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IASBUZZ JULY 2018 EDITION
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Contents GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY ............................................................................................................... 5
Growing Plastic Pollution ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Indus Dolphins ........................................................................................................................................................... 6
Dolphin census:.......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Bhupathy’s Shieldtail ................................................................................................................................................. 7
Global Urban Air Pollution Database ......................................................................................................................... 7
Global urban air pollution database: ..................................................................................................................... 8
Zircon In Rocks ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Zircon in rocks: ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Threat to Bannerghatta zone ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Deocha Pachami Coal Block ..................................................................................................................................... 10
New Insights On Inter-Species Social Behavior Among Animals ............................................................................. 11
Regulating Plastic Ban And Major Concerns ............................................................................................................ 11
World Environment Day, 2018: Beat Plastic Pollution ............................................................................................ 12
Methanol Economy ................................................................................................................................................. 13
Green GDP ............................................................................................................................................................... 15
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE .......................................................................................................................................... 16
E-NAM ...................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Indian Pharmacopeia Commission .......................................................................................................................... 16
Caste Census And the Approaching 2021 Census .................................................................................................... 17
Proposed Greenfield Highways Between Chennai And Salem- Issues & Controversies.......................................... 19
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) ........................................................................................................................... 20
The Ongoing Tussle Between The Delhi Government And The Bureaucracy .......................................................... 21
The Special Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers .................................................................................................. 22
State Symbols: Andhra Pradesh ............................................................................................................................... 23
Article 35A ............................................................................................................................................................... 24
India’s Maternal Mortality Rate Down By 22%........................................................................................................ 25
India’s Nutrition Challenge: Obesity ........................................................................................................................ 26
Mandatory Pre-Litigation Mediation In Commercial Disputes ................................................................................ 27
Paper Chase: The Need To Review Use Of VVPATs ................................................................................................. 29
Period Poverty ......................................................................................................................................................... 30
ACTS AND BILLS ........................................................................................................................................................... 31
NMC Bill ................................................................................................................................................................... 32
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SCHEMES AND POLICIES OF GOVERNMENT ................................................................................................................ 35
Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Project (DRIP) ................................................................................................ 35
Operation Nistaar .................................................................................................................................................... 35
Green Revolution – Krishonnati Yojana ................................................................................................................... 36
Seva Bhoj Yojana ...................................................................................................................................................... 38
ECONOMY .................................................................................................................................................................... 40
The Risks involving External Debts .......................................................................................................................... 40
Public Credit Registry ............................................................................................................................................... 41
FDI Confidence Index 2018 ...................................................................................................................................... 42
Air India Disinvestments and the concerns ............................................................................................................. 42
Monetary Policy Committee (MPC): Functions and Constitution ........................................................................... 43
Repo Rates Increased After 4.5 Years ...................................................................................................................... 44
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................ 46
NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY ................................................................................................................................. 46
HYDROXYLAMMONIUM NITRATE (HAN) ................................................................................................................. 47
New Exo-Planet Discovered By Indian Scientists ..................................................................................................... 47
Precison Agriculture ................................................................................................................................................ 48
Moganite ................................................................................................................................................................. 49
Ensemble Prediction Systems .................................................................................................................................. 50
Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem In India: AI Garage ............................................................................................... 50
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND GLOBAL ISSUES .......................................................................................................... 52
Qingdao Declaration ................................................................................................................................................ 52
UN’s report on Food Security and Nutrition ............................................................................................................ 53
OPEC ........................................................................................................................................................................ 54
The OPEC meet: Relevance for India ....................................................................................................................... 54
India’s concern with RCEP ....................................................................................................................................... 56
The Historic Summit Between US & North Korea: Asserting The Power Of Diplomacy .......................................... 57
India Re-Defines Its Regional Role ........................................................................................................................... 58
Indo-China extending ties ........................................................................................................................................ 60
India’s Changing Foreign Policy ............................................................................................................................... 61
S-400 Triumf deal ..................................................................................................................................................... 62
Doping in sports & No Needle Policy ....................................................................................................................... 63
Threat of Hyper- Nationalism to the Federal structure of India and US .................................................................. 65
HISTORY AND CULTURE ............................................................................................................................................... 67
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CHANNAPATNA TOYS .............................................................................................................................................. 67
Chalukyan Sculpture Of Siva .................................................................................................................................... 67
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GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
The Issue With Uranium Contamination
Relevancy GS Mains Paper-3 Environment and Biodiversity
Why in news? A recent study, has found over 30 micrograms per litre (mcg/l) of the heavy metal in parts of north-
western, southern and south-eastern India. These reports of widespread uranium contamination in groundwater across India which demands an
urgent response. Groundwater contamination needs to be probed and mapped, and safe sources must be identified.
What is the issue with uranium contamination?
Reports of uranium contamination has cropped up across India in recent years, with south Bangalore recording 2000 mcg/l of uranium in groundwater.
Previously, regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were found to have over 500 mcg/l of uranium in their aquifers.
More recently, parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan recorded undesirable uranium levels in their waters.
Drinking such water can damage one’s kidneys, and the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribes '30 mcg/l' as an upper limit.
But unfortunately, the residents of the regions surveyed were using wells recording far greater uranium levels as their main source of drinking water.
Significantly, as the “Bureau of Indian Standards” does not specify a norm for uranium level, water is not tested regularly for it.
How does excess Uranium affect the health?
Preliminary studies on the health effects of drinking uranium-tainted water among animals and humans have revealed that it causes kidney damage.
Notably, this is said to be caused by the chemical effect of uranium, rather than a radiological, even though uranium is radioactive.
Nonetheless, we need more comprehensive systematic studies to establish the chronic health effects of uranium exposure.
How does uranium enter ground water?
The mechanism by which uranium enters groundwater is still under research.
Two types of terrains have been identified with heavy contamination, namely:
Alluvial aquifers in Rajasthan and other north-western regions
Crystalline rocks such as granite in southern regions like Telangana.
Some researchers have hypothesized that over-extraction of ground water exposes uranium to air, which triggers its release from the rocks.
Further research is needed in this regard as it would help in identifying regions where safer water can be found.
Notably, even information of how uranium accumulated with the rocks (during sedimentation), would help in estimating the regions of prevalence.
Growing Plastic Pollution
Relevancy
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GS Mains Paper-3, Environment and Biodiversity
Why in news?
The pollution caused by the single use of plastics is affecting the environment. It is high time that steps be taken to reduce their use and explore sustainable alternatives.
How much is plastic in use at present?
Plastics are organic polymers of high molecular mass and are usually synthetic, mainly derived from petrochemicals.
Due to their low cost, ease of manufacture, versatility, non-corrosiveness and imperviousness to water, plastics are used for multiple purposes at different scales.
Presently, over one million plastic bags and one million plastic bottles are used every minute worldwide.
About 50% of the plastics used are single use (disposable) which constitute 10% of the total waste generated.
And of the 7 billion tons of plastic waste generated, only 9% was recycled, 12% incinerated, and 79% accumulated in landfills or the environment.
How plastics impact the environment?
The plastics, mostly single use plastics are carried down the rivers to the oceans and this accounts for two thirds of the plastic waste present in the oceans.
This affects the marine ecosystem as fishes are killed when they swallow plastic particles.
Also the economic impact due to plastic pollution is high especially in fisheries and tourism sector.
Another direct impact of plastic pollution is on the land, as it degrades slowly and leaches chemicals into surroundings and groundwater.
Drinking water samples in different parts of the world including India reveal presence of up to 83% micro plastic concentrations.
How Plastic use can be reduced to eliminate Plastic Pollution?
Plastic use cannot be entirely eliminated from day to day activities, but safe disposal, reuse and reducing the quantity can be done.
Policies should be made to restrict plastic production and encourage recycling.
Since plastics are used by the common man, a behavioural change is necessary and segregation of household waste must be made mandatory.
Awareness has to be created on the dangers of plastics hazards and to opt for sustainable and biodegradable products.
Incentives for developing eco-friendly substitutes (cloth/paper/jute bags, leaves/areca leaf plates, paper straws), scientific as well as financial support must be provided.
Indus Dolphins
Recently G.S. Paper 1
Why in news? Punjab government along World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-India are conducting first organised census of
Indus Dolphins. Indus Dolphins:
Indus river dolphins are one of only four river dolphin species and subspecies in the world that spend all of their lives in freshwater.
They are believed to have originated in the ancient Tethys Sea.
When the sea dried up approximately 50 million years ago, the dolphins were forced to adapt to its only remaining habitat i.e. rivers.
Only 1,816 exist today in the lower parts of the Indus River in Pakistan and India.
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Numbers declined dramatically after the construction of irrigation systems.
Most dolphins are confined to a 750 mile stretch of the river and divided into isolated populations by six barrages.
They have adapted to life in the muddy river and are functionally blind.
They rely on echolocation to navigate, communicate and hunt prey including prawns, catfish and carp.
It listed by the IUCN as endangered on its Red List of Threatened Species. Indus Dolphin was also found in Sutlej decades back, but river pollution has caused its extinction in river.
Dolphin census:
The first organised census will be conducted over period of five days in 185 km stretch between Talwara and Harike Barrage in Beas River in Punjab.
It is where riverine fresh water Indus Dolphins are confined.
It will be conducted two joint teams of Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Punjab and WWF-India.
Its main objective is to establish accurate population of dolphins in order to plan conservation of species.
Bhupathy’s Shieldtail
Relevancy G.S. Paper 1
Why in news? A New species of snake has been found in Western Ghats.
Bhupathy’s shieldtail:
Bhupathy’s shieldtail is currently found only in the Anaikatty Hills of Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district.
Just 40 cm long and iridescent brown, Bhupathy’s shieldtail is the latest addition to the snake fauna of the Western Ghats.
The reptile belongs to a family of snakes found only in peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
They are non-venomous, burrowing and mostly earthworm-eating.
They are called shieldtails after the large, flat tips of their tails, which make them appear almost sliced off.
The new species has more than 200 scales which is its most characteristic distinguishing feature.
Threats to the new species include road traffic at the Anaikatty-Coimbatore State Highway passes through its habitat and soil is being extracted for brick manufacturing.
The discovery takes the number of known species of shieldtails in India to 41.
The country is home to more than 300 snake species.
New species of snakes are being discovered worldwide too, and Central and South America are considered the regions with the highest snake diversity: 886 of the approximately 3500 snake species in the world are seen there.
Global Urban Air Pollution Database
Relevancy G. S. Paper
Why in news? According to Global Urban Air Pollution database released by World Health Organisation (WHO), 14
Indian cities have figured in list of world’s 15 most polluted cities.
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Global urban air pollution database: The WHO global air pollution database was released in Geneva this May.
According to the data, India has 14 out of the 15 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM 2.5 concentrations.
The worst amongst Indian city is Kanpur.
These 14 cities include: o Delhi o Varanasi o Kanpur o Faridabad o Gaya o Patna o Agra o Muzaffarpur o Srinagar o Gurgaon o Jaipur o Patiala o Jodhpur
They are followed by Ali Subah Al-Salem (Kuwait) and few cities in China and Mongolia.
In terms of PM10 levels, 13 cities in India figured among the 20 most-polluted cities. Pollution levels in Delhi:
WHO's database of more than 4,000 cities in 100 countries shows that Delhi's pollution levels improved only marginally between 2010 and 2014 but started deteriorating again in 2015.
In 2016, the latest year in WHO's database, Delhi was in sixth spot, having recorded its highest pollution levels in six years.
The city's PM 2.5 annual average was 143 micrograms per cubic metre, more than three times the national safe standard.
Also, the PM 10 average was 292 micrograms per cubic metre, more than 4.5 times the national standard.
Problems caused due to high pollution levels:
WHO said that 9 out of 10 people in the world breathe air containing high levels of pollutants.
Updated estimations reveal an alarming death toll of 7 million people every year caused by ambient (outdoor) and household air pollution.
Ambient air pollution alone caused some 4.2 million deaths in 2016, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused an estimated 3.8 million deaths.
WHO also highlighted that air pollution is mainly responsible for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
It is causing an estimated one-quarter (24%) of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25% from stroke, 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29% from lung cancer.
Zircon In Rocks
Relevancy G.S. Paper 1,3
Why in news? A 4.2 billion-year-old zircon has been found in a rock from Odisha offers fresh clues about the earth’s
origins.
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Zircon in rocks: A rock sample which was recovered nearly eight years ago from Champua in Odisha’s Kendujhar
district has been in news.
Scientists have found in the rock a grain of magmatic zircon that is an estimated 4,240 million years old.
It has been deemed a discovery of great promise to study the earth’s early years.
Zircon is a mineral that contains traces of radioactive isotopes.
Geologists from the University of Calcutta and Curtin University, Malaysia, along with researchers from the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, made the discovery.
Earlier, the only instance of zircon older than this discovery was the one found in Jack Hill, Western Australia.
Jack hill Zircon is 4,400 million years old and is the oldest known rock sample.
But the zircon in India is from metamorphosed sedimentary rock, unlike the Singhbhum which was formed from magma.
Thus, the Singhbhum rock from where the zicron was recovered is the second oldest and its zircon, the oldest magmatic zircon on earth.
The analyses was done by Chinese scientists.
It confirmed the presence of two zircon grains that were 4,240 million and 4,030 million years old.
This adds valuable information about the presence of water in the first few hundred million years of the Earth’s history.
It will also give us clues to when plate tectonics began. Zircon:
Zircon is ubiquitous in the crust of Earth.
It occurs as a common accessory mineral in igneous rocks (as primary crystallization products), in metamorphic rocks and as detrital grains in sedimentary rocks.
Large zircon crystals are rare.
Zircon is also very resistant to heat and corrosion.
Zircon is mainly consumed as an opacifier, and has been known to be used in the decorative ceramics industry.
Other applications include use in refractories and foundry casting and in nuclear fuel rods, catalytic fuel converters and in water and air purification systems.
Zircon is one of the key minerals used by geologists for geochronology.
Threat to Bannerghatta zone
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 3 Environment
Why in news?
At least 73 eco-sensitive villages, of which 22 are ‘red list’ villages, have been left out of the buffer zone of the Bannerghatta National Park, which remains Bengaluru’s last big urban forest.
Using a 2016 Indian Institute of Science report that puts villages in the region in five categories of eco-sensitivity, Mr. Nowlakha, who has studied the ecologically sensitive zone, found that just 58 out of 147 villages in the top two levels of eco-sensitivity had been included in the draft ESZ.
A further 16 are partially included (that is, only 100 meters into the village), while 73 are excluded.
Of these, the researcher placed 22 in the ‘red list’. What is Red List?
‘Red list’ comprises villages that are adjacent to the forest and are highly eco-sensitive. What does the Ministry of Environment and Forests say about the buffer zone?
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The Ministry of Environment and Forests does allow for buffer zone to be reduced to 100 meters in densely populated areas, and this makes sense in the context of the northern edge where Bengaluru lies.
But, there is no logical reason, apart from vested interests, to exclude villages with low built-up area in the central and southern boundaries of the park.
Considering the reduction of the ESZ the buffer zone will do little in protecting the area, or the elephants that either uses it as a refuge or as a transit passage.
However, the study is based on the initial draft that put the ESZ at 269 square km, which has been cut down by a third to just 181.57 square km.
Bannerghatta National Park is the first of 21 urban forests to be looked at by the researcher.
The findings will be presented to the Supreme Court, which is hearing the matter on eco-sensitive zones.
Protecting this meager buffer zone may be more than a challenge, finds the study. While the BDA’s master plan mentions the ESZ and recommends a status quo, major transit projects that are being planned or being implemented are threats.
The four-laning of Kanakapura Road, the metro on Bannerghatta Road till Gottigere and suburban lines connecting Bidadi and Ramanagaram will see land prices shoot up and more real estate projects.
What are ecologically sensitive zones?
Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.
An ESZ could go up to 10 kilometers around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.
Moreover, in case where sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, are beyond 10 kilometers width, these should be included in the Eco-Sensitive Zones.
Further, even in the context of a particular Protected Area, the distribution of an area of ESZ and the extent of regulation may not be uniform all around and it could be of variable width and extent.
What are Buffer Zones?
Buffer Zones are the areas peripheral to a national park or equivalent reserve, where restrictions are placed upon resource use or special development measures are undertaken to enhance the conservation values of the area.
Many authors agree that the term buffer zone became widely used with the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program and the Biosphere Reserves (BRs) in the 1970s.
Deocha Pachami Coal Block
Relevance: GS Prelims Geography, Important coal mines, Coal Energy
Why in news? West Bengal has been allotted the Deocha Pachami Harinsingha Dewanganj coal mines.
