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NEXT IAS

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS Time: 45 Min. Date: 12-05-2021

Polity & Governance

Overcrowded Prisons Amid COVID-19

Syllabus: GS2/Important Aspects of Governance

In News: Recently, the Supreme Court ordered the release of prisoners to decongest jails amid

the COVID-19 second wave.

About Overcrowded Prisons

● Indian prisons have been housing more inmates than their capacity for decades now and

this problem of overcrowded prisons is getting worse amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

● According to a report on prison statistics for 2019 released by the National Crime Records

Bureau.

○ As of 31 December 2019, there were 4,78,600 inmates lodged in different prisons

in India while they had a collective capacity to house only about 4,03,700 inmates.

■ This means the number of prisoners was 118.5% of the prison capacity, the

highest since 2010.

Causes & Concerns

● The inconsistencies in the bail system and the pendency of court cases are some of the

key reasons for overcrowding in prisons.

● Contagious viruses such as COVID-19 proliferate in closed spaces such as prisons. prison

inmates are highly prone to contagious viruses.

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○ This is a matter of concern also because nearly every eighth prisoner in India is a

person above the age of 50, the age group which is at a higher risk of developing

severe complications and dying due to the Covid-19 infection.

● Maintaining social distancing norms is impossible in an overcrowded prison.

● Overcrowding leads to problems of hygiene, management and discipline.

○ The human rights of prisoners are violated due to the rise in the prison

population.

Suggestions

● Recommendations of Law Commission of India in its 268th report: The Commission

recommended that those detained for offences that come with a punishment of up to

seven years of imprisonment should be released on completing one-third of that period

and for those charged with offences that attract a longer jail term after they complete

half of that period.

● It also recommended that the police should avoid needless arrests, while

magistrates should refrain from mechanical remand orders.

● Open prisons Concept: The All-India Committee on Jail Reform constituted in 1980

recommended the government to set up and develop open prisons in each state and UT

similar to the Sanganer open camp in Rajasthan

■ It also recommended that life convicts who offer a good prognosis should

be transferred to semi-open & open prisons.

What is Open Prison?

● Open prisons have relatively less stringent rules as compared to controlled jails.

● They go by many names like minimum-security prison, open-air camps or prison

without bars.

● The fundamental rule of an open prison is that the jail has minimum security and

functions on the self-discipline of the inmates

● The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, popularly

known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, laid down the objectives of open prisons stating,

that such prisons provide no physical security against escape but rely on the self-

discipline of the inmates, provide the conditions most favourable to the rehabilitation

of carefully selected prisoners.

● Justice Amitava Roy Committee Recommendations: In 2018 The Supreme Court

constituted a three-member committee, to be headed by former apex court judge Amitava

Roy, to look into the aspect of jail reforms across the country and make recommendations

on several aspects, including overcrowding in prisons.it recommended

○ Special fast-track courts should be set up to deal exclusively with petty offences

which have been pending for more than five years.

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○ Further, accused persons who are charged with petty offences and that granted

bail, but who are unable to arrange surety should be released on a Personal

Recognizance (PR) Bond.

○ Launching a National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms

● In 1980, a Committee on Jail Reform, under the chairmanship of Justice AN. Mulla was

constituted to review the laws, rules and regulations keeping in view the overall objective

of protecting society and rehabilitating offenders.

○ Lodging of undertrials in jail should be reduced to the bare minimum and they

should be kept separate from the convicted prisoners.

■ Since under trials constitute a sizable portion of the prison population,

their number can be reduced by speedy trials and liberalization of bail

provisions.

About Prisons'/'persons

● Prisons'/'persons detained therein' is a State subject under Entry 4 of List II of the

Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India.

● Administration and management of prisons is the responsibility of respective State

Governments.

● However, the Ministry of Home Affairs provides regular guidance and advice to States

and UTs on various issues concerning prisons and prison inmates.

Right to Life and Personal Liberty For Prisoners

● The Supreme Court in various cases has declared the right to medical care comes under

the ambit of Article 21 of the Constitution

● Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees the right of personal liberty and

thereby prohibits any inhuman, cruel or degrading treatments to any person

whether he is a national or foreigner.

● Article 39A of the Constitution of India deals with the obligation of the State to provide

free Legal Aid to such accused prisoners both in the prison and outside, as are unable

to engage a lawyer due to lack of means to defend themselves in the Court for the

criminal charges brought against them.

