achieving 175GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022.

• This includes: o 60 GW from wind power, o 100 GW from solar power, o 10 GW from biomass power o 5 GW from small hydro power

IRENA:

• It is an intergovernmental organisation mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy.

• It is the first international organisation to focus exclusively on renewable energy, addressing needs in both industrialized and developing countries.

• It was founded in 2009 & its statute entered into force on 8 July 2010 and is headquartered in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

• IRENA is an official United Nations observer

KEY FINDINGS:

• For the study, IRENA analysed eight major solar PV markets from 2010 to 2018. These countries include China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US.

• India is now the lowest-cost producer of solar power globally.

• Total installed costs of utility-scale solar PV in India is as low as $793 per kilowatt (kW) in 2018 which is 27 per cent lower than for projects commissioned in 2017.

• Costs have dropped by 80 per cent in India. • Canada has the highest cost at $2,427 per kW. • Renewable energy sources have witnessed cost

decline globally.

Reasons behind the low cost:

• India has high solar potential that leads to

improved asset utilization. • The country imports majority of hardware for

installation from China which is cheaper and helps cut the cost by a huge margin.

• As the cost of land and labor is cheaper than the rest of the world, it also contributes to low-cost production of solar power in India.

• Issues and Challenges in achieving India’s INDC: Solar:

• Dependence on Imports: • Lacks manufacturing base for solar components

and systems • Heavy dependence on imported solar cells and

modules, mainly from China • China dumps cheap thin film solar cells to capture

the Indian market in the absence of any anti-dumping duty imposed by India.

• The manufacturers of Photo Voltaic cells have demanded a 70% safeguard duty on Chinese PV imports.

• This would adversely affect the solar power suppliers who heavily depend on Chinese hardware and might affect the growth of the solar power sector.

Safeguard duty is duty payable on import of goods which is already being manufactured in India but cost of which is high compared to import price

Issues of Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO):

• There is lack of enforcement of RPO regulations and absence of penalties when obligations are not met.

• Many of the state DISCOMs (distribution companies) do not comply fully with their RPO targets.

Report on Rooftop Solar

• Homeowners at large have not been installing solar panels at roof top.


• This is because small deployments naturally cost more than grid-scale farms.

• Homeowners do not generally consume all the energy it generates and are being unable to sell it.

• This is primarily because most of the states do not have‘net-metering’ policy- allowing selling electricity back to the grid.

• Issues such as uncertainty around import duties and future tax rates around purchasing power agreements (PPAs) have hampered investment

• Another issue which decreases investment is state governments trying to renegotiate PPAs due to lower tariffs post signing of PPAs

• Technological challenges- e.g. temperature sensor failures in PV cells, grid instability

• Land scarcity is hindering establishment of large solar parks

• Fall in prices- Due to government incentives the price of solar power has been falling. This has disincentivised the producers.

Report on Wind Energy:

• Technological: Lack of transmission infrastructure. Estimation of effective turbine capacity not deterministic. Electricity produced by wind power sometimes fluctuates in voltage and power factor, which can cause difficulties in linking.

• Regulatory: Lack of coordination due to involvement of too many agencies such as Ministry of New Renewable Energy (MNRE), Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), etc. Land acquisition problem for exclusive installation. Lack of appropriate regulatory framework to facilitate purchase of renewable energy from outside the host state.

• Investment related: Capital investment required is much more as compared to conventional sources. Good wind sites are often located in remote locations, far from cities, where the electricity is needed.

• Environmental and social: Turbine blade could damage local wildlife. Birds have been killed by spinning turbine blades. In Rajasthan, for instance, transmission lines and spinning blades have reportedly led to increasing mortalities of the critically-endangered Great Indian Bustard. Noise made by rotating wind machine blades can be annoying to nearby neighbour and thus their resistance. Land acquisition and displacement issues

Report on Biogas:

• Competition with other fuel substitutes available in the market. Several factors like the assurance of fuel supply ease of procurement, fuel price, and household income impact household fuel choices

• A top-down approach is adopted in the National Biogras program. The program is inefficiently targeted as ownership of 2–3 cattle is one of the criteria to gain the capital subsidies provided under the program to install a biogas plant.

• Since the majority of low- income households in rural areas does not own 2–3 cattle, it is very difficult for them to get a capital subsidy which hinders the adoption of biogas technologies

• Multiple agencies are involved in the implementation of the national biogas development program. Lack of coordination and competition between them for the incentives is a major problem

• Technological and infrastructural issues

Report on Small Hydro Projects:

• There are Challenges in setting up of projects in difficult and remote terrains; security issues

• The draft Small Hydro Power Mission states that for small hydro power projects dams need not to be constructed nearly all SHPs, especially those above 1 MW, entail dams

• Example: small projects like 3 MW Beedalli Project in Karnataka which is in the buffer zone if Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary has a dam. Construction of dams has ecological impacts and impact on communities It should be carefully assessed to ensure that domestic content requirement does not hinder the growth of solar capacity

FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION Why in news?

The Union Minister launched a flagship project on enhancing capacity on forest landscape restoration (FLR) and Bonn Challenge in India

Forest landscape restoration (FLR):

• FLR is the ongoing process of regaining ecological functionality and enhancing human well-being across deforested or degraded forest landscapes.

• FLR being more than just planting plants involves restoring a whole landscape to meet present and


future needs and to offer multiple benefits and land uses over time.

• It is long-term because it requires a multi-year vision of the ecological functions and benefits to human well-being that restoration will produce.

• FLR manifests through different processes such as: new tree plantings, managed natural regeneration, agroforestry, or improved land management to accommodate a mosaic of land uses, including agriculture, protected wildlife reserves, managed plantations, riverside plantings and more.

The Bonn Challenge:

• The Bonn Challenge is a global effort to bring 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested land into restoration by 2020 and 350 million by 2030.

• The Bonn Challenge is an implementation vehicle for national priorities such as water and food security and rural development while simultaneously helping countries contribute to the achievement of international climate change, biodiversity and land degradation commitments.

• The 2020 target was launched at a high level event in Bonn in 2011 organised by the Government of Germany and IUCN.

• It was later endorsed and extended to 2030 by the New York Declaration on Forests of the 2014 UN Climate Summit.

• To date, 56 governments, private associations and companies have pledged over 168 million hectares to the Challenge.

About project:

• Union ministry of Environment ,Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched a flagship project through a pilot phase of 3.5 years implemented in the States of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Karnataka.

• This will eventually be scaled up across india. • It will aim at to develop and adapt best practises

and monitoring protocols across the country, and build capacity within above five states.

KALESWARAM PROJECT Why in news?

The world’s largest irrigation and drinking water system, Kaleshwaram Multipurpose Lift Irrigation Project, was recently inaugurated by Telangana Chief Minister.

Lift irrigation is a method of irrigation in which water is not transported by natural flow, (as in gravity-fed canal) but is lifted with pumps or surge pools etc.

A Lift irrigation schemes must accomplish two main tasks:

1. To carry water by means of pumps or other way, from the water source to the main delivery chamber, which is situated at the top most point in the command area.

2. They must distribute this water to the field of the beneficiary farmers by means of a suitable and proper distribution. So that in Lift Irrigation system, the gravity flow of water by canals or river is not available or used.

Background:

• The Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project is aimed to make Telangana drought proof by harnessing the flood waters of the Godavari.

• The project is multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Bhoopalpally, Telangana.

• The project starts at the confluence point of Pranahita River and Godavari River.

• The Godavari is India's second longest river after the Ganga. It flows east for 1,465 kilometres, draining the states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Karnataka, ultimately emptying into the Bay of Bengal through its extensive network of tributaries.

• Waters of the Godavari will be tapped by reverse pumping and storage, thereby facilitating agriculture on over 38 lakh acres, helping rejuvenate thousands of tanks, providing water for industries, and supplying drinking water to Hyderabad and Secunderabad by creating a series of storage tanks and a network of pipelines.


About project:

• After conducting a highly advanced Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey for a couple of months, the government separated the original component serving the Adilabad area as the Pranahitha project and renamed the rest as Kaleshwaram by redesigning the head works, storage capacity and the canal system based on the data of availability of water at different locations along the course of the Godavari and its tributaries.

Impact:

• The Kaleshwaram project has provision for the storage of about 148 tmc ft with plans of utilising 180 tmc ft by lifting at least 2 tmc ft water every day for 90 flood days.

• The project is designed to irrigate 7,38,851 hectares (over 18.47 lakh acres) uplands in the erstwhile districts of Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, Medak, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy.

CLIMATE CHANGE CAN TRIP SMALL ISLAND STATES ENROUTE SDGS: UN Why in news?

Many small island developing states (SIDS) may fail to achieve several Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 because of increasing population and climate change risks, according to the United Nation’s report on World Population Prospects 2019.

Basics:

• Small island developing states: SIDS are a group of small island countries that tend to share similar sustainable development challenges, including small but growing populations, limited resources, remoteness, susceptibility to natural disasters, vulnerability to external shocks, excessive dependence on international trade, and fragile environments.

• Climate change affects the development of all nations, regardless of location or size of economy.

• Yet, no other group of nations is as vulnerable to its devastating effects as the SIDS, according to the United Nations Development Programme.

• One-third of the entire population of SIDS lives on lands that are less than five metres below the sea level. This makes them highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, storm surge and coastal destruction.

• These countries contribute to only 1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and yet are among the first to experience the worst impacts of climate change.

• Agricultural production, fisheries, and related sectors are declining as the climate changes, threatening livelihoods and economic growth.

• In addition, extreme weather spawned by climate change is destroying SIDS land, real estate and infrastructure, with economically catastrophic effects.

• Tourism forms the foundation of many SIDS economies, and the impact that climate change is having and will have on the tourism industry is undeniable.

• Tourists are also discouraged from travelling to SIDS in the fear of violent and life-threatening storms.

Key findings:

• While population growth is keeping all least

developing nations from meeting the goals, the problem is compounded by climate change in SIDS.

• Several SIDS, including Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, are experiencing a sharper population growth than they can handle.

• The challenge is bigger for these small countries because of their vulnerability to climate change, climate variability and sea-level rise.

• They have higher population growth rate than the global average.

• The total population of these countries is only 71 million, but growing fast: said to increase to 78 million by 2030 and 87 million by 2050.

World population report:


Global scenario:

• World population - The report projects the world population to reach some 9.7 billion by 2050.

• However, it says that the overall growth rate will continue to fall.

• The next 30 years will see the population add 2 billion people to today’s 7.7 billion.

• The world population will reach 11 billion by the end of the century.

• Half of the projected increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in just 9 countries.

• This is led by India and followed by Nigeria, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Egypt and the US.

• Many of the fastest growing populations are in the poorest countries.

• Here, population growth brings additional challenges in the form of poverty, equality, hunger and malnutrition, low education, etc.

India’s scenario:

• China, with 1.43 billion people in 2019, and India, with 1.37 billion, have long been the two most populous countries of the world.

• China and India comprise 19 and 18%, respectively, of the global total population in 2019. They are followed by the USA.

• India is projected to surpass China as the world's most populous country in the next 8 years i.e. by around 2027.

• India is expected to add nearly 273 million people between 2019 and 2050.

• It will remain the most populated country through the end of the current century.

• Together, the population of India and Nigeria (projected to grow by 200 million) could account for 23% of the global population increase to 2050.

• Over-65 population - In India, children under age five still outnumber the over-65 population.

• But the over-65 population is projected to overtake the under-five group between 2025 and 2030.

• By 2050, persons over age 65 will make up about one-seventh of India’s population.

• By then, the 15-24 years age group in India (13.8%), too, will outnumber the over-65 group (13.6%).

• So, children under age five are projected to constitute less than 6% of India’s population in 2050, as compared to 7% globally.

STATE OF INDIA’S ENVIRONMENT 2019 Why in news?

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the New Delhi-based research and advocacy think tank, released its annual State of India’s Environment report.

Key Findings:

• State of air – Air pollution is responsible for 12.5 per cent of all deaths in India.

• Its impact on children is equally worrying. Over 100,000 children below the age of five die due to bad air in the country.

• While India was one of the first countries to pledge the phasing out of non-electric vehicles, its national scheme to promote the sale of e-vehicles is yet to pick up.

• Against the target of 15-16 million e-vehicles by 2020, the county had 0.28 million vehicles till May 2019.

• State of development – Climate change poses the biggest economic threat in the world today and features prominently in the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

• With just 10 years to go, India is yet to identify indicators to track its climate change preparedness.

• Of the 13 SDGs the country is tracking, indicators exist for only a handful of the targets.

• State of water – Both surface and groundwater in the country are under stress.

• 86 water bodies are critically polluted. The bulk of the polluted water bodies are in Karnataka, Telangana and Kerala.

• One of the reasons is the substantial increase (136 per cent) in the number of grossly polluting industries between 2011 and 2018.

• Groundwater is also reeling under overexploitation, which is running 94.5 per cent of all minor irrigation schemes in the country.

• There has been an unsustainable increase in the number of deep tube-wells that has gone up by 80 per cent between 2006-07 and 2013-14.

• State of land and agriculture – India’s farm sector is under duress.

