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Table of Contents, 1. POLITY AND GOVERNANCE ________________4, 1.1. Balance of Rights and Duty ________________ 4, 1.2. Democratic Principles In Global Governance __ 6, 1.3. Public Accounts Committee ________________ 8, 1.4. Election Laws (Amendment) Bill ___________ 10, 1.5. Anti-Conversion Laws ____________________ 12, 1.5.1. Sacrilege _______________________________ 14, , 1.6. Judicial Infrastructure in India _____________ 15, 1.7. News in Shorts _________________________ 16, 1.7.1. 75 Years of the Historic First Sitting of Constituent, Assembly (CA) ________________________________ 16, 1.7.2. Special Assistance Measure (SAM) Extended to, Andhra Pradesh in lieu of Special Category States (SCS), Status _______________________________________ 16, 1.7.3. Purchase/Transfer of Immovable Property by OCI, ____________________________________________ 17, 1.7.4. Delimitation Commission (DC) Proposes Six, Additional Seats for Jammu, one for Kashmir Valley __ 17, 1.7.5. Good Governance Index (GGI) 2021 Launched on, Good Governance Day (25th December)____________ 17, 1.7.6. All India Mayors' Conference _______________ 18, 1.7.7. Madhya Pradesh (MP) Announced the, Implementation of a Police Commissionerate System, (PCS) in Bhopal and Indore ______________________ 18, 1.7.8. Default Bail _____________________________ 19, , 2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ______________20, 2.1. Understanding the Impact of 1971 Indo-Pak War, _________________________________________ 20, 2.2. Emerging BRI Alternatives: Opportunity For, India? ____________________________________ 22, 2.3. G20 __________________________________ 24, 2.4. News in Shorts _________________________ 26, 2.4.1. World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dispute Panel, Rules Against India’s Sugar Export Subsidies ________ 26, 2.4.2. UN General Assembly (UNGA) Confers Observer, Status on the International Solar Alliance (ISA) ______ 27, 2.4.3. Indian Ocean Dialogue ____________________ 27, 2.4.4. 3rd India-Central Asia Dialogue between Foreign, Ministers held in Delhi _________________________ 27, 2.4.5. India-Sri Lanka fisheries dispute _____________ 28, 2.4.6. New Development Bank (NDB) ______________ 28, 2.4.7. Operation Devi Shakti _____________________ 28, , 3.8.1. Guidelines for Central Public Sector Enterprise, (CPSE) Disinvestment Released by Ministry of Finance 42, 3.8.2. Payments Bank __________________________ 42, 3.8.3. IRDAI retains LIC, GIC, New India as Domestic, Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) ___________ 43, 3.8.4. SEBI Seeking to Regulate Algo Trading _______ 43, 3.8.5. Wholesale Inflation ______________________ 44, 3.8.6. Incentive Scheme to Promote RuPay Debit Cards, Approved____________________________________ 44, 3.8.7. MIS (Management Information System) Portal 44, 3.8.8. ULIP Hackathon– LogiXtics _________________ 44, 3.8.9. NSE Prime ______________________________ 45, 3.8.10. Card Tokenisation _______________________ 45, , 4. SECURITY _____________________________ 46, 4.1. Emerging Technologies and Threat to National, Security __________________________________ 46, 4.2. Climate Change and Security ______________ 47, 4.3. Internet Shutdown ______________________ 49, 4.4. News in Shorts _________________________ 50, 4.4.1. Pinaka Extended Range (Pinaka-ER) _________ 50, 4.4.2. Stand-off Anti-tank (SANT) Missile __________ 50, 4.4.3. Supersonic Missile Assisted Torpedo (SMART) _ 50, 4.4.4. Agni Prime ______________________________ 50, 4.4.5. Controlled Aerial Delivery System-500 (CADS-500), ____________________________________________ 51, 4.4.6. Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile, (VL-SRSAM) __________________________________ 51, 4.4.7. Pralay Missile ___________________________ 51, 4.4.8., Army, Secure, IndiGeneous Messaging, Application(ASIGMA) __________________________ 51, , 5. ENVIRONMENT ________________________ 52, 5.1. Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 __ 52, 5.2. Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 _ 54, 5.3. Development Induced Displacement _______ 56, 5.4. Dam Safety Act, 2019 ____________________ 59, 5.5. Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights, Act ______________________________________ 61, 5.6. News in Shorts _________________________ 64, , 5.6.1. Nairobi Declaration ______________________ 64, 5.6.2. Haiderpur Wetland _______________________ 64, 5.6.3. Global Methane Initiative (GMI) ____________ 64, 5.6.4. Nearly 49k Rural Habitations Affected with Water, Contamination, says Parliamentary Panel Report ____ 64, 3. ECONOMY _____________________________29, 5.6.5. Electricity Capacity from Non-fossil Fuel ______ 65, 3.1. Privatisation of Public Sector Banks ________ 29, 5.6.6. UNDP Plans to Drastically Expand Plastic Waste, 3.2. Financial Stability Report _________________ 31, Management (PWM) in India ____________________ 65, 3.3. FinTech _______________________________ 32, 5.6.7. Boesenbergia albolutea & Boesenbergia rubrolutea, 3.4. Services Domestic Regulations (SDR) _______ 34, ____________________________________________ 65, 3.5. Global Minimum Tax Rate ________________ 36, 5.6.8. Canary Black Bee ________________________ 65, 3.6. PM-KISAN _____________________________ 38, 5.6.9. Ministry of Coal has set up Mission Coking Coal, 3.7. Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Report, (MCC) ______________________________________ 66, 5.6.10. Government Issues Advisory to Carmakers to, on Indian Railways _________________________ 40, Introduce Flex-fuel Engines in Vehicles ____________ 66, 3.8. News in Shorts _________________________ 42, 5.6.11. Agricultural Photovoltaic (Agri-PV) _________ 66, 1, www.visionias.in, ©Vision IAS

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1. POLITY AND GOVERNANCE, 1.1. BALANCE OF RIGHTS AND DUTY, Why in News?, Recently, the Union Law Minister advocated the need to find a, balance between the fundamental rights and duties for the, country’s progress during Constitution Day Celebration., About Rights and Duties, •, , •, , Fundamental to any civilization, rights represent the claims, of an individual which are essential to his or her existence, and development., ○ This includes the economic, social and cultural rights, (ESC rights) recognized by society or State through, legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or, entitlement., Similarly, each person carries certain duties towards other, individuals, society, nation, or humanity as part of society, and its norms., ○ E.g., based on Rita (natural order or truth), Vedas gave, the principles of Dharma (duty) and Karma (action)., , Rights and Duties in Present India, •, , •, , The Constitution of India is the main document, defining, rights and duties of people. E.g., Part III of the Indian, constitution covers Fundamental Rights and Part IVA, covers the Fundamental Duties, i.e., the core duties that, every citizen is expected to perform., ○ Some rights are outside Part III as well. E.g., Right to, Property (Article 300A) which is a constitutional right, and not fundamental., Though both are indispensable, duties have taken, backstage in present India in comparison to rights., ○ E.g., whether it is ‘Right to Life’ or ‘Freedom of Speech, and Expression’, both remain in focus quite, frequently. But in terms of duties, except few like, “corporate social responsibility”, others are talked, about little., , Benefits of Perceiving Rights and Duties Together, •, , •, , 4, , Complementing Nature: Each right comes with a, corresponding obligation to respect and protect the rights, of others., o E.g., if the Media has the right to freedom of speech,, it becomes their duty to respect others’ privacy as, well., Immunize Individual Liberties: Though Rule of Law is state, responsibility, duties ensure that at least the majority of, the population is inclined to uphold law without external, enforcement., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, •, , Ensure Peace and Harmony: Duties taken together with rights help administration in constructive engagement with, people. It helps in building mechanisms to promote a culture of peace and harmony while discouraging acts of, violence and all forms of discrimination., o E.g. If one abides by the Constitution and respects its institutions earnestly (first fundamental duty), peace and, harmony increases. Similarly, conscious decision to abjure violence helps in preserving the vibrancy and, pluralistic nature of society., Help State in Performing its Duty: Without people’s support State can’t ensure all rights., o E.g., To meet the educational and nutritional needs of everyone, State needs the support of parents or individuals, who work on field or help in resource availability by paying taxes., Avoid Narrow Egoism: Common humanity and genuine respect for others’ right require people to overcome, selfishness and to avoid human rights violations. As Giuseppe Mazzini in “The principle of Duty” said:, “With the theory of happiness as the primary aim of existence, we shall only produce egoistic men. We have therefore, to find a principle … which shall guide men toward their own improvement, teach them constancy and self-sacrifice,, and unite them with their fellow men … And this principle is Duty.”, , Issues in Perceiving Rights and Duties Together, •, •, •, •, •, •, , Difference of Nature: Certain rights are acquired by every human being from the moment of birth, but duties need, capable individuals to perform., Rights are precursors to Duties: Without basic dignity and fulfillment of rights, individuals can’t perform their duties., ○ E.g. Without fulfillment of the Right to education, duties of respecting others rights, social justice, gender equality, etc. are difficult to expect., Different legal status: Justiciability is a key feature of rights. Rights can be enforced through writ of the court or, remedy can be sought. But duties are non-enforceable. They only guide or aid to interpret constitutional and legal, issues (AIIMS Students Union v. AIIMS, 1983)., Provide a potential leeway to State from its responsibilities: Protection of Rule of law and human rights is a state, responsibility for which it enjoys special powers under laws. E.g., non-fulfillment of duties cannot be given as a reason, for non-enforcement of rights., Risks of subordination: In a democracy, the fundamental unit of the constitution is an individual. Equal focus on duties, carries risk of individual subordination to collective will., Vague and Subjective Nature: Another issue is the vague nature of duties and its clash with certain religious, principles. E.g., the noble ideals of our freedom struggle cover a wide diversity and at times conflicting interpretations, with other principles., , Way Forward, To preserve human rights and dignity, a minimum balance alongside independent application should be maintained by•, •, , •, •, , 5, , State accepting its primary responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights irrespective of fulfillment, of duties by citizens., Meeting the minimum core rights of each citizen such as the ESC right of individual to ensure an adequate standard, of living before any duties., o Independent Human Rights Institutions for monitoring State institutions (police, judiciary or civil administration), on fulfillment of their obligations to protect human rights and prevent violations., Deepening the roots of democracy to address the fundamental issues of inequality, intolerance etc. based on caste,, creed, religion, region etc. minimizing risks of subordination of rights and maximizing the possibility of fulfillment, of duties., Creating a basic charter for people to cultivate constitutional morality and create responsible citizens. As Article 29, (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, “Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the, free and full development of his personality is possible”., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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1.2. DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES IN GLOBAL GOVERNANCE, Why in News?, Speaking at the first Summit for Democracy, the Prime, Minister (PM) of India advocated for democratic, principles to guide global governance., More about Summit for Democracy, •, •, •, •, , It is a two-stage flagship presidential initiative, from the USA to put democracy and human rights, at the heart of U.S. foreign policy., It brought together leaders from democratic, governments, civil society, and private sector., It aims to bolster democracy from local to global, levels through its three Pillars of focus (as given in, image)., At the summit, the USA launched, its Presidential Initiative for, Democracy Renewal with $424.4, million to bolster democracy from, local to global levels., , Global Governance and Global Risks, Global Governance is a means to, manage issues that cut across national, borders to create a fairer and just, world., •, , •, , •, , •, , It involves a complex of, institutions, policies, norms,, procedures, and initiatives to, coordinate, collective, action, globally and address transnational, challenges., These, interventions, include, providing, public, goods,, developing unified standards, and, ensuring equality and justice, among States and their citizens to, bring, more, predictability,, stability, and order., Amid increasing global risks post, COVID-19, with, worsening, economic and ecological crises, mounting geopolitical and social tensions etc., global risk-management has become, the most crucial common good to protect the idea of a fair world., Democratic principles can help in this idea by creating a far less conflicted world and build prosperous societies while, protecting fundamental freedoms of all without distinction., , Principles of Democracy and its Benefits in Global Governance, •, 6, , The Global State of Democracy Report, 2021 identified five core principles or attributes of democracy with different, distinguishing features of democracy from other forms of governance as given in the infographic., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , Some of the major benefits of these democratic principles in global governance are:, o Help in networking people, corporations, state and international institutions together to build partnerships for, common good., ○ Achieve global development goals, through universally accessible and, citizen-centric public services., o Protecting fundamental freedom, globally by strengthening UN and, other global governance systems, through rules-based regimes., o Promoting contemporary human, interaction by including new age, actors in governance and allowing, increased, segmentation, and, fragmentation of the overall, governance system across different, levels and functional spheres., o Promote Common but differentiated, responsibilities, and, respective, capacities in addressing global issues, through its values of justice., o Establishing an inclusive, accountable and responsible sovereign across nations through control over abuse of, power., o Giving Legitimacy to the government and its decisions. This is visible in little or no rule countries which seek, legitimacy by calling themselves a democracy., , Challenges faced by Democracies, •, •, •, •, , Rising Authoritarianism: As per Global State of Democracy Report (2021), countries moving in an authoritarian, direction in 2020 outnumbered those going in a democratic direction. Similarly, the Freedom House report marked, 2020 as the 15th consecutive year of global freedom in retreat., Questions on Electoral integrity: Whether it was USA or other democracies, the electoral integrity is increasingly, being questioned. Due to pandemic risks, allowing citizens to continue exercising their democratic rights has become, challenging., Corruption: Corruption in public life has remained a major challenge across nations, compromising the health,, education and overall welfare of people., Disinformation: In the last few years, disinformation has become a major tool for subversion of democracies through, propaganda, misuse of technology etc. at local and global level., , Way Forward, With intergovernmental cooperation at the heart of global governance, democratic principles are vital to address, fragmented and complex global governance., It can help in bringing international leaders together if we overcome the challenges to democratic principles through, reforms like:, •, •, •, , 7, , Strengthening democratic values and institutions with enhanced ties between people, and new transnational actors, from the private sector and civil society., Ensure free and fair elections through cooperation among democracies to ensure competitive elections in which, opposition stands a realistic chance of accessing power., Supporting free and independent media to ensure freedom of press, fighting disinformation and prevent government, institutions from using authoritarian means., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , Fighting corruption through novel approaches to harness big data, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies to, detect and prevent fraud and corruption in governance., Advancing technology for Democracy through use of technology companies to preserve open and democratic, societies, and shape global norms on emerging technologies like social media and crypto-currencies., Addressing Democracy Deficits by bolstering democratic reformers and addressing issues of weak institutions or poor, governance., Support transitional democracies and guide regional efforts through partnerships with regional groupings acting as, intermediary bodies. E.g. ASEAN, EU etc., Bring reforms to global institutions such as the UN Security Council and others to increase the voice of democracies, and build partnerships to address global risks., , •, •, •, •, , 1.3. PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE, Why in News?, Centennial celebrations of, Public Accounts Committee, (PAC) were held recently., About, Public, Committee (PAC), •, , •, •, , •, , Accounts, , It, is, the, oldest, Parliamentary, Committee and was first, constituted in 1921, under the provisions of, the Government of India, Act of 1919 (in the wake, of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms)., Committee consists of 22 Members; 15 Members are elected from Lok Sabha and 7 Members from the Rajya, Sabha are associated with it., The Speaker is empowered to appoint the Chairman of the Committee from amongst its members., o W M Hailey was its first president, and Bhupendra Nath Mitra its first Indian president. The last president, before Independence was Liaquat Ali Khan., CAG and PAC, o Until 1966 – 67, the chairman of the committee, • Article 148 provides for an independent office of CAG., belonged to the ruling party. However, since 1967 a, He is the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts, convention has developed whereby the chairman of, Department., the committee is selected invariably from the, • CAG submits three audit reports to the President:, Opposition., o Audit report on appropriation accounts,, It is constituted by Parliament each year for, o Audit report on finance accounts, and, o Audit report on public undertakings., examination of accounts showing the appropriation of, sums granted by Parliament for expenditure of • The President lays these reports before both the, Houses of Parliament., Government of India, the annual Finance Accounts of, •, After this, the Public Accounts Committee examines, Government of India, and such other accounts laid, them and reports its findings to the Parliament., before Parliament as the Committee may deem fit such, as accounts of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies., o Accounts of those of Public Undertakings and Government Companies which come under the purview of the, Committee on Public Undertakings are exempted., , Major Functions of PAC, •, 8, , Scrutiny and Examinations of Accounts: It scrutinizes the Appropriation Accounts of the Government of India and, the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, •, , •, , It examines the statement of accounts showing the income and expenditure of State Corporations, trading and, manufacturing schemes, projects and autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies., Regularisation of Expenditure by satisfying itself that, o The amount shown in the accounts as having been disbursed was legally available for, and applicable to, the, service or purpose to which have been applied or charged., o Expenditure conforms to the authority which governs it., o Every re-appropriation has been made in accordance with the provisions made in this behalf under rules framed, by competent authority., Others, o Consider the report of the C&AG in cases, where the President may have required him to, conduct an audit of any receipts., o Discuss points of financial discipline and, principle, without getting concerned with, questions of policy in the broad sense., , Importance of PAC, •, , •, , •, , Maintain high standards of public morality in, financial matters by keeping a check on indiscretion, in the implementation of policies and programmes, approved by Parliament and also make, recommendations to streamline the administration, for, efficient,, speedy, and, economical, implementation of policy., Ensure expenditure is incurred in a prudent, manner by holding Executive accountable for its use, of public money and also keeps a vigil on the, spending and performance of the government, to, bring to light inefficiencies, wasteful expenditure., PAC reports provide valuable information and, feedback to the various stakeholders including the, policy makers. Citizens can use this report to, question their representatives and hold the public servants to account., , Way forward for strengthening the functioning of PAC, Following recommendations were made at the All India Conference of the Chairpersons of the PAC of Parliament and, State/ UTs Legislatures:, •, , •, •, •, •, •, 9, , Better relationship w.r.t CAG: PAC should be consulted before the appointment of CAG and CAG should be made, accountable to the legislature., o CAG reports should be more current, and their examination should also be quicker so that the issues are dealt, quickly., Wider ambit: PACs should take up suo-motu cognisance of public issues and government’s flagship programmes and, examine financial wrong-doings., Discussion in Parliament: In each Session, at least two-and-a-half hours, should be allocated for discussion and debate, on PAC recommendations vis-à-vis action taken by the Ministries., Public opinion: PAC, before finalizing their reports, should provide an opportunity to the members of public to give, their reactions on the recommendations. Also, PAC proceedings should be open to the press except in sensitive, matters., Binding recommendations: PAC recommendations should be made binding on the government., Help from external experts: Services of experts should be availed by PAC on technical matters. Also, PAC should get, the powers to examine the retired officials also., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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1.4. ELECTION LAWS (AMENDMENT) BILL, Why in news?, The Election Laws, (Amendment) Bill, 2021, was passed by the, Parliament., About the bill, •, , The Bill amends, the Representation, of the People Act,, 1950 (the RP Act,, 1950) and, the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (the RP Act, 1951) to implement certain electoral reforms., Changes introduced are given in below table:, , •, , Area, Linking, electoral, roll data with, Aadhaar, (by, amendment, of, section 23 of the RP, Act, 1950), , Existing provisions, • The 1950 Act provides that a person may apply to, the electoral registration officer for inclusion of, their name in the electoral roll of a constituency., • After verification, if the officer is satisfied that the, applicant is entitled to registration, he will direct the, applicant’s name to be included in the electoral roll., , Qualifying date for, enrolment, in, electoral roll (by, amendment, of, clause (b) of section, 14 of the RP Act,, 1950), Gender-neutral, provisions, (by, amendment, of, section 20 of the RP, Act, 1950 and, section 60 of the RP, Act, 1951), , •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , Requisitioning of, premises, for, election purposes, 10, , •, , Under the 1950 Act, the qualifying date for, enrolment in the electoral roll is January 1 of the, year in which such roll is being prepared or revised., This implies a person who turns 18 (i.e., eligible to, vote) after January 1 can enrol in the electoral roll, only when the roll is prepared/ revised the next, year., The 1950 Act permits certain persons who are, ordinarily resident in a constituency to register in, electoral rolls. Such persons include those holding a, service qualification, such as members of the armed, forces or central government employees posted, outside India., The wives of such persons are also deemed to be, ordinarily residing in the same constituency if they, reside with them., The 1951 Act enables the wife of a person holding a, service qualification to vote either in person or by, postal ballot., The 1951 Act permits the state government to, requisition premises needed or likely to be needed, www.visionias.in, , Changes brought, • The electoral registration officer may, require a person to furnish their Aadhaar, number for establishing their identity., • If their name is already in the electoral roll,, then the Aadhaar number may be required, for authentication of entries in the roll., • Persons will not be denied inclusion in the, electoral roll or have their names deleted, from the roll, if they are unable to furnish, Aadhaar number due to sufficient cause as, prescribed., o Such persons may be permitted to furnish, alternate documents prescribed by the, central government., • The Bill amends this to provide four, qualifying dates in a calendar year, which, will be January 1, April 1, July 1, and, October 1., , •, , The Bill replaces the term ‘wife’ with, ‘spouse’ in both the Acts., , •, , The Bill expands the purposes for which, such premises can be requisitioned., ©Vision IAS

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(amendment, of, section 160 of the, RP Act, 1951), , for being used as polling stations, or for storing, ballot boxes after a poll has been conducted., , •, , These include using the premises for, counting, storage of voting machines and, poll-related material, and accommodation, of security forces and polling personnel., , Significance of the Bill, •, , •, •, •, , To stop bogus voting: Linking of electoral roll data with the Aadhaar ecosystem will help in curbing the menace of, multiple enrolments of the same person in different places. The bill allows the electoral registration officers to, authenticate the persons already included in the electoral roll to identify registration of same person in more, than one constituency or more than once in the same constituency., o Thus, it will help in cleaning the electoral roll to a great extent and facilitate elector registration in the location, at which they are ‘ordinarily resident’., o A Parliamentary Standing Committee report had advocated linkage of unique Aadhaar ID Card number with, voter I-card which would streamline alterations in Electoral photo ID card (EPIC) during change of ordinary, residence by the electors., Improving the accessibility to voting: Linking the two databases will allow the ECI to track migrant workers and, improve their election participation., Multiple cut-off dates: The January 1 cut-off date deprived several youth from participating in the electoral exercise, held in a particular year. Multiple cut-off dates will allow more eligible people to be registered as voters., Gender neutral: Under existing provisions, an Army man’s wife is entitled to be enrolled as a service vo ter, but a, woman Army officer’s husband is not. The bill seeks to redress discrimination against male spouses of female, armed services employees., , Concerns associated with the Bill, •, , •, •, , •, •, •, , 11, , Discretion with electoral officer: Electoral officer has uncanalised discretion since the law does not prescribe any, guiding principles to decide when an Aadhaar number may be “required”., o Moreover, the Central government has the final say in prescribing “sufficient cause” under which an individual, will be permitted to enter or remain on the electoral rolls, in case of inability to furnish Aadhaar., Burden of proof shifts: Instead of the Government proactively ensuring registration on the electoral rolls (such as, through house-to-house verification) to achieve universal adult franchise, the burden now shifts to individuals who, may be unable/unwilling to link their Aadhaar to justify their retention on the rolls., Risk of disenfranchisement: Using Aadhaar to clean the electoral rolls is fraught with the risk of disenfranchisement,, especially of the marginalised communities. The inclusion and exclusion errors of Aadhaar database would cascade, to the electoral database., o A study in Latin America revealed that countries with a single form of ID were likely to have fewer citizens, participating in the electoral process since they were unable to prove their identity., o In 2015, media reports highlighted that lakhs of voters in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were reportedly, excluded from the electoral process due to the practice of linking Aadhaar numbers with electoral ID., Political profiling: By linking electoral IDs with Aadhaar numbers, it is easier to track which voter has accessed welfare, subsidies and benefits using their Aadhaar. This can be used by political parties to selectively target their messages, to specific voters., Passed in haste: The bill has been passed without putting up the legislative text for public consultations beforehand,, and without any discussion. This undermines the fundamental premise of a parliamentary democracy i.e. to allow, elected representatives the opportunity to voice the concerns of their constituents over laws that affect them., Other issues with usage of Aadhaar: Aadhaar project is being used for purposes far beyond the stated “welfare”, purpose that was upheld by the Supreme Court of India in the Aadhaar judgment as the basis for the introduction, of the Aadhaar Act as a Money Bill in Parliament., o Further, Aadhaar was only meant to be an identity proof, not an address proof. In contrast, the Registration of, Electors Rules, 1960 (formulated under RPA 1950) clearly stipulates address to be a key index for electoral rolls., ✓ Also, Aadhaar is not meant to be a citizenship proof. Residence of 182 days can make even a non-citizen, eligible for an Aadhaar ID and thus voting., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , o, , o, , The enrolment processes for voters’ lists and Aadhaar are completely different. Whereas Aadhaar enrolment is, based on production of existing documents, voter enrolments involve physical verification and “house visits”, by a registration officer or representative., Maintenance of the voters’ lists is a primary responsibility of the ECI, an independent constitutional body, whereas, UIDAI is under government control. Since the ECI has no control on either enrolment or deduplication in Aadhaar,, it appears a potential conflict of interest to use Aadhaar for electoral rolls., There are no publicly available audit reports either on the efficacy of Aadhaar deduplication or on the, authenticity of the Aadhaar database., , Conclusion, Keeping in mind the above-mentioned concerns, suitable institutional and technological mechanisms need to be, developed before the move is implemented such as steadfast implementation of Personal Data Protection Law. Further,, given the tricky and contentious nature of issues, need for adequate debate and discussions cannot be over-emphasised., , 1.5. ANTI-CONVERSION LAWS, Why in news?, The Karnataka legislative Assembly passed The Karnataka Right to Freedom of, Religion Bill, 2021, commonly referred to as the anti-conversion Bill. The Bill will, now go to the Karnataka Legislative Council., Key features of the bill, •, , •, •, , 12, , Prohibition: It prohibits conversion from one religion to another by, misrepresentation, force, fraud, allurement, or marriage. However, it, exempts a person who “reconverts to his immediate previous religion” as, the same shall not be deemed to be a conversion under this Act., Nature of offence: The offence of conversion has been deemed to be a, cognizable and non-bailable., Penalties: Jail terms and fines have been proposed., , www.visionias.in, , States that have anti-conversion laws, Currently, there are at least nine states, in the country where legislations on, unlawful conversions are in force:, • Odisha,, • Madhya Pradesh,, • Arunachal Pradesh,, • Gujarat,, • Himachal Pradesh,, • Chhattisgarh,, • Jharkhand,, • Uttarakhand and, • Uttar Pradesh, , ©Vision IAS

