Contents

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE............................................................................................................... 6

1. Renaming Allahabad .......................................................................................................................... 6
2. Lokpal ................................................................................................................................................ 6
3. Staff Selection Commission ............................................................................................................... 8
4. Umesh Sinha Report .......................................................................................................................... 9
5. Right to disconnect Bill.................................................................................................................... 10
6. Strengthening North-East Autonomous Councils ............................................................................ 11
INDIAN ECONOMY.............................................................................................................................. 13
1. RBI reserves ratio............................................................................................................................. 13
2. U K Sinha Committee ...................................................................................................................... 14
3. Nandan Nilekani committee............................................................................................................. 14
4. Tokenisation ..................................................................................................................................... 15
5. The Economist’s Democracy Index 2018 ........................................................................................ 16
6. Henley Passport Index ..................................................................................................................... 16
7. World Gold Council Report ............................................................................................................. 17
8. Vision 2040 in Aviation ................................................................................................................... 17
9. Debts and Liabilities ........................................................................................................................ 18
POLICIES AND SCHEMES .................................................................................................................. 20
1. Draft National Policy on Domestic Workers ................................................................................... 20
3. ‘Ama Ghare LED’ scheme ............................................................................................................... 20
4. Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana........................................................................................................ 20
5. Yuva Swabhiman Yojana................................................................................................................. 21
6. KALIA scheme ................................................................................................................................ 21
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ......................................................................................................... 22
1. U.S. & Israel withdraws from UNESO ............................................................................................ 22
2. India-South Africa............................................................................................................................ 22
3. India-Central Asia Dialogue ............................................................................................................ 24
4. Aadhaar, to visit Nepal and Bhutan ................................................................................................. 25
5. Persian Gulf Regional Dialogue Forum ........................................................................................... 26
ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................................................................... 27
1. Cinereous vulture ............................................................................................................................. 27
2. Hawaiian tree snail ........................................................................................................................... 27
3. Great Indian Bustard ........................................................................................................................ 27

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 4. Rosewood ......................................................................................................................................... 27
5. Vulture and Raptor survey ............................................................................................................... 28
6. Asian Waterbird Census (AWC)...................................................................................................... 29
7. Crocodile Census ............................................................................................................................. 29
8. Cyclone Pabuk ................................................................................................................................. 30
9. Deteriorating Shola Grasslands ........................................................................................................ 30
10. Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), 2019 ........................................................................ 31
11. National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) ....................................................................................... 32
12. Airpocalypse III Report ................................................................................................................. 34
13. South Asian Nitrogen Hub ............................................................................................................. 34
14. Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) ......................................................................................... 35
15. Methanol Blending......................................................................................................................... 35
16. Renuka Dam ................................................................................................................................... 36
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY .......................................................................................................... 38
1. Digital Detox app ............................................................................................................................. 38
2. Ultima Thule .................................................................................................................................... 38
3. Chang’e-4 lunar probe/Yutu 2 ......................................................................................................... 39
4. Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)................................................................................. 39
5. Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA) ................................................................. 40
6. X-Calibur telescope.......................................................................................................................... 40
7. MICROSAT-R and KALAMSAT ................................................................................................... 41
8. Formalin in Fish ............................................................................................................................... 42
9. Zearalenone ...................................................................................................................................... 42
10. CMB-Bharat ................................................................................................................................... 42
11. Superbug blaNDM-1 ...................................................................................................................... 43
SOCIAL ISSUES .................................................................................................................................... 44
1. 70 point Performance Index ............................................................................................................. 44
2. Rare diseases .................................................................................................................................... 44
3. Devadasi system ............................................................................................................................... 45
4. National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (2018-2023) .................................................... 46
5. ASER Report.................................................................................................................................... 47
6. First Human Rights Channel ............................................................................................................ 49
DEFENCE AND SECURITY ................................................................................................................. 50
1. Defence manufacturing rules eased ................................................................................................. 50
2. Global Risks Report 2019 ................................................................................................................ 51

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 3. Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) ......................................................................... 52
ART AND CULTURE ............................................................................................................................ 53
1. ‘Makaravilakku’ festival .................................................................................................................. 53
2. Monuments of national importance, 2018 ....................................................................................... 53
3. Panj Tirath – National Heritage site ................................................................................................. 53
4. Andhra’s petroglyph site .................................................................................................................. 54
5. Agasthyarkoodam ............................................................................................................................ 54
6. Harappan couple grave..................................................................................................................... 55
7. Mudiyettu ......................................................................................................................................... 55
8. Andhra Art and Craft ....................................................................................................................... 56
9. World Capital of Architecture.......................................................................................................... 57
10. Guru Gobind Singh ........................................................................................................................ 57
11. Pakke Hornbill Fest ........................................................................................................................ 58
MISCELLANEOUS ................................................................................................................................ 59
1. Mandal Dam project......................................................................................................................... 59
2. Asia Competitiveness Institute’s (ACI) EDB index ........................................................................ 59
3. Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development ................................................................ 59
4. Global Talent Competitive Index 2019 ............................................................................................ 60
5. Project ReWeave .............................................................................................................................. 60
PIB CORNER.......................................................................................................................................... 62
1. Samwad with Students ..................................................................................................................... 62
2. National Health Authority................................................................................................................ 62
3. Yarn Bank scheme ........................................................................................................................... 62
4. Green – Ag Project ........................................................................................................................... 62
5. Implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord ................................................................................ 63
6. Reducing Carbon Emissions ............................................................................................................ 64
7. Manufacturing of Medical Devices.................................................................................................. 65
8. India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway ................................................................................. 65
9. Mission Indradhanush ...................................................................................................................... 65
10. Issues at WTO ................................................................................................................................ 66
11. India- Brazil ................................................................................................................................... 66
12. Labour Code on Industrial Relations ............................................................................................. 66
13. Gangajal project ............................................................................................................................. 67
14. NCDC’s model for cooperatives .................................................................................................... 67
15. Recombinant ELISA kits ............................................................................................................... 68

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 16. #www : Web- WonderWomen ..................................................................................................... 68
17. India-Denmark ............................................................................................................................... 68
18. Sino-Indian Digital Collaboration Plaza (SIDCOP) ...................................................................... 69
19. Indus Food 2019............................................................................................................................. 69
20. Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) .............................................................................................. 69
21. Womaniya on GeM ........................................................................................................................ 70
22. Global Housing Technology Challenge-India ............................................................................... 70
23. DD Science and India Science ....................................................................................................... 71
24. India-Australia ............................................................................................................................... 72
26. Saksham 2019 ................................................................................................................................ 72
27. UNNATI ........................................................................................................................................ 72
28. Lithium Ion Giga Factory .............................................................................................................. 73
29. ‘Shehri Samridhi Utsav’................................................................................................................. 73
30. National Museum of Indian Cinema .............................................................................................. 74
31. Exercise SEA VIGIL ..................................................................................................................... 74
32. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).............................................................................................. 75
33. India Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX) - 2019 ................................................................... 75
34. Philip Kotler Award ....................................................................................................................... 75
35. Bio-Jet Fuel .................................................................................................................................... 76
36. Vande Bharat Express .................................................................................................................... 76
37. Republic Day folk dances .............................................................................................................. 77
38. National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) ........................................................... 77
39. International Stock Taking Conference on Tiger Conservation .................................................... 77
40. Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) ........................................................... 78
41. Domestic Council for Gems & Jewellery ...................................................................................... 78
42. GST Appellate Tribunal ................................................................................................................. 79
ACTS/BILLS CORNER ......................................................................................................................... 80
1. 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act .............................................................................................. 80
2. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018
.............................................................................................................................................................. 81
3. Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 ......................................................................................... 83
4. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 .................................................................................... 84
5. Armed forces (Special Powers) Act - AFSPA ................................................................................. 85
6. The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 .................................................................. 87
7. The Dam Safety Bill, 2018 .............................................................................................................. 89

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 8. The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 ............................................................. 91
9. The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2018 ............................................................ 92
10. The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill - 2019 .......................................... 94
RSTV CORNER...................................................................................................................................... 97
1. Universal Basic Income ................................................................................................................... 97
2. Eradicating Poverty .......................................................................................................................... 98
3. Draft Emigration Bill ..................................................................................................................... 100
4. India’s China-Pak Policy ............................................................................................................... 101
5. Rising Trust in Governments ......................................................................................................... 103
LSTV CORNER .................................................................................................................................... 105
1. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019 ........................................................................................................ 105
2. US Shutdown & Defiant Trump .................................................................................................... 106
YOJANA CORNER .............................................................................................................................. 108
1. Scientific Innovations in the service of the society........................................................................ 108
2. Capitalizing on Technology for Farmer’s welfare ......................................................................... 108
3. Atal Innovation Mission- Contributing to a Knowledge Based Revolution .................................. 110
KURUKSHETRA CORNER ................................................................................................................ 112
1. Empowerment of Youth through Skilling ...................................................................................... 112
2. Education Initiatives for Rural Youth ............................................................................................ 113
3. ICTs for Empowering Rural Youth ............................................................................................... 115
FRONTLINE/EPW CORNER .............................................................................................................. 117
1. The roles of top-10 central Intelligence and Investigation Agencies in India ............................... 117
2. Hollowing out of Judiciary ............................................................................................................ 119
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS .................................................................................................... 121
ANSWERS ............................................................................................................................................ 124

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POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Renaming Allahabad
News: The Union Home Ministry has approved an Uttar Pradesh government proposal to rename
Allahabad as Prayagraj.

Procedure for renaming a place

 Under the government guidelines for the renaming of railway stations, villages, towns and cities, it
is mandatory to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Union Home Ministry by the
respective state government.
 The Union Home Ministry considers the proposals of name change according to the existing
guidelines in consultations with agencies concerned.
 It gives its approval to the change of name of any place after taking no-objections from the Ministry
of Railways, Department of Posts and Survey of India.
 These organisations have to confirm that there is no such city, town or village in their records with
a name similar to the proposed one.
 For changing the name of a village or town or a city, an executive order is needed.

Pending proposals
 The plan to rename Faizabad district in Uttar Pradesh as Ayodhya is yet to come in from the State
government.
 A proposal to rename West Bengal as Bangla is pending as the Ministry of External Affairs is
understood to have expressed its reservation over the new name, as it sounds similar to Bangladesh.

Procedure for renaming a state

 The renaming of states is governed by Article 3 of the Constitution of India. The Article empowers
the Parliament to alter the name of any State by law.
 A bill for the same is presented in the Parliament with the prior recommendation of the President.
 The President then refers the bill to the concerned state Legislature for a specified period for
expressing its views.
 The Parliament may or may not accept the recommendations of the State government.
 The bill is then passed by a simple majority in each House and is not deemed to be an amendment
to the Constitution under Article 4.
 The bill is then assented to by the President and its changed name is listed in Schedule 1 and
Schedule 4 of the Constitution.

2. Lokpal
News: The Supreme Court fixed a February-end deadline for the search committee on Lokpal to
recommend a panel of names for appointment of the country's first anti-graft ombudsman.

Details
 A bench headed by Chief Justice directed the Centre to provide the search committee requisite
infrastructure and manpower to enable it to complete its work.
 The bench said it would hear the matter again in March.
 Attorney General, appearing for the Centre, told the bench there were certain problems like lack of
infrastructure and manpower due to which the search committee was not able to hold deliberations
on the issue.

Background
 The concept of Lokpal was taken from Sweden during the time of Nehru government and the terms

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 ‘Lokpal’ and ‘Lokayukta’ was coined by L.M.Singhvi.
 Thereafter, the 1966 Administrative Reforms Commission headed by Morarji Desai had also
suggested various measures to check corruption in political circles and the formation of Lokpal and
Lokayukta.
 The idea could not fructify as there was a debate on whether Lokpal’s jurisdiction should include
the Prime Minister.
 Then there was another debate whether Lokpal should be a single member or multi-member forum.
 The debate came to an end with Anna Hazare’s fast unto death when UPA government passed the
Lokpal and Lokayukta bill in 2013 which became into effect from 2014.
 The Centre in September, 2018 had constituted an eight-member search committee headed by
former apex court judge Justice Desai to recommend names to the selection panel for appointment
of a Lokpal.
 Though the committee had met several times, it had failed to select a Lokpal.

Role of Lokpal and its Significance

 The role of the Lokpal is to enquire into corruption cases.
 Though there are other bodies like Central Vigilance Commission, Enforcement Directorate, etc to
enquire into corruption cases, Lokpal is different as it has a wider jurisdiction, over top executives
including the Prime Minister.
 It will check political corruption.
 The constitution of the Lokpal would prove good in the present era where many of the institutions
are losing its credibility.
 It will also help in checking the encroachment of the judiciary in many areas like sharing executive
powers with the judiciary as in appointments.

Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013

 It envisages the establishment of anti-graft body Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to
look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants.
 Under the Act, the high-level selection committee for appoin tments to Lokpal comprises the Prime
Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, the Leader of Opposition (LoP), the Chief Justice of India and an
eminent jurist chosen by them.
 Composition: chairperson and a maximum of eight members, of which 50 per cent shall be judicial
members, 50 per cent of members of Lokpal shall be from SC/ST/OBCs, minorities and women.
 Term of Office: 5 years or 70 years whichever is earlier.
 Jurisdiction: The Lokpal will cover all categories of public servants, including the Prime Minister.
But the armed forces do not come under the ambit of Lokpal.
 Confiscation: The Act also incorporates provisions for attachment and confiscation of property
acquired by corrupt means, even while the prosecution is pending.
 Lokayukta: The States will have to institute Lokayukta within one year of the commencement of
the Act.
 Investigatory powers: The Lokpal can summon or question any public servant if there exists a
prima facie case against the person, even before an investigation agency (such as vigilance or CBI)
has begun the probe. Any officer of the CBI investigating a case referred to it by the Lokpal, shall
not be transferred without the approval of the Lokpal.
 Timeframe: An investigation must be completed within six months. However, the Lokpal or
Lokayukta may allow extensions of six months at a time provided the reasons for the need of such
extensions are given in writing.
 Special courts: Special courts will be instituted to conduct trials on cases referred by Lokpal. The
Lokpal can award fine up to Rs. 2 lakh for “false, frivolous or vexatious” complaints.
 Removal: On grounds of misbehavior, after a President’s reference, on a petition signed by 100
members, to the Supreme Court who shall enquire the same.

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Challenges
 A Lokpal was not constituted for five years though the act was enacted in 2013.
 The constitution of the Lokpal requires a Leader of the Opposition which is not there in the present
Parliament as the party in opposition could not garner 1/10 th of the seats in the Lok Sabha as per the
Constitutional requirements.
 There are apprehensions on the dimensions the Lokpal institution could take and its likely clash
with other corruption investigating agencies.
 Many states have appointed Lokayukta but does not have good experiences with the institution as
most of the cases carried forward are cases of misgovernance or non-governance rather than
corruption charges.
 The institution also raises doubts given the present case going on in the highest investigation
agency, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and how effective it would be in a democracy like
India.
 There are apprehensions among the political class whether this institution would be used by
successive governments to raise cases against the previous governments.
 Lokpal is dependent on CBI for enquiry of cases as it does not have a separate investigation wing.
 States can refuse enquiry by the CBI in their states.
 The reservation of posts in the institution is flawed as it is an ombudsman where expertise should
be given more priority.

Way forward
 Lokpal should be instituted as per the Act.
 The Lokpal should be strengthened to function in a hassle free environment.
 The existing flaws in the institution should be plugged.
 Any flaws that may be found after its formation should be dealt with in due course of procedure.

3. Staff Selection Commission

News: A Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) has recommended that the Centre accord statutory
status to the Staff Selection Commission (SSC).

Details
 It is one of the largest recruitment agencies in the country.
 Unlike Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and all State Public Service Commissions which
either have constitutional or legal status, SSC does not have a legal status though it performs similar
functions.
 It is an “attached body” under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
 The SSC was created to ease the burden of the UPSC by taking over the recruitment for posts below
the Group ‘A’ level.
 At present, the SSC has a sanctioned staff strength of 481 officers but is functioning with 75% of its
sanctioned strength.

Significance of statutory status

 At present, SSC has to depend entirely on the government for all its needs, with no autonomy.
 According statutory status to the SSC would contribute to
greater functional autonomy
faster decision-making
efficiency in the overall performance
delivery of results by the SSC in the recruitment process
 An expert group constituted by the government in 2014, for reviewing the examination system in
the SSC, had recommended according statutory status to the Commission.
 Also, it becomes significant as SSC would be conducting the Common Eligibility Test at three

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 levels — Matriculation, Higher Secondary and Graduation — and would attract around 5 crore
candidates, making it the largest examination in the world.

4. Umesh Sinha Report

News: A committee headed by Umesh Sinha constituted by the RBI to suggest changes to Section 126
and other sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RP Act) submitted its report.

Section126 of RP Act
 Section 126 of the Representation of the People, 1951, prohibits displaying any election matter by
means, inter alia, of television or similar apparatus, during the period of 48 hours before the hour
fixed for conclusion of poll in a constituency.
 It does not mention social media.
 Also, there is no stipulation on the timing of manifesto launch for political parties.

Committee’s Agenda
 Study and examine the present provisions of the Section 126 and other related Sections and identify
difficulties/critical gaps to regulate the violation of the said provisions of the act
 Examine the difficulties faced in regulating media platforms during the prohibitory 48 hours in a
multi-phase election
 Study the impact of new media and social media during the prohibitory 48 hours and its implication
in view of Section 126
 Suggest changes to the model code of conduct (MCC)

Suggestions
 It recommended that a 'Code of Ethics for Media during Elections for poll coverage by print,
electronic and internet-based/social media.
 The code may be enforced by a committee led by senior Election Commission officer and
comprising representatives from various social media organisations, media regulatory bodies and
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
 The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) should be amended to ensure that political parties release their
manifesto at least 72 hours before voting ends in the first phase of polls.
 The provision of “election silence” be extended to cover print and social media, internet, cable
channels and online version of print media.
 Social media agencies be asked to label political advertisements to separate them from other
content, and maintain an account of expenditure incurred by political parties and candidates for
advertising on their platforms.
 During multi-phase elections, when poll campaign is on in some seats while silence period in
others, political parties and candidates should not make any reference, direct or indirect, seeking
support for seats covered under the silence period.
 Also, during such time, political party leaders should refrain from addressing media through press
conferences or give interviews on election-related issues.
 Social media platforms should work with the EC to evolve a mechanism by which the latter can
flag content violating electoral law and social media sites can take it down as soon as possible.
 EC should issue directions to private cable TV channels to follow NBSA guidelines for election
broadcasts during the poll period.
 The recommendation was made after consultation with major stakeholders including political
parties, News Broadcasters Association, the Internet and Mobile Association of India and
representatives of Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, and Google

Press Council of India guidelines

It says print media must

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 report objectively
not pursue unhealthy or communal/casteist poll campaigns
refrain from personal attacks on candidates
shun financial inducements for favouring a particular party or candidate
not publish ads showcasing achievements of party in power

Guidelines issued by National Broadcasting Standards Authority

It says electronic media must
report objectively
disclose political affiliations, if any
avoid rumours
resist political/financial pressures that may affect election coverage
maintain clear distinction between editorial and expert opinion
air reports based on facts, devoid of any communal references
disclose pollster's identity

Benefits
The recommendations made by the Committee, when implemented (after adoption by the ECI with
necessary modification or additions), will help in minimizing the possible interference of activities
which aim at indirectly influencing voters during the valuable silence period of 48 hours provided to
them.

5. Right to disconnect Bill

News: The Right to Disconnect Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha.

What is the Bill about?

 The Right to Disconnect Bill, introduced by a private member, gives employees the right to not
respond to calls or any kind of communications from the employers after office hours.
 It aims at “reducing stress and ease tension between an employee’s personal and professional life.”

Provisions of the Bill

 Set up an Employee Welfare Authority, which will publish reports related to the impact employees
have from prolonged use of digital tools beyond office hours and it will also create a charter
defining employee-employer negotiation.
 It will apply to companies with more than 10 employees.
 Companies would periodically negotiate specific terms with their workers, publish their own
charter, and create an Employee Welfare Committee consisting of representatives of the company’s
workforce.
 No disciplinary action can be taken against an employee for not responding to the employer after
work hours.
 Provide employees with counselling for work-life balance, digital detox centres for “reasonable
personal use of digital and communication tools”, and overtime pay for working beyond stipulated
hours.
 It also imposes a penalty of 1% of the employee’s total remuneration for violation of the rules.

Global Rules
 Presently, France in the only country in the world to have a legal provision allowing employees to
refuse or not take calls and reply to emails after working hours. The law, which introduced the
"right to disconnect", was passed in the year 2017.
 In Spain, regardless of the number of employees, all companies must create right to disconnect
policies. New York is also mulling over such a bill.

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 German car and truck maker Daimler made the bold step of introducing software that automatically
deletes any emails you get while on vacation, back in 2014.
 It was reported in 2012 that Volkswagen had reached an agreement with the company’s work
council that its Blackberry servers would stop routing emails to workers half an hour after the end
of their shifts, and only start again half an hour before their next shift.
 There have been attempts to bring about such laws in other countries as well, including in Italy and
the Philippines.

Why it became necessary?

 Background Anxiety: Always being connected has been taking a toll on workers the world over,
studies show. Even though not at home, employees have the stress of being available on call.
 No Down Time: A 2016 study found that always being on call is linked with decreased calmness,
mood and energy levels.
 Bad Sleep: Another study by researchers from Northern Illinois University showed that workers
who answered work-related emails after 9pm had worse quality of sleep.
 According to experts, work-related stress can often lead to a lot of physical and mental ailments
including depression, which might go undiagnosed.

Private member’s bill

 A bill introduced by a member other than a Minister is called a private member’s bill.
 Two and a half hours are allotted on every alternate Friday during a session for transaction of
business relating to Private Members Resolutions.
 The Speaker/Chairman allows the resolution only after one month’s prior notice.
 The bills are examined by the Committee on Private Members Bills and Resolutions and those
recommended are put down for introduction.
 The bills prioritized by the Committee are taken up for consideration with rest of the procedure
being same as that of the ordinary bills.
 No bill introduced by a private member has become an Act since 1970.

6. Strengthening North-East Autonomous Councils

News: The Union Cabinet approved a Constitutional amendment to increase the financial and executive
powers of the 10 autonomous councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the northeast.

Amendments in the Constitution

 Article 280
The Finance Commission would be mandated to recommend devolution of financial resources
to the councils.
 Sixth schedule
At least one third of the seats would be reserved for women in the village and municipal
councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura.
Transfer of additional 30 subjects including departments of Public Works, Forests, Public
Health Engineering, Health and Family Welfare, Urban Development and Food and Civil
Supply to Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council and Dima Hasao Autonomous
Territorial Council in Assam.
Elected village municipal councils to ensure democracy at the grass-roots level
The village councils would be empowered to prepare plans for economic development and
social justice including those related to agriculture, land improvement, implementation of land
reforms, minor irrigation, water management, animal husbandry, rural electrification, small
scale industries and social forestry.

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 The State Election Commissions would hold elections to the autonomous councils, village and
municipal councils in the areas of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura. There would be a provision for
anti-defection too.
Renaming the existing autonomous councils as the present jurisdiction of these councils extend
to more than one district.
 Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC)
 Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council (DHATC)
 Garo Hills Autonomous Territorial Council (GHATC)
 Khasi Hills Autonomous Territorial Council (KHATC)
 Jaintia Hills Autonomous Territorial Council (JHATC)
 Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous Territorial Council (TTAATC)

Significance
 The amendment would impact a population of about 1 crore tribals living in Assam, Meghalaya,
Tripura and Mizoram, according to the Centre.
 The most important part of these amendments is that these will significantly improve the financial
resources and powers of the autonomous districts councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and
Tripura, fulfilling long-standing aspirations of the tribal population in these Northeastern States.

Sixth Schedule of the Constitution: Provisions relating to the administration of tribal areas in the
states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram
The tribal areas in Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya have been constituted as
autonomous districts and fall within the executive authority of the state concerned.
The governor can divide the autonomous district into autonomous regions if there are several
tribes in an autonomous region.
The governor can increase, decrease, and alter the boundaries or names of autonomous
districts.
Each autonomous district has a District Council.
The schedule also specifies the legislative, executive, judicial and financial functions of the
Autonomous District Councils.

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INDIAN ECONOMY
1. RBI reserves ratio
News: A report by consultancy firm Quantum Advisors found that RBI's reserves as a percentage of its
balance sheet is among the highest in comparison to that of the central banks of 10 comparable
economies.

Details
 The analysis compared the balance sheets of the
central banks of BRICS countries, Fragile Five
nations and three developed economies.
 It found that the RBI’s reserves form 26.2% its
balance sheet. Only two central banks — those of
South Africa and Russia — have a reserve ratio
higher than this.
 However, the bulk of these reserves are arising out of
the revaluation of its assets.
 For example, 100 billion invested in 2010 at
USD/INR of 45, valued today at USD/INR of 70, will
show a valuation gain when reported in INR terms.
 All such gains are non-cash, notional and are shown Image Credit: The Hindu
as higher asset values and as revaluation reserves on the liabilities side.
 These gains from the currency exchange movement will be booked and the cash realised only when
the assets are sold.
 Thus the RBI does not have very high free cash reserves that it can give back to the government.

Suggested options for RBI

The report has suggested the following options for RBI if the government insists on transfers of
reserves
1. Sell its foreign bonds or government bonds, depending on how much the Centre asks for. This is
risky as RBI’s remaining foreign exchange assets might not be enough to handle the next financial
crisis and will be viewed negatively by foreign investors.
2. Waive its rights over those bonds, thus reducing its asset holdings and reducing the government’s
liabilities. Thus markets don’t get disrupted and the government gets a fiscal benefit of lower
outstanding debt to that extent

RBI’s reserves
RBI maintains two major types of reserves.
1. A revaluation fund
It has to be adjusted depending on the changes in the value of the dollar and gold portfolios.
This is a standard accounting requirement.
A sharp depreciation of the rupee or a fall in international gold prices will eat into these
reserves.
Most of the reserves that RBI holds are in the form of revaluation reserves.
They have moved in tandem with the increase in foreign exchange plus gold holdings.
As a share of the RBI’s forex and gold reserves, revaluation reserves have declined slightly in
recent years.
2. Contingency reserves
It is needed for the Indian central bank to conduct its usual functions.
RBI's contingency funds have barely grown over the past years.
 Almost all the increase in RBI’s capital base in the post-crisis era is because of revaluation fund

13
 rather than contingency reserves.

2. U K Sinha Committee
News: The RBI has appointed an eight-member expert committee headed by former SEBI chairman
U.K. Sinha to suggest long-term solutions for the economic and financial sustainability of the MSME
sector.

Agenda of the committee

 Review the current institutional framework in place to support the MSME sector
 Study the impact of the recent economic reforms on the sector
 Identify the structural problems affecting its growth
 Examine the factors affecting the timely and adequate availability of finance to the sector.
 Study the global best practices with respect to MSMEs and recommend its adoption in India
 Review the existing MSME focused policies and its impact on the sector
 Propose measures for leveraging technology in accelerating growth of the sector
 The expert committee will submit its report by the end of June, 2019.

MSME sector
 They are called the “engines of growth” in India.
 Such enterprises contribute about 40% to India’s export and 45% in the manufacturing sector.
 It also contributes around 8% to the GDP of India.
 It provides employment to a large number of people in India.
 Support and Outreach initiative was one of the recent initiatives launched for the MSME sector.

3. Nandan Nilekani committee

News: The Reserve Bank of India has set up a committee headed by Nandan Nilekani, former chairman
of the Unique Identification Authority of India, to encourage digitisation of payments and enhance
financial inclusion.

Details
 The committee will review the existing status of digitisation of payments in the country, identify the
current gaps in the ecosystem and suggest ways to bridge them.
 It will also assess the current levels of digital payments in financial inclusion.
 The five-member panel will also undertake cross-country analyses to identify the best practices that
can be adopted in our country to accelerate digitisation of the economy and financial inclusion
through greater use of digital payments.
 It will also suggest measures to strengthen the safety and security of digital payments as well as a
medium term strategy for deepening of digital payments.
 The committee will submit its report within 90 days from the date of its first meeting.

Growth of digitalisation
 India’s card payments increased 43% to 10.61 trillion rupees from the preceding year.
 According to RBI data, (Unified Payments Interface) UPI-based payments increased 16 times year-
on-year to 1.01 trillion rupees.
 Digital payments in India are expected to rise by five times to$1 trillion by 2023, according to
Credit Suisse.

Earlier committees
 In 2016, a committee formed by the finance ministry under the chairmanship of former finance
secretary Ratan Watal submitted its report on the status of digital payments and the way forward.
 After demonetisation in November 2016, the government set up a panel to promote digital
14
 payments under the leadership of Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu.
 An inter-ministerial committee for finalising amendments to the Payments and Settlement Systems
Act submitted its report to the finance ministry in 2018.

4. Tokenisation
News: Reserve Bank of India released guidelines on tokenisation for various card transactions,
including from debit and credit cards.

What is tokenisation?
 It refers to replacement of actual card details with a unique alternate code called the ‘token’, which
shall be unique for a combination of card, token requestor and identified device.
 Instead of using actual card details, this token is used to perform card transactions in contactless
mode at point of sale (POS) terminals, quick response (QR) code payments.

Guidelines
 Permission has been granted to offer tokenised card transactions services to all channels such as
near field communication (NFC), magnetic secure transmission (MST) based contactless
transactions, in-app payments, QR code-based payments.
 At present, tokenised card transaction facility would be offered through mobile phones or tablets
only and will be extended to other devices later based on experience.
 Tokenisation and de-tokenisation shall be performed only by the authorised card network and
recovery of original Primary Account Number (PAN) should be feasible for the authorised card
network only.
 The request for tokenisation and de-tokenisation should be logged by the card network and
available for retrieval.
 A customer would not have to pay any charges for availing this service.

Image Credit: Livemint

Significance
Providing card tokenisation services, authorised card payment networks shall put in place a mechanism
for periodic system audit, at least annually, of all entities involved in providing card tokenisation
services to customers.

Benefits
 It increases safety and security of the payment system as the card information is not disclosed to the
15
 website or merchant being transacted with.
 Tokens are specific to a card, transaction and device. So, the token cannot be used by the merchant
or anyone else for any other purpose than it was actually intended for.
 Also more secure features can be incorporated in a token to include other variables like value and
time of transactions to make it unusable for any purpose other than it is actually intended for.

5. The Economist’s Democracy Index 2018

News: India was ranked at the 41st position in the Economist’s Democracy Index 2018 released
recently.