• While the input costs for major crops are rising, the average farmland size is shrinking.

• Even the share of the insured cropped area stands at a dismal 26 per cent.

• State of Health – India’s rural health infrastructure is ailing.


• There is a 35 per cent shortfall in the number of 24×7 public health centres, where 26 per cent of the positions for medical officers are lying vacant.

• In fact, Kerala does not have a single 24×7 public health centre.

• Another worrying trend is that the number of new doctors qualifying every year in the country has decreased by 60 per cent between 2013 and 2017.

• The country also shares the world’s largest absolute burden of at least 11 major neglected tropical diseases, which includes diseases like dengue.

• State of cities – By 2050, India is projected to add 416 million urban dwellers to the world’s urban population and will be home to about 58 per cent of the total global population.

• Keeping this in mind, India in 2015-16 announced its ambitious plan of creating 100 smart cities.

• Four years later, only 21 per cent of the allocated funds for the smart cities have been spent.

• In the meanwhile, most urban cities have a sizeable population living in slums, which are unfit for habitation. India has 2,613 towns with slums.

• Of them, 57 per cent are in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

• State of waste – The burden of solid waste is becoming unmanageable.

• In fact, 79 major protests against unsanitary landfills and dump yards have been recorded in 22 states in the past three years.

• Maharashtra, which registered 16 major protests, leaves 43 per cent of its waste unprocessed.

• While India claims to process 96 per cent of its biomedical waste, eight states and UTs have defaulting hospitals.

• The country has also recorded a 56 per cent increase in the number of hazardous-waste generating industries between 2009 and 2016-17.

• At the same time, most of these industries are not properly maintaining their waste inventory, as mandated by the law.

• State of energy – India’s natural gas and hydro-based power plants are in shambles. Gas-based plants are running at 24 per cent of their capacity due to the acute shortage of domestic natural gas.

• Hydropower projects, on the other hand, are running at just 19 per cent of their capacity and their share in total installed capacity has consistently declined since 1962.

• The country’s progress in renewable energy in 2018-19 has also been dismal. In wind, the country

met only 6.3 per cent of the target this year. In solar, it met 5.86 per cent.

• State of climate – There has been a 22 per cent increase in India’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between 2010 and 2014.

• This has been fuelled by the energy sector, which is responsible for 73 per cent of the total GHG emissions.

• Besides, India phased out ozone depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbon by 2011, it shifted to substances such as hydrochlorofluorocarbon, which have high Global Warming Potential (GWP).

• India continues to bear the brunt of extreme weather events.

• In 2018, 11 states recorded major extreme weather events that claimed 1,425 lives.

• State of forests – India has recently shifted to a powerful forest fire monitoring and alert system, SNPP-VIIRS, which can capture forest fires with better accuracy and precision.

• In April 2019, the new technology recorded 69,523 forest fires, which was 9.5 times more than that recorded by the earlier technology.

• State of wildlife – 37 species were poached or seized in 2018. Of these, 13, including lion, marked an increase over the last year; 161 wild animals were also killed due to road and train accidents

• State of employment – India has witnessed a 1.9 times increase in the unemployment rate in the past two years.

• This has especially affected the youth and the educated.

• Unemployment rate among people with at least a graduate degree was 13.17 per cent in September-December 2018, up from 10.39 per cent in May-August 2017. India’s tree cover:

Forest type Percentage of Total forest

area Tropical dry deciduous 38.2

Tropical moist deciduous 30.3 Tropical Thorn 6.7

Tropical moist evergreen 5.8 Subtropical pine 5.0

Subalpine 4.3 Himalayan moist temperate 3.4

Montane wet Temperate 2.6 Tropical moist Semi-evergreen 2.5

Littoral and Swamp 0.9 Subtropical broad leaved

Montane wet forest 0.4


Subtropical dry evergreen 0.2 Himalayan dry temperate 0.2

Tropical dry evergreen 0.1 Moist alpine -

Dry alpine -

WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHT Why in news?

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is being observed on June 17, 2019 with the theme “Let's grow the future together”.

About:

• Date of observance: The day is observed every year on June 17, 2019.

• Objective of the day: To promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification.

• Theme for this year: is Let's grow the future together.

• This year, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) celebrates the 25 years of progress made by countries on sustainable land management.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):

• It was established in 1994, the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.

• The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.

• UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework: It is the most comprehensive global commitment to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in order to restore the productivity of vast expanses of degraded land, improve the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people, and reduce the impacts of drought on vulnerable populations to build.

• The Convention’s 197 parties work together to improve the living conditions for people in drylands, to maintain and restore land and soil productivity, and to mitigate the effects of drought.

• The UNCCD is particularly committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging the

participation of local people in combating desertification and land degradation.

• The UNCCD secretariat facilitates cooperation between developed and developing countries, particularly around knowledge and technology transfer for sustainable land management.

• As the dynamics of land, climate and biodiversity are intimately connected, to meet these complex challenges with an integrated approach and the best possible use of natural resources.

• The UNCCD collaborates closely with the other two Rio Conventions:

o The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

o The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

• World Day to Combat Desertification has been observed since 1995 to promote public awareness about international efforts to combat desertification and the effects of drought collectively. The main objective of UNCCD is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought and desertification.

• It is out of UNCCD that the Bonn challenge and FLR emerge.

• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal Ministry for the Convention.

Desertification:

• Desertification is a type of land degradation in which a relatively dry area of land becomes a desert, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife.

• It is caused by a variety of factors, such as through climate change (particularly the current global warming) and through the overexploitation of soil through human activity.

• When deserts appear automatically over the natural course of a planet's life cycle, then it can be called a natural phenomenon; however,

• When deserts emerge due to the rampant and unchecked depletion of nutrients in soil that are essential for it to remain arable, then a virtual "soil death" can be spoken of, which traces its cause back to human overexploitation.

• Desertification has been neatly defined in the text of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as "land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions resulting from various factors,


including climatic variations and human activities."

Desertification and the Sustainable Development Goals:

• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable

Development declares that “we are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations”.

• India’s population is projected to reach 1.7 billion by 2050, and the country was one of the first to commit to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal target of achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN).

• Specifically, Goal 15 states our resolve to halt and reverse land degradation.

• India has witnessed increase in the level of desertification in 26 of 29 states between 2003-05 and 2011-13, according to the State of India’s Environment (SoE) 2019 in Figures.

• More than 80 per cent of the country’s degraded land lies in just nine states: Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana.

• Main reasons that cause desertification in India are:

Water erosion 10.98% Wind erosion 5.55% Human-made/settlements

0.69%

Vegetation degradation

8.91%

Salinity 1.12% Others 2.07%

India’s efforts in relation to land degradation:

• India is focusing on sustainable land and resource management for livelihood generation at community level for making the local lands healthier and productive for providing a better homeland and a better future to its inhabitatns.

• Various schemes have been drawn up to showcase India’s efforts to mitigate concerns over desertification, land degradation and drought problems.

• Government schemes like ‘Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana’ (Ministry of Agriculture) ,‘More Crop Per Drop’ the Government has strengthened the ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana’ (Ministry of Water Resources) by increasing budget allocation as compared to the previous years.

• Integrated Watershed Management Programme (Ministry of Rural Development), Swacchh Bharat Mission, National Mission for a Green India and National Afforestation Programme (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) that have been at the forefront of India’s efforts to mitigate concerns over desertification, land degradation and drought problems.

• Over the years, apart from implementing above programmes, numerous outreach programmes, numerous outreach and awareness activities have also been conducted across the country.

India and 14th COP:

• India will host the next global Conference on desertification, land degradation and drought from 7 to 18 October 2019 in New Delhi.

• Participants from 197 Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will have access, for the first time, to a wealth of vital new scientific data.

• They will have access to Earth Observation data on the trends in land degradation dating from 2000, gathered from 120 of the 169 countries affected by desertification.

• They will also receive the first report on desertification and climate change prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global authority on climate change.

• Drawing on this data, the participants attending the fourteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP14) to the UNCCD can assess trends in land degradation, desertification and drought more accurately.

• They will also be in a position to identify associated threats and risks to enable the international community to agree on the best solutions and actions to take over the next 10 years.


NOTES:

ART AND CULTURE

CHAMLIYAL MELA Why in news?

The annual festival this year didn’t feature the traditional exchange between the Indian and Pakistani forces at the international border in Jammu and Kashmir.

Basics

• Chamliyal Mela is an over 320-year-old tradition which is celebrated on both sides of the Indo Pak Border at the Hindu shrine of Baba Dalip Singh Manhas famously known as Baba Chamliyal in Ramgarh, Samba.

• The mela is held for 3 days at the shrine on the Indian side and for a week on the opposite side of the border in Saidanwali village of Sialkot, Pakistan.

• The shrine is the biggest example of communal harmony and the fair became famous in 2003 after a ceasefire and parallel peace initiatives were taken by India and Pakistan.

Traditions

• There is traditional exchange between the border forces at the international border of chadar, shakkar and sharbat.

• Since the shrine is on the Indian side, the Pakistani rangers offer the chadar since the devotees can’t cross the border. And Indian troopers in return gave the shakkar (sacred clay from the shrine) and holy sharbat from the dargah.

• This is around 70 years old practice between both the countries.


SINDHU DARSHAN FESTIVAL Why in news?

The 23rd edition of the Sindhu Darshan Utsav 2019 started at Sindhu Ghat Shey in Leh from 24 to 27 June.

About Sindhu Darshan Utsav

• The festival was started in October 1997 with the intention of celebrating unity, communal harmony and national integration

• It starts on Guru Purnima (Full moon day in June) • It is a celebration of River Indus (Sindhu in Hindi)

as an icon of Communal harmony and unity in India. It is also dedicated to the soldiers

• Every year, people from different parts of country bring water from their own state and immerse it in the Sindhu river.

• On the first day of the festival, a reception of all the participants takes place, organized on the banks of Sindhu at Shey. Also, prayers are conducted on the banks of the rivers by the 50 senior lamas. A bonfire also takes place in the night.

• On the second day, a cultural program and sightseeing trip is organized, which is further followed by a Puja.

• The third day remains jam-packed with the tourists as some grand celebration takes place on this day.

• The reception ceremony is conducted by a joint association of committees of various religious groups namely, Ladakh Buddhist Association, Shia Majlis, Sunni Anju man, Christian Moravian Church, Hindu Trust and Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee, to promote national integrity.

Significance

• The Sindhu Darshan festival conveys a strong message of uniting different religions and faiths, as it connects people from different faiths on one common platform to share love, compassion and respect for each other which is also the essence of every religion.

• The festival helps to bring Ladakh on global map and provide a boost to its tourism industry thus helping Ladakh economically.

• It also spread awareness about taking care of environment and its cleanliness is another purpose of the festival.

JAPAN GIFTS MANIPUR A MUSEUM OF PEACE Why in news?

Imphal peace museum was gifted to Manipur by japan on the memories of battle of Imphal, one of the fiercest battles of 2nd world war.

Things to know

• The Imphal peace museum was inaugurated at red hill which lies about 20km southwest of Imphal

• The museum is funded by Nippon foundation • The relics include a framed calligraphy of “Heiwa”-

meaning peace in Japanese- by Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe

• It will also have diaries and memorabilia of those who survived and returned to japan safely

Significance

• Some 70,000 Japanese soldiers, alongside those of Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army, died in battles with the British-led Allied forces in areas around Imphal and Kohima from March to June 1944.

Background

• Till 1971, Pakistani nationals were allowed to the Indian side to pay respects to the shrine but after the 1971 war, the practice was stopped.

• This is the second successive year of no exchange. It was cancelled for the 1st time in 2018 due to tension between India and Pakistan following the snipping of BSF soldiers and assistant commandant during a cease fire in samba district


• The last of these battles was fought at Red Hill, where the Japanese War Memorial was built in 1944 to mark the 50th anniversary of the battle.

• This peace museum symbolises the reconciliation between japan and Britain and japan and India.

Battle of Imphal

• Battle of Imphal took place around city of Imphal from march to July 1944

• Japanese armies invaded India attempting to destroy allied forces at Imphal but were driven back to Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) with heavy losses

• Battle of Imphal and Kohima (Stalingrad of the east) on road by which encircled allied forces at Imphal were relieved and was the main turning point of 2nd world war

• The Japanese faced the largest defeat up until this battle with many of deaths resulting from starvation, disease and exhaustion suffered during their retreat.

KOLHAPURI CHAPPALS Why in news?

Kolhapuri chappals were granted GI tag to eight districts – four each in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

GI tag

• A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country).

• The use of a geographical indication, as a type of indication of source, acts as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods, or enjoys a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin.

• Geographical Indications protection is granted through the TRIPS Agreement.

• India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 has come into force with effect from 15 September 2003.

• The GI tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorised users (or at least those residing inside the geographic territory) are allowed to use the popular product name.

• The tag is valid for a period of 10 years following which it can be renewed.

• Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India.

• The controller general of patents, designs and trademarks grant these tags.

Kolhapuri chappals

• These sturdy leather chappals are hand crafted and tanned using vegetable dyes and the art of making them is passed down one generation to another

• The history of the chappals can be traced by to 12th century during king Bijal’s rule in Bidar (Karnataka).