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Rationale behind anti-conversion laws:, •, •, •, , •, , Fear of change in demography: Anti-conversion laws are considered a remedial measure to the problem of, conversion which is considered as a way to bring demographic change., Not blanket ban on prohibition: The laws are not brought to stop the conversion but are intended to prohibit, conversions that are effectuated by force, inducement, or fraud. Supporter of these laws argue that since present, instances of such conversions are high, these laws are designed to criminalise such activities., Strengthens religious freedom: Since they provide stringent provisions for forced or induced conversion, they are, considered as necessary safeguards for the protection of religious freedom, a right guaranteed both constitutionally, and in international human rights instruments., o The freedom given in the Article 25 of Indian Constitution is not absolute but subject to the restrictions as public, order, health, morality, and other fundamental rights., o India’s legal dispensation only recognizes the conversion which is not done with inducement or threat., Constituent assembly debates: During CA debates, Sardar Patel had expressed concern about forceful conversion, which later became as the moral base of anti-conversion laws in India. Another member Ananthasayanam Ayyangar, had proposed that conversion should be banned and conversion only on oath before a judge should be permitted., , Issues with the anti-conversion laws, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, 13, , Legal challenges to anti-conversion laws and pertinent verdicts on the, , subject, Burden of proof: The burden of proof, • Rev. Stainislaus vs State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors (1977): It examined, that the conversion was ‘lawful’ lies on, the earliest anti-conversion statutes in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa., the person who has ‘caused’ the, Court upheld the constitutionality of both the Acts on the ground that, conversion and where such conversion, these efforts to restrain the conversion are for securing freedom of, has been facilitated by any person, on, conscience and public order., such other person., o Freedom to propagate one’s religion, as stipulated under Article 25, o Thus, laws reportedly focus, (1), did not grant a fundamental right to convert another person., more on prosecuting the, The bench ruled that a purposive conversion would impinge on the, ‘convertor’ and opinion of the, “freedom of conscience” guaranteed to all citizens., person who has converted is, o It also held that the Anti- Conversion Acts fall within the purview of, Entry I of List II of the Seventh Schedule as they are meant to avoid, considered less., disturbances to the public order by prohibiting conversion from one, Lack of equitable treatment: It is argued, religion to another in a manner reprehensible to the conscience of, that the anti-conversion laws both by, the community., their design and implementation, • Sarla Mudgal case (1995): Supreme Court held that conversion to Islam, infringe, upon the individual’s right to, was not valid if done only in order to be able to practise polygamy., convert and may favour one religion, o This position was reaffirmed by the apex court’s judgment in the Lilly, over other., Thomas case in 2000, which clarified that prosecution for bigamy, Creates an atmosphere of fear: Reports, was not a violation of the freedom of religion under Article 25., suggest that though there are very rare • Lata Singh Vs State of UP: The apex court highlighted the need for, instances of prosecution or arrest under, stringent punishment over acts of violence or threats in cases of intercaste and inter-faith marriages., anti-conversion laws, but they create the, •, M Chandra Vs M Thangamuthu & Another, 2010, the Supreme Court laid, atmosphere of fear amongst the couples, down the test to prove conversion: First, there has to be a conversion, willing to do inter-faith marriages., and second, acceptance into the community to which the person, o There have been reports regarding, converted. It also stated that the need of a conversion cannot be, incidents of arrest of some minority, altogether done away with., leaders under these anti-conversion, • Ga Arife alias Arti Sharma Vs Gopal Dutt Sharma, 2010, and in Faheem, laws., Ahmed Vs Maviya, 2011: The Delhi high court lamented that religious, Vague nature and wide scope: The, conversions are increasingly used for anything but the primary reason, terms used in such laws like force, fraud,, for conversion i.e., spiritual advancement., allurement etc. are loosely defined,, leaving wide scope for misuse. The misreading of laws could result in instances of physical attacks following, accusations of wrongful conversions. They are also believed to deepen communal fault lines., Against freedom of religion: Religion or spirituality is the most integral part of human nature and thus any undue, ban on it can be a gross violation of human rights., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , o, o, , Several important international documents recognize the concept of freedom of religion like Article 18 of the, Universal declaration of human rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, (ICCPR)., They are also antithetical to the freedoms granted by provisions in the Special Marriage Act under which persons, belonging to two different religions get married., They also raise concerns about the privacy of individuals who wish to adopt other religions and the liberty of an, individual to choose a partner from another religion., , Conclusion, The constitutional validity of the anti-conversion laws in at least four states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh is pending before the Supreme Court. Court has agreed to test the validity of these laws, but has refused to put a stay on them. Any challenge to these laws would require the Supreme Court to relook at its, Stainislaus judgment while also taking the right to privacy judgment into account., , 1.5.1. SACRILEGE, Why in news?, Punjab government has written to centre for assent to state’s bill that proposes life imprisonment for desecration of, religious scriptures of four religions., More about news, •, •, , Request has been made in the backdrop of a sacrilege incident at the Holy Sikh temple in Amritsar., The Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 2018 had passed ‘The Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Code, of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018’ as states can amend parts of IPC and CrPC to suit local, practices and circumstances., o Bills provide for punishment up to life imprisonment for whoever causes injury, damage or sacrilege to Shri, Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagwat Gita, Holy Quran and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious, feelings of the people., , About Sacrilege, •, •, •, , •, , Need of Blasphemy laws in India, • To protect religious sentiments as guaranteed by the, Indian constitution as India is a secular country. Also, the, Fundamental rights assure religious freedom to all., • To maintain communal harmony as incidents such as, these sow seeds of distrust and an environment of, stress in the community., • To prevent mobocracy as most sacrilege incidents have, resulted in mob lynching which is a grave danger to, principles of democracy that are fundamental to the, country., • To maintain law and order in the state., , Also termed as Blasphemy, it means treating a religious, object or place without the respect that it deserves., Unlike other countries like Pakistan, India being a secular, state protects all the religions by blasphemy laws., Sections 295 and 295A, 296, 297, 298 of the Indian Penal, Code (IPC) presently deals with blasphemy incidents., o Section 295 deals with punishment if any, person intentionally damages, destroys or defiles, any religious object deemed to be sacred by, followers of any religion in India, including objects other than idols and books., o Section 295A deals with punishment if a person maliciously by words spoken or written or signs or by visible, representation insults or attempts to insult religious sentiments., However, concerns have also been raised as blasphemy laws may be used to hound individuals from religious, minorities and even fellow religious mates for sectarian and personal motives., , Way Forward, •, •, , 14, , Though blasphemy laws limit an individual’s right to the freedom of expression and speech, but if its objective is, reasonable then such laws may be drafted with suitable safeguards., Also, the solution is as social as political and the key lies in making people educated, sensitizing them around the, true happenings and sowing seeds of tolerance and respect for all religions in the society., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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1.6. JUDICIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN INDIA, Why in news?, Chief Justice of India has proposed creation of a National Judicial Infrastructure Authority of India (NJIAI)., About NJIAI, •, •, , The NJIAI’s objective will be to take control of the budgeting and infrastructure development of subordinate courts, in the country., Key features of the proposed body, o It will be established on the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) model, where by it would work as a, central agency with each State having its own State Judicial Infrastructure Authority., ✓ NALSA provides free Legal Services to the weaker sections of the society having overall national body along, with similar entities at state and district levels., o The Chief Justice of India would be the patron-in-chief of the NJIAI and it would be placed under Supreme Court, of India, unlike NALSA which is under Ministry of Law and Justice., o In the NJIAI there would be a few High Court judges as members, and some Central Government officials., , Judicial Infrastructure in India, •, , •, , •, •, , Judicial infrastructure includes the physical premises of, courts, tribunals, lawyers’ chambers etc., o It also involves the digital and human resources, infrastructure, including the availability of all the, resources that are essential to ensure timely, dispensation of justice., Efficient “judicial infrastructure” means providing, equal and free access to justice which can be realised, through a “barrier free and citizen friendly, environment”., At present, primary responsibility of development of, infrastructure facilities for judiciary rests with state, governments., Central Government augments the resources of the, State Governments by releasing financial assistance, under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the, Development of Judicial Infrastructure., , CSS for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary, • Its objective is to assist the state government in, construction of court buildings and residential quarters, for Judicial Officers (JO) in all the States / UTs., • Union government has recently extended the scheme for, the period from 2021 to 2026., • Assistance granted under the scheme also includes funds, for implementation of the Gram Nyayalayas Scheme as a, part of the National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal, Reforms (NMJDLR)., o Gram Nyayalayas or village courts are established, under Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 for speedy and, easy access to the justice system in the rural areas of, India., o NMJDLR was setup in 2011 to increase access to, justice by reducing delays and arrears in the system., , Need for such reforms in Judicial infrastructure, •, , •, , •, , 15, , Poor state of judicial infrastructure in the country: The, total sanctioned strength of judicial officers in the, country is 24,280, but the number of court halls, available is just 20,143, including 620 rented halls., o 26% of court complexes do not have separate ladies’ toilets., o Only 32% of the courtrooms have separate record rooms and only 51% of court complexes have a library., Positive correlation between adequate judicial infrastructure and productivity in justice delivery: Adequate and, quality judicial infrastructure are the basic pre-requisite for judges, lawyers, and judicial officers to efficiently perform, their responsibilities while dispensing justice, o According to NMJDR, adequacy of judicial infrastructure is a pre-condition for reducing delay and backlogs in, cases. (Present backlog: 3.3 crore cases), Improve digitisation program of government: In the backdrop of COVID 19 pandemic and the shift towards digital, mode, it is all the more important to ensure modernization of judicial infrastructure in the country., o At present, 73% of court rooms have no video-conferencing facility., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, •, , Lack of accountability: In the absence of a dedicated special purpose vehicle or body for the purpose of enhancing, judicial infrastructure, nobody is willing to take responsibility to execute infrastructure projects., o Most district judges, who head trial courts, also do not vigorously pursue development projects due to shortterm appointments and transferable jobs among others., Underutilisation of funds: Some states transfer part of the funds for non-judicial purposes., o Of a total of ₹981.98 crore sanctioned in 2019-20 under CSS, only ₹84.9 crore was utilised by a combined five, States, rendering the remaining 91.36% funds unused., Implementation issue: Improvement and maintenance of judicial infrastructure is still being carried out in an ad-hoc, and unplanned manner owing to lack of a single dedicated agency for the purpose., , Other Reforms need to improve Judicial Infrastructure, •, •, , •, •, •, •, , Increasing budgetary allocation to judicial branch: According to the recently released India Justice Report, between, 2011-12 and 2015-2016, India’s annual average spending on the judiciary was just 0.08% of the GDP., Delegating Administrative Functions: Presently, the respective registries of the courts are mostly tasked with carrying, out the judiciary’s administrative functions., o In countries like UK, US and Canada, the administrative functions of courts and tribunals including infrastructure, and financial resources are supported by a separate professional agency., Ensuring Barrier-Free Access: Adequate provisioning of availability of ramps, tactile pavements and braille notices for, those with visual impairment, and separate washrooms designated for persons with disabilities., Improve shortage of staff in Judiciary: By improving upon collegium system for higher judiciary and removing delay, in recruitment made by state commission/high courts for lower judiciary., Using Technology: IT can be leveraged for video conferencing, streamlining procedures and for case management, systems like e-library of cases. Also, artificial intelligence may be used for assisting judges and lawyers., Decentralising high courts and establishment of more benches., , Conclusion, Institutionalising the mechanism for augmenting and creating state-of-the-art judicial infrastructure will help in delivering, quantitative and qualitative justice and ensure the bell of justice rings at the door of those deprived and underprivileged., , 1.7. NEWS IN SHORTS, 1.7.1. 75 YEARS OF THE HISTORIC FIRST, SITTING OF CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, (CA), •, , •, , 16, , CA met for the first time in New Delhi on December 9,, 1946 in the Central Hall of Parliament House., o Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946 (comprising of, Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stanfford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander) created the CA of India., ✓ The Assembly was recognized by Section 8 of, the Indian Independence Act, 1947., Composition: Members were chosen by indirect, election by the members of the Provincial Legislative, Assemblies, according to the scheme recommended, by the Cabinet Mission., o The arrangement was, ✓ 292 members were elected through the, Provincial Legislative Assemblies, ✓ 93 members represented the Indian Princely, States and, , •, •, , ✓ 4 members represented the Chief, Commissioners', Provinces., (Total, membership of 389)., o However, as a result of the partition under the, Mountbatten Plan of 3 June, 1947, a separate, Constituent Assembly was set up for Pakistan and, representatives of some Provinces ceased to be, members of the Assembly. As a result, the, membership of the Assembly was reduced to 299., First sitting of the Assembly was presided over by Dr, Sachchidananda Sinha., CA took two years, eleven months and seventeen days, for drafting the Constitution for Independent India., , 1.7.2. SPECIAL ASSISTANCE MEASURE, (SAM) EXTENDED TO ANDHRA PRADESH, IN LIEU OF SPECIAL CATEGORY STATES, (SCS) STATUS, •, , www.visionias.in, , As per obligation emanating from the Andhra Pradesh, Reorganisation Act, 2014, the recommendations of the, Finance Commissions, NITI Aayog report, the Special, ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , Assistance Measure to the Successor State of Andhra, Pradesh was extended., o SAM will be provided by way of repayment of loan, and interest for the Externally Aided Projects, (EAPs) signed and disbursed during 2015-16 to, 2019-20 by the State., SCS, first introduced in 1969, is a classification given by, Centre to assist in the development of those states that, face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages, like hilly terrains, strategic international borders,, economic and infrastructural backwardness, and nonviable state finances., o The Fourteenth Finance Commission restricted SCS, only to the north-eastern and three hilly states., Under SCS, Central government bears 90% of the state, expenditure on all centrally-sponsored schemes and, external aid while rest 10% is given as loan to state at, zero percent rate of interest., o Unspent money does not lapse and is carried, forward., o States with SCS are exempted from customs duty,, corporate tax, income tax and other taxes to, attract investment., , 1.7.3., PURCHASE/TRANSFER, IMMOVABLE PROPERTY BY OCI, •, , •, , 17, , 1.7.4. DELIMITATION COMMISSION (DC), PROPOSES SIX ADDITIONAL SEATS FOR, JAMMU, ONE FOR KASHMIR VALLEY, •, , •, •, , •, , OF, , RBI has clarified that Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), do not require approval for purchase or transfer of, immovable property in India other than in the case of, agricultural land, farm house or plantation property., o The clarification came as RBI had received several, queries based on reports on a Supreme Court, judgement., o The judgement was related to provisions of FERA,, 1973 which has been repealed under Section 49 of, FEMA, 1999, Purchase and acquisition of immovable properties in, India, by OCIs:, o Governed by Foreign Exchange Management Act, (FEMA), 1999., o There is no restriction as to the number of, residential or commercial property that can be, purchased., ✓ They are also allowed to acquire any, residential or commercial property by way of, gift from any of his NRI, OCI or a resident, relative., o Though OCIs are not allowed to buy agricultural, land farm, house or plantation property in India,, they are allowed to inherit the same from any, person resident in India., , •, , DC was set up under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, after Centre abrogated Article 370 and revoked Jammu, and Kashmir’s (J&K) special status in August 2019., o If the proposal is cleared, total Assembly, constituencies in J&K to rise from 83 to 90, with, 43 in Jammu (earlier 37) and 47 in Kashmir (earlier, 46)., o An additional 24 seats are proposed to be reserved, for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)., Delimitation is the process of fixing boundaries of, territorial constituencies in a country or a state having, legislative body., It is assigned to a high-power body known as DC or a, Boundary Commission., o Under Article 82, Parliament enacts a Delimitation, Act after every Census establishing a DC., o Under Article 170, States get divided into, territorial constituencies., DC has been constituted 4 times in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002., o It is appointed by the President and its orders, have force of law and cannot be challenged before, any court., Composition: Three members:, o A serving or retired judge of Supreme Court as, chairperson,, o Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) or Election, Commissioner nominated by CEC., o State Election Commissioner of concerned, state/UT., , 1.7.5. GOOD GOVERNANCE INDEX (GGI), 2021 LAUNCHED ON GOOD GOVERNANCE, DAY (25 TH DECEMBER), •, , •, , www.visionias.in, , GGI assesses the State of Governance across States, and UTs which enables ranking of States/Districts and, provides a comparative picture while developing, competitive spirit for improvement., o It is a bi-annual exercise by Department of, Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances., Objective is to create a tool that can be used uniformly, across States/UTS to assess the impact of various, interventions taken up by the Central and State, Governments., o Ten sectors were identified (refer infographic) for, the GGI 2020- 21., o States have been categorised into four groups:, North-East and Hill States, UTs, Other States –, Group A and Group B., ©Vision IAS

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•, , Key Highlights of the Index, o Twenty states have improved their composite GGI, scores over the 2019 index scores., o In Group A states, Gujarat has topped the, composite ranking while Madhya Pradesh topped, in Group B states., o Delhi topped the UT category ranking., o In North-East and Hill States category, Himachal, Pradesh topped the ranking., , ✓ The restricted executive powers to mayors is, seen as one of the major reasons for, inefficiency and mismanagement in urban, governance., Measures to be taken, o A direct mandate from urban residents adds to, the legitimacy and accountability of the mayor’s, office., o Fixed tenures for mayors offer greater continuity, as opposed to state-appointed bureaucrats who, can be abruptly transferred., , •, , 1.7.7., MADHYA, PRADESH, (MP), ANNOUNCED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF, A POLICE COMMISSIONERATE SYSTEM, (PCS) IN BHOPAL AND INDORE, •, , 1.7.6. ALL INDIA MAYORS' CONFERENCE, •, •, , •, , 18, , As many as 120 mayors from various states are, participating in the conference whose theme is 'New, Urban India'., Mayors/Chairpersons of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are, the political and executive head of the municipal, body., o At present, mayors are elected by city councillors, who themselves are directly elected by urban, voters., Issues with the office of Mayor, o Short tenure: The Annual Survey of India’s CitySystems (ASICS) 2017 found that a tenure of five, years for Mayors is available only in a fifth of the, biggest cities., ✓ 74th Constitutional Amendment has not, prescribed the mode of election or tenure of, mayors., o Lacks executive authority: Mayors assume a, largely titular position with the governmentappointed municipal commissioner holding, executive power., , PCS is proposed by citing growing population and, geographical, expansion, and, accompanying, administrative and law & order problems., o Various committees constituted to suggest police, reforms have also recommended PCS in cities, which have a population of more than 10 lakhs., Dual, Command, System, • District Magistrate, (DM), and, Superintendent of, Police (SP) share, powers, and, responsibilities in a, district., • A ‘dual system’ of, control exists, in, which SP has to, work with DM for, supervising police, administration., o DM is entrusted, with, issuing, arrest warrants,, licenses while SP, has powers and, responsibilities, to, investigate, crime and make, arrests., • It is designed to, ensure a lower, concentration, of, power and making, the police more, accountable to DM, at district level., , www.visionias.in, , Commissionerate System, • Commissioner of Police (CP) is the, head of a unified police command, structure, is responsible for the, force in the city, and is accountable, to the state government., • The office also has magisterial, powers, including those related to, regulation, control, and licensing., o CP is drawn from the Deputy, Inspector General rank or, above, and is assisted by, Special/Joint/Additional/Deputy, Commissioners., • Such officers are provided with, powers of preventive arrest,, imposing Section 144 and also, initiating chapter proceedings., o Police also have power to, prevent people from entering, and removing a person from, their, jurisdiction, for, a, maximum of two years., • It is supposed to allow for faster, decision-making to solve complex, urban-centric issues., , ©Vision IAS

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1.7.8. DEFAULT BAIL, •, •, , 19, , National Investigation Agency has approached, Supreme Court against a Bombay High Court order, granting bail to activist Sudha Bharadwaj., Default or statutory bail is a right (regardless of the, nature of crime) to bail that accrues when police fail, , •, , www.visionias.in, , to complete investigation within a specified period in, respect of a person in judicial custody., o It is enshrined in Code of Criminal Procedure., For most offences, police have 60 days to complete the, investigation and file a final report before the court., o However, for some offences there is a 90 days or, 180 days limit also., , ©Vision IAS