About the Index

 The Economist’s Democracy Index 2018 is released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
 The Economist Intelligence Unit operates as an independent research and analysis business within
the London-based Economist Group, the media company that publishes The Economist.
 Democracy Index is based on five categories:
electoral process and pluralism
functioning of government
political participation
political culture
civil liberties
The report defines a flawed
 Based on their scores on 60 indicators within these
democracy as nations that “have
categories, each country is then itself classified as one
free and fair elections and, even if
of four types of regime:
there are problems (such as
full democracy
infringements on media freedom),
flawed democracy
basic civil liberties are respected.
hybrid regime
However, there are significant
authoritarian regime
weaknesses in other aspects of
 Each category gets a score ranging between 0 and 10,
democracy, including problems in
with the final score being the average.
governance, an underdeveloped
 The report released recently had the index titled
political culture and low levels of
‘Democracy 2018: Me too? Political Participation,
political participation.”
Protest & Democracy’

Rankings
 India is ranked at 41.
 It has been classified as a ‘flawed democracy’ for four years.
 India achieved a score of 7.23 on the index to maintain its position – the same it did last year.
 This is the lowest ever score attributed to India in the index ever since its publication.
 India ranks below the US (ranked 25th in the index) and other so called ‘flawed democracies’ like
Italy, France, Botswana and South Africa.
 The countries at the top of the Democracy Index are Norway, Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand, and
Denmark.
 They are each declared as “full democracies.”

6. Henley Passport Index

News: Indian passport was ranked to be the 79th powerful passport according to the Henley Passport
Index released recently.

About the Index

 Henley & Partner's list is one of several indexes created by financial firms to rank global passports
according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
16
 The Henley Passport Index is based on data provided by the International Air Transport Authority
(IATA) and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations.
 It is updated in real time throughout the year, as and when visa policy changes come into effect.

Rankings
 India jumped two positions from 81st in 2018 to 79th in 2019.
 The country with the world's most powerful passport in 2019 is Japan.
 Japan retained its top spot as the world's most travel-friendly passport owing to the document's
access to 190 countries.
 China jumped almost 20 places in just two years, from 85th in 2017 to 69th this year.
 Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal ranked further low at 104, 102 and 94 respectively.
 Pakistani passport is better than only four other countries including Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan and
Iraq.

7. World Gold Council Report

News: The World Gold Council predicted that Gold will shine better in 2019 due to global financial
market instability, monetary policy and the US dollar and structural economic reforms

Details
 WGC said increased market uncertainty and the expansion of protectionist economic policies will
make gold increasingly attractive as a hedge in 2019.
 While gold may face headwinds from higher interest rates and US dollar strength, these effects are
expected to be limited.
 Emerging markets like India and China, making up 70 per cent of global gold consumer demand,
are very relevant to the long-term performance of gold.
 Structural economic reforms in these markets will continue to support demand for gold in jewellery,
technology and as means of savings.

World Gold Council

 It is an association whose members comprise the world’s leading gold mining companies.
 It is the market development organisation for the gold industry.
 It helps to support its members to mine in a responsible way and developed the Conflict Free Gold
Standard.
 They also provide analysis of the industry, offering insights into the drivers of gold demand.
 Headquartered in London United Kingdom, they have offices in India, China, Singapore, Japan and
the United States.

8. Vision 2040 in Aviation

News: The Ministry of Civil Aviation unveiled the Vision 2040 document recently.

Details
Vision 2040 highlights the growth potential in different sub-sectors of Indian aviation and the key
action steps are required to be taken to achieve the desired objective.

Vision 2040
 Visions
The overall compound annual growth rate (CAGR) works out to around 9% in domestic and 7%
in international traffic during FY 2018-2040.
The CAGR has been calculated keeping in mind aviation is a long term plan where aircraft
procurement, airport development, air navigation system changes and skill development should
be done in a cohesive manner.
17
 The document talks about India having a robust 20-year plan that lays out the targets and the
path to get there along with time lines and clear accountability.
With the right policies and a relentless focus on execution, India can surprise the world by not
just meeting but exceeding the Vision 2040 targets
 India’s aviation market
The Indian aviation market is on a high growth path.
Total passenger traffic to, from and within India, during Apr-Nov 2018 grew by around 15%
year on year as compared to around 6% globally.
India is now the seventh largest aviation market with 187 million passengers (to, from and
within India) in FY2017-18.
It is expected to be third largest by 2022.
 Government initiatives that are bringing change
Nabh Nirman - for airport capacity augmentation
Digi Yatra - for paperless travel
AirSewa - for online passenger grievance redressal
 Way forward
The tax structure for Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)
and aircraft leasing may be gradually aligned with leading global jurisdictions.
The government may consider establishing a Nabh Nirman Fund (NNF) with a starting corpus
of around $2 billion to support low traffic airports in their initial phases.

9. Debts and Liabilities

News: Centre’s debt-to-GDP ratio decreased while that of the states increased from 2013-14 to 2017-18

Details
Status Paper on Government Debt for 2017-18 was released recently.
The report says Centre is moving in the right direction in terms of meeting the N.K. Singh Committee
recommendations on public debt while the states are not.

Debt
 The Centre’s total debt as a percentage of GDP N.K. Singh Committee
reduced to 46.5% in 2017-18 from 47.5% as of March  The N.K. Singh-headed FRBM
31, 2014. (Fiscal Responsibility and
 The total debt of the States, however, has been rising Budget Management) Review
over this period, to 24% in 2017-18, and is estimated Committee report had
to be 24.3% in 2018-19. recommended the ratio to be
 Concern 40% for the Centre and 20% for
The increase in the debt stock at the State level is the States, respectively, by 2023.
worrying because they don’t have the wherewithal  It said that the 60%
to service the debt if it goes beyond a certain point. consolidated Central and State
They could then start getting into a debt trap debt limit was consistent with
situation. international best practices, and
was an essential parameter to
State’s outstanding liability attract a better rating from the
 Outstanding liabilities of States have increased sharply credit ratings agencies.
during 2015-16 and 2016-17, following the issuance of
UDAY bonds in these two years
 It was reflected in an increase in liability-GDP ratio from 21.7% at end-March 2015 to 23.4% at
end-March 2016 and further to 23.8% at end-March 2017.
 The total outstanding liabilities, as a percentage of GDP, stood at 24% at the end of March 2018
and are expected to move upward to 24.3% at end-March 2019.

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 It begins to look increasingly unlikely that the States will meet their 20% debt-GDP ratio target by
2023.

Way forward
 The report says that the States do have some fiscal space to reduce their borrowing in the coming
years due to the large cash surpluses they hold.
 State governments as a group have exhibited a tendency to hold large cash surpluses/investments in
Cash Balance Investment Account on a consistent basis while at the same time resorting to market
borrowings to finance their GFD (Gross Fiscal Deficit).
 This indicates scope for reducing the quantum of market borrowings by State governments in case
they bring down their cash surpluses (parked as investment in treasury bills of the Central
government).

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POLICIES AND SCHEMES
1. Draft National Policy on Domestic Workers
News: The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified the draft National Policy on
Domestic Workers.

Aim
It is aimed at providing recognition to domestic workers besides making them eligible for minimum
wages, social security and safe working conditions

Salient features
 Inclusion of Domestic Workers in the existing legislations
 Domestic workers will have the right to register as unorganized workers. Such registration will
facilitate their access to rights & benefits.
 Right to form their own associations/unions
 Right to minimum wages, access to social security
 Right to enhance their skills
 Protection of Domestic Workers from abuse and exploitation
 Domestic Workers to have access to courts, tribunals for grievance redressal
 Establishment of a mechanism for regulation of private placement agencies
 Establishment of a grievance redressal system for domestic workers

Facts
 As per the National Sample Survey, there are an estimated 39 lakhs people employed as domestic
workers by private households, of which 26 lakhs are female domestic workers.
 The Central Government is already implementing Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008,
to provide social security relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age
protection to the unorganised workers including domestic workers.

3. ‘Ama Ghare LED’ scheme

News: ‘Ama Ghare LED’ scheme was launched by Odisha.

Details
 Each beneficiary family will get four LED bulbs free of cost under the scheme.
 The LED bulbs (9-watt each) will be distributed to the beneficiaries registered under the National
Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS).

Benefits
 It will benefit about 95 lakh families in the State.
 Electricity bills of people will be reduced as they use incandescent or CFL bulbs available at a
lesser price but consume more electricity.

4. Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana

News: Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana was launched on Pravasi Bharati Diwas.

Details
 Under the scheme, a group of Indian diaspora would be taken on a government sponsored tour of
religious places in India twice a year.
 They will be taken to religious places of all major religions in India and the government will bear

20
 all the expenses including the airfare from the country of residence.
 All people of Indian-origin aged 45 to 65 can apply and a group will be selected out of them with
first preference given to people from 'Girmitiya countries' such as Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname,
Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.

Girimitya countries
 Girmityas or Jahajis are descendants of indentured Indian labourers brought to Fiji, Mauritius,
South Africa, East Africa, the Malay Peninsula, Caribbean and South America (Trinidad and
Tobago, Guyana and Suriname) to work on sugarcane plantations for the prosperity of the European
settlers
 "Girmit", refers to the "Agreement" of the British Government with the Indian labourers as to the
length of stay in Fiji and the Caribbean, and when they would be allowed to go back to India.

5. Yuva Swabhiman Yojana

News: Yuva Swabhiman Yojana was launched by the Madhya Pradesh government for youths from the
economically weaker sections in urban areas.

Details
 Under this scheme, 100 days of employment will be provided to youths from economically weaker
sections in urban areas.
 They will also be provided skill training.
 The benefit of the scheme can be taken by such urban youth in 21-30 age group whose income is
maximum Rs 2 lakh annually. Rs 4 thousand per month stipend will be provided to the youth.
 Six lakh 50 thousand youth of the state will be trained under the scheme.
 It is aimed at providing employment to those people who have been left out of Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

6. KALIA scheme
News: Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme has been
launched by Odisha to accelerate Agricultural Prosperity and reduce poverty in the State..

Details
 Under the scheme, financial assistance will be provided to all farmers.
 It is targeted at small farmers, cultivators and landless agricultural labourers.
 All farmers will be provided Rs 10,000 per family as assistance for cultivation.
 Each family will get Rs 5,000 separately in the kharif and rabi seasons, for five cropping seasons
between 2018-19 and 2021-22.
 The scheme targets 10 lakh landless households, and specifically SC and ST families.
 The KALIA scheme includes a life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh and additional personal accident
coverage of the same amount for 57 lakh households.
 Crop loans up to Rs. 50,000 are interest-free.
 Employee of the Government/PSU and income tax payee/farmers are excluded from the scheme.

Benefits
 The scheme will benefit 92% of the cultivators in the state.
 It will include every category from big farmers to landless cultivators.
 It is not linked to the amount of land held by the farmer.
 The scheme has been made equitable, looking at the best-case/worst-case scenario problems of a
small farmer.
 It will assist the elderly, sick and differently-abled population who are unable to take up cultivation,
by providing Rs 10,000 per household per year.
21
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. U.S. & Israel withdraws from UNESO
News: The United States and Israel have formally quit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Details
 The withdrawal was announced more than a year ago amid concerns that the organization fosters
anti-Israel bias: blasted for criticizing Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem, naming ancient Jewish
sites as Palestinian heritage sites and granting full membership to Palestine in 2011.
 The United States has pulled out of UNESCO before. The Reagan administration did so in 1984
because it viewed the agency as mismanaged, corrupt and used to advance Soviet interests. The
U.S. rejoined in 2003.

Impact
 It serves a new blow to UNESCO, co-founded by the U.S. after World War II to foster peace.
 The withdrawals will not greatly impact UNESCO financially, since it has been dealing with a
funding slash ever since 2011 when both Israel and the U.S. stopped paying dues after Palestine
was voted in as a member state.
 Since then officials estimate that the U.S., which accounted for around 22 percent of the total
budget, has accrued $600 million in unpaid dues, which was one of the reasons for President
Donald Trump's decision to withdraw. Israel owes an estimated $10 million.

UNESCO
 It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris.
 Its declared purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration
through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for
justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United
Nations Charter.
 It is the successor of the League of Nations' International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation.
 UNESCO is best known for its work to preserve heritage, including maintaining a list of World
Heritage sites, and programmes to promote education in developing countries.
 UNESCO has acted as a catalyst for the establishment of scientific unions and bodies such as
CERN and initiatives with far-reaching implications for sustainable human security and well-being,
such as the Man and the Biosphere Programme.
 Gender Parity Index is released by UNESCO.

2. India-South Africa
News: India and South Africa sealed a three year strategic programme to further boost cooperation in a
number of key areas after talks between Prime Minister and South African (SA) President.

Details
 SA President said his country was looking at a "result oriented" partnership with India through
implementation of the three-year strategic exchange programme.
 The strategic programme will cover cooperation in a range of areas including defence and security,
trade and investment, the blue economy, tourism, IT and agriculture.
 South African President was the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade. It was the fourth meeting
between PM and SA President within a year.
 He will be the second dignitary from South Africa to be invited as chief guest to the military
parade, which is the highlight of the Republic Day celebrations. Prior to this, India had invited

22
 former president Nelson Mandela as the guest of honor at the celebrations in 1995.

Background of SA President
 SA President is heading for elections at the same time of Indian elections in May, 2019.
 The SA President, Cyril Ramaphosa was the trade union leader of South Africa which was the
crucial form of struggle against aparthied
 He was the chief negotiator under Nelson Mandela with the white apartheid regime which led to
independence and the Constitution of Africa.

India – South Africa Relations

 India and South Africa have been closely related before independence through Mahatma Gandhi
who led the struggle against racism in South Africa.
 Even after independence, agreements and MoUs were signed in every sector for cooperation
between both countries
 India’s overall growth trajectory with South Africa is has always been growing with $70 billion last
year out of which $10 billion is South Africa’s contribution.
 South Africa is thus one of the most important pillars in India – Africa strategy.
 India had laid out an Africa strategy in 2018 in which one of the focal points was agriculture. South
Africa has 60% of the arable land in the world but contributes only 10% of the production. Indian
companies are engaging with South African companies to boost agriculture to contribute to food
security.
 The pan African network initiative of India and the Bharati telecom services have contributed to its
economy.
 South Africa has also supported India in its aspirations to become a member of the UN Security
Council.
 India is also one of the major contributors to UN peace keeping force in South Africa.
 India and SA has also signed the pan African continental free trade area aimed at reducing tariffs
and barriers within the African Union (AU) member countries.

Defence cooperation
 South African armaments firm Denel was blacklisted in 2005 by the then UPA government for
allegedly paying kickbacks to secure contracts from the Indian army in 2005.
 Under that deal, the Indian army was to procure 700 anti-material rifles (AMRs). But the
procurement was put on hold because of the ban.
 The ban was lifted following a May 2018 judgement of the Supreme Court, which dropped all
corruption charges against the defence company.
 It came after a personal request from Ramaphosa to Modi during a July meeting in Johannesburg on
the sidelines of 2018 BRICS Summit.
 India is presently manufacturing AMRs in one of the ordinance factories to be supplied to the
Border Security Force.
 standards. South Africa’s Denel could sign an agreement with India to partner in defense
manufacturing under Make in India initiative.
 Both South Africa and India have been cofounders in Indian Ocean Naval Symposium and Indian
Ocean Rim Association.
 India and South Africa hold various naval exercises like IBSAMAR (India, Brazil and South Africa
Maritime exercise)

Significance
 South Africa is a major producer of defence equipment, some of the technologies even the West has
borrowed when they were under sanctions.
 The relations between both the countries have been strengthened with the visit.
 The cooperation of both countries in multilateral for like Indian Ocean Rim, BRICS etc is also very

23
 active
 It is also to be noted that 2019 is the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the 100th
anniversary of Nelson Mandela.
 South Africa is situated at a strategic point in Indian Ocean. So, India’s concerns in the Indian
Ocean can be allayed by cooperation with SA to guard the Western part and Quad grouping for the
Eastern and Central part.

Way forward
 The agreements signed will become effective only if they are sustainably implemented.
 Africa has 54 sovereign territories and needs of the each of the states are different pertaining to their
history and development. So India needs to have a region specific approach while engaging with
Africa.
 India’s engagement with Africa should not be seen as competing with China.
 India has potential to provide services in Africa in a cost effective and better manner than China
which can face issues due to its language. India should therefore make use of this potential to
engage with Africa in education and other services.

3. India-Central Asia Dialogue

News: The first India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan recently.

Details
 External Affairs Minister co-chaired the Dialogue that was also attended by the Foreign Ministers
of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan and the First Deputy Foreign
Minister of Kazakhstan.
 Though New Delhi as a policy does not hold talks with the Taliban, it has indicated that it supports
an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan.
 India also proposed a dialogue on air corridors with the five countries of landlocked Central Asia in
an attempt to boost trade languishing below $2 billion for years.
 The five Central Asia nations also backed an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan that is Afghan-
owned and Afghan-led.

India’s path to Central Asia

 Chabahar Port project is being jointly implemented by New Delhi and Tehran to move Indian goods
to landlocked Afghanistan.
 India has been using the Chabahar Port to send substantial quantities of wheat to Afghanistan.
 A local office has also been opened by an Indian company at the Shaheed Behesti Port at Chabahar.
 New Delhi has recently joined the Ashgabat Agreement, which seeks to establish an International
Transport and Transit Corridor between Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
 Uzbekistan has recently built a rail link between Hairatan to Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan.
 India would like to see this railway link being further extended to Afghanistan's Herat.
 India's attempts to deepen ties with Central Asia can be understood from the perspective of securing
access to valuable energy resources as well as getting a foothold in an emerging market for export.

India’s relations with Central Asia

 India treats the five countries of Central Asia as its extended neighbourhood.
 India has close cultural and civilisational relations with these countries.
 The dialogue took place in Uzbekistan which opened up its economy only two years ago and is also
a country that was connected to India through the Silk Route from the 3 rd century B.C.
 India has been buying uranium from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
 Turkmenistan has the 4th largest reserves of gas in the world.
 India had already started air connectivity with Afghanistan which is working well.

24
 India has started negotiating a free trade agreement with
Eurasian Union. If it is implemented, India would be able
to hold free trade with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and
Russia who are partners in the union.
 A contingent of the Kazak army is serving as a peace
keeping force under the Indian command in Lebanon
 India has solar energy relations with Tajikistan where
India has trained ladies in the country to become solar
technicians and has committed to develop energy in
several villages.
 India has signed a large number of defence agreements
with the Central Asian nations.
 The nations along with India are also part of common
forums like Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Significance
 As Pakistan does not allow its territory to be used for
transit for India, India’s trade relations are sub-optimal.
So, this initiative is a significant one to connect the
Central Asian countries.
 Though Japan does not have land or maritime borders
with the five Central Asian countries, Japan has been
holding talks with the since 2004. The present dialogue Image Credit: The Hindu Businessline
seems to be in a similar direction.
 The participation of Afghanistan in the dialogue apart from the 5 countries is also significant as the
region is dependent on the peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.
 Any event in Central Asia also has an impact on India.
 Iran is also significant to India due to the supply of oil.

Challenges
 India’s trade ambitions with Central Asian countries may not be fulfilled soon as land trade passes
through Afghanistan which is not stable.
 Air corridors can be used for transiting only expensive items like mobile phones, expensive
pharmaceuticals etc.
 Any development in Afghanistan and Central Asia has the chance of being disrupted by Taliban
and other terrorist forces.
 A large number of young women and men from these countries are part of the ISIS which can cause
further disruptions.

4. Aadhaar, to visit Nepal and Bhutan

News: Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the use of Aadhaar as an identity proof for citizens
below 15 years and over 65 years to visit Nepal and Bhutan.

Details
 Indian travellers are not required to have a visa if they have a valid passport, a photo identity card
issued by the government of India or an election ID card issued by the Election Commission.
 A certificate of registration issued by the Embassy of India, Kathmandu, to Indian nationals is not
an acceptable travel document for travelling between India and Nepal.
 However, the emergency certificate and identity certificate issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal
will be valid for single journey for travelling back to India.

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Indians in Bhutan
 The states of Assam (267 km), Arunachal Pradesh (217 km), West Bengal (183 km), and Sikkim
(32 km) share borders with Bhutan.
 About 60,000 Indian nationals are employed mostly in the hydroelectric power or construction
industry.
 Also, around 8,000 and 10,000 daily workers enter and exit Bhutan every day in border towns.

Indians in Nepal
 The states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim share borders with Nepal.
 About six lakh Indians live in Nepal.
 It includes businesspersons and traders who have been living in Nepal since long, other
professionals like doctors, engineers, IT personnel and labourers etc.
 These Indian nationals travelling to Bhutan need to carry their Indian passport with validity of six
months or voter ID.

5. Persian Gulf Regional Dialogue Forum

News: Iran proposed the new platform, Persian Gulf Regional Dialogue Forum, for regional peace
building in a diplomatic initiative to address the lingering conflicts and mistrust in the Gulf region.

Iran’s suggestions on the new forum

 Significance
 The announcement of Persian Gulf Regional
Dialogue Forum is significant as it comes in the
wake of continued erosion of the Gulf
Cooperation Council, which in the recent years
has been divided between the Iranian and the
Saudi spheres.
 The proposal is among the set of fresh initiatives
that Iran has taken in recent months that also
included Tehran connecting with the Taliban for
peace talks.
 It also comes in the wake of sanctions imposed
on Iran by the US and the US asking all
countries to stop all transactions with Iran.
GCC
The Cooperation Council for the Arab
States of the Gulf originally known as the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), is a
regional intergovernmental political and
economic union consisting of all Arab
states of the Persian Gulf except Iraq.
Its member states are Bahrain, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the
United Arab Emirates.
All current member states are
monarchies

26
ENVIRONMENT
1. Cinereous vulture
News: The Cinereous vulture was spotted for the first time in Jharkhand.

Details
 It is usually during the winter that the Cinereous vulture migrates to warmer
places in India from the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia.
 Earlier records of this migratory bird have revealed that it comes to northern
parts of India up to Rajasthan.
 The Cinereous vulture was seen along with four other rare vultures, namely,
Himalyan Griffon, White-rumped vulture and the Long-billed vulture

Features
 It is a distinctly dark large bird with a blacked-tipped pink beak.
 It is also known as the black vulture, monk vulture, or Eurasian black vulture.
 IUCN status - Near Threatened

2. Hawaiian tree snail

News: A Hawaiian tree snail became the first officially declared extinct species in 2019.

Details
 It was the last known species of Achatinella apexfulva.
 It is a kind of species found in Hawaii.
 The snail was a hermaphrodite, having both male and female parts. But, it
requires a partner to reproduce.
 Most of tree and land snails of Hawaii are facing imminent extinction due to
invasive species and climate change.
 Malacology is the study of mollusks.
 Hawaiian Snails feed on the algae and the fungi that grow on leaves.

3. Great Indian Bustard

News: The Great Indian Bustard is feared to be extinct soon.

About Great Indian Bustard

 It is a large bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs, giving it an ostrich
like appearance.
 It is among the heaviest of the flying birds.
 IUCN status – Critically Endangered
 Reason - hunting and loss of its habitat
 It is protected under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 of India.
 It is the State bird of Rajasthan.

4. Rosewood
News: India has proposed to remove rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo) from Appendix II of Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

27
Details
 The species is currently part of Appendix II of CITES.
 India proposes that rosewood grows at a very fast rate and has the capacity to become naturalised
outside its native range, even it is invasive in some parts of the world.

CITES
 All import, export, re-exports and introduction from the sea of species covered by the convention
has to be authorized through a licensing system.
 It has three appendices.
Appendix I has species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is
permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
Appendix II of CITES has species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which
trade must be controlled to avoid utilisation incompatible with their survival.
Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other
CITES parties for assistance in controlling trade.

Background
 Dalbergia was put in Appendix II of CITES due to illegal trade in the wood of Dalbergia in
international markets, primarily in China.
 The entire genus of Dalbergia was put in the appendix based on the “lookalike” criterion.
 This criterion is not based on the level of threat the species face, but the difficulty of distinguishing
the species from other threatened species of the genus.

Other proposals
 Apart from the proposal to remove rosewood, India has proposed to move the following from
Appendix II to Appendix I for more protection.
Small clawed otters – IUCN status: Vulnerable
Smooth coated otters - IUCN status: Vulnerable
Indian Star Tortoise - IUCN status: Vulnerable
 The otter species, according to the proposal, is threatened by international trade and habitat loss.
 The proposal also includes inclusion of the following in Appendix II of CITES.
Gekko gecko - traded highly for Chinese traditional medicine
Wedgefish

5. Vulture and Raptor survey

News: The first-ever vulture and raptor survey was conducted in Wayanad district in Kerala.

Details
 It recorded 24 species of raptors and four species of vultures.
 It was held in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) and two territorial forest divisions,
including the South and North Wayanad Forest Divisions.

Findings
 The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) was spotted under the Muthanga forest range of the sanctuary
after five years.
 Nearly 100 white-rumped vultures were spotted during the survey in the Tholpetty forest range.
 The sightings also included 15 red-headed vultures, an Indian vulture and a Himalayan griffon.
 The major species of raptors recorded during the survey included Legge’s hawk eagle, Oriental
honey buzzard, etc.
 Five species of owls, including jungle owlet, brown fish owl, oriental scops owl, and barn owl,
were also recorded during the survey.

28
Raptors and vultures
 A raptor is a generally medium-sized or large bird that
hunts and kills other animals for food, including small The veterinary use of diclofenac
birds, fish, mammals, lizards, and insects. drug has been linked to the decline
 Vulture, eagles, owls, falcons, hawks, kites etc. are types in vulture population in the
of raptors. country since 1990s after the birds
 Raptors come under Schedule I of the Wildlife perished eating cattle carcasses
(Protection) Act, 1972 and have apex predator status in containing the drug.
an ecosystem.
 Indian vulture is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2002, as the population
severely declined.

Significance
 The stable vulture population shows the existence of a healthy habitat for the species within the
sanctuary, which is also due to the abundant carcass availability owing to a healthy population of
both herbivores and predators.
 Also, the activities undertaken as part of the central government project like nest monitoring and
fire protection efforts have contributed to the healthy trend.

6. Asian Waterbird Census (AWC)

News: Asian Waterbird Census was conducted in January.

About AWC
 The AWC is an annual event and takes place once a year.
 It is the largest water bird census in Asia which records the status of important wetland habitats and
water bird diversity.
 The census was initiated in 1987 in the Indian subcontinent.
 Sites covered during the census include all types of natural and man-made wetlands.
 Wetlands International co-ordinates the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC).
 It identifies and monitors sites that qualify as Wetlands of International Importance under the
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
 The AWC in India is jointly coordinated nationally by the Bombay Natural History Society and
Wetlands International.

7. Crocodile Census
News: A crocodile census was carried out in Odisha.

Finding
 The population of the saltwater or estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) has increased in the
water bodies of Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Park and its nearby areas in Kendrapara district,
with forest officials counting 1,742 individuals in this year’s annual reptile census.
 The increase in population was primarily due to the far-sighted measures of the government.
 There is a crocodile breeding and rearing project in Dangamala within the Bhitarkanika Park.

Crocodilians
 There are three primary species of crocodiles in India:
The mugger (or marsh) crocodile/Fresh water crocodile is found in lakes and rivers throughout
the country, IUCN status- Vulnerable.
The saltwater crocodile found along the eastern coast of the country and the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, IUCN status – Least Concern.
29
 The gharial found in river areas. Gharial is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red
List.
 Odisha is having distinction for existence of all the three species of Indian crocodilians.
 The three species of crocodilians—saltwater, Mugger and Gharial— breeding programmes had
been started in 1975 in 34 places in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other
states in India and Nepal.

8. Cyclone Pabuk
News: A 'yellow' alert was sounded for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as the cyclonic storm,
Cyclone Pabuk, moved towards the archipelago.

Details
 'Pabuk' originated over the Gulf of Thailand and neighbourhood.
 The alert was issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Cyclone warnings
The cyclone warnings are issued to state government officials in four stages.
 The First Stage - "PRE CYCLONE WATCH"
It is issued 72 hours in advance.
It contains early warning about the development of a cyclonic disturbance in the north Indian
Ocean, its likely intensification into a tropical cyclone and the coastal belt likely to experience
adverse weather.
 The Second Stage - "CYCLONE ALERT"
It is issued at least 48 hrs in advance of the expected commencement of adverse weather over
the coastal areas.
It contains information on the location and intensity of the storm likely direction of its
movement, intensification, coastal districts likely to experience adverse weather and advice to
fishermen, general public, media and disaster managers.
 The Third Stage - "CYCLONE WARNING"
It is issued at least 24 hours in advance of the expected commencement of adverse weather over
the coastal areas.
Landfall point is forecast at this stage.
 The Fourth Stage - "POST LANDFALL OUTLOOK"
It is issued at least 12 hours in advance of
Stage of warning Colour code
expected time of landfall.
Cyclone Alert Yellow
It gives likely direction of movement of the
Cyclone Warning Orange
cyclone after its landfall and adverse weather
Post landfall out look Red
likely to be experienced in the interior areas.

9. Deteriorating Shola Grasslands

News: Exotic invasive species are invading the Shola grasslands in the Western Ghats according to a
report published in the international journal on Biological Conservation.

Negative Findings
1. Almost one-fourth of these grasslands have been invaded by exotic species.
2. The exotic species invading the shola grasslands are pine, acacia and eucalyptus which was used
for afforestation till 1996.

30
3. Most of this loss occurred on the mountain tops of the
Nilgiri, Palani and Anamalai hill ranges. Shola forests/grasslands
4. Even though no plantations were established between Shola forests are tropical
2003 and 2017, invasion by existing trees increased Montane forests found only in the
areas under exotic plantations by 27% in the Palanis valleys and shola grasslands are
and 17% in the Nilgiris. rolling grasslands found only in the
5. Broadly, shola-grassland ecosystems in Tamil Nadu higher elevations or mountain tops.
showed the highest rates of invasion. The Shola forests are generally
said to be found in altitudes above
Positive findings 2000 metres of sea-level.
 Loss of biodiversity, with an adverse impact on the Shola forests are a native only
ecology and economy to the Southern Western Ghats.
 Shola forests have remained “relatively unchanged” They are found only in the high
over these years. altitude mountains of the states
 The Anamalai-Munnar areas have also remained stable Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil
during this time. Nadu.
The endangered Nilgiri tahr is
Impact of exotic species on Western Ghats endemic to the shola-grassland.
a. Invasive species do not allow any shrub or local
species of grass to grow around them.
b. They grow in dense fashion, leaving little space for wildlife to pass through.
c. A resin oozes from some species during the monsoon, which turns the soil acidic.
d. They lead to retrogression and a change in the original vegetation in the longer run, degrading and
destroying biodiversity.
e. The original habitat of the Nilgiri Tahr has been devastated
f. Non-availability of food plants due to extensive plantations of alien species has caused the Indian
gaur population to migrate to Kodaikanal town in search of fodder.

What are exotic invasive species?

 An exotic species (introduced, alien, non-native or non-indigenous species), is that foreign species
that have been introduced in a zone out of its natural distribution.
 This introduction usually happens for human causes, either voluntarily or involuntarily.
 Invasive species don’t allow local species to grow and wildlife to move through.

Impact of exotic species

 Alteration and degradation of habitat
 Biodiversity loss
 Possibility of health problems
 Negative impact on tourism

Way forward
 Intensive planting of the indigenous floral species should also be conducted after removing the alien
species.

10. Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), 2019

News: Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), 2019 edition has been released.

What is CCPI?
 The CCPI is an instrument designed to enhance transparency in international climate politics.
 The index is published by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute and the Climate Action
Network.