About Deocha Pachami Coal mines:
West Bengal has been allotted the Deocha Pachami Harinsingha Dewanganj coal mines - the world's second largest coal mine - located in Birbhum district by the Centre.
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With an estimated reserve of 2,102 million tonnes, it is the second largest coal mine in the world.
The mining project has the potential of generating nearly one lakh jobs in Birbhum and neighbouring districts.
The block is located in the south-western part of Birbhum coalfield area in Deucha and Panchamati area adjoining the Dewanganj block.
It is spread over an area of 9.7 sq km.
New Insights On Inter-Species Social Behavior Among Animals
Relevancy GS Mains Paper-3 Biodiversity and Environment
Why in news?
Recent scientific study on birds has revealed new insights on inter-species social behaviour among animals.
What does the recent research on inter-species state?
Birds of a feather flock together’ is an old adage to explain some well-observed aspects of social behaviour among humans and animals.
Social behaviour among animals has been researched for a long time, but was restricted to focus on intra-species social interactions.
This had led scientists to have a fairly sophisticated understanding of group behaviours. However, relatively less is known about the socialising of certain animals including birds and
mammals with individuals of other species. A recent Research by Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru
offers new insights on inter-species social behaviour among animals. What is the new insight on the inter-species social behavior among animals?
Scientists have tried to get clarity on the difference between mixed-species socialisations and same-species interactions and ascertain the motivation for mixed-species socialising.
It was generally thought that in same-species social interactions, all individuals get similar benefits and in mixed-species interactions, different groups get different benefits.
But the study revealed that most cases of mixed species socialisation was similar to that of single species groups and the benefits received from both the groups were also similar.
Therefore, when the motivation for joining mixed species group rather than same species group was studied, it was found that gaining concrete benefit like having same predator.
And quality of such benefit like how soon can an individual spot a predator, were factors for choosing mixed species group.
Some birds took into account the cost of competition while deciding whether to join a flock of different species, such as different food habits but share same predator.
It was also found that birds considered their flight behaviour and skills while joining another group, so as to coordinate their activities together as a flock.
A combination of these and probably more were the motivations behind birds’ decision to restrict themselves to flocks of their own species or join other groups.
These revelations would be helpful in protecting the species of the interacting group of any cascading effects if the other group of species become extinct or change behaviour.
Regulating Plastic Ban And Major Concerns
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 3
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Environment & Biodiversity
Why in news? In recent times use of plastic become the major threat to the environment. India lacks proper framework mechanisms to discourage plastic use.
What are the concerns with plastic use in India?
India is the major producer of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans.
The Centre’s somewhat liberal estimate shows over 60% of about 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste generated daily is collected.
That essentially means a staggering 10,000 tonnes of trash is being released into the environment, a lot of it is going into the sea.
Also, not every piece of plastic collected by the system is scientifically processed.
Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system is on the UN map of 10 rivers worldwide that collectively carry the bulk of the plastic waste into the oceans.
The effects are evident that they threaten marine life and the well-being of people, as microplastics are now found even in drinking water.
What are the issues with measures taken?
In their response to the crisis, communities and environmentally minded individuals are ahead of governments and municipal authorities.
They segregate waste, compost at home, conduct “plastic free” social events and help recover materials that would otherwise just be dumped in the suburbs and wetlands.
But, valuable as they are, voluntary efforts cannot achieve what systemic reform can.
India’s Solid Waste Management Rules and the Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016, which built on previous regulations, mostly remain on paper.
State governments have simply not given them the necessary momentum, and the producers of plastic articles that are invariably used just for a few minutes have shown little concern about their negative environmental impact.
Local bodies mandated under rules to ensure segregation, collection and transfer of waste to registered recyclers have spectacularly failed to fulfil their responsibilities.
What should be done?
It is the Centre’s responsibility to ensure that the Environment (Protection) Act, the overarching law that enables anti-pollution rules to be issued, is implemented in letter and spirit.
Ideally, regulation should help stop the manufacture of single-use plastic articles such as carry bags and cutlery, and encourage the use of biodegradable materials.
The provisions of the Plastic Waste Management Rules require manufacturers of compostable bags to get a certificate from the Central Pollution Control Board.
World Environment Day, 2018: Beat Plastic Pollution
"On World Environment Day, the message is simple: reject single-use plastic. Refuse what you can’t re-use.
Together, we can chart a path to a cleaner, greener world." — Secretary-General, António Guterres
Relevance: GS Prelims 2019, GS mains paper III Environment, World Environment Day, 5th June, Beat Plastic Pollution
Why in news? The World Environment Day was conceived in 1974 and is celebrated on 5th June every year. This year, India was the host to the World Environment Day
What was the theme this year?
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The theme for the year 2018 is “Beat Plastic Pollution”, and is a call for individuals to take charge of their surroundings and realise the severity of using plastic in daily life.
If you can’t reuse it, then refuse it.
The main focus of this year’s Environment day is to “ban single use plastics”. What are the types of plastics?
PET- Polyethylene terephthalate: This type of plastic is used for water or soda bottles, or into polyester yarn. They can be recycled for making textiles, if segregated at the source.
High density polyethylene (or HDPE): It is a tough, opaque plastic that is used for making shampoo bottles or grocery bags. This can also be recycled if segregated at the source.
LDPE (Low Density Poluethylene), Polypropylene and Styrofoam: they are hardest to recycle.
If we were to classify plastic by use, there are single use plastics – straws, grocery bags, mineral water bottles and the like – and plastics that last a little longer, such as pencil boxes and plastic furniture.
The current campaign focuses on banning single use plastic. Why is plastic such a danger?
With plastic making up ten per cent of the total waste generated, half of it used is disposable or single-use.
This presents a major problem as it is non-renewable and its manufacture and destruction exposes individuals and environment to many toxins, including carcinogens.
India is a major producer of plastic waste in the world.
It has been estimated by the centre government that over 60% of about 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste generated daily is collected.
This means that a staggering 10,000 tonnes of trash is being released into the environment, a lot of it going into the sea.
Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system is on the UN map of 10 rivers worldwide that collectively carry the bulk of the plastic waste into the oceans.
The effects are evident: they threaten marine life and the well-being of people, as microplastics are now found even in drinking water.
Oil is one of the main fossil fuels. If current trends persist, the plastics sector will account for 20 percent of the total oil consumption by 2050, and take up a significant chunk of our carbon budget in that time.
Experts estimate that there are over 150 million tonnes of plastic waste in the ocean today, and if we do little, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.
Plastics are lead to leaching of certain harmful chemicals such as Bisphenol A (known for bringing hormonal changes in humans) and phthalates, which are carcinogenic in nature.
What efforts have been made by the government in order to prevent plastic pollution?
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 is the overarching law that enables anti-pollution rules to be framed and implemented.
The government has enacted Solid Waste Management Rules and the Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016.
The State Level Monitoring Committees provided for under the rules have not been made accountable. The waste management framework is dysfunctional.
The laws should be implemented in their letter and spirit.
Methanol Economy
Relevance: GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III Environment, Sc-tech, clean fuels, methanol economy
Recently: NITI Aayog is working on road map for India On World Environment Day, 2018 The Concept of “Methanol Economy” is being actively pursued by China, Italy, Sweden, Israel, US,
Australia, Japan and many other European countries.
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10% of fuel in China in transport Sector is Methanol. Uses of Methanol as a fuel:
Methanol burns efficiently in all internal combustion engines, produces no particulate matter, no soot, almost nil SOX and NOX emissions (NEAR ZERO POLLUTION).
In atmospheric chemistry, NOX is a generic term for the nitrogen oxides that are most relevant for air pollution, namely nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
SOX refers to many types of sulfur and oxygen containing compounds such as SO, SO2, SO3 etc.
The gaseous version of Methanol – DME (Dimethyl Ether) can be blended with LPG and can be excellent substitute for diesel in Large buses and trucks. DME is an isomer of methanol.
Methanol is a clean burning drop in fuel which can replace both petrol & diesel in transportation & LPG, Wood, Kerosene in cooking fuel.
It can also be used in Hybrid and Electric Mobility.
Methanol Economy is the “Bridge” to the dream of a complete “Hydrogen based fuel systems”.
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.
How can methanol help save our environment?
Methanol 15 % blend (M15) in petrol will reduce pollution by 33% & diesel replacement by methanol will reduce by more than 80%.
Urban Transport contributes to close to 40% towards urban air pollution.
Annually 400000 deaths take place in India due to air pollution.
Field trials are under way for India to adopt M15 program in transportation sector.
The notification of fuels for M15 & M100 are already complete. Methanol 100% engine will look to replace diesel in its totality.
The C02 emitted, both from using Methanol and while producing Methanol can be tapped back to produce Methanol.
Thus, a seamless loop of CO2 sequestration cycle is created to perpetually burn fuels without polluting the environment at all.
Similarly, CO2 from steel plants, Thermal Power plants, Cement Plants etc. can be tapped in large quantities to produce Methanol.
What is the plan of NITI Aayog?
Import control: NITI Aayog has drawn out a comprehensive plan to replace 20% of crude imports from Methanol alone.
Pollution control: Adopting Methanol in this scale would bring down pollution in the country by more than 40% and not to forget the benefits from import substitution.
Railways: 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.
Marine sector: The other sector where Methanol is becoming the fuel of choice because of emission benefits is the ‘Marine Sector’.
IMO (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.
Conclusion:
Methanol Economy, if adopted by India can be one of the best ways to mitigate the Environmental hazards of a growing economy.
NITI Aayog is preparing a road map for a full-scale implementation in the near future.
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Green GDP
Relevance: GS Prelims 2019, GS Mains paper III Environment, Economy, Green GDP
Why in News? The Centre government has announced a five-year exercise to compute district-level data of the country’s
environmental wealth. The numbers will eventually be used to calculate every State’s ‘green’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Understanding Green GDP:
The green gross domestic product (green GDP or GGDP) is an index of economic growth with the environmental consequences of that growth factored into a country's conventional GDP.
Green GDP monetizes the loss of biodiversity, and accounts for costs caused by climate change.
Some environmental experts prefer physical indicators (such as "waste per capita" or "carbon dioxide emissions per year"), which may be aggregated to indices such as the "Sustainable Development Index".
What is the need to calculate green GDP?
Natural capital is poorly represented in GDP; resources are not adequately considered as economic assets.
The impact that the depletion of natural resources or increase in pollution can have on the future productive capacity of a nation are unaccounted for in traditional GDP estimates.
The metric will help with a range of policy decisions, such as compensation to be paid during land acquisition, calculation of funds required for climate mitigation, and so on.
Green GDP would be a more accurate indicator or measure of societal well-being.
Therefore, the integration of environmental statistics into national accounts, and by extension, the generation of a green GDP figure, would improve countries' abilities to manage their economies and resources
What kind of data will be captured for calculating Green GDP?
The data will include: the diversity in the State’s geography, farmland, wildlife, and emissions pattern
Calculating green GDP requires that net natural capital consumption, including resource depletion, environmental degradation, and protective and restorative environmental initiatives, be subtracted from traditional GDP.
But the major challenge in calculating the Green GDP is- assigning monetary value to the natural assets of the country.
Environmental assets do not exist in the traditional market and thus are not tradable. Using Green Skilled workforce:
The government has also launched a ‘green skilling’ programme under which youth, particularly school dropouts, would be trained in a range of ‘green jobs’— as operators of scientific instruments used to measure environmental quality, as field staff in nature parks, and as tourist guides.
Some of the labour required for the survey would also be sourced from the green-skilled workforce.
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POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
E-NAM
Relevancy G.S. Paper 2
Why in news?
The government will link additional 200 wholesale mandis to the online trading platform eNAM this fiscal.
e-NAM:
National Agriculture Market (NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
The NAM Portal provides a single window service for all APMC related information and services such as:
o Commodity arrivals & prices o Buy & sell trade offers o Provision to respond to trade offers, etc.
While material flow (agriculture produce) continue to happen through mandis, an online market reduces transaction costs and information asymmetry.
M/s. Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd. is the Strategic Partner (SP) who is responsible for development, operation and maintenance of the platform.
The broad role of the Strategic Partner is comprehensive and includes writing of the software, customizing it to meet the specific requirements of the mandis in the States willing to integrate with NAM and running the platform.
Objectives of e-NAM:
A national e-market platform for transparent sale transactions and price discovery initially in regulated markets.
Willing States to accordingly enact suitable provisions in their APMC Act for promotion of e-trading by their State Agricultural Marketing Board/APMC.
Liberal licensing of traders / buyers and commission agents by State authorities without any pre-condition of physical presence or possession of shop /premises in the market yard.
One license for a trader valid across all markets in the State.
Harmonisation of quality standards of agricultural produce and provision for assaying (quality testing) infrastructure in every market to enable informed bidding by buyers.
Common tradable parameters have so far been developed for 69 commodities.
Single point levy of market fees, i.e on the first wholesale purchase from the farmer.
Provision of Soil Testing Laboratories in/ or near the selected mandi to facilitate visiting farmers to access this facility in the mandi itself.
Indian Pharmacopeia Commission
Relevancy G.S. Paper 3
Why in news? The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission has approved modern, animal-free tests for drug
manufacturers. INDIAN PHARMACOPEIA:
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The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is an Autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India.
IPC is created to set standards of drugs in the country.
Its basic function is to update regularly the standards of drugs commonly required for treatment of diseases prevailing in this region.
It publishes official documents for improving Quality of Medicines by way of adding new and updating existing monographs in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) which has been modelled over and historically follows from the British Pharmacopoeia.
It further promotes rational use of generic medicines by publishing National Formulary of India.
IP prescribes standards for identity, purity and strength of drugs essentially required from health care perspective of human beings and animals.
IP contains a collection of authoritative procedures of analysis and specifications for Drugs.
The IP, or any part of it, has got legal status under the Second Schedule of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules 1945 there under.
Caste Census And the Approaching 2021 Census
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 1, 2 Culture, Polity and Society
What is the issue? With 2021 census approaching, the debate around having caste-based census has come up. It is essential to understand the implications that caste statistics would have in the country.
What role did caste census play in colonial times?
Census of 1931 provides, to date, any information regarding the size and characteristics of various castes in India.
Colonial Censuses, beginning with the first Census in 1871, included questions about caste.
This generated an idea of homogeneous and classifiable community.
It was used to divide and conquer India.
This was done by first privileging Brahmins as interpreters of Indian culture.
Slowly they were targeted as the roots of caste-based oppression and inequality.
This classification was also a source of anti-Brahmin movements of 20th century.
It thereby influenced the processes of political representation. What is the impact of caste census in society? There are apprehensions that caste based census would further promote:
Caste-based political mobilisation
strong sentiments for or against reservations
Post-Independence Censuses have thus shied away from including questions about caste.
However, Patels, Gujjars, Jats and Marathas do not seem to care about the lack of Census data as they demand reservations.
Also, even without caste census, caste does play a role in elections in terms of vote banks. Does caste census impact economy?
Caste data from 1931 Census and a few special purpose surveys define certain categories.
They include Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and upper castes.
It is assumed these broad caste-based social categories continue to shape economic conditions in 21st century India.
However, each of these categories consists of thousands of jatis (castes) and upjatis (subcastes).
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Hence, without accurate data for each of these, the claim that it shapes economic conditions is baseless.
Also, the society and economy, since 1931 census, has undergone various changes, crossing these caste boundaries.
What changed since 1931?
Land ownership that perpetuated the power of upper castes lost its hold.
Land fragmentation and agricultural stagnation have turned many upper caste landowners into marginal farmers.
Besides, rising rural wages, particularly construction wages, has made the landless better.
Broadly, mean consumption expenditure of forward castes is higher than that of Dalits.
However, clusters of poverty persist among forward castes also, as per National Sample Survey (NSS).
The bottom fourth of forward castes are poorer than the top half of Dalits.
India Human Development Survey shows that 56% of Dalit children aged 8-11 cannot read.
But this is also the case with 32% of forward caste and 47% of OBC children.
Overall, some jatis have managed to pull themselves out of poverty and marginalisation.
While other groups have had a deterioration in their status. How valid is caste census present?
Economic growth and affirmative action by governments have changed relative fortunes of various groups.
Hence, it is time to collect data that reflects the current situation.
So the social apprehensions on implications of caste census are largely invalid.
Without caste data, the discourse on caste and affirmative action are dominated by decisions made by the colonial administration.
Collecting data on caste is now essential to rationalise the reservation policies.
Challenges - Sometimes the same caste is spelt in different ways, or individuals report their jati and others upjati.
This makes it difficult to create mutually exclusive categories. What could the methodology be?
There is nearly three years' time before the Census of 2021.
Data from Socio-Economic Caste Census and technologies rooted in machine learning are at disposal.