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2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, 2.1. UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF 1971 INDO -PAK WAR, Why in News?, Commemorating 50 years of India’s victory in 1971, war, the nation paid tribute to the brave Indian, soldiers for their sacrifice which ensured victory in, the war., What was the context behind the war?, •, , •, , •, , •, , The Indian subcontinent represents a, geographically unique region with long shared, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and historical ties,, especially with immediate neighbors., ○ E.g. Nepal with UP-Bihar, Bangladesh with, West Bengal-Assam, present day Pakistan, with bordering Indian states etc., Under the ‘Partition of India’, the territory of, Pakistan was divided into two distinct, geographies, i.e. West Pakistan (now Pakistan), and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)., With West Pakistan’s dominance over, institutions such as Parliament, Judiciary etc., the, people of East Pakistan soon started to face injustice and suppression on various fronts such as○ At Social Level: The Bengali ethnic identity and language didn’t get due recognition. E.g. Urdu was declared as the, national language despite Bengali or Bangla speaking majority (58% population- 1951 census) and people, movement for it (recognized only as State Language later)., ○ At Economic Level: Low representation of East Pakistan people in jobs, including Army and Civil Administration,, with almost 400% gap in per capita income of two regions., ○ At Political Level: The nation was largely controlled by military leaders (Ayub Khan from 1958-69 and Yahya Khan, from 1969-71). The West Pakistan further failed in✓ Meeting greater autonomy demands of East Pakistan in 1966, and, ✓ Democratic transfer of power to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after his party (Awami League) landslide victory in, the 1970 election., Soon, it turned into forceful suppression of East Pakistan, i.e. killing of unarmed civilians, mass exodus and rape, under Operation Searchlight and in turn Bangladesh Liberation War., , Why did India enter into the war?, •, •, •, •, , 20, , Threat to Humanity: The atrocities on the people of then East Pakistan involved blatant misconduct and the injustice, was a threat to others, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere'., Mass Exodus of People: By November 1971 nearly 10 million refugees entered into India because of atrocities,, creating a huge socio-economic challenge for Border States., Silence of the Western nations over atrocities: Despite repeated Indian requests, UN and other nations like US failed, to move towards a peaceful solution to prevent annihilation of a community., Pakistan aggression against India: Finally, the air-strikes on Indian territory from West Pakistan on 03 December, 1971, under Operation ‘Chengiz Khan’, dragged India into war in order to uphold peace, justice and humanity., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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What has been the impact of the War?, The 13-day war of 1971 between India-Pakistan is a landmark geopolitical event in the history of the sub-continent., Besides the liberation of Bangladesh, it changed the history and geography of South Asia with its repercussions felt, beyond the region. The major impact of war includes:, Nation/Institution, India, , Pakistan, , Bangladesh, , USA, , 21, , Major Impact, Domestically, it gave only a temporary relief from huge influx of refugees with rise of internal movements, (e.g. Assam Movement) but at geopolitical and strategic level it helped India to:, • Protection of vital Sea Lines of Communication in Indian Ocean, especially the narrow passages in Bay, of Bengal like the ten-degree Channel;, • Protect ‘Chicken-Neck’ or ‘Siliguri Corridor’ through a more peaceful neighbor;, • Address the land and maritime border disputes peacefully. E.g. the Land Boundary Agreement in 2015, between India and Bangladesh;, • Curb insurgency in Northeast through cooperation with Bangladesh (often used by insurgents from, Nagaland and Assam); and, • Diplomatic and Tactical gains by India in terms of global relationship (e.g. BIMSTEC with Bangladesh as, member of it) improved armed forces coordination and knowledge on special operations., Military gained more say in the governance of the nation by blaming parliamentary system and government, mismanagement as reasons behind its loss with:, • Start of Nuclear Program in 1972, and, • Adoption of Indirect war strategy against India. E.g. Terrorism., Helped the people of Bangladesh to protect their identity and draw their own destiny through peaceful coexistence based on historical relationships. Independence also helped Bangladesh in:, • Emerging as a major garment exporter of the world., • Build bilateral relationship with India and other nations, and, • Jointly work with like-minded nations for growth and prosperity., Due to US’s role in formation of US-Pakistan-China group and deployment of its 7th fleet (USS Enterprise) in, Bay of Bengal to deter India and prevent the liberation of Bangladesh, the:, • India-US relationship deteriorated at that point of time and remains as a point of distrust in the, relationship;, • Loss of face by going against protection of human rights and democratic values., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Soviet Union, , United Nation (UN), , Recognition as a ‘Stabilizing Factor’ and reduced influence of USA in the South Asian Region. This was due, to events like• Signing of ‘Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation’ with India for assured military and diplomatic, support in the event of war,, • Increased acceptance due to its recognition to the policy of non-alignment., The muted UN response and UNSC attempt to have a ceasefire soon after Pakistan attack on India (04, December, Vetoed by Soviet Union) showed:, • The need for reforms in the institution in order to protect democratic values and basic human rights., • The prevalent dominance of the Western Nations (especially US) in the global institutions., , Conclusion, The 13-day war was not just a blitzkrieg operation to change the political structure of a nation. It was a war to protect, the moral and democratic traditions. Thus, the Swarnim Vijay Parv is a celebration of the political leadership and, professionalism of our armed forces, as well as of the country, considered as the oldest living civilization of the world., , 2.2. EMERGING BRI ALTERNATIVES: OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIA?, Why in News?, Recently, the European Commission, launched ‘Global Gateway’, EU strategy, on global infrastructure financing with the, aim to mobilize up to €300 billion in, investments between 2021-2027., China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), •, , •, •, •, , Launched in 2013 as One Belt One, Road, BRI is a Chinese infrastructure, development project to fund the, development of land and sea routes, to link Asia, Africa, and Europe., Today, it is the largest and most, ambitious global infrastructure financing and development initiative of the world., Estimates suggest that BRI has invested in more than 2,600 projects in over 100 countries with an estimated cost of, $3.7 trillion. This includes ports, railways, energy, digital networks etc., Potential benefits of BRI:, o Boost regional connectivity and modernize facilities (port and airports);, o Improve mobility to access new markets;, o Harness new energy resources;, o Improving overall efficiency and competitiveness of economy etc., , What are the concerns associated with BRI?, •, •, •, •, , 22, , Lack of Transparency: BRI lacks transparency on its strategy or purpose which has been highlighted by several African, countries., Debt-trap diplomacy: Due to unsustainable debt burden, BRI has emerged as a tool to exert undue pressure and gain, political leverage against a defaulting nation. E.g. China took the Hambantota port of Sri Lanka for 99 years over the, issue of loan default., Violation of Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity: Through projects like China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), BRI, violates the principles of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. Similar approach may guide its future, projects., Expand Global Dominance: With apprehensions on dual-use of ports and digital networks, BRI is seen as a statebacked campaign for Chinese global dominance., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , Use of unethical business practices: Almost 89% of all BRI contracts are executed by Chinese construction companies, using Chinese labor. Similarly, issues of corruption, cost inflation, secret deals, ‘unreported and underreported debt’, are also prevalent., Environmental and Social Risks: Due to insufficient ecological feasibility studies and other risks, its compliance to the, environmental and labour standards is poor., , •, , Emerging Alternatives to BRI, Developed countries have been funding infrastructure for a long time. E.g., Japan through ADB. But the growing regional, concerns and assertiveness of China has led to launch of big infrastructure projects* for a coherent response from them, like:, Features, , Build Back Better World (B3W) by G7, , Global Gateway by EU, , About, , G7 approach to collectively catalyze funds for, infrastructure development for low- and middle-income, countries., , Europe’s strategy to connect people and countries in a, smart, sustainable, and fair way., , Funding, , Mobilize bilateral, multilateral as well as private sector, capital in line with Addis Ababa Action Agenda on, Financing for Development., , Funding by EU, its Member States, financial and, development institutions like European Investment, Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and, Development and private funds., , Key areas of, Focus, , Four areas of focus as- Climate; health and health, security; digital technology; and gender equity and, equality., , Five areas of focus as- Digital sector; climate and, energy; transport; health; education and research, sectors., , Guiding, Principles, , *- At COP26, the UK also launched a Clean Green Initiative with over 3 billion pound of climate financing for green growth, in developing countries over the next five years., Opportunities for India in Global Infrastructure, With an estimated US$ 15 trillion gap between global infrastructure needs and actual investment by 2040 (from Global, Infrastructure Outlook, a G20 initiative), Global Infrastructure always had opportunities from others. E.g., In 2017, India, and Japan initiated Asia-Africa Growth Corridor., But the growing Chinese attempts to leverage BRI for geo-economic, geo-political and strategic interests have opened, more opportunities for India in Global Infrastructure., 23, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , •, , Partnership with EU: Recently, EU signed a, Comprehensive Connectivity Partnership, with India to support ‘resilient and, sustainable connectivity projects’ in Africa,, Central Asia, and Indo-Pacific for digital,, energy, transport and people-to-people, connectivity., Partnership with B3W: India is likely to, engage with B3W initiative as well because, of its principles and the space offered to, India., o Emerging as a counterweight to the, China dominated Asia,, o Affirm the shared values of democracy,, freedom, and respect for human rights,, o Establish a more viable, inclusive,, transparent,, and, rules-based, connectivity system., o Help other nations in faster post Covid19 recovery and achieve sustainable, development goals through projects of, socio-economic importance., Bilateral engagements: The space created, due to distrust over China and the ills of BRI, lends can be filled by India especially in development projects in African and South-east Asian countries (where, traditionally both China and India have been competing)., , Way Forward, •, •, •, •, , Improving Policy Coordination: Plan and support large scale, high impact infrastructural development projects by, streamlining the bureaucratic web and creating single-point processes., Enhancing Viability of Projects: Promote economic cooperation by facilitating cross-border investments and deepen, supply chain integration to address the damaging impact of Covid-19 on the global economy on developing, economies., Overcoming Capital deficiency: By deepening the bilateral and multilateral financial Integration among like-minded, nations with use of private sector-to-private sector financing model., Promoting Democratic Values: Promote people to people cultural exchange with visible performance improvements, through projects to gain people trust and confidence., , Alongside these external initiatives, India should work on building domestic capabilities with a long-term perspective to, offer more services from creating infrastructure to offering mobility and other solutions., , 2.3. G20, Why in news?, Recently, India joined the G20 ‘Troika’ and is set to take over its presidency in 2022., More in News, •, , 24, , Troika refers to the top grouping within the G20 that consists of the current, previous and the incoming presidencies, — Indonesia, Italy, and India., o India will assume the G20 presidency on 1st December 2022 from Indonesia and will convene the G20 Leaders’, Summit for the first time in India in 2023., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , As a Troika member, India will work, closely with Indonesia and Italy to ensure, consistency and continuity of the G20’s, agenda., , About G20, •, , •, , •, •, , •, , It is a strategic multilateral platform, connecting the world’s major developed, and emerging economies., o The G20 was created in response to, the financial crises that arose in, several emerging economies in the, 1990s and to a growing recognition, that some of these countries were not, adequately represented in global, economic discussion and governance., It started in 1999 as a meeting for the, finance minister and central bank governors. G20 was raised to the Summit level in 2008 to address the global financial, and economic crisis of 2008., o It holds a strategic role in securing future global economic growth and prosperity., The G20 has no permanent secretariat., o Agenda and the work coordination is completed by G20 leaders’ personal representatives, known as sherpas, together with finance ministers and central bank governors., The objectives of the G20 are:, o Policy coordination between its members to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth., o To promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises; and, o To create a new international financial architecture., India has been a founding member of G20 process and has played an active role in proposing new ideas and finding, solutions., , Importance of G20, •, , •, , •, , 25, , Global Economic Growth: Because of its size and, strategic importance, the G20 has a crucial role in, setting the path for the future of global economic, growth., To address global crisis: Previous summits have, addressed the 2008 financial crisis, the Iranian, nuclear program, COVID-19 pandemic and climate, change., o G20 nations committed to pump more than $5, trillion into the global economy and contribute, to the WHO-led COVID-19 solidarity response, fund., Tax reforms: International taxation has been a regular feature of G20 deliberation since the summit’s start in 2008., It can help low income developing countries benefit from the ongoing and wide-ranging tax reforms to bring greater, transparency to the international tax environment, through exchange of information, and address tax avoidance by, large corporations through the OECD and BEPS (Base erosion and profit sharing) project., o At the Rome summit, G20, 2021, leaders endorsed an agreement among nearly 140 countries to overhaul the, system of international corporate taxation., o The agreement—the culmination of a years-long process led by the G20 and the Organization for Economic, Cooperation and Development (OECD)—includes a 15 percent minimum tax as well as new rules to redistribute, some tax revenue from big multinational companies., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , Recast bilateral ties: Many experts stress the substantial effects of personal relationships among leaders on making, foreign policy. By gathering so many leaders together, G20 summits offer rare opportunities to develop such, relationships and recast bilateral ties., o Bilateral meetings on the summit’s sidelines have occasionally led to major international agreements., Human Resource Development and Employment: In 2014, the G20 committed to reduce the gender gap in workforce, participation by 25% by 2025. In support of this initiative the G20 also developed National Employment Plans which, provide opportunities for inclusion., o In 2015, it also agreed to reduce the share of young people who are most at risk of being left permanently behind, in the labour market by 15% by 2025., o The target group in this regard has been G20 and Low-Income Developing Countries Framework identified as low, skilled or informally employed young people and the young people who are neither in employment nor in, education or training (NEETs)., , Issues with G 20, •, •, •, •, •, , Lack of effective power: It has been argued that G20 is not a legally binding institution and needs to be given more, teeth., Transparency and Accountability: The absence of a formal charter for the group and the fact that some of the most, important G-20 meetings are held behind closed doors., Protectionism: Some of the group's policy prescriptions have also been unpopular, especially with liberal groups., Protests at the group's summits have accused the G-20 of encouraging trade agreements that strengthen large, corporations., Ineffective measures: It is criticized for being delinquent in combating climate change, and in failing to address social, inequality and global threats to democracy., Under-representation: Critics argue that the group is overly restrictive, and its practice of adding guests, such as, those from African countries, is little more than a token effort to make the G-20 reflective of the world's economic, diversity., , Conclusion, The world is so interconnected and integrated now that countries have to work together to resolve all global issues. G20, must provide the vision to bind all the countries especially the emerging markets like Indonesia, India, Brazil and Mexico, which are new actors in global governance to support coordinated actions on major global issues and promote global, public goods., , 2.4. NEWS IN SHORTS, Remunerative Price (FRP), State-Advised Prices, (SAPs), state level incentives etc., ✓ FRP requires paying a mandatory minimum, price to the sugarcane producers. While,, SAPs are state specific mandatory minimum, price to producers., o India’s export subsidy for sugarcane producers, includes Production Assistance Scheme, Buffer, Stock Scheme and Marketing and Transportation, Scheme., In its response to WTO members, India said the support, given was largely to small and marginal farmers and, was in accordance with its commitments at WTO., , 2.4.1. WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION, (WTO) DISPUTE PANEL RULES AGAINST, INDIA’S SUGAR EXPORT SUBSIDIES, •, , •, , 26, , Australia, Brazil and Guatemala had complained that, domestic support provided by India to sugarcane, producers was in excess of the limit allowed by WTO, and India also provides prohibited export subsidies to, sugar mills., o As a result, panel found that India was acting, inconsistently with its obligations under, Agreement on Agriculture (AoA)., AoA provides specific commitments to reduce support, and protection in areas of domestic support, export, subsidies and market access., o Domestic support to sugarcane producers is, provided through measures like Fair and, , •, , •, , www.visionias.in, , AoA states that Domestic Support shall not exceed De, minimis level., o De minimis levels are up to 5% of value of production, for developed countries and 10% for developing, countries like India., , ©Vision IAS

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•, , 2.4.2. UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY (UNGA), CONFERS OBSERVER STATUS ON THE, INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE (ISA), •, , •, , •, , Granting of the status would help provide for a welldefined cooperation between the Alliance and UN, that would benefit global energy growth and, development., o It will also provide a choice to ISA to have, permanent office in the UN HQ (New York)., About Observer status of UN, o It started in 1946 with the Swiss Government as, first permanent observer, a number of regional, and international organizations are given observer, status by UNGA., o Other observers include non-member states (e.g., Holy See); Intergovernmental and other, organizations (e.g. ISA by resolution 76/123); and, Specialized Agencies (e.g. FAO)., ISA, is, an, intergovernmental, treaty-based, international organisation (Secretariat: Gurugram),, jointly launched by India and France at COP21 of the, UNFCCC at Paris, 2015., o It works as a collaborative platform for increased, deployment of solar energy technologies., o It aims to bring energy access, ensure energy, security, and drive energy transition in its member, countries., o It has 101 signatories (US as last signatory) with 80, signatories who have ratified the ISA Framework, Agreement., , 27, , •, , •, , IOD is a track 1.5 forum (where government, officials who participate in unofficial capacity and, non-official actors work together) of Indian Ocean, Rim Association., Significance of IOR, o Half of the world’s container ships and two-thirds, of the world’s oil shipments pass through this., o Has some of the world’s most important choke, points- Straits of Hormuz, Malacca, and the Bab el, Mandeb (strategically important for global trade, and energy flow)., o Contains roughly 1/3 of world’s population, 25%, of its landmass and around 40% of world’s oil and, gas reserves., India’s initiatives towards IOR, o Primary security provider to most of its smaller, neighbors like Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka etc., o Vision ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the, Region) that aims to pursue and promote India’s, geo-political, strategic and economic interests., o Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) with focus on, maritime security, maritime ecology, disaster risk, reduction etc., o Other Initiatives: Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, (increase maritime cooperation), Asia Africa, Growth Corridor etc., , 2.4.4., 3RD, INDIA-CENTRAL, ASIA, DIALOGUE, BETWEEN, FOREIGN, MINISTERS HELD IN DELHI, •, •, , •, , 2.4.3. INDIAN OCEAN DIALOGUE, •, , o, , Also, under AoA and Agreement on Subsidies and, Countervailing Measures, export subsidies from WTO, members are prohibited on a number of agricultural, products., , Hosting the 8th edition of Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD),, India highlighted region's importance and need to, keep it safe and secure., www.visionias.in, , Dialogue was held between India and 5 Central Asian, Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan,, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan., Key highlights of joint statements, o Afghanistan issue: Agreed to uphold UNSC, Resolution 2593 (2021), which unequivocally, demands that Afghan territory not be used for, sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist, acts., o India floated a ‘four C’ approach: Focusing on, commerce, capacity enhancement, connectivity,, and contacts to further expand the cooperation, between the two sides., o Terrorism: Called for early adoption of the UN, Comprehensive Convention on International, Terrorism., o Connectivity: Decided on full utilization of, Chabahar port in Iran for regional connectivity., These 5 Central Asian countries are also members of, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and they, skipped the meeting organized by Pakistan on the, situation of Afghanistan to attend the dialogue in Delhi., ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , o, , Importance of CAR for India:, o Geostrategic importance i.e. bridge between, different regions of Asia and between Europe and, Asia., o Security angle for ensuring peace in the region., o CAR has abundant mineral resources such as, petroleum, natural gas, gold, uranium etc which, are yet to be harnessed., Challenges for India in CAR: China-Pakistan axis, lack of, direct connectivity, low India’s bilateral trade., , o, , Tightened surveillance: Since 2009, the Sri Lankan, navy has tightened surveillance of its northern, maritime boundary to halt a potential return of, Tamil insurgents., Depletion of marine resources along the Tamil, Nadu coast (due to incessant bottom-trawling) has, meant that the Indian fishermen are drawn to the, relatively resource-rich Sri Lankan waters., ✓ Sri Lanka has banned bottom-trawling in their, waters in 2017., , 2.4.5. INDIA-SRI LANKA FISHERIES DISPUTE, , 2.4.6. NEW DEVELOPMENT BANK (NDB), , •, , •, , •, , 28, , Recently Sri Lankan authorities have detained 68, Indian fishermen and 10 boats on charges of alleged, poaching and illegal fishing in the island nation’s, waters., o India has taken up the issue of early release of the, Indian fishermen and boats with the government, of Sri Lanka., Reasons behind India- Sri Lanka fisheries dispute:, o Lack of defined maritime boundary: Though India, and Sri Lanka signed four Maritime Boundary, Agreements between 1974-76, there is no welldefined maritime boundary between the two, countries., ✓ The 1974 agreement between the two nations, ceded the resource-rich Katchchativu islet to, Sri Lanka, which the Tamil fishermen had, traditional fishing rights for centuries., , •, •, , Egypt is the fourth new member admitted into NDB,, after Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and, Uruguay, further expanding the bank's global outreach., Headquartered in Shanghai, the NDB was established, in 2015 by the BRICS nation., NDB aims to mobilize resources for infrastructure and, sustainable development projects in BRICS countries, and other emerging economies and developing, countries to complement the existing efforts of, multilateral and regional financial institutions for global, growth and development., , 2.4.7. OPERATION DEVI SHAKTI, •, , www.visionias.in, , It is rescue operation being conducted by Indian, Government to evacuate people from Afghanistan, since the Taliban takeover., , ©Vision IAS

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3. ECONOMY, 3.1. PRIVATISATION OF PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS, Why in news?, Finance secretary recently said that the government will “eventually” privatise most of the Public Sector Banks (PSBs), and keep its presence to a bare minimum., More about news, •, •, •, •, , Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2021-22 announced that two PSBs would be privatised as part of the, government's disinvestment target., The government had listed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill 2021 to be taken up during the Winter Session of, Parliament., The bill intends to amend the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Acts of 1970 and 1980,, and the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to create enabling legislation for privatisation of public sector banks., Centre is yet to shortlist the name of two public sector banks (PSBs) that are likely to be privatised in FY22., , Need for Privatisation of PSBs, •, , •, •, , •, , •, , For better human resource management: Privatisation will help in introducing a high degree of professional, management. On account of huge human capital deficit, PSBs are seriously handicapped vis-à-vis their competitors, in the market place. This is due to their employee compensation package, skill sets, skewed age profile, restrictive, deployment and inefficient performance management system., Autonomous decision making: Control and interference by the government prevents PSBs from staying competitive, in the current environment. They will, thus, continue to be hobbled by outdated systems and practices. High level of, autonomy will facilitate faster decision making, paving way for innovation and expertise., To develop Innovation and Achieve Expertise: Private players will have will and capital to innovate new products, avenues (new schemes, services, etc.) and make the industries to achieve expertise in their respective fields by, offering quality service and guidance. This will help in bringing cost effective services and higher customer, satisfaction., For enhanced efficiency in debt coverage: The assets quality and efficiency of debt coverage of private sector banks, are better than that of public sector banks. A comparative study for the period of 2015 to 2019 has found that in, comparison to private sector banks, public sectors banks registered higher NPAs., o The study had selected top five banks (as per total assets) from private and public sector. It found that while, average Non-performing Asset (NPAs) of all the selected private sectors banks was less than 5%., it was more, than 5% for all the selected Public sectors banks., PSBs are losing market share: Private Banks are operating in creamy places, cherry picking customers and PSBs are, left with the difficult markets in poorer districts. Urban and semi-urban consumers have been shifting to private, banks., , Concerns associated with Privatisation of PSBs, •, , •, , 29, , Financial exclusion of the weaker sections: Driven by the profit motive, private sector banks concentrate on the, more affluent sections of the population and the metropolitan/urban areas. Privatisation of PSBs will therefore lead, to the financial exclusion of the weaker sections of the society, particularly in the rural areas., o State-owned banks focus on public interests and provide many services to the common people at affordable, cost., o Merger of PSBs has resulted in decline in PSBs branches by 3,321 between 2017 and 2021. PSB privatisation, would accelerate these trends., Job loss: PSB mergers have brought down the number of PSBs from 27 to 12, resulting in employee retrenchment, and bank branch closures. Total employee strength of PSBs has fallen from 8.57 lakh in 2017 to around 7.7 lakh in, 2021., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , The privatisation will further shrink employment opportunities for the youth. The SC/ST/OBC sections would be, deprived because unlike the public sector, the private sector does not follow reservation policies for the weaker, sections., • Concerns regarding safety of deposits: A significant number of private banks and financial institutions have failed in, recent times. But there is not even a single instance of bank failure in the case of PSBs. Privatisation of PSBs will, remove the sovereign guarantee behind the PSB deposits and make household savings less secure., o It is to be noted that PSBs account for 65% of all commercial bank deposits and 70% of all individual bank, deposits in India. It shows that Indian customers preferred the safety and security of their deposits offered by, the PSBs., • Macroeconomic effects of bank failures: Any failure of banks will have a tremendous contagion effect and will derail, the economy. From 1935 to 1947, there were 900 bank failures in our country. From 1947 to 1969, 665 banks failed., This became driving factor for bank nationalisation in 1969., o The depositors of all these banks lost their deposited money. Even after 1969, 36 banks failed but these were, rescued by merging them with other government banks. Few very recent instances of failure are Lakshmi Vilas, Bank and YES Bank., • Privatisation is not a panacea to problems faced by PSBs: The major problem faced by banks i.e. NPAs is common, for both the private and public sector banks. The government may have difficulty in providing additional capital to, the government banks on account of fiscal constraint and the banks are in need of additional capital to maintain, Capital Adequacy Ratio for continuing their lending operations., o Some experts consider that getting rid of PSBs on account of such problems is akin to throwing the baby out with, the bathwater. Opponents of privatisation say that stringent regulation and freedom from political and, bureaucratic control and influence are the right set of solutions for strengthening PSBs., Few recent steps taken to strengthen PSBs, Area, Tech-enabled,, smart banking, , Monitoring of, loans, Risk management, , Resolution and, recovery, Governance, , Human resource, Recapitalisation, 30, , Details, • Setting up of Loan Management Systems and Centralised Processing Centres, resulting in reduced, retail loan disbursement turnaround time., • Launch of PSBloansin59minutes.com and adoption of the Trade Receivables Discounting System, (TReDS) for digital lending for MSMEs and retail customers., • Advanced queue management systems in transaction-intensive branches, with single-window, operations, to reduce customer waiting and transaction time., • A few PSBs have introduced centralised processing hubs for faster time-bound processing and appbased loan application and offers for agricultural loans;, • Larger PSBs are providing customer-need driven credit offers through analytics., • Institution of comprehensive, automated Early Warning Systems (EWS) in banks, use of third-party, data and workflow for time-bound remedial actions, to proactively detect stress and reducing slippage, into NPAs;, • Institution of technology- and data-driven Risk Scoring and Scrutiny systems in banks that, comprehensively factor in third-party data and non-financial risk factors and provide for higher scrutiny, of high-risk cases;, • Improved adherence to risk-based pricing;, • Empowerment of bank Boards to recruit the bank's Chief Risk Officer from the market, on marketlinked compensation., • RBI's revised prudential framework on stressed assets., • Putting into place one-time settlement platforms and portals, eDRT (Debt Recovery Tribunals) for online, recovery case management., • Introduction of non-executive chairmen;, • Strengthening of the Board committees system;, • Effective use of non-official directors, by giving them mandate to play role akin to independent director, and institution of their peer evaluation and training., • Ensuring role-based e-learning for continuous learning for all officers;, • Putting in place objective Performance Management Systems., • Infusion of Rs.3.17 lakh crore by the Government;, • Mobilisation of over Rs. 2.49 lakh crore by the banks themselves;, www.visionias.in, ©Vision IAS

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Marketing strategy, and reach, , •, •, , Doubling of the dedicated marketing salesforce between March 2018 and March 2020;, Quadrupling of sourcing of loans through the salesforce and marketing tie-ups between Q4 FY2017-18, and Q4 FY2019-20., , Road Ahead, •, , Privatisation can be limited to few PSBs: While privatising few PSBs sounds a logical decision in light of immense, benefits, attempting to privatise all banks will undermine the tremendous contribution of these banks to the country, over the years., Graded Format towards privatisation: Government may not fully exit from the state-run banks that are to be privatised, and instead retain at least a 26% stake for the first few years. Even Narasimham Committee – I had recommended, dilution of government stake in PSBs to 33 percent. The extent of the stake sale will depend on interest from investors, and market conditions., Identification of investors: identifying a fit and proper investor to own the stake in these banks will be important., One of the options could be, the stakeholders of existing large banks may consider acquiring these PSBs, retain them, as wholly owned subsidiaries with independent identity until they attain better operational efficiency. They can, eventually merge with acquirer bank., Achieving the objective of big banks: Privatized PSBs can be merged with existing large private banks, to attain the kind, of scale and size to develop higher risk appetite and lending capacity., Developing new asset quality review (AQR): The last asset quality review (AQR) of banks in 2015 failed to detect, lenders evergreening loans outside the formal restructuring process. Evergreening refers to banks extending fresh, loans to delinquent borrowers to help them repay existing loans, hiding the true extent of bad loans., o RBI audit had found that Private sector lender Yes Bank had under-reported bad loans by ₹3,277 crore in the, FY2019., , •, , •, , •, •, , 3.2. FINANCIAL STABILITY REPORT, Why in news?, Reserve Bank released the 24th issue of the Financial Stability Report (FSR), a bi-annual report that reflects risks to, financial stability and the resilience of financial system., Highlights of report, •, , Global Economy: The global economic recovery has been losing momentum in the second half of 2021 in the face of, resurfacing COVID-19 infections, the new variant Omicron, supply disruptions and bottlenecks, shifts in monetary, policy stances across advanced and emerging economies., Domestic Economy: On the domestic front, progress in vaccination has enabled the recovery to regain traction after, the debilitating second wave of the pandemic. Notwithstanding signs of slowing pace more recently, the corporate, sector is gaining strength and bank credit growth is improving., Risk assessment: All broad categories of risks – global; macroeconomic; financial market; institutional; and general, – were perceived as ‘medium’ in magnitude but risks arising on account of global and financial markets were rated, higher than the rest., o Commodity prices, domestic inflation, equity price volatility, asset quality deterioration, credit growth and cyber, disruptions were rated as the major risks. (Refer table for key parameters.), MSME Sector: Credit to the MSME segment slowed down (y-o-y) by the end of September 2021 vis-a-vis March 2021., Emerging signs of stress in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) as also in the micro finance segment call, for close monitoring of these portfolios going forward., , •, •, , •, , Parameters, Gross nonperforming, asset (GNPA), ratio, , 31, , Key findings from report, • For Scheduled commercial banks (SCBs): GNPA ratio may, increase from 6.9 per cent in 2021 to 8.1 per cent by 2022, under the baseline scenario and to 9.5 per cent under a, severe stress scenario., • For NBFCs: GNPA ratio which had declined in 2020, rose, to reach 6.5 per cent at the end of 2021., www.visionias.in, , Definition, NPAs indicate how much of a bank’s loans are, in danger of not being repaid. A very high gross, NPA ratio means the bank’s asset quality is in, very poor shape., , ©Vision IAS