Way Forward

● It is more imperative for authorities to determine the urgent interventions necessary for

safeguarding the fundamental right to life of prisoners.

○ These measures must include decongestion, whether by setting up temporary

prisons if feasible or by issuing new criteria for releasing prisoners.

● Restricting the interaction of inmates with jail staff is crucial — authorities suspect that

asymptomatic jail officials may have contributed to the spread of the virus.

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○ Data on the prevalence of testing, infection and vaccination, as well as the status

of medical infrastructure in jails, must be released periodically to allow public

monitoring.

● Prisons in the country must be given appropriate correctional treatment through actual

enforcement of various recommendations and suggestions.

● Maintenance of daily hygiene in prisons should be put at a premium.

Source: TH

Indian Economy

National Financial Reporting Authority

Syllabus: GS3/Indian Economy & Related Issues

In News: Recently, the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA ) compiled a provisional

database of companies and their auditors.

Need

● Auditing Requires Complete Independence

○ Auditor has been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure the truthfulness and

correctness of financial statements before these are presented to its various

stakeholders.

■ However, there is an inherent conflict of interest in the auditing process as

the auditee company also pays the auditor.

● An Independent Regulator is needed

○ The need for establishing NFRA has arisen in the wake of accounting scams like

PNB scam and other financial scams and frauds in the country, therefore, it was

proposed to establish independent regulators for enforcement of auditing

standards and ensuring the quality of audits to strengthen the independence of

audit firms, quality of audits.

National Financial Reporting Authority

● It is a regulatory body constituted on 01st October 2018 by the Government of India

under Sub Section (1) of section 132 of the Companies Act, 2013 to oversee compliance

with Accounting and Auditing Standards by companies that can be described as Public

Interest Entities (PIEs).

Composition of the NFRA

● The Companies Act requires the NFRA to have a chairperson who will be appointed by

the Central Government and a maximum of 15 members.

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Functions and Duties

● Recommend accounting and auditing policies and standards to be adopted by

companies for approval by the Central Government;

● Monitor and enforce compliance with accounting standards and auditing standards;

● Oversee the quality of service of the professions associated with ensuring compliance

with such standards and suggest measures for improvement in the quality of service;

● Protect the public interest and the interests of investors, creditors and others associated

with the companies or bodies.

Jurisdiction of NFRA

● The jurisdiction of NFRA for investigation of Chartered Accountants and their firms

under section 132 of the Act would extend to listed companies and large unlisted public

companies

○ The NFRA is tasked to investigate audit of Listed Companies and Unlisted

companies with net worth not less than Rs 500 crore or paid-up capital of not less

than Rs 500 crore or annual turnover not less than Rs 1,000 crore as on March 31

of immediately preceding financial year, and companies having securities listed

outside India.

○ The Centre further has the power to refer the entities for investigation where

public interest would be involved. The rest are regulated by ICAI.

○ The inherent regulatory role of ICAI as provided for in the Chartered Accountants

Act, 1949 shall continue in respect of its members in general and specifically with

respect to audits pertaining to private limited companies, and public unlisted

companies.

Significance

● With the constitution of NFRA, India is now eligible to become a member of the

International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR), which was denied until

now for want of an independent audit oversight body in the country

● It will attract foreign/domestic investments and enhance economic growth.

International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR)

● Established in Paris in 2006 by independent audit regulators from 18 jurisdictions,

IFIAR has grown to 54 Members around the world.

● IFIAR’s mission is to serve the public interest, including investors, by enhancing audit

oversight globally.

● The overall objective is to:

○ Share knowledge of the evolving audit environment and the practical experience

of independent audit regulatory activity.

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○ Promote collaboration and consistency in regulatory activity.

○ Provide a platform for dialogue with other international organizations

interested in audit quality.

Listed Company

● A company whose shares are traded on an official stock exchange. It must adhere to the

listing requirements of that exchange, which may include how many shares are listed

and a minimum earnings level.

Unlisted Company

● These are companies that are not listed on the stock exchange, so they are privately

owned. Since they are not on the list, they do not have the opportunity to raise funds.

Source: PIB

Agriculture

Horticulture in India

Syllabus: GS 2, Government Policies & Interventions, GS 3, Agriculture, Transport & Marketing

of Agricultural Produce, Food Processing & Related Industries in India, Supply Chain

Management.