• King’s Prime Minister Vishwaguru Basavanna, wanted to create a casteless society and remove stigma attached to cobbler community, thus, the community embraced Lingayat faith and used its skills to start producing footwear that came to be known equally for its ruggedness and regal bearing.

• ‘Kolhapuri’ as a Brand was created only at beginning of 20th century when footwear began to be traded in Kolhapur (Maharashtra).

• Later, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur encouraged its production and 29 tanning centres were opened during his rule in Kolhapur.

• The CGPDTM has granted GI to Kolhapur, Sangli, Solapur and Satara districts of Maharashtra and Belgaum, Dharwad, Bagalkot and Bijapur districts of Karnataka.


NATIONAL MARITIME HERITAGE MUSEUM AT LOTHAL Why in news?

India has partnered with Portugal to set up a national maritime heritage museum at Lothal in Gujarat.

About the project

• The Indian Navy will be the stakeholder in the project and the Portuguese Navy will assist as they have experience in it by administering the maritime museum in Lisbon, Portugal. India is to follow a similar model of the maritime museum.

• The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Shipping through its Sagarmala programme.

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) along with the State government and other stakeholders is also involved in setting up the museum.

• A maritime museum is a museum that specializes in display the objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water. A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on navies and the military use of the sea.

CHAUKHANDI STUPA Why in news?

Chaukhandi Stupa, an ancient Buddhist site located in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, has been declared as a Monument and protected area of national importance by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

About the stupa

• Chaukhandi Stupa is a lofty mound of brick whose square edifice is surrounded by an octagonal tower.

• It was built to mark the place where Lord Buddha met his first disciples as he travelled from Bodhgaya to Sarnath.

• The Chaukhandi Stupa is said to be originally a terraced temple during the Gupta period, that 4th to 6th Century.

• Govardhan, the son of Raja Todarmal gave the present shape to the Chaukhandi Stupa.

• He built an octagonal tower to commemorate the visit of Humayun, the great Mughal ruler.

About ASI

• ASI was formed on 1861, headquartered at New Delhi, India. ASI is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage in India.

• It functions under the Ministry of Culture. • ASI is responsible for the regulation of all

archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 and Antiquities and Art Treasure Act,1972.

SRILANKAN PRESIDENT GIFTS SAMADHI BUDDHA STATUE TO PM MODI Why in news?

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena gifted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a Samadhi Buddha statue (Buddha in meditation posture), during latter’s visit to the island nation.

About the visit

• Prime Minister Modi arrived in Sri Lanka for a day-long visit, during which he met with President


Sirisena and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest.

• His visit is considered as a sign of India’s affirmation of solidarity with island nation in aftermath of the deadly Easter terror attacks in April 2019.

• PM Modi is first foreign leader to visit Sri Lanka after Easter attacks.

About the Statue

• The masterpiece replica of Samadhi Buddha statue presented to PM Modi has been hand carved using white teak and took almost two years to complete.

• This is considered to be one of best sculptures of Anuradhapura era (377 BC to 1017 AD) which is the first established kingdom in ancient Sri Lanka.

• The original statue was sculptured between 4th to 7th centuries AD.

• The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) called the Samadhi Buddha statue as ‘special gift from special friend’

ELEPHANTA FESTIVAL Why in news?

The Elephanta Festival of art and culture commenced at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra

About the festival

• The Elephanta Festival of art and culture was started in 2012 and since then is held every year to promote tourism and culture of Mumbai.

• It is held on Gharapuri island (also known as Elephanta Island) where Elephanta Caves are located.

• The annual gala event is organised on Elephanta Island by Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).

• It is promoted by Maharashtra government. • This year’s festival was inaugurated by state

Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal who highlighted government’s commitment towards boosting Elephanta island tourism in all possible ways

About the caves

• Elephanta Caves are located in Mumbai Harbour, on the Elephant island, also known as Gharapuri Island.

• The rock-cut Elephanta Caves were constructed about the mid-5th to 6th centuries AD.

• They are called elephanta caves because the Portuguese called the island Elephanta on seeing its

huge gigantic statue of an Elephant at the entrance. • It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. • The island consists of two groups of caves: 1.

Group of five Hindu cave temples which contain rock cut stone sculptures dedicated mainly to Lord Shiva and 2. Two Buddhist caves

• The 6th century Shiva temple is one of the most exquisitely carved temples in India

• Caves were cut into granite rocks. • The layout of the caves, including the pillar

components, the placement and division of the caves into different parts, and the provision of a sanctum or Garbhagriha of sarvatobhadra plan, are important developments in rock-cut architecture.

• The main attraction here is 20-foot-high bust of the deity Maheshmurti in three headed form which represents lord Shiva as aghori, ardhanarishvara and mahayogi.


YOGA MAHOTSAVA Why in news?

A Two-day Yoga Mahotsava which will be a Curtain Raiser for upcoming International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2019.

About Yoga Mahotsav

• The theme for IDY 2019 as ‘Yoga for Heart’ • It’s is also a way to sensitize the masses for

celebration of IDY 2019, this will be observed on 21 June.

• The Yoga Mahotsav-2019 is being organised by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) under Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH)

• The sessions in a two-day Yoga Mahotsav-2019 were: 1. Know about Yoga – for the Yoga enthusiasts, in this session historical, medical and educational prospects of Yoga will be discussed with participants in detail. 2.My self-experience in Yoga-A Motivational Journey is an exclusive session which is being held seeing the participation of huge number of youngsters, an exclusive session. 3.Celebrity Sessions – is specially scheduled session

Apps related to IDY 2019

• Yoga Locator– which is specially designed for IDY to record and show Yoga events across the world.

• Bhuvan App – which has been designed in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It will provide geo time location and documentation during IDY 2019.

About IDY

• International Yoga Day is one of the biggest mass movement for health and wellness.

• In today’s world natural and traditional medicine system is flourishing not only in India but across the globe.

• Therefore, Ministry of AYUSH strives towards research and development of yoga, Ayurveda and other natural and traditional medicinal systems.

• The need is also to popularizing the yogic culture through the medium of social media.

• IDY is celebrated on 21st June every year

About Yoga

• Yoga teaches us to live with nature rather than conquering it which makes the Indian Philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutubkam’ possible and promotes harmony and peace across the globe

• Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India.

• There is a broad variety of yoga schools, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

• Among the most well-known types of yoga are Hatha yoga and Raja yoga.


• Overall there are six kinds of yoga which are Hatha, Raja, Bhakti, Jnana, Kriya and Karma

• There are many theories as to when yoga began, it is mentioned in the Rigveda, but most likely developed around the 6th and 5th centuries BCE, in ancient India’s ascetic and śramaṇa movements.

• The chronology of earliest texts describing yoga-practices is muddy at best, varyingly credited to Hindu Upanishads.

• The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali date from the first half of the 1st millennium CE, but only gained prominence in the West in the 20th century.

• Hatha yoga texts emerged around the 11th century with origins in tantra

• Yoga began as an ancient practice that originated in India circa 3000 B.C.

• Stone-carved figures of yoga postures can be found in the Indus Valley depicting the original poses and practices.

• Yoga was developed as a way to achieve harmony between the heart and soul on the path to divine enlightenment.

• Along the way, it was discovered that yoga has a practical benefit of curing many diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, and alleviating physical injuries and chronic pains.

• Yoga has taken off in the West as an answer to helping ailments.

• And as yoga has become increasingly popular outside of India and in so many widely varying cultures, so has the practice cleaved into many different schools of teachings and avenues.

NOTES:


KURUKSHETRA GIST

NON-FARM SECTOR IN INDIA

• With increased urbanization and decease in the agricultural land, Non-Farm Sector in rural India is gradually gathering momentum. This is supported by the implementation of different schemes of the Union Government like Skill India, Make in India, Digital India etc. More livelihood and poverty alleviation programmes will bring in more participation in the non-farm activites, thus reducing the dependence on agriculture. Agriculture needs to be incentivized in its own way along with the development of non-farm activities to improve the economic situation of rural India.

What is Rural Non-Farm Sector

• The Rural Non-Farm Sector (RNFS) encompasses all non-agricultural activities: mining and quarrying, household and non-household manufacturing, processing, repair, construction, trade and commerce, transport and other services in villages and rural towns undertaken by enterprises varying in size from household own account enterprises to factories

Need for Rural Non-Farm Sector

• Over the years, the economic contribution of

agriculture to India’s GDP is steadily declining with the country’s broad-based economic growth. As per the Tenth Agricultural Census, the average size of agriculture landholding declined to 1.08 hectare in 2015-16 from 1.15 hectare in 2010-11. This explains the rise of employment in Non-Farm Sector. It is observed that 64 percent of rural employment is in the agriculture sector while the share of agriculture in rural output is 39 percent. Hence, reducing the dependence of rural masses on agriculture as a source of income will help improve the overall income of the rural population. This has necessitated the involvement of the rural workers into the dynamic rural non-farm opportunities.

Different Rural Non-Farm Sectors

• Mining and Quarrying. • Household and Non-Household Manufacturing.

• Construction and Manufacturing. • Trade, Hotel and Restaurant. • Transport, Storage and Communications.

How can RNFS be developed

• In order to develop Rural Non-Farm Economy,

heavy investments are needed for inclusive, sustainable and diversified rural development along with the right governance system. For proper implementation of same, the Government of India has introduced a large number of schemes over the years to diversify the rural population into non-farm activities. o Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment

Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). o Deendayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushal

Yojana. o Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural

Livelihoods Mission. o Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY). o Development of Rural Tourism.

Strength in Rural Non-Farm Sectors

• In India, the institutions underlying the

development of non-farm sector have been strengthened over the years. The introduction of JAM Trinity-Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile has increased the share of total disbursement of money in the non-farm sectors. This is in addition to the existing financial instituitions like Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), State Khadi Boards, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) etc., which have helped in the development of agro-industries, domestic marketing channels for rural non-farm production as well as government support in export promotion.

Challenges in Rural Non-Farm Sectors

• Infrastructure. • Regulatory restrictions on small sectors. • Education and Awareness. • Migration of skilled labourers from to urban regions

also leads to a reduction of workforce in the rural small-scale industries.

Conclusion


• Agriculture needs to be incentivized in its own way

along with the development of non-farm activities to improve the economic situation of rural India. This can be more facilitated by providing more financial/credit facilities, research and development and increase women’s participation to make non-farm activities self-sustainable in the days to come.

RURAL TOURISM: AN ASSET TO NON-FARM SECTOR

• There is an urgent need to improve the economic scenario in rural India to have a sustainable growth model for the country as a whole. Rural Tourism resources could be instrumental in bringing out the much needed turnaround of rural communities and at the same time provide visitors a wholesome tourism experience. When developed to its fullest potential, it could provide jobs to villagers who otherwise are increasingly migrating to cities. It can revive many traditional crafts which are dying a slow death. Socially, it can open rural mindset to new thoughts and ideas from the outside world.

• India is predominantly a rural country with two-third population and 70 percent workforce residing in rural areas. NSSO data shows that more than one-fifth of rural households with self-employment in agriculture have income less than the poverty line. Interventions to enhance farm productivity are easier said than done, as they require consistent long-term efforts. Rural economy constitutes 46 percent of national income. Despite the rise of urbanization, population projections indicate that India will continue to be predominantly rural till the year 2050; after which urban population is estimated to overtake rural population (UN 2012). Thus, growth and development of rural economy is a key to overall inclusive development.

• A NITI Aayog paper published in the year 2017 states that, contrary to the common perception about predominance of agriculture in rural income is now generated in non-agricultural activities. Rural India is, therefore, witnessing a transition from agriculture to more productive non-farm sectors. Share of agriculture in rural output is merely 39 percent, rest is contributed by the manufacturing, construction and service sectors. An attempt is made here to explain the role of rural tourism as part of non-farm sector in improving overall rural income.

Importance of Rural Non-Farm Sector

• Rural non-farm activities may differ from one country to another and also from one geographical zone to another. Non-Farm sector is being accorded wide recognition in recent years for the following reasons:-

o It may facilitate employment growth. o It may prevent many rural people from migrating to urban areas. o It offers more remunerative activities to supplement agricultural income. o It provides a means for the rural poor to cope when farming fails.

Role of Rural Tourism

• As per Ministry of Tourism (MoT), any form of tourism that showcases rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between tourists and locals for a more enriching tourism experience can be termed as rural tourism.

• As against conventional tourism, rural tourism has certain typical characteristics like it is experience oriented, the locations are thinly populated, it is predominantly in natural environment, it engages local events and is based on prevention of culture, heritage and traditions. India’s National Tourism Policy 2002 identified Rural Tourism as one of its focus areas. Vision statement of national tourism policy 2015 (draft) aims to develop and position India as a ‘’MUST EXPERIENCE’’ and ‘’MUST REVISIT’’ destination.