It would be possible to set up an expert group that uses the SECC data in conjunction with other data sources.
Comprehensive list of castes can be made and condensed into meaningful categories via machine learning tools.
These categories could then be validated by domain experts in various States.
It can then be used to make a district specific list of castes that would cover more than 90% of individuals in any given district.
Respondents can then be allowed to self-identify from the precoded list.
The residual group’s responses recorded verbatim could be categorised later.
This is very similar to the technique through which occupational and industrial classification systems are created.
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Proposed Greenfield Highways Between Chennai And Salem-
Issues & Controversies
Relevancy GS Mains Paper-2,3 Governance, Economic Development, Infrastructure
Why in news? The latest series of protests against major projects in Tamil Nadu include Kudankulam power plant
and the Tuticorin copper plant. The proposed Greenfield highway between Chennai and Salem is also being opposed from various
farmer’s organizations. What is the highway project about?
The proposed eight lane road is estimated to cost is Rs 9,106 crore, with a tentative Rs 415 crore for rehabilitation of the displaced people.
It will run 277 Km and is slated to pass through Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts.
The region is mostly agrarian with a few industrial zones and most of the land proposed to be usurped is fertile agricultural fields.
Why to have this highway?
There are three existing but twisty road routes between Chennai and Salem, two of which are already heavily trafficked, leading to abnormal delays.
Hence, Tamil Nadu CM Mr. Palaniswami is said to have written to the centre, suggested a highway that directly links the two cities and reduce fuel costs.
A subsequent feasibility report noted that the project is expected to generate development and employment in the towns along the route.
Hence, considering the business potential and other benefits, the centre is said to have approved the proposal and called it “Green Express Way Corridor”.
Notably, government’s feasibility report states that extensive public consultations were done and suggestions were also invited in the design stage.
Why farmers are opposing this proposal?
Many farmer organisations claim that they were not consulted in finalising the project contrary to the Government’s claim.
Farmer leaders have asserted that these regions do three crops a year and destroying these highly fertile lands for a highway cannot be accepted.
Also, the state that government’s promised maximum compensation in some regions is more than 10 times lower than the prevailing market rate.
It is being felt that the government is taking unusual interest in rushing a project that is likely t affect the livelihood of over 1 lakh people.
The protesters have planned multiple peaceful demonstrations against the project in stages. What is the government’s take on this?
The revenue department is engaging retired officers to complete the survey and kick off the project due to staff shortage in its ranks.
Police have been arresting protest leaders, including Salem-based activist Piyush Manush and Valarmathi.
Sources say at least 10 people are in judicial custody for mobilising people, and protest participants across villages are also being arrested.
What is the opposition DMK’s take on the entire issue?
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Opposition leader M K Stalin has said that his party will launch strong protests if the government tries to implement projects using police and force.
DMK has also moved a petition before the vigilance and anti-corruption wing, alleging that the CM has made malicious gains through the project’s tender.
The allegation is that contracts running into crores of rupees were given to people closely related to the CM’s family at inflated costs.
Border Roads Organisation (BRO)
Relevancy G.S. Paper 2
Why in news? Border Roads Organisation (BRO), is celebrating its Raising Day on 07 May 2018.
Border Roads Organisation (BRO):
BRO is a leader in the arena of infrastructural development in the border areas of the country.
It is celebrating its 58 years of glorious service to the nation in 2018.
Since its inception in 1960, so far the Organisation has grown from 02 to 19 projects.
It is currently headed by Lt General SK Shrivastava who is the 25th Director General Border Roads (DGBR).
Focus areas of BRO: o The works executed have ensured the territorial integrity and the socio-economic upliftment
of the most inaccessible regions of the country as well as India’s neighbourhood. o Works executed in friendly foreign countries are a message of the Organisation’s ideology
‘Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam’. o BRO shall endeavour to explore new frontiers while it undertakes systematic modernisation
of its construction techniques. o Its focus shall remain enhanced productivity and quality construction. o The BRO has its job in task forces aka PROJECTS. o The task forces/PROJECTS of BRO are: o Arunank, Beacon, Brahmank, Chetak, Deepak, Dantak, Himank, Hirak, Pushpak, Sampark,
Setuk, Sewak, Shivalik, Swastik, Udayak, Vartak, and Vijayak.
Constitution of BRO: o The BRO is staffed by officers and troops drawn from the Indian Army's Corps of Engineers,
Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Military Police and army personnel on extra regimental employment.
o Officers from the Border Roads Engineering Service and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) form the parent cadre of the Border Roads Organisation.
Operational areas of BRO: o Currently, the organisation maintains operations in twenty-one states, one UT (Andaman
and Nicobar Islands), and neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
o The BRO operates and maintains over 32,885 kilometres of roads and about 12,200 meters of permanent bridges in the country.
o Presently, BRO is also involved in the construction of a tunnel at the Rohtang pass which is estimated to be ready by 2019.
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The Ongoing Tussle Between The Delhi Government And The
Bureaucracy
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 2 (Governance)
Why in news?
There is an ongoing tussle between the elected government and the bureaucracy in Delhi. What is the issue between the Delhi Government and the Bureaucracy?
Government
Delhi CM Kejriwal has said there was “de facto President’s Rule” in the national capital.
Mr. Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister, and some ministers have been staging a sit-in at the Raj Niwas.
They called attention to an "illegal strike by Delhi government officers".
They demanded that Lieutenant-Governor order an end to what they call a strike by officers. Bureaucracy
But Raj Niwas and the IAS officers’ association has said there is no strike.
Passing of the state budget and the accompanying budget session are pointed as proofs of a working machinery.
However, they admit to being part of what is at least a ‘non-cooperation campaign’.
They have restricted communication with the political executive to the written form alone since February.
Also, not attending meetings convened by Ministers.
This was in protest of the alleged assault on Chief Secretary by AAP MLAs at Mr. Kejriwal’s residence.
The bureaucrats claim they feel vulnerable in the absence of Ministerial assurances of their safety. Why the ongoing tussle?
Delhi witnesses a tussle for “full statehood” versus “partial statehood”.
Relations between the Chief Minister and Lieutenant General in Delhi has for long been a concern.
But this has less to do with constitutional correctness and more with the political compulsions.
The principle of special sensitivities for national capitals exists for Delhi too.
This is on account of the national, international importance, geographical location and strategic significance.
This makes the claim to “full statehood” for Delhi to be treated differently. What are the implications?
It results in a fractured arrangement of power-sharing.
This applies to law and order, land and services residing with the central government.
This arrangement has always been contested by the state government.
Such constitutional arrangements militate against the preferences of the “elected government”.
The compromises and restrictions defeat the purposes of democracy and accountability in elected governments.
E.g. the formation of the present Delhi government was followed by the LG’s office imposing many constraints.
It disabled the power of the state government to transfer employees.
Also, restrictions were imposed on ordering vigilance probes on complaints or proceeding against corrupt officials.
Why is the issue significant?
Trust between the political class and bureaucracy is necessary for good governance.
The impasse in Delhi suggests a total breakdown in the relations between the two sections.
This spate between the LG and the CM has further diminished the nobility of constitutional offices.
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The government must introspect and adopt a more mature approach to the bureaucracy.
The Special Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 2, 3
Why in news? The Special Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers has submitted its progress report. In this backdrop it is essential to understand what interlinking seeks to achieve.
What was the committee for?
The SC directed the Centre to set up a special committee following writ petition on ‘Networking of Rivers’ in 2012.
The court directed the committee to submit a bi-annual report to the Cabinet.
It also directed the Cabinet to take appropriate decisions. What is the mandate?
The status reports are meant to be in accordance with the National Perspective Plan.
This plan was formulated in 1980 by the Ministry of Irrigation (now Water Resources).
The plan was in relation to inter-basin transfers.
It comprises of two components: peninsular rivers development and Himalayan rivers development.
India also has a National Water Development Agency (NWDA) (1982).
It conducts surveys and sees how feasible the proposals for interlinking river projects are. What is Inter-Linking of Rivers programme?
A national water grid aims to connect various surplus rivers with deficient rivers.
It aims to transfer excess water from water-rich to water-deficit regions.
This is to help improve irrigation, increase water for drinking and industrial use.
Mitigating drought and floods to an extent are also part of the objectives. What are the contents of the recent report?
The status report of three priority links was shared with the Cabinet. These are: Ken-Betwa
The project aims to link the rivers Ken (in the Bundelkhand region) and Betwa and thereby divert the surplus waters of Ken to Betwa.
Both the rivers are flowing through Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
It goes for meeting the water requirements in the water-deficit Betwa basin.
Dams will be built across the Ken for storing and transferring water through the link canal. Damanganga-Pinjal
The project aims to divert excess water from rivers in western India.
It is to meet the domestic and industrial water requirements of Greater Mumbai.
It proposes to move available water at the proposed Bhugad reservoir across the Damanganga and also at the proposed Khargihill reservoir across the Vagh (a tributary of the Damanganga).
Par-Tapi-Narmada
This proposes to transfer water from Western Ghats to water-deficit regions of Saurashtra and Kutch.
This would be done via seven reservoirs proposed in northern Maharashtra and southern Gujarat.
It is an attempt to save water at the Sardar Sarovar project.
The recent committee report also talks on the status of other Himalayan and peninsular links. What are the concerns?
There are significant environmental concerns associated with inter-basin transfer.
The ecology of every river is unique.
Letting the waters of two rivers mix may affect biodiversity.
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Besides, it involves construction of a massive network of canals and dams, which would lead to large-scale displacement of people.
It may make changes to agricultural patterns, and affect livelihoods.
In addition, rainfall patterns are changing due to climate change.
So the basins now supposed to be surplus, might cease to be so in few years.
There are financial concerns as well, related to the projects.
In 2001, the total cost for linking the Himalayan and peninsular rivers was estimated at Rs 5,60,000 crore.
The cost is now likely to be substantially higher.
Also, the cost-benefit ratio might no longer be favourable.
State Symbols: Andhra Pradesh
Relevancy G.S. Paper 2
Why in news? The state of Andhra Pradesh has recently declared its new state symbols.
State symbols: Andhra Pradesh:
Andhra Pradesh government has declared new state symbols to replace the ones held by Telangana after it was created.
The new state of Telangana was created from Andhra Pradesh in June 2014.
The government has envisioned AP as a State which is green and eco-friendly with beautiful landscaping, to make people happy and cheerful.
While Hyderabad is the shared state capital for both states presently, Andhra Pradesh plans to make Amravati its future capital.
Andhra has chosen its new state bird and flower, but it has retained black buck as its state animal and the neem tree as the state tree.
The Indian roller and blue water-lilly were state bird and flower of Andhra Pradesh earlier.
State Bird: o The rose-ringed parrot has been chosen as the new state bird. o Rose-ringed parrot is declared as the State bird for its beauty and cheerfulness.
State Flower: o Jasmine is declared as the State flower of Andhra Pradesh. o It has been done as the purity of its fragrance symbolises the State's vision to spread
positivity and knowledge among its people and in the nation.
State Animal: o Black buck has been retained as the state animal of Andhra Pradesh. o It is known for its quickness and ability to take charge in uncertain situations and rise
victorious which is symbolic of AP and its people.
State Tree: o Neem is declared as the State tree. o Known for nourishing those around it with clean air, Neem tree symbolises the State's
genuine & transparent relations with its people.
State symbols of Telangana: o State bird: Indian Roller o State flower: Tangedu
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o State animal: Jinka or spotted deer o State tree: Jammi Chettu
Article 35A
Relevancy G.S. Paper 2
Why in news? The Centre has decided not to file any “counter-affidavit” on Article 35A, which has been challenged
in the Supreme Court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition. Article 35A:
Article 35A was incorporated into the Constitution by an order of the then President Rajendra Prasad on the advice of the Jawaharlal Nehru Cabinet in 1954.
Article 35A of the Indian Constitution is an article that empowers the Jammu and Kashmir state's legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents.
o The article defines the classes of persons who are, or shall be, permanent residents of the State of Jammu and Kashmir; or
o conferring on such permanent residents any special rights and privileges or imposing upon other persons any restrictions as respects—
Employment under the State Government Acquisition of immovable property in the State Settlement in the State Right to scholarships and such other forms of aid as the State Government may
provide PIL against Article 35A:
The petition was filed by ‘We The Citizens’.
It said Article 35A is against the “very spirit of oneness of India” as it creates a “class within a class of Indian citizens.”
A second petition was filed by Jammu and Kashmir resident Charu Wali Khanna, challenged Article 35A for protecting certain provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, which restrict the basic right to property if a native woman marries a man not holding a permanent resident certificate.
PM’s Maternity Scheme Benefits 23.6 Lakh
Relevancy GS Paper- 2, Governance
Why in news? After initial hiccups in implementing the maternity benefit programme Pradhan Mantri Matru
Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), the government has finally made some headway and provided cash incentives to nearly 23.6 lakh beneficiaries out of an estimated 51.6 lakh a year.
About the scheme:-
The scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet in May 2017 and was expected to be rolled out in September.
However, until January 2018, the government programme had covered only 90,000 women — a mere 2% of the target.
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Under the scheme, pregnant women and lactating mothers are offered a cash incentive of Rs.6,000 on the birth of their first child as partial compensation for wage loss, to reduce maternal mortality and malnutrition levels among children.
Many States like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal have not yet come on board to implement the scheme.
These States account for nearly 25% of the total beneficiaries.
But these states are bound to comply because the scheme is a by-product of the National Food Security Act.
Huge backlog:-
However, due to a huge backlog from last year, the government needed to provide cash benefits to over 100 lakh estimated beneficiaries by the end of the financial year 2018-19.
An amount of Rs.673 crore has been transferred to the accounts of the beneficiaries out of the total budget of Rs.2, 594 crore set aside for the scheme last year, and another Rs.2,400 crore allocated for the current fiscal.
The scheme is being implemented on a 60:40 cost-sharing basis with the State governments.
India’s Maternal Mortality Rate Down By 22%
Relevance: GS Prelims 2019, GS Mains paper II Governance, women related issues, women health, Maternal Mortality Rate
Why in news? The maternal mortality rate (MMR) , according to the sample registration system (SRS) data released
by the office of Registrar General of India on 06th June, 2018 declined to 130 in 2014-16 from 167 in 2011-13.
What are the facts?
The maternal mortality rate (MMR) , according to the sample registration system (SRS) data released by the office of Registrar General of India on Wednesday declined to 130 in 2014-16 from 167 in 2011-13 — a significant improvement on a parameter widely used by analysts and developmental economists to rate a country’s progress.
The 22% reduction in MMR since 2013 means nearly one thousand fewer women now die of pregnancy-related complications each month in India.
Maternal mortality is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.
MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate) is defined as the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
The decline has been most significant in Empowered Action Group (EAG) states — Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand — and Assam, from 246 to 188.
The southern states are performing better than the rest of the country on MMR, with a decline from 93 to 77, close to the country’s target of 70 by 2030, under the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
While India has made sustained progress in reducing maternal mortality, it missed the millennium development goal (MDG) of reducing MMR by 75% from 437 in 1990 to 109 in 2015.
Why MMR is an issue in developing countries?
In developing countries such as India, maternal mortality is a huge public health issue.
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Causes range from excessive blood loss (post-partum haemorrhage) to infections, primarily because women do not give birth in a hospital or health centre.
The major cause, post-partum haemorrhage is usually defined as the loss of more than 500-1,000 ml of blood within the first 24 hours following childbirth.
What are the reasons for the decline in MMR?
The Union health ministry is attributing this improvement mainly to rise in institutional deliveries across the country.
In India, the transport to and from the health facility is also free for pregnant women coming to government health facilities, ensuring no out of pocket expenditure for the women and their families.
Even sick newborns are treated free without any expense (including for diagnostics, drugs, consumables, diet, and transport).
Various schemes of the government like the umbrella scheme of NRHM (National Rural Health Mission) have contributed to this decline.
JSY (Janani Suraksha Yojana) under NRHM is a conditional cash transfer scheme to motivate pregnant women for institutional deliveries.
With JSY, institutional births doubled from 38.7% to 78.9% between National Family Health Survey III (2005-06) and NFHS IV.
A web-based Mother and Tracking System headquartered in the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, tracked every pregnancy in the country since 2010, sending out messages to health workers and expectant mothers about ante-natal checkups, vaccinations etc.
NRHM also allowed auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) to administer antibiotics, intravenous fluids and drugs during emergencies under supervision.
For Ceasarean sections, there are first referral units (FRUs).
Incentives are being given to the ASHA workers based on their frequency of visit to the expecting mothers.
There is nutritional support for the mother and the child through the Anganwadi workers.