In News: Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has provided an enhanced

allocation of Rs. 2250 crore for 2021-22 for the Mission for Integrated Development of

Horticulture (MIDH).

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture

● It is a centrally sponsored scheme.

○ The Centre contributes 60 per cent of the total outlay for developmental

programmes in all the states (except North Eastern and Himalayan states where it

contributes 90 per cent) and 40 per cent is contributed by State governments.

● The Ministry is implementing it with effect from 2014-15.

● Aim: To realise the potential of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, root and

tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew and cocoa.

● Enhanced Allocation

○ It has been sanctioned to further promote and for holistic growth of the sector.

○ It is significantly higher than the previous year allocation and has been

communicated to the States/UTs for preparing Annual Action Plans.

● It has five major components, namely

○ National Horticulture Mission (NHM)

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■ It was launched under the 10th five-year plan in the year 2005-06.

■ It aimed to develop Horticulture to the maximum potential available.

○ Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH)

■ It covers all NE states including Sikkim and also Himalayan states

Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and

Ladakh.

○ National Horticulture Board (NHB)

■ It was set up in 1984 on recommendations of the "Group on Perishable

Agricultural Commodities", headed by Dr M. S. Swaminathan.

■ Headquartered at Gurugram.

○ Coconut Development Board (CDB)

■ It is a statutory body for the integrated development of coconut cultivation

and industry.

■ It came into existence in January 1981 and is headquartered at Kochi in

Kerala.

○ Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH)

■ It was set up at Medziphema, Nagaland in the year 2006 by the

Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare.

■ It provides technical support on different aspects of horticulture for holistic

development in the NE region.

● Significance

○ It has played a significant role in increasing the area under horticulture crops.

■ Area and production from 2014-15 to 2019-20 has increased by 9 per cent

and 14 per cent respectively.

○ It has boosted best practices to be followed in farms which have significantly

improved the quality of produce and productivity of farmland.

○ It has resulted in India’s self-sufficiency in the sector but also contributed

towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty (Goal 1), Zero

Hunger (Goal 2), Good Health and Wellbeing (Goal 3), Gender Equality (Goal 5),

etc.

About Horticulture

● The term horticulture is derived from two Latin words hortus, meaning ‘garden’, and

cultura meaning ‘cultivation’ hence meaning, crops cultivated in a garden cultivation.

● It is a science and art of production, utilisation and improvement of fruits, vegetables,

flowers and other plants for human food, non-food uses and social needs.

● It is perhaps the most important branch of agriculture and is further divided into four

different branches namely Pomology, Olericulture, Floriculture and Post-harvest

Technology.

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S. No. Name About

1. Pomology ● Derived from Latin words poma (fruit) and logus (study,

knowledge or discourse).

● Deals with the scientific study of fruit crops.

2. Olericulture ● Derived from Latin words olerus (vegetables) and cultura

(cultivation).

● Deals with the scientific study of vegetable crops, which

are different from fruit crops.

3. Floriculture ● Derived from Latin words florus (flower) and cultura.

● Deals with the scientific study of flowering and

ornamental crops.

● Landscaping is the art of beautifying a piece of land using

garden designs, methods and plant material.

4. Post-harvest

Technology

● Deals with the principles and practices of handling,

packaging and processing of harvested crops to increase

their storage life and availability.

Differences Between Vegetable and Fruit Crops

S. No. Fruits Vegetables

1. Most fruit plants are perennials. Most vegetables are annuals.

2. Fruit plants are generally woody in

nature.

Vegetable plants are, generally, herbaceous

and succulents.

3. They have commercially propagated

asexually.

They are commercially propagated sexually

(by seed).

4. Fruit plants require special cultural

practices, i.e., training, pruning, etc.

Vegetables are seasonal and only staking and

pruning are required in some crops.

5. Fruits are mostly consumed fresh after

ripening.

Most vegetables require cooking for

consumption.

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Features

● These require intense care in planting, carrying out intercultural operations,

manipulation of growth, harvesting, packaging, marketing, storage and processing.

● These crops are a source of variability in farm produce and diets.

● They contain health benefiting compounds and medicines.

● These crops have aesthetic value and protect the environment.

● Fruit and plantation crops can be cultivated in places where the slope of the land is

uneven or undulating and are useful for cultivation in the wasteland or poor quality soil.

Significance

● Diverse agro-climatic conditions in India ensure the production of all types of fresh

fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants.