Mapping the Rural Resources for Tourism

• Villages in India have a facet that makes them unique. A survey to identify such resources may be started in order to showcase the attractions and transform them into tourism products. Though each of the 52 commissioned rural sites of MoT has a USP (rural resource), it has attempted to divide the rural resources into three categories:-

o Resources by virtue of geographical and climate characteristics of the region, flora and fauna, rivers, landscape, scenic beauty etc.

o Aspects of the rural culture like village folklore, handicrafts, textile products, social bonds etc.

o Farm produce and practices like sowing, harvesting etc.


Conclusion

• There is an urgent need to improve the economic scenario in rural India to have a sustainable growth model for the country as a whole. Rural Tourism resources could be instrumental in bringing out the much needed turnaround of rural communities and at the same time provide visitors a wholesome tourism experience. When developed to its fullest potential, it could provide jobs to villagers who otherwise are increasingly migrating to cities. It can revive many traditional crafts which are dying a slow death. Socially, it can open rural mindset to new thoughts and ideas from the outside world. Urban areas are characteristed by monotony, fatigue, job stress, pollution; rural tourism can act as stress buster.

FOOD PROCESSING FOR NON-FARM SECTOR

• The food processing activities are critical to India’s growth and the government is focused on providing adequate thrust to the sector and is trying to engage more rural farmers in this sector. A well-developed food processing sector will help in facilitating various opportunities such as modern processing techniques for processing food which will result in improved shelf-life of the agricultural produce and ensure steady revenue to farmers. With the correct set of policy implementation and support, the sector can grow profoundly, taking India to a new position of strength and prosperity in the global economy.

• Food processing sector in India plays an important role in linking Indian farmers to consumers in the domestic as well as international markets. It is of enormous significance for Country’s development and provides synergies to support industry and agriculture by contributing to social and economic growth. During the last decade, food processing sector in India has grown significantly and moved from a situation of insufficiency to surplus in food production which is expected to be doubled in the next years.

• Currently, India stands second in terms of global food production and has good status in producing numerous food products. With such a vast raw material base, it can be assumed that India can become the leading provider of food items in the world in next coming years which will further strengthen the link between agriculture and

manufacturing by the use of modern food processing and storage technologies.

• Food processing sector faces various problems which have a direct consequence on the approach and required intervention for the development of the sector. Therefore, the sector needs support for infrastructure establishment and targeted incentives to draw investment for designing of processing capacity. To address these issues, substantial investments are required in various components of the supply chain.

Food Processing Sector: Current Scenario

• India’s vast agricultural resources alone produce enormous potential for investments in its food processing and equipment industry. Major areas holding possibility for value-added processing are packaging, canning, frozen food, dairy, food processing and thermo-processing industries. The food processing sector is valued at 258 billion US dollars (USD) and it is the fifth largest sector domestically in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth in the country.

• It contributes to around 14 percent of manufacturing GDP and 13 percent of India’s total food exports.

• Currently, the Indian Government food market is valued at 1.3 billion USD and is growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20 percent. The Processed food market is expected to grow 543 billion USD by 2020 from 322 billion USD during 2016 at a CAGR of 14.6 per cent.

Food Processing and Livelihood Sustainability

• In India, there is huge land capacity for food production and more than 50 percent of Indian population work in agriculture and its allied activities. If there are good food processing industries in India, raw materials such as grains or fruits can be processed into food for domestic and foreign consumption. Food processing sector is also capable of addressing critical issues of food security, food inflation and providing healthy food to the public and consequently has also emerged as an important segment of the Indian economy in terms of its contribution to GDP, employment and investment.

YOJANA GIST


EMPOWERING CITIZENS THROUGH E-SERVICES

• The Digital India programme, launched in 2015, aims to ensure digital access, digital inclusion, bridging the digital divide and digital empowerment, leading to India’s transformation into a knowledge based economy and digitally empowerment society. The programme has ensured the digital inclusion of all through providing access of robust digital infrastructure created under it, facilitating connect with rest of the world. India’s resonance towards digital technologies has now moved from the corridors of the empowered society and providing substantive benefits to the common masses, thus demonstrating the power of technology.

• It has ensured citizen participation and empowerment with the technology that is transformative, affordable and sustainable. Digital technologies are vital for the inclusive growth of a country like India, which is at the peak of its demographic dividend. The only way in which this can be accomplished is through the efficient use of innovation and technology. Presently, digital transformation of India is on an exponential growth path and aiming towards a trillion dollar digital economy by 2025.

• • Digital India in the last five years was implemented

with a dedicated focus on making use of digital tools and techniques for the delivery of Paperless, Presence-less and Cash-less governance in the country. Aadhar has provided a cradle to give digital identity that is unique, lifelong, online and authenticable. Aadhar enabled DigiLocker is enabling paperless governance by providing public documents to citizens digitally and facilitating consent-based data sharing for availing services. Aadhar enabled eSign provides ease of authentication for digital transactions and thereby, eliminates the need for physical presence. Aadhar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) facilitates banking services and digital payment. Aadhar is the largest de-duplication mechanism for government schemes in the country. Its impact on Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme alone has led to the integration of 440 schemes and saving of INR 1,41,667 crore.

• The coverage of Aadhar (123 crore), Jan Dhan Yojana (36 crore) and mobile connections (118 crore) has moulded the digital profile of India. Each of the individual components of the JAM Trinity

stands out as an excellent enabler of the portfolio of citizen centric services collectively as well as in individual capacity. Jan Dhan Yojana has provided financial inclusion to unbanked people and thereby, it has enabled banking, pension (PMSBY and PMJJBY) and insurance (Atal Pension Yojana) services to common citizens.

• Digital delivery of services has been strengthened with the help of 3.47 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs), spread across 2.3 lakh Gram Panchayats in the country that provides digital access to over 350 services especially in rural areas at an affordable cost. These centres have also led to empowerment of marginalized sections of the society by creating jobs for over 12 lakh people and by promoting rural entrepreneurs including women VLEs.

• Digital India has taken the definition of e-governance to higher trajectory, wherein, differentiated strategy was adopted technically and a remarkable shift from project based approach to platform based approach resulted in development of public digital platform based ecosystem, delivering a plethora of common services for citizens.

• • Various new citizen centric, transformational digital

platforms have been developed such as Bharat Interface for Money-Unified Payment Interface (BHIM-UPI), Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), Digital Locker (DigiLocker), Unified Mobile APP for New-Age Governance (UMANG), Jeevan Parman, e-Hospital, MyGov, e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), study webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) and National Scholarship Portal (NSP) etc. Some of the major planned initiatives are India Enterprise Architecture (IndEA), National Programme on Artificial Intelligence, open API platform, on-click consent driven address change in all public databases, Meity Startup Hub and GIS based decision support system for Districts etc.

LESS CASH INDIA: VISION TO REALITY

• India has traditionally been a cash-based society. This dominance of cash has been primarily due to three reasons-

o Lack of payment acceptance infrastructure.


o Bank accounts perceived as accounts for savings rather than accounts for payments by a majority of the population.

o Cash-based payments seem to be zero-cost and hassle-free as cost of cash is distributed and invisible.

• Till November 2016, only 15 lakh merchants had been enabled with PoS by over 40 banks. This means that only 2.5 percent of India’s 6 crore merchants had an option of receiving payments through cards. This changed dramatically with the advent of QR code based payments. Today, there are over 1.2 crore merchants having QR code who give an option to their customers to pay through their wallet or bank account.

• The QR code based payments have been attractive to merchants as it does not have traditional costs associated with PoS terminals-cost of PoS terminal, cost of maintaining internet, maintenance of PoS terminal, high MDR etc. With steady progress in mobile and internet technology, the number of people with smartphones has been increasing and merchants need not have a costly device connected with internet to accept payments as customer’s smartphone can be leveraged for payments.

• India has over 100 crore bank accounts with over 90 crore debit cards. The 4 key elements of financial inclusion are payments, credit, investment and insurance; and technology can truly enable these elements for driving financial inclusion in the country. The JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) has ushered a digital revolution ensuring that marginalized sections of the society are also brought into financial mainstream.

• Prepaid Instruments (wallets) became a huge hit among these customers as customers could set up wallets easily by authenticating their mobile number. The advent of UPI has simplified use of bank accounts for payments for people who are comfortable to pay directly from their bank accounts. Overall, wallets and UPI have been leading the growth of digital payments in addition to traditional modes like net banking, debit card and credit card.

• Cash has an inherent benefit of being universally accepted and instantly usable. However, there is a cost of cash in the form of expensive cash management infrastructure. Cash management infrastructure includes cost of printing cash, bill collection centres for utilities, network of ATMs and cash deposit machines, cash in/cash out counters in bank etc. Transitioning to digital

payments will lead to significant reduction in costs due to inefficiencies associated with cash. Further, cash is anonymous and once you have parted with it, there is no trace visible in the system. Contrast this with digital payments which leaves a footprint across the ecosystem is traceable.

• Government of India envisions financial of all sections of the society. Financial inclusion does not simply entail having a bank account for all citizens. It goes much deeper and involves creating an ecosystem wherein people use different financial instruments in their day to day life. The poor of the country can now do digital transactions and by doing so create an account history which can enable banks and other financial institutions to determine credit worthiness and offer loans thereby preventing the poor from unregulated moneylenders and high interest rates on loans that have been extended. This strong digital payments infrastructure has a multiplier effect on the economy as users get access to credit based on their transaction history.

TOWARDS A NATIONAL DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM

• Healthcare has always been central to all development efforts be it at the state, national o global level. The National Health Policy 2017 approved by the Government of India (GOI) had defined the vision of health and well-being for all at all ages. These lofty ideals are sought to be achieved by re-factoring the existing schemes and introducing several new schemes including some digital initiatives. Citizen-centricity, quality of care, better access, universal health coverage and inclusiveness are some of the key principles on which the Policy is founded.

• The realization of all these aspirations can be facilitated by leveraging the power of the digital technologies. In the context of India, with its size and diversity, this mammoth task requires that a holistic, comprehensive and interoperable digital architecture is crafted and is adopted by all the stakeholders. In the absence of such an architecture, the use of technology in the health sector continues to grow in an uneven manner and in silos.

• Digital Health is but a small lever in the evolution of the overall national health ecosystem. A substantial impact in the health sector is possible only through a passé of reforms and enhancements in the sector. These include improving the ratios like Doctor: Population, Specialist: Doctor, Bed:


Population; enhancing the spread and quality of health infrastructure and improving knowledge and skills among the health professionals and workers.

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in conjunction with NITI Aayog prepared National Digital Health Blueprint (NDHB). The vision of NDHB aims to create a National Digital Health Ecosystem that supports Universal Health Coverage in an efficient, accessible, inclusive, affordable, timely and safe manner, through provision of a wide range of data, information and infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems and ensuring the security, confidentiality and privacy of health-related personal information.

• The objectives of NDHB are aligned to the Vision of NHP 2017 and the SDG’s relating to the health sector. These include:

o Establishing and managing the core digital health data and the infrastructure required for its seamless exchange.

o Promoting the adoption of open standards by all the actors in the National Digital Health Ecosystem, for developing several digital health systems that span across the sector from wellness to disease management.

o Creating a system of Personal Health Records based on international standards and easily accessible to the citizen and to the service providers based on citizen-consent.

o Following the best principles of co-operative federalism while working with states and Union territories for the realization of the vision.

o Promoting Health Data Analytics and Medical Research

o Enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of Governance at all levels.

o Ensuring Quality of Healthcare.

o Leveraging the Information Systems already existing in the health sector.

EMPOWERING THE MARGINALISED THROUGH DIGITAL PLATFORMS

• India’s GDP growth will hover near7.5 percent by 2020, compared with 7.25 percent in 2019, as indicated in latest report of OECD. India initiated aggressive digital campaigns providing best public services on non-discriminatory basis as the very nature of digital technology. It becomes the duty of the government in a welfare state to come out with various welfare schemes which satisfy the immediate needs of the deprived class and provide adequate opportunities to enable and empower them.

• Government has to come up with a well formulated and substantive methodology to help people who suffer starvation, subjugation, deprivation and marginalization. Most of these problems can be addressed with the help of technology. Digital technologies are vital for the inclusive growth of a country like India. India has the world’s largest youth population with 356 million 10-24 year-olds, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) state of the world’s Population report said.

• India has set an example with the help of technology that supports emerging socio economic rights and ensuring the inclusion of downtrodden, vulnerable and marginalized section of the society. India’s journey of Digital Antyodaya has begun. The United Nations, in its report titled ‘Leaving No One Behind: The Imperative of Inclusive Development’, praised India’s decision of launching Aadhaar as it will be a step forward in ensuring inclusion of all people especially the poorest and the most marginalized. In a welfare state, where measures are taken to ameliorate the sufferings of the downtrodden, the aim of Aadhaar is to ensure that these benefits actually reach the populace for whom they are meant.

• Efforts are being made to uplift the marginalized sections with the support of digital technologies, starting from giving ration at reasonable cost with around 23.19 crore Digitised Ration Cards; giving various pensions to the deserving where in 1.99 crore Digital Life Certificate processed; disbursing scholarships wherein over 1.4 crore applications received digitally and over 2128 crore disbursed in AY 2018-19; employment to unemployed under MGNREGA scheme with 13.14 crore job cards and 7.55 crore number of DBT transactions during 2019-20.