31
 Its aim is to put political and social pressure on those countries, which have, up until now, failed to
take ambitious action on climate protection.
 Based on standardised criteria, the index evaluates and compares the climate protection
performance of 56 countries and the EU.
 The countries are together responsible for more than 90 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions.

Highlights
 India ranks 11th in CCPI, 2019 improving its standing by three places compared to the previous
edition.
 Most notably India improved its performance in the renewable energy category, joining the group
of medium performers.
 Comparatively low levels of per capita GHG emissions and a relatively ambitious mitigation target
for 2030 give India an overall high rating in the emissions category.
 Sweden and Morocco were the leading countries, with the latter making significant expansion of
renewable energy.
 U.S.A. and Saudi Arabia were at the bottom of the Climate Change Performance Index 2019.

11. National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

News: National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched by Union Minister of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change.

Facts on air pollution

 According to a Lancet Planetary Health report, one in every eight deaths in India is attributable to
air pollution which now contributes to more disease burden than smoking.

What is NACP?
The National Clean Air Programme is a pollution control initiative that was launched with the intention
to cut the concentration of coarse (particulate matter of diameter 10 micrometer or less, or PM10) and
fine particles (particulate matter of diameter 2.5 micrometer or less, or PM2.5) by at least 20% in the
next five years, with 2017 as the base year for comparison.

32
Which cities will fall under this?
 Following reports by WHO and the air quality data obtained, 102 cities from 23 States and UTs
have been chosen as non-attainment cities.
 With the exception of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, most of those chosen are tier two
cities.
 Maharashtra tops the list with 17 cities in the list, including Pune and Nagpur, while Uttar Pradesh
is second with 15 cities chosen, including Lucknow and Varanasi.
 A city from Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal too are in the list.
 Meanwhile, no cities from Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Kerala, Goa
and Haryana figure in the list.

Who all will participate?

Apart from experts from the industry and academia, the programme is expected to be a collaboration
between the following ministries and institutions
 Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
 Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
 Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
 Ministry of Heavy Industry
 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
 Ministry of Agriculture
 Ministry of Health
 NITI Aayog
 Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

Benefits
 It is a “cooperative and participatory initiative”.
 It has helped kick start the much-awaited good practice of setting air pollution reduction targets.
 It helps decide the level of stringency of local and regional action needed for the plans to be
effective enough to meet the reduction targets.
 It has listed comparatively more comprehensive action points than earlier put out by the CPCB.
 It has proposed support for health impact studies.

Challenges
 There is no robust fiscal and funding strategy for the
programme. Only Rs 300 crore is being earmarked for Beijing’s example
NCAP. NCAP has cited how Beijing has
 NCAP has not provided for innovative financing succeeded in reducing PM2.5 by
mechanism at central and state/city level. 33.3 per cent in five years.
 A lack of legal framework may dilute the effectiveness It was done by sensitising cities
of the program about the scale, depth and
 The plan does not mention sector wise targets or specific strictness of action with detailed
targets for cities. pathways for clean energy and
 Similarly, the lack of strong legal backing to take action mobility transition, waste and
against non-implementation is also absent. dust management and control of
 A large number of highly polluted cities have been kept combustion sources.
out of its purview according to the Greenpeace India This was also done with strong
Report. multi-tiered accountability
 NCAP will also have to be more nuanced and adopt system, under which various
appropriate approaches for small and big cities according levels of government were held
to their dominant pollution profile while several legally accountable for shirking
strategies may remain uniform. responsibilities.
 NCAP should have taken precedence from emerging

33
 practices in the country—pollution cess in Delhi on truck entry, big diesel cars, and diesel fuel sales
and the coal cess—to generate dedicated funds to finance clean air action plan.

12. Airpocalypse III Report

News: Airpocalypse III Report was launched by Greenpeace India.

Findings
 Air pollution is not restricted to India’s metros.
 Air pollution is a national problem that is killing 1.2 million Indians every year and costing the
economy an estimated 3% of GDP.
 According to the data obtained from State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB), there are virtually no
places in India complying with WHO and National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQ) standards, and
most cities are critically polluted.

Way forward
 Due to the range of different sectors responsible for pollutant emissions, urgent action is required
by the Central and the state governments.
 It urged the governments to
1. Institute robust monitoring of air quality across the country and make the data publicly
available in real time with adequate alerts so that the public can take measures to protect health.
2. Use the data as a basis to fine tune pollution reduction strategies such as moving towards
renewable sources of energy, implementing Bharat VI norms, reducing petrol/diesel vehicles,
regulating construction activities and stop burning of biomass and waste.

India’s carbon reduction targets

 Under the Paris Agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
India has made three commitments:
1. India’s greenhouse gas emission intensity of its GDP will be reduced by 33-35% below 2005
levels by 2030.
2. Alongside, 40% of India’s power capacity would be based on non-fossil fuel sources.
3. At the same time, India will create an additional ‘carbon sink’ of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of Co2
equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030

13. South Asian Nitrogen Hub

News: South Asian Nitrogen Hub was launched by United Kingdom to study nitrogen pollution in
India and South Asia.

Details
 The new partnership programme, South Asian Nitrogen Hub, will be led by the UK’s Centre for
Ecology and Hydrology and will include 50 organisations from UK and South Asia. Indian
institutions to be involved include
National Institute of Oceanography
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
Jawaharlal Nehru University India is the only country in South
Aligarh Muslim University Asia that has completed its nitrogen
National Physical Laboratory assessment over a year ago and is
TERI University already co-leading the South Asian
 It will focus on impacts of different forms of nitrogen nitrogen assessment for the UN
pollution, particularly looking at nitrogen in agriculture in Environment
eight countries in South Asia.
34
Nitrogen pollution
 Nitrogen pollution is linked with air pollution, biodiversity loss, pollution of rivers and seas and
ozone depletion.
 Nitrogen pollution is caused, among other things, by emissions from chemical fertilisers, livestock
manure, and burning of fossil fuels.
 Gases such as ammonia and nitrogen dioxide contribute to poor air quality and can aggravate
respiratory and heart conditions, while nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that depletes the ozone
layer.
 Nitrate from chemical fertilisers, manure and industry pollutes rivers and seas, posing a health risk
for humans, fish, coral and plant life.

14. Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW)

News: Alliance to End Plastic Waste was launched to improve ways to eliminate plastic waste in the
environment, especially in the water bodies.

Details
 The alliance comprises of 30 member
companies.
 The alliance is a not-for-profit organisation that
includes companies that make, use, sell, process,
collect and recycle plastics.
 The alliance has been working with the World
Business Council for Sustainable Development
as a founding strategic partner.
 The global company’s alliance will develop and
bring to scale solutions that will minimise and
manage plastic waste and promote solutions for
used plastics by helping to enable a circular
economy.
World Business Council for
Sustainable Development
 It is a CEO-led organization of over
200 international companies which
works on issues related to
sustainable development.
 The WBCSD was created in 1995
and is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
 It has offices in New York and Delhi.

15. Methanol Blending

News: A study conducted by Pune-based Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has shown
that methanol blending reduces carbon emissions.

Significance
 India imports ₹7 lakh crore worth of crude oil every year. Using alternative fuels can divert ₹2 lakh
crore for farmers to boost agriculture.
 Methanol blending with petrol will further reduce the fuel bill by at least ₹5,000 crore annually in
the next three years.

Benefits
 It can be used in the existing BS-IV standard to reduce emissions given the phasing out of the BS-
IV vehicles.
 Adopting methanol in this scale would bring down pollution in the country by more than 40 per
cent.
 By adopting methanol, India can have its own indigenous fuel at least 30 per cent cheaper than any
available fuel.
 To adopt Methanol as a transport fuel, it requires minimal infrastructure modifications and capital
both in vehicles and in terminal and distribution infrastructure.
35
Methanol Economy
 NITI Aayog has drawn out a comprehensive plan to replace 20% of crude imports from Methanol
alone. Over a period of time of time diesel can completely be done away with.
 NITI Aayog foresees an annual reduction of $100 billion in crude imports bill by 2030 if the
country moves to 15% blended fuel, both for transportation and cooking.
 Roadmap
Indian Railways alone burns three billion litres of diesel every year. Plans are in place to
convert 6000 diesel railway engines to work on 100% Methanol and make railways a carbon
neutral organisation.
Methanol will become beneficial in marine sector. International Maritime Organisation
Regulations on sulphur particulates and NOX (0.50% m/m on and after 1 January 2020) will
make it compulsive to switch to a clean fuel.
India has an installed capacity of 22000 MW on HFO (Heavy fuel oil) alone. HFO has been
abandoned by most countries of the world. The entire HFO usage can be replaced by Methanol.
Power Modules of Mobile Towers (about 750000) in India can fully be replaced by Methanol
Reformer / Fuel Cell based platforms in the next two years.
 The Concept of “Methanol Economy” is being actively pursued by China, Italy, Sweden, Israel,
US, Australia, Japan and many other European countries. 10% of fuel in China in transport Sector
is Methanol.

Methanol
 Methanol is a clear and colourless liquid.
 Also known as wood alcohol, methanol is naturally occurring and biodegradable.
 Methanol is a scalable and sustainable fuel, that can be produced from a variety of feedstocks
like Natural Gas, Coal (Indian High Ash Coal), Bio-mass, Municipal Solid waste and most
importantly from CO2.
 Methanol burns efficiently in all internal combustion engines, produces no particulate matter,
no soot, almost nil SOX and NOX emissions.

16. Renuka Dam

News: The Centre has signed an agreement with five states to restart construction of the Renuka
multipurpose dam project in the Upper Yamuna Basin.

Details
 The agreement was signed with the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Delhi,
Himachal Pradesh.
 The Renuka dam project has been conceived as a storage project on the Giri river (a tributary of
the Yamuna) in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.
 The project envisages making a 148-metre-high dam.
 Water from the Renuka dam will be used by U.P., Haryana and National Capital Territory of Delhi
from Hathnikund barrage, by the NCT of Delhi from Wazirabad barrage and by U.P., Haryana and
Rajasthan from the Okhla barrage.
 It will also generate 40 MW of power.
 Around 90% of the cost of irrigation/drinking water component of the project will be provided by
the Central government and the remaining by the rest of the basin States.

Objections against the Dam

36
 The agreement was signed between HP,
Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan
in 1994. But, due to the objections raised, it
was stalled for many years.
 Estimated number of project affected people:
700 families in 37 villages
 Total agricultural land to be diverted: 1,231
hectares
 Forestland to be diverted: 939 hectares
reserved forestland, including 49 hectares
from Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary, will be
submerged

Image Credit: Times of India

37
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Digital Detox app
News: Doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) have
come up with a mobile app that helps people reduce mobile usage.

Details
 The Service for Healthy Use of Technology
(SHUT) clinic has developed a Digital Detox
app that has been found to be effective in
bringing about behavioural changes.
 The App tracks the pattern of mobile usage
every week and offers self-help strategies once
the person signs up.
 Users are classified into three categories based
on their technology usage: mild, moderate and
severe.

Image courtesy: The Hindu

2. Ultima Thule
News: NASA’s New Horizon spacecraft flew by the Ultima Thule and beamed back images of the
same.

Details
 Ultima Thule is a space rock in the Kuiper belt officially called 2014 MU69.
 It was discovered in 2014 with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, and is believed to be 20-30
km in size.
 It is located 4 billion miles from Earth.
 New Horizons flew within 2,200 miles of MU69, travelling at a speed of 32,200 mph.
 The flyby gave scientists the opportunity to collect photos
and information about the rock.
 The first image the probe beamed back showed two reddish-
coloured spherical segments on top of each other, like a
snowman. Subsequent data revealed that the object flips like
a giant hourglass.
 But it will take about 20 months for New Horizons to send
all of the images it captured back to Earth.

Significance
 Kuiper Belt objects are leftover remnants from when the
solar system first formed. The study of such objects would
provide an insight into the history and formation of the solar
system.
 This region has experienced very little change in its temperature and chemical conditions over the
past 4 billion years, making it completely different from the environment and processes found on
Earth. A study of the extremes of planetary processes across our solar system would provide a

38
 better understanding of Earth.
 The shape of Ultima Thule shows the earliest steps of planet formation when many small clumps
called planetesimals come together, eventually forming into a large planet like the Earth.

3. Chang’e-4 lunar probe/Yutu 2

News: A Chinese space probe, Chang’e-4 lunar probe landed on the far side of the moon.

Details
 The probe, which has a lander and a rover, touched down at a targeted area near the moon’s south
pole in the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken basin, after entering its orbit.
 The rover has been named Yutu 2.
 Signals to and from the rover are being relayed through a satellite called Queqiao (Magpie Bridge).
 Queqiao is in a “halo orbit” on the other side of the moon, from where it can communicate with
both Chang’e and the Earth.

Significance
 The moon is tidally locked to Earth, rotating at the same rate as it orbits our planet, so most of the
far side — or “dark side” — is never visible to us.
 Previous spacecraft have seen the far side, but none has landed on it.
 Chang’e-4 lunar probe is the first probe to land on the far side of the moon.
 The Aitken basin, where Chang’e-4 has landed, is the Moon’s largest and oldest impact crater.
Dating when the basin was created could help narrow down the window for a period of heavy
bombardment of the moon and inner planets by asteroids left over from the formation of the solar
system. Also, the timing of the heavy bombardment closely coincides with when life appeared on
Earth.

Tasks
 Astronomical observation
 Surveying the moon’s terrain, land form and mineral make-up
 Measuring the neutron radiation and neutral atoms to study the environment of its far side.

Apprehensions
 Analysts say that China’s lunar probe is part of its ‘Made in China-2025’ project, which focuses on
advanced technology, including space applications.
 According to the Nikkei Asian Review, after the latest launch, Beijing is moving forward with
plans to build a research base on the moon.
 It is also said to be considering mining there for helium-3, a rare substance on earth that can be
used as a fuel in nuclear fusion power generation.
 China is also set to launch its Mars explorer mission and complete its own earth-orbiting space
station in 2022.

4. Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

News: NASA’s TESS has discovered a third small planet outside our solar system.

About TESS
 TESS was launched by NASA in 2018 for searching exoplanets.
 It is two year mission.
 It will survey nearly the entire sky by monitoring and piecing together overlapping slices of the
night sky.

39
 It searches for using the transit method in an area 400
times larger than that covered by the Kepler mission. Exoplanets
 Transit method: If a planet crosses (transits) in front of Planets that orbit around other
its parent star's disk, then the observed visual brightness of stars are called exoplanets.
the star drops by a small amount, depending on the Hence, they are beyond our Solar
relative sizes of the star and the planet. system.
They are hidden by the bright
About the new planet glare of the stars they orbit.
 The new planet is named HD 21749b.
 The newly discovered planet orbits a bright and nearby star
which is about 53 light years away in the constellation Reticulum.
 Scientists assume that planet wouldn't be as gaseous as Neptune or Uranus, which are mostly
hydrogen and really puffy. The planet likely has a density of water, or a thick atmosphere.

5. Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA)

News: Scientists have found the remains of tiny, ancient animals in an Antarctic lake that has lain
undisturbed for thousands of years beneath a kilometre-thick slab of ice.

Details
 US researchers on a rare mission called Subglacial
Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA) drilled into
the Mercer subglacial lake which lies nearly 400 miles
from the south pole.
 They found dead crustaceans and tardigrades, also
known as “water bears” or “moss piglets” from the lake.
 Researchers found eight-legged tardigrades, the
speckled shell of a shrimp-like crustacean with legs
dangling from it, and a second shell still bristling with
delicate hairs.
 It is not yet clear how the organisms came to be in the
ice-covered lake.

6. X-Calibur telescope
News: US scientists have claimed that they have successfully launched a X-Calibur telescope from
Antarctica that analyses X-rays arriving from distant neutron stars, black holes and other exotic
celestial bodies.

Polarisation
 X-Calibur is designed to measure the polarisation — or, roughly, the orientation of the electric field
— of incoming X-rays from binary systems.
 A black hole's gravity is so powerful that even light can't escape its pull. That's why black holes
appear invisible. X-Calibur will spot the black holes by looking for X-rays emitted by matter just
before it disappears inside the black hole.
 Polarization can happen when light is reflected or scattered.

How it works
 The X-Calibur instrument, launched by Washington University in the US from the McMurdo
Station in Antarctica, is carried aloft on a helium balloon intended to reach an altitude of 130,000
feet.
 At this height, X-Calibur will travel at nearly four times the cruising altitude of commercial
airliners, and above 99 per cent of the Earth’s atmosphere.
40
 It will need at least eight days to gather enough data for scientists to consider it a success. During
this time, the balloon is expected to make a single revolution around the Antarctic continent.

Significance
 The team hopes to gain new insights into how neutron
stars and black holes in a binary orbit with stars grow by Neutron stars are objects of very
gobbling up stellar matter. small radius (typically 30 km)
 Polarized X-rays could help scientists determine the size and very high density, composed
of black holes and how fast they are spinning. predominantly of closely packed
 Einstein's theory of general relativity established a neutrons.
maximum rotation rate for black holes, and astronomers
hope X-Calibur will reveal more about their spin.

7. MICROSAT-R and KALAMSAT

News: ISRO put MICROSAT-R and KALAMSAT aboard Polar rocket PSLV C44in its designated
orbit.

Microsat-R
 Microsat-R is an imaging satellite meant for military purposes.
 It was placed in a 274-km polar sun synchronous orbit.
 For the first time, the ISRO placed a satellite -- Microsat-R -- in a lower orbit, at around 274 kms
from earth.

Kalamsat
 Kalamsat is named after former President Abdul Kalam.
 The nanosatellite is a 10cm cube weighing 1.2 kg
 It is said to be the lightest satellite of India.
 It is also the first ever 3D printed satellite.
 Kalamsat is an experimental miniaturized satellite for studying the communication system of nano
satellites, which can be useful in many fields, predominantly disaster management.
 Contributed by college students and the members of a Chennai-based organisation -- Space Kidz
India -- Kalamsat is the first to use PS4 (the fourth stage of the vehicle) as a platform to orbit
around the earth.

PSLV-C44
 The PSLV-C44, assembled in 30 days, was the first mission of a new variant of the PSLV, called
the PSLV-DL, as it was equipped with two strap-on configurations.
 The PSLV is a four-stage engine expendable rocket with alternating solid and liquid fuel.
 In its normal configuration, the rocket would have six strap-on motors hugging its first stage.
 But PSLV-C44 had only two strap-on motors which is called the DL mode.
 It used an aluminum tank in the fourth stage which was used as an orbital platform to launch
Kalamsat.

How it worked
 The rocket's fourth-stage/ engine was cut/switched off in just over 13 minutes after the lift-off.
 A minute later the DRDO's imaging satellite Microsat R was ejected at an altitude of about 277 km.
 At about 100 minutes after the lift-off, the rocket's fourth stage was switched on again for few
seconds before it was again cut off.
 Finally, at about 103 minutes after the rocket left the earth, the fourth stage began its role as an
orbital platform carrying Kalamsat at an altitude of 450 km.

41
 8. Formalin in Fish
News: Fish samples from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar had tested positive for formalin. It
also showed high content of heavy metals like lead, cadmium and mercury.

Formalin
 It is a carcinogenic chemical.
 It is a cancer-causing agent.
 Formalin is actually used for the preservation of bodies in mortuaries.
 It can cause a number of health problems like allergic reactions, Kidney and liver problems, nausea,
irritation and a burning sensation in the eyes, watery eyes and nose.

Why is formalin used in fish?

 Formalin is a preservative applied on the body of fish to prevent its decay.

9. Zearalenone
News: A study by researchers Lucknow’s Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) detected
zearalenone in wheat, rice, corn and oats from markets in Uttar Pradesh.

What is Zearalenone?
 Zearalenone is a fungal toxin infesting cereals such as wheat, maize and barley.
 It attacks crops while they are growing, but can also develop when cereals are stored without being
dried fully.
 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India does not impose maximum limits for
zearalenone, though the European Union (EU) does.

Fungal toxins
 Fungal toxins are commonly found in food, and can be a public health concern.
 India regulates the levels of some of these, including aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol, ergot and patulin.
 The first three infest cereals, while patulin is found in apples.
 Each of these toxins has been associated with disease outbreaks.
 For example, aflatoxin in maize caused a hepatitis outbreak in Rajasthan and Gujarat in 1974.
 Meanwhile, chronic aflatoxin consumption has been shown to cause liver cancer.
 The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies aflatoxin as a Group 1
carcinogen, meaning there is enough evidence for its carcinogenicity.
 However, IARC classifies zearalenone as Group 3 carcinogen as there is no strong evidence of
toxicity in humans so far.

Effect of zearalenone
 Zearalenone behaves like oestrogen, the female sex hormone, and could cause endocrine
disturbances in humans.
 Animals develop inflamed vaginas, infertility and other symptoms.
 However, its effect in humans is yet to be documented.

Way forward
 Zearalenone prefers cool climate. So contamination could be limited to a few states.
 However, more needs to be built on the study so that India can also set limits on it like EU.

10. CMB-Bharat
News: Cosmic Microwave Background-Bharat has been presented as a proposal to ISRO.

42
What is CMB-Bharat?
 It is a proposal for a comprehensive next generation cosmic microwave background mission in
international collaboration, with a major Indian contribution.
 The CMB-Bharat instrument is an imager with 6,000 to 14,000 power detectors in the focal plane.
The focal plane is the plane along which the detectors will make their observations.
 They will be maintained at a very low temperature, at much less than 1 K to minimize the heat
produced during its operation.

What is the cosmic microwave background?

 It is radiation leftover from the time the first atoms formed in the universe, about 378,000 years
after the Big Bang.
 In other words, it’s been around since when the universe was only 0.0027% as old as it is today.
 It manifests as a temperature of 2.7 K in the emptiest regions of space.
 Without the CMB, these regions would have exhibited a temperature of 0 K.
 However, as the universe continues to expand, this temperature will keep dropping.
 The ‘microwave’ in its name alludes to the radiation’s frequency: 160.23 GHz, which falls in the
microwave range.

What will CMB Bharat do?

CMB can be used to garner different kinds of information
 By studying the small temperature variations in CMB, scientists can understand how mass is
distributed throughout space.
 The electric and magnetic fields in CMB will flip or polarize when it encounters certain forces or
objects in their path. A study of the polarization of different parts of CMB will reveal the source of
polarization effect.

Expected outcomes
 It intends to use gravitational waves to study ‘quantum gravity’ which is an ultra-high energy
regime thought to have existed when universe was very young and its energy was so tightly packed
that gravitational and quantum mechanical effects were not separate.

11. Superbug blaNDM-1

News: Scientists have found blaNDM-1 (New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1 in the Arctic).

NDM-1 drug
 NDM-1 was first identified in New Delhi.
 It contains resistant gene blaNDM-1.
 This gene makes bacteria resistant to a class of antibiotics known as Carbapenems, which doctors
generally use as a last resort to treat bacterial infections.

What are superbugs?

 Superbugs are strains of bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics.
 Antibiotics are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for people. They're also given to
livestock to prevent disease and promote growth.
 Antibiotics are effective against bacterial infections, such as strep throat and some types of
pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, and ear infections. But, these drugs don't work at all against viruses,
such as those that cause colds or flu.

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SOCIAL ISSUES
1. 70 point Performance Index
News: The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has introduced a 70-point grading index
to assess the quality of school education offered by states.

Details
 The government will use a 70 point Performance Grading Index (PGI) to assess areas of deficiency
in each state’s school education system so that targeted interventions can be made at every level
from pedagogy to teacher training.
 35 states and Union Territories have already confirmed their participation to the union Human
Resource Development (HRD) ministry which is compiling this schooling index.
 A state performance grading will be done wherein the states will be marked out of 1,000 scores on
70 parameters.

Benefits
 It will give the correct picture of where every state stands.
 There will be a fair competition to improve each other’s performances.
 The move is in keeping with the government’s overall thrust on quality improvement, teacher
training and learning outputs.

2. Rare diseases
News: After the withdrawal of National policy for treatment of rare diseases, government has
announced a ‘one-time financial assistance’ in Parliament.

Background
 The Centre had announced Rs 100 crore special fund for the children suffering from rare disease
under National Policy on Treatment of Rare Diseases (NPTRD) in 2017.
 The policy which envisages setting up of a technical cum administrative committee within the
ministry of health and family welfare, both at the Central and the State levels, for handling of the
corpus fund created for treatment of rare diseases.
 Six states, including Delhi, incidentally had formulated the necessary policy on the basis of
Centre’s policy.
 It was revoked in December, 2018 “in light of new information and updates available and for
further improvement and effective implementation”.
 A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was moved by the NGO 'Organization for Rare Diseases India
(ORDI) seeking implementation of the policy.
 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told the Supreme Court that the policy that was formed
a year ago was formed without proper consultation.
 Adding to it, Centre said that health is a state subject and the center did not take any agreement
from most of the states before framing their policy, which is why they would like to re-think about
the policy.
 The government had told the court that it would take some interim measures till the time policy is
being framed.

Present status
The government announced that the standing finance committee had approved a proposal for adding a
sub-component under the umbrella scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) for provision of one-time
financial assistance to those below threshold poverty line for specified rare diseases which require one-
time treatment.

44
National Policy on Treatment of Rare Diseases
 The National Policy defines Rare Disease as a health Rare diseases
condition of a particularly low relevance that affects a So far, about 450 rare diseases
small number of people compared with other prevalent have been recorded in India.
diseases in the general population. Globally around 6,000 to 8,000
 Rare diseases include genetic diseases, rare cancers, rare diseases exist.
infectious tropic diseases and degenerative diseases. 80 The cost of treatment of rare
per cent of rare diseases are genetic in origin. diseases is prohibitively high
 The policy goes beyond treatment funding and takes a requiring periodic therapies.
more holistic approach towards rare diseases The most common rare diseases
encompassing suggestions towards prevention, recorded in India are
awareness, training, research, and development in Haemophilia, Thalassemia,
diagnosis, development and manufacturing of drugs at sickle-cell anaemia and primary
affordable prices, provision of insurance coverage etc. immuno deficiency in children,
 It also recommends creating provision for online auto-immune diseases, certain
applications for funding from the corpus fund and forms of muscular dystrophies etc.
creating a patient registry for rare diseases housed in
Indian Council of Medical Research.
 As part of long term measures, the policy envisages taking legal and other measures to control the
prices of drugs for rare diseases to ensure its affordability and for health system sustainability,
ensuring insurance coverage for rare genetic disorders.

Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN)

 It has been set up under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, as a Society.
 The RAN was set up to provide financial assistance to patients, living below poverty line and who
are suffering from major life threatening diseases, to receive medical treatment at any of the super
speciality Hospitals/Institutes or other Government hospitals.
 Under RAN, Revolving Funds have been set up in 13 Central Government Hospitals/Institutions
located all over India for providing financial assistance for treatment up to Rs. 2 lakh.
 In addition financial assistance is provided for individual cases referred by Government
hospitals/institutions, which do not have a Revolving Fund and for cases referred by 13
Government hospitals/institutions with Revolving Funds for assistance exceeding Rs. 2 lakh.

3. Devadasi system
News: Karnataka Government has not yet issued rules under Karnataka Devadasis (Prohibition of
Dedication) Act of 1982 and the practice has been found to have spread to Goa.

Details
 Two new studies were conducted on the devadasi practice by the National Law School of India
University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai.
 It shows a grim picture of the apathetic approach of the legislature and enforcement agencies to
crack down on the practice.

What is the Devadasi system?

 A devadasi means servant (dasi) of the divine (dev).
 It is the practice of dedicating young girls to temples as an offering to appease the gods.
 The girls are considered as married to a particular deity.
 When these young girls attain puberty, their virginity is sold to the highest bidder as dictated by the
devadasi system.
 The younger ones face the worst form of exploitation, forced to become sex slaves.

45
 Mostly women from the dalit and the oppressed community become the victims of this exploitative
practice.
 The Devadasis of modern India are largely concentrated in parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and
Maharashtra.
 They are called Mathangi in Maharashtra, Jogini or Mathamma in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,
and Devadasi in Karnataka.

Findings of the study

 Issues
Special children, with physical or mental disabilities, are more vulnerable to be dedicated as
devadasis — nearly one in five (or 19%) of the devadasis that were part of the NLSIU study
exhibited such disabilities.
Girls from socio-economically marginalised communities continue to be victims of the custom,
and thereafter are forced into the commercial sex racket.
The TISS study buttresses the point by stressing that the devadasi system continues to receive
customary sanction from families and communities.
 Challenges
Despite sufficient evidence of the prevalence of the practice and its link to sexual exploitation,
recent legislations such as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012,
and Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act of 2015 have not made any reference to it as a form of sexual
exploitation of children.
Dedicated children are also not explicitly recognised as children in need of care and protection
under JJ Act, despite the involvement of family and relatives in their sexual exploitation.
India’s extant immoral trafficking prevention law or the proposed Trafficking of Persons
(Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill 2018, also do not recognise these dedicated girls
as victims of trafficking for sexual purposes.
The State’s failure to enhance livelihood sources for weaker sections of society fuels the
continuation of the practice.

Other problems
 The Devadasis are prone to AIDS and other health issues at a young age.
 Eventually, they also give birth to children making it impossible for them to get out of the system.

4. National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (2018-2023)

News: The government has drafted a five-year action plan to address the problem of drug and
substance abuse in the country.

Objective: To create awareness and educate people about the ill-effects of drugs abuse on the
individual, family, workplace and the society at large in order to integrate them back into the society.

Aim: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said the National Action Plan for Drug
Demand Reduction, 2018 to 2023, aims to employ a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue.

Focus areas
The plan focuses on preventive education, awareness generation, counselling, treatment and
rehabilitation of drug-dependent people, besides training and capacity-building of service providers
through collaborative efforts of the Centre, state and NGOs

How it will be done?

 The Ministry has planned several measures, including co-ordination with implementing agencies
for controlling the sale of sedatives, painkillers and muscle relaxant drugs, and checking the online

46
 sale of drugs.
 It includes holding awareness generation programmes at schools, colleges, universities, workplaces
and for police functionaries, paramilitary forces, law enforcement agencies, judicial officers and
Bar council, among others.
 Plans are also afoot for awareness generation through social, print, digital and online media, and
engagement of celebrities, besides strengthening the national tollfree helpline for drug prevention.
 It also calls for persuading principals, directors, vice chancellors of educational institutions to
ensure that no drugs are sold within/nearby the campus.
 Increasing community participation and public cooperation in the reduction of demand by involving
Panchayati Raj institutions, Urban Local Bodies, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and other local
groups like Mahila Mandals, self help groups etc is also planned.

Survey
The ministry, in collaboration with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) under
the AIIMS, is also conducting a national survey on the extent and pattern of substance abuse.

Monitoring
 A steering committee would be constituted under the chairmanship of the secretary, Social Justice
Ministry, and with representatives from the Ministries of Health, Human Resource Development,
Women and Child Development, Home Affairs, Skill development and Entrepreneurship, among
others.
 The committee will hold quarterly meetings to monitor effective implementation of the NAPDDR.