● Horticulture crops perform a vital role in the Indian economy by generating

employment, providing raw material to various food processing industries, and higher

farm profitability due to higher production and export earnings from foreign exchange.

● The comparative production per unit area of horticultural crops is higher than field

crops.

● Such crops are of high value, labour intensive and generate employment throughout the

year. It has gained prominence over contributing a growing share in Gross Value

Addition of agriculture.

● They have national and international demand and are a good source of foreign

exchange.

● It is imperative to cater to the country’s estimated demand of 650 MT of fruits and

vegetables by the year 2050.

Data Analysis

● India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China.

● Horticultural crops constitute a significant portion of the total agricultural produce in

India. They cover a wide cultivation area and contribute about 28 per cent of the Gross

Domestic Product (GDP).

● These crops account for 37 per cent of the total exports of agricultural commodities from

India.

● During the year 2019-20, the country recorded its highest ever horticulture production of

320.77 million tonnes from an area of 25.66 million hectares.

● As per the 1st Advance Estimates for 2020-21 the total horticulture production in the

country is 326.58 lakh MT from an area of 27.17 lakh ha.

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Image Courtesy: FE

Challenges

● Faces high post-harvest loss and gaps in post-harvest management due to less or limited

input by machinery and equipment.

● Lack of supply chain infrastructures like cold storage and well-connected transport

networks.

● Difficulties in setting up due to higher input costs and limited availability of market

intelligence, mainly for exports.

● There are no safety net provisions like the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for foodgrains.

● The production of horticultural commodities is far less as compared to the existing

demand in the country.

Suggestions

● Scope for enhancing the productivity of Indian horticulture through technology-led

development.

● Reduction of post-harvest losses.

● Value addition and modified packaging for long storability and transportation.

● Insect pollinators for i

● Improve productivity and quality of the crops by using insect pollinators, regulating

nutrient dynamics and interactions and using fertilisers.

● Development of varieties for cultivation in non-traditional areas and varieties

tolerant/resistant to various biotic and abiotic stresses.

● Bioenergy and solid waste utilisation to make it more efficient and eco-friendly.

● Emphasis on resource allocation, infrastructure development, more research and

development (R&D), technological up-gradation and better policy framework.

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Steps Taken by the Government

● Increased focus on planting material production and cluster development programmes.

● Development of improved techniques for the production of disease-free quality

planting materials.

● Technology up-gradation for water and nutrient efficiency through micro-irrigation and

fertigation

● Farm mechanisation to increase harvesting and processing efficiency and to reduce crop

loss has been implemented by developing horticulturalists.

● Development of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for various medicinal plants.

● Development of low cost environment-friendly cool chambers for on-farm storage.

● Regional and Crop-specific Training and Demonstration Programmes.

● Credit push through Agri Infra Fund, formation and promotion of the Farmer Producer

Organizations (FPOs) are the right steps in this direction.

Source: PIB

Geography

NBM Launches MIS Platform For Domestic Agarbatti Industry

Syllabus: GS1/ Distribution of Natural Resources

In News: National Bamboo Mission (NBM) has launched an MIS module for strengthening the

domestic Agarbatti industry.

About

● An MIS (Management Information Systems) based reporting platform for agarbatti stick

production has been launched. This platform will help-

○ to collate the locations of stick making units,

○ for the availability of raw material,

○ for the functioning of the units, production capacity, marketing, etc.

○ in better synergising the linkages with the industry to enable seamless

procurement from production units,

○ in plugging the information gaps.

● National Bamboo Mission (NBM), Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises

(MSME), Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) schemes as well as States,

together with industry partners have stepped up to support this platform.

Benefits of Initiative

● It will enhance the support for ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Make for the World’ since Indian

agarbatti is much sought after in global markets.

● It will help to bring back livelihoods for the local communities.

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● It will give a boost to efforts for modernising the agarbatti sector.

● It will provide focused support to enable India to become Atma Nirbhar in the agarbatti

sector.

Khadi Agarbatti Atma Nirbhar Mission

● The Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has approved a unique

employment generation program proposed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission

(KVIC) to make India Atma Nirbhar in Agarbatti production.

● It aims at creating employment for unemployed and migrant workers in different parts

of the country while increasing domestic Agarbatti production substantially.

● The KVIC is implementing the program and is hand holding the artisans and SHGs with

proper backward & forward linkages and needful support.