Under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) all pregnant women are entitiled for free delivery in public health institutions, including C-sections.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, pregnant women can walk into private establishments on the 9th of the month.
India’s Nutrition Challenge: Obesity
Relevance: GS Prelims 2019, GS Mains paper I, II, III Polity and governance, Health problems, Food security to nutrition security, obesity
Why in news? In March, the government announced that it would release an annual “state of nutrition” report,
detailing India’s level of stunting, malnutrition and feature best practices for States to scale up nutrition interventions.
Some facts:
India has a lot to do to tackle nutrition challenges — 26 million children suffer from wasting (a low weight-for-height ratio), more than in any other country.
India has the second highest number of obese children in the world — 15.3 million in China and 14.4 million in India.
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While tackling undernutrition through assurance of adequate nutrition (usually interpreted as dietary calories), we need to ensure that it is also about appropriate nutrition (the right balance of nutrients).
Our policy response has to move from “food security” to “nutrition security”.
Between 1980and 2015, obesity doubled for children and tripled for adults; an additional 2.6 million children will be obese in India by 2025, a trend that will not reverse without action.
Obesity contributes to other health problems:
It poses a high risk of chronic non-communicable diseases or NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and some cancers.
Research shows that Indians have higher levels of body fat and lower levels of lean muscle when compared to many other populations.
Apart from a high burden of premature mortality, these threats are something that India can ill-afford to ignore as it looks ambitiously toward a universal health coverage system where everyone can access quality health services that are free of financial burden.
The rise in obesity is deeply concerning because just as growing up underweight gives that person a lifetime of health problems so does a childhood of being overweight.
The potent combination of Indian children eating more junk food while becoming increasingly sedentary puts them at an even greater risk.
Research has shown that early warning signs for fatty liver disease can be found in children as young as eight if they had larger-than-advised waistlines when they were three.
What policy changes are required to tackle obesity?
Regulatory and fiscal measures need to be taken in order to decrease the availability, affordability and promotion of unhealthy foods, while making healthy foods more accessible. For example, taking the lead from a directive by the Delhi High Court, India should ban the sale of junk food in and around schools.
Higher taxes should be imposed on junk and unhealthy foods. Legislators should also put into practice the results of a recent Lancet study on India. It showed that higher taxes on junk food can actually lead those on lower incomes to live healthier lives.
Mass media campaigns should be lauched in order to bring awareness about healthy diet change to the people.
Crop diversity needs to be encouraged in the agriculture sector. Conclusion:
India should link obesity and undernutrition and treat them as twinned challenges to be jointly addressed under the universal health coverage umbrella.
Universal health coverage is encapsulated in the idea that no one should have to suffer financial hardship in order to access essential health care.
By tackling obesity through prevention and early care, financially debilitating NCDs can be avoided.
India will be in a better position to fulfil the promise of universal health coverage if it disrupts the cycle whereby poverty leads to NCDs and vice versa.
There is compelling evidence that heart disease and diabetes impose high burdens of catastrophic health expenditure, result in a loss of livelihoods and crush people into poverty.
With no insurance or personal savings, a heart disease diagnosis can compromise a person’s wealth as well as health.
Mandatory Pre-Litigation Mediation In Commercial Disputes
Relevancy GS Mains Paper-2
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Why in news? Mandatory pre-litigation mediation in commercial disputes has been introduced by the recent
Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, which amends the Commercial Courts Act of 2015.
This amendment is expected to alter parties’ sense of responsibility in resolving disputes. Mandatory pre-litigation mediation puts the ball in the court of the parties involved, rather than looking at external agencies like courts, and urges them to engage with and resolve disputes.
What is the meaning of mediation?
The Commercial Courts Act was legislated to improve the enforcement of contracts, as part of improving the ease of doing business.
The law defines “commercial disputes” to include regular commercial and business contracts, construction contracts, shareholder agreements, licensing agreements, etc.
The law makes changes for reduction of timelines, tightening processes and designating special commercial courts and commercial divisions to deal with these disputes, among others.
What are the new rules?
The ordinance specifies that no suits concerning commercial disputes will be filed under this Act unless the person filing the suit exhausts the remedy of pre-litigation mediation.
If an urgent interim relief is required, this pre-litigation mediation can be dispensed with.
However, in all other cases, the mediation is mandatory and will be conducted within a period of three months (extendable by another two months with the consent of the parties).
Any settlement arrived at through mediation will have the status of an arbitral award on agreed terms and be enforceable like a decree of court.
Importantly, the time limits for filing cases will pause during the time the pre-litigation mediation is underway.
What is mediation?
Mediation is a process of resolution of disputes by the parties to them.
It involves discussion of the conflicts, moving out of the loop of allegations and counter-allegations, and assessing where interests lie in resolving the disputes.
Options for settlement are explored and a settlement is worked out through joint evaluation.
The process is managed by a neutral person called the mediator, who may evaluate the disputes and weigh in on options for settlement (a variant called conciliation) but has no authority to impose a settlement.
What are the other legislations?
Mediation and mandatory mediation specifically, is not new in India.
The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, makes a settlement arrived at through conciliation enforceable like a court decree.
Under the Code of Civil Procedure, judges can refer cases to mediation.
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Act, 2006, mandates conciliation when disputes arise on payments to MSMEs.
The Italian case:
Mediation policies in other countries mandate mediations through various mechanisms, with good effect. Italy, which faces a high rate of pendency of cases, has adopted what is referred to as ‘opt out’ mandatory mediation
In 2010 and 2013, it introduced a law for pre-litigation mediation. Attempts to mediate were made mandatory for certain disputes (like partition and joint ownership of property) before a case was filed in court. Another approach to mediation policy has been to impose costs on disputants refusing to mediate, as is done in the U.K.
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Conclusion:
The ordinance is an important step in mainstreaming mediation, but it is not enough.
There is a need for a comprehensive policy on mediation, rather than the abbreviated and disconnected steps so far.
This policy would encapsulate the process, the role and professional responsibilities of mediators, the rights and obligations of parties in the process, and the outcome of the mediation agreement.
Paper Chase: The Need To Review Use Of VVPATs
Relevancy GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper- 2
Why in news? About 4.2% of the VVPAT machines deployed in the Karnataka Assembly elections this month
developed glitches during the testing as well as polling processes. The overall fault rate was as high as 11.6% in the by-elections held in four parliamentary and nine
Assembly constituencies on Monday. What is a VVPAT?
VVPAT stands for Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail.
These are the machines adjunct to ballot and EVMs.
These are used to verify that the vote polled by a voter goes to the correct candidate.
These were used after continuous allegations made by political parties about EVM tampering.
These have been in use since Goa assembly polls in February 2017. How VVPAT machines work?
When a voter presses a button in the EVM, a paper slip is printed through the VVPAT.
The slip contains the poll symbol and name of the candidate.
It allows the voter to verify his/her choice.
After being visible to the voter from a glass case in the VVPAT for seven seconds, the ballot slip will be cut and dropped into the drop box in the VVPAT machine and a beep will be heard.
VVPAT machines can be accessed by polling officers only. Why it is now a matter of concern?
VVPAT machines, deployed in Karnataka assembly elections and recent by-elections, had developed glitches during the testing as well as polling process.
What are the issues?
Introduction of VVPAT machines has increased the complexity of the polling process.
According to the ECI (election commission of India), the VVPATs are more prone to malfunctioning due to their sensitivity to extreme weather conditions and exposure to light.
The inexperience of the polling officers with the VVPATs is also another reason behind these faults. What are the solutions?
The technical committee of ECI needs to be more cautious about the efficiency and accuracy of these machines.
The ECI should deploy the machines in limited and randomly chosen polling booths to reduce the possibility of glitches affecting the polling process. Also, well-tested machines can be deployed.
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Period Poverty
Relevancy: GS Mains paper I, II Women related issues, women health issues, period poverty
Why in news? A new report published by UNICEF and WaterAid found that more than a third of girls in South Asia
miss school during their periods, mainly due to lack of access to toilets and pads in schools and no proper education about menstruation.
According to the report, most of the schools in South Asia fell short of the WHO standards of one toilet for every 25 girls.
What is Period Poverty?
In a nutshell, ‘Period poverty’ refers to having a lack of access to sanitary products, and other essentials like toilets with clean water due to financial constraints.
Imagine being a young teenage girl feeling too guilty to ask your parents for sanitary items when you see it’s already a struggle buying the food that the family needs.
Add to that the fact that menstruation is still a taboo subject for many people, making it even more difficult to ask for help when it is needed.
Why is this an issue?
As per the statistics, in India 60% of adolescent girls missed school on account of menstruation and about 80% still use home-made pads.
As per the statistics, in India 60% of adolescent girls missed school on account of menstruation and about 80% still use home-made pads.
Though the UN has recognised menstrual hygiene as a global public health and human rights issue, globally 1.2 billion women lack access to basic sanitation and hygiene.
Girls have an irrevocable right to education, which is lost if they feel unable to attend lessons because of a lack of sanitary products or clean, private toilets at school.
With taboos and superstitions in different countries, even an open discussion in schools is impossible and about 71% of girls in India are unaware about menstruation before their first period.
The report calls on government agencies and NGOs to increase efforts to provide proper sanitation.
The government should also include menstrual hygiene management as a component in its health policy and device strategies to address this issue plaguing the country.
What efforts have been made by government to address the issue?
Recently, the Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi launched a campaign named “YESIBLEED” to end the ‘period poverty’ in the nation.
The ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers have been assigned the duty to raise awareness on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM).
The government has strengthened National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
The adolescent girls are made aware about the MHM through Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) since 2011.
From 2014, the centre is supporting the state governments for the procurement of sanitary napkins for rural girls, which are available at a very low cost of Rs 6 per unit.
The MHM awareness is also an integral part of ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’.
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ACTS AND BILLS
Menstruation Benefits Bill
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 2 Government Policies and Intervention
Why in news?
Menstruation Benefits Bill was tabled as a private member bill in the Parliament earlier in the year. It is imperative to look at the significance of the provisions, for a gender sensitive labour policy.
What is the bill about?
It seeks to provide working women two days of paid menstrual leave every month.
It applies to women working in both public and private sectors.
The Bill also seeks to provide better facilities for rest at the workplace during menstruation.
It includes providing women the flexibility to take time off, and with options like working from home.
The benefits are also extended to female students of Class VIII and above in government recognised schools.
A brief history:-
Paid menstrual leave has been in practice since long time back.
Bihar has had special leave for women for two days since 1992.
Although, it is not explicitly referred to as the menstruation leave.
Women can decide which two days of the month they would like to take off.
Also, they do not have to provide any justification for doing so.
In the recent past, some private companies in India have started offering menstrual leave.
Several countries such as Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, etc also have menstrual leave provisions. What are the concerns associated with this Bill?
It would prejudice employers against hiring women and lead to their alienation at work.
Most women are capable of functioning at full capacity even during their periods.
So, for the handful of women who do suffer unbearable symptoms, the existing sick leave option is adequate.
Menstrual leave policies might discriminate against men.
This is because women would get additional days off every year.
However, the counter arguments are largely a reflection of continuing age old gender biases. What makes this Bill significant?
Menstruation is a perfectly natural biological process, not a disease or a disability.
However, it can range from a slightly discomforting to a severely debilitating experience for women.
Nearly 20% of women suffer from uncomfortable symptoms.
These may include cramps, nausea, fever and weakness during their periods.
These are debilitating enough to hamper their daily activities.
Some women also experience reduced emotional control and decreased concentration.
Over 25 million women suffer from endometriosis.
This is a chronic condition in which period pain is so bad that women nearly pass out from it.
It is true that periods are weakening only for some women.
But the numbers are not insignificant to avoid a policy decision. Conclusion:
The Bill takes gender equity discourse forward in a constructive and balanced manner.
Policy formulation would be meaningful only if backed by enforcement measures.
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Evidently, women are continued to be laid off for demanding maternity entitlements.
Menstrual leave policies must be introduced alongside measures to increase workforce participation of women.
Worryingly, the female workforce participation rate in the country has declined from 36% in 2005-06 to 24% in 2015-16.
Measures aimed at reversing this decline are crucial.
Efforts at making workplaces more inclusive and gender sensitive are essential.
Separate toilets for men and women with facilities for disposal of sanitary napkins should be ensured.
The Parliament should take up the Bill on menstrual leave and hold a discussion on it soon.
NMC Bill
Relevancy G.S. Paper 2
Why in news? On 2 January 2018, nearly three lakh doctors hit the streets, calling for a 12-hour long countrywide
shutdown of out-patient department (OPD) services at all private hospitals. The doctors called the day a “Black Day” in the history of medical profession.
What led to this mass agitation?
Doctors in the county are concerned about provisions in the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Union Health Minister JP Nadda on 29 December 2017.
According to the doctors, the bill is “anti-people and anti-poor” and it would “cripple” the medical profession.
The bill has now been referred to a standing committee for review. Why was the NMC Bill drafted?
The contentious NMC Bill was the brainchild of a high-level committee headed by former NITI Aayog Chairperson Arvind Panagariya.
The bill was drafted following reports of corruption in the functioning of the Medical Council of India (MCI).
The bill proposes to replace the MCI as the top medical education regulator of the country with another body called the National Medical Commission.
If passed, it will also repeal the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, which holds the provision for the functioning of MCI.
MCI has been surrounded by controversy since 2010, when the then president of the body was accused of corruption and bribery while granting permits for medical colleges.
To solve the menace of corruption, the bill replaces one body with another.
The difference between the two bodies lies in the fact that the new constituted body will have its members nominated and appointed by the government, while the MCI has elected members from the medical fraternity.
Salient Features of the Bill
The draft bill that was tabled in Parliament had the following provisions:
The Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, which governs the Medical Council of India, will be repealed.
The Council will be replaced by the National Medical Commission as the top regulator of medical education in India.
Within three years of the passage of the bill, state governments will establish State Medical Councils.
The NMC will consist of 25 members, appointed by the central government.
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NMC will be responsible for framing policies for regulating medical institutions and medical professionals, assessing the requirements of healthcare, and ensuring compliance by the State Medical Councils.
The NMC will also frame guidelines for determination of fees for up to 40% of the seats in private medical institutions. This has been incorporated to ensure relief to students from exorbitant fees.
The bill proposes to have a common entrance and licentiate* (exit) exam for medical graduates before they start practicing or enroll for post-graduate courses. The latter is to obtain license for practice.
Though in a new draft, the government has decided to do away with the licentiate feature.
The Ethics and Medical Registration Board will maintain a separate National Register, containing details, including all recognized qualifications, of a licensed AYUSH** practitioner.
AYUSH practitioners include: Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy.
The AYUSH practitioners can take up a “bridge course” of six months which will allow them to practice modern medicine.
Why Are the Doctors Opposing NMC? The Indian Medical Association has been a vocal opponent of the bill. "Bridge Course" for AYUSH Doctors
Section 49 of the bill, in a nutshell, allows for setting up of a ‘bridge course’ that homeopaths, Ayurveda practitioners, yogis and others who fall under the Indian system of medicine can take.
Post this course they can prescribe modern medicine.
The major concern of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and other doctors is that a bridge course will promote quackery.
Largely homeopathic and Ayurvedic medicines don’t have side-effects.
However, allopathic medicines do, and if you don’t prescribe the right thing for what the problem actually is, a lot could go wrong.
There are many differences that a bridge course, be it six months or two years, cannot compensate.
There can be medico-legal aspects for this. The law is very strict for who can treat what and where. But this bridge course will leave a huge gap.
According to the World Health Organisation, a healthy doctor-patient ratio is 1:1,000. In India, the ratio is 1:1,674.
The government proposes to fix the demand-supply dynamic in the medical field through the bridge course but the only answer to lack of doctors cannot be this.
Instead, giving incentives to already qualified people to work in rural and semi-urban areas could help.
Some still argue that instead of totally junking the idea, can we not take inspiration from China’s “barefoot doctors”, and tweak the proposal a bit to make it work for places where there are no doctors?
Dissolving the Medical Council of India
Another proposal of the bill that hasn’t gone down well with many within the professional community is to replace the existing Medical Council of India with the National Medical Commission.
Dr KK Agarwal, former president of IMA, had earlier said that the move will “cripple” the functioning of the medical profession by making it completely answerable to the bureaucracy and non-medical administrators.
It will also give greater control to the government in running the commission.
But the government claims that the new body will have experts from related fields, which will put Indian standard of education at par with the global standards.
National Licentiate Examination
There is strict criticism against the National Licentiate Examination or the exit test.
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The bill states that after completion of MBBS, students will have to appear for an exit test to get the license in order to practice medicine.
According to a report the move is “highly insensitive” towards the plight of the doctors/students who have otherwise been through a rigorous academic year.