Role of state governments

 The ministry has asked states and union territories to prepare action plan for ensuring facility of de-
addiction centres in each district or as per prevalence of addiction and also establish separate and
specialised de-addiction treatment centres.
 They have also been asked to ensure availability of treatment for drug dependents in prisons,
juvenile homes and children homes and adopt approaches for education and prevention at all levels
including schools and colleges.

Database
As a part of the plan, module for re-treatment, ongoing treatment and post-treatment of addicts of
different categories and age groups will be developed and database on substance use will be
maintained.

5. ASER Report
News: Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2018 report was released recently.

About ASER
 It is a biennial nationwide survey of children’s ability to read simple text and do basic arithmetic.
 The survey has been carried out by NGO Pratham since 2006.
 The ASER survey covered almost 5.5 lakh children between the ages of 3 and 16 in 596 rural
districts across the country.

Findings
Class III
 Reading: The percentage of all children who can read at standard 2 level increased from 21.6% in
2013 to 27.2% in 2018.

47
 Arithmetic: All India figure for children in class 3 who are able to do at least subtraction has not
changed much, from 27.6% in 2016 to
28.1% in 2018. For government school
children, this figure was 20.3% in 2016
and 20.9% in 2018.
 Among children enrolled in standard 3
in government schools, six states
(Punjab, Haryana, Mizoram, Uttar
Pradesh, Gujarat, and Kerala) have
shown an improvement of more than 5
percentage points over 2016 levels.
Class V
 Reading: The percentage of all children
who can read a Class 2 text has inched
up from 47.9% in 2016 to 50.3% in
2018.
 Arithmetic: The proportion of children
in standard 5 across India who are able
to do division has inched up slightly,
from 26% in 2016 to 27.8% in 2018.
 For government school children
enrolled in standard 5, states showing an
increase of 5 percentage points or more
from 2016 to 2018 are Himachal
Pradesh, UP, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Image courtesy: The Hindu
Karnataka, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram; with Punjab and Andhra Pradesh close
behind.
Class VIII
 Reading: The percentage of all children who can read a Class 2 text has decreased from 84.8% in
2008 to 72.8% in 2016 and remain unchanged in 2018 as well
 Arithmetic: Four years ago, 44.1% of students in Class VIII could correctly divide a three digit
number by a single digit number; in 2018, that figure had fallen slightly to 43.9%.
 While this figure has gone down from 2016 to 2018 in many states, government school children in
some states show substantial improvements in the last two years: for example, Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
Gender Differences (14-16 age)
 Reading and arithmetic: Both girls and boys who can read at least a Std II level are around 77%
though girls outperform boys in many states.
 Basic arithmetic: Nationally, 50% of all boys can correctly solve a division problem as compared
to 44% of all girls though there are some states where girls outperform boys.
Girls out of school
 11-14 age group: The overall proportion of girls in the 11 to 14 age group out of school fell from
10.3% in 2006 to 4.1% in 2018.
 15-16 age group: The enrollment of girls not enrolled in schools decreased from >20% in 2008 to
>13.5% in 2018.

Conclusion
 Without strong foundational skills, it is difficult for children to cope with what is expected of them
in the upper primary grades.
 A majority of children in class III need immediate help in acquiring foundational skills in literacy
and numeracy,

48
 These overall percentages also camouflage wide differences in skill level between States, or even
between students in a single classroom.

6. First Human Rights Channel

News: The world’s first television channel dedicated to human rights was launched in London.

Details
 It was launched by the International Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR).
 It promised to deliver hidden stories ignored by mainstream media into people’s living rooms.
 It web-based channel would bring human rights issues to audiences in over 20 countries across
Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
 Topics will include refugees, press freedom and the incarceration of journalists, extremism,
women’s rights, LGBT+ issues and the plight of the world’s stateless people.
 Programmes in the pipeline will look at
China 30 years after the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests
The positive and negative impacts of technology on women
The human rights implications of Brexit, Britain’s departure from the European Union in March
 Broadcasts can be viewed via the netgem.tv interactive platform and will shortly be available via a
mobile app.
 Programming is in English, but IOHR eventually hopes to broadcast in other languages including
Farsi, Turkish, Arabic and Russian.

International Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR)

 The International Observatory of Human Rights (also known as IOHR) is a London-based non-
governmental organization focused on exposing human rights violations.
 Established in November 2017, IOHR has focused on a number of themes relating to prisoners of
conscience, arbitrary detentions, the refugee crisis, the challenges of extremism and radicalism,
social injustice, and violations of international law.
 It has also been active on the subject of media freedoms and freedom of expression.
 The IOHR was founded by Valerie Peay, who also serves as its director.

49
DEFENCE AND SECURITY
1. Defence manufacturing rules eased
News: The government issued a notification simplifying the manufacturing of a range of defence and
aerospace equipment and components by private industry, by bringing them under the licensing
authority of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

Details
 Items are listed in three categories — defence aircraft, warships of all kinds, and allied items of
defence equipment.
 The most significant aspect is that warships of all kinds, surface and sub-surface, have been
included in the listing.
 The notification segregates defence items in two categories covered by two different Acts — the
Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, and the Arms Act, 1959.
 The manufacturing of these items will be covered under Industries (Development and Regulation)
Act, 1951 and it will not require any license under the Arms Act, 1959.

Background
 Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, (IDRA) puts defence industries, arms and
ammunitions and explosives under the schedule of industries which are required to be regulated by
the Central government.
 Arms Act, 1959 concerns controls on all aspects of arms and ammunitions.
 Both the Acts have provisions for licensing of arms and ammunitions but the objectives and
applications of the legislation are different.
 Since 2001, defence manufacturing sector has been opened for private manufacturing and many
items are being taken out of the list of compulsory licensing in a process of attrition.
 In 2014, the list was again rationalized in consultation with the defense ministry which clearly
delineated the defence items which would require license under Industries Act and Arms Act
respectively from the Central government or any agency of the government.
 Thus in 2017, the Secretary of DIPP was authorized under the Arms act to issue licensing for items
like tanks, arms and ammunition.
 Licenses for core defence items like aircrafts, warships and those for exclusive defense use are
issued under IDRA
 The license for various small arms used as individual weapons are issued by Ministry of Home
Affairs.
 The present norms are a continuation of the exercise where more items have been taken out of
compulsory licensing.

Why was defence sector opened up?

 Defence manufacturing is concerned with small arms, large arms or dual use arms which were done
by defence PSUs which had been the authorized agents for such manufacturing.
 After the opening up of defence sector, manufacturing has been opened to private sector, foreign
players and joint ventures
 The sector was opened up as
the industrial capacity was increasing
new technology were being acquired
requirements were increasing due to increasing threat perceptions
the country was being upgraded to become an export hub
 The opening of defence sector would help more players to manufacture defence items and make
technological advancements possible with innovation.

50
Government initiatives to increase FDI in defence sector
 Government has allowed 49% FDI in defence through the automatic route.
 Government has eased the norms for starting a business in India because of which India jumped to
77th position in Ease of Doing Business Ranking of the World Bank.
 A draft defence policy, 2018 has been framed which aims at catapulting India into top five defence
producers in the world.
 The government is aiming at a turnover of Rs. 1.7 crores in defence sector in the next couple of
years.

Challenges
 Though many policy changes have been suggested and many adopted, there is lack of
implementation of the said policies.
 Other challenges include post policy formulation measures like
access to technology
access to raw materials
 High degrees of quality and performance standards are required for reassuring the defence forces.
Therefore trials are rigorous so as to make the materials heavily recognised.

Benefits
 It will boost the Make in India programme which will help cutting down defence imports.
 It would bring the defence manufacturing industries to be at par with world standards.
 This move is also expected to help foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) looking for
partnerships with the private sector.
 The presence of the private sector will bring in more efficiency and speed in manufacturing as
government procedures are known for delays.

2. Global Risks Report 2019

News: Global Risks Report 2019 was released by the World economic Forum.

About the Report

 The report was released ahead of WEF meeting in Davos.
 The Global Risks Report, which incorporates the results of the annual Global Risks Perception
Survey of approximately 1,000 experts and decision-makers, points to deterioration in economic
and geopolitical conditions.
 There are five areas of concern highlighted in Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS),
(1) economic vulnerabilities
(2) geopolitical tensions
(3) societal and political strains
(4) environmental fragilities
(5) technological instabilities

Findings on India
 In India, the government ID database Aadhaar reportedly suffered multiple breaches that potentially
compromised the records of all 1.1 billion registered citizens.
 In January that criminals were selling access to the database at a rate of Rs 500 rupees for 10
minutes, while in March a leak at a state-owned utility company allowed anyone to download
names and ID numbers.
 Elsewhere, personal data breaches affected around 150 million users of the MyFitnessPal
application and around 50 million Facebook users.

Finding across the world

51
 Geopolitical and Geo-economic tensions
The world's ability to foster collective action in the face of urgent major crises has reached crisis
levels, with worsening international relations hindering action across a growing array of serious
challenges.
A darkening economic outlook, in part caused by geopolitical tensions, looks set to further
reduce the potential for international cooperation in 2019.
Trade disputes worsened rapidly in 2018. Growth in 2019 will be held back by continuing geo-
economic tensions, with 88 per cent of respondents expecting further erosion of multilateral
trading rules and agreements.
If economic headwinds pose a threat to international cooperation, efforts will be further
disrupted in 2019 by rising geopolitical tensions among the major powers.
 Environmental risks
All five of the environmental risks the report tracks are again in the high-impact, high-
likelihood category: biodiversity loss; extreme weather events; failure of climate-change
mitigation and adaptation; man-made disasters; and natural disasters.
Environmental risks also pose problems for urban infrastructure and its development.
With sea levels rising, many cities face hugely expensive solutions to problems that range from
clean groundwater extraction to superstorm barriers.
Relative sea-level rise poses the highest risks for the Krishna (India), Ganges-Brahmaputra
(Bangladesh) and Brahmani (India) deltas.
In Bangladesh, a rise of 0.5 metres would result in a loss of about 11 per cent of the country's
land, displacing approximately 15 million people.
Women often do not have the same freedom or resources as men to reach safety after natural
disasters. In parts of Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India, men who survived the 2004 tsunami
outnumbered women by almost three to one.

3. Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM)

News: The Indian military displayed a Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) for the first
time during the annual Republic Day parade on 26 January.

About MRSAM
 The new missile system is developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) in partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
 The missile launcher and the command post would be made in India, with the rest of the complex
system – including the missile itself – to be made in Israel.
 The proposed MRSAM, is to replace the old Pechora missiles which currently in service of Indian
Defense Forces.

Technology
 The MRSAM provides the armed forces with air defense capability against a variety of aerial
threats at medium ranges.
 The weapon has the ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously at ranges of 70km.
 MRSAM missile is equipped with an advanced active radar radio frequency (RF) seeker,
advanced rotating phased array radar and a bidirectional data link.
 The RF seeker, located in the front section of the missile, is used to detect moving targets in all
weather conditions.
 The MRSAM surface-to-air missile is powered by a dual-pulse solid propulsion system developed
by DRDO.
 The propulsion system, coupled with a thrust vector control system, allows the missile to move at a
maximum speed of Mach 2.
 The MRSAM is a land-based configuration of the long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) or
Barak-8 naval air defence system, which is designed to operate from naval vessels.

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ART AND CULTURE
1. ‘Makaravilakku’ festival
News: The festival began at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala.

About the festival

 Makaravilakku is an annual festival held on Makar Sankranti in
Kerala at the shrine of Sabarimala.
 The name refers to the lighting of a bright "vilakku" (lamp) three
times atop Ponnambalamedu, the sanctum sanctorum of
Sabarimala.
 Makaram is the sixth month of the Malayalam calendar year.
 Makaravilakku, is a part of a religious ritual that was practiced in
the past by the tribes in a temple in the forest of
Ponnambalamedu (the place where Makaravilakku appears).
 It is being continued by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).
 The tribals used to perform their rituals in the temple in Ponnambalamedu after the appearance of
Cyrus star in the sky on Makaram 1st.
 The light of the fire from the Arathi (lighting of camphor and ghee in a vessel and encircling it
around the temple idol 3 times) is seen as Makaravilakku from Sabarimala.
 The appearance of Cyrus star is known as Makara Jyoti.

2. Monuments of national importance, 2018

News: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) declared six monuments protected and of national
importance in 2018.

The listed six monuments

1. The ancient Neemrana Baori in Rajasthan's Alwar district
2. The Group of Temples at Ranipur Jharail in Odisha's Bolangir
3. The Vishnu Temple in Kotali, Pithoragarh district, Uttarkhand
4. The 125-year-old Old High Court Building in Nagpur, Maharashtra
Mughal-era monuments in Agra
5. Haveli of Agha Khan
6. Haveli of Hathi Khana

According to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, an
“Ancient Monument means any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of
interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical,
archaeological or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years."
Uttar Pradesh (745 monuments/sites), Karnataka (506) and Tamil Nadu (413) have the highest
number of ASI-maintained sites.
In 2016 and 2017, no new monument was included in the list of sites of national
importance. The last monument to be included in the list, in 2015, was the Vishnu Temple in
Nadavayal in Kerala's Wayanad district.

3. Panj Tirath – National Heritage site

News: The provincial Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in northwest Pakistan has declared the ancient
Hindu religious site of Panj Tirath in Peshawar as national heritage.

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History
 Panj Tirath, which got its name from the five pools of water present there, also contains a temple
and a lawn with date palm trees.
 It is believed that Pandu, a mythical king in the Mahabharata, belonged to this area and Hindus used
to come to these pools for bathing during the month of Karteek and worship for two days under the
trees.
 The site was damaged during the reign of the Afghan Durrani dynasty in 1747, however, it was
restored by local Hindus during the period of Sikh rule in 1834 and worship started again.

4. Andhra’s petroglyph site

News: Andhra Pradesh’s second largest petroglyph site was discovered at Mekala Benchi, near Aspari,
in Kurnool district.

Details
 The site contains about 80 petroglyhs.
 Mekala Benchi has rock carvings dating back from the Petroglyphs
Neolithic to the Megalithic period. They are images created by
 Another site, Kandanathi, with 200 petroglyphs, is also removing part of a rock surface
in Kurnool district. Its carvings range from the by incising, picking, carving, or
prehistoric to the historic period. abrading, as a form of rock art.
 Two boulders, one known as ‘Boodida Konda’ (ash-
coloured hill) and the other an unnamed granite hillock, mostly have images of bulls or bull-riding,
and human figures, an elephant, tiger-like animals and cupules.
 Native bulls of western Kurnool are known for their ‘long horns’, as depicted in the petroglyphs
 A polished and finished triangular axe, two other axes, a broken axe, rubbing stone, and potsherds
were found. Present-day Golla members use well-finished iron axes, akin to polished Neolithic
stone axes.

Significance
 These petroglyphs, or rock carvings, underscore Kurnool’s importance as a major site of Neolithic
settlements in south India.
 Settled village life and the finished stone axe are salient Neolithic features of communities settled
on granitoid hills or levelled terraces on hillsides or on valley floors. The site, at the granite
foothills of Boodida Konda, fits the description of a Neolithic settlement.

5. Agasthyarkoodam
News: For the first time, women trekkers were permitted entry to Agasthyarkoodam on the basis of a
Kerala High Court order following the Sabarimala judgement.

Geography
 Agasthyarkoodam hill is situated in the Neyyar wildlife sanctuary in the Western Ghats in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
 However, the peak lies in the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu which is a part of the Agasthyamala
Biosphere Reserve.
 It is the second highest peak in Kerala.
 Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is among UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
 Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve is part of the Agasthyarkoodam range.
 The perennial Thamirabarani River originates from the eastern side of the range and flows into
Tamil Nadu.
 Other major rivers which originate from the mountain are the Karamana River and the Neyyar
River.
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 The Agasthya hill and the forests surrounding it are mainly populated by members of the Kani tribe.
 The hill is also home to several, rare and unknown medicinal herbs, which are highly protected and
sacred to the Kani tribal community

History
 It is believed to be the resting abode of the mythical sage Agasthya.
 Agastya is considered to be one of the seven rishis (Saptarishi) of Hindu Puranas and is the father
of the Tamil language and the compiler of the first Tamil grammar called Agattiyam or
Akattiyam.
 The legend goes that Agasthya Muni, who is a Brahmachari or a celibate, chose this hill from the
whole of Kandahar (in present-day Afghanistan) to Kanyakumari, to perform his penance.
 The deity on top of the Agasthya hill is a ‘celibate’, much like the deity of Lord Ayyappa in
Sabarimala is believed to be.
 As per the customs of the Kani tribal community, women are not allowed on top of the hill and can
only view it from Athirumala, located at the base of the Agasthyarkoodam or Agasthyamala.
 The men who climb up the hill, to pick up rare herbs or for pilgrimage, undertake a penance before
they climb up the hill, much like the Sabarimala pilgrimage.
 Those who visit the shrine to worship take a 21-day penance, wear a rudraksha mala or a garland
made of Tulasi seeds and climb up to the hill.

6. Harappan couple grave

News: A group of archaeologists have found the remains of a man and a woman buried together at a
4,500-year-old site of the Harappan civilisation.

Details
 According to the paper published, their finding is “the first
anthropologically confirmed case of coupled burial from a
Harappan cemetery.”
 The cemetery is located in modern-day Rakhigarhi, Haryana.
 This was the largest settlement in the Harappan civilization,
larger than Mohenjodaro in Pakistan.
 The man and the woman were facing each other in an “intimate
way” and that they “seemed to have died at the same time”.
 Harappans believed in life after death which explains the
pottery and bowls found in the graves.
 A Harappan joint burial was discovered at Lothal in Gujarat but it was regarded as probable
instance of a widow’s self-sacrifice demonstrative of grief over her husband’s death.

Other couple burials

 Italian village of Valdaro, a Neolithic burial in which grave the individuals seemed to be in an
embrace.
 Andronovo in the Novosibirsk region (Russia), the individuals were facing each other with their
hands held.
 Alepotrypa Cave (Greece), a Neolithic burial in which well-preserved 5,800-year-old skeletons
were found embraced, their arms and legs interlocked.
 There have also been additional reports on ancient couples discovered in the Mesolithic Ganga
Valley (India) and Chalcolithic Deccan (India), among still others.

7. Mudiyettu
News: A Panchayat in Kottayam district in Kerala is organising free training courses in Mudiyettu to
keep the tradition alive.
55
About Mudiyettu
 It is a ritualistic dance drama of Kerala that is gradually losing its grip among the younger
generations.
 It is performed only in the Bhadrakali temples, the temples of the Mother Goddess, of Central
Kerala.
 It shows the triumph of Goddess Kaali over the demon Darikan.
 It is performed exclusively by the Kuruppu or Marar communities of the State.
 Before the performance begins, the Kalamezhuthu, a ritual drawing of the Goddess Kaali is made
on the floor with dyed powders.
 Right before the performance begins, the dancer erases the Kalam with tender palm fronds.
 Mudiyettu found a place in the UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2010 becoming the second art
form from Kerala after Koodiyattam.

8. Andhra Art and Craft

News: Andhra Art and Craft hotel was opened in Andhra Pradesh.

Details
The property is divided into four wings.
Each wing is dedicated to one traditional art form from the State, namely Etikoppaka, Budithi
brassware, tholu bommalata (leather puppetry) and kalamkari.

Etikoppaka
 Etikoppaka comes from a village of the same name situated in
Visakhapatnam district.
 The village is renowned for its craftsmanship in making wooden
toys from a locally-grown tree, Ankudu.
 Traditionally, the artisans use natural dyes made with seeds, bark,
lacquer, leaves and roots.
 The toys are also called as lacquer toys because of application of
lacquer coating.

Budithi brassware
 Budithi Brass Craft are the products made out of alloy like brass at
Budithi, a village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.
 The artisans mainly work on creating brassware objects such as,
bells for temples, cooking utensils, flower pots, lamps etc., which
have different geometric patterns as well.
 It was registered as one of the geographical indication handicraft
from Andhra Pradesh by Geographical Indications of Goods
(Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

Tholu bommalata
 It is the shadow puppet theatre tradition of the state of Andhra
Pradesh.
 Its performers the part of a group of wandering entertainers and
peddlers who pass through villages during the course of a year
and offer to sing ballads, tell fortunes, sell amulets, perform
acrobatics, charm snakes, weave fishnets, tattoo local people and
mend pots.
 Tholu Bommalata literally means "the dance of leather puppets"

56
 (tholu – leather and bommalata – puppet dance).

Kalamkari
 Kalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile.
 Only natural dyes are used in Kalamkari and it involves twenty
three steps.
 The major forms are Srikalahasthi from Chittoor district, and
Machilipatnam Kalamkari of Krishna district.
 The Srikalahasthi style of Kalamkari is used mostly for narrating
the religious myths and also epics on fabric while the saris of this
particular style are renowned for its classy and artistic borders and
pallu.
 It was registered for geographical indication from the state, under handicraft goods.

9. World Capital of Architecture

News: The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced that the
Brazilian city, Rio de Janeiro, would be the World Capital of Architecture for 2020.

World Capital of Architecture initiative

 The World Capital of Architecture initiative was launched together by UNESCO and the
International Union of Architects (UIA) in November 2018.
 According to UNESCO, the World Capital of Architecture is intended to become "an international
forum for debates about pressing global challenges from the perspectives of culture, cultural
heritage, urban planning and architecture".

Rio de Janeiro
 Through the range and quality of its activities, the World Capital of Architecture in Rio de Janeiro
will demonstrate the crucial role of architecture and culture in sustainable urban development.
 As one of the oldest cities in Brazil, Rio has a mix of modern and colonial architecture, with world-
renowned sites like the statue of Christ the Redeemer and contemporary constructions like the
Museum of Tomorrow.

10. Guru Gobind Singh

News: Prime Minister released a commemorative coin of Rs 350 to mark the birth anniversary of Guru
Gobind Singh.

About Guru Gobind Singh

 Born Gobind Rai, he was the tenth Sikh Guru.
 He founded the Sikh warrior community called Khalsa in 1699.
 He also introduced the five Ks, the five articles of faith that Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times.
Kesh: uncut hair
Kangha: a wooden comb
Kara: an iron or steel bracelet worn on the wrist
Kirpan: a sword or dagger
Kacchera: short breeches
 Guru Gobind Singh also continued the formalisation of the religion, wrote important Sikh texts, and
enshrined the scripture the Guru Granth Sahib as Sikhism's eternal Guru.
 He composed Dasam Granth which many Sikhs consider to be a scripture next in importance after
the Guru Granth Sahib.
 Zafarnama was a spiritual victory letter written in Persian by the Guru to the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb.
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 11. Pakke Hornbill Fest
News: Arunachal Pradesh declared the Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF) as a state festival.

Details
 It is the state’s only conservation festival.
 It is related to the preservation of Hornbill birds.
 The first-ever PPHF was held in 2015.
 It was started with the objective of
recognising the role played by the resident Nyishi tribe in conserving hornbills in the Pakke
Tiger Reserve (PTR)
devising alternative sources of income for a region that relies on hunting and logging
telling the rest of the country about the wonders of the PTR and its surrounding areas.

Great Indian Hornbill bird

 It is one of the larger members of the hornbill family.
 It is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
 Its impressive size and colour have made it important in many tribal cultures and rituals.
 The great hornbill is long-lived, living for nearly 50 years in captivity.
 It is predominantly frugivorous, but is an opportunist and will prey on small mammals, reptiles and
birds.
 IUCN status: Vulnerable

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MISCELLANEOUS
1. Mandal Dam project
News: Prime Minister laid the foundation for Mandal Dam project.

Geography
 The dam is being built on North Koel River in Palamu in Jharkhand.
 North Koel river rises in the Ranchi plateau in Jharkhand
 It is a tributary of Sone river finally joining the river Ganga.
 The North Koel Reservoir is located in the most backward tribal areas in Palamau and Garhwa
districts of Jharkhand State.

Background
 It was started in 1972. The project, however, was stopped by the forest department, Bihar, in 1993.
 It was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2017.
 The project aims to provide irrigation to 111,521 hectares of land annually in the most backward
and drought prone areas of Palamu & Garhwa districts in Jharkhand and Aurangabad & Gaya
districts in Bihar.
 There are oppositions to the project as it is said to submerge parts of Palamu Tiger reserve.

2. Asia Competitiveness Institute’s (ACI) EDB index

News: 2018 Ease of Doing Business (EDB) Index ABC rankings were released by Asia
Competitiveness Institute (ACI), Singapore.

Rankings
 Andhra Pradesh topped the index while Maharashtra and Delhi came in second and third place,
respectively.

About the index

 EDB index is based upon three parameters called ABC
Attractiveness to Investors
Business Friendliness
Competitiveness Policies

3. Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development

News: Italian Prime Minister inaugurated new ‘Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable
Development’ in Rome.

Details
 Centre will provide a fast-track, demand-driven mechanism for African countries to access grant
resources that support policies, initiatives, and best practices on climate change, food security,
access to water, clean energy, and accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) in Africa.
 The Centre would be hosted by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Food
and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Background
 The Centre has its roots in a declaration endorsed by the G7 meeting of the Environment Ministers
in 2017.

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 It was established to facilitate coordination among the G7 and African countries on common
initiatives in Africa to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda.

4. Global Talent Competitive Index 2019

News: Global Talent Competitive Index 2019 was released by the INSEAD business school in
partnership with Tata Communications and Adecco Group.

About the Index

 The report measures levels of Global Talent Competitiveness by looking at 68 variables such as
ease of ease of hiring, gender earnings gap, and prevalence of training in firms.
 The 2019 edition the GTCI addresses the topic of entrepreneurial talent and global competitiveness
and attempts to identify the ways in which large and small firms, nations, and cities can foster
entrepreneurial talent in the era of digital transformation.

Ranking
 India moved up one position on the Global Talent Competitive Index (GTCI) 2019 to be at the 80 th
position.
 China emerged as the best performer among the BRICS countries, with an overall position of 45th.
 India performed better than its lower-income peers when it comes to growing talent and access to
growth opportunities.
 Only two non-European countries, Singapore and the USA, can be seen in the top ten.
 Switzerland followed by Singapore, the US, Norway and Denmark were in the top five on the list.

Findings of the report

 India's biggest challenge is to improve its ability to attract and retain talent.
 Also, there is a need to address its poor level of Internal Openness in particular with respect to weak
gender equality and low tolerances towards minorities and immigrants—and its disappointing show
in lifestyle indicators.
 Europe remains a talent powerhouse, but those countries with great universities and a strong
education sector are best at attracting talents.
 As high-level talents are mobile internationally, countries will need to remain open and innovative
to keep their leadership.
 The talent gap between higher and lower-income countries has increased over the last five years
while noting that countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa are seeing a progressive erosion of
their talent base.
 To be successful in future, it is essential to create the right environment for talent to flourish,
otherwise of which people and businesses will move away and look for opportunities elsewhere.

5. Project ReWeave
News: Project ReWeave was launched by Microsoft India.

Details
 It is an e-commerce platform for handloom weavers.
 It hosts signature collections created by weaver communities and showcases traditional designs and
products created from natural dyes.
 Project ReWeave also aims to help weavers with working capital support through non-profit
organisations.
 Microsoft in association with the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has also curated
a special curriculum in ‘CAD and Color for Handloom Weaving’ to provide digital training in
handloom design.
 Since its inception, special emphasis has been given to skill development, using ICT and digital
60
 tools in critical aspects such as design, marketing and entrepreneurship, besides creating sustainable
livelihood options through Project Sangam, a Microsoft Azure-based Community Training
Platform.

Benefits
 It will help connect artisans to buyers directly, enabling
them to expand to newer customers and markets.
 It will help sell to a broad set of customers, helping
weavers to increase their income and earn a sustainable
livelihood, while also reviving forgotten Indian art.
The Indian handloom industry is the
second-largest employment provider
for the rural population in India,
with almost 43 lakh weavers.

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PIB CORNER
1. Samwad with Students
News: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the platform “Samwad with Students”
(SwS) in Bengaluru.

Aim: Through the SwS initiative, ISRO aims to constantly engage youngsters across India to capture
their scientific temperament. The new conversation mission will inspire students cutting across schools
and colleges.

2. National Health Authority

News: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister approved the restructuring of existing National
Health Agency as "National Health Authority" for better implementation of Pradhan Mantri - Jan
Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Details
 With this approval, the existing society "National Health Agency" has been dissolved and will be
replaced by National Health Authority as an attached office to Ministry of Health & Family
Welfare.
 The existing multi-tier decision making structure has been replaced with the Governing Board
chaired by the Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India which will enable the
decision making at a faster pace, required for smooth implementation of the scheme.
 The composition of the Governing Board is broad based with due representations from the
Government, domain experts, etc.
 Besides, the States shall also be represented in the Governing Board on rotational basis.
 It is envisaged that the National Health Authority shall have full accountability, authority and
mandate to implement PM-JAY through an efficient, effective and transparent decision-making
process.

3. Yarn Bank scheme

The government had launched Yarn Bank Scheme as one of the component of PowerTex India with
effect from 01.04.2017 to 31.03.2020.

Aim: It is aimed at avoiding fluctuation in yarn price.

Details
 The Scheme provides interest free corpus fund up to Rs.2.00 crore to the Special Purpose Vehicle
(SPV)/Consortium formed by powerloom weavers.
 This will enable them to purchase yarn at wholesale rate and give the yarn at reasonable price to the
small weavers to avoid middleman and local supplier's brokerage charge on sales of yarn.

4. Green – Ag Project
News: The government has launched a Global Environment Facility (GEF) assisted project namely,
“Green – Ag: Transforming Indian Agriculture for global environment benefits and the conservation of
critical biodiversity and forest landscapes” in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) during September, 2018.

Details
It has been launched in high-conservation-value landscapes of five States namely
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1) Madhya Pradesh : Chambal Landscape
2) Mizoram: Dampa Landscape
3) Odisha: Similipal Landscape
4) Rajasthan: Desert National Park Landscape
5) Uttarakhand: Corbett-Rajaji Landscape

Objectives
 The project seeks to mainstream biodiversity, climate change and sustainable land management
objectives and practices into Indian agriculture.
 The overall objective of the project is to catalyze transformative change of India’s agricultural
sector to support achievement of national and global environmental benefits and conservation of
critical biodiversity and forest landscapes.

5. Implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord

News
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister approved the setting up of a High Level Committee
for implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord and measures envisaged in the Memorandum
of Settlement, 2003 and other issues related to Bodo community.
 The Cabinet also approved a number of measures to fulfil the outstanding issues related to the Bodo
community.

What is Assam Accord and Clause 6?

 After Assam agitation of 1979-1985, Assam Accord was signed on 15th August, 1985.
 Clause 6 of the Assam Accord envisaged that appropriate constitutional, legislative and
administrative safeguards, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social,
linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.
 However, Clause 6 of the Assam Accord has not been fully implemented even almost 35 years after
the Accord was signed.

Agenda of the Committee

 The committee will suggest constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards as envisaged in
Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
 The Committee shall examine the effectiveness of actions since 1985 to implement Clause 6 of the
Assam Accord.
 The Committee will hold discussions with all stakeholders and assess the required quantum of
reservation of seats in Assam Legislative Assembly and local bodies for Assamese people.
 The Committee will also assess the requirement of measures to be taken to protect Assamese and
other indigenous languages of Assam, quantum of reservation in employment under Government of
Assam and other measures to protect, preserve and promote cultural, social, linguistic identity and
heritage of Assamese people.