Conclusion

● The agarbatti sector traditionally provided large scale employment to the local

workforce, which however dwindled due to various factors including the ingress of cheap

imports of round sticks and raw batti.

● The policy measures are taken by the Government of moving raw batti imports from free

to the restricted category in August 2019 and increasing import duty on round stick

uniformly to 25% in June 2020 came as a boost to the domestic units.

● The decision was taken to offset the “huge employment loss” in the sector due to the

“heavy import of bamboo sticks from China and Vietnam.

● The import duty hike is helping in setting up new agarbatti stick manufacturing units to

meet the ever-growing demand for agarbatti in India.

● Further, an MIS module will strengthen the domestic Agarbatti industry.

National Bamboo Mission (NBM)

● It is a sub-scheme to harness the potential of bamboo crop under Mission for

Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).

● It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

● Implemented by Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC), Ministry of

Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

● The restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was launched in 2018-19 to focus

on the development of a complete value chain of the bamboo sector and link growers

with markets.

Objectives of NBM

● To increase the area under bamboo plantation in non-forest Government and private

lands to supplement farm income and contribute towards resilience to climate change

as well as the availability of quality raw material for industries.

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● To improve post-harvest management through the establishment of innovative

primary processing units near the source of production, primary treatment and

seasoning plants, preservation technologies and market infrastructure.

● To promote product development keeping in view market demand, by assisting R&D,

entrepreneurship & business models at micro, small and medium levels and feed bigger

industries.

● To rejuvenate the underdeveloped bamboo industry in India.

● To promote skill development, capacity building, awareness generation for the

development of the bamboo sector from production to market demand.

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)

● It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector

covering fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic

plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo.

● Under MIDH, the Government of India (GOI) contributes 60% of the total outlay for

developmental programmes in all the states except states in North East and the

Himalayas, 40% share is contributed by State Governments.

● In the case of the North-Eastern States and the Himalayan States, GOI contributes 90%.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

● It is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament.

● It works under the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

● In April 1957, it took over the work of the former All India Khadi and Village Industries

Board.

● The broad objectives that the KVIC has set before it is:

○ The social objective of providing employment.

○ The economic objective of producing saleable articles.

○ The wider objective of creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up

a strong rural community spirit.

Source: PIB

Government Schemes & Actions

Puducherry Becomes ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Union Territory

Syllabus: GS2/Welfare Schemes

In News: Recently, Puducherry has achieved the target of 100% piped water connection (Har

Ghar Jal) in rural areas under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

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Major Points

● The Puducherry becomes the fourth State/UT after Goa, Telangana and Andaman &

Nicobar Islands to provide assured tap water supply to every rural home under Union

Government’s flagship programme, Jal Jeevan Mission(JJM).

○ Punjab, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu cross milestone of covering

75% of rural homes with assured tap water supply

● Puducherry’s achievement is a timely indicator of JJM’s success as people living in rural

areas can practice regular hand washing at home and maintain physical distance by

avoiding crowds at public stand posts.

○ The UT of Puducherry is now planning for effective treatment & reuse of

greywater coming out of homes.

Image courtesy: PIB

About Jal Jeevan Mission.

● It is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Jal Shakti which aims to provide tap water

connection to every rural household by 2024.

○ It was announced by the Prime Minister in 2019.

● It will be based on a community approach to water and will include extensive

Information, Education and communication as a key component of the mission

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● The programme will also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory

elements, such as recharge and reuse through greywater management, water

conservation, rainwater harvesting.

Pondicherry

● All the regions of Puducherry were under French rule for 138 years.

○ On November 1, 1954, the French possessions in India were transferred to the

Indian Union and became a Union Territory. But only in 1963, Puducherry

became officially an integral part of India.

● The Union Territory of Puducherry comprises the former French establishments of

Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.

○ The four regions are at different locations, geographically separated from each

other.

Image Courtsey: py.gov.in

● Puducherry, the capital of the Territory was once the original headquarters of the

French in India, is situated on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.

● The main languages spoken here are Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and French.

● Pondicherry is a peaceful city. It is referred to by names such as 'Quintessence of French

Culture', 'India's Little France' and 'The French Riviera of the East.

● Still, it has the French flavour in it as one can see by the grand colonial mansions,

beautiful boulevards, and placid promenades, spellings on signboards and buildings,

names of roads and public places.