What has the Govt done so far?
On 28 March, the cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved amendments pertaining to the National Medical Bill.
The amendments include the contentious “bridge course”, action against quackery and doing away with the licentiate exam for MBBS students.
The government has decided to approve the MBBS exam as an exit test instead of the National Exit Test to practice medicine.
Thus, the students will not be required to appear for a separate test.
The bridge course for AYUSH practitioners has been removed but to a limited extent.
Since this 6-month course aims to improve primary healthcare, it has been left upon the state governments to decide how they will address and promote healthcare in rural areas.
Some states have already implemented this bridge course.
Addressing the problem of quackery, the government has included a provision for imprisonment up to a year along with a fine up to Rs 5 lakhs against quacks.
They have further responded to the demands of the states and increased their representation in NMC.
The NMC will comprise of 25 members of which at least 21 will be doctors.
The government has accommodated the recommendations made by the Parliamentary committee on some of the loudest criticisms against the bill.
However, the bill still has issues that need to be addressed, like the “bridge course”, which the government has simply pushed under a rug.
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SCHEMES AND POLICIES OF GOVERNMENT
Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Project (DRIP)
Relevancy G.S. Paper 2
Why in news? The Union Government has recently revised the cost and deadline of World Bank funded Dam
Rehabilitation & Improvement Project (DRIP). Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Project (DRIP):
The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) of the Union Government has revised cost and deadline of World Bank funded Dam Rehabilitation & Improvement Project (DRIP) to Rs.3466 Crore till June 2020.
Presently, India ranks third globally with 5254 large dams in operation and about 447 are under construction.
In addition, there are several thousand smaller dams.
These dams are vital for ensuring the water security of the Country and these also constitute a major responsibility in terms of asset management and safety.
In April 2012, the Central Water Commission (CWC) under Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation with assistance from the World Bank started the six year Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP).
The initial project was at an estimated cost of Rs. 2100 crore.
The project originally envisaged the rehabilitation and improvement of about 223 dams within four states namely, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
Later Karnataka, Uttarakhand (UNVNL) and Jharkhand (DVC) joined DRIP and total number of dams covered under DRIP increased to 250.
Due to the addition / deletion of dams during implementation by partner agencies, presently 223 dams are being rehabilitated.
The project will also promote new technologies and improve Institutional capacities for dam safety evaluation and implementation at the Central and State levels.
The DRIP has been given additional extension of two years with revised official closure now June 2020.
Also the DRIP cost has increased due to various reasons and it is under revision.
Operation Nistaar
Relevancy G.S. Paper 2,3
Why in news? Indian Navy has brought back 38 Indians from cyclone-hit Socotra Island under operation Nistaar.
Operation Nistaar:
The cyclone Mekunu had badly hit various parts of Oman and the Socotra island.
The Indians were stranded in Socotra island after a cyclone hit the area and INS had evacuated them in an operation christened “Nistar”.
Thirty-eight Indians were brought back home by the Indian Navy four days after they were rescued from the cyclone-hit Socotra island in Yemen.
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Indian naval ship INS Sunayna, carrying the rescued Indians, landed at the Porbandar harbour in Gujarat.
Socotra Island:
Socotra is located between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea.
It is the largest of four islands of the Socotra archipelago.
The territory is located near major shipping routes and is officially part of Yemen, and had long been a subdivision of the Aden Governorate.
There is a dispute between Yemen and Somalia's government over the island's sovereignty.
The island of Socotra constitutes around 95% of the landmass of the Socotra archipelago.
It lies some 240 kilometres (150 mi) east off the coast of Cape Guardafui and 380 kilometres (240 mi) south of the Arabian Peninsula.
The island is very isolated, home to a high number of endemic species; up to a third of its plant life is endemic.
It has been described as "the most alien-looking place on Earth."
The island measures 132 kilometres (82 mi) in length and 49.7 kilometres (30.9 mi) in width.
Green Revolution – Krishonnati Yojana
Relevancy G.S. Paper 1,3
Why in news? The government has recently approved the continuation of the agriculture sector umbrella
programme, 'Green Revolution Krishonnati Yojana’. 'Green Revolution Krishonnati Yojana’:
"Green Revolution – Krishonnati Yojana" is an Umbrella Scheme in agriculture sector that has been implemented since 2016-17 by clubbing several schemes / missions under one umbrella scheme.
The scheme has now been continued for the period from 2017-18 to 2019.
The Umbrella scheme comprises of 11 Schemes/Missions.
These schemes look to increase the income of farmers by enhancing production, productivity and better returns on produce.
Schemes/Missions covered are as follows:
o Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): o MIDH aims to:
promote holistic growth of horticulture sector to enhance horticulture production improve nutritional security improve income support to farm households
o National Food Security Mission (NFSM): o It aims to:
increase production of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and commercial crops, through area expansion and productivity enhancement
restoring soil fertility and productivity at the individual farm level enhancing farm level economy augment the availability of vegetable oils
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to reduce the import of edible oils
o National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): o NMSA aims at:
promoting sustainable agriculture practices best suitable to the specific agro-ecology
integrated farming appropriate soil health management synergizing resource conservation technology
o Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE): o SMAE aims to:
strengthen the ongoing extension mechanism of State Governments, local bodies etc.
achieving food and nutritional security and socio-economic empowerment of farmers
to institutionalize programme planning and implementation mechanism
o Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material (SMSP): o SMSP aims to:
increase production of certified / quality seed to upgrade the quality of farm saved seeds to strengthen the seed multiplication chain to promote new technologies and methodologies in seed production, processing,
testing etc. to strengthen and modernizing infrastructure for seed production, storage,
certification and quality etc.
o Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) o SMAM aims to:
increase the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where availability of farm power is low
to promote ‘Custom Hiring Centres’ to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small landholding and high cost of individual ownership
to create hubs for hi-tech and high value farm equipment to create awareness among stakeholders through demonstration and capacity
building activities to ensure performance testing and certification at designated testing centers
located all over the country
o Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plan Quarantine (SMPPQ) o SMPPQ aims to:
minimize loss to quality and yield of agricultural crops from the ravages of insect pests, diseases, weeds, nematodes, rodents, etc.
to shield our agricultural bio-security from the incursions and spread of alien species
to facilitate exports of Indian agricultural commodities to global markets to promote good agricultural practices, particularly with respect to plant protection
strategies and strategies
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o Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics and Statistics (ISACES) o It aims to:
undertake the agriculture census study of the cost of cultivation of principal crops, to undertake research studies on
agro-economic problems of the country to fund conferences/workshops and seminars involving eminent economists,
agricultural scientists, experts and to bring out papers to conduct short term studies to improve agricultural statistics methodology to create a hierarchical information system on crop condition and crop production
from sowing to harvest
o Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation (ISAC) o It aims to:
provide financial assistance for improving the economic conditions of cooperatives remove regional imbalances and to speed up - cooperative development in
agricultural marketing, processing, storage, computerization and weaker section programmes
to help cotton growers fetch remunerative price for their produce through value addition besides ensuring supply of quality yarn at reasonable rates to the decentralized weavers
o Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing (ISAM) o ISAM aims to:
develop agricultural marketing infrastructure to promote innovative and latest technologies and competitive alternatives in
agriculture marketing infrastructure to provide infrastructure facilities for grading, standardization and quality
certification of agricultural produce to establish a nationwide marketing information network to integrate markets through a common online market platform to facilitate pan-
India trade in agricultural commodities, etc.
o National e-Governance Plan (NeGP-A) o aims to:
bring farmer centricity & service orientation to the programmes to build upon, enhance & integrate the existing ICT initiatives of Centre and States to enhance efficiency & effectiveness of programs through making available timely
and relevant information to the farmers for increasing their agriculture productivity
o The Schemes/Missions focus on creating/strengthening of infrastructure of production, reducing production cost and marketing of agriculture and allied produce.
o These schemes / missions have been under implementation for varying duration during past few years.
Seva Bhoj Yojana
Relevancy G.S Paper 2
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Why in news? The Indian Government has introduced a new scheme called ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’.
Seva Bhoj Yojana:
The Ministry of Culture has introduced a new scheme namely ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’.
The scheme envisages to reimburse the Central Government share of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST) to lessen the financial burden of such Charitable Religious Institutions who provide Food/Prasad/Langar (Community Kitchen)/Bhandara free of cost without any discrimination to Public/Devotees.
The eligibility criteria is as follows: o The Charitable Religious Institutions such as Temples, Gurudwara, Mosque, Church, Dharmik
Ashram, Dargah, Matth, Monasteries etc. which have been in existence for at least five years before applying for financial assistance/grant.
o Who serve free food to at least 5000 people in a month o Such institutions covered under the Income Tax Act or registered as Society under Societies
Registration Act or as a Public Trust under any law for the time being shall be eligible for grant under the scheme.
Ministry of Culture will register the eligible charitable religious institutions for a time period ending with finance commission period.
And subsequently the registration may be renewed by the Ministry subject to the performance evaluation of the institutions.
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ECONOMY
The Risks involving External Debts
Relevancy GS Mains Paper-3, Economy
What is the issue? External borrowers in India are likely to face a turbulent future in the near term due to a
depreciating rupee. What is external debt?
External debt is the money that borrowers in a country owe to foreign lenders. Denomination
External debt may be denominated in rupee or any other foreign currency (most of India’s external debt is linked to the U.S. dollar).
As of December 2017, about 48% of India’s total external debt was denominated in dollars and 37.3% in rupees.
This means most Indian borrowers will have to pay back their lenders by first converting their rupees into dollars.
Debt Profile
External debt is classified as ‘External Commercial Borrowing’, ‘Currency Convertible Bonds’ and ‘Government Borrowings’.
India’s external debt was $513.4 billion at the end of December 2017, an increase of 8.8% since March 2017.
Most of it was owed by private businesses and other non-government entities (about 79%), which borrowed at attractive rates from foreign lenders.
What are the risks involved? Interest Rates
There is greater unpredictability and unexpected changes in the interest rates can result in defaulting of loans and precipitate a crisis.
The raising of interest rates by the U.S. Federal Reserve has already caused borrowing rates to rise in various countries.
This including in India where bond yields have shot up sharply (the yield on the 10-year government bond has risen by 1.5% in the last 6 months).
Exchange Rate
Unexpected changes in the exchange rates of currencies, like say a steep fall in the value of the rupee, for instance, is a big risk.
This can cause severe difficulties for Indian borrowers who will now have to shell out more rupees than previously, to pay back dollar-denominated loans.
Lenders generally take possible currency fluctuations into account when determining their lending rates, but currency predictions are prone to failures.
While there could also be gains from such fluctuations, emerging market currencies usually tend to depreciate when the world economy is reviving.
Current Trend
Over the past year, rupee has fallen about 7% against the U.S. Dollar, which is also in line with other emerging market currencies.
Such currency movements are due to the increasing dollar demand by investors who wish to sell their assets in emerging markets.
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Such sell outs pull capital out from emerging markets to invest them in developed markets, as yield there has been rising there lately.
What next? U.S. Factor
The U.S. central bank, has already raised its benchmark interest rate twice this year, and is expected to further raise rates.
This is likely to cause more outflow of capital from the emerging markets, thus causing unexpected changes in borrowing rates and the value of the rupee.
Both government and non-government borrowers in India, who are exposed to foreign debt, could be in trouble in such a scenario.
RBI Rescue
The foreign exchange reserves, held by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), were around $425 billion as on March 2018.
This is the firepower that the RBI can use to support the rupee and bail out borrowers who get into trouble.
RBI recently raised its benchmark interest rate (minimum rate charged on non-government securities) for the first time in more than four years.
While such a step could help to stem the capital outflow from the country and support the rupee, it could unleash uncertainty in domestic interest rates.
Public Credit Registry
Relevancy G.S. Paper 2
Why in news? The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is about to set up a public credit registry—an information repository
that collates all loan information of individuals and corporate borrowers. Public Credit Registry:
A credit repository will help banks distinguish between a bad and a good borrower.
It will help the banks to offer attractive interest rates to good borrowers and higher interest rates to bad borrowers accordingly.
It has been set up on the recommendations of Y.M. Deosthalee committee.
The public credit repository will address information asymmetry, improve access to credit and strengthen the credit culture among consumers.
It will help solve the bad loans problem facing the banking system, as corporate borrowers will be unable to lend from multiple banks without disclosing their existing debt.
It will also help improve India’s rankings in the World Bank’s ease of doing business index. Other suggestions of the Y.M. Deosthalee committee:
The task force has recommended that the registry should be set up by RBI and in due course, the central bank may consider moving the registry to a separate non-profit entity.
It has envisaged it as a registry of all credit contracts, for all lending in India and any lending by an Indian financial institution to “an Indian natural or legal person.”
PCR is to serve as a registry of all credit contracts irrespective of any threshold amount and it should be backed by a legal framework.
The committee has also recommended that registry should also capture data such as external commercial borrowings, market borrowings, and all contingent liabilities to provide a holistic picture about the borrower’s indebtedness.
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It has also suggested that the registry should capture both positive and negative information for all loans and borrowers be able to access their own history.
The data will be available to stakeholders like banks strictly on a need-to-know basis and privacy of data will be protected.
It has placed the onus of data quality on the reporting entities and suggested action against the institutions in case of any violations in rules.
To ensure a comprehensive database, the committee has also proposed linkages with other defaulter databases like the wilful defaulter’s list, goods and services tax network data and utility and insurance payments data, etc.
FDI Confidence Index 2018
Relevancy G.S. Paper 2
Why in news? India has slipped by three notches to 11th position in the FDI Confidence Index 2018 of global
consultancy firm A T Kearney. A.T. Kearney: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index:
The Foreign Direct Investment Confidence (FDI) Index prepared by A.T. Kearney is an annual survey.
It tracks the impact of likely political, economic, and regulatory changes on the foreign direct investment intentions and preferences of CEOs, CFOs, and other top executives of Global 1000 companies.
The report includes detailed commentary on the markets and the impact a variety of global trade issues have on their FDI attractiveness.
It also gives a ranking of the top 25 countries. FDI confidence index 2018:
India has slipped by three notches to 11th position in the FDI Confidence Index 2018 of global consultancy firm A T Kearney.
India has fell out of the top 10 for the first time since 2015.
China (5), India (11), and Singapore (12) all rank lower this year, while Australia rises to 8th and New Zealand jumps to the 16th spot in only its second year on the Index.
Japan and South Korea hold steady at 6th and 18th, respectively.
India was ranked 8th in 2017, while it was at 9th rank in the previous year.
According to the report, this confidence may be a result of the governments Make in India initiative, which aims to boost investment in India's manufacturing sector as well as its pursuit of closer ties with the US.
Reforms that have had a positive impact on India's attractiveness include: o The elimination of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board o A government agency responsible for reviewing all potential foreign investment o The liberalisation of overseas investment thresholds for the retail, aviation, and biomedical
industries
Air India Disinvestments and the concerns
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 2, 3
Why in news?
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The deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest ran out and there were no bidders for India’s flag carrier Air India.
What did the government plan on Air India disinvestment?
The Union government in June 2017 announced its intention to divest a controlling stake in Air India.
As a response unsolicited interest poured in from airlines and various ground handling firms, both domestic and international, for specific pieces of the flag carrier.
On March 28 this year, the government came out with a preliminary document seeking bids.
In 19 days that followed, it received over 160 queries from various parties seeking clarifications about the disinvestment process.
But after all this activity, the government recently announced that at the end of the deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest (EoIs), it had received no bids from any entity to acquire 76% stake in Air India.
What are the technical issues involved in air India bidding?
Air India has Rs 33,000-crore debt that was to be bundled with the firm which is seen to be a major hurdle.
AI has the largest number of employees per aircraft among Indian airlines.
AI had 26,978 employees (including permanent, contractual, casual, and on-deputation staff) which is 234 employees per aircraft.
The employees-per-aircraft ratio is a key metric used in the industry to identify the operational efficiency of an airline.
But eventual reduction of contractual employees was one of the measures to be undertaken by Air India as part of its turnaround plan.
For which the successful bidder will have to plough significant funds into enterprise-wide restructuring, requiring capital expenditure in enhanced products and services, as well as fleet expansion.
What averted the bidders?
The conditions of the government such as its decision to retain 24% stake proved to be the biggest deterrent.
In clarifications sought by interested bidders, government failed to outline its financial objectives and also to explain any non-financial objectives for which the retention of a stake is considered to be important.
The Union cabinet’s approval for strategic disinvestment includes only few areas of airline operations and not the complete operations of the airlines.
Returning the carrier to profitability is likely to take at least 2-3 years, during which time the new owner will have to absorb a couple of billion dollars of losses.