Bodo Accord
 The Bodo Accord was signed in 2003 which resulted in the establishment of a Bodoland Territorial
Council (BTC) under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
 However, there have been representations from different organizations of Bodos to fulfil various
outstanding demands.

Bodoland
 Bodos are the single largest tribal community in Assam and constitute over 5-6 per cent of the total
state population.
 The demand for a separate state of Bodoland started in 1967.

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 The Bodo Accord was signed to appease the
Bodos
 The area under the BTC jurisdiction is officially
called the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts
(BTAD) and comprises four regions
 Kokrajhar
 Baksa
 Udalguri
 Chirang
 The four districts under the BTC made minimal Image Credit: Hans India
progress for the first decade after its formation.
 BTAD areas are comprised of Bodos and non-Bodo people, some of the areas having a non-Bodo
majority.
 Ethnic riots involving Bengali-speaking Muslims and Bodos in Bodoland Territorial Area District
have routinely occurred in the region.
 The inequity in distribution of resources and under representation in the BTC has left non-Bodos
dissatisfied.
 On the other hand, BTC could not fulfil the aspirations of the Bodos as issues like illegal
immigrants, protection of tribal belts and blocks remained unresolved.
 Hence, the demand for Bodoland surfaced again.

6. Reducing Carbon Emissions

News: Ministry of Agriculture mentioned the initiatives taken to make agriculture more adaptive and
resilient to climate variability and in the process to reduce carbon emission.

Important initiatives
 Crop diversification programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
 National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
 Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI)

Other supporting programmes

 Soil Health Card (SHC)
 Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
 Mission Organic for Value Chain Development for North East (MOVCD)
 Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
 Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF)
 National Bamboo Mission (NBM) under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA),
which is one of the eight Mission under the National Action Plan for Climatic Change (NAPCC)

Soil, water and crop management practices that reduce carbon emissions
1. Increasing the area under System of Rice Intensification (SRI) as an alternative to transplanted
paddy.
2. Deployment of zero tillage drill machines and other residue management equipment which enable
planting of rabi crop in the standing residue of rice crop to avoid its burning.
3. Alternate wetting and drying, direct seeded rice system of rice cultivation, use of slow release
nitrogen fertilizers, integrated nutrient management practices, leaf colour chart-based nitrogen
application, use of urea super granules etc.
4. Mandatory Neem coating of urea.
5. Promotion of micro irrigation under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)-Per Drop
More Crop.
6. Planting of trees under National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Bringing Green Revolution to
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 Eastern India (BGREI), Sub-Mission on Agro Forestry (SMAF) and National Bamboo Mission
(NBM).
7. 45 models of Integrated Farming System (IFS) have been developed for replication in Krishi
Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and in the States for enabling climate resilient agriculture.
8. Climate resilient villages have been developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),
one in each of 151 districts.
9. Climate Vulnerability Atlas has been prepared under National Innovations in Climate Resilient
Agriculture (NICRA).
10. District Agriculture Contingency Plans have been developed for 633 districts in order to give real
time agro advisories for overcoming climate risks.

7. Manufacturing of Medical Devices

News: Cabinet has given approval for 100 % FDI under automatic route for manufacturing of
medical devices.

Details
 Medical devices come under the pharma sector in which 100 per cent FDI through automatic route
is permitted only in case of new ventures.
 Approval of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) is needed in the case of brownfield
investment—acquisition of existing companies.
 At present, the medical devices sector is subjected to FDI limits and other conditions such as
mandatory government nods as in the case of brownfield investments in the pharma sector. But the
new policy does away with this distinction in the medical devices sector.
 The move is expected to help attract more investments and boost the domestic manufacturing.

8. India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway

Details
 The 1360 kms long India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is an
initiative pertaining to India, Myanmar and Thailand.
 India is undertaking construction of two sections of the Trilateral
Highway in Myanmar namely,
Construction of Kalewa-Yagyi road section
Construction of bridges along with the approach road on the Tamu-
Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK) road section
 It is being constructed under India’s Look East Policy that will
connect Moreh, India with Mae Sot, Thailand via Myanmar.
 The above mentioned both the projects are being funded by
Government of India under grant assistance to the Government of
Myanmar.
 The road is expected to boost trade and commerce in the ASEAN–
India Free Trade Area, as well as with the rest of Southeast Asia.
 India has also proposed extending the highway to Cambodia, Laos and
Vietnam.
Image Credit: The Hindu

9. Mission Indradhanush
News: ‘Mission Indradhanush’ has been selected as one of the 12 best practices globally and has been
featured in a special issue of the British Medical Journal titled ‘Improving vaccination coverage in
India: lessons from Intensified Mission Indradhanush, a cross-sectoral systems strengthening strategy’.

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About the Scheme
 Mission Indradhanush was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2014
 It aims to immunize all children under the age of 2 years, as well as all pregnant women, against
seven vaccine preventable diseases.
 The diseases being targeted are diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis,
tuberculosis, measles and Hepatitis B.
 In addition to these, vaccines for Japanese encephalitis and Haemophilus influenzae type B are
also being provided in selected states.
 In 2016, four new additions have been made namely Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis, Injectable
Polio Vaccine Bivalent and Rotavirus.
 In 2017, Pneumonia was added to the Mission by incorporating Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
under Universal Immunization Programme.

10. Issues at WTO

India’s disputes at the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
 India has 7 disputes at WTO which are at different stages of settlement.
 Of these six disputes are with the United States and one with Japan

India-U.S. disputes
 India has complained against
Import of poultry and poultry products from United States
Countervailing duty by United States on Indian steel products
United States’ Sub-Federal Renewable energy programme
Certain measures of Unites States on steel and aluminium products
 U.S has complained against
National Solar Mission of India
Export Subsidies measures of India

India-Japan disputes
Japan has complained against certain measures by India on imports of iron and steel products from
Japan

11. India- Brazil

News: Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare met a 5-member delegation from Brazil.

Objective: The main objective of this meeting was to promote technical cooperation between India and
Brazil for the rapid growth of the production and productivity of indigenous breeds.

Brazil’s expertise
 By adopting modern breeding technologies and implementing scientific breeding programs, Brazil
has achieved an increase in the productivity of indigenous breeds of India.
 In this way, genomic chips developed by Brazil can be very useful for implementing genomic
selection for our indigenous breeds.
 India will seek Brazil’s help in Embryo transfer technology (ETT), promotion of In Vitro
Fertilization (IVF) and sex-sorted semen production.
 Two Excellence Centers in Kalsi Uttarakhand and Central Agricultural University, Krishi Vigyan
Kendra (KVK) Motihari are being established with the help of Brazil.

12. Labour Code on Industrial Relations

News: The Ministry of Labour & Employment had finalised the Code on Industrial Relations (IR)
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Details
 It is one of the four codes being framed
by consolidating over 44 labour laws.
 It has been prepared by simplifying,
amalgamating and rationalizing the
relevant provisions of the following
three Labour Laws:-
1. The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
2. The Trade Unions Act, 1926
3. The Industrial Employment
(Standing Orders) Act, 1946
The Ministry of Labour and Employment has been
taking steps for simplification, amalgamation and
rationalisation of 44 central labour laws into four
major labour codes
(i) Code on Wages
(ii) Code on Industrial Relations
(iii) Code of Social Security
(iv) Code on Occupational Safety, Health and
Working Conditions

13. Gangajal project

News: It was launched by the Prime Minister in Agra.

Details
 The project will provide Agra with better and more assured water supply, at an estimated cost of
Rs.2880 crores.
 Gangajal project aims to bring 140 cusecs of Ganga water to Agra.
 This will help meet the drinking water demands in the city.

14. NCDC’s model for cooperatives

News: Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare launched the National Cooperative
Development Corporation (NCDC)’s model for Cooperatives as Modern Banking Units.

Aim: It was launched with an aim to strengthen cooperative banks at various levels and bring about
financial inclusion of farmers in the remote villages of the country.

Details
 The government’s objective behind the Primary Agricultural Credit Co-operative Societies (PACS)
computerization project is to provide a robust IT platform leading to automation of all activities of
the PACS.
 For this, NCDC has taken a comprehensive step for strengthening of cooperative as Modern
Banking Units.
 The model includes upgradation and new setup of IT and related infrastructure such as Data Centre,
Enterprise Network and Security, Core Banking Solutions (CBS), ATMs, POS, e-Lobby, etc.
 It also includes assistance to cooperatives in capacity development through its dedicated Laxmanrao
Inamdar National Academy for Co-operative Research & Development.

National Council for Cooperative Training (NCCT)

 NCCT is responsible for training, awareness and evaluation programmes of employees working in
the cooperative sector.
 It also facilitates the same for other stakeholders in the cooperative sector in the country.
 The main objective of the NCCT is to facilitate the human resource development in the
cooperatives in the country.
 NCCT is also playing a vital role in the development of human resources in co-operatives in the
North Eastern States.

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 15. Recombinant ELISA kits
News: Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare released recombinant Enzyme-linked immune
sorbent assay (ELISA) kits.

Details
 Two recombinant ELISA kits were launched for
1. Glanders
2. Equine Infectious Anaemia
 Both these diseases are notifiable diseases in India and require special diagnosis for control and
eradication in the country.

Glanders
 Glanders is a fatal infectious and notifiable disease of equines including horses, donkeys and
mules.
 The disease is caused by a bacterium known as Burkholderia mallei and has zoonotic potential.
 The organism is also considered as potential bio-weapon and categorized under ‘Tier 1 Select
Agent’.
 This technology will prove to be a milestone in the control and eradication of glanders from India.

Equine infectious anaemia (EIA)

 Equine infectious anaemia (EIA) is a chronic, debilitating and persistent infectious disease of
equines caused by a retrovirus.
 This technology will provide sustainable and homogeneous source of antigen and harmonized
protocol to ensure regular surveillance of EIA.

16. #www : Web- WonderWomen

News: The Ministry of Women and Child Development had launched an online campaign, ‘#www :
Web- WonderWomen’.

Details
 Through the campaign, the Ministry and the Campaign’s Partners aim to recognize the fortitude of
Indian women stalwarts from across the globe who have used the power of social media to run
positive & niche campaigns to steer a change in society.
 This Campaign will recognize and acknowledge the efforts of these meritorious Women.

17. India-Denmark
News: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister approved the Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) on Maritime issues between India and Denmark.

Benefits
 It will facilitate cross-border cooperation and investments between the maritime sectors of India and
Denmark
 It will enable both the countries to exchange expertise, publications, information, data and statistics
to improve mutual capabilities for ensuring quality shipping; cooperation in the field of green
maritime technology and shipbuilding, granting the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) the status of
Recognized Organization (RO), cooperation in the fields of maritime training and education
 It will enable research and development for sustained cooperation in the field of merchant shipping
and maritime transport related matters
 It will also further extend and deepen the cooperation on the opportunities of mutual benefits to
both the countries, at both bilateral and international level
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Bilateral trade
 Denmark is one of the important trading partners with India.
 Major Danish exports to India include medicinal/ pharmaceutical goods, power generation
machinery; industrial machinery, metal ores, organic chemicals, etc.
 Major Indian exports to Denmark include apparels, textiles/ fabrics/ yarns, road vehicles and
components, metal goods, iron and steel, footwear and travel goods.

18. Sino-Indian Digital Collaboration Plaza (SIDCOP)

News: SIDCOP was launched recently.

Details
 It aims to bring Indian IT companies and Chinese enterprises closer to each other on a single AI
enabled platform.
 This is a partnership by National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM)
with Municipal Governments of Guiyang and Dalian.
 A Joint Venture comprising of one Indian and Chinese company has been tasked with the running
of the platform.

Significance
 Indian IT enterprises are world renowned for their expertise in business transformation and
operational optimization by using IT tools in complex business environments.
 SIDCOP, which is a boundary-less marketplace offers this opportunity for Chinese enterprises in
order to assist them in operational optimization and adopting industry best practices in business
solutions.
 This platform could be useful to connect with top providers from India and help Chinese enterprises
source the right solution providers for their projects.

19. Indus Food 2019

News: Indus Food 2019 was conducted with the theme of ‘World Food Supermarket’ at India Expo
Mart, Greater Noida.

What is it?
 INDUS FOOD is a global platform where top exporters from Food and Beverage Industry of India
will be participating and buyers from across the world have been invited.
 The event is aimed at promoting India as a strong and reliable exporter of food and beverage
products to the world.

20. Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA)

News: The Union Cabinet approved the Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) between India and Japan
and authorized Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to sign the Agreement for Bilateral Swap Arrangement
between the RBI and the Bank of Japan for a maximum amount of USD 75 billion.

Salient Features
It will enable India and Japan to essentially exchange and re-exchange a maximum amount of USD 75
Billion for domestic currency, for the purpose of maintaining an appropriate level of balance of
payments for meeting short-term deficiency in foreign exchange.

Benefits
 The BSA is a very good example of mutual cooperation between India and Japan for strategic
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 objective of assisting each other in times of difficulty and for restoring international confidence.
 This facility will enable the agreed amount of Capital being available to India on tap for use.
 Also, with this arrangement in place, prospects of Indian companies would improve in tapping
foreign capital as there would be greater confidence in stability of country’s exchange rate.
 Availability of such swap line to tide over difficulties arising out of Balance of Payment (BOP)
would deter speculative attacks on the domestic currency and greatly enhance the RBI’s ability to
manage exchange rate volatility.
 The arrangement is another milestone in mutual economic cooperation and special strategic and
global partnership between India and Japan.

21. Womaniya on GeM

News: Government e Marketplace [GeM] has launched “Womaniya on GeM”.

What is it?
 It is an initiative to enable women entrepreneurs and Government e Marketplace is a 100
women self-help groups [WSHGs] to sell handicrafts percent government owned
and handloom, accessories, jute and coir products, company setup under the aegis of
home décor and office furnishings, directly to various Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Government ministries, departments and institutions. for procurement of common use
 The initiative seeks to develop women goods and services by Government
entrepreneurship on the margins of society to achieve ministries, departments and CPSEs.
gender-inclusive economic growth. GeM was setup in 2016.

Significance
 Nearly 80 percent women-owned establishments are self-financed and more than 60 percent of 8
million units are owned and or led by women entrepreneurs from socially-challenged sections of the
society.
 Since women tend to invest up to 90 percent of their earnings back in their families to provide
better nutrition, health care and education to their children, economic empowerment of women is a
step in the direction of poverty alleviation.
 The initiative aligns with Government’s initiatives for MSMEs, especially to reserve 3 percent in
government procurement from women entrepreneurs.

Benefits
Womaniya on GeM will spur hyper-local economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs and address
goals and objectives under United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality
and empower all women and girls.

22. Global Housing Technology Challenge-India

News: It was launched by the Minister of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)

What is it?
 GHTC- India intends to get best globally available innovative construction technologies through a
challenge process.
 It seeks to demonstrate and deliver ready to live-in houses in a shorter time, with lower cost and
quality construction in a sustainable manner.
 It also seeks to promote future technologies, to foster an environment of research and development
in the country.
 The challenge has three components viz.
i) Conduct of Grand Expo-cum-Conference
ii) Identifying Proven Demonstrable Technologies from across the world and
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 iii) Promoting Potential Technologies through setting up incubation centers at selected IITs and
organizing accelerator workshops under the Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators- India
(ASHA-India) Program.

Why is it required?
The use of alternative, innovative and fast-track technologies aims at:-
a) conservation of natural resources
b) bringing speed in construction
c) utilization of industrial and construction demolition waste
d) reduction in air and noise pollution
e) optimum use of water
f) increased labour productivity
g) cost reduction
h) safe and disaster resilient houses
i) all weather site execution etc

Problems with conventional construction

 Typically conventional construction systems (such as the use of brick and mortar) are slow paced,
energy intensive, dependent on natural resources and have large carbon footprint.
 They use low levels of mechanization and have high dependence on manual labour.

Benefits
 GHTC-India has been conceptualized to enable the paradigm shift required in the construction
sector in the country.
 GHTC-India will bring change, both in the perception as well as the manner in which construction
of houses is done.
 This transition will contribute towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as
laid out by the United Nations (UN), the New Urban Agenda and the Paris Climate Accord to
which India is a signatory and other such international commitments
 Such a technology transition aligns well with the vision of New India 2022.
 This will bring the country at par with the advanced economies of the world and their rigorous
standards in the construction sector.

23. DD Science and India Science

News: DD Science and India Science are two science communication initiatives launched by the
Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with Doordarshan (DD).

Details
 While DD Science is a one-hour slot on Doordarshan National channel, which will be telecast
Monday to Saturday from 5 pm to 6pm, India Science is an internet-based channel, which is
available on any internet-enabled device, and will offer live, scheduled play and video-on-demand
services.
 Doordarshan,which reaches out to more than 92 per cent of India’s population would be a very
impactful medium for popularization of science.
 The two science communication platforms are National level initiatives to elevate science into a
celebration and bring it close to everyday life.
 The two science channels which are milestones in the history of science communication in India,
are the first step in creating a national science channel for the country.
 While India Science (www.indiascience.in) is already a 24x7 presence, DD Science may also be
scaled up to a full-fledged channel in the future.

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 24. India-Australia
News: The Union Cabinet approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Directorate
General of Mines Safety (DGMS), Ministry of Labour and Employment and Department of Natural
Resource Mines and Energy, Queensland Government, Australia through the Safety in Mines, Testing
and Research Station (SIMTARS).

Benefit
The MoU will help in establishing a partnership between DGMS and SIMTARS for:
1. implementation of risk based safety management system, providing training,
2. organising, conference, seminar and other technical meetings, setting up occupations safety and
health academy and national mine disaster centre, and
3. modernising R&D laboratory of DGMS.

Background
 Mining accident rates in Australia is the lowest in the world.
 Australia has pioneered in conceptualising and implementing risk based Safety Management Plans
for the mining sector using the technique of hazard identification and risk assessment.
 SIMTARS is known to have exclusive expertise in Mines Safety Management Systems.

26. Saksham 2019

News: Saksham 2019 was launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Details
 It is an annual high intensity one-month long people-centric mega campaign of Petroleum
Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural
Gas.
 It is a month long mass awareness drive seeking citizens to participate in fuel conservation for
health & environment protection and simultaneously help in reducing India’s dependency on import
of crude oil.

PCRA
 It is a registered society set up under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
 It is engaged in promoting energy efficiency in various sectors of economy.
 It helps the government in proposing policies and strategies for petroleum conservation, aimed at
reducing excessive dependence of the country on oil requirement.

27. UNNATI
News: UNNATI- (Unispace Nanosatellite Assembly & Training) programme was organized by ISRO
in Bengaluru.

What is UNNATI?
 It is a capacity building programme on Nanosatellite development.
 It is an initiative by ISRO to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations
conference on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space (UNISPACE-50).
 The programme provides opportunities to the participating developing countries to strengthen in
assembling, integrating and testing of Nanosatellite.
 UNNATI programme is planned to be conducted for 3 years by U.R. Rao Satellite Centre of ISRO
in 3 batches and will target to benefit officials of 45 countries.

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 28. Lithium Ion Giga Factory
News: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and LIBCOIN are in dialogue to Build India’s First
Lithium Ion Giga Factory.

Details
 BHEL and LIBCOIN will initially build 1GWh lithium ion battery plant in India.
 Its capacity will be scaled up to 30GWh in due course.
 With this, India has finally taken steps into its energy security and clean energy commitment to the
world.

Benefits
 This project will bring energy independence by replacing oil imports with abundant renewable.
 This project also includes “Made by India, for India”, with focus on core-cost components
manufactured domestically.
 It will also create integrated manufacturing ecosystem resulting in self-reliance and lower cost.

Advantages of lithium ion battery

 Lithium ion battery has high energy density which enables it to operate longer between charges.
 Their rate of self-discharge is much lower than that of other rechargeable cells such as Ni-Cad and
NiMH forms.
 Lithium ion cells and batteries does not need priming like some batteries need.
 They do not require any maintenance to ensure their performance. Ni-Cad cells required a periodic
discharge to ensure that they did not exhibit the memory effect.
 As different varieties of lithium ion batteries are available with different current levels and current
densities, it can be used for the particular application needed.

Disadvantages of lithium ion battery

 Lithium ion cells and batteries are not as robust as some other rechargeable technologies. They
require protection from being over charged and discharged too far. In addition to this, they need to
have the current maintained within safe limits.
 Apart from time, the age of a battery is also dependent on the number of charge discharge cycles
that the battery has undergone. Lithium ion batteries age very fast.
 They are around 40% more costly to manufacture than Nickel cadmium cells.

29. ‘Shehri Samridhi Utsav’

News: Shehri Samridhi Utsav was organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs from 1st -
15th February 2019.

Aim: The event aims at extending the outreach of National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)
to the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable, showcase its initiatives and facilitate access of SHG
members to the other government schemes.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana

The scheme has two component one for urban India and other for rural India.
1. The Urban component named as Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana will be implemented by the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.
2. The rural component named as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana will be
implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.
DAY-NULM
It addresses multiple dimensions of urban poverty by
 developing strong community-based organizations
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 providing placement oriented skill training
 providing subsidized loans for self-employment ventures
 supporting street vendors’ livelihoods
 establishing shelter for the homeless
DDUGKY
It aims at building placement linked skills of the rual youth and place them in relatively higher wage
employment sectors of the economy.

30. National Museum of Indian Cinema

News: National Museum of Indian Cinema was inaugurated by the Prime Minister in Mumbai.

Details
 The museum showcases the entire history of Indian cinema in one place.
 The Museum is housed in two buildings – the New Museum Building and the 19th century historic
palace Gulshan Mahal – in the Films Division campus in Mumbai.
A. The New Museum Building has four Exhibition Halls which encapsulate:
1. Gandhi & Cinema: it not only depicts the movies made on the life Mahatma Gandhi but also
showcases the deep impact his life had on cinema.
2. Children’s Film Studio: it gives visitors, particularly children, an opportunity to explore the
science, technology and art behind filmmaking.
3. Technology, creativity & Indian cinema: it showcases the creative use of technology by Indian
film makers over the years to produce cinematographic impact on the silver screen.
4. Cinema across India: it showcases the charismatic kaleidoscopic presence of the vibrant
cinematographic culture across India.
B. Gulshan Mahal is an ASI Grade-II Heritage Structure which has been restored as part of the NMIC
project. The displays present here showcase the journey of over a hundred years of Indian cinema.

31. Exercise SEA VIGIL

News: Exercise SEA VIGIL was conducted by the Indian Navy, ten years after "26/11"

Aim
 It aims to comprehensively and holistically validate the efficacy of the measures taken since '26/11'.
 It also aims to simultaneously activate the coastal security mechanism across all States and Union
Territories.

Background
 Post '26/11', the Indian Navy was designated as the agency responsible for overall maritime
security, including offshore and coastal security.
 The Indian Coast Guard was designated as the agency responsible for coastal security in territorial
waters, including waters to be patrolled by the State Marine Police.
 In the discharge of these very responsibilities that Exercise 'SEA VIGIL' has been planned by the
Indian Navy.

Details
 It is the largest coastal defence exercise off the Indian coast.
 It is a first of its kind exercise that is being undertaken along the entire 7516.6 km coastline and
Exclusive Economic Zone of India and is involving all the 13 coastal States and Union Territories
along with all maritime stakeholders, including the fishing and coastal communities.
 The exercise will entail both seaward and shore-based monitoring.
 The exercise will in addition to covering the entire coastline, will also go deeper into the hinterland.

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 The exercise is a build up towards the major theatre level tri-service exercise TROPEX [Theatre-
level Readiness Operational Exercise] which Indian Navy conducts every two years.

32. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT)

News: The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s premiere container port got listed amongst the
top 30 container ports globally, as per the latest Lloyds Report.

Significance
 It is a validation of all the efforts and strategic initiatives being implemented at JNPT in order to
enhance overall port efficiency.
 Various new processes activated under the ‘ease of doing business’ initiative have not only helped
in overall growth of the port business, but also allowed the EXIM trade to save time and cost which
in turn have accentuated the growth story.
 India is gaining precedence as a favourable trade destination and initiatives at JNPT has been
credited for helping India leverage its position in the World Bank Ranking in trading across the
borders, from 146 to 80, a jump of 66 points.

33. India Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX) - 2019

News: Indian Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX)-2019 is scheduled to be conducted at Aundh
Military Station and College of Military Engineering, Pune from 18 March to 27 March 2019.

Details
 The joint training exercise is being conducted with more than a dozen African countries & India.
 It aims at synergizing humanitarian mine action and joint peace operations.
 The IAFTX-2019 is a positive step towards growing political and military ties with the member
nations of African continent and will boost the already strong strategic cooperation between the
countries.

34. Philip Kotler Award

News: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential
award, in New Delhi.

About the Award

 The Award focuses on the triple bottom-line of People, Profit and Planet.
 It will be offered annually to the leader of a Nation.
 Prof. Philip Kotler is a world renowned Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University,
Kellogg School of Management.

Details
 PM was awarded for his outstanding leadership and selfless service combined with his tireless
energy which has resulted in extraordinary economic, social and technological advances in the
country.
 It said that India is identified as the Centre for Innovation and Value Added Manufacturing (Make
in India), as well as a global hub for professional services such as Information Technology,
Accounting and Finance under the PM’s leadership.
 It also mentioned Digital Revolution (Digital India), including the Unique Identification Number,
Aadhaar, for social benefits and financial inclusion.
 The Citation also mentions initiatives such as Startup India and Swachh Bharat.

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 35. Bio-Jet Fuel
News: Bureau of Indian Standards in Collaboration with Indian Air Force released new standards for
bio-jet fuel.

What is bio-jet fuel?

 It is a blend of 25% of bio jet fuel and 75% of aviation turbine fuel (ATF). International
standards permit a blend rate of up to 50% bio fuel with ATF.
 It has the potential to reduce fuel costs by 15-20%
 Bio jet fuel can be produced from animal fat, used cooking oil, waste dairy fat, sewage sludge, etc.
 The oil needs to fulfil the following conditions
have a freezing point below -47 degrees so it doesn’t freeze at altitudes at which planes fly,
should not catch fire on ground when being transferred into a plane
must have the same density as ATF
have a certain calorific value and
should not choke the filters
 It is also 1.8% more energy dense as compared to ATF and is, therefore, more efficient.
 A lower sulphur content also means that it causes less wear and tear.

Benefits
 These specifications will align Indian standards with current international standards.
 This standard would enable the oil companies to manufacture bio-jet fuel for the Indian aviation
industry.
 Given the advent of Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)
by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) by 2027, this is a significant development
which could reduce the carbon emissions and help India become a green fuel production hub.

36. Vande Bharat Express

News: Minister of Railways & Coal announced the name Vande Bharat Express for Train 18,
acknowledging it’s made-in-India status.

Details
 The train set has been manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in the period of 18 months
under 'Make in India' program.
 It is India's first semi-high speed train equipped with world class passenger amenities.
 It can achieve high speeds (max speed of 160 kmph) due to faster acceleration & deceleration and
will reduced journey time by 25% to 45%.
 Scheduled commute between New Delhi & Varanasi will take approximately 8 hours making it 40-
50% faster than the fastest train currently connecting these two cities.

Features
 Vande Bharat Express incorporates many modern features which debut for the very first time on
Indian Railways.
 It has been provided with ‘State of the Art’ passenger amenities like On-board wifi entertainment,
GPS based passenger information system, CCTVs, bio-vacuum toilets, rotating chairs in executive
class, etc. at par with global standards.
 It also has provision of Divyang-friendly facilities.
 Further, it has intelligent braking system with power regeneration for better energy efficiency
thereby making it cost, energy and environment efficient.

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 37. Republic Day folk dances
The following folk dances were performed on the Republic Day
 Karakkatam folk dance - Tamil Nadu
 Taakala Folk Dance – Maharashtra
 Monpa - Arunachal Pradesh
 Satoiya Nitya – Assam
 Tamang Seto - Sikkim
 Mamita folk dance - Tripura
 Fusim Dance - Jammu Kashmir
 Misra Raas - Gujarat
 Hudka Chhudka - Uttarakhand
 Bhangra - Punjab

38. National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP)

News: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched National Agricultural Higher
Education Project (NAHEP) to attract talent and strengthen higher agricultural education in the country.

Details
 It is Rs 1100 crore project.
 This project will be funded by the World Bank and the Indian Government on a 50:50 basis.
 NAHEP has been conceived to enable the agricultural education system catch up nationally and
internationally with the peers, investing on infrastructure, competency and commitment of faculty,
and attracting talented students to agriculture.
 It has been formulated with a focus to improve and sustain quality of higher agricultural education.

 The project aims to support infrastructure, faculty and student advancement, and providing means
for better governance and management of agricultural universities, to raise the standard of current
agricultural education system and provide a more jobs and entrepreneurship orientation to
agricultural education.

Project Objectives
 Accentuate the relevance and quality of higher agricultural education in selected Agricultural
Universities
 Student and faculty development
 Improve learning outcomes, employability and entrepreneurship; and
 Enhancing institutional and system management effectiveness

39. International Stock Taking Conference on Tiger Conservation

News: The 3rd Stock Taking Conference on Tiger Conservation was held in New Delhi.

Background
 It was the second to be held in India after 2012.
 During the St. Petersburg declaration in 2010, tiger range countries had resolved to double tiger
numbers across their range by 2022.
 At the time of deliberations at St. Petersburg, India’s tiger estimate stood at 1411, which after the
third cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation, 2014 has nearly been doubled to 2226.
 This has largely been possible because of strides made against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),
predominant among them being legislation to ensure protection of tiger habitat and enhancement of
penalties, besides providing a statutory basis for inviolate space.
 Global and National Tiger Recovery Programs (GTRP/NTRP) were formulated by respective tiger
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 range countries as a consequence of this historic decision.
 The fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation, 2018 is currently under way.

Agenda of the conference

Progress against resolution adopted by tiger range countries in 2010 at St. Petersburg, Russia, was
measured against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as decided by the said countries.

40. Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA)

News: India has signed an agreement to participate in the Programme for International Students
Assessment (PISA) to be conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) in 2021.

Key features of PISA

 PISA is a triennial international survey (every three years) which aims to evaluate the education
system worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students.
 Students are assessed in reading, mathematics, science and collaborative problem-solving.
 Participation in PISA allows benchmarking performance against a wide range of countries.
 PISA uses test items aligned with international benchmarks. Test items are adapted to the local
context and language, pilot tested and validated before being used for the test.
 OECD have agreed to contextualize the questions for Indian students.

Benefits
 Participation in PISA 2021 would indicate the health of the education system and would motivate
other schools /states in the subsequent cycles.
 Learnings from participation in PISA will help to introduce competency based examination reforms
in the school system and help move away from rote learning.
 This will lead to improvement in the learning levels of the children and enhance the quality of
education in the country.

PISA 2021
The list of registered countries for PISA 2021 includes Brazil, China (certain areas like Shanghai and
Beijing) and countries from South-East Asia like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.