• It is estimated that in India only about 10 percent people are English speaking and it is obvious to presume that a large population is deprived of benefits of technologies due to language barrier. The internet and digital technologies can only be useful to people once it serves citizens in local


language. Today, India has Indian language content in cyberspace in at least 15 languages and the rest would soon be available on the Internet. Pradhan Mantri Digital Saksharta Abhiyan has been appreciated as the world’s largest Government effort to bridge the digital divide. It aims to make 6 crore rural adults digitally literate-one person in every household, out of which 2.21 crore persons have already been trained. Common Service Centres (CSCs) are internet enabled centres allowing near doorstep access to citizens to government, private and social services. These front end service delivery outlets are delivering over 350 digital services. A number of important government welfare services for including PMAY, FSSAI, Soil Health Cards, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana etc have been added on Digital Seva Portal.

• CSCs are also implementing the Government’s flagship programme of Digital Literacy called PMGDISHA, DigiPay on Aadhar enabled Payment System (AePS) for online banking services. A vast network of 3.45 lakh CSCs is creating job opportunities for around 11 lakh people including women. CSCs are seen today as social change agents, they are not only ensuring social but also financial inclusion of society to ensure nobody is left behind. Digital payments allowed services to be delivered at a lower cost with greater scalability while enabling small and micro enterprises to access formal financial services and benefits of e-commerce. Many self-employed people with a steady source of income do not pass conventional bank loan screenings due to strict and outdated credit scoring criteria. Digital payments have enabled alternative methods of credit scoring based on auditable transaction chain and with small ticket loan build over digital payments which is helping people who were left behind in the financial eco-system.

ICT Enabled Farm Centric Agricultural Services

• Agricultural services such as agricultural advisories, financial services, agricultural marketing and risk transfer are required for each Agricultural Commodity value System (AVS) of a farmer and India has been blessed with about 400 Agricultural Commodity Value Systems. Many national level programmes, viz. Digital India 2015, Make In India 2015, Skill India 2015, Startup India 2015 and Stand-Up India 2015 have operational difficulties for its impact at farm level and farmer level and that

too at small and marginal farmers level. The Indian agricultural system is confronted with its own sheer complexity, inadequate factors of production, weather uncertainties, multiplicity of schemes and multiplicity of institutions at farm level and hence there is no size neutral solution possible.

• Digital Network for Farmers (DNF)-AGRISNET, AGMAKNET, FISHNET, APHNET, FETNET etc. have been viewed as a strength, wealth and prosperity for farming households in India, of which the Marginal Scale Farmers are about 67 67 percent, the Small Scale Farmers are about 18 percent, the Semi-Medium Scale Farmers are about 10 percent, the Medium Scale Farmers are about 4.3 percent and the Large Scale Farmers are about 0.7 percent.

BRIDGING THE GAPS IN HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

• In India, there are about 263 million people (54.6 percent) engaged in the agriculture sector and over 50 percent of them are agricultural labourers (Census-2011). According to the IAMR (2013) report. Total agricultural workers are expected to decline to 190 million by 2022, with an expected decline of 33 percent. In India, 90 percent of current jobs in agriculture are skill based where only 6 percent of work force has received vocational training. There is thus a pronounced Skill gap both in terms of quality and quantity.

• The National Digital Communication Policy 2018, under its Mission 2022, has envisaged:-

o Connect India-BharatNet, GramNet, NagarNet and JanWiFi infrastructure

o Propel India through services based on 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Block chain, Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing and Big data Analytics and

o Secure India ensuring sovereignty, safety and security of digital communications.

DIGITALIZED FARM CENTRIC SERVICES: E-AGRICULTURE

• Digitalization of Agriculture facilitates farm centric services on demand, through Internet enabled End-User computing devices. The JAM based citizen centric services has facilitated Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) to reach eligible citizens at grassroots level, since 2014 onwards in the country.


• There has been a paradigm shift in providing services: Government –To-Citizen (G2C) vis-à-vis Citizen –to-Government (C2G) over the period. In the Agriculture sector, it is location specific, farm specific and farmer specific services that are required to be facilitated. Services based on generic models viz. Broadcasting Model, Comparative Analysis Model, Critical Flow Model, E-Advocacy Model and Interactive Service Model are expected to facilitate farming community on a larger scale, for its inclusivity.

• In order to boost farmer’s income, India requires to adopt strategic intervention of ICT in farming System Life Cycle, through a robust National Level Farmers Database. Digitalisation in Farming System aims at farm as economic unit, household (famer) as social unit and land as environment unit. These three units will be the core kernel of the multi-threaded agricultural system, for achieving agricultural reforms through digitalization and geo-spatial technologies. Farmer Database for promoting farm services and delivery. Digitalisation of farming system is the step towards achieving sustainable agricultural production and minimizing Farmers’ Distress. The Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022 (DFI-2022) Committee Report 2018, in its volume, has deliberated and suggested the Digital Technology Mission Mode Projects for strengthening Farm centric and Farmer centric services.

EPW GIST

DOUBLING INDIA’S FARM INCOMES

• India’s agricultural sector has played a vital role in generating rural income and providing food security to the growing population of the country. The bulging buffer stock of food hides the perilous state of farmers, and it is reflected in the unending stream of farmers’ suicides in recent years.

• Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveal that farmers constitute the most distressed group in the country; their suicide rate, higher than that of all others, is increasing. The NCRB data, made available since 1995, show that around 3,00,000 farmers had died by committing suicide by 2016, but the actual number of suicides could be more than double this figure.

• Economic distress leads the overwhelming majority of farmers to suicide. Farm income has been dwindling over the past many years, and farmer debt has been increasing. The ensuing agrarian crisis has been severe; the recent farmers’ protests in several states have brought back the nation’s attention to it.

• To mitigate the crisis, the Government of India (GoI) plans to double farmers’ income (DFI) by 2022. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented this vision in his budget speech to Parliament in 2017. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the government’s commitment to the DFI agenda at a large national consultation in Delhi titled “Agriculture 2022: Doubling Farmers’ Incomes” in February 2018.

• Historically, public policy has relied on multiple strategies to overcome agrarian crises, but it has focused on asset redistribution through land reforms; technology improvement and infrastructure enhancement to raise productivity and farm incomes; and the price mechanism, by providing fair market prices at policy-determined minimum support prices (MSPs). Land reforms remain a desired policy, but its implementation varies by state, and its future looks bleak.

• Land redistribution is unlikely to resolve the current agrarian crisis. Technological solutions to traditional productivity enhancement by way of seed modification have reached a threshold. Technology or infrastructure is unlikely to boost farm incomes. The MSP cannot solve the agrarian crisis.

• It has lagged behind rising production costs and led net incomes to decline. Many crops lack an MSP. Even the government has found that less than 5.8% of farm households are beneficiaries of the MSPs.

• The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, India’s apex policy body, set up a task force on agricultural development. To overcome the crisis, the task force suggested that the government focus on improving agricultural productivity, remunerative prices for farmers, land policy, agrarian distress, and eastern states that have lagged behind the rest of the country in farming.

• A follow-up policy document suggested increasing livestock and crop productivity; improving resource use efficiency, crop intensity, crop diversification, and price realisation; and shifting to non-farm occupation.

• Increasing farmer income using low marginal product strategies requires high investment and may lead only to marginal increases in income; therefore,


traditional strategies to DFI seem unfeasible and creative solutions are needed.

• Farm income and variability depend critically on the access to ecosystem services, such as soil fertility and hydrological services (quantity and quality of surface and groundwater resources). Ecosystem services are benefits generated by ecological systems that contribute to human well-being, both directly and indirectly. Agriculture depends largely on ecosystem services provided by natural resources; therefore, sustainable agriculture strategies must focus on conserving and enhancing natural resources.

• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals indicator 2.4.1—the “percentage of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture”—has been defined primarily on the basis of environmental criteria; the economic and social dimensions were included later.

• The Indian government outlines five broad principles of sustainable agriculture. These principles are in close resonance with the sustainability principles proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): improving resource use efficiency; conserving, protecting, and augmenting natural resources; enhancing resilience of ecosystems and people; protecting and improving the livelihoods and social well-being of people; and effective governance. The sustainable agriculture principles are interconnected; if promoted, conservation agriculture can facilitate sustainable crop production (FAO 2015).

• However, much of the ongoing debate on the agrarian crisis or DFI ignores the market for ecosystem services, even though a framework to assess the non-market ecosystem services already exists. Ecosystem services are services produced by farmers in addition to marketed commodities they grow, like food and vegetables (Pert et al 2013).

• Agriculture is categorized as an ecosystem, the agro ecosystem, which consumes ecosystem services like water, soil nutrients, pollination, and produces services (like food, soil fertility, carbon sequestration, and water purification) and disservices (like soil run-off and chemical pollutants).

• Market institutions—more particularly, payment for ecosystem services (PES)—can help increase farmer income and sustain ecosystem services by addressing the ecological crisis. PES is a voluntary transaction where a well-defined environmental service is bought from a service provider. The PES mechanism is a market-based solution that demonstrates the practical application of the Coase

theorem, which postulates that problems of externality can be overcome through private negotiations between affected parties under a well-defined property rights regime (Engel et al 2008). Paying farmers to adopt more environmentally friendly production systems is likely to generate a win-win outcome in terms of poverty alleviation and enhanced ecological benefits.

IMPACT ON FARMER INCOMES

• India’s National Environment Policy of 2006, which provides a framework for introducing PES, introduced market based instruments for managing the environment (MOEF 2006). Since implementation is being conceptualised at the national level for all agro ecosystems, it would require a different scale of institutional innovation.

• Fortunately, there is already a government scheme in India for creating farmer producer companies (FPCs) that are supposed to provide farmers end-to-end support. In the context of PES, these FPCs can represent farmers in marketing their ecosystem services. The FPCs could enhance the collective bargaining power of small and marginal farmers.

• They could be tuned to do business involving sustainable farming practices, technology for efficient use of water resources and conservation, product development, and innovative promotional marketing strategies. Most of these FPCs are formed with technical and managerial support from NGOs.

• These could provide the support required for the inclusion of an incentive system in their rules with a higher share of profit for those who adopt ecologically sensitive agricultural practices. Alternatively, much command-and-control-type legislation and many policies could be modified to implement PES.

• It could be incorporated into existing national and state legislations like the Environment (Protection) Act (1986), the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act (1977), the Biodiversity Act (2002), the Companies Act (2013), and the Andhra Pradesh Water, Land and Trees Act (2002).

Conclusions

• The 2018–19 budget has signalled a strategy of increasing farm income by fixing the MSP equivalent to the variable cost of producing the crop plus the value of one-and-a-half times the cost of production. Estimating the average cost of production across seasons and regions is a problem.


• Also, this strategy does not incentivise farmers to reduce production cost; instead, they may increase the cost to gain more compensation. The ecosystem-based approach, on the other hand, would have long-term beneficial outcomes of sustaining agriculture, enhancing the natural capital base, and resolving the deep ecological crisis afflicting the Indian agriculture.

• This could also be a mechanism for protecting farmers who undertake ecologically sensitive agricultural practices from cheaper imports that do not comply with the high environmental standards of the World Trade Organization regime. Ecologically sensitive practices could potentially be an opportunity for carbon trading.

• The PES strategy, therefore, has numerous advantages, apart from making the goal of DFI fiscally and institutionally feasible.

HOW CAN WE MANAGE DROUGHT WITHOUT WATER-USE DATA

• According to a Reserve Bank of India report in 2013, 16% of India’s geographic area is drought prone. Over the last few years, India has been witnessing an agrarian crisis that has been growing worse every year, accentuated by drought and accompanied by farmer suicides.

• Recently, the Guardian reported that “Hundreds of Indian villages have been evacuated as a historic drought forces families to abandon their homes in search of water.” According to the report, 43% of India faces drought as of May 2019.

• Maharashtra has been one of the worst drought-hit states since 2015, and this year, the water-crisis in Tamil Nadu has also reached alarming levels, as four lakes that supply water to Chennai has dried up almost entirely.

• While the origins of drought may lie in natural climatic conditions, such as a lack of rain, several man-made factors can, and do, aggravate drought.

How Severe is the Situation?

• A recent article shows that in 2015-16, 138 talukas in Maharashtra were declared drought-affected. The Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan was supposed to have mitigated this by creating over 24,000 million cubic feet of water storage. Yet, in 2018-19, 151 talukas in Maharashtra were declared drought-hit and many villages had to rely solely on tankers for water. Water scarcity is rising alarmingly in the state, especially in Marathwada.

• The situation has been growing worse every year, despite water and soil conservation efforts. This, they argue, is because the schemes only focus on supply-side solutions, which can only deal with drought in an ad-hoc reactionary manner. Without a holistic understanding of the problem, measures to counter drought can only be inadequate

Who Does Drought Affect the Most?

• In 2016, a quarter of India’s population was affected by drought. According to a study, Maharashtra has been facing man-made droughts since 2012, which has gotten increasingly worse for a variety of reasons, such as the poor selection of crops, delays with irrigation projects, etc.

• They found that drought management practices mostly focus on crisis management, rather than prevention. Even then, the research conducted to deal with drought often excludes small and marginal farmers, who are incidentally the section of farmers who are the most affected by drought.