Thus, this left open the prospect of political interference on strategic and day-to-day matters of the airline operations.
Monetary Policy Committee (MPC): Functions and Constitution
Relevance: GS Prelims 2019, GS Mains paper III Economy, Monetary Policy Committee
Why in news? The six-member monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 6th June,
2018 increased the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%. Functions of the MPC:
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The Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (RBI Act) was amended by the Finance Act, 2016, to provide for a statutory and institutionalised framework for a Monetary Policy Committee, for maintaining price stability, while keeping in mind the objective of growth.
The Monetary Policy Committee would be entrusted with the task of fixing the benchmark policy rate (repo rate) required to contain inflation within the specified target level.
The committee was created in 2016 to bring transparency and accountability in fixing India's Monetary Policy.
The meetings of the Monetary Policy Committee shall be held at least 4 times a year and it shall publish its decisions after each such meeting.
Constitution of MPC:
As per the powers conferred by section 45ZB of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the Central Government will constitute the members of the MPC.
There will be 6 members of the MPC.
3 Members will be from the RBI and the other 3 Members of MPC will be appointed by the Central Government.
The external members (appointed by the central government) will have a four year term.
The Governor of Reserve Bank of India is the chairperson ex officio of the committee. Following are the members of the first and current MPC:
The Governor of the Bank—Chairperson, ex officio;
Deputy Governor of the Bank, in charge of Monetary Policy—Member, ex officio;
One officer of the Bank to be nominated by the Central Board—Member, ex officio;
Shri Chetan Ghate, Professor, Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) —Member
Professor Pami Dua, Director, Delhi School of Economics (DSE) — Member
Dr. Ravindra H. Dholakia, Professor, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad— Member
Repo Rates Increased After 4.5 Years
Relevance: GS Prrelims 2019, GS Mains paper III Economy, Repo rate, Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)
Why in news? The six-member monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 6th June, 2018
increased the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%. This is the first rate hike in four-and-a-half years; the last was in January 2014. Repo rate now higher by 25 basis points; central bank maintains neutral stance
Why this increase in repo rate?
The MPC arrived at the unanimous decision as the outlook for inflation had become ‘uncertain’ following a surge in international crude oil prices.
What will be impact of hike in repo rate?
The banks may increase the interest rate on lending to the customers. What forms the basis of this hike?
As per RBI, crude oil prices have been volatile and this imparts considerable uncertainty to the inflation outlook — both on the upside and the downside.
Consumer price index-based inflation, or retail inflation, rose to 4.6% in April from 4.28% in March.
This is majorly because; Indian crude basket surged to $74 a barrel from $66 since the last policy meeting in April.
While the central bank has increased the inflation projection, it has maintained the ‘neutral’ stance for monetary policy, meaning interest rates can move either way.
Highlights of the second bi-monthly monetary statement
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RBI hikes key lending rate (repo) by 0.25 % to 6.25 %
Rate hike is the first in four-and-half-years
Reverse repo rate stands at 6 %, bank rate at 6.50 %
Growth projection retained at 7.4 % for 2018-19
Projects retail inflation at 4.8-4.9 % for April-September, 4.7 % in H2
Major upside risk to the inflation path as price of crude rose by 12 pc
Volatile crude oil prices adds to uncertainty to the inflation outlook
Investments recovering well; to get boost from swift resolution under IBC
Geo-political risks, financial market volatility, trade protectionism to impact domestic growth
Adherence to budgetary targets by the Centre and states will ease upside risks to the inflation outlook
All members of the monetary policy committee voted for 0.25 % rate hike
Next meeting of the MPC on 31 July and 1 August.
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY
Relevancy G.S. Paper 3
Why in news?
May 11 is celebrated as National Technology Day in India. National technology day:
National Technology Day is observed every year on 11th of May in India acting as a reminder of the anniversary of Shakti, Hansa-3 and Trishul.
The day highlights the important role of Science in our daily lives and encourages students to embrace Science as a career option.
Various events are organized in different technical institutes and engineering colleges to mark the day.
Competitions, quizzes, lectures, interactive sessions and presentations of various aspects of Science are managed globally.
The day is crucial for engineers, planners, scientists and others who are engaged in nation building and governance.
Based on following three immense breakthrough accomplishments by the engineers, scientists and technicians of the country, Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced 11th May as the National Technology Day.
“Shakti, the Pokhran Nuclear Test”:
The first nuclear test Pokhran with a code named as ‘Smiling Buddha’ was carried out in May, 1974.
The second test conducted was Pokhran II which was a series of five tests of nuclear bomb explosions, administered by India at the Pokhran Test Range of Indian Army in May, 1998.
Pokhran II comprised of five detonations out of which the first one was a fusion bomb while the other four were fission bombs.
These nuclear tests evolved various sanctions against India by many major states, including United States and Japan.
The then Prime Minister shortly convened a press conference for the declaration of India as a full-fledged nuclear state.
Various names were attributed for these tests with the original name kept as ‘’Operation Shakti-98”, while the five nuclear devices were classified Shakti I through Shakti V.
Recently, the whole operation is called Pokhran II and the explosion of 1974 is called Pokhran I.
Hansa-3:
Becoming the sixth nuclear state of the world was not the sole thing India attained on that day.
Hansa-3, India’s foremost indigenous aircraft was flown in Bengaluru when the nuclear tests were being organized in Rajasthan.
Hansa-3 was developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories.
It was a two-seater, light general aviation plane which is utilized in the flying institutes for sports, pilot training, aerial photography, surveillance and projects related to the environment.
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Trishul missile:
On 11th May, 1998, the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) also accomplished the last test-fire of the Trishul missile.
Trishul was then introduced into service by the Indian Air Force and Indian Army.
A surface-to-air, quick-reaction, short-range missile, Trishul was a unit of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme of India which has resulted in the formation of Prithvi, Akash and Agni missile systems.
HYDROXYLAMMONIUM NITRATE (HAN)
Relevancy G.S. Paper 3
Why in news?
ISRO making green propellant to power satellites and spacecraft. Hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN):
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed an environment-friendly propellant to power satellites and spacecraft.
This new fuel has shown promising results in the formulation and associated tests of a propellant blend based on hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN).
This is done to replace the conventional hydrazine rocket fuel.
Hydrazine is a highly toxic and carcinogenic chemical.
Due to its high performance characteristics, hydrazine has dominated the space industry as the choice of propellant for over six decades.
Hydrazine poses many environment and health hazards and problems in its manufacturing, storage, ground handling and transportation.
New HAN based monopropellant is a chemical propulsion fuel which does not require a separate oxidizer.
It is used extensively in satellite thrusters for orbital correction and orientation control.
The in-house formulation consists of HAN, ammonium nitrate, methanol and water.
While methanol was added to reduce combustion instability, the choice of HAN was dictated by its capacity to control the burn rate and lower the freezing point of the propellant.
New Exo-Planet Discovered By Indian Scientists
Relevance: GS Prelims 2019, GS Mains paper III Sci-tech, Space, new exo-planet discovered
Why in News? Scientists of Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, recently became the first Indians to discover
a planet after observations at Mount Abu Observatory. It is an exo-planet. An exo-planet is a planet that orbits around a star outside the solar system.
About the new exo-planet:
It is Orbiting a star 600 light years away
The name of the exo-panet is EPIC 211945201b or K2-236b.
It is revolving around the star EPIC 211945201 or K2-236.
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About 70% is made of iron, ice or silicates and 30% is gas.
It is about 27 Earth-masses and six Earth-radii (Similar to Neptune in terms of mass and radius)
One year on this planet is about 19.5 Earth-days and surface temperatures are 600°C, so it is uninhabitable.
It is seven times nearer to its star compared to the Sun-Earth distance. How was the discovery made?
It was made using “Spectrographs”.
Scientists at PRL designed the PARAS (PRL Advance Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search) spectrograph and assembled the parts at the Mount Abu Observatory.
The spectrograph works with the principle of “Doppler’s Effect”.
Starlight from the telescope is brought to the spectrograph.
Doppler’s Effect: It is the change in the frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to the observer, who is moving close or away from the source of the wave.
Precison Agriculture
Recently G.S. Paper 1,3
Why in news? NITI Aayog has signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with IBM to develop precision agriculture using
Artificial Intelligence (AI). Precision agriculture:
Precision agriculture (PA) is also known as satellite farming or site specific crop management (SSCM).
It is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops.
The goal of precision agriculture research is to define a decision support system (DSS) for whole farm management with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources.
The first wave of the precision agricultural revolution will come in the forms of satellite and aerial imagery, weather prediction, variable rate fertilizer application, and crop health indicators.
The second wave will aggregate the machine data for even more precise planting, topographical mapping, and soil data.
Aims of Precision agriculture are to optimize field-level management with regard to: o Crop science: by matching farming practices more closely to crop needs (e.g. Fertilizer
inputs) o Environmental protection: by reducing environmental risks and footprint of farming (e.g.
Limiting leaching of nitrogen) o Economics: by boosting competitiveness through more efficient practices (e.g. improved
management of fertilizer usage and other inputs)
Precision agriculture also provides farmers with a wealth of information to: o Build up a record of their farm o Improve decision-making o Foster greater traceability o Enhance marketing of farm products o Improve lease arrangements and relationship with landlords o Enhance the inherent quality of farm products (e.g. protein level in bread-flour wheat)
Precision agriculture using Artificial intelligence:
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The practice of precision agriculture has been enabled by the advent of GPS and GNSS or artificial intelligence.
The farmer's and/or researcher's ability to locate their precise position in a field allows for the creation of maps of the spatial variability of as many variables as can be measured (e.g. crop yield, terrain features/topography, organic matter content, moisture levels, nitrogen levels, pH, EC, Mg, K, and others).
Similar data is collected by sensor arrays mounted on GPS-equipped combine harvesters.
These arrays consist of real-time sensors that measure everything from chlorophyll levels to plant water status, along with multispectral imagery.
This data is used in conjunction with satellite imagery by variable rate technology (VRT) including seeders, sprayers, etc. to optimally distribute resources.
Moganite
Relevancy G.S. Paper 3
Why in news? A team from the Tohoku University in Japan has found the mineral, called moganite, in a lunar
meteorite discovered in a desert in northwest Africa. Moganite:
A team from the Tohoku University in Japan has found a mineral called moganite.
They have found it in a lunar meteorite discovered in a desert in northwest Africa.
Moganite is a crystal of silicon dioxide and is known to form on Earth in specific circumstances in sedimentary settings from alkaline fluids.
It has never before been detected in samples of lunar rock.
Researchers believe the mineral formed on the surface of the Moon in the area called Procellarum Terrane, as water originally present in lunar dirt evaporated due to exposure to strong sunlight.
Scientists are pointing to the presence of hidden reserves of water ice under the surface of the Moon could be potentially useful for future human exploration.
In a moganite there is less water because moganite forms from the evaporation of water.
Unlike the surface of the Moon, in the subsurface, much water remains as ice, because it’s protected from the sunlight.
Previous evidences:
Nasa’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite detected a shadowed crater near the Moon’s south pole.
India’s probe Chandrayaan-1 recorded evidence of water in the thin atmosphere above the Moon’s surface.
However, there has been no evidence so far of the presence of water in the subsurface at mid and lower latitudes.
The researchers estimate that the water content in the lunar soil under the surface could be up to 0.6%.
In this case future Moon explorers could theoretically extract about 1.6 gallons of water per 36 cubic feet of lunar rock.
It would also be enough for future astronauts and people that could perhaps live on the Moon in the future to extract enough water to cover their needs.
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Ensemble Prediction Systems
Relevancy G.S. Paper 3
Why in news? IMD has launched systems for probabilistic weather forecasting known as Ensemble Prediction
Systems (EPS). Ensemble Prediction Systems:
The India Met Department (IMD) has launched two “very high resolution” Ensemble Prediction Systems.
These are to generate ten-day probabilistic weather forecasts.
The new systems in place can provide rainfall forecasts with probabilities allowing better lead time to prepare for extreme weather events.
These systems also use a higher resolution 12 km grid scale, instead of the 23 km resolution that has been in use.
These systems will improve upon the existing deterministic forecasts that are prone to high margins of errors.
The new system will tell us the probability of rainfall according to its intensity and volume.
This will be colour coded for ease of interpretation.
These systems will also help disaster management authorities in making better emergency response decisions.
But these particular systems are specifically for rainfall, though it can be tweaked to provide similar forecasts for thunderstorms, cold waves and weather events.
Also, this model will not specifically be helpful in providing the exact nature and intensity of thunderstorms
Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem In India: AI Garage
Relevancy GS Mains Paper-3, Science and Technology
Why in news? The NITI Aayog has published an ambitious discussion paper on kickstarting the artificial intelligence
(AI) ecosystem in India. There is paper talk of powering five sectors — agriculture, education, health care, smart
cities/infrastructure and transport — with AI.
What is Artificial intelligence?
It is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.
AI is the use of computers to mimic human cognitive processes for decision-making. Framework for AI tools
The paper talks of powering five sectors — agriculture, education, health care, smart cities/infrastructure and transport — with AI.
It highlights the potential for India to become an AI ‘garage’, or solutions provider, for 40% of the world.
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To pull this off, India would have to develop AI tools for a range of applications: reading cancer pathology reports, rerouting traffic in smart cities, telling farmers where to store their produce, and picking students at high risk of dropping out from school, among them.
It is a tall order, but several countries have similar ambitions. The U.S., Japan and China have published their AI strategy documents and, importantly, put their money where their aspirations are.
China, for example, plans to hand out a million dollars in subsidies to AI firms, as well as to run a five-year university programme for 500 teachers and 5,000 students.
What are the Highlights?
The NITI Aayog does not talk about how India’s ambitions will be funded, but proposes an institutional structure to get things going.
This structure includes a network of basic and applied research institutions, and a CERN-like multinational laboratory that would focus on global AI challenges.
What are the challenges? These are lofty goals, but they beg the question: can India bring it to pass? In answer, the NITI Aayog offers a sombre note of caution. India hardly has any AI expertise today. The paper estimates that it has around 50 top-notch AI researchers, concentrated in elite institutions
like the IITs. Further, only around 4% of Indian AI professionals are trained in emerging technologies such as deep
learning. And while India does publish a lot, these publications aren’t very impactful; India’s H-index, a measure of how often its papers are cited, is behind 18 other countries. This is not
encouraging, considering that returns on AI are not guaranteed. The technology has tripped up as often as it has delivered.
What is the significance?
Among successes, a recent study found that a Google neural network correctly identified cancerous skin lesions more often than expert dermatologists did.
India, with its acute shortage of specialist doctors in rural areas, could benefit greatly from such a tool.
Studies have found that AI image-recognition technologies do badly at identifying some races, because the data used to train them over-represent other races.
This highlights the importance of quality data in building smart AI tools. India lacks this in sectors such as agriculture and health. Where data exist, this is poorly annotated,
making it unusable by AI systems. Despite these formidable challenges, the scope of NITI Aayog’s paper must be lauded.
The trick will be to follow it up with action, which will demand a strong buy-in from policymakers and substantial funds.
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND GLOBAL ISSUES
Qingdao Declaration
Relevancy G.S. Paper 2
Why in news? SCO summit adopts declaration calling for 3-year plan to combat terrorism.
Qingdao declaration:
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leaders taking part in a summit in China’s Qingdao have singed the Qingdao Declaration.
The signing ceremony involved the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.
The declaration calls for implementing the three-year plan to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism.
It also calls for implementation of the treaty on long-term good neighbourliness, friendship and co-operation.
The leaders adopted a total of 17 documents at the summit, which include: o documents endorsing the 2018-2022 Action Plan to implement the Treaty for Long-term
Good-Neighborly Relations, Friendship and Cooperation between the SCO states o 2019-2020 Program for Cooperation in countering terrorism, separatism and extremism o decision to approve the 2018-2023 Anti-Drug Strategy and an Action Plan to implement it. o an information statement
India refused to endorse China’s ambitious One Belt, One Road (OBOR) project as part of Qingdao Declaration at the 18th SCO summit.
At the restricted session of the SCO Summit, Indian Prime Minister Modi floated concept of SECURE: ‘S’ for security for citizens, ‘E’ for economic development, ‘C’ for connectivity in the region, ‘U’ for unity, ‘R’ for respect of sovereignty and integrity, and ‘E for environment protection.
SCO:
The Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was singed in China’s Shanghai in June 2001 by six founding states - Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
India and Pakistan were granted SCO membership on June 9, 2017.
Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia currently enjoy observer status, while Sri Lanka, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are dialogue partners.
The Shanghai Spirit is the main principle and founding values of the SCO, defining that all member states are equal and committed to forging good neighbourliness and sincere partnership with each other.