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CRAR, , •, , Provisioning, coverage ratio, (PCR), , •, , Capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of scheduled, commercial banks (SCBs) rose to a new peak of 16.6 per, cent in 2021., PCR of SCBs stood at 68.1 per cent in September 2021., , It is the ratio of a bank’s capital in relation to its, risk weighted assets and current liabilities., PCR is ratio of provisioning to gross nonperforming assets and indicates the extent of, funds a bank has kept aside to cover loan losses., , 3.3. FINTECH, Why in news?, Prime Minister inaugurated InFinity Forum- a leadership, Forum on Financial Technology (FinTech) through video, conferencing., More about news, •, , •, , It was hosted by the International Financial Services, Centres Authority (IFSCA) under the aegis of the, Government of India in collaboration with Gujarat, International Financial Tec-city (GIFT) City and, Bloomberg., It brings together the leading minds of the, world in business and technology to come, together to discuss how technology and, innovation can be leveraged by the FinTech, industry for inclusive growth and serving, humanity at large., , Related concepts, • Neo-banks are online-only financial technology (fintech), companies that operate solely digitally or via mobile app., Ex. Razorpay X, EpiFi etc., o They have disrupted the traditional banking system by, leveraging technology and artificial intelligence (AI)., • As a related concept, Challenger banks also leverage, technology to streamline the banking process. However,, they also maintain a brick and mortar physical presence., o They are different from traditional banks in the sense, that their presence is much smaller., , About India’s Fintech Industry, •, , •, , •, , The term “FinTech” is a contraction of the, words “finance” and “technology”. It is an, umbrella term to denote technological, innovation having a bearing on financial, services (Refer infographic)., Indian FinTech industry valued at $ 50-60 Bn in, FY20., According to a Boston Consulting, Group report, Indian fintech companies will, reach a valuation of US$150-160 billion by 2025., India is a frontrunner among emerging, economies in terms of Fintech adoption, with an, adoption rate of 87% in March 2020, compared, to a global average of 64%. India has 3rd largest, FinTech ecosystem globally, , Sectoral Potential of Fintech companies in India, •, , 32, , Credit: Fintech solutions have the potential to, transform the lending and investment, landscape. Fintech helps consumers and, businesses with faster and easier access to, capital, providing online services to directly, match lenders with borrowers who may be individuals or businesses. Examples include Crowd Funding and Peer-toPeer Lending., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, •, •, •, , Payments: Fintech provide services that enable transfer of funds for various use cases - P2P (Person-to-Person), P2M, (Person-to-Merchant), G2P (Government-to-Person) etc. For instance, introduction of Unified Payment Interface, (UPI) has provided a boost to the payments sector in India., Insurance and advisory services: Fintech firms are providing platforms to consumers to save, invest, manage their, wealth and choose from a spectrum of financial products across categories such as personal loans, home loans,, credit cards, saving accounts and mutual fund., Pensions: Fintech-enabled technologies such as robo-advise can make financial planning more accessible. Fintech is, increasing the efficiency of the operation of pension schemes through risk management applications, automation of, investment processes and facilitation of regulatory compliance, Account aggregator services: These services aggregate financial data of a customer from different financial services, providers and leverage this data to build analytics and insights to help consumers manage their financial, commitments and goals. In 2016, RBI released guidelines for NBFCs that intend to function as account aggregators., Trade Finance: Invoice trading is another nascent area of fintech application in India. It assists MSMEs that often, struggle with working capital and cash flows due to delayed payments. For example, TReDS is an online mechanism, for facilitating the financing of MSMEs through multiple financiers., , Challenges faced by Fintech sector in India, •, , •, •, •, , Data security and privacy risk: Data leaks, platform downtimes, and information theft has become quite rampant, in the financial services space. Developing a strong mechanism to protect data is of paramount importance, and, players will have to invest deeply in mechanisms to control this risk and comply with regulatory requirements, towards data security., Varied adoption: It’s not easy for every type of business to adopt FinTech. It is especially complicated for an economy, like that of India’s which is dominated by MSMEs that largely sit on the fence of digital adoption., Rapidly changing regulations: Regulatory compliance comes with a cost, and frequent changes do not help to offer, business confidence. A few regulations, such as regulations for investment exits, cryptocurrency, payment, regulations, data, infrastructure security, and consumer protection, are still evolving., Lack of financial literacy and awareness: About 70% population of India lives in the villages, and the use of these, FinTech platforms is largely concentrated in the urban segment. This sector needs to make its way to smaller cities, and towns with and through awareness and financial literacy., , Road Ahead, •, , •, •, •, , •, , 33, , Strengthening foundational infrastructures: Foundational infrastructures include telecommunications, along with, digital and financial infrastructures (such as broadband internet, mobile data services, data repositories, and, payment and settlement services). The infrastructures should enable efficient data collection, processing, and, transmission, which are central in fintech advances., Conducive Policy framework: The successful and large-scale adoption of technology would be facilitated by an, enabling policy framework. Policymakers should address the risks of market concentration, and should foster, standardization, interoperability, and fair-and-transparent access to key infrastructures., Enhanced understanding of Evolving Financial Systems: This can be done by maintaining an ongoing dialogue with, the industry, both innovators and incumbents—to identify emerging opportunities and risks, and to facilitate the, timely formation of policy responses., Forging global alliances for smooth retail mobile payments of low value and high velocity: The government can, focus on partnering through an extension of UPI networks or forging global alliances with neighbouring governments, and regulators. These partnerships can enable social and inclusive use cases such as remittances for people visiting, India for medical reasons etc., Focus on targeted digital literacy programmes: The government can focus on creating awareness on mobile, payments through regional language advertisements and systematically planned digital literacy programmes. The, programmes can focus on areas such as cybersecurity in payments to increase level of trust in mobile payments., o The government can also collaborate with industry players to build consensus and harmonise standards of visual, representation of payment systems in rural hinterlands to improve both merchant and end customer experience., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, •, , To build digital payment literacy at a young age, basic digital payment literacy concepts can be incorporated in, school curriculums., Other measures:, o Adapt Regulatory Framework and Supervisory Practices for Orderly Development and Stability of the Financial, System and facilitate the safe entry of new products, activities, and intermediaries; sustain trust and confidence;, and respond to risks., o Safeguard the Integrity of Financial Systems by identifying, understanding, assessing, and mitigating the risks of, criminal misuse of fintech, and by using technologies that strengthen compliance with anti-money laundering, and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) measures., o Modernize Legal Frameworks to Provide an Enabling Legal Landscape with greater legal clarity and certainty, regarding key aspects of fintech activities., , 3.4. SERVICES DOMESTIC REGULATIONS (SDR), Why in News?, Recently, 67 member countries of the World Trade, Organisation (WTO) concluded their negotiations on, Services Domestic Regulations (SDR)., Trade in Services and General Agreement on Trade in, Services (GATS), Services sector is a dynamic and fastest-growing sector of, the global economy, representing 60% of world GDP in, value-added terms and over 50% of employment., •, •, , •, , •, , The International Trade Rules on Services are, governed by GATS, an outcome of Uruguay Round, and entering into force in January 1995., It provides a framework of rules governing services, trade on all services (with two exceptions only). The, exceptions are:, ○ Services supplied in the exercise of governmental, authority, and, ○ Coverage measures affecting air traffic rights and, services directly related to the exercise of Air, Transport Services., GATS is applicable to four-modes of supplying services, (as given in Image) and establishes a mechanism for, all WTO members (to varying degree) to make, commitments to liberalize trade in services, and, The agreement provides a mechanism for resolving, disputes between countries., , Services Domestic Regulation (SDR) and its Potential, Benefits, Launched at the 11th Ministerial Conference at Buenos Aires (2017), the new plurilateral agreement is the first set of, rules on services in 24 years at WTO., •, •, 34, , Membership: The 67 agreed members include both developed and developing countries, together accounting for, over 90% of world trade such as the USA, China, European Union (EU), Brazil, etc., Incorporation methodology:, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , •, , The new disciplines under it will be incorporated as additional commitments by the member’s services, commitments under GATS Schedules (GATS Article XVIII)., o The signatories have agreed to leave the pact open for other countries to join in and apply it on a “Most-Favored, Nation (MFN)” basis, i.e., giving equal treatment to countries that are not parties to the agreement as given to, parties to the agreement., Potential Benefits:, o With cost-of-service trade estimated to be twice as high as trade costs for goods, SDR works on reducing the costs, attributable to regulatory divergence and opaque regulations., o It will also check cumbersome procedures though its objectives, means etc. as given in image., , o, , As a unique feature of the agreement, these rules contain provisions on non-discrimination between men and, women. It will support women empowerment and boost women’s participation in services trade., , Concerns over SDR by nations like India, Though aimed at creating a more transparent operating environment, slash administrative costs and offer benefit to all, WTO membership, it is opposed by other nations as:, •, •, , •, •, , 35, , It establishes a competing and parallel mechanism to pursue and achieve same objectives without the entire WTO, membership consent., GATS allows the member countries to determine the extent of market access they will grant in various service sectors, and treat the Foreign Service providers differently. New disciplines will further deny market access to short-term, service providers,, o E.g. US, Canada, and EU have restricted market access to independent professionals and used Mode 4 to deny, market access to short-term services., It can be used to bring in rules to erect barriers to services trade and cross-border movement of professionals, through qualification and licensing requirements, and technical standards., Working Party on Domestic Regulation (WPDR) was established in 1999 (under Article VI:4 of GATS) precisely to put, these disciplines- domestic regulations (qualification requirements and procedures, technical standards, and licensing, requirements) from constituting unnecessary barriers to trade, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Conclusion, The new disciplines address a dynamic and fast-growing segment of global output through easy availability of, information on Qualifications, processes for applying and obtaining the licenses, clarity on reasons for rejection of, application, and technical standards affecting trade in services., As of 2020, more than 70% of WTO members have concluded at least one Regional Trade Agreement with provisions on, domestic regulations going beyond GATS. Therefore, there is a need for lesser hesitation on a more objective,, reasonable and impartial agreement to consolidate good regulatory practices within the WTO legal framework., , 3.5. GLOBAL MINIMUM TAX RATE, Why in News?, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), released Pillar Two model rules for domestic implementation of 15%, global minimum tax., About Global Minimum Tax Rate, •, , Did you Know, • The average global corporate tax rate was, over 40% in the early 1980s and dropped to, well below 25% in 2020 as governments, competed against each other to lower their, tax rates in order to attract businesses., , It requires countries to impose a minimum tax on large multinational companies (MNCs) (such as Google, Amazon,, Facebook and Apple (GAFA)) to counter efforts by such firms to escape taxes in their country of operations., It will undercut any advantage of shifting to lower-tax places and pressures countries to conform to the global norm., o Large MNCs have traditionally been taxed based on where they declare their profits rather than where they, actually do business., o This allowed several large companies to avoid paying high taxes in countries where they do most of their, business by shifting their profits to low-tax jurisdictions., Global Minimum Tax is part of the inclusive framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) agreed upon by, G20 countries and OECD., Global Minimum Tax will apply to MNCs with revenue above €750 million and it aims for developing a taxation, structure that is relevant for a digital and globalised world., , •, , •, •, , OECD and Global Minimum Tax, • Under the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), 139 countries and jurisdictions are, collaborating to put an end to tax avoidance strategies arising from digitalisation and globalisation of the economy., o BEPS refers to tax planning strategies used by MNCs that exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules to artificially shift, profits to low or no-tax locations where there is little or no economic activity, resulting in little or no overall corporate, tax being paid., • Recently, over 130 countries, including India, have joined a new two-pillar plan to reform international taxation rules and, ensure, that, multinational, enterprises pay a fair, share of tax wherever, they operate., • Now, OECD released, Pillar Two model rules, for, domestic, implementation of 15%, global minimum tax., • Model rules provide, governments a precise, template for taking, forward the two-pillar, solution and set out, the mechanism for GloBE rules and will assist countries to bring GloBE rules into domestic legislation in 2022., o GloBE rules provide for taxation system to ensure large Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) groups pay this minimum level, of tax on income arising in each of the jurisdictions in which they operate., 36, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , Rules create a “top-up tax” to be applied on profits in any jurisdiction whenever the effective tax rate is below minimum, 15% rate., , Challenges, •, , •, , •, , 37, , Global consensus: small economies, benefited a lot from attracting, investments with low corporate tax, as large and developed economies, have a considerable advantage, because of better infrastructure, quality, labor quality, economic and, political stability etc., Impact, on, socio-economic, development: All countries run, various tax incentives to attract, MNCs which are a source of FDI and, help to generate demand with, efficient utilisation of resources and, create employment., Consensus on tax rate: World, Inequality Report has suggested that, 15% rate is lower than what working-, , Implication on India, • Experts believe the tax would be advantageous for India as the effective, domestic tax rate is above the threshold and India, being a large potential, market, would continue to attract foreign investments., • The tax deal will mean removal of existing digital service taxes and other, unilateral measures by 2023. India will need to withdraw the equalization, levy that was introduced in 2016., o India will get additional taxing rights which are beneficial but the exact, quantum will need to be compared to domestic equalisation levy., • Large Indian headquartered MNEs may also need to comply with Pillar One, rules and India will need to share its taxing right with other countries., • It is also likely to negate any treaty benefit to achieve minimum taxation., • India could end up losing revenue from other not-so-digitised companies in, the top 100., • In respect of outbound investments, it will prevent base erosion of tax in the, country as the government will be able to claw back any shortfall in tax paid, below 15 % by an overseas business owned by an Indian resident., • However, India, which has been an important market for these companies,, needs to insist for a greater share of profits to be allocated to countries that, are important markets for these tech firms., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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class and middle class people typically pay in high-income countries. It is also lower than the average statutory rate, that corporations face in those places., • Reduced ability to pursue specific policy objectives: Governments use tax incentives to pursue specific policy, objectives, such as promoting innovative activities or economic development, for instance, via investment tax, incentives or tax incentives for research and development., • Favoring rich nations: As per Oxfam report, G7 and EU will take home two-thirds of new cash that GMT will bring in,, while the world’s poorest countries will recover less than 3%, despite being home to more than a third of the world’s, population., • Ban on unilateral taxes: Many developing countries have expressed concerns about the implementation of these new, taxing rules being conditioned upon them removing all unilateral taxes on technology companies., o Many countries earn significant revenue by levying tax on digital services., Conclusion, A global minimum tax is a laudable attempt to make international tax arrangements fairer and work better in a, digitalised and globalised world economy., However, there are major obstacles that may impede the overall implementation of the agreement., There is a need to support this effort to build a consensus as countries, rich and poor, need more resources to fight the, pandemic and the consequent economic fallouts., , 3.6. PM-KISAN, Why in news?, According to agriculture ministry, since 2019, about Rs 374.78 crore amount is pending for reprocessing after failed, transactions occurred under PM-KISAN scheme., More about news, •, •, •, , The scheme saw a 14.22 lakh pending failed transaction during 2019-20 fiscal. In the ongoing 2021-22 fiscal, the, number of pending failed transactions stood at 9.11 lakh till November 2021., Number of failed transactions is less than one per cent of the total number of transactions under the scheme., Under the scheme, more than 11.60 crore farmers have been given the financial benefits of approximately Rs 1.60, lakh crore through various instalments since the launch of the scheme., , About the scheme, •, , •, , •, , 38, , Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman, Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a central, Sector scheme launched in, December 2018 with 100%, funding from Government of, India., It provides to each eligible, farmer’s family Rs 6000 per, annum in three instalments of Rs, 2000 each. Definition of family, for the scheme is husband, wife, and minor children., Initially, farmers with less than 2, hectares of land were eligible., However, from June 2019 it was, extended to all farmers i.e. 140, million farmers., , Exclusion criteria for PM-KISAN scheme, All Institutional Land holders and Farmer families which belong to one or more of the, following categories have been excluded:, • Former and present holders of constitutional posts;, • Former and present Ministers/ State Ministers and former/present Members of, LokSabha/ RajyaSabha/ State Legislative Assemblies/ State Legislative Councils,, former and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations, former and present, Chairpersons of District Panchayats;, • All serving or retired officers and employees of Central/ State Government, Ministries /Offices/Departments and its field units and regular employees of the, Local Bodies (Excluding Multi-Tasking Staff /Class IV/Group D employees);, • All superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is Rs.10,000/-or, more (Excluding Multi-Tasking Staff / Class IV/Group D employees) of above, category);, • All Persons who paid Income Tax in last assessment year;, • Professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and, Architects registered with Professional bodies and carrying out profession by, undertaking practices., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, , The responsibility to identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines lies with, respective State Government and UT administration. The fund is directly transferred to the bank accounts of the, beneficiaries., There are various Exclusion Categories (Refer box) for the scheme., , Why PM-KISAN is better than other subsidy schemes?, •, •, •, , •, , Direct Income support: The scheme aims to provide income support to farmers by addressing the liquidity constraints, of farmers for meeting their expenses for acquisition of agricultural inputs and services., Verification of data: The data received on the PM-KISAN web portal goes through various levels of verification and, validation, including Aadhar and income tax databases., No selection bias: Such schemes are often subject to elite capture and selection biases. However, IFPRI-ICAR study, depicted there was no selection bias in terms of social, economic, and farming characteristics. 30% of farmers, received the income benefit within three months of the scheme’s implementation., o Banking infrastructure created through Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), played a key role in the funds’, disbursement., Compatible with WTO norms: The scheme assumes importance as India’s farm subsidy and export subsidy are, increasingly being challenged at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for violating multilateral trading rules. Direct, income support is considered part of the Green Box at WTO., , Issues with the scheme, •, •, •, , •, •, , Insufficient amount: Given that India’s poverty line is ₹32 per person per day in rural areas and ₹47 in urban areas,, according to the Rangarajan Committee, the income support of ₹17 a day for a household (offered by PM-KISAN), is, largely insufficient for even bare minimum sustenance of vulnerable farmers., Neglect of lessee cultivators and sharecroppers: PM KISAN has not explicitly mentioned the benefits accruing to, lessee cultivators or sharecroppers. Though KALIA scheme in Odisha offers benefit of Rs. 10,000 per sharecropper /, lease holder per year, identification of tenant farmers remains a huge challenge there., Concerns of data inconsistencies in identification of beneficiaries: In light of fact that many states have incomplete, tenancy records and land data are not digitised, identification of beneficiaries is daunting., o Results of a joint study conducted by NITI Aayog and Department of Food in 2016 suggest that the government’s, pilot programmes to replace subsidised food grains with cash in three Union Territories have failed due to data, inconsistencies., Failed transactions: There are several reasons for transaction's failure under the PM-KISAN scheme, such as account, closed or transferred, invalid IFSC code, account inactive, account dormant, amount exceeding the limit set on, account by the bank for credit/debit per transaction, among others., Many beneficiaries left out: Study done in Andhra Pradesh has shown that about 29% of the farmer beneficiaries of, the scheme in the State have not received their full benefits. Further, good number of bank rejection cases and, ‘State action required’ cases were unresolved for three to 18 months., , Road Ahead, •, , •, , •, , 39, , Adequate cash transfer: To be effective, any cash transfer scheme should ensure that there is enough cash provided, to help bring an affected community out of poverty. For instance, the Rythu Bandhu in Telangana provides ₹4,000, per acre to each farmer in each season., o Also, Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation scheme in Odisha offers ₹5,000 for a farm, family over five seasons, among other benefits., Index transfers with inflation: Given the volatile market and price fluctuations in different regions, it is important, to index the cash transfers to local inflation. The failure of Direct Benefit Transfer in kerosene in Rajasthan is a case, in point, where the cash transferred to families has been insufficient to purchase kerosene, as the market price, increased substantially., Better timing of providing benefits: IFPRI-ICAR study found that farmers receiving instalments in the agricultural, peak season are more likely to spend it on agriculture, and those getting it in the off-season are more likely to spend, it on consumption. Thus timing of benefits has implications on spending patterns., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, •, , Multiplier effects: Study has found that by investing more in agricultural advisory services, the government can, encourage farmers to invest some or all part of the income support in productive assets for achieving the multiplier, effect of PM-KISAN. Therefore, PM-KISAN along with agricultural advisory services has the potential to break the cycle, of intergenerational poverty., Strengthening IT backbone: States with robust computerized land records data base and a good IT infrastructure are, in a better position to implement PM-KISAN. Farmers not having bank accounts should be encouraged to open ‘no-frills’, accounts under the Jan-Dhan Yojana., Investing in infrastructure and R&D: Any income support scheme can’t cover all the farm households and therefore,, enhancing investments in rural infrastructure (roads; irrigation, marketing infrastructure, etc.) and agri R&D would, have long-term outcomes in raising farm incomes., , 3.7. COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL (CAG) REPORT ON INDIAN, RAILWAYS, Why in news?, Recently, CAG report on the Indian Railways’ (IR), finances tabled in Parliament paints a grim picture, based on earnings, expenditure, reserves and, operational efficiency., Key Highlights of the report, •, •, •, , •, , •, , •, , 40, , Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, • The CAG is an independent authority established under, Article 148 and appointed by President., • He is the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department., • He is the guardian of the public purse and controls the entire, financial system of the country at the Centre and state level., • The administrative expenses of the office of CAG are charged, upon the Consolidated Fund of India., • CAG shall not be eligible for further office., • CAG is fulfilling the role of an Auditor-General only and not, that of a Comptroller., • Its main role is to audit and check accounts relating to all, Union & state government departments and offices,, including Railways, Posts and Telecoms., o It also scrutinises the accounts of companies owned or, financed by the government., • CAG submits three audit reports to the President:, o Appropriation accounts, o Finance accounts, o Public undertakings, , Decrease in receipts: Total Receipts decreased by, 8.30% in 2019-20 as compared to 6.47% increase in, 2018-19., Cross-Subsidization: Profits from freight traffic, were utilised to compensate for the loss on, operation of passenger and other coaching services., Coal dependence: Heavy dependence on, transportation of coal which constituted around, 49% of the total freight earnings during 2019-20., Any shift in bulk commodities transport pattern, could affect the freight earnings significantly., Operating Ratio (OR): OR deteriorated to 98.36%, in 2019-20 from 97.29% in 2018-19. Due to less appropriation to Pension Fund, Railways could show surplus and, higher OR., o OR is the ratio of the working expenditure (expenses arising from day-to-day operations of Railways) to the, revenue earned from traffic., o A higher ratio indicates a poorer ability to, generate surplus that can be used for, capital investments., Capital Output Ratio (COR): COR increased in, 2019-20, indicates the decrease in physical, performance of the IR as compared to capital, employed., o COR indicates the amount of capital, employed to produce one unit of output., Decline in internal resources: Contribution of, internal resources for capital projects, declined resulting in greater dependence on, Gross Budgetary support (GBS) and Extra, budgetary resources (EBR)., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , •, , IR has three primary sources of revenue:, ✓ GBS includes the sum it gets from the Central Government’s budget allocation each year., ✓ Internal Resources includes freight and passenger revenue and leasing of railway land., ✓ EBR includes borrowings, earnings through partnerships and institutional finance., Staff productivity: Deterioration in staff productivity in 2019-20 was due to decline in freight carried (tonnage) and, passenger originating (total distance carried/ travelled)., , Other issues associated with Indian Railways, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , Operating Efficiency: Indian railways has a, huge employee base which includes, powerful workers' unions and become is a, centralised organisation with hierarchical, decision-making. As a result, even simple, decisions take years to resolve., Outdated technology: The quality of railway, services and technology usage is very poor., The existing technology of both electric and, diesel locomotive is considerably old., Low investment: Poor finances of Railways, had led to low investment, leading to poor, services and issues like low speed, delays,, and safety concerns, resulting in loss of, remunerative business for Railways which, has led to further deterioration of finances., This has become a vicious cycle for Railways., Project pendency: Projects are delayed for, years due to inefficient work force and, uncertainty in the availability of funds., Moreover, there is a constant pressure to, undertake new project., Infrastructure: The biggest constraint that, railways face today is of inadequate, network capacity and infrastructure with, the increase in traffic output thus, there is a, huge congestion of the system., Increase in competition: The competition, with road and airline transport is growing in, intensity and the lack of coordination, between railways and road transport has, lowered the earning capacity of the railways., Beside this, without ticket journey also, makes heavy losses for railway department., Common corridor: There is a common, corridor for both freight and passenger, traffic. Passenger trains are given, importance over running of freight trains, leading to financial losses., , Steps taken by government to improve Indian Railways, • PM Gati Shakti- National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity:, To bring Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and, coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects., , •, , •, , •, , •, •, •, , National rail Plan (NRP) 2030: To develop infrastructure by 2030 to, cater to the traffic requirements up to 2050 and increase modal share, of rail in freight to 45%., o Vision 2024 has been launched for accelerated implementation, of certain critical projects by 2024 such as 100% electrification,, multi-tracking of congested routes etc., Encourage private entities: Bibek Debroy Committee, 2015 had, recommended private entry into running both freight and passenger, trains in competition with Indian railways should be allowed., Rail Development Authority (RDA): Centre approved setting up RDA,, an independent regulator to recommend passenger and freight fares, and set service level benchmarks., Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs): To faster transportation of goods, and reduced logistic cost and improved supply chain efficiency., Bharat Gaurav Trains scheme: To showcase the country’s rich cultural, heritage as well as magnificent historical places to the public., Miscellaneous E-Receipts System (MERS) portal: To facilitate digital, payments of inward receipts to Railways., , Way forward, •, 41, , Infrastructure: The government should undertake a massive infrastructure expansion and decongestion programme, with up-gradation of technology and judicious electrification of tracks along with enhancement of terminal capacity., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, •, •, , Technology: There is need for introduction of technology with higher horsepower electric and diesel locomotives, which are more fuel efficient. It is also necessary to build a technology base of the country to achieve self-sufficiency, in railway sector., Diversify freight basket: There is need to take steps to diversify their freight basket to enhance freight earnings and, also exploit its idle assets to increase other earnings., Improve service quality: To keep railway stations and trains clean, punishable law can be introduced along with, improving food quality and amenities at railway station, train coaches etc., Revisit tariffs: It is imperative to revisit the passenger and other coaching tariffs so as to recover the cost of operations, in a phased manner and reduce its losses in its core activities., , 3.8. NEWS IN SHORTS, 3.8.1. GUIDELINES FOR CENTRAL PUBLIC, SECTOR, ENTERPRISE, (CPSE), DISINVESTMENT, RELEASED, BY, MINISTRY OF FINANCE, •, •, , •, , •, •, , •, , 42, , Guidelines are aimed at privatisation, merger, closure, or subsidiarisation of non-strategic CPSEs to, implement new PSE Policy., Key provisions, o Department of Public Enterprises to identify, CPSEs for closure or privatization in non-strategic, sectors and prepare note for Cabinet Committee, on Economic Affairs approval., o Once approved, disinvestment or closure process, to be completed within seven months., Disinvestment typically refers to selling or liquidating, an asset or subsidiary either as a strategic move or for, raising resources. It is also referred to as ‘divestment’, or ‘divestiture’., Main objectives are to reduce financial burden on, government, introduce, competition and market, discipline, encourage wider share of ownership etc., Based on the percentage of stake sale, it is of three, types:, o Minority disinvestment: government retains a, majority stake (more than 51%) and management, control. E.g. ONGC Limited., o Strategic disinvestment: Sale of 50% or even, higher portion of the government shareholding,, along with transfer of management control. E.g., planned sale of BPCL., o Complete disinvestment: Majority disinvestment, where 100% control of the company is passed on, to a buyer. E.g. recent sale of Air India., New Public Sector Enterprise (PSE) Policy, o Notified in February 2021 for Atmanirbhar Bharat,, new policy classified CPSEs into strategic and nonstrategic sectors with exemption to certain CPSEs, which are not for profit or support the vulnerable, and weaker sections., , 3.8.2. PAYMENTS BANK, •, , Recently, Paytm Payments Bank was accorded, scheduled bank status by the Reserve Bank of India., , Benefits of getting scheduled bank status, •, , •, , •, , www.visionias.in, , Scheduled banks refer to those banks which have been, included in the Second Schedule of Reserve Bank of, India Act, 1934., o Other payments banks that have been added are, Fino Payments Bank and India Post Payments, Bank., With the scheduled bank status, Paytm Payments Bank, can explore new business opportunities, take part in, Request for Proposals issued by the government and, other large corporations, primary auctions, fixed-rate, and variable rate repos and reverse repos., It can also participate in Marginal Standing Facility and, will be eligible to partner in government-run financial, inclusion schemes., ©Vision IAS