• Out of 138.35 million operational holdings in India with an average size of 1.15 hectares, 85% are marginal and small farms of less than 2 hectares.

• According to the agriculture minister, “These small farms, though operating only on 44% of land under cultivation, are the main providers of food and nutritional security to the nation, but have limited access to technology, inputs, credit, capital and markets.”8 Most small and marginal farmers are concealed sharecroppers and tenants with unrecorded rights. Their access to formal credit, insurance, and compensation continues to be denied, which increases their vulnerabilities.

• Since drought is also closely related to food security, there is also a need for policies that are framed to cope with drought to take into the gendered consequences of such a prolonged disaster.

• The recent spate of drought in India has pushed a number of women to manage farming alongside their usual household activities, while the men usually migrate.

• Shortfalls in food consumption during droughts led to various health problems, particularly among women and elderly people. About 45% of tribal households in the study areas reported having a health problem.

• Health problems, especially among women, do not gain much attention in poor households during periods of scarcity, as the household’s priority for food becomes more significant than health.

• Women were the hardest hit during droughts due to lack of adequate clean water and changes in diet,


causing health problems such as fever and weakness, which are exacerbated by reproductive health issues.

What is Causing Drought?

• Since agriculture in India is largely dependent on the monsoon, a number of scholars have argued that climate change will further contribute to agricultural deterioration in India.

• Marathwada is a textbook representation of environmental disaster in the wake of climate change. The other region in the state, Vidarbha, also seems to be increasingly facing conditions like those in Marathwada.

• Death and devastation in this area are frightening and demand immediate action on a war footing. Climate change adaptation offers an opportunity for innovative and creative approaches that can boost the stagnant rural economy and offer jobs in newer areas for the despairing youth.

• In the absence of sincere and planned action on our part, Marathwada is most likely to be ravaged by droughts even more frequently and face socio-economic devastation on a gigantic scale.

• It is insufficient to blame climate change alone for the crisis in Marathwada. In order to formulate viable policies, human factors that contribute to drought need to take into account alongside the effects of climate change.

• A causal analysis of Marathwada drought is incomplete without taking into account the water management practices adopted and promoted. It would be unfair to neglect these dimensions of water management.

• Before hastily describing Marathwada as an environmental disaster in the wake of climate change, without any scientific evidence, and accordingly, promoting solutions, we need to be extremely careful, as factors such as change in land-use pattern, growing population affecting per capita water availability and practices of (mis)managing water would aggravate drought in Marathwada.

How Do We Improve Water Governance?

• Despite the growing water crisis, the government seems to be ill-equipped to handle water resources. The major challenge to proper water governance in India today is the lack of data about water storage, ground water, water flows and sometimes even rainfall and snowfall levels. Without basic data, how can we expect effective policy to be formulated?

•

• Access to accurate water information could help one understand the risks and urgency of the situation and steer towards informed decisions. As the Mihir Shah Committee report (2016) and the NITI Aayog report (2018) admitted, India is farthest from this goal.

• The NITI Aayog report, for example, says: Data systems related to water in the country are limited in their coverage, robustness, and efficiency. First, data is often not available at the adequate level of detail.

• For example, water use data for domestic and industrial sectors is available at only the aggregate level, and thus provides very little information to relevant policy makers and suppliers. Second, where data is available, it is often unreliable due to the use of outdated collection techniques and methodologies.

NEW RESERVATION POLICY

• The recent reservation policy brought about by introducing an amendment to the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019) intends to reserve 10% of the total seats in higher education institutions, both private and public, and in government jobs exclusively for the EWS belonging to the general category.

• Considering the economic condition as the sole basis for reservation, this policy uses two criteria to define eligibility: annual household income and asset ownership.

• For income, the limit is fixed at `8 lakh per annum. For asset ownership, the limits are somewhat different in rural (households owning agricultural land below five acres) and urban areas (a house above 1,000 square feet or a 100-yard plot or below in a notified municipal area or a plot of 200 square yards or below in a non-notified municipal area).

• Estimates suggest that as high as 80% (Bhalla 2019) to 95% (Desai 2019) of the general category households will be eligible for this quota. Thus, the above EWS criteria are prone to the error of wrong inclusion rather than addressing exclusion. Importantly, `8 lakh as cutoff is higher than the eligibility criteria adopted by many states and education institutions in India.

• The rationale underlying the proposed reservation policy is that the EWS from the general category remained “excluded from attending the higher education institutions” in India “due to their financial incapacity.”

Questioning the Intent: Analysis and Results


• A disaggregated analysis of NIRF ranked

institutions into eight different categories reveals that the share of EBC students varies from 13% in architecture institutions to 33% in colleges.

• Except for architecture and medicine, the share of EBC students stands at almost double in all other categories of institutions, from the proposed 10% quota.

• Thus, it is evident that the EBC students have already secured about three times the number of seats under the proposed quota of 10%, without any reservation in higher education institutions. This is despite the fact that the income criterion at ̀ 5.5 lakh per annum used by most of these institutions is lesser than the proposed criterion of `8 lakh per annum.

• About two-thirds (66%) of all NIRF-ranked higher education institutions already have more than 10% of EBC students from the general category. As high as 50% of the institutions already have more than 20% of EBC students from the general category.

• When classified further on the basis of public and private higher education institutions, the representation of EBC students remains broadly the same as the overall pattern.

• What is interesting is that close to 70% of the private institutions ranked by the NIRF have more than 10% of EBC students. Further, 56% of the privately owned NIRF-ranked institutions have more than 20% of EBC students.

• These NIRF-ranked private institutions could be charging a relatively higher fee compared to the non-ranked private institutions. Despite such a higher fee, the share of EBC students of general category is not as less.

• Close to 70% of the engineering institutions that were recognised as institutes of national importance have more than 10% of EBC students enrolled, while 62% of private engineering colleges have more than 20% of EBC students.

• It is clear that the EBC students from the general category are not under-represented either in institutes like IITs and NITs (labelled as institutes of national importance) or in leading private engineering institutions.

Concluding Observations

• The analysis reveals that the EBC students from the general category have about 28% share in 445 NIRF-ranked higher education institutions in India.

This is close to three times the proposed 10% quota.

• The disaggregated analysis shows that in almost 50% of NIRF-ranked educational institutions, their share of representation is more than 20%.

• This suggests that the EBC students from the general category already have a reasonable share without any reservation in premier higher education institutions in India.

• If the share of EBC students in these premier institutions is as high as 28%, their share is likely to be more in non-ranked institutions which might be charging a relatively lower fee.

• The results raise an immediate question: Is the proposed reservation policy empirically founded and justifiable? The answer is not in the affirmative. Hence, the possible impact of the proposed reservation policy is likely to be lesser in the higher education sector, and not as the “game changer” that it has been touted as.

SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS VS ACCOUNTABILITY

Are elections a mere instrument to elect the government or a meaningful democratic exercise?

• Though the idea of holding simultaneous elections is not new, as it was mooted by the Election Commission in 1982 as well as the Law Commission in 1999, the recent impetus has come from a discussion paper by NITI Aayog members as well as a report by the Law Commission.

• Furthermore, this idea has been pushed forcefully by the Prime Minister in his speeches and monologues, thereby giving it political weightage.

• While there appears to be an acceptance of the idea among the National Democratic Alliance constituents along with a few regional parties, certain opposition parties have opposed it on the ground that it may adversely affect constitutional democracy and federalism.

• Primarily, the rationale for this idea rests on the arguments for efficiency and expenditure. The simultaneous conduct of elections is said to help reduce the overall expenditure on holding elections in a staggered and sequential manner, as has been the general precedent since 1969.

• Moreover, it would also remove the impediment in taking policy decisions due to the adherence to the model code of conduct at different points in time.


• Such arguments are essentially managerial/instrumental in nature and show scant regard for constitutional principles and democratic values.

• Many suspect that such a move may lead to the consolidation of authoritarian tendencies of the ruling party. Hence, it requires due deliberation and careful consideration.

• The implementation of this idea would demand the curtailment of the ongoing tenure of several state legislatures, which would effectively mean undermining the democratic mandate.

• Even if this process is to be ensured without invoking Article 356 and were to be carried out consensually, it would stand to harm the federal principle.

• Although the non-simultaneity was an outcome of the overreach of the then central government in the first place, over time, with the changes in correlation of political forces, it has aided the strengthening of federalism.

• It is so because specificities of state-level issues and the regional forces addressing them prominently find better scope and space with the singular focus being on the elections in particular states.

• Simultaneity threatens to drown these specificities and further strengthen the unitary bias, particularly in the context of the concentration of immense resources and the control of the narrative with one party.

• Various assembly elections that happen to be held separately from general elections to the Lok Sabha can exercise democratic pulls and pressures on the union government.

• Besides, elections held at different times can possibly force the union government to correct its anti-people policies, and pay heed to the demands of the masses.

• Furthermore, the proposals put forward to sustain the simultaneity stand in brazen contravention to the principle of accountability of the executive to the people through the legislature.

• It is so because the sustenance of simultaneous elections demands a provision for fixed tenure. With the absence of such a provision, the pattern of simultaneity may be broken if a successful no-confidence motion against a government, at the union or state level were to necessitate mid-term elections.

• Such eventuality is sought to be addressed through proposals, such as a so-called constructive no-confidence motion (which can be moved only by proving the possibility of an alternative

arrangement), President’s rule, or immediate election for a curtailed period (that is a remainder of the term).

• None of these ideas find any place in the Constitution. Much premium is put on the value of stability and continuity while advocating the fixed tenure, and the positively disruptive destabilizing (for the status quo) of the quality of democracy is sought to be willy nilly sacrificed.

• Ideas such as the constructive vote of no-confidence dilute the accountability to legislature and raise the question as to whether, in a democracy, stability can be given precedence over accountability.

• Such dilution would also entail further entrenchment of the ongoing process of the Presidentialisation of the polity by stealth. This process also gets a boost as the simultaneous elections would unduly favour the big national parties—better endowed with resources and reach—and make the political contest increasingly bipartisan and centred on personalities of leaders.

• The aforementioned “managerial instrumental” conception is fundamentally at odds with the normative content of democracy, embodied in the idea of popular sovereignty. Such a conception looks at elections as a mere procedure or method to elect the government to govern the people-nation. (Extreme forms of such managerialism would see elections itself as a hindrance in governance.)

• It imagines that people are passive voters who have to vote every five years and then withdraw from public activity, entrusting it to the executive. However as Ram Manohar Lohia used to argue, “Zinda kaume paanch saal intezaar nahi kar sakti” (Active masses cannot wait for five years).

• Along with popular extra-parliamentary agitations and movements, elections in various states also provide a scope for the expression of this activity of the masses which is essential for the health of democracy.

• After all, elections are an exercise whereby the principle of popular sovereignty is put into practice. One can debate how far such popular activity is possible in money- and media-dominated elections, but the underlying logic of simultaneous elections seeks to foreclose such a possibility itself.

CHAHAL ACADEMY

OUR BRANCHES: NEW DELHI-MUMBAI-KOLKATA-ALLAHABAD-CHANDIGARH-AHMEDABAD-PATNA-BHUBANESHWAR-RANCHI-RAIPUR-KANPUR-DEHRADUN-VADODARA-SURAT-RAJKOT

contact us: 7203821227-7405251088 [email protected]

UPSC-CSE-PRELIMS

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER—I

Time Allowed: Two Hours Maximum Marks: 200

INSTRUCTIONS

1. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE EXAMINATION, YOU SHOULD CHECK THAT THIS TEST BOOKLET DOES NOT HAVE ANY UNPRINTED OR TORN OR MISSING PAGES OR ITEMS, ETC. IF SO, GET IT REPLACED BY A COMPLETE TEST BOOKLET.

2. Please note that it is the candidate’s responsibility to encode and fill in the Roll Number and Test Booklet Series A, B, C or D carefully and without any omission

or discrepancy at the appropriate places in the OMR Answer Sheet. Any

omission/ discrepancy will render the Answer Sheet liable for rejection.

3. You have to enter your Roll Number on the Test Booklet in the Box provided alongside. DO NOT write anything else on the Test Booklet.

4. This Test Booklet contains 100 items (questions). Each item is printed both in Hindi and English. Each item comprises four responses (answers). You will select the response which you want to mark on the Answer Sheet. In case you feel that there is more than one correct response, mark the response which you consider the best. In any case, choose ONLY ONE response for each item.

5. You have to mark all your responses ONLY on the separate Answer Sheet provided. See directions in the Answer Sheet.

6. All items carry equal marks. 7. Before you-proceed to mark in the Answer Sheet the response to various items in the

Test Booklet, you have to fill in some particulars in the Answer Sheet as per instructions sent to you with your Admission Certificate.

8. After you have completed filling in all your responses on the Answer Sheet and the examination has concluded, you should hand over to the Invigilator only the Answer Sheet. You are permitted to take away with you the Test Booklet.

9. Sheets for rough work are appended in the Test Booklet at the end. 10. Penalty for wrong answers:

THERE WILL BE PENALTY FOR WRONG ANSWERS MARKED BY A CANDIDATE IN THE OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTION PAPERS. (i) There are four alternatives for the answer to every question. For each question for

which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.