It features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development.
All decisions of the SCO are made through discussions and dialogues.
On June 10, 2018, the 18th SCO Summit urged implementation of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear programme through joint statement was issued at the end of 18th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Deeper cooperation in numerous areas was also emphasized by members of the organization.
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UN’s report on Food Security and Nutrition
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 3, Agriculture
Why in news? A report of the UN’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World points to a worrying trend on
food security at global level. What did the report highlight?
Absolute numbers of people facing hunger and poor nutrition have always been high.
However, there was a reduction in the rate of undernourishment since the year 2000.
But that has slowed from 2013, registering a worrying increase in 2016.
Around 815 million people endure chronic food deprivation in 2016, as against 775 million in 2014.
The deprivation is greater among people in conflict-affected and climate change events affected regions.
Contrastingly, the report says that child under nutrition rates continue to drop.
However, one in four children is still affected by stunting. What are the common factors making food scarce and expensive?
The above numbers are averages and do not reflect the disparities among regions, within countries and between States. Nevertheless, the common factors making food scarce and expensive for many are:
The impact of the economic downturn
Many violent conflicts
Fall in commodity export revenues
Failure of agriculture owing to drought and floods
The findings represent a setback to all countries trying to meet the sustainable development goal
On ending hunger
Achieving food security
Improved nutrition
What is the scene in India?
India’s efforts at improving access to food and good nutrition are led by the National Food Security Act.
There are special nutritional schemes for women and children operated through the States.
Despite these, 14.5% of the population suffers from undernourishment.
At the national level, 53% of women are anaemic.
Thus, Centre and State governments fall short on the commitment to end undernourishment.
Institutions such as the State Food Commissions have not made a big difference either.
Distributing nutritious food as a public health measure is still not a political imperative. What is the way forward?
Families below the poverty line consume more cereals and less milk compared to the affluent.
NITI Aayog's report on the role played by rations in shaping household and nutritional security highlights this.
Complementing rice and wheat with more nutritious food items should be the goal.
The report on nutritional deficiency calls for evaluating the role played by the Public Distribution System.
Assessing dietary diversity for those relying on subsidised food is crucial.
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OPEC
Relevancy GS Mains Paper-2 International Relations, International Organizations, Bilateral Agreements
Why in news?
The OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) met in Vienna. What did the meet aim for?
OPEC members agreed in 2016 to a historic deal to cut output by 1.2 million barrels a day.
This was to end a supply surplus, and raise the price of oil.
Following this there was a dip in productions.
It was further worsened by outages in countries such as Venezuela and Libya.
The production cut contributed to the steep rise in oil prices.
Emerging markets such as India have been affected by the rising cost of oil imports.
The OPEC meet was thus aimed at arriving at an agreement to increase oil output. What was the outcome of the meet?
OPEC agreed to increase its daily output to address the problem of rising crude oil prices.
Saudi Arabia announced that the cartel’s output would be increased by about a million barrels a day.
However, the group's official statement did not mention any solid numbers.
It said that the OPEC countries would strive to adjust production levels.
There is thus lack of any clear commitment from OPEC to raise production.
This suggests that the threat of a supply shock still continues. What would be the implications?
Iran has been opposed to raising OPEC output as it would lower the prices.
Iran is thus set to suffer a marginal loss as it lacks spare capacity to ramp up production.
It works in favour of its rival, Saudi Arabia.
The present deal could help the Saudis appease major oil consumers to some extent.
Saudi can recover from the impact of lower prices by capturing market share.
It is to be seen if all this politicking will bring a stable reduction in global oil prices.
The OPEC meet: Relevance for India
Relevance: GS Prelims 2019, GS Mains paper II International Afairs, OPEC,
Recently: The biannual meeting of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna started
on June 22, 2018 to decide a roadmap for oil production output. About OPEC:
OPEC (The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a permanent intergovernmental organization of 14 oil-exporting developing nations that coordinates and unifies the petroleum policies of its Member Countries.
Its secretariat is at Vienna. OPEC members:
OPEC was created at the Baghdad Conference on September 10–14, 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
The five Founding Members were later joined by ten other Members: Qatar (1961); Indonesia (1962) – suspended its membership in January 2009, reactivated it in January 2016, but decided to suspend
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it again in November 2016; Libya (1962); United Arab Emirates (1967); Algeria (1969); Nigeria (1971); Ecuador (1973) – suspended its membership in December 1992, but reactivated it in October 2007; Angola (2007); Gabon (1975) - terminated its membership in January 1995 but rejoined in July 2016; and Equatorial Guinea (2017).
Objective of OPEC:
To co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers;
an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations; and
a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry. Trends after 2010:
The global economy represented the main risk to the oil market early in the decade, as global macroeconomic uncertainties and heightened risks surrounding the international financial system weighed on economies. Escalating social unrest in many parts of the world affected both supply and demand throughout the first half of the decade, although the market remained relatively balanced.
Prices were stable between 2011 and mid-2014, before a combination of speculation and oversupply caused them to fall in 2014.
Trade patterns continued to shift, with demand growing further in Asian countries and generally shrinking in the OECD.
The world’s focus on multilateral environmental matters began to sharpen, with expectations for a new UN-led climate change agreement. OPEC continued to seek stability in the market, and looked to further enhance its dialogue and cooperation with consumers, and non-OPEC producers.
Credits: OPEC What are the decisions that may take place in the meet?
The OPEC countries may decide to increase the oil production in order to stabilize the global prices.
In Dec 2016, Russia and OPEC had reached a deal in which they had decided to cut the production by 1.8 bpd (Barrels per day). This was done in order to increase the oil prices.
Though Russia is not a member of OPEC, yet the country along with Saudi Arabia is world’s largest oil producer.
Now, Russia wants to increase the oil production.
However, OPEC members including Iraq, Iran and Venezuela do not have spare capacity like Saudi or Russia, and do not want enhanced limits.
What are the factors involved in price rationalization?
Budget deficits of OPEC economies: Any increase in oil output will lead to a softening of prices, and oil-led economies will end up earning less for the same volumes, thereby leading to budget deficits.
Geopolitics: Iran, the Saudis’ great adversary in the Middle East, is smarting under US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the 2015 nuclear accord, and wants to convey its hold on the cartel while mopping up as much oil revenue as possible before sanctions kick in.
o Saudi, on the other hand, is pushing for extra oil in line with Trump’s request; it also needs the cushion to attract investors for Saudi Aramco’s IPO likely early 2019.
o A three-way deal with Russia and a consortium of American oil giants would push Iran even further into a corner.
o Like any cartel, each member tries to cheat, and connives against the others.
US’ Shale production: 2014 onward, the Saudis started to float more oil in the global market to bottom out prices.
o A fall below $40 a barrel prevented shale oil from flowing out of the US, and helped maintain the Middle East’s hegemony in the oil world.
o And when shale shops in the US stemmed production, the Saudis got Russia and other non-OPEC players to agree to a cumulative 1.8 million bpd-cut in 2016.
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o But a tightening market coupled with strong global demand spiked prices beyond $80, thereby signalling the rejuvenation of shale shops.
o Infrastructure constraints in the US has so far kept a large chunk of shale oil away from global markets, but once these bottlenecks are cleared, US entrepreneurs will be able to reverse the world’s energy flows.
o A marginal increase in crude production could stall the shale oil gush from the US and Canada. Since most nations — including Saudi and Russia — have had to dip into their sovereign wealth funds to meet expenses as crude fell until 2016, the increase in output is expected to buy them time to replenish these funds, and address, for now, a gamut of economic issues and regional rivalries.
Why is this meeting important for India?
Impact of higher crude prices · Ahead of the meeting, India had requested the OPEC forum (a conclave of ministers of both producing and consuming nations) to increase the supply of oil. · Increased supply would lower the process and hence India’s import bill and trade deficit will also reduce. · A higher fiscal deficit also means lower credit rating for India.
India’s concern with RCEP
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 3, 4 International Relations, Economy, Effects of Globalisation
Why in News? The U.S. President Trump recently caused the G-7 meet in Quebec to end with deep fissures within
the Western alliance. India, in this context must re-examine its position on global and regional trade architecture swiftly to
leverage its growth potential. Why RCEP is important?
In the evolving world trade dynamics, simply depending on WTO or on existing trade connections is clearly an ineffective approach.
Thus, deals like “Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership” (RCEP), could prove critical for countries.
Notably, RCEP is considered a major economic integration plan involving “ASEAN-10, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India”.
Significantly, well trafficked trade routes pass through Southeast Asia, and the region’s economies are growing and vibrant.
The RCEP grouping is also diverse as it includes both commodity exporters such as Australia and Indonesia and services hubs such as Singapore.
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Yet, despite these obvious advantages, Indian officials have expressed doubts on whether the RCEP will actually be in India’s interest.
But, India needs to recognize that, if the RCEP deal proceeds without India, then, being left out would hit India’s trade competitiveness in the region.
What are India’s concerns with RCEP?
The main concern for India about RCEP is the involvement of China, which already accounts for 60% of India’s burgeoning trade deficit.
While the fear of cheap Chinese imports is real, it shouldn’t be allowed to cripple the entire trade negotiations.
Rather, India must reserve its right to place emergency anti-dumping measures if excess influx tends to occur.
Additionally, studies show that Indian exporters aren’t taking full advantage of even the currently existing FTAs, which is a concern.
Hence, better educating exporters and aiding them to access new markets that open up to them would be a better alternative than chucking trade deals.
The rise of protectionism in U.S. (one of the few countries with which India has a trade surplus), implies that India needs to diversify its export markets.
As other markets must be found, RCEP is no longer an optional for India, and hence shouldn’t be overlooked.
What could be done?
India needs to recalibrate from its current short-sighted approach, if it has to reap the potential of further integrating into the global system.
India’s exports as a proportion of its GDP have stagnated, and for India to revive its exports and create jobs at home, it must reform structurally.
Transformation of the domestic productive base and rendering it more competitive and export-oriented is the only rational option.
The Historic Summit Between US & North Korea: Asserting The
Power Of Diplomacy
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 2 International Relations
Why in news?
Recently U.S. president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim stunned the world by pulling off a summit at Singapore despite intense tensions a while ago.
Presently, there are clear indications that the looming detente might seal a permanent peace in the Korean peninsula.
What were the recent outbursts?
Till recently, North Korea kept stepping up its weapons program through nuclear tests and also enhanced its missile capacity.
Notably, with Hwasong 14 missile (10,000 km range) in North Korea’s arsenal, Kim was said to have the capability to strike even mainland U.S.A.
In this backdrop, a missile attack by North Korea on Guam island of U.S.A in the Pacific Ocean was also rumoured.
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In 2017, the heightened rhetoric on both sides had led to growing concerns about the possibility of a nuclear war between North Korea and U.S.
While the UN Security Council met repeatedly, and tightening economic sanctions on North Korea, Trump was also vociferous in his threats.
How the outburst did begin to melt?
Mr. Kim in his New Year’s address appealed reconciling with South Korea, while also stating that North Korea had sufficient nuclear deterrence capacity.
South Korea also hosted the Winter Olympics, which provided ample opportunities for building bonhomie between the two Koreas.
Things moved smoothly thereafter and officials of the two Koreas crossed borders for high-profile meetings, which proved fruitful.
Kim also indicated continued restraint on testing and willingness to discuss denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula if regime safety was guaranteed.
While the U.S. was kept in the loop throughout, there seemed to be considerable resistance from the Trump administration for any conciliation.
A summit was planned but it was then called off unilaterally by the U.S., but persistent efforts from North Korea finally led to restarting of the summit.
Notably, previous attempts by the U.S. to negotiate North Korea to give up its nuclear program and arms failed despite consistent negotiations.
How is the ongoing peace effort unique?
Since the previous negotiations, the capabilities of North Korea has grown multiple times, while has lead to increased anxieties in its neighbourhood.
While Kim’s administration seeks regime legitimacy and security, the other stakeholders seek safety and peace.
In this context, it is in everybody’s interest to help in the success of the proposed deal, thereby making things clear.
While the joint statement after Singapore summit was shy on detail, it carries immense potential for the future of the Korean Peninsula.
Notably, North Korea has announced stoppage of any kind of testing and has even promised a complete elimination of its nuclear arsenal permanently.
There is hence real promise of ending the Korean conflict between the North and South Korea – which is currently still held by the 1953 truce.
U.S. has also called off any joint military exercise in the Korean region and lifting of economic sanctions on North Korea is also under consideration.
India Re-Defines Its Regional Role
Relevancy GS Mains Paper-2 International Relations
Why in news? India is recasting its approach to the Indo-Pacific and building deeper links with continental Eurasia. Recent foreign policy moves by New Delhi indicate an inflexion point. Combining orthodox ideas from the Cold War era along with 21st century pragmatism, it appears
that India has decided that the emerging multipolar world is becoming far too complicated for the binary choices and easy solutions that some had envisioned for the country’s foreign policy is the need of the hour.
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Not only has it recast its approach to the maritime Indo-Pacific but as the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit exemplifies, it is also building deeper and more constructive links with continental Eurasia.
India’s evolving foreign policy 1.On 1st June Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore laid out a framework that might outlast the present government. The speech was dominated by four themes that collectively tell us about the evolving foreign policy. First, the central theme was that at a time when the world is facing power shifts, uncertainty and competition over geopolitical ideas and political models, India would project itself as an independent power and actor across Asia.
I. One of the most important parts of the speech was when Mr. Modi described India’s ties with the three great powers.
II. Russia and the United States were called as partners with whom India has relationships based on overlapping interests in international and Asian geopolitics.
III. And, India-China relations were portrayed in complex terms as having “many layers” but with a positive undertone that stability in that relationship is important for India and the world.
IV. The intended signal to all major capitals was that India will not be part of a closed group of nations or aggregate Indian power in a bloc, but will chart out its own course based on its own capacity and ideas.
V. The following phrases: “our friendships are not alliances of containment” or “when nations stand on the side of principles, not behind one power or the other, they earn the respect of the world and a voice in international affairs”. For some this portends a renewed emphasis on non-alignment. The Prime Minister himself used the more agreeable term “strategic autonomy”.
VI. In essence, what it really means is that India has become too big to be part of any political-military camp whose design and role in Asian affairs is being conceived elsewhere, upon ideas that India might not fully share, and where India has a marginal role in strategy and policy implementation.
2.The China factor, even as China’s rise has undoubtedly increased the demand and space for India to increase its region-wide engagement, India’s role in the vast Indo-Pacific is no longer envisaged as a China-centric one.
I. Modi removed any lingering impression of an impeding crusade or an ideological sub-text to India’s Act East policy in the coming years when he remarked, “India does not see the Indo-Pacific Region as a strategy or as a club of limited members.
II. Nor as a grouping that seeks to dominate.” If anybody imagined that India’s identity as a democracy would position it naturally towards one side in the emerging world order, Mr. Modi clarified that misperception quite emphatically: “India’s own engagement in the Indo-Pacific Region — from the shores of Africa to that of the Americas — will be inclusive…
III. That is the foundation of our civilisational ethos — of pluralism, co-existence, openness and dialogue. The ideals of democracy that define us as a nation also shape the way we engage the world.”
IV. India’s Ambassador to Beijing expressed a similar message on the eve of the SCO summit: Big countries “can peacefully coexist despite differences in their systems and that they can work together”.
V. In other words, India’s democracy is far more comfortable with a world of diversity than the spectre of a clash of civilisations or great powers locked in ideological contests.
3.Despite this policy adjustment, India’s approach to the region is not going to be a hands-off policy or one devoid of norms. We continued to hear an emphasis on a “free, open, inclusive region” and a “common rules-
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based” Indo-Pacific order. Significantly, Mr. Modi asserted that such “rules and norms should be based on the consent of all, not on the power of the few. 4.Finally, Mr. Modi urged both the U.S. and China to manage their rivalry and prevent their “normal” competition from descending into conflict. “Asia of rivalry will hold us all back.
I. Asia of cooperation will shape this century. So, each nation must ask itself: Are its choices building a more united world, or forcing new divisions? It is a responsibility that both existing and rising powers have.”
II. He made it clear that while India would pursue many partnerships “in the region and beyond”, it was not going to choose “one side of a divide or the other” but would remain wedded to its principles and values that emphasise inclusiveness, diversity and of course its own interests.
III. Did Mr. Modi’s speech constitute a turning point in India’s foreign policy? As analysts debate this question, the messaging was unmistakable.
IV. After drifting towards the U.S. for the past decade, Delhi is rediscovering a posture and policy for a multipolar world as well as taking greater responsibility for its own future and destiny.