41. Domestic Council for Gems & Jewellery

News: Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation launched the Domestic Council for
Gems & Jewellery.

Details
 It will bring the industry’s domestic business stakeholders under one umbrella so that they could
evolve a unified approach to promote growth in the sector.
 The Council will help in tapping new opportunities in the already existing large domestic market
 Apart from skill building the council will also ensure that quality jewellery is manufactured to gain
the trust of customer
 It will have associations, not individuals, as its members.
 The DC will consist of a national committee (NC) and four regional committees (RCs).
 The NC will comprise 20 elected members from various industry segments (bullion, jewellery,
refineries, imitation jewellery, etc), three co-opted members, and three government nominees.

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 42. GST Appellate Tribunal
News: The Union Cabinet approved the creation of National Bench of the Goods and Services Tax
Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).

Details
 The National Bench of the Appellate Tribunal shall be situated at New Delhi.
 GSTAT shall be presided over by its President and shall consist of one Technical Member (Centre)
and one Technical Member (State).

About GSTAT
 Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal is the forum of second appeal in GST laws and the first
common forum of dispute resolution between Centre and States.
 The appeals against the orders in first appeals issued by the Appellate Authorities under the Central
and State GST Acts lie before the GST Appellate Tribunal, which is common under the Central as
well as State GST Acts.
 Being a common forum, GST Appellate Tribunal will ensure that there is uniformity in redressal of
disputes arising under GST, and therefore, in implementation of GST across the country.
 The CGST Act provides for the Appeal and Review Mechanism for dispute resolution under the
GST Regime.
 CGST Act empowers the Central Government to constitute an Appellate Tribunal known as the
Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders passed by the
Appellate Authority or the Revisional Authority.

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ACTS/BILLS CORNER
1. 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act
News: The 124th Constitutional Amendment Bill received the President’s assent in January making it
the 103rd Constitution Amendment Act.

What is it?
It provides 10 per cent reservation in jobs and educational institutions to economically backward
section in the general category.

What are the amendments?

 It amended two fundamental rights:
1. Article 15 (6) is added to provide reservations to economically weaker sections for admission to
educational institutions including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by
the State, other than the minority educational institutions referred to in clause (1) of Article 30.
The amendment aims to provide reservation to those who do not fall in 15 (5) and 15(4)
(effectively, SCs, STs and OBCs).
2. Article 16 (6) is added to provide reservations to people from economically weaker sections in
government posts.
 It also makes a note of the Article 46, which asks the government to promote the educational and
economic interests of the weaker sections of the society.
 Moreover, it provides reservation for:
1. People who have an annual income of less than Rs 8 lakh, or
2. People who own less than five acres of farm land, or
3. People who have a house less than 1,000 sq feet in a town (or 100 sq yard in a notified
municipal area).

Supporting arguments
 Poor citizens outside the SC, ST and OBC categories are unable to compete with those who are
better off.
 Reservation benefits are in line with the directive principles of state policy which call for extending
help to the weaker sections.
 Reservation already exists for private educational institutions. The Act talks about reservation in
public employment and private and public educational institutions.
 The Act does not disturb the reservation specified by Mandal Commission which is 50% for castes.
 It is line with the principles of the Preamble which talk social, economic and political justice and
equality of opportunity from which stems the economic criteria for reservation.
 The reservation based on caste is very divisive. The quota reservation provided is a kind of secular
reservation.
 The Constitution intends to provide reservation for socially and educationally backward classes
which is interpreted to rely only on castes.
 The Constitution does not mention the word ‘caste’ when it provides for reservation.

Non-supporting arguments
 It is against the concept of reservation. The fundamental idea behind reservation was to diversify
and represent the vast sections of India’s marginalised classes, regardless of their wealth.
 In Indra Sawhney Vs Union of India case, 1992, popularly known as the Mandal Commission
case, a Constitution Bench of the court had “specifically stated that the economic criteria cannot be
the sole basis for reservation under the Constitution.”
 It is violative of the equality principle enshrined in Article 14 and Article 16 of the Constitution as
1. it essentially implies that only those who are poor from the general categories would avail the

80
 benefits of the quotas
2. the high creamy layer limit of Rs 8 lakh per annum ensures that the elite in the OBCs and
SCs/STs capture the reservation benefits repeatedly excluding the poor people in the same
categories
 In M Nagaraj Vs Union of India & Others case, 2006, Supreme Court had said that reservation
should not breach the 50 per cent ceiling.
 The Nagaraj judgment also required that in order to impose reservation, there must be some sort of
quantitative exercise undertaken in advance. Such an exercise was not undertaken to determine the
10% quota.
 The Nagaraj judgement also specifies inadequacy of representation and overall efficiency of
administration before making a provision for reservation.
 The ceiling specified in terms of land and income covers more than 70% of the population and
reservation provided for the same is 10% which cannot be justified.
 In a nation where unemployment is a major problem, reservation for jobs will create a problem.
 Also, each state has a different situation. The central government cannot fix the criteria for all
states.

2. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)

Amendment Act, 2018
News: The Supreme Court refused to stay the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention
of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018.

Background
 The Act amended the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,
1989.
 The SC/ST Act, 1989 was enacted to prevent atrocities against scheduled castes and scheduled
tribes.
 But even after the enactment of the Act, there were many cases of atrocities reported against SC/ST,
misuse of the Act and some of the crimes not covered in the Act.
 Hence the Parliament brought out SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015
seeking to ensure more stringent provisions for prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes
and the Scheduled Tribes.
 The 2015 amendment Act added 25 more offenses to the original Act which mentioned only 22
offenses hence taking the total number of offenses to 47.
 But, on March 20, 2018, in Dr Subhash Kashinath Mahajan vs The State of Maharashtra case, a
two-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled that there were “instances of abuse” of the Act by
“vested interests” for political or personal reasons. It, thereafter, laid down guidelines for arrests
under the Act “to avoid false implications”.
 The guidelines laid down by the SC were
A preliminary enquiry may be conducted by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to ensure
allegations are not “frivolous or motivated” before a case is registered.
A public servant, if accused, can only be arrested with the permission of the appointing
authority.
Others can be arrested only after permission is granted from the Senior Superintendent of Police
of the district.
The SSP will have to record in writing the reason for granting permission and hand it to the
accused and the concerned court.
 Minority groups and the Opposition criticised the judgment and demanded immediate action by the
Centre. A mass movement was started by the SC/ST community throughout the nation.
 The arguments against the guidelines were
An investigation by an officer of DSP rank would delay the filing of a First Information Report

81
 (FIR) on the case.
It may also be difficult to get the preliminary inquiry conducted within seven days as sufficient
number of DSP level officers are usually not in place.
Delay in registration of FIR would result in delay in payment of admissible relief amount to the
victims of atrocities admissible only on registration of FIR.
Even if an FIR is filed, arrest requires permission by SSP which all districts in the country do
not have.
The permission from the appointing authority in case of public servants would further delay the
process after filing an FIR.
 The Centre then filed a review petition in the Supreme Court which, instead of being heard in
chambers, was heard in the open court which delayed the hearing of review petition further.
 Therefore the Centre brought the amendment in the SC/ST Act in 2018 and consequently Section
18A was incorporated which in effect circumvented the law laid down by the Supreme Court in its
aforesaid judgment.

Provisions of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018

 No preliminary enquiry will be required for registration of an FIR against any person under the Act
 The investigating officer shall not require approval for arrest, if necessary, of any person, against
whom an accusation of having committed an offence under the PoA Act has been made and no
procedure other than provided under the PoA Act or the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, shall
apply.
 The provision of anticipatory bail as allowed by the Supreme Court has been done away with.
 A timeline of two months has been specified for completing the investigations and filing a
chargesheet after registering the FIR.
 The cases are to be disposed of within two months of filing the chargesheet.

Arguments supporting the amendment

 The aim of the Amendment is in agreement with the aim of the 1989 Act -- namely to protect
sections of society, which have faced discrimination and humiliation for generations.
 It would be "incorrect" to assume that high acquittal rates in cases under the act were due to false
cases and there was misuse of the law which necessitated the amendment.
 Delay in lodging of the FIRs, lack of corroborative evidence and witnesses turning hostile were
some of the reasons which led to acquittal in cases registered under the act.

Challenges against the 2018 amendment

 It has been averred that the anti-atrocities law has become an instrument to “blackmail” innocent
citizens and public servants.
 It can be used to exact “vengeance” and satisfy vested interests.
 It is prone to misuse on account of monetary incentive being available merely for lodging a case
under Rule 12(4) of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995.
 The exclusion of the provision for anticipatory bail infringes the right to personal liberty under
Article 21 when the allegations are false.
 It may become difficult for the public servants to carry out their functions as they can be
blackmailed with the threat of a false case being registered under the Atrocities Act.
 It violates the principle of equality of law as it does not provide the chance to be heard for the
person being accused.
 Complaints under the Act have increased alarmingly but 80% of the cases result in acquittal.
 The amendment has been passed to appease the Dalits as elections are approaching.

Way forward
 The amendment act was unanimously passed by the ruling party and the opposition party in
Parliament which shows the convergence of opinions of both parties on the issue.

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 The Supreme Court has also refused to stay the amendments made to the Act which necessitates the
implementation of the law of the land until otherwise ruled by the judiciary.
 The effectiveness of the Act will depend on the implementation of the Act.
 The administrative set up, which includes police machinery, investigating agencies and judiciary,
has to work together to effectively implement such a law.

3. Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018

News: Absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya became the first person to be declared a fugitive
economic offender by the special court hearing cases under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.
(FEOA).

Who is a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO)?

According to the Act, an FEO is any individual against whom arrest warrants is issued for his
involvement in certain offences involving amount of at least Rs 100 crore or more and has left India so
as to avoid criminal prosecution.

Provisions of the Act

 The Act mentions the procedure before and after declaring an individual as a FEO.
 Procedure for declaration of FEO
Application: The authorities under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, shall file an
application in the Special designated for the same along with
o reasons for naming the individual as an FEO
o the individual’s whereabouts
o list of assets to be confiscated as they are acquired through proceeds of crime
o a list of persons having an interest in such property
Attachment: The assets mentioned in the application shall be confiscated with the permission
of the Special Court for 180 days which can be extended further by the Special Court. Upon
filing an application within 30 days, assets may be provisionally attached without the
permission of the Special Court.
Notice: The Special Court shall issue a notice asking the individual to appear at a specific place
and at a time after six weeks from the time of notice failing which the individual shall be
declared an FEO.
Proceedings: The proceedings will be terminated if the individual appears before the Special
court or if his counsel files a satisfactory reply within a week as required. The confiscated assets
shall also be released at the end of the proceedings upon not being found as a FEO.
Declaration: The Special Court shall declare the individual as FEO if he or his counsel does not
appear before the court.
Confiscation: The Special Court shall confiscate all properties, whether in India or abroad,
those are proceeds of crime and vest them with the Central government who shall dispose them
after 90 days. Such property shall be free from claims. Certain properties in which other persons
have a legitimate interest shall be exempted by the Special Court from confiscation.
Bar on civil claims: The Act bars a FEO from initiating/continuing/defending any civil claims.
It also disallows a limited liability partnership or a company from the same if anyone who holds
a controlling interest has been declared a FEO.
Appeal: Appeals from the Special Court shall be filed within 30 days of the order to the High
Court, extendable by the HC if satisfied with reasons of delay.

Benefits
 The confiscation of properties on merely being declared an FEO will help in forcing the individual
to appear before the Special Court unlike Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) where
confiscation is done only after the conclusion of the proceedings.

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 The pre-confiscation concept is in line with United Nations Convention against Corruption
("UNCC") which India ratified in 2011.

Challenges
Compared to Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), FEO Act covers lesser offenses hence
reducing its credibility.
The law is not in consistence with the principle of “innocent until proven guilty”.
The disallowance of civil proceedings does not actually adjudicate upon the innocence or guilt of a
person but merely declares the person to be a FEO.
Though the Act provides for a period of 90 days from the date of order of declaration before
disposing off confiscated properties, it is silent on any timeline within which the Special Court
should decide on an application under the said Act.
The Act only considers the monetary value of the offense.
The Act covers foreign properties and provides for a letter of request to be made to foreign states
but the reality remains that India has a poor track record when it comes to extradition.

Way forward
The loopholes in the Act should be plugged to make it an effective Act.
Apart from the monetary value, the court should also consider the nature of offence.
Due importance needs to be given to strengthening of international relations, simplifying of
extradition procedures and culmination of more robust extradition arrangements/treaties.
The Act may incorporate punishment of officers in case of vexatious searches as given under
PMLA.

4. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018

News: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has upheld the death sentence awarded to a teacher for raping
a four-and-half-year-old child under Section 376(AB) of the Indian Penal Code, which provides for
death penalty for rapists of girls below 12 years of age. This provision was inserted into IPC last year,
through Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2018.

What is the Act?

 The Act amends some provisions of the Law to provide stringent punishments to rapists of girls.
 The Bill amends
The Indian Penal Code, 1860
The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
The Evidence Act, 1872

Provisions of the Act

Offense Earlier Punishment Punishment under CLA, 2018
Rape below 12 years Minimum: 10 years Minimum: 20 years
Maximum: life imprisonment Maximum: life imprisonment or death
Gang Rape below 12 years Minimum: 20 years Minimum: life imprisonment
Maximum: life imprisonment Maximum: life imprisonment or death
Rape below 16 years Minimum: 10 years Minimum: 20 years
Maximum: life imprisonment Maximum: no change
Gang Rape below 16 years Minimum: 20 years Minimum: life imprisonment
Maximum: life imprisonment Maximum: no provision
Rape above 16 years Minimum: 7 years Minimum: 10 years
Maximum: life imprisonment Maximum: no change
 The investigation of rape cases should be carried out within two months from the registration of an

84
 FIR.
 An appeal in a High Court after conviction in a lower court should be disposed off within six
months.
 There is no provision for anticipatory bail in the case of rape of a girl below 16 years.
 The government would set up fast track, special courts for rape cases.
 The “character” of the victim would not be relevant to the question of consent.

Benefits
 The death penalty for rape under 12 years of age would deter individuals from committing such
heinous crimes.
 Fast track courts would ensure speedy justice for the victim.
 Such stringent punishments would encourage the victim to report the crime.
 The provision of not providing anticipatory bail would prevent offenders from escaping.

Challenges
 The argument that the death penalty will act as a deterrent is dismissed as a futile exercise as
stringent punishments in a very few cases have led to a decrease in the rate of commission of
crimes.
 Justice Verma Committee had strongly rejected death penalty stating that “there is a strong
submission that the seeking of the death penalty would be a regressive step in the field of
sentencing and reformation”.
 Death penalty is also a punishment in case of an offence of murder. However, this has not stopped
the crime and in fact, the crime rate is on increase.
 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that rapes in India are mostly committed by a
person known to the victims or relatives of the victims. Thus death penalty will lead to under
reporting of cases.
 The punishment for murder under Section 302, IPC is death penalty or imprisonment for life. Thus,
rape and murder attract the same punishment which might lead to chances of murder of the victim.
 The Act does not mention rape of minor boys.

Way forward
 The focus should be on taking steps to increase the conviction rate.
 There is a need to create a conducive environment for the victim to report the crime and provide
protection to the victim as well as the witness.

5. Armed forces (Special Powers) Act - AFSPA

News: The Home Ministry has declared the entire state of Nagaland as ‘disturbed area’ for six more
months, till June-end, under the controversial AFSPA.

Reason: Home Ministry said the decision has been taken as killings, loot and extortion have been
going on in various parts of the State which necessitated the action.

Background
 The AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland for several decades.
 It has not been withdrawn even after a framework agreement was signed in 2015, by the Naga
insurgent group NSCN-IM and government interlocutor in the presence of Prime Minister.
 The framework agreement came after over 80 rounds of negotiations spanning 18 years with the
first breakthrough in 1997 when the ceasefire agreement was sealed after decades of insurgency in
Nagaland.

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 The NSCN-IM has been fighting for ‘Greater
Nagaland’ or Nagalim — it wants to extend
Nagaland's borders by including Naga-dominated
areas in neighboring Assam, Manipur and Arunachal
Pradesh, to unite 1.2 million Nagas.

Provisions of AFSPA
 It was enacted in 1958 to bring under control what
the government of India considered ‘disturbed’ areas.
 The government (either the state or centre) considers
those areas to be ‘disturbed’ “by reason of
differences or disputes between members of different
religious, racial, language or regional groups or Image credit: The Indian Express
castes or communities."
 The centre or the governor has overruling powers over the state government for declaration of
AFSPA.
 AFSPA gives armed forces the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”.
 Section 4 of the Act empowers officers (both commissioned and non-commissioned) to “fire upon
or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death” not only in cases of self-defence but against
any person contravening laws or orders "prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons."
 If reasonable suspicion exists, the army can also arrest a person without a warrant; enter or search
premises without a warrant; and ban the possession of firearms.
 Any person arrested or taken into custody may be handed over to the officer in charge of the nearest
police station along with a report detailing the circumstances that led to the arrest.
 Section 6 of the Act prohibits prosecution or other legal proceedings without the sanction of the
central government.
 Once declared ‘disturbed’, the region has to maintain status quo for a minimum of three months,
according to The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1976.

Other areas where AFSPA is in force

Besides Nagaland, Assam, Manipur (excluding seven assembly constituencies of Imphal) and parts of
Arunachal Pradesh are under AFSPA.

Arguments for AFSPA

 AFSPA would never have been instituted if insurgency and militancy could be contained in a
humane approach in the areas where it is imposed.
 If AFSPA is withdrawn, it will embolden the insurgents and affect the functioning of the forces.
 Armed forces have to be called in as the police forces in the States hesitate to act against terrorists
and other anti-social forces out of fear of the media and rights activists
 The Act empowers the armed forces to search and arrest without a formal warrant. This power is
important, because by the time a formal search or arrest warrant is obtained, the suspect would get
ample time to make good his escape.
 The right of self-defense is available to all citizens. The same applies to Armed Forces to fire at a
real or suspected insurgent, without fear of being taken to court.
 It does not provide absolute impunity, and bad faith or rogue actions of soldiers are dealt with as
per the law of the land—which includes military law.
 The Supreme Court has categorically upheld the constitutional validity of the AFSPA and—to
a great extent—refined its application by issuing guidelines.
 The allegiance of human rights violations threaten the moral authority of the state, the reputation of
its armed forces, and further the cause of insurgents which enable them to create circumstances for
more human rights violations by instigating violent protests. This in turn lead to security forces
acting in self-defence thus setting off a chain reaction.

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Arguments against AFSPA
 It is a draconian law that encourages the Army to carry out human rights violations with impunity.
 AFSPA shows the failure of the system to govern people in a democratic way.
 Such a law is severe and inhuman given the fact that India won its independence against a similar
authority.
 Section 4 gives sanction to soldiers for excessive use of force that is in contravention to
international norms.
 Section 4 is in violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution that states that “no person shall be
deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law”.
 Section 6 gives immunity to soldiers allegedly indulging in human rights violations.
 Till date, no soldier has ever been prosecuted for any alleged offence committed under the AFSPA
in a criminal court as the government never gives permission for such investigation as required
under the law.

Way forward
 The government should bring in a legislation that strengthens both respect for human rights, as well
as protection to our soldiers who put their lives on the line in defence of the country.
 The investigation into the misuse of AFSPA by armed forces should be carried out expeditiously.
 Armed forces should self-regulate themselves to fire upon people sparingly and in the most
inevitable circumstances.
 The Army must put in public domain details of all court-martials held with respect to human rights
violations.
 It must sincerely carry out fresh investigations into all alleged cases of human rights violations in
areas where it has been imposed.
 Last but not the least, helmet cameras must be made mandatory for all operations in counter
insurgency areas.

6. The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018

News: The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed by the Lok Sabha.

Aim: It seeks to amend the following Acts

 Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016
 The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885
 The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002

Provisions of the Bill

 Verification of Aadhaar: Apart from Aadhaar ‘authentication’, the bill provides ‘offline’
verification’ of an individual’s identity, without authentication, through modes specified by the
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) by regulations.
For offline verification, the agency requires
1. the consent of the individual
2. to offer alternatives available to the individual for sharing information
3. not to collect, use or store Aadhaar number or biometric information
 Verification of identity: Aadhaar can be used voluntarily for proving identity, by authentication or
offline verification. Mandatory authentication of an Aadhaar number holder for the provision of any
service shall take place if such authentication is required by a law made by Parliament.
The bill seeks to amend Telegraph Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act to allow
telecom companies, banks and financial institutions to verify the identity of clients through
Aadhaar. The mode of verification can be chose by the user but no service can be denied to an
individual for not possessing an Aadhaar.

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 Users: The State or a body corporate can use Aadhaar as an identification proof if UIDAI is
satisfied that
1. privacy and security standards have been ensured
2. it is legal
3. such authentication is sought for a purpose specified by the central government in the interest of
the State.
 Children’s Aadhaar: Aadhaar number of children can be sought only with the consent of parents
who should be informed of
1. the manner in which it will be used
2. with whom the data would be shared
3. their right to access the information
The child upon reaching 18 years of age can seek the cancellation of such data.
 Disclosure of information: Aadhaar information can be disclosed only if it is sought by a High
court or a higher court.
Also officers below the Rank of secretary can disclose information in the interest of national
security.
 UIDAI Fund: all fees and revenue collected by the UIDAI shall be credited to the Unique
Identification Authority of India Fund which shall be used for expenses of the UIDAI, including
salaries and allowances of its employees.
 Complaints: Not only the UIDAI but also the individual can complaint in certain cases, including
impersonation or disclosure of their identity.
 Penalties: Penalties can be imposed on an entity which is not compliant with the Act or the
UIDAI’s directions or fails to furnish information required by it.
A fine of up to one crore rupees can be imposed by the adjudicating officer, the appeal of which
will lie to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal.

Why was the Bill introduced?

After Supreme Court declare Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right, Aadhaar was challenged in
Supreme Court which ruled Aadhaar was legal and mentioned it as mandatory only for certain services.

Image Credit: The Hindu

Benefits
 Linking is not mandatory at all, but voluntary, whereby an alternative mode of authentication is
being provided.
 It ensures children are not denies benefits on account of a failure to possess Aadhaar.

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 Parallel authentication is being introduced to safeguard the privacy of individuals. In the alternative
method, an individual need not disclose his Aadhaar number.
 Under the amendments, an Aadhaar holder can opt for offline verification through a QR code and
will not be required to share his or her actual Aadhaar number.
 It has taken proper consideration of observations of the Court relevant to the Stricter Punishments,
UIDAI authority, Aadhaar Eco-System and Offline modes of Verification.

Challenges
 According to the Bill, Parliament can pass a law to make Aadhaar mandatory.
 It has violated the Supreme Court ruling of 2018 not making Aadhaar compulsory for certain
provisions.
 Disregarding the SC’s order, the bill states that information can be disclosed in the interest of
national security.
 Privacy and security concerns have not been addressed adequately in the bill.
 A child on reaching 18 years becomes an adult and hence all laws of Aadhaar are applicable to him
wherein cancellation may not be allowed.
 If the government fails to notify any new form of identification, a person’s identity will necessarily
have to be authenticated through Aadhaar or through her passport.

Way forward
 Aadhaar should be an empowerment for individuals which can be used as an identity on a voluntary
basis.
 Proper security and confidentiality of data should be ensured.
 The bill should include the data protection law based on the recommendations of B N Srikrishna
committee.

7. The Dam Safety Bill, 2018

News: The Dam Safety Bill, 2018 was introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Aim: The Bill provides for “surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of specified dams for
prevention of dam failure related disasters and to provide for institutional mechanism to ensure their
safe functioning”.

Why dam safety?

 Of India’s 5,254 large dams,
some 75% are over 25 years
old, and 164 more than 100
years old.
 There have been 36 dam
failures.
 There has been a lack of a
uniform law and an
administrative regime for
dam safety.
 While the Central Water
Commission (CWC) has
made efforts through
National Committee on Dam Image Credit: Times of India
Safety, Central Dam Safety Organisation and State Dam Safety Organisations, these agencies do
not have statutory powers and can only make recommendations.

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Provisions of the Bill
 National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS)
It will be headed by the CWC chairperson and comprise members nominated by the Centre.
There will be representatives of the Centre and states (through rotation) as well as dam safety
experts.
It will formulate policies and regulations.
 National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)
It will be headed by an officer of at least Additional Secretary rank
It will implement the policies framed by National Committee on Dam Safety.
The authority will also resolve issues between State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs) or
between a SDSO and any individual dam owner, lay down regulations for dam inspection and
for accreditation to construction and designing agencies.
 State Dam Safety Organisations: All dams in a state will belong to the SDSO. In case of dams
falling in multiple states or dam owned by one state but located in another state or owned by central
public sector undertaking, the NDSA will act as the SDSO.
 State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS): It has the following functions
review the work of SDSO
order dam safety investigations
recommend dam safety measures and review its progress
assess impact on upstream and downstream states
 Change in functions: The central government can amend the functions of NCDS, NDSA and
SCDS.
 Obligations of dam owners: Dam owners should provide a dam safety unit in each dam which will
inspect the dam periodically and prepare emergency plans.
 Offenses and penalties: Obstructing a person in the discharge of his duties or violations of the
provisions of the bill are two offenses which will be punishable with imprisonment of up to one
year or a fine, or both. Loss of lives will extend the punishment up to 2 years.

Benefits
 It will help all states and Union Territories adopt uniform dam safety procedures.
 It will ensure safety of dams and help in safeguarding human life, livestock and property.

Challenges
 States have challenged the bill as it contains provisions wherein the control of the dam would be
with NDSA in case of dams situated in other states.
 For instance, Tamil Nadu fears about the access Kerala could get to Mullaperiyar dam if it comes
under NDSA.
 Some states fear the central control in case of dams situated in two states.
 There is no inclusion of compensation to the victims of dam failures or dam incidents.
 The whole dam safety mechanism is dominated by CWC. It is also involved in policy making
resulting in a conflict of interest between the functions.
 The CWC is also said to have a poor record in dam safety.
 Though people at risk are the biggest stakeholders in dam safety, they have not been mentioned in
the bill.
 Neither does the bill mention any experience that the experts should have in dam safety nor does it
mention any mechanism as to how they will be selected.
 It appears that the SDSOs are subservient to NDSA which has also become the reason for states to
oppose the bill.

Way forward
 The bill should mandate in each State and national dam safety committee, organisation and
authority, presence of persons having track record of taking independent positions.

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 The bill should clearly define the experience that the experts should have in dam safety and how
they would be selected.
 People at risk should be given adequate consideration in the bill.
 The Central and the state governments should work together to resolve differences so that state can
put more trust on the central government.

8. The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018

News: The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed by Lok Sabha.

Aim: The bill seeks to amend certain provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.

Provisions of the Bill

 Arbitration Council of India (ACI)
An independent body corporate called ACI to be established for grading and accreditation of
arbitral institutions, to promote and encourage arbitration and other alternate dispute resolution
mechanisms.
It would facilitate speedy appointment of arbitrators through designated arbitral institutions by
the Supreme Court of India or the High Court, without having any requirement to approach the
court in this regard.
 Composition of the ACI
Chairperson - Judge of the Supreme Court or High Court or Chief Justice of a High Court or an
eminent person with expertise in arbitration.
Other members - eminent arbitration practitioner, an academician with experience in arbitration,
and government appointees.
 Appointment of arbitrators Institutional arbitration
Arbitral institutions will be designated by SC  An institutional arbitration is one
and HC for international and domestic in which a specialised institution
arbitrations respectively which will appoint intervenes and takes on the role of
arbitrators for the parties. administering the arbitration
A panel of arbitrators will be appointed by the process.
Chief Justice of the HC where there are no  Each institution has its own set of
arbitrators available. rules which provides a framework
The application for appointment of arbitrator has for the arbitration, and its own
to be disposed off within 30 days. form of administration to assist in
 Relaxation of time limits: There is no time limit the process.
for international arbitrational proceedings unlike the  Institutional arbitration provides
1996 Act. the arbitration procedure and the
 Completion of written submissions: Written arbitration clause which saves
claims and defense to the claims should be times of parties.
completed within six months of the appointment of
Ad-hoc arbitration
the arbitrators.  An ad hoc arbitration is one which
 Confidentiality of proceedings: Except for the is not administered by an
arbitral award, confidentiality of arbitrators and institution.
arbitral institutions in respect of the arbitral  The parties will therefore have to
proceedings will be maintained. It also protects the determine all aspects of the
arbitrator for any action or omission done in good arbitration themselves
faith in the course of arbitration proceedings.

Benefits
 It will improve India's rank on the index of ease of doing business.
 It will provide ease of dispute resolution.

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 It will boost the confidence of domestic and foreign businesses in India.
 It will make India a preferred seat of arbitration.
 It will make the arbitration process in India more user friendly, cost effective and ensuring speedy
disposal.
 It is in consonance with international arbitration proceedings.
 It will boost institutional arbitration vis-a-vis ad hoc arbitration.

Challenges
 The scope of the ACI's powers are not defined under the Bill.
 Further, there could be a possibility of delays in completing the arbitration, since the Bill proposes
that a twelve months period would begin from completion of the pleadings and not from date of
reference of the arbitration.
 The bill does not provide for specialist arbitration benches before various courts as recommended
by Sri Krishna committee on arbitration.
 The report had also had suggested that time limits to challenge an award under the Amendment Act
be reduced with a mandatory deposit of seventy five percent of the sum awarded in court. This
provision has also not been included in the act.

Way forward
 The inclusion of recommendations given by the Sri Krishna committee would have strengthened
the act further.
 The scope and powers of the ACI should be clearly defined.
 The Bill should have defined provisions relating to emergency arbitration under the definition of
arbitral tribunal in the Principal Act.
 Foreign qualified arbitrators should be included within the ambit of the act.
 The government should plug in the loopholes and seek to strengthen the act.

9. The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2018

News: The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2018 was passed by the Lok Sabha.

Aim
It proposes to establish an international arbitration centre at New Delhi, replacing the International
Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR) set-up in the year 1995, which is a society
registered under the Societies Registration Act.

Background
 India has historically suffered from a lack of credible arbitral institutions, and arbitration in India
has always been skewed towards ad-hoc arbitration.
 In January 2017, the Ministry of Law and Justice had constituted a ten-member committee under
the chairmanship of Justice B.N. Srikrishna (retd.) (Justice Srikrishna Committee) to review the
functioning of ICADR.
 A major drawback of ICADR, as identified by the Justice Srikrishna Committee, was its failure in
keeping pace with new developments in the arbitration scenario to match up with the dynamic
developments in the field of arbitration globally.
 In fact, the ICADR Rules, which were revised recently in 2016, failed to account for the latest
developments in the field of arbitration such as provisions for joinder of parties, consolidation of
arbitral proceedings, emergency arbitration, etc.
 Another drawback of the ICADR was a large governing council which made it difficult for the
institution to coordinate its governance.
 The NDIAC is aimed at countering the problems ICADR faced in serving as an arbitral institution
of repute, and providing quick and efficient dispute resolution.