(ii) If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be treated as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers happens to be correct and there will be same penalty as above to that question.

(iii) If a question is left blank, i.e., no answer is given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.

DO NOT OPEN THIS TEST BOOKLET UNTIL YOU ARE ASKED TO DO SO

SET

A

CHAHAL ACADEMY



1. With reference to Mughal India, what is/are the difference /differences between Jagirdar and Zamindar?

1. Jagirdar were holders of land assignments in lieu of judicial and police duties, whereas Zamindars were holders of revenue rights without obligation to perform any duty other than revenue collection. 2. Land assignments to Jagirdars were hereditary and revenue rights of Zamindars were not hereditary. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 Only (b) 2 Only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

2. With reference to land reforms in independent India, which one the following statements is correct?

(a) The ceiling laws were aimed at family holdings and not individual holdings. (b) The major aim of land reforms was providing agricultural land to all the landless. (c) Is resulted in cultivation of cash crops as a predominant from of cultivation. (d) Land reforms permitted no exemptions to the ceiling limits.

3. The Global Competitiveness Report is Published by the (a) International Monetary Fund (b) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (c) World economic Forum (d) World Bank

4. Consider the following statements about 'the Charter Act of 1813': 1. It ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China. 2. It asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the company. 3. The revenues of India were now controlled by the British Parliament. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 2 Only (b) 2 and 3 Only (c) 1 and 3 Only (d) 1, 2 and 3

5. With reference to Swadeshi Movement, consider the following statements: 1. It contributed to the revival or the indigenous artisan crafts and industries. 2. The National Council of Education was established as a part of Swadeshi Movement. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only

CHAHAL ACADEMY



(b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

6. Consider the following pairs Movement/Organization Leader, 1. All India Anti-Untouchability League : Mahatma Gandhi 2. All India Kisan Sabha : Swami Sahajanand Saraswati 3. Self-Respect Movement Naicker : E. V. Ramaswami Naicker Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? (a) 1 only (b) I and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 7. Which one of the following is not a Harappan site? (a) Chanhudaro (b) Kot Dili (c) Sohgaura (d) Desalpur 8. In which of the following relief sculpture inscriptions is ‘Ranyo Ashoka' (King Ashoka) mentioned along with the stone portrait of ashoka? (a) Kanganahalli (b) Sanchi (c) Shahbazgarhi (d) Sohgaura 9. Consider the following: 1. Deification of the Buddha 2. Treading the path of Bodnisattvas 3. Image worship and Which of the above is/are the feature/ features of Mahayana Buddhism? (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

10. With reference to forced labour (Vishti) in India during the Gupta period, which one of the following statements is correct? (a) It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people. (b) lt was totally absent in the Madhya Pradesh and Kathiawar regions of the Gupta Empire. (c) The forced labourer was entitled to weekly wages. (d) The eldest son of the labourer was sent as the forced labourer.

CHAHAL ACADEMY



11. Building ‘Kalyaana Mandapas’ was a notable feature in the temple construction in the kingdom of

(a) Chalukya (b) Chandela (c) Rashtrakuta (d) Vijaynagara

12. Consider the Following statements: 1. In the revenue administration of Delhi sultanate, the in-charge of revenue collection was known as ‘Amil’. 2. The Iqta system of sultans of Delhi was an ancient indigenous institution. 3. The Office of ‘Mir Bakshi’ came into existence during the reign of Khalji Sultans of Delhi. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 3 only (d) 1,2 and 3

13. Consider the Following statements: 1. Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar. 2. Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

14. With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements: 1. Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of ‘indentured labour’ 2. In Lord Chelmsford’s ‘War Conference’, Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for world War. 3. Consequent upon the breaking of Salt Law by Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the Colonial rulers. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1,2 and 3

15. With references to Indian National Movement, Consider the following pairs: PERSON POSITION HELD

1. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru : President, All India Liberal Federation 2. K.C. Neogy : Member, The Constituent Assembly 3. P.C. Joshi : General Secretary, Communist Party of India Which of the Pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

CHAHAL ACADEMY



(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 3 only (d) 1,2 and 3

16. With reference to Mian Tansen, which one of the following statements is not correct?

(a) Tansen was the title given to him by Emperor Akbar. (b) Tansen composed Dhrupads on Hindu gods and goddesses. (c) Tansen composed songs on his patrons. (d) Tansen invented many Ragas.

17. Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and individual portrait?

(a) Humayun (b) Akbar (c) Jahangir (d) Shah Jahan

18. Which tone of the following National Parks Lies completely in the temperate alpine zone?

(a) Manas National Park (b) Namdapha National Park (c) Neora Valley National Park (d) Valley of Flowers National Park

19. Atal innovation Mission is set up under the (a) Department of Science and Technology (b) Ministry of Labour and Employment (c) NITI Aayog (d) Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 20. On 21st June, the Sun

(a) does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle (b) does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle (c) shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator (d) shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn

21. Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the 'New World' and introduced into the ‘Old World’? (a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber (b) Tobacco, cotton and rubber (c) Cotton, coffee and sugarcane (d) Rubber, coffee and wheat 22. Consider the following statements: 1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only. 2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only 3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.

CHAHAL ACADEMY



Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 23. Consider the following pairs Famous place River 1. Pandharpur : Chandrahhoga 2. Tinichirappalli : Cauvery 3. Hampi : Malaprabha Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 24. In a given year In India, official poverty lines are higher in some States than in other because (a) poverty rates vary from State to State (b) price levels vary from State to State (c) Gross State Product varies from State to State (d) quality of public distribution varies from State to State 25. In the context of which of the following do some scientists suggest the use of cirrus cloud thinning technique and the injection of sulphate aerosol into stratosphere? (a) Creating the artificial rains in some regions (b) Reducing the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones (c) Reducing the adverse effects of solar wind on the Earth (d) Reducing the global warming 26. In the context of which one of the following are the terms 'pyrolysis and plasma gasification' mentioned? (a) Extraction of rare earth elements (b) Natural gas extraction technologies (c) Hydrogen fuel-based automobiles (d) Waste-to-energy technologies 27. Which of the following are in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve? (a) Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney WildlifeSanctuaries; and Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (b) Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuaries; and Silent Valley National Park (c) Kaundinya, Gundla Brahmeswaram and Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuaries; and Mukurthi National Park (d) Kawal and Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuaries; and Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam

CHAHAL ACADEMY



Tiger Reserve 28. Consider the following statements 1. Some species of turtles are herbivores. 2. Some species of fish are herbivores. 3. Some species of marine mammals are herbivores. 4. Some species of snakes are viviparous.

Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2, 3 and 4 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 2, 3 and 4

29. Consider the following pairs Wildlife Naturally found in

1. Blue-finned Mahseer : Cauvery River 2. Irrawaddy Dolphin : Chambal River 3. Rusty-spotted Cat : Eastern Chats Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

30. Why is there a great concern about the microbeads' that are released into environment? (a) They are considered harmful to marine ecosystems. (b) They are considered to cause skin cancer in children. (c) They are small enough to be absorbed by crop plants in irrigated fields. (d) They are often found to be used as food adulterants. 31. Recently, there was a growing awareness in our country about the importance of Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversfolia) because it is found to be a sustainable source of

(a) Anti-malarial drug (b) Biodiesel (c) Pulp for paper industry (d) Textile fibre

32. For the measurement/estimation of which of the following are satellite images/remote sensing data used?

1. Chlorophyll content in the vegetation of a specific location 2. Greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddies of a specific location 3. Land surface temperature of a specific location Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 Only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 Only

CHAHAL ACADEMY



(d) 1,2 and 3

33. Consider the following states: 1. Chhattisgarh 2. Madhya Pradesh 3. Maharashtra 4. Odisha With reference to the States mentioned above, in terms of percentage of forest cover to the total area of States, Which one of the following is the correct ascending order? (a) 2-3-1-4 (b) 2-3-4-1 (c) 3-2-4-1 (d) 3-2-1-4

34. Which of the following statements are correct about the deposits of ‘Methane hydrate’? 1. Global warming might trigger the release of methane gas from these deposits. 2. Large deposits of ‘methane hydrate’ are found in Arctic Tundra and under the seafloor. 3. Methane in atmosphere oxidizes to carbon dioxide after a decade or two. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1,2 and 3

35. Consider the following: 1. Carbon monoxide 2. Methane 3. Ozone 4. Sulphur Dioxide Which of the above are released into atmosphere due to the burning of crop/biomass residue? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2,3 and 4 only (c) 1 and 4 only (d) 1,2,3 and 4

36. Consider the following Pairs: SEA BORDERING COUNTRY

1. Adriatic Sea : Albania 2. Black Sea : Croatia 3. Caspian Sea : Kazakhstan 4. Mediterranean Sea : Morocco 5. Red Sea : Syria Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? (a) 1,2 and 4 only (b) 1,3 and 4 only

CHAHAL ACADEMY



(c) 2 and 5 only (d) 1,2,3,4 and 5

37. Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years?

(a) China (b) India (c) Myanmar (d) Vietnam

38. Consider the Following pairs: GLACIER RIVER

1. Bandarpunch : Yamuna 2. Bara Shigri : Chenab 3. Milan : Mandakini 4. Siachen : Nubra 5. Zemu : Manas Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? (a) 1,2 and 4 (b) 1,3 and 4 (c) 2 and 5 (d) 3 and 5

39. In India, the use of carbofuran, methyl parathion, phorate and triazophos is viewed with apprehension. These chemicals are used as

(a) Pesticides in agriculture (b) Preservatives in processed foods (c) Fruit-ripening agents (d) Moisturising agents in cosmetics

40. Consider the following statements: 1. Under Ramsar Convention, it is mandatory on the part of the Government of India to protect and conserve all the wetlands in the territory of India. 2. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) rules, 2010 were framed by the government of India based on the recommendations of Ramsar convention. 3. The Wetlands (Conservation and management) Rules, 2010 also encompass the drainage area or catchment regions of the wetlands as determined by the authority. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1,2 and 3

41. Consider the following statements: 1. Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into environment. 2. Cattle release ammonia into environment. 3. Poultry industry release reactive nitrogen compounds into environment.

CHAHAL ACADEMY



Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 2 only (d) 1,2 and 3 only

42. What is common to the place known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati? (a) Recently discovered uranium deposits (b) Tropical rain forests (c) Underground cave systems (d) Water reservoirs

43. In the context of proposals to the use of hydrogen-enriched CNG (H-CNG) as fuel for buses in public transport, consider the following statements:

1. The main advantage of the use of H-CNG is the eliminations of carbon monoxide emissions. 2. H-CNG as fuel reduces carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon emissions. 3. Hydrogen up to the on-fifth by volume can be blended with CNG as fuel for buses. 4. H-CNG makes the fuel less expensive than CNG. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 4 only (d) 1,2,3 and 4

44. Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night? (a) Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth’s surface. (b) Clouds reflects back the Earth’s radiation. (c) The Earth’s surface would have low temperature on cloudy nights. (d) Clouds deflect the blowing wind to ground level.

45. Consider the following statements: 1. The 44th Amendment to the Constitute on India introduced an Article placing the election of the Prime Minister beyond judicial review. 2. The Supreme Court of India struck down the 99TH Amendment to the constitution of India as being violative of the independence of judiciary. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

46. Consider the Following statements:

1. The motion to impeach a Judge of the Supreme Court of India cannot be rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as per the judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

CHAHAL ACADEMY



2. The Constitution of India defines and gives details of what constitutes ‘incapacity and proved misbehaviour’ of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India. 3. The details of the process of impeachment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India are given in the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968. 4. If the motion for the impeachment of a Judge is taken up for voting, the law requires the motion to be backed by each House of the Parliament and supported by a majority of total membership of that House and by not less than two-thirds of total members of that House present and voting. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 Only (c) 3 and 4 only (d) 1,3 and 4

47. The Ninth Schedule was introduced in the Constitution of India during the Prime ministership of

(a) Jawaharlal Nehru (b) Lal bahadur Shastri (c) Indira Gandhi (d) Morarji Desai

48. Consider the Following statements: 1. Coal sector was nationalized by the Government of India under Indira Gandhi. 2. Now, coal blocks are allocated on lottery basis. 3. Till recently, India imported coal to meet the shortages of domestic supply, but now India is self-sufficient in coal production. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1,2 and 3

49. Consider the following statements: 1. The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act,1959 exempts several posts from disqualification on the grounds of ‘Office of profits’. The above-mentioned Act was amended five times. The term ‘Office of Profit’ is well-defined in the constitution of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1,2 and 3

50. Under which Schedule of the Constitution of India can the transfer of tribal land to private parties for mining be declared null and void?