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•, , It is now eligible for refinancing facility from the RBI at, the bank rate, acquire membership to clearing house,, and get access to currency storage facility., , •, , •, , •, •, , About Payments Bank, • They were created on recommendations of RBI’s, Committee on Comprehensive Financial Services for, Small Businesses and Low Income Households headed, by Nachiket Mor in 2013., • It is registered under Companies Act, 2013 and licensed, under Banking Regulation Act, 1949., o A Promoter / promoter group can also have Joint, Venture with an existing scheduled commercial, bank., • It has to maintain Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) with RBI and, invest in eligible government securities/ treasury bills, under Statutory Liquid Ratio (SLR)., • It can access inter-bank uncollateralised call money, market and collateralized repo and CBLO market for, temporary liquidity management., • Minimum paid-up equity capital of the payments bank is, INR 100 crores and it is required to maintain a minimum, capital adequacy ratio of 15%., • Promoters of the payments bank should hold at least, 40% of its paid-up equity capital for the first 5 years., , 3.8.4. SEBI SEEKING TO REGULATE ALGO, TRADING, •, , •, , •, , 3.8.3. IRDAI RETAINS LIC, GIC, NEW, INDIA AS DOMESTIC SYSTEMICALLY, IMPORTANT INSURERS (D-SIIS), •, , 43, , Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), General, Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) and New India, have been identified, like in 2020-21, as D-SIIs for, 2021-22., o D-SIIs are identified on an annual basis by, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, of India (IRDAI)., , D-SIIs refer to insurers of such size, market importance, and domestic and global inter connectedness, whose, distress or failure would cause a significant dislocation, in the domestic financial system., o Their continued functioning is thus critical for the, uninterrupted availability of insurance services to, the national economy., o They are perceived as insurers ‘too big or too, important to fail’., Parameters for identification of D-SIIs, o Size of operations in terms of total revenue,, including premium underwritten and value of, assets under management., o Global activities across more than one jurisdiction., Due to their importance, D-SIIs are subjected to, additional regulatory measures to deal with the, systemic risks and moral hazard issues., Similarly, RBI identifies domestic systemically, important banks (D-SIBs) or banks that are considered, as “too big to fail”., o SBI, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank are identified as DSIBs for 2020-21., , •, , www.visionias.in, , Algorithmic trading or Algo trading is a computer, assisted buying and selling of stocks., o Under it, pre-programmed computer strategies, execute buy and sell trades depending on set, parameters, instructions or market pattern and, conditions., o Around 50 per cent of the daily trading volume in, Indian stock markets is through an advanced form, of algo trading., Benefits of Algo-trading: It can place high-volume, orders at high speed, reduction of transaction costs,, can identify differently priced stocks, avoid significant, price changes, highly accurate without any human, errors., Need to regulate, o Algo trading came to India in 2008, but in 2015, it, was revealed that NSE gave preferential access to, a few algo traders., o Can be misused for systematic market, manipulation and to lure retail investors by, guaranteeing them higher returns., Concerns regarding regulation, o Algo trading volumes could fall once the proposed, SEBI norms are implemented, since approval of, pre-programmed trading strategies could be a, complex affair., o All algo strategies may not be approved by the, exchanges due to their complex nature., ©Vision IAS

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o, , o, , Submitting algo programmes to exchanges for, their approval would mean that vendors may have, to reveal their formula., , 3.8.5. WHOLESALE INFLATION, Wholesale inflation, based on the Wholesale Price, Index, jumped to 14.23% in 2021 from 12.54% in 2020 (on, a year-on-year basis)., , 3.8.6. INCENTIVE SCHEME TO PROMOTE, RUPAY DEBIT CARDS APPROVED, •, , More on News, •, , This is the highest WPI rate in the 2011-12 series and, has remained in double digits for the 8th consecutive, month., This is reflective of manufacturers passing on the, higher input costs to their output prices. Fuel, continues to push up input cost pressure, despite, recent reduction in taxes on fuel., Rising inflation has raised fears that it may translate, into elevated retail or consumer price-based inflation, in short term., Factors responsible for rising inflation, o The high rate of inflation in 2021 is primarily due to, rise in prices of mineral oils, basic metals, crude, petroleum & natural gas, chemicals and chemical, products, food products etc., o Since fuel is a major input into transportation cost,, higher fuel prices push up the distribution cost, further., o Input price pressures and supply-side shortages, are pushing up prices at the consumer level and, may further impact demand., o The risks from the new Omicron variant are also, expected to push up global commodity prices., o Recent depreciation of Rupee in Forex market has, also contributed to higher Wholesale Inflation., , •, , •, •, , Wholesale Price Index, • It measures average change in the prices of commodities, for bulk sale at the level of early stage of transactions., • The index basket of the WPI covers commodities falling, under the 3 Major Groups namely Primary Articles, Fuel, and Power and Manufactured products., • The prices tracked are ex- factory price for manufactured, products, agri-market (mandi) price for agricultural, commodities and ex-mines prices for minerals., • Weights given to each commodity covered in the WPI, basket is based on the value of production adjusted for, net imports. WPI basket does not cover services., • It is released by Office of the Economic Adviser,, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal, Trade., • The base year of All-India WPI has been revised from, 2004-05 to 2011-12., o A significant change in the new series of WPI has been, the exclusion of indirect taxes while compiling, indices of manufactured products., , 44, , Rationale behind it is that price signals emerging, from production side of the economy are not, influenced by the fiscal policy., , •, , •, , Cabinet approved an incentive scheme worth ₹1,300, crore for promotion of RuPay debit cards and lowvalue (up to ₹2,000) BHIM-UPI transactions (personto-merchants(P2M))., Under the scheme, acquiring banks will be, incentivised, by way of paying percentage of value of, transactions (P2M) done through RuPay Debit cards, and BHIM-UPI modes of payments., Benefits of the scheme, o Will facilitate acquiring Banks in building robust, digital payment ecosystem., o Help in making accessible digital modes of, payments to unbanked and marginalized, populations., , 3.8.7. MIS (MANAGEMENT INFORMATION, SYSTEM) PORTAL, •, , •, , Department of Land Resources developed MIS portal, for rankings of States/UTs in Land Acquisition Projects, under Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in, Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act,, 2013., o In the first phase, land acquisition undertaken, from 01.01.2014 onwards will be covered for, ranking purposes., Ranking will make it easier for states to monitor the, progress of the developmental projects and will help in, increasing speed of the projects., , 3.8.8. ULIP HACKATHON– LOGIXTICS, •, •, , www.visionias.in, , Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal, Trade (DPIIT) has launched the Unified Logistics, Interface Platform’s (ULIP) Hackathon – ‘LogiXtics’., About ULIP Hackathon:, o It is organised by NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation, Mission and supported by others to, crowdsource ideas which will benefit logistics, industry., o ULIP is designed to enhance efficiency and, reduce logistics cost in India by creating a, transparent platform that can provide real time, information to all stakeholders and remove all, asymmetry information., o ULIP will bring more transparency and visibility, to the whole trade making India logistically more, efficient and competitive., ©Vision IAS

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✓ Broaden the quality of investors in listed, companies etc., , 3.8.9. NSE PRIME, •, •, , 45, , National Stock Exchange (NSE) has launched a new, corporate governance initiative ‘NSE Prime’., About NSE Prime:, o It is a framework that prescribes higher standards, of corporate governance for listed companies, than those required by regulations., o All the NSE-listed companies can adopt NSE Prime, voluntarily., o Benefits:, ✓ Will raise the bar for corporate governance, standards in India,, ✓ Enable investors to identify companies that, have voluntarily signed up for higher standards, of corporate governance,, , 3.8.10. CARD TOKENISATION, •, , •, •, , www.visionias.in, , RBI has deferred the implementation of tokenisation, of cards for online transactions by six months i.e., till, June 30, 2022., o The decision came after receiving various, representations on the card tokenisation, guidelines., Tokenisation is a process by which card details are, replaced by a unique code or token, allowing online, purchases to go through without exposing card details., It will help in improving data security., , ©Vision IAS

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4. SECURITY, 4.1. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY, Why in News?, Recently, Union Home Minister said that indigenously made anti-drone, technology would soon be available to tackle the challenges faced by, drones in areas bordering Pakistan., More on News, •, , As drones from Pakistan continue to pose a threat in the border areas,, the country’s security agencies have been discussing measures to, deal with the arising situation., o Recently, Air Force Station Jammu was attacked by low-flying, drones that carried Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)., , Technology and Security, •, •, , Emerging Technologies, • It commonly refers to technologies that, are currently developing, or that are, expected to be available within the next, five to ten years, and is usually reserved, for technologies that are creating, or are, expected to create, significant social or, economic effects., • It includes technologies like artificial, intelligence, machine learning, natural, language processing, 3D printing,, blockchain, robotic process automation, and Internet of Things., , Leadership in technological innovation historically has been a crucial national security asset for major global powers., Development and introduction of weapons such as modern small arms, nuclear weapons, stealth technology, and, guided missiles altered the security equation and, in some instances, transformed international relations., Emerging, Technology, Drones/, Unmanned aerial, vehicles (UAV), , Possible Benefits, , Possible Threat, , •, , •, , UAV could be used to conduct reconnaissance,, to spoof, distract or desensitize security forces., , Remotely, operated, weapons systems, (ROWS), Artificial, intelligence (AI), , •, , UAVs have been used extensively for various, purposes like aerial photography and, filmmaking, rescue operations, wildfire, mapping, crowd monitoring, etc., Enhanced Surveillance (chemical and bio, detection sensors, drones etc.), , •, , •, , Counter terrorism and law enforcement, informatics via predictive analytics and AI., , •, , Cyber Technology, , •, , •, , Enhanced Human, Performance, , •, , Increasing use of, outer space for, defence, and, security, , •, , Enhanced security at nuclear power facilities and, other complex industrial sites, Includes a wide variety of focus, memory and, emotion manipulating neuropharmaceuticals, (nootropics), physical performance-enhancing, drugs etc., Plays a role in States’ intelligence; surveillance, and reconnaissance; troop movement tracking, on land, at sea, and in the air; classified and, unclassified telecommunications; GPS-guided, weapons; cyber-warfare etc., , Cyber infiltrators could gain access to control, systems and change the parameters of who is, allowed in a given area and who is considered a, threat thereby facilitate theft or sabotage., Automated, AI powered cyberattacks; risk of, over-reliance on and over-complication of these, systems; possibility that terrorists and other, adversaries will employ AI to help them plan, and conduct more efficient physical attacks etc., Increased risk of hacking, disruption, and, potential for sabotage of critical infrastructure., This might enable new ways to covertly perform, reconnaissance, interface with computer, systems or communicate with collaborators., , •, , •, , Expected introduction of directed energy, weapons (DEW) and possible increase in the, military exploitation of satellite systems for, combat purposes., , Changing face of National security due to Emerging Technologies, •, •, , 46, , Newer Threats: New technologies and novel applications of existing technologies have the potential to disrupt labor, markets and alter health, energy, and transportation systems., Limited regulation: Technological innovation is largely taking place beyond the purview of governments. In many, cases, the rate of innovation is outpacing states’ ability to keep abreast of the latest developments and their potential, societal impacts., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, , •, , •, , Powerful adversaries: Emerging technology will also allow our adversaries to more readily develop weapon systems, that can strike farther, faster, and harder and challenge India in all warfare domains, including space., Threat from Non-state actors: Rapid and profound advances in hardware and software, paired with the global shift, to digitally networked communications and transactions, have increased collective vulnerability to malicious states, and non-state actors., Steps taken by India, o Groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS • In 2015, National Supercomputing Mission was launched to install 73, used online communication on, indigenous supercomputers throughout the country by 2022., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and, • National Mission on Quantum Technologies & Applications was, other platforms to increase their, announced in 2020 to oversee the development of quantum technologies, prominence, and, recruit, for communications, computing, materials development and cryptography., • DRDO has also established several dedicated laboratories focusing on, collaborators., futuristic technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum and cognitive, More potent terrorist threats:, technologies, asymmetric technologies and smart materials., Potential for terrorists to acquire a, •, Indian military is reportedly developing advanced military systems such as, nuclear weapon (or weapons-usable, directed energy weapons (DEWs), optionally manned combat platforms and, material) to compromise the safety of, swarm drones., a facility housing nuclear material, • Ministry of External Affairs recently (MEA) created a New, Emerging and, and/or other critical infrastructure., Strategic Technologies (NEST) division to deal with the foreign policy and, Threat of weapons of mass, international legal aspects of new and emerging technologies., destruction (WMD): Hostile nations, • India has a Defence Cyber Agency and a National Technical Research, realizing that they cannot stand up to, Organisation, which are responsible for mechanisms that work to counter, technologically superior military, cyber risks and threats to the country., forces, will be stimulated to develop • Hand-held Thermal Imagers have been provided to Indian security, forces and being used everywhere including, manning the International, WMD as an offset to these capabilities., , Way forward, •, •, •, •, •, , Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC)., , Incentivizing investors and corporations to consider national security in their decision-making process while initiating, partnerships/programs to foster innovation., Multilateral governance system involving a greater number and variety of actors to initiate, shape, and implement, both technical and normative solutions., More partnerships and collaborative environments to share worldwide emerging technology trends, address, competitive threats, share national security concerns, and consider civil liberties, privacy, and ethical implications., Forming strategic public-private partnerships with the aim of allocating private capital to support national security, objectives., Develop and adopt advanced technology applications within government and improve the desirability of the, government as a customer of the private sector., , 4.2. CLIMATE CHANGE AND SECURITY, Why in News?, India voted against a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) draft, resolution that for the first time would have defined climate change as, a threat to peace., More on the news, •, •, •, 47, , About UNSC, • It is one of the six principal organs of the, United Nations (UN)., • Its primary responsibility is maintenance of, international peace and security., • It has 15 Members, ten elected members,, and five permanent members--China, the, United States, France, the United Kingdom,, and the Russian Federation., • Each member has one vote, but permanent, members have the power to veto any, substantive resolution., , The Security Council draft resolution was co-sponsored by 113 UN, Member States and tabled by Ireland and Niger, the council’s, current president., It was aimed at systematically integrating climate-related security, risks into the UN’s conflict prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding work., The vote on the resolution in the 15-member council was 12 in favor, with Russia and India opposed and China, abstaining., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , Because Russia is one of the council’s five veto-wielding permanent members, its negative vote blocked passage., , Need of the resolution, •, , •, , •, , Interlinkage between Climate change and, security: Climate is creating security risks in the, world (see infographic), which will exacerbate in, the future with water shortage, migration and a, destruction of livelihoods., o For example, people and countries most, vulnerable to climate change also are most, vulnerable to terrorist recruitment and, violence., Progress of UNFCCC conferences is slow and, outcomes are inadequate, leading to demand of, faster collective action to tackle climate change, and associated challenges., UNSC already has tools to address climate, change within its mandate: It is the principal, organ of the United Nations responsible for, international security and can ensure that the, security impacts of climate change are, integrated into the critical work of, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and humanitarian, response., , Concerns regarding resolution, •, , •, •, , Viewing conflicts through the prism of climate, change is misleading and an oversimplification: While climate change has the potential to impact peace and security,, the nexus between the two is complex. This diverts the attention from genuine deep-rooted reasons for conflict in, some countries., o For instance, other factors such as environmental degradation, food shortages and unfair distribution of resources, are most likely to lead to tension and conflict., Climate change lies outside the ambit of UNSC: UNSC’s primary responsibility is “maintenance of international peace, and security” and climate change-related issues are outside its ambit. All matters related to climate change are being, discussed in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a specialised agency., Lake of participative approach: Bringing the issue under the UNSC may give more powers to the world’s industrialised, countries, which hold a veto power, to decide on future action on climate-related security issues, unlike UNFCCC,, where decisions are made are by consensus., , Way forward, •, •, •, •, •, , 48, , UNFCCC can expand the scope of discussions to include climate-related security issues., International community must provide stronger support to climate change adaptation in developing countries,, including through investments in capacity-building at all levels., Enhance global efforts to ensure the sustainable and equitable development of all countries, notably through, developed countries’ meeting their international commitments on development assistance., Anticipate and prepare to address unprecedented challenges posed by climate change like e possibility of large, numbers of persons displaced across borders by climate change, prospect of statelessness of citizens of submerged, island nations, drastic reduction in water availability etc., Improve the flow of information and sharing of assessments, particularly on early warning, between different, regional and international organizations., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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4.3. INTERNET SHUTDOWN, Why in news?, Report on ‘Suspension of Telecom Services/Internet, And Its Impact’ was presented in the parliament by, Standing Committee On Communications And, Information Technology (2021-22)., About Internet Shutdown & Rules related to internet, shutdown, •, , •, , •, , Key observations by the committee on the 2017 rules, • Inadequate rules for Internet shutdown: No proper procedure, has been laid down for lifting of internet shutdown., • Undefined Grounds for suspension of telecom services:, ‘Public Emergency’ and ‘Public Safety’, the two grounds on, which internet shutdown can be ordered are both un-defined, in the 1885 Act or the 2017 Rules. ., o In the absence of parameters to decide the merit of the, internet shutdowns, shutdowns have been ordered purely, on the basis of subjective assessment by District level, officer., • Use for other purposes: Shutdowns have been resorted to as a, tool for routine policing and even administrative purposes,, such as preventing cheating in exams to defusing local crime., • No records for Internet shutdown: There are no records with, Home Affairs or Department of Telecom on how many states, have issued internet suspension orders, including their, details, reasons etc., • Internet shutdown under Section 144: As opposed to ordering, shutdown under Suspension Rules, 2017, states have been, ordering shutdowns under Section 144, Cr. P.C. which was, clarified as being unconstitutional by the Supreme Court., • High Monetary loss due to Internet Shutdown: As per Cellular, Operators Association of India (COAI), telecom operators lose, INR 24.5 million per hour in every Circle Area where there is a, shutdown or throttling., , An Internet shutdown is an intentional disruption, of digital communications leading to little or no, access to the Internet., o Shutdowns can take place nationally or target, a certain region., o According to Software Freedom Law Centre, (SFLC) there have been a total of 550 internet, shutdowns in India so far since 2012., Reasons for Internet Shutdown, o to improve the law and order situation,, o bring peace, ensure security and stability of, the state., o to stop the spread of fake news,, administrative convenience., Rules/legal provisions for Internet shutdown, o Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency & Public Safety) Rules, 2017., ✓ Currently, suspension of telecom services (including internet shutdowns) is governed by the 2017 Rules, notified under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885., ✓ 2017 Rules provide for temporary shutdown of telecom services in a region on grounds of public emergency, (up to 15 days at once)., ✓ 1885 Act empowers the central, government to regulate various types of, telecom services including internet, services and grant licenses for them., o Supreme court in its 2020 judgment, ✓ Directed for publishing of all orders for, suspension of telecom services to enable, the affected persons to challenge it before, the High Court, ✓ Suspending internet services indefinitely is impermissible under the Rules, 2017., ✓ Order is subject to judicial review., o In view of SC judgements, 2017 Rules have been amended in 2020 to ensure that any suspension order issued, under these rules shall not be in operation for more than fifteen days and that all such orders need to be, published., , Earlier before 2017 internet shutdowns were ordered under Cr.PC section 144, but SC has disallowed it., Adverse impact of Internet Shutdowns, •, , 49, , Impact on businesses and service delivery, o India has more than 15 million WhatsApp Business users, a lot of whom are small and medium businesses. They, rely on digital modes of payment such as UPI., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , As per report by UK-based privacy and security research firm Top10VPN, Internet shutdowns in 2020 cost India, $2.8 bn, almost 70% of the total loss of $4 bn to the world economy., • Impact government efforts of digitisation: Shutdowns during the lockdown has a major impact on education. As, learning for so many professional courses and competitions is being given online, an internet blackout impedes, learning opportunities., • Violation of the rights of the citizens:, o Around 42% shutdowns in 2020 directly impeded human rights by abusing freedom of assembly, election, interference and infringement on freedom of press., o Shutdown such as that imposed in J&K also bring into question the principle of democracy being curbed., Recommendations made by Committee, •, , •, , •, , Regulation of suspension of telecom service, o Reviewing the Rules to address all aspects of internet shutdown, o Bringing the Rules in tune with changing technology to ensure minimum disturbance to the public,, o Issuing uniform guidelines for states/UTs, required to be followed while ordering an internet shutdown, Grounds for suspension of telecom services:, o Codifying defined parameters that constitute as public emergency and public safety,, o Putting in place a mechanism to decide the merit of an internet shutdown., o Maintain a centralised database of all internet shutdown orders in the country, Others recommendations, o Ensure that internet shutdowns are resorted to as rarely as possible., o DoT/MHA Department to lay down a clear cut principle of proportionality and procedure for lifting of shutdown, so that these are not extended indefinitely even when the situation comes under control., o DoT to explore the option of banning of selective services, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. instead, of banning the internet as a whole., , 4.4. NEWS IN SHORTS, 4.4.1., PINAKA, (PINAKA-ER), •, •, , •, , EXTENDED, , Pinaka-ER Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher System, (MBRLS) was successfully tested at Pokharan range., New Pinaka ER gives it a range of around 70 km, over, the 45 km existing range of the missile., o Pinaka can fire a salvo of 12 rockets over a period, of 44 seconds., o It has been designed by DRDO Armament, Research and Development Establishment, laboratory and Pune-based High Energy Materials, Research Laboratory., Also, Successful tests of Area Denial Munitions (ADM), and indigenously developed fuzeshave been carried, out., , 4.4.2. STAND-OFF ANTI-TANK (SANT), MISSILE, •, , •, , 50, , o, o, , RANGE, , Defence Research and Development Organisation, (DRDO) and Indian Air Force (IAF) flight-tested the, indigenously designed and developed Helicopter, launched SANT Missile from Pokhran ranges., SANT missile is equipped with a state-of-the-art, millimetre wave (MMW) seeker which provides high, precision strike capability from a safe distance., , It can neutralise targets in a range up to 10 kms., This is the third in the series of indigenous standoff weapons to be tested in recent times after long, range bomb and smart anti airfield weapon, (SAAW) for strengthening IAF., , 4.4.3. SUPERSONIC MISSILE ASSISTED, TORPEDO (SMART), •, •, •, , Recently, DRDO tested a long-range SMART from, Wheeler Island in Odisha., SMART is a next-generation missile-based standoff, torpedo delivery system., It has been designed to enhance anti-submarine, warfare capability far beyond the conventional range, of the torpedo., , 4.4.4. AGNI PRIME, •, , •, , www.visionias.in, , Defence Research and Development Organisation, (DRDO) successfully test-fired the new generation, nuclear-capable ballistic missile 'Agni Prime' from APJ, Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha in Balasore., It is the sixth missile in the Agni series, it has a range, of 1,000-2,000 kilometres making it capable of, covering vital targets all across Pakistan. It weighs 50%, ©Vision IAS