Source: PIB

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International Relations

4th India-Swiss Financial Dialogue

Syllabus: GS2/ India & Foreign Relations, Agreements Involving India &/or Affecting India’s

Interests, Indian Diaspora.

In News: The 4th India-Swiss Financial Dialogue was held virtually through video conferencing.

About

● Both the countries discussed economic matters as well as coordination on global

pandemic situations.

● The Indian delegation included representatives from the Department of Economic

Affairs, Department of Revenue, Department of Financial Services and Ministry of

External Affairs.

Major Highlights

● The Dialogue covered sharing of experiences by both countries for collaboration on

various aspects including

○ investments,

○ International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA),

○ National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF),

○ FinTech,

○ sustainable finance and

○ cross border financial services.

● Further, matters relating to G20, IMF and tax challenges arising from the digitisation of

the economy was discussed along with infrastructure financing.

● Both the countries shared views and perspectives on their respective countries and global

economic scenario.

● Both sides emphasised the importance of coordinated bilateral action on a clean and

resilient post-COVID world.

India-Switzerland Relations

Background

● Switzerland established diplomatic relations with India soon after Independence.

● A Treaty of Friendship between India and Switzerland was signed at New Delhi on

August 14, 1948; one of the first such treaties to be signed by independent India and an

important milestone in Indo-Swiss relations.

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● In 2018, India and Switzerland celebrated the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty

of Friendship.

● The relations between India and Switzerland have achieved new heights following the

visits of the Prime Minister of India to Switzerland in 2016, 2018 and Swiss President to

India in August/September 2017.

● The Joint Statement issued during the visit of the Swiss President in 2017 noted the India-

Switzerland relations as ‘A Long Standing Dynamic Partnership’.

● From 1971 to 1976, during and after Bangladesh’s struggle for Independence, Switzerland

represented India’s interests in Pakistan.

Indian Diaspora

● The Indian community in Switzerland comprises approximately 24,567 Indians including

over 7,164 persons of Indian origin. Most of them are professionals in Engineering, IT,

pharmaceuticals and paramedical fields. There are about 1000 Indian students studying

in Switzerland.

● In 2016, there were about 850 Swiss nationals living in India.

Commercial Relations

● Bilateral Trade: As per EXIM Bank, India figures, Switzerland was the 11th largest

trading partner for India with the total bilateral trade including bullion, amounting to

USD 19.263.38 million in 2018-19.

● Bilateral Investment: Switzerland invested FDI equity worth approximately USD 4.781

billion in India from April 2000 to September 2019 thus becoming the 12th largest investor

and accounting for about 1.07% of total FDI in India during this period.

Science and Technology

● An inter-Governmental framework Agreement on Technical and Scientific Cooperation

was signed under which an Indo-Swiss Joint Research Programme (ISJRP) was launched

in 2005.

Skill Training

● Several Institutes from both countries have collaborated to impart the highest standards

of skill training in India. Like

○ Bharatiya Skill Development Campus and University.

○ Indo-Swiss Centre of Excellence, Pune.

○ Vocational Training Center, Andhra Pradesh.

Climate Change & Environment

● An MoU on Technical Cooperation in the field of Climate Change and Environment

between the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and the Federal

Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation has been signed in 2019.

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Cultural relations & people to people contacts

● The two countries do not have an institutional arrangement on cultural cooperation like

Cultural Cooperation Agreement etc. Both sides have acknowledged the need for greater

people-to-people contact at different levels, particularly in the field of academics,

culture, cinema etc. to foster closer ties between the two countries. The Government of

India extended the e-tourist visa facility to Switzerland in 2016.

Conclusion

● The Dialogue concluded on a positive note for a sustained future collaboration between

both countries in the areas of mutual interest.

● India’s policy of non-alignment and Switzerland’s traditional policy of neutrality has

led to a close understanding between the two countries.

● Both the countries have several bilateral dialogue mechanisms in place and this Financial

Dialogue remains amongst the most important.

International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)

● It was established as a statutory authority on April 27, 2020 under the International

Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.

● It is headquartered at GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

● It is a unified authority for the development and regulation of financial products,

financial services and financial institutions in the International Financial Services

Centre (IFSC) in India.

● At present, the GIFT IFSC is the maiden international financial services centre in India.

● Prior to the establishment of IFSCA, the domestic financial regulators, namely, RBI,

SEBI, PFRDA and IRDA regulated the business in IFSC.

National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)

● It is a collaborative investment platform for international and Indian investors,

anchored by the Government of India.