(a) Third Schedule (b) Fifth Schedule

CHAHAL ACADEMY



(c) Ninth Schedule (d) Twelfth Schedule

51. Consider the following statement about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups(PVTGs) in India: 1. PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory. 2. A stagnant or declining population in one of the criteria for determining PVTG status. 3.There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far. 4. Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1,2 and 3 (b) 2,3 and 4 (c) 1,2 and 4 (d) 1,3 and 4 52. With reference to the Constitution of India, prohibitions or limitations or provisions contained in ordinary laws cannot act as prohibitions or limitations on the constitutional powers under Article 142.It could mean which one of the following? (a) The decision taken by the Election Commission of India while discharging its duties cannot be challenged in any court of law. (b) The Supreme Court of India is not constrained in the exercise of its powers by laws made by the Parliament. (c) In the event of grave financial crisis in the country, the President of India can declare Financial Emergency without the counsel from the Cabinet. (d) State Legislatures cannot make laws on certain matters without the concurrence of Union Legislature. 53. With reference to the Legislative Assembly of a State in India, consider the following statements: 1. The Governor makes a customary address to Members of the House at the commencement of the first session of the year. 2. When a State Legislature does not have a rule on a particular matter,it follows the Lok Sabha rule on that matter. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 54. Consider the following statements: 1. The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) has a ‘Protocol against the smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.’ 2. The UNCAC is the ever-first legally binding global anticorruption instrument.

CHAHAL ACADEMY



3. A highlight of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) is the inclusion of a specific chapter aimed at returning assets to their rightful owners from whom they had been taken illicitly. 4. The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is mandated by its member States to assist in the implementation of both UNCAC and UNTOC. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2, 3 and 4 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 1,2,3 and 4 55. Consider the following statements: 1. As per recent amendment to the Indian Forest Act, 1927, forest dwellers have the right to fell the bamboos grown on forest areas. 2. As per the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006, bamboo is a minor forest produce. 3. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act,2006 allows ownership of minor forest produce to forest dwellers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1 ,2 and 3 56. Which Article of the Constitution of Indian safeguards one’s right to marry the person of one’s choice? (a) Article 19 (b) Article 21 (c) Article 25 (d) Article 29 57. Consider the following statements: 1. According to the Indian Patents Act, a biological process to create a seed can be patented in India. 2. In India, there is no Intellectual Property Appellate Board. 3. Plant varieties are not eligible to be patented in India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1,2, and 3 58. Consider the following statements: The Environment Protection Act, 1986 empowers the Government of India to 1. state the requirement of public participation in the process of environmental protection and the procedure and manner in which it is sought.

CHAHAL ACADEMY



2. lay down the standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 59. As per the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 in India which one of the following statements is correct? (a) Waste generator has to segregate waste into five categories. (b) The Rules are applicable to notified urban local bodies notified towns and all industrial townships only. (c) The Rules provide for exact and elaborate criteria for the identification of sites for landfills and waste processing facilities. (d) It is mandatory on the part of waste generator that the waste generated in one district cannot be moved to another district. 60. Consider the following statements: As per the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central (Amendment) Rules,2018 1. if rules for fixed-term employment are implemented it becomes easier for the firms /companies to lay off workers 2. no notice of termination of employment shall be necessary in the case of temporary workman Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 61. The service area approach was implemented under the purview of

(a) Integrated Rural Development programme (b) Lead Bank Scheme (c) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (d) National skill Development Mission

62. With reference to the management of minor minerals in India, consider the following statements: 1. Sand is a ‘minor mineral' according to the prevailing law in the country. 2. State Governments have the power to grant mining leases of minor minerals, but the powers regarding the formation of rules related to the grant of minor minerals lie with the Central Government. 3. State Governments have the power to frame rules to prevent illegal mining of minor minerals. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3 only

CHAHAL ACADEMY



(c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 63. consider the following statements: 1. Most of India's external debt is owed by governmental entities. 2. All of India's external debt is denominated in US dollar. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 64. Which of the following is not included in the assets of a commercial bank in India? (a) Advances (b) Deposits (c) Investments (d) Money at call and short notice 65. In the context of India, which of the following factors is/are contributor/contributors to reducing the risk of a currency crisis? 1. The foreign currency earnings of India’s IT sector. 2. Increasing the government expenditure. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 66. Which one of the following suggested that the Governor should be an eminent person from outside the State and should be a detached figure without intense political links or should not have taken part in politics in the recent past? (a) First Administrative Reforms Commission (1966) (b) Rajamannar Committee (1969) (c) Sarkaria Commission (1983) (d) National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2000) 67. Which of the following is issued by registered foreign portfolio investors to overseas investors who want to be part of the Indian stock market without registering themselves directly? (a) Certificate of Deposit (b) Commercial Paper (c) Promissory Note (d) Participatory Note 68. Consider the following statements: 1. As per law, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority exists at both National and State levels.

CHAHAL ACADEMY



2. People's participation is mandatory in the compensatory afforestation programmes carried out under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016? Which of the following given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 69. In India, which of the following review the independent regulators in sectors like telecommunications, insurance, electricity, etc.? 1. Ad Hoc Committees set up by the Parliament. 2. Parliamentary Department Related Standing Committees. 3. Finance Commission 4. Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission 5. NITI Aayog Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 3 and 4 (c) 3, 4 and 5 (d) 2 and 5 70. With reference to India's Five-Year Plans, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. From the Second Five-Year Plan, there was a determined thrust towards substitution of basic and capital good industries. 2. The Fourth Five-Year Plan adopted the objective of correcting the earlier trend of increased concentration of wealth and economic power. 3. In the Fifth Five-Year Plan, for the first time, the financial sector was included as an integral part of the Plan. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 71. With reference to Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB) consider the following statements: 1. AIIB has more than 80 member nations. 2. India is the largest shareholder in AIIB. 3. AIIB does not have any members from outside Asia. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1,2, and 3

CHAHAL ACADEMY



72. What was the purpose of Inter-Creditor Agreement signed by Indian banks and financial institutions recently? (a) To lessen the Government of India’s perennial burden of fiscal deficit and current account deficit. (b) To support the infrastructure projects of Central and State Governments (c) To act as independent regulator in case of applications for loans of ₹ 50 crore or more (d) To aim at faster resolution of stressed assets of ₹ 50 crore or more which are under consortium lending 73. The Chairman of public sector banks are selected by the (a) Banks Board Bureau (b) Reserve Bank of India (c) Union Ministry of Finance (d) Management of concerned bank 74. Consider the following statements: 1. Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is the first regulatory body set up by the Government of India. 2. One of the tasks of PNGRB is to ensure competitive markets for gas. 3. Appeals against the decisions of PNGRB go before the Appellate Tribunals for Electricity. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2, and 3 75. With reference to communication technologies what is/are the difference/differences between LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution)? 1. LTE is commonly marketed as 3G and VoLTE is commonly marketed as advanced 3G. 2. LTE is data-only technology and VoLTE is voice-only-technology. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 76. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017? 1. Pregnant women are entitled for three months pre-delivery and three months post- delivery paid leave. 2. Enterprises with two children get reduced entitlements. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only

CHAHAL ACADEMY



(c) 3 only (d) 1, 2, and 3 77. Which one of the following is not a sub-index of the World Bank’s Ease of doing business index? (a) Maintenance of law order (b) Paying taxes (c) Registering property (d) Dealing with Construction permits 78. In India, ‘extended producer responsibility’ was introduced as an important feature in which of the following? (a) The Bio-medical waste (management and handling) Rules, 1998 (b) The Recycled Plastic (manufacturing and usage) Rules, 1999 (c) The e-waste (management and handling) Rules, 2011 (d) The food safety and standard Regulations, 2011 79. The economic cost of food grains to the food corporation of India is minimum support price and bonus (if any) paid to the farmers plus (a) transportation cost only (b) interest cost only (c) procurement incidentals and distribution cost (d) procurement incidentals and charges for godown 80. In the context of any country, which one of the following would be considered as part of its social capital? (a) The proportion of literates in the population (b) The stock of its building, other infrastructure and machines (c) The size of population in the working age group (d) the level of mutual trust and harmony in the society. 81. With reference to the Constitution of India, consider the following statements:

1. No High Court shall have the jurisdiction to declare any central law to be constitutionally invalid. 2. An amendment to the Constitution of India cannot be called into question by the Supreme Court of India Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

82. Consider the following statements:

1. Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) exchange rates are calculated by comparing the prices of the same basket of goods and services on different countries. 2. In terms PPP dollars, India is the sixth largest economy in the world \. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

CHAHAL ACADEMY



(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

83. with reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in India in last five years, consider the following statements:

1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest. 2. Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than of oilseeds. 3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.

4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2, 3 and 4 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 84. Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?

(a) spices (b) fresh fruits (c) pulses (d) vegetable oils

85. In the context of polity, which one of the following would you accept as the most appropriate definition of liberty?

(a) Protection against the tyranny of political rulers (b) Absence of restraints. (c) Opportunity to do whatever one likes (d) Opportunity to develop oneself fully.

86. which one of the following is not the most likely measure the Government/RBI takes to stop the slide of Indian rupee?

(a) Curbing imports of non-essential goods and promoting exports (b) Encouraging Indian borrowers to issue rupee denominated Masala Bonds (c) Easing conditions relating to external commercial borrowing (d) Following an expansionary monetary policy

87. Consider the following statements:

1. The Reserve Bank of India’s recent directives relating to ‘Storage of Payment System Data’, popularly known as diktat, command the payment system providers that 2. They shall ensure that the entire data relating to payment systems operated by them are stored in a system only in India 3. They shall ensure that the systems are owned and operated by public sector enterprises The shall submit the consolidated system audit report to the Comptroller and Auditor general of India by the end of calendar year

CHAHAL ACADEMY



Which of the following statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

88. which of the following adopted a law on data protection and privacy for its citizen known as ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ in april 2016 and started implementation of it from 25th may, 2018?

(a) Australia (b) Canada (c) The European union (d) The United States of America

89. Recently, India signed a deal known as ‘Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field’ with which of the following countries?

(a) Japan (b) Russia (c) The United Kingdom (d) The United States of America

90. The money multiplier in an economy increases with which one of the following? (a) Increase in the cash reserve ratio (b) increase in the banking habit of the population (c) increase in the statutory liquidity ratio (d) increase in the population of the country

91. In the context of digital technologies for entertainment, consider the following statements: 1. In Augmented Reality (AR), a simulated environment is created and the physical world is completely shut out. 2. In Virtual Reality (VR), images generated from a computer are projected onto real- life objects or surroundings. 3. AR allows Individuals to be present in the world and improves the experience using the camera of smart-phone or PC. 4. VR closes the world, and transposes an individual, providing complete immersion experience. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 and 4 (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) 4 only 92. The word Denisovan' is sometimes mentioned in media in reference to (a) fossils of a kind of dinosaurs

CHAHAL ACADEMY



(b) an early human species (c) a cave system found in North-East India (d) a geological period in the history of Indian subcontinent. 93. With reference to the recent developments in science, which one of the following statements is not correct? (a) Functional chromosomes can be created by joining segments of DNA taken out from cells of different species. (b) Pieces of artificial functional DNA can be created in laboratories. (c) A piece of DNA taken out from an animal cell can be made to replicate outside a living cell in a laboratory. (d) Cells taken out from plants and animals can be made to undergo cell division in laboratory petri dishes. 94. Consider the following statements:

A digital signature is 1. an electronic record that identities the certifying authority issuing it 2. used to serve as a prof of identity of an individual to access information or server on Internet 3. an electronic method of signing an electronic document an ensuring that the original content is unchanged. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

95. In the context of wearable technology, which of the following tasks is/are accomplished by wearable devices? 1. Location identification of a person 2. Sleep monitoring of a person 3. Assisting the hearing impaired person

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

96. ‘RNA’ interference (RNAi)’ technology has gained popularity in the last few years.Why?

1. It is used in developing gene silencing therapies. 2. It can be used in developing therapies for the treatment of cancer. 3. It can be used to develop hormone replacement therapies. 4. It can be used to produce crop plants that are resistant to viral pathogens. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1 and 4 only

CHAHAL ACADEMY



97. Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant ‘ blackholes ’ billions of light-years away from the Earth. What is the significance of this observation? (a) ‘Higgs boson particles’ were detected. (b) ‘Gravitational’ waves were detected. (c) Possibility of inter-galac space travel through ‘warmhole’ was confirmed (d) It enabled the scientists to understand ‘singularity’. 98. Which of the following are the reasons for the occurrence of multi-drug resistance in microbial pathogens

1. Genetic predisposition of some people. 2. Taking incorrect doses of antibiotics to cure diseases. 3. Using antibiotics in liverstock farming. 4. Multiple chronic diseases in some people. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4

99. What is Cas9 protein that is often mentioned on news? (a) A molecular scissors used in targeted gene editing. (b) A biosensor used in the accurate detection of pathogens in patients. (c) A gene that makes plants pest-resistent. (d) A herbicidal substance synthesized in genetically modified crops. 100. Which one of the following statements is not correct? (a) Hepatitis B virus is transmitted much like HIV. (b) Hepatitis B, unlike Hepatitis C, does not have a vaccine. (c) Globally, the number of people infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses are several times more than those infected with HIV.

(d) Some of those infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses do not show the symptoms for many years.

CIVIL SERVICES MONTHLY

MAPPING

South China Sea and

Disputed Areas

Published on16/07/2019

civil services - chahalacademy.com affairs monthly magazine...civil services - chahalacademy.com

Documents