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less than the Agni 3 missile and can be launched from, rail or road. It can be stored for a longer period and, has easy movability., , 4.4.5. CONTROLLED AERIAL DELIVERY, SYSTEM-500 (CADS-500), •, , •, , •, , The Defence Research and Development Organisation, (DRDO)’s Aerial Delivery Research and Development, Establishment (ADRDE) in Agra, conducted a flight, demonstration of its CADS-500., CADS-500 can be used for precise delivery of payloads, up to 500 kilograms at a predetermined location by, making use of manoeuvrable capabilities of Ram Air, Parachute (RAP)., It autonomously steers its flight path using waypoint, navigation towards target location by operating, controls., , 4.4.6. VERTICAL LAUNCH SHORT RANGE, SURFACE TO AIR MISSILE (VL-SRSAM), •, , •, , 51, , India successfully test-fired the missile for the second, time from Chandipur off the coast of Odisha., o Launches were carried out for demonstration of, vertical launch capability., It is meant for neutralising aerial threats at close, ranges, including sea-skimming targets., o Sea skimming targets are those assets that fly as, close as possible to sea surface to avoid being, detected by the radars onboard warships., , •, , It is indigenously designed and developed by DRDO, for the Indian Navy., , 4.4.7. PRALAY MISSILE, •, •, , Launched by Defense Research and Development, Organization (DRDO), maiden flight test of Pralay, missile was successfully conducted., About Pralay, o Indigenously, developed, surface-to-surface, missile., o Has a range of 150-500 kilometres with an accuracy, of less than 10 metres., o Has a guidance system that includes state-of-theart navigation mechanisms and integrated, avionics., , 4.4.8., ARMY, INDIGENEOUS MESSAGING, APPLICATION(ASIGMA), •, •, , •, , www.visionias.in, , SECURE, , Launched by: Indian Army, It is an in-house messaging service to meet real time, data transfer and messaging requirements of the Army., o It is being deployed on the Army’s internal network, as a replacement of Army Wide Area Network, (AWAN) messaging application., It has a variety of contemporary features including, multi-level security, message prioritisation and, tracking, dynamic global address book and various, options to meet the Army’s requirements., , ©Vision IAS

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5. ENVIRONMENT, 5.1. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2021, Why in News?, The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was, recently introduced in Lok Sabha and then referred to a, joint parliamentary committee (JPC)., About Biological Diversity Act, 2002, •, , It was enacted to provide for the conservation of, biological diversity, sustainable use of its, components and fair and equitable sharing of the, benefits arising out of the use of biological, resources and knowledge., • Aim: To fulfill India's obligations under the, Convention of Biological Diversity and Nagoya, Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing., • It provides for a decentralised three-tiered, mechanism (see infographic) for implementation of, the Act., • Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) are, responsible for preparing People's Biodiversity, Registers which keep a record of all flora and fauna, including details of traditional knowledge available, in their region., Key Provisions of the Proposed Amendments, •, , •, , 52, , Extension of Exemptions: Registered AYUSH, medical Practitioners, people accessing codified, traditional knowledge, cultivated medicinal plants, and its products, people who are practicing, indigenous medicine including Indian systems of, medicine for sustenance and livelihood are, exempted from giving prior intimation to SBB for, accessing biological resource from certain, purposes., Simplifying access to biological resources and, intellectual property rights (IPR):, o Certain entities must seek approval from, the NBA for obtaining biological resources,, including organisations registered in India,, with any non-Indian shareholding or, management, which has been changed to, any foreign-controlled company registered, in India., o Applicants can now obtain NBA’s approval, before the grant of IPR and not before, applying for IPR., o Anyone who does not need approval from, NBA to access biological resources must, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, •, •, , •, , give prior intimation to the concerned SBB. Further, they must- register with the NBA before the grant of IPR,, and get prior approval of the NBA before commercialising the granted IPR., Reduction of certain offences: The provision which made offences under the act cognizable and non-bailable was, deleted. However, penalties may extend upto ₹1 crore., Provisions related to BMC: State government will prescribe the composition of BMCs, whose strength has been fixed, between seven to eleven members. Further, state governments may also constitute BMCs at the intermediate or, district Panchayat level., States can declare Threatened species: Central government can delegate the power to notify any species which is, near-extinction as a threatened species to the state government., o However, before notifying any threatened species, the state government must consult the NBA., Expansion of NBA: 11 additional members to be added to NBA, including:, o 6 ex-officio members dealing with wildlife, forestry research, and Panchayati Raj, o 4 representatives from SBBs (on a rotational basis), and, o 1 Member-Secretary (must have experience in biodiversity conservation), who will be the chief coordinating, officer of the NBA., Changes in Definitions: For example, ‘bio-utilisation’ has been removed, and ‘bio-survey’ has been redefined., , Concerns regarding Amendments, •, , 53, , Allowing large companies to evade the requirement for prior, approval or sharing the benefits:, o Majority of the AYUSH firms are registered under the name of, the practising AYUSH doctors and excluding them could exempt, their companies as well., o It is difficult to certify whether the raw material used by, companies came from the forest areas or cultivated lands., o A company under foreign management but registered in India, wouldn’t need to seek permission from the NBA to use a specific, www.visionias.in, , What is access and benefit-sharing?, When an Indian or foreign company or, individual accesses biological resources such, as medicinal plants and associated knowledge,, it has to take prior consent from the national, biodiversity board. The board can impose a, benefit-sharing fee or royalty or impose, conditions so that the company shares the, monetary benefit from commercial utilisation, of these resources with local people who are, conserving biodiversity in the region., ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , resource and develop a product from it, and without the, Case in Point: Ayush companies seeking relaxation of, NBA’s cognisance, any monetary benefits that arise from, the benefit-sharing provisions, sale of the product won’t reach the local communities., • The Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board (UBB) sent a, Issues regarding changes in definitions:, notice to Divya Pharmacy in 2016 stating that the, o Threat of Bio-piracy: Due to deletion of the term Biocompany was in violation of the Biodiversity Act, utilisation, an array of activities like characterisation,, for using biological resources from the state for, its ayurvedic formulations, without intimating the, inventorisation and bioassay, which are undertaken with, board and that it was liable to pay an access and, commercial interest, may go undetected., benefit-sharing fee., o Replacing ‘biological resources or knowledge’ with just, •, Challenging the board’s notice, the company filed, ‘results of research’ may open channels for anyone who, a writ petition before the Uttarakhand high court, has once obtained permission from the NBA to transfer the, in December 2016 challenging the powers of the, biological resource or knowledge to any third party, biodiversity board to determine benefit-sharing, without any restrictions or the cognisance of the NBA., by Indian companies., o Uncertainty regarding regulation of biosurveys: Studies, • The court in 2018 upheld the powers of the, and tests that researchers use to understand physical,, biodiversity board in its judgement., chemical and other characteristics of a resource – say, a, plant or an insect – or the potency of a substance (by measuring its effect on biological matter) have all been, eliminated from the Bill, leading to uncertainty about how they will be regulated., Post of a ‘member secretary’ in the NBA, can create two power centres– the other being the existing position of the, chairman of the NBA., , Way Forward, There is a need to bring back the focus on protecting the interests of the local communities and sharing the profits with, them. The main focus of the legislation should be to protect India’s rich biodiversity and associated knowledge and protect, biological diversity and local growers through a three-tier structure of Central and State boards and local committees., , 5.2. WILD LIFE (PROTECTION) AMENDMENT BILL, 2021, Why in News?, A bill to amend the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 was recently introduced in Lok Sabha., About Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WPA), •, •, •, , •, , The act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants with a view to ensuring the ecological and, environmental security of the country., It empowers the State to declare protected areas, under four categories- National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries,, Community Reserves and Conservation Reserves., Important bodies established under the act includeo National Board for Wildlife, o National Tiger Conservation Authority, o Central Zoo Authority, The act has created 6 schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially protected animals (four), and vermin, species (one), which gave varying degrees of protection to classes of flora and fauna., , Rationale behind amendments:, •, , •, •, 54, , Rationalise Schedules for the purposes of clarity: Present classification of schedules cause confusion and is, unnecessary, as WPA essentially has only two levels of protection for animals in 4 of its scheduleso Species listed in Schedule I and Part II of Schedule II which are accorded higher level of protection., o Species listed in Part I of Schedule II, Schedule III, and Schedule IV which are comparatively accorded lower level, of protection., Proper implementation of the provisions of the CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, of Wild Fauna and Flora), which India is a party to., Enable control of invasive alien species., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , Add provisions for better management, of protected areas, better care of seized, live animals and disposal of seized wild, life parts and product., Empower the Central Government for, improved implementation of the Act., , Proposed Amendments in the Wild Life, (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021, •, , Rationalisation of the Schedules: The Bill, reduces the total number of schedules, from 6 to 4 by:, o reducing the number of schedules for, specially protected animals to two (one for greater protection level),, o removing the schedule for vermin species, and, o inserting a new schedule for specimens listed in the Appendices under CITES (scheduled specimens)., , •, , Wild animals to be declared as Vermin by the way of notification by the Central Government for any area and for a, specified period., Controlling Invasive alien species: Empowers the central government to regulate or prohibit the import, trade,, possession or proliferation of invasive alien species. An officer can be authorised to seize and dispose the invasive, species., o Invasive alien species refers to plant or animal species which are not native to India and whose introduction may, adversely impact wild life or its habitat., New Chapter VB for implementation of CITES: with following provisionso Designation of authorities: The Central government will designate a:, ✓ Management Authority, which grants export or import permits for trade of scheduled specimens., ✓ Scientific Authority, which gives advice on aspects related to impact on the survival of the specimens being, traded., o Identification mark: As per CITES, the Management Authority may use an identification mark for a, specimen. Modification or removal of the identification mark is prohibited., o Registration certificate: Person possessing live specimens of scheduled animals must obtain a registration, certificate from the Management Authority., Control of sanctuaries: Chief Wild Life Warden shall control, manage and maintain all sanctuaries in accordance with, the management plan prepared as per guidelines issued by the Central Government., o In the case of sanctuaries falling in Scheduled Areas or areas where the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional, Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 is applicable, in accordance with the management plan, prepared after due consultation with the concerned Gram Sabha., New section 42A for Surrender of captive animals: Any person to voluntarily surrender any captive animals or animal, products to the Chief Wild Life Warden., , •, , •, , •, , •, 55, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , No compensation will be paid to the person for surrendering such, items and the surrendered items become property of the state, government., • Penalties: The Bill increases fines for violating the provisions of the, Act., • Relaxation of certain restrictions:, o Including film-making (without making any change in the habitat, or causing any adverse impact to the habitat or wildlife) as one, of the purposes for which permits may be granted to enter or, reside in a sanctuary., o Allow for transfer or transport of live elephants by person having ownership certificates in accordance with, conditions prescribed by the Central Government., o Certain activities such as, grazing or movement of livestock, bona fide use of drinking and household water by, local communities, etc., shall be considered as non-prohibitive under section 29 i.e. allowed without a permit in, a sanctuary., • Other changes:, o The Preamble to the Act amended to include the aspects of ‘conservation’ and ‘management’ of wild life., o Allow the Central Government to declare conservation reserves in areas leased or otherwise transferred to it by, the State Government., o State Board for Wild Life permitted to constitute a Standing Committee., o Enable the Central Government to call for information and issue directions for proper implementation of the, Act., o No renewal of any arms licences shall be granted to any person residing within ten kilometres of a sanctuary, except under the intimation to the Chief Wild Life Warden or the authorised officer, Conclusion, The amendments to the WPA, 1972 were long overdue and needed for efficient implementation of the CITES., , 5.3. DEVELOPMENT INDUCED DISPLACEMENT, Why in news?, The Polavaram irrigation project will displace the highest number of people in India’s history of such projects i.e., about, 1 lakh families in Andhra Pradesh, upon completion., More about news, •, •, , Polavaram irrigation project is to be build on Godavari River., The areas which are already submerged and will be submerged by next year due to the project are scheduled areas,, with predominant tribal population., , About Development Induced Displacement (DID), •, , It is characterized by the permanent relocation of all households within a geographic area as a result of the, construction of infrastructure projects., • Categories: DID may be divided into two categories (direct and indirect):, o Direct displacement refers to those cases, where due to the initiation and construction of developmental, projects there is a direct displacement of people., o Indirect displacement occurs when the people are forced to leave the area due to the functioning of those, developmental projects. This is because the functioning of the projects consumes the natural and environmental, resources in the surrounding and deprives their traditional means of livelihood., • Global Status:, o Direct displacement: Assessments sponsored by the World Bank have estimated that every year since 1990,, roughly 10 million people worldwide have been displaced involuntarily by infrastructural development projects., Dams for irrigation and hydropower are a major cause of such forced displacement., 56, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , Indirect displacement: According, to World Bank though large dams, constitute only 26.6 per cent of the, total WB funded projects causing, displacement,, the, resulting, displacement makes up 62.8 per, cent of the total number of people, displaced., • India’s status:, o In India around 50 million people, have been displaced due to, development projects in over 50, years., o The tribals who comprise 8.08% of, India’s population are estimated to, be more than 40% of the displaced, population. Dalits constitute 20%, of displaced persons (DPs)., o Study of 54 large dams done by, the Indian Institute of Public, Administration concluded that, the average number of people, displaced by a large dam is, 44,182., Risks associated with Development-Induced Displacement, •, •, •, •, •, •, , •, •, , 57, , Landlessness: Expropriation of land removes the main foundation upon which people’s productive systems and, commercial activities are constructed. This is the principal form of de-capitalization and pauperization of displaced, people, as they lose both natural and human-made capital., Joblessness: The risk of losing wage employment is very high both in urban and rural displacements for those, employed in enterprises, services, or agriculture. Unemployment or underemployment among resettlers often, endures long after physical relocation has been completed., Homelessness: Loss of shelter tends to be only temporary for many resettlers. But for some, homelessness or a, worsening in their housing standards remains a lingering condition., Marginalization: Marginalization occurs when families lose economic power and spiral on a “downward mobility”, path. Economic marginalization is often accompanied by social and psychological marginalization, expressed in a, drop in social status, a feeling of injustice, and deepened vulnerability., Food Insecurity: Forced uprooting increases the risk that people will fall into temporary or chronic, undernourishment, defined as calorie-protein intake levels below the minimum necessary for normal growth and, work., Increased Morbidity and Mortality: Massive population displacement threatens to cause serious decline in health, levels. Displacement-induced social stress and psychological trauma are sometimes accompanied by the outbreak of, relocation related illnesses, particularly parasitic and vector-borne diseases., o Unsafe water supply and improvised sewage systems increase vulnerability to epidemics and chronic diarrhea,, dysentery, and so on. The weakest segments of the demographic spectrum: infants, children, and the elderly are, affected most strongly., Social disintegration: Life-sustaining informal social networks that provide mutual help are rendered non-functional., Trade linkages between producers and their customer base are interrupted, and local labor markets are disrupted., Violation of Human Rights: Displacement from one’s habitual residence and the loss of property without fair, compensation can, in itself, constitute a violation of human rights. The risk of communal violence also increases, when new settlers move in amongst existing populations., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , Arbitrary displacement can also lead to violations of civil and political rights, including: arbitrary arrest, degrading, treatment or punishment, temporary or permanent disenfranchisement and the loss of one’s political voice., , Efforts towards Rehabilitation and associated issues, National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy (2007), • It replaced the National Policy on Resettlement and, Rehabilitation for Project Affected Families, 2003., • It aims at striking a balance between the need for land, for developmental activities and, at the same time,, protecting the interests of the land owners, and others., • Objectives:, o To minimise displacement and to promote, as far as, possible, non-displacing or least-displacing, alternatives;, o To ensure adequate rehabilitation package and, expeditious implementation of the rehabilitation, process with the active participation of the affected, families;, o To ensure that special care is taken for protecting, the rights of the weaker sections of society., Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land, Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, • The Act provides for rehabilitation & resettlement and, combines it with land acquisition so that the former, does not get neglected. The ‘public purpose’ for which, land can be acquired by the government is defined., • As per the above legislation, a comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement package is provided for those who lost their, livelihood support which includes the landless and tenants., • The Act also provides for schools and playgrounds, health centers, roads and electric connections and assured sources of, safe drinking water for each family. The role of the gram sabha has been clearly stressed and the government has to consult, them., , Road Ahead, •, , •, , •, •, , 58, , Developing an action plan: Government should adopt their National Action Plans on Human Rights that include, provisions for prevention and protection against arbitrary displacement due to development. It should include, inter, alia:, o Identification of the problems of displaced people, the measures required for helping the displaced people to, settle in the new area,, o Measures to be adopted for reducing conflicts between communities by convening consultations between, internally displaced persons and populations residing in areas of resettlement,, o Considering the needs of the resident as well as relocated populations in program design and taking steps to, prevent stigmatization or resentment., Equal treatment to women in the eligibility for R & R benefits: In the eligibility for R & R benefits, the women should, be treated at par with their male counterparts. The major daughter and major son should receive equal treatment., Similarly, the R & R policy should recognize the households headed by women and they should be treated equally, for R & R benefits., Disseminate information about the rights of displaced persons during displacement to displaced persons and to, relevant authorities. The authorities should mandatorily disclose to the public regarding various measures adopted, for ensuring the rights of displaced people., Other measures:, o Any developmental projects which involve displacement should be initiated only after properly rehabilitating, each and every one affected., o Establish monitoring and reporting systems that document violations of the rights guaranteed., o Principles of Sustainable Development, Polluter Pays Principle and Precautionary Principle should be applied, while implementing the developmental projects., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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The developmental projects are very essential for achieving economic growth of the country as well as for providing and, enhancing basic amenities of people. Therefore, the adverse impacts of developmental projects on the displaced people, must be avoided so that these projects are beneficial to everyone., , 5.4. DAM SAFETY ACT, 2019, Why in News?, Recently, Rajya Sabha passed the Dam Safety Bill,, 2019., More on News, •, , •, , •, , Act proposes to help all states and UTs adopt, uniform dam safety procedures and seeks to, set up an institutional mechanism to ensure, the safe functioning of specific dams in the, country., It provides for adequate surveillance,, inspection, operation, and maintenance of all, the large dams in the country so as to prevent, dam failure related disasters., It was earlier passed by Lok Sabha in 2019., , About Dams, • Dams are artificial barriers on rivers which store water and help in, irrigation, power generation, flood moderation, and water supply., • As on June 2019, India has 5,745 large dams (includes dams under, construction)., o After China and USA, India is the 3rd largest dam-owning, nation in the world., o Most of the dams in India are constructed and maintained by, the states, while some of the bigger dams are managed by, autonomous bodies such as Damodar Valley Corporation or, Bhakra Beas Management Board of Bhakra-Nangal Project., • Over 75% of these dams are more than 20 years old and about 220, dams are more than 100 years old., • Most of these large dams are in Maharashtra (2394), Madhya, Pradesh (906), and Gujarat (632)., , Background, •, , •, •, •, , •, , •, •, , 59, , Beginning with the failure of the Tigra dam (Madhya Pradesh) in 1917, about 40 large dams are reported to have, failed so far., o The worst dam disaster was the failure of Machu dam (Gujarat) in 1979., o The most recent case of failure of the Annamayya dam (Andhra Pradesh) in November 2021 is reported to have, led to the death of 20 people., Central Dam Safety Organisation, under the Central Water Commission (CWC), provides technical assistance to the, Dam Owners, and maintains data on Dams., National Committee on Dam Safety, devises Dam Safety Policies and Regulations., Dam safety by CWC, o Dam Safety assurance and Rehabilitation Project (World Bank assisted) was implemented in four States –, namely Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu., o Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) to improve safety of selected dams, install basic dam safety, related facilities etc., Other steps taken for dam safety in India, o DHARMA (Dam Health and Rehabilitation Monitoring) software for effective collection and management of, asset and health data for all large dams in India., o Seismic hazard analysis information system (SHAISYS) to estimate seismic hazard at a point in South Indian, Region., In 2007, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal had passed resolutions, requesting Parliament to make a law on dam, safety., Consequently, the Dam Safety Bill, 2010 was introduced in Lok Sabha under Article 252, which allows Parliament to, make laws on state subjects, applicable to those states, that pass a resolution requesting such a law., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Key features of the Act, Applicability, , •, , Dam safety, authorities, , •, , Obligation, of Dam, Owners, , •, , Offences, and, penalties, Others, , •, , •, , •, •, •, , 60, , Act applies to all specified dams in the country. These are dams with:, o Height more than 15 metres, or, o Height between 10 metres to 15 metres and satisfying certain additional design conditions such as, reservoir capacity., There will be four layers of monitoring, two at the central level and two at the state level., o A National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS) will be constituted to help evolve uniform dam safety, policies, protocols, and procedures., o A National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) as a regulatory body for ensuring the nationwide implementation, of dam safety policies and standards., ✓ Any decision taken by NDSA shall be binding upon all the parties., o At the State level, the Bill prescribes for the constitution of State Committees on Dam Safety (SCDS) and, the establishment of the State Dam Safety Organizations (SDSO)., ✓ SDSO will undertake surveillance, inspections and monitoring of operation and maintenance of all, specified dams., ✓ Every SDSO is required to report the event of any dam failure under their jurisdiction to the NDSA., Dam owners will be responsible for the safe construction, operation, maintenance and supervision of a dam., They must provide a dam safety unit in each dam., Functions of Dam owners include preparing an emergency action plan, carrying out risk assessment studies, and preparing a comprehensive dam safety evaluation., Anyone obstructing a person in the discharge of his functions under the Bill or refusing to comply with, directions may be imprisoned for a year., In case of loss of life, the person may be imprisoned for two years., It also addresses in a comprehensive manner, critical concerns related to dam safety on account of emerging, climate change related challenges., This Bill provides for regular inspection and hazard classification of dams., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Need for the Act, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , •, •, , Safety concern: An unsafe dam constitutes a hazard to human life, flora and fauna, ecology and public and private, assets. Further, it is very important for, safeguarding the huge investment in, critical physical infrastructure., o In the absence of a proper dam safety, institutional framework, shortcomings, of varying degrees may get ingrained in, the investigation, design, construction,, operation and maintenance of dams., Fulfilling dual role: Of harnessing the river, water for accelerating socio-economic, growth and, Mitigating the miseries of a, large population, suffering from the, vagaries of floods and droughts., Fulfilling basic human needs: such as, Water for Drinking and Industrial use,, irrigation for agricultural operations, flood, control, hydro power generation, inland, navigation etc., National water security: It is also, important in the emerging scenarios of, India’s water crisis, linked with its growing, population as well as climate change., Addressing inter-state conflicts: According, to the Act, if the dams of one State fall, under the territories of another, then NDSA, will perform the role of SDSO, thus eliminating potential causes for inter-State conflicts., Uniform mechanism: Act provides for an institutional mechanism at both Central and State levels to address, structural and non-structural measures required for ensuring the safe functioning of dams., Enforcing safety protocols: There are many protocols, including pre and post-monsoon inspections, for ensuring dam, safety. However, as of now these protocols are not legally mandated, and the agencies concerned have no powers to, enforce them., , Conclusion, Safety of dam is a matter of great concern to the nation. An unsafe dam constitutes a hazard to human life, flora and, fauna, ecology and public and private assets., Therefore, it is necessary to enact a law to provide for proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of, dams of certain parameters in India to ensure their safe functioning., However, given the sentiments expressed by a number of states, the Centre can hold talks with the States to allay their, fears and frame rules suitably for legislation., , 5.5. PROTECTION OF PLANT VARIETIES AND FARMERS’ RIGHTS ACT, Why in news?, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) under the PPV&FR Act has revoked a plant variety, protection certificate granted to PepsiCo India Holding on FC-5 potato variety (also called as FL-2027) on multiple grounds., , 61, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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About the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, •, , •, •, , 62, , The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act, was enacted in 2001 under Article 27(3) (b) of, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)., o The act is in conformity with International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), 1978 (an, intergovernmental organization, to provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection, with the, aim of encouraging the development of new varieties of plants, for the benefit of society)., The Act introduced intellectual property protection in Indian agriculture and is the world’s only IPR legislation, which grants intellectual property rights not only to the plant breeders but also to the farmers., Objectives of the Act, o To recognize and protect the rights of farmers in respect of their contributions in conserving, improving and, making available plant genetic resources for the development of new plant varieties., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , To accelerate agricultural development in the country, protect plant breeders’ rights; stimulate investment for, research and development both in public & private sector for the development new of plant varieties., o Facilitate the growth of seed industry in the country, to ensure the availability of high quality seeds and planting, material to the farmers., • Institutional Mechanism:, o Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FR Authority): To implement the provisions of, the Act by Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture. General Functions of the Authority, include:, ✓ Registration of new plant varieties, ✓ Developing DUS (Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability) test guidelines for new plant species,, ✓ Facilitate development and commercialisation of new varieties through formal linkages with agricultural, universities, research institutions and Krishi Vigyan Kendras,, ✓ Recognizing and rewarding farmers, community of farmers, particularly tribal and rural community engaged, in conservation and improvement;, ✓ Maintenance of National Gene Bank to store the seed material, ✓ Preservation of plant genetic resources of economic plants and their wild relatives, o Plant Varieties Protection Appellate Tribunal (PVPAT): The decisions of the PVPAT can be challenged in High, Court. The Tribunal shall dispose of the appeal within one year., • Eligibility criteria: A variety of seed is eligible for registration under the Act if it fulfill the criteria of Distinctiveness,, Uniformity and Stability (DUS). The protection period is for 15 years for trees and 18 years in the case of vines., o The Act prescribes the registrable plant varieties that can be registered for protection, namely:, ✓ New varieties, ✓ Extant variety, ✓ Farmers' variety, ✓ Essentially derived variety, • Rights under the Act:, Breeders’, Rights, Researchers’, Rights, Farmers’, Rights, , •, •, •, •, •, •, •, •, , Breeders will have exclusive rights to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export the protected/, registered variety., Breeder can appoint agent/ licensee and may exercise for civil remedy in case of infringement of rights., Researcher can use any of the registered variety under the Act for conducting experiment or research., This includes the use of a variety as an initial source of variety for the purpose of developing another variety, but repeated use needs prior permission of the registered breeder., A farmer who has evolved or developed a new variety is entitled for registration and protection in like manner, as a breeder of a variety., Section 39(1) of the Act allows all farmers cultivating a registered new variety the right to "save, use, sow,, resow, exchange, share or sell farm produce including seeds" except the branded seeds., Section 39 (2) of the Act provides for compensation to the farmers for non-performance of variety., Farmer shall not be liable to pay any fee in any proceeding before the Authority or Registrar or the Tribunal or, the High Court under the Act. It will be paid through National Gene Fund., , Implications of the current verdict, •, •, , 63, , Setting a precedent: This was the first case of infringement of rights under the Act. It upholds farmers' seed, freedoms and sends an important signal that farmers' rights cannot be taken lightly by IPR-holders in the country., Highlighted the loopholes in the present act and its implementation such as:, o Enforcement issues: As agriculture is a state subject, enforcement is left to States. However there exists a large, variance in laws across states. Unique protections provided to farmers can act as an enforcement loophole given, the grey area between farmers and aggregators., ✓ For instance, when any aggregator (who owns an acre of land and is also considered as a farmer) collects the, seed from farmer and then sells it in a branded fashion, it may lead to pilferage of the parent seed. Rampant, spread of unauthorised and genetically modified HTBt cotton seeds is an example of this., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , o, o, , Lack of IPR protection may hinder innovation: The PPVFR requires companies to submit parent seeds when, applying for registration. This has already deterred many domestic and foreign players from introducing the latest, varieties., ✓ Currently, less than 3% of annual revenue of seed market is ploughed back into research, in contrast with 1012% which is the global standard., Complicated and slow process for registration of new varieties., Procedural gaps exist in the process of registration., , Way ahead, •, •, •, , Widespread variance in State-level laws and regulations need to be addressed., Need to ensure that the farmer has a stake in innovation by ensuring better realisations for adopting innovative, varieties., For this, there is a need for more investment in farm infrastructure, including processing and pre-processing plants,, as well as identity protected supply chains., , 5.6. NEWS IN SHORTS, 5.6.1. NAIROBI DECLARATION, •, •, , •, , Recently, Nairobi declaration was adopted by African, ministers and heads of delegations., Declaration underlined the need to deliver, commitments on the Programme of Action (PoA) for, implementing the Sendai Framework in Africa., o PoA outlines how Africa aims to implement Sendai, Framework on the continent., Sendai framework provides for a pathway in guiding, countries and communities to substantially reduce, the effects of shocks caused by natural and humaninduced hazards by 2030 compared to 2005-2015., , 5.6.2. HAIDERPUR WETLAND, •, , •, •, , India has designated the Haiderpur wetland as the, country's 47th Ramsar site., o Ramsar is a wetland site designated under the, Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental, environmental treaty which came into force in, 1975., Haiderpur Wetland is situated on the MuzaffarnagarBijnor border in Uttar Pradesh., It was formed in 1984 by the construction of Madhya, Ganga Barrage at the confluence of Solani and Ganga, rivers and is a part of Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary., , 5.6.3. GLOBAL, (GMI), •, •, , 64, , METHANE, , •, , •, , through partnership among developed and developing, countries having economies in transition., o It was created in 2004 and has membership from, 45 countries., Recently also at the UNFCCC COP26 (Glasgow), the, Global Methane Pledge was launched that aims to cut, down methane emissions by up to 30% from 2020, levels by the year 2030., Methane is a greenhouse gas having 25-28 times more, harmful effect than CO2., o It is also the second-most abundant greenhouse, gas in the atmosphere, after carbon dioxide., , 5.6.4. NEARLY 49K RURAL HABITATIONS, AFFECTED, WITH, WATER, CONTAMINATION,, SAYS, PARLIAMENTARY PANEL REPORT, •, , INITIATIVE, , India recently co-chaired GMI Steering Leadership, Meeting., GMI is a voluntary Government and an informal, international partnership created to achieve global, reduction in anthropogenic methane emission, www.visionias.in, , The Standing Committee on Water Resources noted, with concern that many habitations are affected by, contamination of water due to Arsenic, Fluoride, Iron,, Nitrate, Heavy Metals and high Salinity. Major findings, include, o Substantial amounts of unspent balances were, accrued under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) at the end, of the FY 2018-19 and 2019-20., ✓ JJM aims at providing household tap water, connection to every household by 2024., o Financial assistance given for construction of, Individual Household Latrines in the urban areas is, Rs. 20,000/- while it is Rs. 12,000/- only in rural, areas., , ©Vision IAS