● The government had set up the Rs. 40,000 crore fund in 2015.

● It invests across asset classes such as infrastructure, private equity and other

diversified sectors in India, with the objective to generate attractive risk-adjusted

returns for its investors.

● NIIF has three funds each with its distinct investment strategy.

○ Master Fund;

○ Fund of Funds; and

○ Strategic Opportunities Fund.

● The funds are registered as Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) with the Securities and

Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Source: PIB

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International Relations

Slow Growth in China’s Population

Syllabus: GS 1, Population & Associated Issues, GS 2, Human Resources.

In News: Recently, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China has released its seventh

population census which shows a slowing population growth rate.

Major Findings

● China’s population was 1.41 billion in 2020, increasing by 72 million since the last census

in 2010, recording a 5.38 per cent growth with an average annual growth of 0.53 per cent.

● Factors Responsible

○ China’s stringent family planning rules under its One-child Policy,

implemented in 1979.

■ The One-child policy was adopted out of the “Malthusian Fears” and was

a response to food shortages concerns.

● Thomas Robert Malthus was the first economist to propose a

systematic theory of population.

● He argued that if left unchecked, a population will outgrow its

resources, leading to a host of problems and economic and

environmental catastrophe.

○ A range of varying restrictions across urban and rural areas.

● Concerns

○ A looming period of population decline.

○ Growing ageing and a dependent population.

○ Fear of China “getting too old before getting rich”.

○ Impact on China’s labour force and healthcare.

○ Deteriorating demographic structure.

● China loosened family planning rules and allowed couples to have two children in 2016.

○ However, it has failed to mark a boom amid changing lifestyles and declining

preferences for larger families.

● Experts held that the Chinese population could peak by 2025 and have suggested paying

attention to changes in population growth and responding actively to risks and

challenges in demographic development.

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● According to a Chinese demographer, India has maintained a fertility rate of around 2.3,

which indicates that its population may surpass China’s by 2023 or 2024.

China Versus India Population

● China and India are the two largest countries in terms of population size.

● In 2020, India’s population was estimated by the UN Department of Economic and

Social Affairs at 1.38 billion, or 1.5 per cent behind China.

● China's population has been larger than India for over 300 years, but this could change

as early as 2026, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).

○ India's population is predicted to reach over 1.6 billion around 2060.

● In 1800, India’s population was at a modest 169 million and the Chinese population was

nearly double that with 322 million.

● It was not until 1950 that the total populations of both countries started growing up

exponentially. China reached the 1 billion milestones in 1980 whereas India got there in

1997.

● Now, India is on target to overtake China’s total population in 2026, when both

countries are expected to be at the 1.46 billion people mark.

○ Although the populations of both countries will begin contracting in the mid-21st

century, India is expected to stay atop the global population leaderboard even by

more moderate estimates.

● In China, growth has been underscored by the One-child policy and it is anticipated that

over one-third of Chinese citizens will be 65 years old and above by 2050.

● Meanwhile in India, the workforce is just beginning to take off as 65 per cent of its

population is currently aged 35 years and below.

○ High rates of digital adoption are further compounding economic growth in the

country, especially as the world becomes increasingly reliant on telecom and IT

services.

● However, in the economic aspects, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth will

not surpass China’s in the next several decades.

○ As per WEF, both will still see immense GDP gains and be among largest

economies in the world by 2050, led by China and then India.

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Images Courtesy: WEF

Source: TH

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Facts in News

Shuvuuia

Deserti

● Shuvuuia is a genus of bird-like theropod dinosaur from the late

Cretaceous period.

○ It is a member of the family Alvarezsauridae, small

coelurosaurian dinosaurs.

● This dinosaur species were prevalent around 70 million years ago in

present-day Mongolia and Northern China.

○ In the Mongolian language, Shuvuuia stands for "bird".

Image Courtesy: scitechdaily

Key Characteristics

● It has boasted visual and auditory capabilities akin to a barn owl,

indicating it could hunt in total darkness.

○ Shuvuuia had a very wide scleral ring, indicating an extra-

large pupil size that made its eye a specialized light-capture

device.

● Like many carnivorous dinosaurs, it did not have strong jaws and

sharp teeth.

○ It had a bird-shaped body, a lightly built skull and many

tiny teeth like grains of rice.

● Unlike birds, it had short but powerful arms ending in a single large

claw.