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Provisions of the Bill
 New Delhi International Arbitration Centre: A New Delhi International Arbitration Centre
(NDIAC) would be established to carry out the functions mentioned under the Bill. It would be an
institute of national importance.
 Composition: NDIAC would include 7 persons, namely,
Chairperson – To be a judge of Supreme Court or High court or an eminent person having
special knowledge and experience in the conduct or administration of arbitration, appointed by
the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
Two eminent persons- having substantial knowledge in international and domestic arbitration,
appointed by the Central government.
one representative of a recognized body of commerce
Secretary to the Ministry of Law & Justice
Finance Advisor
Chief Executive Officer
 International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR): The ICADR will be
transferred to the Central government who shall notify the transfer of rights, title and interest to the
NDIAC.
 Term and superannuation: The members of NDIAC shall hold office for 3 years and be eligible
for reappointment. Chairperson shall retire at 70 years while other members at 67 years.
 Objectives:
to provide facilities and administrative assistance for conciliation, mediation and arbitral
proceedings
to maintain panels of accredited arbitrators, conciliators and mediators both at national and
international level or specialists such as surveyors and investigators
to promote research and study, providing teaching and training, and organising conferences and
seminars in arbitration, conciliation, mediation and other alternative dispute resolution matters
to collaborate with other national and international institutions and organisations for ensuring
credibility of the Centre as a specialised institution in arbitration and conciliation
to set-up facilities in India and abroad to promote the activities of the Centre; to lay down
parameters for different modes of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms being adopted by
the Centre
 Functions:
to facilitate for conducting international and domestic arbitration and conciliation in the most
professional manner and provide timely and cost-effective services of the same
to promote studies, undertake teaching and impart training in the field of alternate dispute
resolution and promote reforms in the settlement of disputes

Benefits
 It will provide an institutional framework for arbitration given the rising cases from foreign
investors in India on issues of taxation.
 It will make India an international hub for arbitration at par with international standards, one that
would give comfort to investors and businesses.
 NDIAC will change the perception of doing business in India and will expedite the dispute
settlement mechanism.
 The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 proposes to establish the Arbitration
Council of India (the “ACI”) which will periodically review and grade the arbitral institutions in
India. The periodic review and grading will certainly help in promoting the credibility of NDIAC
among the foreign investors.

Challenges
 The Central government is empowered to appoint and remove members from NDIAC. Investors

93
 would hesitate to refer cases to such a body specially in cases where the government is involved.
 The Bill only addresses the administrative issues in relation to NDIAC. The procedural framework
concerning the settlement of disputes is not mentioned.

Way forward
 In order to present NDIAC as a preferred arbitration institute, it
must be competitively priced
have state of the art facilities
must have precise timelines for the completion of arbitration proceedings
 Separately, provisions that were not envisaged under the ICADR Rules must be incorporated in the
NDIAC procedural framework such as
consolidation of arbitrations
emergency arbitrators
immunity to arbitrators
confidentiality of information
 An investor friendly procedural framework must be adopted.
 A transparent process for appointment and removal of the members must be incorporated.
 Separately, the Central Government involvement/ interference in the functioning and funding of
NDIAC must be phased out to gain investors’ confidence.

10. The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill - 2019
News: Lok Sabha passed the “DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill – 2019”.

Details
 The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 Bill was framed by Department
of Biotechnology in 2015.
 The Bill has been formulated recognizing the need for regulation of the use and application of
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) technology, for establishing identity of missing persons, victims,
offenders, under trials and unknown deceased persons.
 The primary intended purpose for enactment of Bill is for expanding the application of DNA-based
forensic technologies to support and strengthen the justice delivery system of the country.

Background
 The draft Bill was first named DNA Profiling Bill in 2007 and then Human DNA Profiling Bill in
2015.
 In July 2017, the Law Commission’s report proposed a new amended draft called ‘DNA based
Technology (Use and Regulation) Bill’, 2017, addressing some concerns on privacy and possible
misuse.
 This current Bill is modelled largely on the Law Commission proposal, except for some nominal
changes.

Salient provisions of the Bill

 DNA Regulatory Board: The board, which will have regional offices as required, will certify labs
authorised to carry out DNA testing, approve establishment of DNA databanks and supervise their
functioning, and lay down procedures and guidelines for collection, storing, sharing and deletion of
DNA information.
 DNA Data Bank: A National DNA Databank and certain regional DNA Databanks will store DNA
profiles received from DNA labs in a specified format.
 Storage: DNA profiles would be stored under various heads, such as a ‘crime scene index’ or
‘suspects index’ or ‘offenders index.’
 Consent: A written consent is required from individuals for their DNA samples to be collected,

94
 processed and included in the database except from those who have committed crimes with
punishment of more than 7 years or death.
 Approval of magistrate: In case a suspect or criminal refuses to give consent for DNA collection,
and his/her DNA information is considered vital for investigation of a crime, the DNA information
can be collected from him/her only with the approval of a magistrate.
 Usage: The DNA data, including DNA profiles, samples and records, contained in any DNA labs
and Databank shall be used only for the purpose of facilitating identification of the person and not
for any other purpose. It will be done in accordance with the rules of admissibility of evidence, to
facilitate prosecution or defence, and in investigations relating to civil matters.
 DNA of suspects/undertrials: If a person is not an offender, suspect or undertrial, his/her DNA
information cannot be matched with the offenders’ or suspect index. DNA profiles of suspects or
undertrials can be removed from the index as per court orders.
 DNA of arrested persons: DNA information cannot be taken from an arrested person without
consent. The exception is only for specified offences.
 Disclosure and penalties: Disclosure of DNA information to unauthorised persons, or for
unauthorised purposes, shall lead to penalties: up to three years in jail and up to Rs 1 lakh as fine.

Benefits
 Forensic DNA profiling is of proven value in solving cases
involving offences that are categorized as affecting the As per the statistics of the
human body (such as murder, rape, human trafficking, or National Crime Records
grievous hurt), and those against property (including theft, Bureau (NCRB) for 2016, the
burglary, and dacoity). aggregate incidence of crimes
 It is expected that the expanded use of this technology in related to DNA profiling is in
these categories of cases would result not only in speedier excess of 3 lakhs per year.
justice delivery but also in increased conviction rates, Of these, only a very small
which at present is only around 30% (NCRB Statistics for proportion is being subjected
2016). to DNA testing at present.
 The bill will assure the reliability of DNA test results.
 The bill will also ensure that the data remain protected from
misuse or abuse in terms of the privacy rights of our citizens.
 The Bill will add value in empowering the criminal justice delivery system by enabling the
application of DNA evidence, which is considered the gold standard in crime investigations.

Challenges
 India does not have a data protection law
 Information like ancestry or susceptibility to a disease, or other genetic traits, is liable to be
misused.
 DNA tests have not led to an improvement in conviction rates in countries where legislation is
already being followed.
 The bill does not mention the consent procedure for collecting DNA samples of persons involved in
civil cases like parentage disputes, emigration or immigration and transplantation of human organs.
The Bill also doesn’t state that the consent has to be voluntary.
 It is not clear if DNA samples collected to resolve civil disputes will also be stored in the databank
(regional or national), although there is no index specific for the same.
 Even if such samples are stored, the Bill also does not provide for the process of removal of such
data.
 The bill does not mention whether the labs accredited by the Regulatory Board can store copies of
the samples they analyse. If stored, the safety of such data is not mentioned.
 The bill does not specify which parts of an individual’s DNA can be analysed to ascertain their
identity. The more parts are subjected to analysis, the more conclusively a person’s identity can be
established.

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International experience
 In France the profiles of convicted persons are kept for 40 years after conviction.
 Upon their 80th birthday, suspects’ profiles are removed by a motion of the prosecutor or the
individual on the grounds that their storage no longer serves its original purpose.

Way forward
 Efforts should be made by the government in finalising and passing the data protection law.
 Just as Aadhaar contains biometric provisions of the individual, the bill has provisions relating to
DNA that make up an individual. Both involve the issue of privacy of the individual which should
not be compromised.
 It should lay clear provisions regarding DNA in laboratories, their storage and disposal of data.

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RSTV CORNER
1. Universal Basic Income
News: Sikkim’s ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has decided to include Universal Basic Income
(UBI) in its manifesto for the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Details
 The state has already begun the process of introducing the unconditional direct cash transfer scheme
and is planning to implement the same by 2022.
 It could become the first state in India to implement UBI.

2017 Economic Survey

 The 2017 Economic Survey had advocated implementation of UBI as an alternative to the various
social welfare schemes in an effort to reduce poverty.
 The Survey said, “UBI is a powerful idea whose time even if not ripe for implementation, is ripe for
serious discussion.”
 However, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in June 2017 said the scheme as proposed in the Economic
Survey will not be politically feasible in today's India.

What is UBI?
 A basic income is a regular, periodic cash payment delivered unconditionally to all citizens on an
individual basis, without requirement of work or willingness to work.
 The five broad features of such schemes are:
payments at periodic regular intervals (not one-off grants)
payments in cash (not food vouchers or service coupons)
payments to individuals
universality
unconditionality

Is it necessary?
 UBI envisages an uncompromised social safety net that seeks to assure a dignified life for everyone,
a concept that is expected to gain traction in a global economy buffeted by uncertainties on account
of globalisation, technological change, and automation.
 India has a per capita income of $2000 while the world average is $10000. China also has a per
capita income of $8000.
 There are a lot of people below the poverty line. Even people just above the poverty line are also
struggling.
 But for a country like India which is struggling to intervene in many problems like malnutrition,
unemployment, educational facilities etc, cash transfer may not seem a necessary concept.
 Typically, UBI would require subsumption of other subsidies and allowances in order to free up
resources so that a particular amount can be directed to people on a periodic basis.

Is UBI feasible?
 Initially states had the responsibility of development as it knew best what was required for the
people.
 But, a lot of programmes devised to target poverty was beset with inefficiencies, leakage and
corruption.
 Then a concept called “Trickle down theory” emerged where it was thought that the development of
Indian economy would automatically lead to the development of poor people.
 But it did not turn out successful as the market for poor people also did not turn out to be fair.
 If people feel that they are capable of looking after themselves better than the state, then UBI can be

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 provided the state has adequate resources.
 So UBI may be tried out in a limited way like in rural areas where people have land less than 1
hectare or are landless labourers.
 Implementing the scheme in urban areas might prove to be disastrous due to the huge migration it
would invite to the already populated areas.

Funding
 The Economic Survey talked of scrapping as many as 240 schemes to make money available for
UBI.
 It mentioned 4.9% of the GDP which meant Rs 675 given to an individual in a month.
 But, it turns out to be a negligible amount compared to the expenditure on schemes which would
entail higher benefits for the people.

Sikkim’s status
 It is a surplus power generating state, which exports nearly 90% of the 2,200 MW that its hydel
projects produce — ensuring a steady revenue stream that other states typically lack.
 It has a literacy rate of 98% and a BPL population way below the national average.

Feasibility of UBI in Sikkim

 Sikkim had experimented with a wage scheme before announcing UBI.
 The scheme might be feasible as Sikkim is a comparatively small state and has a lesser population.

Challenges
 India’s resources should be analysed before the scheme is incorporated.
 It needs to be examined whether UBI would increase the productivity of people or incentivise
people to take up employment in the economy.
 None of the places where UBI has been tried have levels of income disparity that exist in India.
 The reason for maintaining conditional social assistance is to “prioritize those at the bottom of the
income distribution”. While this is contrary to the UBI principle, it is important to pinpoint those
“who are the most vulnerable, where they live, and how vulnerable they are”.
 Also, dismantling any scheme would prove to be counter productive.

Way forward
 India may consider having an unemployment allowance for able bodied persons.
 This may be done by making the employment guarantee scheme mandatory. It is being done on a
pilot basis in Maharashtra and may later on be made universal.
 For other persons who are not able bodied like the old and the differently abled, UBI may be
implemented.
 The scheme has to be innovative with respect to the needs of the people in each state. The scheme
should be taken up in states showing a positive performance related to productivity or employment.
 It may be adopted after properly implementing many schemes which would serve as a background
preparation of the scheme.

2. Eradicating Poverty
Context
 India may have reduced extreme poverty far more effectively than most of us are aware of. The last
official data is eight years old.
 In 2011, 268 million people were surviving on less than $1.90 a day, the World Bank measure for
extreme poverty.
 The next round of data on household consumption is likely to come out in June, and it may well
show a drastic drop in the number of poor.

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 According to the World Data Lab — which monitors global poverty using advanced statistical
models — less than 50 million Indians may be living on less than $1.90 a day now.
 Economists said rapid economic growth and the use of technology for social sector programs have
helped make a significant dent in extreme poverty in the country.
 The BJP cited global think tank reports to say that India is moving fast towards a poverty-free
situation and gave credit to policies of the Narendra Modi-led government for it.

How far have we come against poverty?

 The last official data talks about 22% of the Indians living below the poverty line.
 Since it’s been 8 years from the last official data, the numbers would have come down
considerably.
 But the numbers may not be as low as 50 million considering the initial number to be 268 million in
2011 and added to that the population growth.
 Successive governments have seen the number of people in absolute poverty coming down though
there are still a large number of people below the poverty line.
 The incidence of extreme poverty continues to be higher in rural areas than inn urban areas due to
arid dry lands and lack of irrigation facilities.
 Urban areas are also not immune from poverty as is evident from people living in slums, pipes etc
in different cities in the country.

Steps taken against poverty by successive governments

 Poverty fell after the economic reforms of 1991.
 It proves the popularly known concept that prosperity or the growth of the economy leads to
reduction in poverty.
 Coupled with economic growth, governments have been undertaking many other programmes to
reduce the financial expenditure of households. These include
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana providing housing
Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Programme
Ayushman Bharat through which health expenditure, the single largest out of pocket
expenditure is expected to come down.
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana
Swachh Bharat Mission etc
 But statistics miss out on documenting the reduction of poverty due to these schemes.
 Also, investments in agricultural has drastically brought down poverty as majority of the economy
is still dependent on agriculture.
 The reduction of poverty is evident from the increase in per capita income of individuals to $2000.
 It is expected that the poverty levels will start reducing drastically after this point as was in the case
of China which saw its per capita income increase to $2000 in 2001 and thereafter increase
drastically to the $8000 it is today.

What has enabled the reduction in poverty?

 The strategy of successive governments has been different in fighting poverty.
 While the previous government focused on entitlements, the present government has focused on
empowering the individual.

Challenges
 The definition of a poverty line is still vague.
 A recent report suggests that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer and that 1%
of the individuals hold most of the wealth in the economy.
 Subsidies given by the government are 5 times more than the investment made in agriculture which
is only a temporary relief.
 There is neither enough productivity from land in rural areas nor income from other allied activities.

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 Two thirds of agriculture in the country is still dependent on rains.
 Urban poverty is also another challenge which needs to be addressed.
 Even the loan waiver schemes implemented by the Central and state governments have not helped
to reduce poverty.

Way forward
 The focus should not be on average per capita income as it varies widely across states.
 The rich should be taxed more only on income but also on wealth
 The Central and the state governments should focus investments in rural areas and agriculture not
by way of subsidies but by other investments like electricity, water etc.
 The focus on rural areas in terms of education and employment generation will also reduce the
burden of migration to urban areas in search of livelihood.
 The people in urban areas may be given a kind of income support not by way of unconditional cash
support but by way of employment, skill development etc.
 Government should invest in infrastructure and development to help individual find a sustainable
way of living.
 Steps should be taken to increase economic growth which can trickle down to the poor people.
 People should be empowered through education, training and skill development to enable
themselves to participate in the economic growth.
 Adequate means to link people to the markets is also necessary to tap the seeds of economic
growth.

3. Draft Emigration Bill

News: Draft Emigration Bill, 2019 was released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Aim
 It will replace the Emigration Act of 1983 which was enacted in a specific context of large scale
emigration of Indian workers to the Gulf region.
 It intends to provide a regulatory mechanism to govern overseas employment of Indian nationals,
and protect and promote the welfare of Indian emigrants.

Provisions of the Bill

 Institutional Framework
Emigration Management Authority: Headed by the Secretary in the MEA, it will supervise the
management of emigration in India and advise the Central government regarding emigration
policy.
Bureau of Emigration Policy and Planning (BEPP): These Bureaus will be led at Joint Secretary
level and will take care of day to day operational matters and will be responsible for all
emigration related issues as well as welfare and protection of Indian nationals abroad.
Bureau of Emigration and Administration (BEA): It will maintain a database of Indian migrants,
take steps to prevent illegal migration and govern recruitment procedures.
 Nodal authorities: Nodal authorities will be setup by respective States and Union Territories that
will be chaired at Principal Secretary level and will have representation from Home, NRI, Labour
and Skill Departments.
 Registration/Intimation: The Bill makes mandatory registration/intimation of all categories of
Indian nationals proceeding for overseas employment as well as students pursuing higher studies
abroad. The registration process would be done digitally. Necessary provisions have also been to
exempt certain categories.
 Registration of agencies: Registration of recruitment agencies, sub-agents and student enrollment
agencies has been made mandatory. These agencies will also be rated under the Bill.
 Offences and Penalties: Emigration without due procedure and for illegal purposes will attract

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 penalty according to the gravity of the crime committed.
 The Bill has comprehensive provisions, including insurance, pre-departure orientation, skill
upgradation, legal assistance, migrant resource centres, help desks, migration and mobility
partnerships, labour and manpower cooperation agreements, MoUs aimed at strengthening welfare
and protection of Indian workforce abroad.

Benefits
A digital platform for registration would keep emigration a swift, efficient and hassle-fee
process which would be beneficial to the workforce and students pursuing higher studies
abroad.
Registration also becomes useful as the government would have a list of migrants in one
particular country which will help in evacuation and management in times of distress.
It will help in providing welfare measures and openly and directly interacting with the migrants
abroad.
It will also help in tapping the potential of migrants abroad.
The rating of recruitment agencies will help students and nationals migrating abroad to choose
the most efficient service.
Rating will help in avoiding fraudulent agencies to an extent.
The offences and penalties mentioned would smoothen the process of emigration.

Challenges
Checking illegal human trafficking is a challenge.
Illegal migration is a grave challenge.
Also it is difficult to identify the recruitment agencies which undertake illegal migration.
The regulation of such illegal recruiting agencies and their penalization has not been given adequate
focus.
Minimum standards for a recruitment agency have not been mentioned.
It does not mention the steps to be adopted by low rated agencies.

Way forward
The Central and state governments should work together in implementing the Bill under the
principle of cooperative federalism.
The recruitment agencies should be trained to achieve minimum standards.
Low rated agencies should be given a timeframe within which they should attain minimum
standards.
Orderly managed migration is important for India to achieve a higher rate of growth, to utilize the
friendly relations overseas, to expand the role that Indian nationals can play and give them more
opportunities and in turn look after them.

4. India’s China-Pak Policy

In his first TV interview of the year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at length on the
importance India gives to the ties with immediate neighbours and more so to China and Pakistan.
He emphasised that India’s principled position for long has been friendly relations with neighbours but
that the economic and geostrategic ambitions of the neighbours will continue to shape India’s responses
on almost every front.
On Indo-China ties, especially after a military face-off at Doklam Plateau in June-August 2017,
Prime Minister said that nothing had happened that could be termed as a deceit by China on India. In a
further reference to relations with China, Mr. Modi said that new opportunities to have arisen for
cementing some cracks in the relations.
Turning the focus on Pakistan, Prime Minister Modi said India has never opposed dialogue with
Pakistan and it has been the consistent policy of the country that there should be dialogue on issues.

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However he emphasized that dialogue can never be heard in the midst of bombs and guns.

Relations with China

 Soon after the election of the government in 2014, Chinese premier had visited India.
 But, as incursions from the Chinese side had remained the same at that time also, Indian PM had
said that both countries would not be able to realise the full potential of their ties unless there is
peace and tranquility at the border.
 India and China had met at the BRICS summit and thereafter at the informal Wuhan summit
followed by other meetings, last one being at the G20 summit.
 India and China has the potential of cooperating at many fronts like people to people cooperation,
trade and investment, etc as both countries share a sufficiently long border with each other.
 For the first time, trade crossed 80 billion dollars recently but India has a deficit of 63 billion
dollars with China.
 To balance trade, China is now keen to import pomegranate, grapes, soyameal, fish oil and fish
meal from India apart from non-basmati rice and sugar it had decided to buy earlier.
 China has also shown its willingness to trade with India in the field of information technology
where India has good expertise.
 India and China’s decision to jointly train diplomats from Afghanistan marked a beginning by the
two countries to work together in new areas. As a result, Afghan diplomats went to China after
training in the Foreign Services institute in Delhi.
 The visits by the defense minister and foreign minister from China have improves the trust between
both the countries.

China’s presence in Indian Ocean

 China has been increasing its presence in the Indian Ocean through development of ports around
India.
 These include Kyaukpyu port in Myanmar, Chittagong in Bangladesh, Hambantota port in Sri
Lanka, Gwadar in Pakistan and Djibouti.
 India had meetings with Australia and Japan which PM termed as JAI to balance the rise of China
in the Indian ocean.
 Also junior level meetings were held between the QUAD countries, US, Australia, Japan and India
to ensure that Indo Pacific region is free, open, inclusive and prosperous.
 The same was also mentioned in the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore by the PM.
 India wants peace, stability and security maintained in the Indian Ocean.

Relations with Pakistan

 Though India has signaled for closer relations towards Pakistan, it has been Pakistan’s policy to
wage proxy war against India.
 It is a well-established fact that the Intelligence agency, ISI and the Armed forces of Pakistan have
it as a central part of their policy to wage wars against India using terrorist outfits.
 Besides India, they also determine the policy related to Afghanistan, United States and also
Pakistan’s nuclear policy.
 Pakistan wants to have a dialogue mainly related to Kashmir.
 The newly elected Pakistan PM, Imran Khan, had stressed on taking forward its relations with
India.
 But, new attacks were made from across the border against India after that.
 So, India has remained firm on its stand that dialogue would not be possible unless Pakistan stops
its terrorist activities.
 This has been the consistent policy of India which has not changed with the change of government
at the Centre.

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China and Pakistan
 Both have referred to each other as all-weather friends.
 China is Pakistan’s biggest arms supplier which Pakistan uses against India.
 China and Pakistan has also partnered in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which passes through
the part of Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan.

Way forward
 Pakistan should realise that by waging wars against India, it is impoverishing itself.
 At the BRIC summit in September 2018, 8 out of 10 terrorist groups identified in the BRICS
declaration were based in Pakistan. The Financial Action Task Force also had identified Pakistan as
being supportive of money laundering and terrorism.
 Also, Pakistan should accept the fact that the prosperity of Pakistan depends on the prosperity of
South Asia which in turn depends on the extent of good relations between India and Pakistan.

5. Rising Trust in Governments

News: The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer report was released ahead of the World Economic Forum
(WEF) meet.

What is the Index?

 The Index is the average per cent of trust in NGOs, business, government and media.
 The findings are based on an online survey in 27 markets covering over 33,000 respondents.
 The population is divided into informed public and mass population.

Rankings
 China topped the Trust Index among both the informed public and the general population segments,
with scores of 79 and 88 respectively.
 India was at the second place in the informed public category and third place in the general
population category.
 India is among the most trusted nations globally when it comes to government, business, NGOs and
media but the country’s brands are among the least-trusted, according to a report.
 In terms of trust in companies, those headquartered in India, Mexico and Brazil are the least trusted.

How serious is the survey?

 The survey is scientific and was carried out by international institutions. Based on these rankings
plans and policies are framed.
 There are two ways of looking at the report
Citizen’s perception – Citizens experience the government on a daily basis. Also, with more
than 70% of the population having mobile phones and many being smart phones among them,
information is more accessible which makes the government more accountable.
International perception – These kinds of reports do make an impression on the international
society.

Benefits
 The report shows people to be trusting media more in spite of many false news and exaggeration of
events by media.
 There is only 16 point gap between the trust of informed public and mass population which shows
the role of media in keeping the mass population informed to an extent.
 This survey has for the first time captured ‘My employer equation’ which is 84% for India which is
higher than the average ranking.
 It shows NGOs have done well in gaining the trust of the people.

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Challenges
 The report shows very less people are happy with the government.
 It shows India in a bad light for companies. Indian companies have to do more to gain the trust of
the people.
 The sample size of informed public and mass public is not known. So the report cannot be trusted
beyond an extent.
 Fake news remains a challenge all over the world for media.

Way forward
Government can act as an enabler in issues of safety, quality and efficiency.
It should provide protection to the people as it did in Real Estate under RERA Act which helped the
real estate to revive.
Besides gaining the confidence of people in a brand, industries must also stand with the people in
sorting out issues in the domestic market. The survey shows such companies to have performed
better in gaining trust.
Government should step itself out of running business and allow businesses to function on its own
with the government providing a regulatory structure so that businesses do not cross the red lines of
lack of quality or a consumer being cheated.
The survey should go beyond merely trust to note whether people really have trust in the welfare
schemes of the government.

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LSTV CORNER
1. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019
News: The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019 was organized in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

Details
 India has the largest diaspora in the world, almost 3.1 crore people.
 About 7.5 lakh Indian students are pursuing higher education, research and innovation abroad.
 This diaspora has dramatically changed the world’s perception of Indians.
 Migration of educated and highly skilled Indians has brought laurels to India.
 To mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the development of India,
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year in India.
 The day also commemorates the return of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi from South
Africa to India in 1915.
 The celebration of the Pravasi Bharati Divas started in 2003.
 The theme of 2019 is “Role of Indian diaspora in building new India.”
 Mauritius Prime Minister is a guest at the 2019 celebrations.

Significance of the event

 The date of the 2019 event has been advanced this year to enable NRIs and others to attend Kumbh
and the Republic Day celebrations.
 The Prime Minister’s unique style of diplomacy with Indian diaspora abroad has evoked huge
gatherings across the world.
 For instance, the Wembley address in London was hailed as the biggest gathering any world leader
could get in the world.
 Tapping the potential of Indian diaspora not only helps in bringing foreign remittances but also
enhances India’s global image.
 The Indians have also started feeling emotionally connected to the country than they ever were.
 It has also enhanced the cultural relationship between the countries.
 It is also a kind of vote bank as the overseas Indians influence the vote of the their family members
back home.
 The event is being held in small cities since a few years. This has enhanced the tourism potential
and overall development of the city.

PM’s foreign policy

 PM has balanced the powerful and not so powerful countries equally in his policy.
 He has enhanced India’s image and its contributions the world over.
 He took the lead in celebrating International Yoga Day across the world.
 PM brought into focus the contributions of Indians to the First World War.
 He also hailed India’s contributions to the UN peace keeping force in the world as India is the
largest contributor to the force.
 He has attracted the Indian diaspora to send back foreign remittances by assuring them lesser
pilferage.

Conclusion
 The Indian diaspora holds huge potential in shaping the Indian economy.
 Besides foreign remittances, the knowledge and the expertise acquired by Indians abroad can be
harnessed to enhance the potential of domestic people.
 They also prove to be an asset during the India’s hard times like slow growth, disasters etc.
 Indian government has launched many new initiatives to attract the Indian diaspora.

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 2. US Shutdown & Defiant Trump
News: Biggest US shutdown came to an end, after 35 days impasse over the border wall, US president
Donald Trump finally backed down and agreed to put a temporary end to the shutdown.

What is a government shutdown?

 A government shutdown is when non-essential discretionary federal programs close. It occurs when
Congress fails to appropriate funds.
 In the normal budget process, Congress appropriates funds by September 30 for the following fiscal
year.
 When that doesn't happen, it enacts a continuing funding resolution.
 If Congress can't even agree on that, it forces a shutdown. That signals a complete breakdown in the
budget process.

Background
 The US government saw partial shutdown for 35 days in December and January because
Democrats, who control the House, refused to approve the $5.7-billion budget for Trump’s border
wall plan.
 The building of the Mexico border is a key piece of Trump’s immigration policy. He believes it's
the only solution to the growing number of migrants who have applied for asylum at the border
since November 2018.
 On January 25, 2019, President Donald Trump and Congressional leaders agreed to end the most
recent shutdown. Trump signed a bill that funds the government at current levels for three weeks
while a bipartisan committee negotiates plans for increased border security.
 On February 12, 2019, the committee approved a budget package that includes $1.375 billion for 55
miles of new border fences. It adds $1.7 billion to Homeland Security's budget for additional border
security.
 On February 14, 2019, the Senate and House passed the measure, avoiding another government
shutdown.
 But on February 15, 2019, President Trump declared an emergency at the border transforming a
highly charged policy dispute into a fundamental confrontation over separation of powers
 He said he was signing the declaration to protect the country from the flow of drugs, criminals and
illegal immigrants coming across the southwestern border from Mexico, which he characterised as a
profound threat to national security.

Impact of the shutdown

 The shutdown affected economic growth of the economy.
 It had affected 8,00,000 government workers without multiple paychecks on time.
 The nation’s federal infrastructure was in chaos.
 It affected the people moving in and out of America as there were not adequate personnel at airports
and the movement of aircrafts was adversely affected.
 Similarly lack of federal employees in National parks resulted in accidents with few people losing
their lives.
 It cost approximately $6 billion to the US economy.

How Trump would get funds by declaring emergency?

 The declaration will enable Mr. Trump to divert $3.6 billion budgeted for military construction
projects to the border wall.
 Mr. Trump will also use more traditional presidential budgetary discretion to tap $2.5 billion from
counter narcotics programmes and $600 million from a Treasury Department asset forfeiture fund.
 Combined with the $1.375 billion authorised for fencing by Congress, Mr. Trump would then have
about $8 billion in all to advance construction of new barriers and repairs or replacement of

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 existing barriers along the border this year, significantly more than the $5.7 billion that Congress
refused to give him.

Impact of the Border wall

 The U.S. border with Mexico is 2,000 miles long.
 One third of the border has a fence or a wall much of which was built under Secure Fence Act of
2006.
 It cost $2.3 billion to expand barriers and checkpoints. It reduced immigration by 83,000. The
reduced competition increased low-skilled workers' pay by $0.36 a year.
 Erecting a wall on the rest of the border would stop 144,000 immigrants.
 It would raise incomes of low-skilled workers by 58 cents a year. It would cost $15 per American to
build the wall.
Negative impact
When the existing wall was built, workers with college degrees had lost $4.35 annually. As a result,
the economy had declined by $2.5 billion.
If the proposed border is built, incomes of higher-skilled workers would fall by $7.60 a year and the
U.S. economy would lose more than $4 billion a year.

Impact on India
 The government shutdown has adversely impacted businesses of Indian immigrants and visa
programmes that benefit them.
 US Citizenship and Immigration Services said a popular investor-visa programme, EB-5 Immigrant
Investor Regional Center Program, expired in December and is yet to be renewed.
 Beyond this, Indian immigration to the US has received a considerable amount of pushback.