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Observations, , Recommendations, , •, , •, , •, , •, , No clarity on action taken, for, providing, clean, drinking, water, to, habitation affected with, other contaminants like, Iron and Salinity which, constituted bulk of the, water quality affected, habitations., The number of Water, Quality, Testing, laboratories has reduced, this year as compared to, the previous year., Casual attitude regarding, reported, release, of, harmful and untreated, chemicals, by, some, industries., , 5.6.5. ELECTRICITY, NON-FOSSIL FUEL, •, •, , •, , •, , o, , Focussed attention to, be, given, towards, such habitations and a, time, bound, programme, be, formulated, in, consultation, with, concerned States for, setting, up, of, Community, Water, Purification Plants in all, water quality affected, habitations., To open sufficient, number, of, water, testing laboratories., , •, , 5.6.7. BOESENBERGIA ALBOLUTEA, BOESENBERGIA RUBROLUTEA, •, , CAPACITY, , FROM, , India has achieved the ambitious target of 40% of, installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel, sources., According to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy,, total installed non-fossil fuel-based capacity stands at, 156.83 Giga Watts and the total installed electricity, capacity is 390 Giga Watts., Government has further announced at CoP 26 in, Glasgow a target of achieving 500 GW of installed, electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by, 2030., , The project has reached out to 5500 SafaiSathis, in, an effort to institutionalize workers from the, informal sector., o “Utthaan”, a social protection programme was, launched to help 9000 safaisathsi., o However, the programme suffered a setback after, the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread, increase in waste, including medical plastic waste., The UNDP is also working with NITI Aayog and have, jointly developed a ‘handbook’ model for local, municipalities as well as the private sector., o The handbook provides a comprehensive, overview of PWM by representing and discussing, components of the entire plastic waste value, chain., , •, , •, , &, , These two species of plants are now Extinct in the Wild, (EW) under IUCN which were discovered around 125, years ago., Boesenbergiarubrolutea was endemic to Khasi HillMeghalaya while Boesenbergiaalbolutea was endemic, to Andaman Island., o Classified under the genus Boesenbergia, the, species belong to the family Zingiberaceae, the, ginger family of flowering plants., Possible reasons for their disappearance include, climate change, human interference and overexploitation, or natural calamities., , 5.6.6. UNDP PLANS TO DRASTICALLY, EXPAND PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT, (PWM) IN INDIA, •, , 65, , The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), PWM (2018-2024) programme aims to almost triple its, PWM to 100 cities in India by 2024., o UNDP launched this project, in partnership with, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited,, Hindustan Unilever Limited among others, for, building on existing systems to reduce the impact, of plastic waste on the environment in India., o It promotes collection, segregation and recycling of, all kinds of plastics to move towards a circular, economy., o So far, 83,000 metric tonne of plastic waste has, been collected., , 5.6.8. CANARY BLACK BEE, •, , www.visionias.in, , About 50 days after Cumbre Vieja volcano in the, Canary Islands erupted, tens of thousands of bees were, found alive inside hives that had been covered in, volcanic ash., ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , Honeybees use propolis (a resin like mixture, sometimes known as bee glue), produced from, substances they collect from plants and buds, to plug, tiny gaps in hive from gases of the volcano., Generally, propolis is used by honey bees to protect it, from rainwater and drafts., , •, , 5.6.9. MINISTRY OF COAL HAS SET UP, MISSION COKING COAL (MCC), •, , •, , •, , MCC is based on the recommendations of InterMinisterial Committee set up to strategise, augmentation of coking coal production in India., o Coking refers to the coal's ability to be converted, into coke, a pure form of carbon that can be used, in basic oxygen furnaces., o Coking coal is used in manufacturing of steel, through blast furnace route., ✓ Domestic coking coal is high ash coal, (between 18% - 49%) and is not suitable for, direct use in blast furnance. Therefore, it is, blended with imported coking coal (<9% ash)., Objective of MCC, o To prepare an action plan to increase production, and utilisation of domestic coking coal., o Adoption of new technologies., o Allocation of coking coal blocks for private sector, development., o Setting up of new coking coal washeries, enhanced, R&D activities and improvement of quality, parameters., It helps to boost production and strengthen in-house, capabilities which thereby will reduce imports and, lead to AtmaNirbhar Bharat., o About 50 MT coking coal is imported by the, country on an annual basis and the value of coking, coal imported in FY 2020-21 was Rs.45435 crore., , 5.6.10. GOVERNMENT ISSUES ADVISORY, TO CARMAKERS TO INTRODUCE FLEXFUEL ENGINES IN VEHICLES, •, •, , 66, , Car makers have been given six months to introduce, flex fuels so that cars can also run on ethanol in the, future., Flex Fuel Vehicle is a modified version of vehicles that, could run both on gasoline and blended petrol with, different levels of ethanol blends., o These are currently being used successfully in, Brazil, giving people the option to switch fuel, (gasoline and ethanol)., o Flex-fuel, or flexible fuel, is an alternative fuel, made of a combination of gasoline and methanol, or ethanol., , •, , Advantage of FFV, o Provides option for using bio-fuels, which are, better than petrol (are import substitute, cost, effective, pollution-free and indigenous)., ✓ Target date for achieving 20% ethanolblending with petrol has been advanced by, five years to 2025., o Help in addressing the problems of surplus food, grains (can be used in making ethanol)., o Reduce dependence on oil imports., Challenges:, o Require additional investment from auto, companies in production lines and technology, transfers., o Ethanol can also cause corrosion and damage to, the engine., o Ethanol is also not as economical as gasoline as it, does not provide the same level of fuel efficiency., , 5.6.11. AGRICULTURAL PHOTOVOLTAIC, (AGRI-PV), •, •, •, •, •, , Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has developed, large-scale agri-voltaic farming., Agri-voltaic farming- is a mixed system of solar energy, production associating solar panels and crop at the, same time on the same land area., It is an evolving practice in sustainable development, that combines the production of food and energy., PV-module are installed in Agri voltaic system, (AVS)inclination angle equal to the latitude of the place, of installation., Agri-PV overcomes the present either-or situation by, achieving both power generation and agricultural, yield., , 5.6.12. INDIA-EU CLEAN ENERGY AND, CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP, •, , •, , •, , www.visionias.in, , During India-EU Energy Panel meet, both sides have, agreed to step up their Clean Energy and Climate, Partnership., o They jointly agreed on a detailed work programme, until 2023 to implement the 2016 India-EU Clean, Energy and Climate Partnership., The Energy Panel agreed on increased technical, cooperation in energy efficiency, renewable energy,, green hydrogen, grid integration, sustainable, financing etc., As part of this strengthened cooperation, the EU and, India will undertake new studies, study visits and joint, workshops, exchanging knowledge and best practices, on these areas., ©Vision IAS

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o, , 5.6.13. SHUNYA LABELLING FOR NET, ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS (NZEB), •, •, •, , 67, , Recently, Shunya programme for NZEB and Net, Positive Energy Buildings (NPEB) were launched, NZEB are highly efficient buildings with extremely low, energy demand., Based on Energy Performance Index (EPI), i.e. total, energy consumed in a building over a year divided by, total built up area, the buildings having, , •, , www.visionias.in, , 10 ≤ EPI ≤ 0 kWh/m2/year, will be awarded by, Shunya Label., o EPI < 0 kWh/m2/year will be awarded by Shunya+, label., It will encourage to make energy efficient buildings, and further making improvements to make it, NZEB/NPEB., , ©Vision IAS

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6. SOCIAL ISSUES, 6.1. MARRIAGE AGE OF WOMEN, Why in news?, Recently, the Prohibition of Child, Marriage or PCMA (Amendment) Bill,, 2021, that proposes to raise the legal, age of marriage for women from 18 to, 21 years — the same as men, was, introduced in the Lok Sabha., More on news, •, , •, , The, bill, is, based, on, recommendations submitted to, NITI Aayog in December 2020 by, the Centre’s task force, headed, by Jaya Jaitly. It was constituted, to examine matters pertaining to, o age of motherhood,, o imperatives of lowering MMR, (Maternal Mortality Rate),, o improvement of nutritional, levels and related issues., Key highlights of the draft Bill, o The draft bill would amend the PCMA, 2006., o Aim: To bring women on a par with men in terms of marriageable age, overriding all existing laws, including any, custom, usage or practice governing the parties pertaining to marriage., o Laws that will be superseded:, ✓ The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872,, ✓ The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936,, ✓ The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937,, ✓ The Special Marriage Act, 1954,, ✓ The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and, ✓ The Foreign Marriage Act, 1969,, o Definition of child: “Child” means a male or female who has not completed 21 years of age’., o The amendment has been proposed to fulfill the spirits of the Constitution by as it would ensure and gender, neutrality when it comes to marriage and also facilitate women empowerment., , Positive aspects of raising the marriage age, •, •, , 68, , Gender-neutrality: With this decision, the government will be bringing the age of marriage for both men and women, at par., Women empowerment, o Education: Several girls are forced to drop their studies for marriage, and increasing the minimum legal age, required to marry to 21 would give them time to pursue their studies and offer an opportunity to pursue higher, education., o Health, ✓ Physical health: Early marriage denies girls the right to the highest attainable standard of general and, reproductive health. An early age of marriage, and consequent early pregnancies, have adverse impacts on, nutritional levels of mothers and their children. It also has an impact on IMR and MMR., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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✓ Psychological health: Teenage brides may not be mature enough to deal with household responsibilities. This, may reflect badly on the mental health of such women., o Economic participation: Marriage at a young age means not even a quarter of women in India get into the labor, force despite accounting for almost half of the 1.3 billion population., o Reducing child marriage: The recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS) revealed that child marriage, has come down marginally from 27% in 2015-16 to 23% in 2019-20 in the country. The government has been, pushing to bring this down further. Raising the age of marriage can aid in enhanced awareness about the, repercussion of child marriages and reducing the same further., Criticism of raising the age of marriage, •, •, , •, , •, •, •, , •, , Rise in average age of marriage: According to government data from 2019, the average age to marry for women is, 22.1 years. This figure has gradually risen over the years, which shows that the change is voluntary. The change has, taken place largely as the education rate among women has improved., Rising education yet falling economic participation of women: The rise in enrolment in higher education and, particularly that of women has been a feature over the last two decades. The age of marriage for women at 18,, therefore, has not been a debilitating factor. However, this rise in educated women has not resulted in rise in female, labour force participation., o Therefore, the proposed legislation may not address the social and cultural patriarchal norms that hinder, women empowerment., Not a solution for child marriage: Even with the legal age of marriage for women being kept at 18 years, child, marriages continue in India and a decrease in such marriages has not been because of the existing law but because, of increase in girl’s education and employment opportunities., o It is therefore argued that instead of legally increasing the minimum marital age, the root cause of child, marriage, like poverty & lack of education, should be addressed in order to bring about a value change in society., Safest age for pregnancy: Mortality experienced by the cohort aged 20 years to 24 years (roughly those marrying at, ages 18 years and higher) is by far the lowest of all age groups., Abuse of law: The law would end up being coercive, and in particular negatively impact marginalised communities,, such as the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes, making them law-breakers., o Also, the amendment could push a large portion of the population into illegal marriages., Contradicts with other laws: A person upon reaching the age of 18 could vote but could not exercise the right of, choice to marry., o Furthermore, as per the 2013 Criminal Law Amendment Act, age of consent for sexual activity is 18 years. Now,, there are anticipation among social activists that the age of consent would be further raised to 21 to bring it on a, par with the revised age of marriage of women., o Similarly, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) (Amendment) Act, 2016 allows adolescent in the age, group of 14-18 years to work except in hazardous occupations and processes. But, the proposed legislation, prohibits married below 21 years of the age., Other way of ensuring gender neutrality: In 2018, the Law Commission of India had suggested decreasing the, minimum legal age of men from 21 to 18 years, and recommended keeping both the genders’ minimum legal age to, marry as 18 years., , Way ahead: Following deliveries must come first, as, unless they are implemented and women are empowered, the law, will not be as effective., •, •, •, , 69, , Information, education and communication (IEC): Comprehensive public awareness campaign be chalked out to, encourage social acceptance of the decision. Also, sensitizing young students of both gender about the importance, of individual financial stability and the dangers of teenage pregnancies is needed., Empowerment of women: Access to schools and universities for girls, including transportation in the case of, educational institutes in far-flung areas. Training of women in polytechnic institutes, skills and business training and, livelihood enhancement. Sex education be formalised and introduced in the school curriculum., Targeted approach for reducing Child marriage: Girls belonging to socio-economically weak families are forced into, child marriages and providing them financial support, especially for pursuing education, will automatically raise the, age of marriage among women., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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6.2. BETI BACHAO, BETI PADHAO SCHEME, Why in news?, Recently, the committee report titled "Empowerment of Women through Education with Special Reference to Beti, Bachao-Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme" was tabled in Lok Sabha., Achievements of BBBP so far, During the last 6 years since its inception, the progress in terms of monitorable targets as per Health Management, Information System (HMIS) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are as followsParameter, Sex Ratio at, Birth (SRB), Health, Education, , Details, • In 2021, SRB has improved by 19 points from 918 to 937., • Some districts which have shown huge improvement are Mau (Uttar Pradesh), Karnal, and, Mahendergarh, Rewari (Haryana), Patiala (Punjab)., • Percentage of institutional deliveries has shown an improving trend from 87% to 94% in 201920., • Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of girls in the schools at secondary level and percentage of, schools with functional separate toilets for girls has improved., , Status, Improved, , Improved, Improved, , About BBBP Scheme, •, , •, , •, •, •, •, , It was launched in 2015 at Panipat,, Haryana to address a decline in child sex, ratio and related issues of empowerment, of girls., It brings behavioural change in the, society towards birth and rights of a girl, child. Scheme aims to introduce mind set, change with the help of nuanced, communication with the following target, groups:, o Primary: Young and newly married, couples; Pregnant and Lactating mothers; parents, o Secondary: Youth, adolescents (girls and boys), in-laws, medical doctors/ practitioners, private hospitals, nursing, homes and diagnostic centres, o Tertiary: Officials, PRIs; frontline workers, women SHGs/Collectives, religious leaders, voluntary organizations,, media, medical associations, industry., It is a tri-ministerial convergent effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), Health & Family, Welfare and Education., o MoWCD is the nodal ministry., 2 major components of BBBP:o Advocacy and Media Campaign on BBBP, o Multi-Sectoral intervention in selected Districts:, It has no provision for individual cash incentive components and thus is not a DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) scheme., From the financial year 2016-17, MoWCD has started the disbursement of grants-in-aid directly to the District, Collectors of selected districts for implementation of BBBP Campaign., , Issues as highlighted in report, •, •, , 70, , Inadequate use of funds sectoral interventions: Nearly 80% of the funds for the scheme has been used for its, advertising and not on sectoral interventions such as in health and education for girls., Poor utilisation of funds: Since its inception till 2019-20, the total budgetary allocation was Rs 848 crore. Only 25.13%, of the funds has been spent by the states/UT which reflects poor utilisation, resulting in poor performance., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, , Improper monitoring: Irregular task force meetings and delays in collecting monthly reports or statement of, expenditure from districts, reflects the non-compliance of the guidelines highlighting that the scheme is not being, reviewed or monitored properly., Lack of functional toilets in schools is a major reason for dropping out of girls., , Recommendations of the report, •, •, •, , •, , •, , •, , Planned expenditure: The government should focus on other verticals by making ample financial provisions to help, achieve measurable outcomes related to education and health envisaged under the scheme., Review and Monitoring: Regular audits and real-time updation of activities are necessary to ensure compliance., Target oriented approach: Funds should be Steps taken by government to empower girl child, release to the states/UT strictly on the basis of • Sukanya Samridhi Yojana: It is a small deposit scheme for a girl, actual utilisation of earlier release and after, child and launched as a part of BBBP Campaign to meet the, education and marriage expenses of a girl child., proper scrutiny of expenditure/ utilisation of, the previous funds. Nodal ministry must have a • Vigyan Jyoti Scheme: To create a level-playing field for the, meritorious girls in high school to pursue Science, Technology,, target-oriented approach for the states and, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education., must act in a time-bound manner., •, Balika Samriddhi Yojana: To support girls in financially, Infrastructure: Timeline should be finalised for, vulnerable sections of society and ensures the enrolment and, constructing 100% segregated functional toilets, retention of girl child in primary and secondary schools., for girls in government schools, and in, • Ladli Scheme: It was launched by the Haryana government to, convergence with Jal Shakti Mission, tapped, break the stigma relating to the birth of a girl child., water supply be ensured in them., Steps taken to increase Sex Ratio, Enhance Community Mobilisation: Private • Sex selection is reduced by enforcing PCPNDT act (Pre, participation, involvement of NGOs, Self Help, conception and Pre Natal-Diagnostic technique Act,1994), legal, action against quacks who are indulging in illegal abortions., Group platforms can be used to sensitise girls to, the wider level by encouraging positive • As a part of creating awareness towards the importance of girl, child, opening of savings account with first deposit as Janani, discussions about the scheme., Suraksha Yojana amount is done on the same day of delivery, Emulate best practices: Best practices from best, with Birth Certificate as a proof., performing states to be emulated by other, districts/States where child sex ratio is comparatively low., , 6.3. EDTECH SECTOR IN INDIA, Why in News?, Recently, Ministry of Education issued, advisory to citizens regarding use of, caution against EdTech Companies., About EdTech, •, •, •, •, , 71, , EdTech is short for “education, technology.” It uses computers,, computer programs, and educational systems to provide learning and training to students and employees., Indian EdTech industry was valued at US$ 750 million in 2020 and is expected to reach US$ 4 billion by 2025 at a, CAGR of 39.77%., There are more than 4,530 EdTech companies (September 2021) of which 435 have come about in the past two, years., Major EdTech startups in India: Global (Coursera, Simplilearn, Udacity, Lynda.com, Skisssoft etc), Indian (BYJU’s,, Unacademy, Toppr, UpGrad etc), , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Advantages of EdTech, •, , Flexible learning option: As online education is not based on time and place, and students only require a laptop or a, smartphone with an internet connection. Also, working professionals can complete courses at their own pace., More cost-effective: than a regular on campus degree; this helps students who cannot afford a regular college degree, to pursue/complete their degrees., Gamification and rise of edutainment: Companies have introduced learning through games and puzzles that make it, easier and fun for students to understand concepts., Imparting ‘on-the-job’ skills: Career advancement courses by EdTech companies could increase the candidate’s, chances of landing better jobs, switch jobs, get promotions, negotiate better pay packages and stay relevant in the, industry., Supplement the conventional model: the existing educational infrastructure is not equipped to meet the additional, requirements. E-learning can help bridge the gap to a considerable extent., Enable remote education: EdTech enables scale and speed using a direct to the device model, breaks down, geographical barriers and allowing students access to high-quality education. Teachers became facilitators, managing, remotely., Supplement government’s digital push: Several programmes such as ‘Digital India’ and ‘Skill India’ were launched to, spread digital literacy, create a knowledge-based society, and implement three principles ‘access, equity and quality’, of the education policy., , •, •, •, •, •, •, , Need for regulation, •, , Disruption to conventional learning due to pandemic: As schools and universities switched to digital or online models, to allow students to continue their learning, it is crucial to be mindful of the gaps in the digital experience., Checking Cyber Threats: To prevent cyberbullying, monitoring content for material unsuitable for minors, ensuring, protection of students from cyberattacks or phishing scams, screening of teachers/ instructors/ content creators, etc., Privacy concerns: Privacy policies of the EdTech companies are indecisive and ambiguous and assume that consent, and responsibility lie with the user. Most of the consumers are neither briefed nor have the legal know-how., Neglect of social skills: Many educational theorists, psychologists, and sociologists fear that students learning solely, online will suffer from a failure to develop social skills that come only from interacting in person with other people., False promises: Some EdTech companies are luring parents in the garb of offering free services and getting the, Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) mandate signed or activating the Auto-debit feature, especially targeting the vulnerable, families., Protecting rights of minors: Majority of the EdTech players in India focus on K-12 curriculum and competitive exams, training and most of their customers are minors. Under Indian laws, minors (i.e., individuals below the age of 18) are, not competent to enter contracts., Social and ethical concerns: Biased content delivery, Implicit influence on career decisions, less upskilling and, reskilling of educators, Standardisation, and moderation of content without regulatory approvals etc., , •, •, •, •, •, •, , Way forward, •, , Strengthening digital infrastructure: Need to explore the use of low-cost digital platforms (For Ex Kerala’s, neighbourhood study centres) for dissemination of learning content to the masses., Socialisation: It is important to ensure adequate opportunities for social bonding and invest in the emotional wellbeing of students, which is largely compromised due to the siloed nature of digital lessons., Data protection: There should be well-documented processes and policies on how the data is being collected, stored,, processed, analysed and used. Contact details of data privacy and legal offices of EdTech firms should be made, available to end-users., Raising awareness: Educational institutions and government education departments should facilitate awareness, campaigns, conduct regular auditing and performance reviews of these Edtech programmes., , •, •, •, , Do’s and Don’ts released by Ministry of Education (MoE) for various stakeholders, • Avoid Automatic debit option for payment of subscription fee., • Do not blindly trust the advertisements of the ed-tech companies, • Go through the child safety guidelines mentioned in the PRAGYATA guidelines by MoE before using any ed-tech platform., 73, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , Do not allow purchases without parental consent. To avoid in-app purchases; OTP based payment methods may be adopted, as per RBI’s guidelines., MoE also asked EdTEch companies to comply with the following:, • Ed-tech companies which may be considered e-commerce entities have to comply with Consumer Protection (E-Commerce), Rules, 2020., • Advertisements of Educational Institutions including the Ed-tech companies and Programs shall comply with ASCI’s Code for, Self-Regulation in advertising., , 6.4. SURROGACY (REGULATION) ACT , 2021, Why in news?, The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 was passed by the parliament recently., Key Features of Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, •, •, , •, , •, , 74, , Defines surrogacy: Surrogacy is a practice where a woman gives birth to a child for an intending couple with the, intention to hand over the child after the birth to the intending couple., New bodies created for regulation:, o Constitution of National Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Board: With chairman as Minister incharge of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Its functions include:, ✓ Advising the Central Government on policy matters relating to surrogacy;, ✓ to review and monitor the implementation of the Act,, ✓ to lay down the code of conduct of surrogacy clinics;, ✓ to set the minimum standards of physical infrastructure, laboratory and diagnostic equipment and expert, manpower to be employed by the surrogacy clinics;, ✓ to oversee the performance of various bodies constituted under the Act;, ✓ to supervise the functioning of State Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Boards., o Constitution of State Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Boards in each state & UT level., Regulation of surrogacy:, Types of Surrogacy, o Prohibits commercial surrogacy, but • Altruistic surrogacy: It involves no monetary compensation to the, allows altruistic surrogacy., surrogate mother other than the medical expenses and insurance, o Surrogacy is permitted when it is, coverage during the pregnancy., ✓ for intending couples who suffer from • Commercial surrogacy: It includes surrogacy or its related, procedures undertaken for a monetary benefit or reward (in cash, proven infertility;, or kind) exceeding the basic medical expenses and insurance, ✓ only for altruistic surrogacy purposes;, coverage., ✓ not for producing children for sale,, o It was first legalised in India in 2002 after which India became, prostitution or other forms of, the ‘rent-on-womb’ capital of the world., exploitation;, o However, due to lack of proper laws and safeguards for the, ✓ for any condition or disease specified, parties involved, multiple ethical legal challenges arose., through regulations., • Government has banned surrogacy for foreign nationals in 2015., o Registration of surrogacy clinics has been, made compulsory., o Central and state governments, shall appoint one or more, appropriate authorities for, evaluating and taking action, against, breach, of the, provisions of the Act., Eligibility criteria for surrogate, mother: Lady should be, o a married woman having a, child of her own and 25 to 35, years old;, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , o a surrogate only once in her lifetime;, o possess a certificate of medical and psychological fitness for surrogacy., Eligibility criteria for couples: The intending couple should have a ‘certificate of essentiality’ and a ‘certificate of, eligibility’ issued by the appropriate authority., , Other features, o A child born out of a surrogacy procedure will be deemed to be the biological child of the intending couple., o An abortion of the surrogate child requires the written consent of the surrogate mother and the authorisation, of the appropriate authority. This authorisation must be compliant with the Medical Termination of Pregnancy, Act, 1971., o Offences and penalties include imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine up to 10 lakh rupees., , Significance of the law on Surrogacy, •, •, , •, •, •, , Provides for Market Regulation: Act provides for registration of surrogacy clinics and ensures appropriate safeguards, in terms of penalties defined to prevent misuse., Safeguards the rights of the surrogate mother: By ensuring to the mother basic rights of proper pre and post-natal, care. Earlier, surrogates were forced to give birth in dingy shelters which adversely impacted the health of the mother, and the child., o Also, safeguards have been adopted to ensure the right of the women on her body with provision for her to, abort and also by defining the responsibility of the surrogate parents vis-à-vis the child., Safeguards the rights of the child - Abandonment of child due to genetic or other disability, or changing of couple’s, social or marital status is legally not allowed., Promotes medical tourism in the country: India is a huge market for surrogacy as is reflected from the fact that in, 2012, the size of India's surrogacy industry was $2 billion a year with more than 3,000 fertility clinics engaged in this, across the country., Supports Intended Parents: By helping them exercise their right to life and complete their family., , Shortcomings of the Act, •, 75, , Total ban on Commercial surrogacy: A total ban on commercial surrogacy will push the industry underground and, render surrogate mothers even more vulnerable., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , •, , •, , •, , In B. K. Parthasarthi v. Government of A.P, it was decided that the right to decide about reproduction is, essentially a personal choice, and the state's intrusion into such a decision-making process has to be stringently, scrutinized., Restricting surrogacy only to heterosexual couples: The Apex Court in DEVIKA BISWAS V. UNION OF INDIA, held, that right to reproduction is an essential facet of 'Right to Life' under Article 21., o Thus, restricting surrogacy only to heterosexual couples and within a particular age group while denying, reproductive choices to the LGBT community, single persons, and older couples is an evident violation of Article, 21 and Article 14 as well., Issues with the Definition of ‘infertility’ restricted to failure to conceive: It does not cover all cases in which a couple, is unable to bear a child., o For example, medical conditions where woman may conceive but is unable to carry a child throughout the period, of pregnancy., Issues related to the surrogate mother being a ‘close relative’: Act does not specify who will be a ‘close relative’., Also, there is a possibility of coercion of daughters-in-law in families., , Way forward, •, •, •, , Taking care of Post Partum depression: Government must take into account postpartum depression and make, provisions for it, and that maternal benefits should be extended to both mothers., Rescinding the time-frame for IVF treatment: Government should consider rescinding the time- stipulated for IVF, treatment before allowing people to resort to surrogacy, as many women are medically unfit to have children, and, suffer from little-known and undetectable illnesses such as “Tokophobia” or the fear of childbirth., Overtime expanding the option of surrogacy to include commercial surrogacy: Expanding the surrogacy market with, proper safeguards overtime will help those deprived of the love of a child., , 6.5. WORLD MIGRATION REPORT 2022, Why in news?, World Migration Report 2022 was released, by, International, Organization, for, Migration (IOM)., More on news, •, , Report analyses relevant migration, data in order to foster the, understanding of migration, its main, drivers and related phenomena, such, as climate change, human trafficking, and the impact of COVID-19., o Since 2000, the IOM has been, producing its world migration, report every two years., , Key findings, •, , •, 76, , The 2022 report shows that regardless, of the disruption of the global mobility, due, to, COVID-19,, internal, displacement increased significantly, because of natural disasters, conflict, and violence., Most of the new displacement is due, to climate related events, www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, •, , •, , •, , •, •, , Earlier, the World Bank estimated that 143 million would migrate within their countries by 2050 due to climate, change related events in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America., The amount of international migrants has, grown steadily since 1970, currently, representing 3.6% of the whole population on, the planet., o Work is the major reason that people, migrate internationally., o 61% of all global migrants live either in, Europe or Asia, which respectively host 87, million and 86 million migrants., Migration for work has led to a concomitant, increase in the international remittances., o Covid 19 saw only a small drop of 2.4% in, 2020., o In 2020, India, China, Mexico, the Philippines,, and Egypt were the top five remittance, receiving countries., Digital technology has been used to support, irregular migration, as well as to enable, migrants to avoid abusive and exploitative, migrant smugglers and human traffickers., o Several government authorities have for, example harnessed emerging technologies, like AI in the areas of visa application lodgement e- About Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), • It was endorsed by the UN General Assembly on, platforms and pre-departure checking, including the, December 17, 2018., use of biometric data., • It is designed to promote responsibility-sharing among, The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating and creating, host countries and communities to better support, vulnerabilities to human trafficking., refugees., The report showed that the international community has, • It is a framework for more predictable and equitable, responsibility-sharing, recognizing that a sustainable, not yet succeeded in implementing the Global Compact, solution to refugee situations cannot be achieved, for migration and on refugees to the extent needed., without international cooperation., o It also confirms that refugee assistance and global, •, It provides a blueprint for governments, international, resettlement targets are insufficient and have neither, organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure that, addressed the unprecedented level of protection, host communities get the support they need and that, needs and nor demonstrated solidarity with the, refugees can lead productive lives., countries that host the vast majority of the world’s, refugees., , 6.6. NEWS IN SHORTS, 6.6.1. WORLD INEQUALITY REPORT 2022, , •, , Recently, World Inequality Report 2022 was released, which presents complete data on global wealth, income,, gender and ecological inequality., Key Highlights of the report, •, •, , 77, , Released by: Paris-based World Inequality Lab, Objective: To promote research on global inequality, dynamics, www.visionias.in, , Findings, o Wealth inequality:, ✓ Income and wealth inequalities have been on, the rise nearly everywhere since the 1980s,, following a series of deregulation and, liberalization programs., ✓ Inequalities within countries are greater than, inequalities observed between countries., ✓ Share of wealth held by public actors is close, to zero or negative in rich countries, meaning, that the totality of wealth is in private hands., ©Vision IAS