○ It has short but powerful forelimbs specialized for digging.

○ With its long legs and digging forelimbs, it could run at a fast

pace and catch its prey like nocturnal mammals, lizards and

insects.

Bad Bank Padmakumar M Nair named as CEO of proposed bad bank

About

● It is an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) or an Asset

Management Company (AMC) which helps commercial banks to

clean their account books and recover bad loans over a period of

time.

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○ Bad loans are loans or advances made by a financial

institution, on which both principal or interest is unpaid for

a specified period of time.

○ Simply stated, NPAs are those loans that have ceased to

generate income for the bank.

Genesis

● For the first time, the Bad Bank was established by US-based Mellon

Bank in 1988, after which the concept has been implemented in other

countries such as Sweden, Finland, France, Belgium, Germany and

Indonesia.

○ In the US, the bad bank was institutionalised by the

Troubled Asset Relief Programme (TARP).

● In India, the Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramaniam in

Economic Survey 2016-17 recommended the establishment of

Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency to tackle the growing

menace of NPAs, which is badly affecting the economy of the

country.

● In Budget 2021-22, the finance minister has announced the setting

up of a bad bank to take over the bad loans of commercial banks in

India.

Rhea Bird (Rhea

americana)

● It is a flightless bird and resembles an ostrich and emu.

● Rhea bird is native to South America.

● Types: Greater or American rhea and the Lesser or Darwin's rhea.

● IUCN status

○ Greater Rhea as near-threatened

○ Darwin's Rhea as least concern.

● They are grassland birds and both species prefer open land.

● These birds are omnivores and unlike most birds, rheas have only

three toes.

● They can’t fly but use their wings for balance and changing

direction.

Threats: Their eggs are collected for food and their meat is also in great

demand. Their skins are used in the manufacturing of leather.

Image Courtesy: Britannica

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Barren Island ● Barren Island is part of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and is

located in the Andaman Sea, around 140 kilometres northeast of

Port Blair.

● Barren Island is India’s and South Asia’s only active volcano.

○ The volcano erupted for the first time in 1787 and latest in

2017.

● It is a barren landscape and uninhabited by humans.

● It belongs to the North and Middle Andaman administrative

district.

● This region is protected by the Indian Coast Guard to curb illegal

entry and other activities.

Image Courtesy: Maps of India

IREDA bags

“Green Urja

Award”

● Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) has

been conferred with “Green Urja Award” for being the Leading

Public Institution in Financing Institution for Renewable Energy.

○ IREDA plays a pivotal role in Green Energy Financing.

● The award has been given by the Indian Chamber of Commerce

(ICC).

About IREDA

● It is a Mini Ratna (Category – I) Government of India Enterprise

under the administrative control of the Ministry of New &

Renewable Energy (MNRE).

● It was established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1987.

● It is the only dedicated institution for financing Renewable Energy

(RE) & Energy Efficiency (EE) projects in India.

● Motto: Energy for Ever.

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Five Deep

Project

● The world's first manned expedition to the deepest point in each

of the five oceans.

○ The Puerto Rico Trench in the Atlantic,

○ South Sandwich Trench in the Southern Ocean,

○ Java Trench in the Indian Ocean,

○ Challenger Deep in the Pacific and

○ Molloy Deep in the Arctic.

● It is the first submarine-based (world’s first two-person, titanium-

built) mission.

● The mission was launched in December 2018.

Image courtesy- Guardian

MPLAD Fund ● Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme

(MPLADS) is a centrally sponsored scheme initiated in 1993 by

Narsimha Rao Government.

● It is fully funded by the Government of India.

● Objective: Under the scheme, the MPs can recommend

development programmes involving the spending of Rs 5 crore

every year in their respective constituencies.

● Administered by: Ministry of Statistics and Programme

Implementation (MOSPI).

Key Points

● MPs and MLAs do not receive any money under these schemes.

The government transfers it directly to the respective local

authorities.

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○ These funds are non-lapsable in nature i.e. in case of non-

release of the fund in a particular year it is carried forward

to the next year.

● For the MPLAD Scheme, the guidelines focus on the creation of

durable community assets like roads, school buildings etc.

● States have their version of this scheme with varying amounts per

MLA.

○ Delhi has the highest allocation under MLALAD; each MLA

can recommend works for up to Rs 10 crore each year.

○ In Punjab and Kerala, the amount is Rs 5 crore per MLA per

year.