Reflecting its unique geographical position at the rimland of Eurasia and at the mouth of the Indo-Pacific, India’s foreign policy is likely to be driven by a dual attention to the balance of power and order building in the continental and maritime environment around the subcontinent.
Indo-China extending ties
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 2 International Relations
Why in news? The Chinese premier accepted Mr. Modi’s invitation for another “informal summit”, like the one held
in Wuhan between the two leaders, in India next year. On April 27-28 this year the Prime Minister of India and President of People’s Republic of China, Mr.
Xi Jinping held their first Informal Summit in Wuhan. The summit was held to exchange views on overarching issues of bilateral and global importance,
and to elaborate their respective visions and priorities for national development in the context of the current and future international situation.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization:
PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the 2-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit being held in the coastal city of Qingdao.
It will be the first SCO summit since its expansion, when India and Pakistan were included as full members at the Astana summit in Kazakhstan last year.
India is likely to pitch for concerted regional and global action against terror networks and favor effective connectivity links to boost trade.
During his visit to Qingdao, a coastal city in east China’s Shandong Province, PM Modi will meet Mr. Xi multiple times on the sidelines of the summit.
Mr. Xi accepted Mr. Modi’s invitation for another “informal summit” in India next year and described Wuhan as a “new starting point” in India-China relations.
The leaders had detailed discussions on bilateral and global issues, which would add further vigor to the India-China friendship after their “milestone” informal summit in Wuhan.
A MoU on sharing hydrological information on the Brahmaputra River by China and another pact on amendment of the protocol on phyto-sanitary requirements for exporting non-Basmati rice from India to China were signed after the talks.
Indo-China Ties:
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China is willing to work with India to take the Wuhan meeting as a “new starting point” to continuously enhance political mutual trust and engage in mutually beneficial cooperation across the board, to push forward China-India relations in a better, faster and steadier manner.
Last year, China stopped sharing data soon after the 73-day standoff between the Indian and Chinese troops at Dokalam over Chinese military’s plans to build a road close to India’s Chicken Neck corridor connecting the northeastern States.
The first MoU was inked between China’s Ministry of Water Resources and India’s Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation upon provision of hydrological information of the Brahmaputra River in flood season.
The agreement enables China to provide hydrological data in flood season from May 15 to October 15 every year.
It also enables the Chinese side to provide hydrological data if water level exceeds the mutually agreed level during non-flood season.
China, an upstream country, shares the scientific study of the movement, distribution and quality of water data for the river.
The second MoU was signed between China’s General Administration of Customs and India’s Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare on Phyto-sanitary requirements for exporting rice from India to China, one of the world’s biggest rice markets.
The 2006 Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for Exporting Rice from India to China has been amended to include the export of non-Basmati varieties of rice from India.
At present, India can only export Basmati rice to China.
Sources said the pact on non-Basmati rice may help in addressing India’s concerns over widening trade deficit which has been in China’s favor.
China has been promising to address the issue of trade deficit with India which has been seeking a greater market access for its goods and services in China.
India’s Changing Foreign Policy
Relevancy GS Mains Paper- 2 International Relations
Why in news?
In recent times union government has shifted considerably in its policy signaling with his neighboring nations.
What are India’s recent stands on foreign policies?
Indian Prime Minister visited Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, three of India’s most important partners in Southeast Asia recently for foreign policy positioning.
In the past few months, the government has shifted considerably in its signaling, with China and Russia for informal summits.
These measures have taken place at a time the U.S. administration has sharpened its aim at China and Russia with sanctions and threats of a trade war.
India tries for a strategic posturing on the global stage, and striving for a more balanced approach in what it increasingly sees as an uncertain world.
What are the significant foreign policy improvements?
India has maintained its commitment to relations with the U.S. in order to build a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region, maintain the “international rules-based order”.
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It plans to work together to combat terrorism and terror financing as they have done more recently at the UN and the Financial Action Task Force.
India’s has showed its interest in membership of the Quadrilateral with the U.S., Japan and Australia to tackle Chinese influence in south Asian region.
At the same time India has also ready to co-operate in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation the Russia-China-led grouping of Central Asian countries.
It is significant that in Singapore India chose the platform of the Shangri-La Dialogue of defence leaders of the Asia-Pacific region to emphasise Indian “strategic autonomy”.
What is India’s plan on Shangri-La dialogue?
The Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) is a "Track One" inter-governmental security forum held annually by an independent think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
It is attended by defence ministers, permanent heads of ministries and military chiefs of 28 Asia-Pacific states.
The summit serves to cultivate a sense of community among the most important policymakers in the defence and security community in the region.
In the recent meet India has referred the concept of the “Indo-Pacific” to India’s relations with Russia, the U.S. and China.
India used the dialogue to unveil a seven-point vision for the Indo-Pacific region.
While warning the world about the possible return of “great power rivalries”, India emphasised the importance and centrality of the ASEAN in the concept of the Indo-Pacific.
S-400 Triumf deal
Relevance: GS Prelims, GS Mains paper II and III International Relations, India’s security, Indo-Russia relations, Indo-US relations, S-400 Triumf deal
Why in news: India has concluded price negotiations with Russia for a nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400
Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air Force. Background of the deal:
In 2016, India and Russia had signed an agreement on the ‘Triumf’ interceptor-based missile system which can destroy incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to 400 km.
S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.
China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of unknown number of the S-400 missile systems to Beijing.
The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile system, manufactured by Almaz-Antey, has been in service in Russia since 2007.
Why India needs s-400 Triumf air defence missile system?
India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly along the nearly 4,000-km-long Sino-India border.
What is the issue with the USA?
It is said that the two countries are now trying insulate the deal from the sanctions announced by the US against Russia under its Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
The U.S. had announced sanctions against Russia under the stringent law for its alleged meddling in the American presidential election in 2016.
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There has been mounting concerns in India over the U.S. sanctions against Russian defence majors including Rosoboronexport as billions of dollars of military purchases may be impacted because of the punitive measure.
Thus, the deal has landed New Delhi right in the middle of global strategic complexities.
The deal may adversely affect transfer of U.S. military technology.
There may arise some security concerns also. The S-400 system requires integration with the radar system of the purchasing country.
As India has radars from the USA, there may be trouble integrating the technologies from different countries. Third party access to the US technology may be required, which the US is not ready to share.
What are the specifications of S-400 Triumf system?
Are other countries also bidding for S-400?
Saudi Arabia has also threatened military action if its neighbour Qatar goes ahead with the proposal to acquire S-400 from Russia.
Qatar already under various sanctions by other Gulf states, because of its alleged funding of terrorism.
S-400 deployment in the Syrian theatre and Turkey’s move to acquire them have all added new dimensions to the already complex global scenario.
Conclusion:
The US should soon withdraw the threat on India, as the S-400 Triumf system may contribute the regional capabilities to deter the Chinese aggression.
Doping in sports & No Needle Policy
Relevancy GS Mains Paper-2
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Why in news? Recently concluded Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Australia, witnessed the Indian contingent
got a blow for alleged violations of the “No Needle Policy”. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has decided to implement a similar policy.
A brief Background:
India had dropped from third to sixth place on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 2016 List of Offenders.
What makes India’s position unique is that it’s too high on this list, disproportionately so to the levels of its sporting achievement.
What are the rules in India?
Indian anti-doping rules mirror the WADA code and prescribe a framework of strict liability.
For this, the athlete first needs to establish how the prohibited substance entered his/her system.
This burden is justifiably onerous.
In reality, it disables an athlete caught in inadvertent doping.
Inadvertent doping is due to contaminated or mislabeled supplements, misguided medical treatment and at worst, sabotage.
Harmless food supplements like proteins or vitamins used by athletes are often from unreliable sources like private shops or online purchase.
A recent initiative by the Foods and Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to test and certify supplements is still to be fully operationalized.
What is the way ahead?
The government should create a source for safe permitted supplements as it would curb accidental doping.
An athlete accused of inadvertent doping cannot get supplements tested for contamination, having no access to authorized laboratories.
The National Dope-Testing Laboratory (NDTL) is accessible only to NADA or the government.
Any anti-doping initiative should aggressively focus not only on detection but also on education and awareness.
Athletes, support staff, federations, sports medical personnel must be equipped with well-conceived literature, consultation and workshops.
Current efforts are inadequate. NADA’s efforts need to be supplemented by a cadre of indigenous anti-doping experts.
What is the no needle policy?
The AFI has declared that they have drawn up a two-page protocol which would be distributed to all athletes at national camps and training centres.
As a policy, this will be separate from the Anti-Doping Rules and will have to be implemented in silos.
The infringement of policy can lead to a disciplinary action but not an anti-doping sanction.
An impenetrable infrastructure needs to be put in place first, so that cases of sabotage (simply planting a needle in a competitor’s room) do not become rampant.
Restorative, rather than simply retributive justice:
A framework must be created to constructively counsel athletes to understand the real causes, degrees of fault and administrative lapses.
We must recognise the socio-cultural reality of our sportspersons.
Quite a few are from semi-urban or rural backgrounds. To them, sports are the only route to a better economic status.
Literacy and language are serious impediments. They are subject to the whims and dictates of administrators.
Amidst such intense pressure, they compete and carry our nation’s hopes. But when they err, or are accused of doing so, we disclaim all responsibility.
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Sports federations, more famous for politicking, must take this blame upfront.
Threat of Hyper- Nationalism to the Federal structure of India
and US
Relevancy: GS Mains Paper-2 Governance and International Relations
Why in news?
Deep questions of equity are raging in India and the U.S. and hyper-nationalism is blurring the debate.
What is the issue?
In US and India, there are many concerns in terms of federalism and the regional power balance, citizenship, identity and marginalization of religious, linguistic and ethnic minorities.
What happened recently?
In US, the decision of Trump Administration to include question on citizenship in 2020 census is being challenged by several states.
The new census will suppress the count of non-citizens.
The non-citizens are legal residents and potential future citizen.
They pay taxes without legislative representation.
This is against the founding principle of US ‘no taxation without representation’.
The new census will shift political power from North east states like New York and Michigan to south states like Texas and Washington.
The census will determine allocation of federal, state and local government funds for social service, community programme and infrastructure.
Many fear that the citizenship question in the Census could be a prelude to citizenship-based redistricting and resource allocation which would disempower immigrants, legal and undocumented.
Second critical principle of democracy is ‘one person one vote’.
In US, the massive growth of cities led Rural-Urban divide in terms of representation.
US cities represent massive political power.
Several Republican States in recent years have introduced measures that make minority voters less effective, diluting the “one person, one vote” principle
What is the current scenario in India?
In India, current practice of distribution of parliamentary representation among various states is based on 1971 census, until the first census after 2026.
Redrawing of constituencies is done without affecting the number of seats in individual states.
But when delimitation of constituencies will be done after 1931 census the states with higher success in controlling population, better education and welfare strategies will be penalized.
Due to this delimitation political power in India will shift to northern states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar post 2031.
Kerala could lose six of its current 20 Lok Sabha seats and Tamil Nadu could lose 11 of its 39.
The impact on the political character of a region or the country as a whole due to these shifts is difficult to anticipate.
In recent years, the political power in India and relative share of tax revenue is slowly shifting from non-Hindi States to the Hindi belt.
How regionalism is affecting the federalism of India and US?
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Regionalism has always been a part of Indian and US politics but is more prominent in the recent years with growing emphasis on competitive federalism.
This has been institutionalized and undermined by the market economy.
NITI Aayog has been ranking states on the basis of Ease of Doing Business.
Amazon is conducting a competition among American States to decide where to house its second headquarters.
This institutionalization of competition among states would create tensions as the State which wins would have to give resources to the weaker states for the good of the nation.
This indicates that an imbalance of power is as problematic as the regional imbalance of power.
The current Lok Sabha has 4% Muslim members against their share of 14% in the total population.
Debates over taxation and representation have been central to the evolution of democracy over centuries.
Conclusion:
Democracy is based on the principle of equality. This involves redistribution of wealth from well off regions to the poorer regions.
The hyper-nationalism undercurrents in India in 2014 and in the U.S. in 2016 undermine the core issues of representation and taxation.
Several policies enacted by governments in both countries are considered as a majoritarian project.
The challenge before both democracies is to manage a national community that is inclusive, representative and reassuring for all its minorities — religious, linguistic, ethnic and the economically marginalised.
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HISTORY AND CULTURE
CHANNAPATNA TOYS
Relevancy G.S. Paper 1
Why in news?
The ‘Toy Land’ of Channapatna is 60 km away from Bengaluru on way to Mysuru, is witnessing one of the fiercest electoral battles in the state.
Channapatna toys:
Channapatna toys are a particular form of wooden toys (and dolls) that are manufactured in the town of Channapatna in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka state, India.
This traditional craft is protected as a geographical indication (GI) since 2006 under the World Trade Organization, administered by the Government of Karnataka.
As a result of the popularity of these toys, Channapatna is known as Gombegala Ooru (toy-town) of Karnataka.
The craft has diversified over time; in addition to the traditional ivory-wood, other woods—including rubber, sycamore, cedar, pine and teak—are now used as well.
Manufacturing stages include procuring the wood, seasoning the wood, cutting the wood into the desired shapes, pruning and carving the toys, applying the colours and finally polishing the finished product.
Vegetable dyes are used in the colouring process to ensure that the toys and dolls are safe for use by children.
children.
Chalukyan Sculpture Of Siva
Recently G.S. Paper 1
Why in news? A Chalukyan sculpture of Siva has been found in Andhra Pradesh recently.
Chalukyan sculpture of Siva:
A rare sculpture of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati dating back to the 7th century was discovered at a Chalukyan temple in Satyavolu village of Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh.
The red sandstone sculpture portrays Lord Siva as the therapeutic physician (Rudra Bhaishajana) as described in Rigveda.
In the sculpture he holds a bowl in his left hand, which contains medicine from herbs to revive the ailing horse lying at his feet.
Lord Siva is portrayed as a physician, who discovered medicine for certain chronic ailments.
He is the last member of the divine trinity and is considered as the destroyer of the world. Culture under Chalukyas: Society and Religion:
The people of South India in general were religious.
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They followed the traditional Hindu ways of life in the society, with a liberal attitude.
The Brahimns occupied a highly respectable position.
They acted as ministers and advisers to the king as well as priests.
Even though casteism within its social and economic implications were universally recognised, yet the spirit of catholicity and the feeling of mutual understanding was prevailing in the society.
Chinese traveller, Hiuen Tsang visited India during the reign of Pulakesin II.
He described the social life and manner of the people.
People were simple, honest and faithful. They always regarded the morality and truthfulness in public life.
The Aihole inscription states that the general attitude of the society was unorthodox towards all communities.
The Chalukya rulers patronised all the religions and did not impose restrictions on social and religious practices.
This policy of religious toleration helped towards the spread of Buddhism and Jainism.
The land grants were given to Buddhist Monks, Jaina Arahatas and the Brahmins.
Brahnianism reached its zenith under the Chalukyas.
They performed religious sacrifices such as the Asvamedha, the Vajapeya etc.
The sacrificial form of worship was prevailing and the puranic deities rose into prominence.
The sacrifical form of worship were sanctioned by Pulakesin I, Kirtivarman, Mangalesha and Pulakesin II.
They performed vedic sacrifices themselves and honourd learned Brahmans. Art and Architecture:
The Chalukys were great patron of art and architecture.
The Chalukyan structural architecture is represented by the old brick temples at Tel, and more fully by several shrines at Aihole, Pattakadal and Badami.
Aihole represents the best of Chalukyan architecture.
There are several temples at Aihol which speak of the Chalukyan love for art and architecture.
Among those may be mentioned the famous Ladkhan temple, the Durga temple and Huchchimaltigudi temple.
The Ladkhan temple has a rare characteristics of Chalukyan art.
It is very low and flat.
The walls consist of stone slabs, set between heavy square pilasters with a bracket capital.
The windows are made of stone slabs, and the pillars are decorated with figures of river goddesses such as Ganga, Jamuna and Gomati etc.
The famous Virupaksha temple, dedicated to Siva as Lokeshvara by the queen of Vikramaditya II, is a beautiful specimen of Chalukyan architecture.
The sculptures of this temple include representations from stories of Ramayana and of lord Siva and the Nagas.
The temple is built of very large, closely jointed blocks of stone and without mortar, as noted Dravidian style.
The Vaishnava cave tempel at Badami is the earliest cave temple of Southern India.
Elegant sculptural works and paintings were done under the Chalukyas.
The Brahmnical caves at Ellora date from the early Chalukyan period.
The rock-cut shrines of Ajanta and Ellora are supposed to have been executed in the time of the early Western Chalukyas.
The Prasasti of Pulakesin II written by Ravi Kirti gives a decorative description of temple architecture of Chalukyan period.