Issues of Indians in America

 The H-1B visa regulations, such as capping Green Card allotments, were tightened due to Trump’s
protectionist “Buy American, Hire American” policy.
 The Indian had been protesting for sorting out many issues including
Issue Green Cards: Indians want the green card backlog to be cleared with a waiting period of 1-5
years. The wait time, at present, can run into decades for employment-based green cards for
Indians.
Green Cards for minors: H-1B visa holders, whose children and spouses get H4-dependent visas,
are asking that H4 children be given green cards straight away, so that they can remain in the U.S.
after they turn 21 without having to switch to another visa category or having to self-deport.
Remove country caps: Indians want the US to remove the country caps for green card allotments.
Currently, no country may be allocated more than 7% (around 9,800) of the total number of green
cards granted each year.
DACA benefits for LCAs: Nearly 7,00,000 individuals brought illegally to the U.S. as minors ( a
group often referred to as ‘Dreamers’) have been protected by a Barack Obama-era programme
called for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Indians want legal childhood arrivals
(’LCAs’) to receive the same benefits under DACA.

What next?
 House Democrats plan to introduce legislation to block the president’s move, which could pass both
houses if it wins the votes of the half-dozen Republican senators who have criticised the
declaration. That would put the President in the position of issuing the first veto of his presidency.
 If such a legislative strategy fails to stop Mr. Trump, the issue would likely be taken to court, either
by congressional Democrats, liberal advocacy groups or both.
 White House officials rejected critics who said Mr. Trump was creating a precedent that future
Presidents could use to ignore the will of Congress.

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YOJANA CORNER
1. Scientific Innovations in the service of the society
Introduction
 Innovations and discoveries that occurred during the human
era has transformed as well as influenced the human lives in “Innovations and discoveries
numerous ways. which happened from time to
 The discoveries especially in the field of Medicine, time influenced as well as
Engineering and Technology has altered the human society transformed the way of life of
and shaped into the way we see it today. the society”
 The industrial revolutions that occurred from time to time
gave direct impact to innovations and discoveries.
 In other words, it is certain that the industrial revolution is the back bone of all the changes that we
see around.

Industrial Revolutions
 The First Industrial Revolution (1760 to 1840): Mechanical Engineering flourished through the
inventions of steam engine and textile industries
 The second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914): Railways and steel industries succeeded
 The Third Industrial Revolution (1969-2000): Emergence of Automobile and Electric engine
industry, Heavy chemicals and consumer goods industry.
 The Fourth Industrial Revolution (2000- the current period): also known as the digital
revolution as IT industry along with the Oil industry accelerated the growth in this period

Major innovations
 Medical Sciences and Biotechnology
Discovery of Penicillin by Alexander Fleming cured infectious bacterial diseases.
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) profiling helps in parenthood testing and solving crimes.
Stem cells help in replacing damaged cells and tissues
 Power Sector
Clean energy options- nuclear power, solar power, biofuels etc.
Nuclear fusion reaction – Development of Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER),
France to replace the hydrogen isotopes.
 Modern technology
3D printing is direct digital manufacturing of products
Internet of Things (IoT) where different technological devices are connected to each other over
a network
Artificial Intelligence (AI) – which has a major application in robotics
Transformation of mobile phones
 Outer space
Voice and data communication in real time
Communication, navigation, remote sensing, weather and scientific satellites

Conclusion
 Technology has evolved according to the requirements of the society.
 Advanced science and technology innovations would enable humans to live happily and peacefully.

2. Capitalizing on Technology for Farmer’s welfare

Introduction
 Farming is a means of livelihood to 60% of the population, majority of whom are women and

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 youth.
 The basic difficulties of the farmers include pricing, procurement and public distribution.
 Farmers also face problems due to climate change, mainly due to high temperature, wide variation
in precipitation and rise in sea level.
 Equal attention should be given while extending support to farmers in the following ecosystems
Arid zone
Semi-arid dry farming areas
Irrigated areas
Groundwater farming
Plantation crops in hilly areas

Technology in farming
 The interaction between technology and public policy has enabled farmers to increase wheat
production from 7 million tonnes in 1947 to 100 million tonnes in 2018.
 Application of new knowledge in molecular biology has enabled induced mutation, chromosome
doubling through colchicine and genetic medication.
 Genetic modification has made it possible to transfer genes across sexual barriers.
 More recently, gene editing technologies have become available which can help to achieve directed
mutagenesis.
 Breeding helps to develop strains with a higher yield potential.
 However, before adopting new technology, they should be assessed for their positive and
potentially negative effects.

National Commission on Farming

 NCF was set up under the chairmanship of M S Swaminathan to recommend measures for
sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security.
 The NCF submitted its report in 2006.

Steps taken to improve the income of farmers

 Designating the Ministry of Agriculture as Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare to stress
on farmers' welfare
 Issue of Soil Health Cards (SHC) to all farmers to promote the adoption of balanced nutrition
 Allocation of resources for promoting micro-irrigation through the Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)
 Rashtriya Gokul Mission for conservation and sustainable use of indigenous breeds of cattle
 The Prime Minister also inaugurated the First International Congress on Agro-biodiversity.
 Electronic National Agricultural Market or e-NAM for online trade
 Creation of Gramin Agriculture Markets (GrAMs) for direct sales to consumers in both retail and
bulk form.
 Introduction of Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act, 2017 and Agricultural Produce
and Livestock Contract harming Services Act, 2018 supported by electronic Negotiable Warehouse
Receipt (eNWR) system for increased institutional credit to the farm sector.
 Determination of MSP based on NCF and assured procurement at MSP.
 Welfare programmes like Public Distribution Systems, mid day meals, ICDS etc. for nutrition.
 Increase in income through allied activities like apiculture, mushroom cultivation etc.
 Corpus funds for irrigation production, infrastructure and aquaculture.
 Remunerative prices based on NCF’s recommendation
 Minimum MSP to be 150 percent of the cost of production for notified crops

Anticipatory Research in Climate Change

 Mangroves along the coastal areas act as a bioshield against natural calamities like tsunamis and
cyclones.

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 As people were unaware about the utility of mangroves, many such forests were converted into
aquaculture farms and tourist centres.
 Some efforts to conserve mangroves
The famous temple at Chidamabaram chose a mangrove plant (Excoecaria ogallocha) as a
Temple Tree
Establishment of a genetic garden of mangroves at Pichavaram near Chidambaram with support
from Department of Biotechnology
A Charter for Mangroves was prepared and with the help of the Government of Japan and IITO,
an International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME) was formed in 1990.

Conclusion
 New technologies are the basic raw material for productivity improvement.
 There are adequate opportunities for anticipatory research involving new technologies which should
be capitalized to ensure the well-being of farmers and farming.

3. Atal Innovation Mission- Contributing to a Knowledge Based Revolution

Introduction
Atal Innovation Mission was set up to create and promote a world class innovation and entrepreneurial
ecosystem throughout the length and breadth of our country.
It also aims to provide such an innovation ecosystem that will also transform our job seekers to job
creators of the future.

A Holistic Framework
 At the school level - for creation of an innovative, problem solving mindset in the students of the
high schools
 At the university and industry levels - for establishment of world class Incubators to foster and
nurture start-ups enabling their success.
 A cultural shift in attitudes towards entrepreneurship to incentivize entrepreneurial thinking and
minimize the fear of risk taking

Atal Tinkering Labs

 They have been established to enable students to apply their theoretical knowledge into practical
applications with the help of advanced tools and technology.
 Creating innovative prototypes and solutions at the school level is also creating a mindset of
becoming potential job creators of the future.
 Many ATLs have been established across the country
 Impact
10th grade girl students from a government school have been able to develop solar panel loT
device based irrigation management and water conservation solutions using soil sensors.
Another student from one of these Tinkering labs was a winner in a World Robotics Olympiad
by designing a Robotic waste segregation and management system.

Atal Incubators
 The Atal Incubators initiative is to create world class incubators to support the burgeoning number
of startups in the country.
 All established AIMs would be operational by 2019.
 These incubators will provide the necessary ecosystem of access to technology labs, hiring,
training, mentoring, finance, venture capital networks and corporate networks.
 Long term vision: To have world class incubators in the Top 10 academic and engineering
institutions of every state and in every city identified as a smart city for development.

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Atal Challenges
 The following have set up to solve the challenges arising out of India’s economic growth and
societal needs,
Atal Tinkering Challenges at a school level,
Atal New India Challenges at Industry levels,
Atal Small Business Innovation
Research challenges at a national level
 24 Atal New India Challenges stimulating product innovations in five sectors have been launched in
areas such as drinking water and sanitation, urban housing and development, climate smart
agriculture, rail safety and transportation
 Atal Tinkering Marathon was held recently in which 35000+ students created 6000+ innovations in
five challenges. The top 100 innovations will be considered for conversion into market products.

Collaboration
 Collaboration with corporates, specialists, professionals and individuals will ensure the success of
these initiatives.
 AIM has, therefore, launched a Mentors of Change - Mentor India Network across the country and
plans to extend it worldwide.
 Over 10000 mentors have already registered as mentors of change, and many corporates have
adopted Atal Tinkering Labs.

Long term goals

 Establishment and promotion of Small Business Innovation Research and Development on a
national scale for accelerating innovation on a large scale in small businesses/startups/MSME sector
 Collaborate in Science and Technology Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Rejuvenation (AIM STEER) of
innovations in major research institutions of the country like Council of Scientific Industrial
Research (CSIR), Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Medical Research (ICMR)
aligned to national socio-economic needs.

Conclusion
 India should make use of the knowledge revolution in the present world.
 Embracing Atal Innovation Mission initiatives will help children and youth of our country in
harnessing it.

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KURUKSHETRA CORNER
1. Empowerment of Youth through Skilling
Introduction
 India has the largest youth population in the world where 27 percent of the population falls between
the ages of 15-29.
 Apprenticeships and skills training especially in ICT is a requirement in the current jobs sector.

Government initiatives
Scheme Details
National Apprenticeship  Launched in 2016
Promotion Scheme  Aim: To provide Apprenriceship training to 50 lakh youth by 2020.
(NAPS)  Government will share 25% of stipend or Rs. 1500 whichever is
minimum per month per apprentice
 Government also takes up to Rs 7500/- for fresh apprentices
(candidates who do not get any formal training before)
 An online portal www.apprenticeship.gov.in for easy processing
 Implementing agencies - State Apprenticeship Advisers (SAA) and
Regional Directorates of Apprenticeships (RDATs) in respective
states/regions
 Mandatory for establishments having >40 apprentices to engage
apprentices through apprenticeship portal
 Apprenticeship training provided by National Skills Development
Corporation (NSDC)
 Dual system of Training which combines practical training in
industries and theoretical training along with foundational practical in
ITIs
Start-up Village  To encourage poor artisans and weavers to establish enterprises at
Entrepreneurship Program village levels in the non-agricultural sectors to have a sustainable
(SVEP) livelihood
 It is a sub scheme of National Rural Livelihood Mission
Rural Self Employment  Joint initiative of the Ministry of Rural Development, State
Training Institutes Governments and Banks
(RSETIs)  To diversify household income of rural poor and enable them to have
self-employment
National Employability To offer on the job practical training for technical or non-technical
Enhancement Mission students and those who have discontinued studies with a view to
(NEEM) increasing their employability.
National Skills  Partnered with Facebook to promote digital education for youth and
Development Corporation entrepreneurs.
(NSDC)  Offers courses in digital marketing, online security and financial
literacy.
Pravasi Kaushal Vikas  Implemented through MoU between Ministry of External Affairs and
Yojana (PKVY) Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
 Aims at enhancing the skill sets of potential emigrant workers in select
sectors and job roles in line with international standards to facilitate
overseas employment.
 India International Skills Centers (IISCs) established in various parts
of the country offers pre-departure orientation training (PDOT) in
terms of culture, language, traditions and local rules and regulations of
the destination countries.
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Jan Shikshan Sansthan or  To concentrate on the empowerment of unskilled persons, women,
'Shramik Vidyapeeth' persons belonging to SC/ ST/OBC communities and Minorities.
 Organises two types of activities
1. Vocational Courses: Training programmes involving skills/practical
application leading to market demand and income generation
2. Conduct suggestive activities other than Life Enrichment Education
components.
 Delivers skill training; vocational training at door steps of the
beneficiaries
National Council for  Merger of National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) and
Vocational Education and National Skill Development Agency (NSDA)
Training (NCVET)  Regulates the functioning of entities engaged in vocational education
and training, both long-term and short-term and establish minimum
standards’ the functioning of such entities.
 Activities include
1. recognition and regulation of organizational bodies for skills
development
2. approval of qualifications developed by awarding bodies and Sector
Skill Councils (SSCs)
3. indirect regulation of vocational training institutes through awarding
bodies and assessment agencies; etc.

Benefits
 It will lead to improvement in quality and market relevance of skill development programmes
 It will lend credibility to vocational education and training
 It will encourage private investment and employer participation in skills space
 It will enhance aspirational value of vocational education
 It will increase availability of skilled manpower

Conclusion
 Youth should complete the minimum secondary level schooling to pursue skill development
courses.
 Skill development will increase their employability in the present world
 To sustain in the rapidly evolving market, long term courses should be preferred than short term
courses

2. Education Initiatives for Rural Youth

Introduction
 Education aids economic independence enhances the ability of decision making and provides
opportunities to connect and communicate.
 In order to get the advantage of the youngest population of the world, it is essential that the
economy can support the increase in the labour force, and youth have the appropriate education,
skills, health awareness and other enablers to productively contribute to the economy.

Government initiatives
Initiative Detail
Samagra Shiksha: School education is treated holistically from pre-nursery to Class 12, with
the goal of improving school effectiveness measured in terms of equal
opportunities for schooling and equitable learning outcomes
It incorporates the three Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA),
Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education

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 (TE).
Digital Education and SMI Development are two key areas of concentration
under the scheme
Saakshar Bharat It revolves on ‘3' R’s (Reading. Writing & Arithmetic). It aims to create a
Programme: literate society through a variety of teaching learning programmes for non-
literate and neo-literate of 15 years and above.
The objective of the Scheme is achieving 80% literacy level at national
level, by focusing on adult women literacy to reduce the gap between male
and female literacy.
The four key elements of the programme are imparting functional literacy
and numeracy to non-literates, acquiring equivalency to formal educational
system; imparting relevant skill development programme and promote a
learning society by providing opportunities for continuing education.
Jan Shikshan JSS link literacy with vocations skills to provide life Enrichment Education
Sansthan (JSS): (LEE) to the people
Digital India: It aims to ensure that the Government's services are made available to
citizens electronically by improved online infrastructure and by increasing
Internet connectivity or by making the country digitally empowered in the
field of technology.
National The National Scholarship Portal is the Government of India's initiative to
scholarship provide financial assistance to deserving students by awarding them
scholarships to pursue higher education.
The initiative aims at providing a Simplified, Mission-oriented,
Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) System for faster and
effective disbursal of scholarships applications and the delivery of funds
directly into the beneficiaries' account without any leakage
National The National Apprenticeship Training Scheme in India is a one-year
Apprenticeship programme equipping technically qualified youth with practical knowledge
Training Scheme: and skills required in their held of work
Schemes under All Prime Minister's Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) which aims to
India Council for build up capacities in youth of J&K;
Technical Pragati Scholarship for girls pursuing Diploma and Undergraduate Degree
Education level AICTE approved Institutions programmes / courses
(AICTE): Saksham Scholarship for differently abled students.
AICTE-Inae Travel Grant Scheme tor engineering students who want to
present papers abroad;
Prerana Scheme for preparing SC/ST students for higher education
Samriddhi Scheme for SC/ST student’s tor setting start-ups.
National Doctoral Fellowship (NDF) for scholars who seek admission to
Ph.D. in AICTE approved Technical Institutes/University Departments for
carrying out research.
Support to Students for Participating in
Competition Abroad (SSPCA) aims to provide travel assistance registration
fees to a team of students for attending competition at international level;
Smart India Hackathon and M.Tech projects as internship with Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSMES) scheme to nurture an innovation ecosystem
National Post- to identify motivated young researchers and provide them support for doing
Doctoral Fellowship research in science and engineering
(N-PDF)

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 3. ICTs for Empowering Rural Youth
Introduction
 ICT can address the issues of the growing need of right educational infrastructure to develop skills
and adequate opportunities to get employed or become entrepreneurs for the young population of
India
 ICT in Agriculture- Information can be provided for better input use, cropping decisions,
management of pests and diseases, animal husbandry, and marketing ICT Is a big boon to access
credit and insurance products of various companies.

ICT initiatives in Agriculture

Technology Details
Skymet One of the largest weather monitoring and agricultural risks Solutions
Company of the country.
They measure, predict, and minimize climate risk to agriculture,
thereby limiting losses incurred due to weather abrasions
Frontal Rain It is useful for firms dealing in commodities like groceries, basmati
Technologies rice, seeds, cattle feed, sea food, dairy products and edible oil.
The website creates a scope for demand and supply of agricultural
products and helps companies at different stages of the value chain,
starting from sowing, growing, processing, logistics, wholesale and
retail trade and exports.
Agrostar Provides agricultural inputs to the farmers at their doorstep. It Is a
Pune-based ecommerce platform, directly linked to the farmers
Ekgaon Technologies They provide financial counseling, guide for agricultural
input availabilities and provision of government assistance etc.
They have mobile banking platform for delivery of financial services.
It also provides information and counseling of credit, savings,
remittance, insurance, investment and mortgage etc at the door step
and information regarding microfinance institutions available in the
locality.
They also provide local language base agriculture advisory services
to the mobile users through Interactive voice response system
(IVRS). They also provide web-based Information on weather,
market, price, soil health management etc.
MITRA (Machines, Aims to improve mechanization at horticulture farms with
Information,Technology, the use of highly effective farm equipments.
Resources for
Agriculture)
Cropln Technology Offers information on a cloud-based platform through mobile base
Solutions application. It is known as 'Smart Farms'. It allows companies to track
status of the crops around the country.
Eruvaka Technology Assists to measure and control water health. It Is solar- powered
flouting equipment that measures oxygen level, temperature and pH
range of water and suggests conduciveness of aquaculture and
possible remedies. This is very crucial for the growth and survival of
fishes.
BHUVAN Satellite based reach to the rural people
CHAMAN (Coordinated program on Horticulture assessment and
Management using geo- Informatics.
FASAL (Forecasting Agricultural output using Space, Agro-
meterology and Lnad based observations)

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 NADAMS (National Agricultural Drought Assessment and
Monitoring System)
Android Apps CCE Agri Revenue officials now use this android app to estimate
crop damage and yield loss at 1100 locations in12 states.
Ground Truth- To monitor crop health being used by 18 state
governments
Bhuvan Hailstorm App- Being used to capture hailstorm losses in
states such as Madhya Pradesh
mKisan- Provides farm advisories, such weather and pest updates on
phones to farmers.

 ICT improving Market Efficiency- Intermediaries exert considerable market power over Indian
farmers for physical goods and services, including farm Inputs and outputs. ICTs have the potential
to reduce search costs and improve price discovery.
 National Agriculture Market or eNAM is an online trading platform for agricultural commodities in
India. The market is helping in better price discover and provides facilities for smooth marketing of
their produce
 ICT in Education- ICT-kiosk based rural education have a significant role to play in adult
education, ranging from basic literacy to very specific skills for those who have received
conventional school education.
 ICT in Health Services: Online list of information about availability of health care facilities and
fixing appointments, providing health histories. Video conferencing software can allow for basic
health consultations, where bringing doctors and rural patients physically together are costly
enough.

Overview of ICT Initiatives- Empowerment

Scheme Details
Drishtee Drishtee.com A government project in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
Gyandoot Offering a range of e-governance- related services in villages by intranet. The
most prominent of these is land record certificates, and sale or leasing of land.
Aksh Aksh is essentially a fiber optic cable company, with its core competence in
laying
and maintaining cable.
n-Logue The main impetus for n-logue came from the NT Chennai research group. This
group is working in the fields of education, health and agriculture.
ITC ITC's kiosks are called e-choupals and are totally designed to support ITC's
agricultural products supply chain. There are four kinds of e-choupals, tailored
very specifically for four different products: shrimp, coffee, wheat and
soyabeans
TARAhaat TARAhaal has achieved success with Internet kiosks in Bundelkhand TARAhaat
does have an educational content partner, called TARAgyan.
Akshaya Akshaya is in Malappuram district in Kerala and aims to train the local
populations in computer use (“e- literacy").

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FRONTLINE/EPW CORNER
1. The roles of top-10 central Intelligence and Investigation Agencies in India
Introduction
 In December 20, 2018 the Union Government empowered 10 central intelligence and investigating
agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt the information generated, transmitted, received or stored
in “any computer”.
 The 10 agencies are Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate,
Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Board of Investigation
(CBI), The National Investigation Agency (NIA), The Research and Analysis Wing, Directorate of
Signal Intelligence, Delhi Police Commissioner

Intelligence Bureau
 Intelligence Bureau is India’s Internal Security Agency and it works with other intelligence and law
enforcement agencies and is responsible for mitigating threats from terrorism. It is also tasked with
the collection and dissemination of intelligence
 I.B ensures protection of the organizations, especially aviation, and guards against secessionist
activities. All background checks for security clearances for diplomats, judges and other important
persons are done by I.B.
 I.B. is an agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the I.B. Director is part of the Strategic
Policy Group and the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) of the National Security Council and
enjoys the privilege of reporting directly to the Prime Minister
 I.B. has strategic relationships with the Intelligence Agencies of the United States of America, the
United Kingdom and Israel.
 The I.B. enjoys sweeping powers under the Indian Telegraph Act and the Indian Post Office Act to
monitor all forms of communications.
 I.B. is believed to be formed before Independence of India and is considered as formed after the
sepoy mutiny of 1857. Another belief is that it was formed by Major General Sir Charles Metcalfe
MacGregor in 1885

Narcotics Control Bureau

 Narcotics Control Bureau was created in March 1986 under the terms of Section 4 (3) of the
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, sets and enforces the government’s drug
policy
 Its primary role is to ensure the prevention of narcotics import and the export of indigenous
narcotics such as high-quality cannabis grown widely in India.
 The NCB is also responsible for gathering intelligence, often with the help of satellite images, on
unauthorised cultivation of opium and illegal manufacture of precursor chemicals and drugs.
 It is empowered to conduct raids and seize chemicals, drugs or equipment and make arrests.
 The NCB adheres to relevant international conventions, such as those adopted by the United
Nations and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It liaises with
International agencies such as the U.N. Drugs Control Programme, the International Narcotics
Control Board, Interpol, the Customs Cooperation Council and the Regional Intelligence Liaison
Offices.

Enforcement Directorate
 Enforcement Directorate is a financial investigation agency under the jurisdiction of the Department
of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
 It enforces the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, a civil law empowering officers to
conduct investigations into suspected contraventions of the Foreign Exchange Laws and
Regulations and impose penalties on those who are found to have violated these laws.

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 The E.D. also enforces the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002, a criminal law by virtue of
which officers may conduct investigations to trace assets acquired as the proceeds of crime.
 The E.D. can provisionally confiscate such assets and arrest and prosecute people involved in
money laundering.
 An enforcement unit was established in 1956 to deal with violations under the Foreign Exchange
Regulation Act, 1947. The unit was renamed the Enforcement Directorate in 1957.

Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)

 Central Board of Direct Taxes is a body of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of
Finance
 The CBDT is responsible for the administration of direct tax laws through the Income Tax
Department.
 It came into existence when the Central Board of Revenue, in charge of administration of both
direct and indirect taxes, was bifurcated on January 1, 1964, into the CBDT and the Central Board
of Excise and Customs, which became the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)

 It is an anti-smuggling agency under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)
 The DRI was established on December 4, 1957
 Its responsibilities include detecting and curbing the smuggling of contraband, combating
commercial fraud in international trade and thwarting attempts to evade customs duty.

Central Board of Investigation (CBI)

 It is not a statutory body, but continues to derive its power from the Delhi Special Police
Establishment (DSPE Act) and functions as an attached office of the Ministry of Personnel, Public
Grievances and Pensions
 In 1941 Special Police Establishment (SPE) was set up under the Second World War Department to
probe cases of bribery and corruption
 In 1946, its mandate was expanded under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act to
investigate corruption in Central and State governments
 In 1963, the Home Ministry renamed the Special Police Force as the Central Bureau of
Investigation, vesting in it the power to probe irregularities in all public sector bodies and cases of
terrorism, murder, and other cases
 The agency is headed by a Director, who must be a member of the Indian Police Service (IPS). He
is assisted by a Special Director or an Additional Director and a team of Joint Directors, Deputy
Inspectors General and Superintendents of Police.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA)

 It was created in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks to act as a Central
counterterrorism law enforcement agency
 It is vested with the power to deal with terror-related crimes in any State. The agency was
constituted on December 31, 2008, under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008
 It deals with offences relating to the sovereignty and integrity of the country and also investigates
cases of counterfeit currency, human trafficking and violations of the Atomic Energy Act, among
other crimes.
 It maintains a database of terror financing and conducts investigations into terror financing aspects
of regular cases.

The Research and Analysis Wing

 Cabinet Secretariat- The Research and Analysis Wing, India’s premier intelligence agency, was
established in 1968 to meet the need for increased external intelligence during the 1962 Sino-Indian
War and the India-Pakistan War of 1965

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 It is established as a wing and is not bound by the Right to Information Act
 RAW is responsible for collecting military, economic, scientific and political intelligence through
covert and overt operations, although its exact constitution, way of functioning, budgetary
allocation and expenditure are not revealed.

The Directorate of Signal Intelligence (DSI)

 DSI (in service areas of Jammu and Kashmir, the north-east and Assam) draws its personnel from
the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force.
 The Directorate of Air Intelligence comes under the IAF and monitors the airspace.
 The Directorate of Naval Intelligence comes under the Navy and is tasked with collecting
information of the sea area.
 The Directorate of Military Intelligence was formed in 1941 to handle the Army’s field intelligence.
After Independence, it was vested with the power to investigate corruption in the Army.

The Delhi Police Commissioner

 He is the head of the Delhi Police.
 The Police Commissioner’s portfolio was created on July 1, 1978, on the recommendations of the
Delhi Police Commission, constituted in 1966 by the Government of India under the aegis of G.D.
Khosla.
 The Police Commissioner heads all the four police districts in Delhi—North Delhi, Central Delhi,
South Delhi and New Delhi.

2. Hollowing out of Judiciary

 The Indian Judiciary gave the impression of struggling to overcome the issues of arbitrariness and
unaccountability
 The controversies against Justice Ranjan Gogoi have not only damaged the credibility and
reputation of him but also threw negative marks on the institution of the judiciary.
 The controversy over the involvement of Justice A K Sikri in the high-powered committee (HSC)
which suspended Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Verma by a majority of 2–1 was
the first one
 Even though the decision of Sikri was in favor of government and assumed to be uninfluenced by
the government’s proposal to nominate him to the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal, it
still goes against the principle
 The purpose of involving the CJI (or his nominee) in the HPC was to inject a level of neutrality and
impartiality in the process but leaving open even a small window for questioning the neutrality and
impartiality of the judge in question, Gogoi’s decision has seriously damaged the credibility of the
judiciary.
 Second was the controversial decision to “reconsider” the nominations of Justices Rajendra Menon
and Pradeep Nandrajog.
 The resolution nominating Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dinesh Maheshwari is thin on the details as
to the reasons for the reconsideration. Change of mind of collegium opened the speculations
 No reasons are given for rejecting Menon and Nandrajog and no formal explanations were given by
the Chief Justice of India
 A rush of decisions concerning the elevation of judges to various high courts raised more questions
about the independence of the collegium as a bulk of these were decisions that the Ministry of Law
and Justice asked the collegium to reconsider, sometimes on more than one occasion

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International organisations Headquarters
United Nations Organisation New York
United Nations Childrens’ Fund (UNICEF) New York
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) New York
UN Women New York
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Washington DC
World Bank Washington DC
World Health Organisation Geneva
International Labour Organisation Geneva
International Committee of the Red Cross Geneva
World Trade Organisation Geneva
World Meteorological Organisation Geneva
World Intellectual Property Organization Geneva
International Organization for Standardization Geneva
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Paris
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Paris
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Vienna
International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Vienna
International Maritime Organisation London
Commonwealth of Nations London
Amnesty International London
Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Rome
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Brussels
Universal Postal Union Berne
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Jakarta
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Singapore
Transparency International Berlin
International Renewable Energy Agency Abu Dhabi (UAE)
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Kathmandu
Organization of Islamic Cooperation Jeddah
Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation Ebene, Mauritius
Worldwide Fund for Nature Gland, Switzerland
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Zurich, Switzerland
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons The Hague, The
Netherlands
International Olympic Committee Lausanne,
Switzerland
World Economic Forum Geneva,
Switzerland
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Gland, Switzerland
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Paris, France

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MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1) Consider the following statements regarding Saubhagya scheme.
1. Under the scheme, electricity is provided to all households in rural areas.
2. The nodal agency for the scheme is Solar Energy Corporation 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

2) Consider the following statements regarding Zika virus

1. It is transmitted by mosquito.
2. There is no treatment for the infection.
3. It can cause microcephaly in new born babies.
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

3) Consider the following statements regarding Street Lighting National Programme

1. It aims to run street lights using solar energy.
2. It is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited.
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

4) Consider the following statements regarding Smart Food initiative.

1. It was founded by Food and Agriculture Organisation
2. It focusses on popularizing millets and sorghum.
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

5) The folk dance, Maniyaro belongs to

(a) Kerala
(b) Karnataka
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Gujarat

6) Battle of Koregaon was fought between

(a) Peshwas and Bhonsles
(b) Peshwas and British
(c) Bhosles and British
(d) Holkars and British

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7) Which of the following are harvest festivals?
1. Pongal
2. Makar Sankranti
3. Magha Bihu
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

8) On which of the following rivers is Polavaram project being built upon

(a) River Godavari
(b) River Krishna
(c) River Cauvery
(d) River Tungabhadra

9) For which of the following diseases has Centre set a timeline for elimination
1. Malaria
2. Tuberculosis
3. Kala Azar
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

10) Consider the following statements regarding UNNATI

1. It is related to Nano satellite development.
2. It was launched to commemorate 50th anniversary of the first United Nation conference
UNISPACE+50.
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

11) Which of the statements is/are true regarding National Ganga Council
1. It is chaired by the Prime Minister.
2. It was formed to prevent, protect and control pollution in River Ganga.
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

12) The application PARIVESH is connected to

(a) Ministry of Rural Development
(b) Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
(c) Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare
(d) Ministry of Women and Child Development

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13) Consider the following statements regarding Institutes of Eminence (IoE) scheme
1. It is under the Ministry of Human Resources and Development.
2. These institutes enjoy complete administrative autonomy.
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) Consider the following statements regarding National Social Assistance Programme
1. It is under the Ministry of Rural Development.
2. It provides financial assistance to the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities in the form of
social pensions.
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

15) Consider the following statements regarding Hunar Haats

1. They are organized by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
2. They provide a platform to master artisans and craftsmen to display their rich heritage and skill.
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

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ANSWERS

1) Answer (a)
2) Answer (d)
3) Answer (b)
4) Answer (b)
5) Answer (d)
6) Answer (b)
7) Answer (d)
8) Answer (a)
9) Answer (d)
10) Answer (c)
11) Answer (c)
12) Answer (b)
13) Answer (c)
14) Answer (c)
15) Answer (b)

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