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o, , o, , o, o, , Income inequality:, ✓ Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are the, most unequal regions in the world, whereas, Europe has the lowest inequality levels., ✓ India stands out as the most unequal, countries in the world, with the top 10 percent, holds 57% of the total national income while, the bottom 50 percent’s share is just 13% in, 2021., Gender inequality: Women’s share of total, incomes from work (labor income) neared 30% in, 1990 and stands at less than 35% today., Female labour income in India is equal to 18%, which is lower than the average in Asia., Ecological inequality:, ✓ Wealth inequality had a strong correlation to, carbon emission and climate change goals., ✓ North America is responsible for highest, average per capita emission (27%), followed by, Europe and China., ✓ Bottom 50% of the population in India is, responsible for, on average, five times fewer, emissions than the average person in the, bottom 50% of the European Union, , Related news, National Family Health Survey (NFHS) Data about Inequality in, India, • 31% increase in the aggregate level of development, and, 41% decline in inequality of development., • Uttar Pradesh has 37.8% of the population below MPI, (multi-dimensional poverty index) poverty level, and at, , •, , the other extreme is Kerala with 0.71% of the population, below MPI poverty., o MPI is an released by Oxford Poverty and Human, Development Initiative (OPHI) that develops an, exclusive broadly non-monetary living standard index, of poverty., Higher improvement by less developed states suggests, that regional imbalances are reducing., o For instance, states such as Utter Pradesh, Bihar and, Jharkhand are approaching the standards of some of, the developed states for indicators like sanitation,, indoor air pollution., , 6.6.2., ‘SHE, PROGRAMME, , IS, , A, , CHANGEMAKER’, , • Recently, National Commission for Women launched, a Pan-India Capacity Building Programme ‘She is a, Changemaker’ for Women in Politics., • It aims to improve leadership skills of grassroot, women political leaders., • It will be undertaken in association with region-wise, training institutes with an objective to undertake, capacity building of women political leaders and, improve their decision making and communication, skills including, oration, writing, etc., • It has women representatives at all levels (gram, panchayats to parliament members and political, workers) including office bearers of National/State, political parties., , 6.6.3. NITI AAYOG RELEASES NORTHEASTERN REGION (NER) DISTRICT SDG INDEX AND, DASHBOARD 2021-22, •, , •, , 78, , NER District SDG Index & Dashboard is a collaborative effort by NITI Aayog and Ministry of Development of North Eastern, Region (M/DoNER) with technical support from UNDP to measures the performance of the District of the eight NE, States., o It is a step toward Localisation of SDG in India i.e., translating the 2030 SDG into local action and its impact thereof., o This SDG Index will be used as a base for planning of development and welfare activities, education, health care., Key initiatives for NER, o Revival of North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC) to help in implementation, of innovative plans like providing better farming facilities, training to farmers in clusters, organic seeds and fertilisers, etc., o National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), ✓ 50% of the new cultivation is targeted for NER., o Atmanirbhar Hastshilpkar Scheme by North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi) to develop the, artisans of the NER by providing financial assistance., o North Eastern States Roads Investment Programme (NESRIP) for construction/upgradation of roads., o North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) to strengthen the health infrastructure and combate, the outbreak of COVID-19., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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6.6.4. MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (MOHUA) LAUNCHES ROADMAP TO, MAKE URBAN INDIA ‘GARBAGE FREE’, •, •, , •, , 79, , MoHUA launched Star Rating Protocol of Garbage Free, Cities (GFC)-Toolkit 2022, an important governance, tool of waste management., Toolkit is aligned with the priorities of Swachh Bharat, Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0, with higher weightage, being allocated to door-to-door garbage collection,, source segregation, waste processing and dumpsite, remediation., o SBM 2.0 was launched with the overall vision of, creating GFC. For achieving this, a key objective, under SBM-U 2.0 is to make every Urban Local, Body (ULB) at least 3-star Garbage Free as per Star, Rating Protocol., ✓ A Seven Star rating Protocol is defined for, GFC, which builds on aspirations of cities to, progress towards higher standards of, Swachhata (refer infographic)., Toolkit was felt necessary to revamp the existing GFC, protocol and make assessment process simpler, so that, every ULB is motivated to apply for GFC certification., o For both SBM-U 2.0 and 15th Finance Commission,, release of government funds has been made, conditional subject to ULBs achieving at least 1star certification., , 6.6.5., SUSTAINABLE, URBAN, DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE DELIVERY, PROGRAM, •, , www.visionias.in, , India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a, $350 million loan to improve access to urban services., ©Vision IAS

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o, , •, , o, , Sustainable Urban Development program will, establish essential policies and guidelines for, urban reforms at the national level., o Service Delivery program will provide specific, reform actions and program proposals at the, state and ULB-level., ADB will provide knowledge and advisory support to, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs., o It will also support ULBs particularly in select lowincome states., , o, o, , o, , 6.6.6. ATAL RANKING OF INSTITUTIONS, ON INNOVATION ACHIEVEMENTS (ARIIA), •, , •, , ARIIA is an initiative of Ministry of Education (MoE) to, systematically rank all major higher educational, institutions in India on indicators related toinnovation,, start-up and entrepreneurship development amongst, students and faculties., IIT Madra ranked at top, followed by IIT Bombay,, whereas IISc Bengaluru spot on sixth rank for 2021., , 6.6.8. SHRESTHA YOJNA, •, , 6.6.7., PARLIAMENTARY, STANDING, COMMITTEE, (PSC), SUBMITTED, “REFORMS IN CONTENT AND DESIGN OF, SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS” REPORT, •, , •, , Committee was set-up with a mandate to identify, references to un-historical facts in texts; ensure, proportionate references to all periods of Indian, history; and highlight the role of great women, achievers., Key recommendations by Committee, o Mandatory standards related to text-book, content, graphics and layout, supplementary, materials and pedagogical approaches should be, developed., o Need to have more child-friendly textbooks, through use of pictures, graphics, QR codes and, other audio-visual materials., o Primary school textbooks should serve two, purposes: provide a strong foundation in core, areas (reading, writing etc) and provoke curiosity, among students., , Textbooks should highlight lives of hitherto, unknown men and women from different states, and districts who have positively influenced our, national history, honour and oneness., Wrong portrayal of historical figures and freedom, fighters should be corrected., Educational methodologies adopted in the, ancient Universities like Nalanda, Vikramshila and, Takshila should be studied and suitably modified to, serve as a model reference for teachers., Traditional Indian knowledge systems should be, linked with modern science and contributions of, ancient India in the fields of philosophy, science,, mathematics etc. may also be included in the, textbooks., , Launched today, marking the 66th Death Anniversary, of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar (Mahaparinirvana Diwas), o To be implemented by Ministry of Social Justice &, Empowerment., o Aim is to aid socio-economic upliftment and, overall development of the Scheduled Castes, students by providing quality residential education, in reputed private schools., , 6.6.9., SHAKTI, (MAHARASHTRA, 2020, •, •, , •, , CRIMINAL, AMENDMENT), , LAWS, BILL,, , The Bill was cleared by Maharashtra Assembly to curb, crimes against women and children., Important provisions of the bill, o introduces death penalty for offences such as, causing grievous hurt by use of acid, rape, and gang, rape., o reduces the time for completion of investigation,, trial, and disposal of appeal for offences, committed against women and children, o places the onus on social media platforms and, Internet data providing companies to share data, for the police investigation., The Bill is modelled on the Disha Act of Andhra, Pradesh., , 6.6.10. CENTRE REVISES GUIDELINES FOR PROCUREMENT OF COARSE GRAIN, •, , 80, , Recently, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has revised guidelines for procurement, allocation,, distribution, and disposal of coarse grains, allowing distribution of Jowar (Rabi) and Ragi for a longer period of 6 and 7, months respectively., o Under the earlier guidelines, states were allowed to procure coarse grains from farmers at Minimum Support Price, under Central Pool, subject to the prior approval of the Centre and Food Corporation of India and the quantity was to, be distributed within 3 months from the end of procurement period., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , Significance of increasing the distribution period, o This would increase procurement and, consumption of these commodities as the, states would have more time to distribute, these commodities in Target Public, Distribution System/ Other Welfare, Scheme., o With the increase in procurement, the, number of farmers benefiting from the, purchase of these crops will also increase., ✓ The government procures coarse, grains mainly from Gujarat, Haryana,, Karnataka,, Madhya, Pradesh,, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh., o Consuming coarse cereals will help, combating malnutrition in children and, adolescents., ✓ Coarse grains are highly nutritious,, non-acid forming, gluten free and, have better dietary properties., , 6.6.11. CONSUMER PROTECTION (JURISDICTION OF THE DISTRICT COMMISSION, THE, STATE COMMISSION AND THE NATIONAL COMMISSION) RULES, 2021, •, , Ministry of Consumer Affairs notified the rules under provision Consumer Protection Act (CPA), 2019., o Decision was taken as the existing provisions related to pecuniary jurisdiction was causing rise in pendency and delay, in disposal of cases., CPA, 2019 aims to protect the rights of consumers by establishing authorities for timely and effective administration and, settlement of consumer’s dispute. It replaces CPA, 1986., o CPA, 2019 provides a three-tier quasi-judicial mechanism for redressal of disputes-district, state and national, commission., o It also stipulates the pecuniary jurisdiction of each tier of consumer commission., , •, , Commissions, District, State, National, , •, , 81, , Jurisdiction under existing provisions, Up to ₹1 crore, Between ₹1 crore and ₹10 crore, Above ₹10 crore, , New pecuniary jurisdiction, Upto 50 lakh rupees, Between 50 lakh rupees and up to ₹2 crore, Above₹2 crore, , Mechanism provided under CPA, 2019 for settling consumer disputes, o Deciding complaint within three months if complaint does not require analysis or testing of commodities and, within 5 months if it requires analysis or testing., o Option of filing complaint electronically through E-Daakhil Portal., o Option of resolving disputes through mediation., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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7. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 7.1. NATIONAL STRATEGY ON BLOCKCHAIN, Why in news?, National Strategy on Blockchain has been, formulated by the Ministry of Electronics &, Information Technology (MeitY)., Blockchain Technology Overview, •, , Blockchain is a distributed or, decentralised ledger technology, which was first introduced in the, design, and, development, of, cryptocurrency, Bitcoin in 2009 by, Satoshi Nakamoto., Blockchain, technology, is, an, amalgamation of various technologies, such as distributed systems, cryptography, etc., Blockchain is a series of blocks, where each block contains details of transactions executed over the network,, hash(address) of the previous block, timestamp etc., Data and transactions stored in blocks are secured against tampering using cryptographic hash algorithms and are, validated and verified through consensus (consensus protocols) across nodes of the Blockchain network., Blockchain platforms are being developed across the globe to offer Blockchain based digital transaction platforms, enabled with interoperability across various chains. Popular blockchain platforms include Hyperledger, Cosmos,, Polkadot, Redbelly, Ethereum etc., Blockchain Models, , •, •, •, •, , Significance of the technology, •, , Public/Permissonless, Anyone can join, read, write, and commit, All are allowed to participate, in consensus and, anonymous resilient, Truly decentralized because, of participation of unknown, actors, Finality of transaction could, take longer time due to, more number of participants, , Private/Permissioned, Only authorized participants, can write and commit, , Decentralised mechanism: Blockchain technology, provides efficient distributed ledger storage, Authorized nodes only can, mechanism with appropriate authentication and, participate in consensus, authorization thereby eliminating the need for a, Partially decentralized, third party to validate the transactions., because of participation of, Bringing transparency and efficiency: Any tangible, known actors, or intangible asset of value can be represented and, Finality of transactions could, tracked on a Blockchain network, which brings, be better in this model due to, transparency, increases processing speed and, less number of participants, reduces cost., Fraud prevention: A system that is based on data stored in a number of places is immune to hackers. It is not that, easy to get access to it, and if so, any piece of information can be easily recovered., Enabling trust in the digital world: Features like transparency, efficiency, security and accountability fosters trust in, digital arena., Applicability in diverse domains: Blockchain can be used in both Permissioned and Permission-less models. These, models have applications in various domains such as education, governance, finance & banking, healthcare, logistics,, cyber security, media, legal, power sector, etc., , •, , •, •, •, , Examples of potential applications, • E-Governance: This technology can effectively be used in situations where multiple organizations or departments are, involved in a particular workflow which not only makes the underlying system more efficient but also brings trust,, transparency and accountability in the system., o This includes Property Record Management, Digital birth, death and education certificates Management etc., 82, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , •, •, •, •, •, , For eg: UAE through Smart Dubai initiative, aims to become the first city fully powered by Blockchain by 2021 and, enhance everything from healthcare and education to environmental sustainability., o Keyless Signature Infrastructure (KSI) technology is used in Estonian government to prove the authenticity of the, electronic records., Banking: Blockchain can help in avoiding risk of payment losses involved in banking transactions, reduces cross-borders, transaction fees, corporate payments and remittances., Supply Chain: Blockchain can create a tamper proof record to check the real time information about product journey, from place of origin to destination place improving the reliability and efficiency of the supply chain system., Healthcare: By establishing a secure chain of network blockchain can help in handling the patient records, consent, forms, billings and public health monitoring., E-Courts: Data from multiple entities such as police, judiciary, legal department, etc. can be stored in a coordinated, manner using Blockchain technology., Other areas such as Automotive, Tourism, Insurance, Real Estate etc., , Strategies and Outcomes targeted for next 5 years: National Blockchain Framework, •, , •, , Need: Reports predicts that by 2030,, Blockchain would be used as a, foundational technology for 30% of, the global customer base., Plan: MeitY has initiated a project on, design and development of a, National Blockchain Framework, (NBF) for creation of a shared, Blockchain, infrastructure, and, offering Blockchain as-a-Service, (BaaS). Initially, National Blockchain, Framework would be used for egovernance domain transitioning to, incorporate various use cases over time., , This framework comprises following components for a multi-pronged strategy:, •, •, •, •, •, , •, •, 83, , Geographically distributed nodes across the country, to enable citizen services at large scale and enable cross domain, application development. This will facilitate effective utilization of the Blockchain technology in different domains, such as health, agriculture, education, finance, etc., R&D for Blockchain Challenges: MeitY shall initiate various research projects to focus on advanced research and, addressing various challenges and detection of vulnerabilities in Blockchain technology based solutions., To design and develop an indigenous Blockchain platform incorporating identified best practices and advanced, technological features., Other prominent efforts in this direction, Integration with important National Level Services, • Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Blockchain technology was, such as online Electronic Signatures (e-Sign),, established by NIC in association with National, ePramaan and Digilocker., Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI). Its objectives, Awareness Creation: Organizing user awareness, include accelerating adoption & deployment of Blockchain, workshops to sensitize the MSME/ Government, technology in Government., •, NITI Aayog in collaboration with Gujarat Narmada Valley, departments/ judiciary and law enforcement, Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GNFC) has developed a, agencies (LEAs), to boost the adoption, which would, Blockchain based system for fertilizer subsidy., lead to new innovative use cases based on, •, State Level efforts: Blockchain technology based solution for, Blockchain., property registration has been developed and is piloted at, Policies & Regulations: The existing regulations and, Shamshabad District, Telangana State., policies would be updated as needed as the National, Blockchain Framework evolves and more experience is gained during the implementation., Adoption Incentives: Central and state Governments shall formulate their respective schemes and guidelines, detailing out fiscal and non-fiscal incentives in this sector to enable large scale adoption of Blockchain in the country., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, , 84, , Human Resource Development: Government has already started the Future Skills Prime program for upskilling and, reskilling in emerging technologies including Blockchain in association with NASSCOM to provide the required talent, pool in the country., Multi-Institutional Approach: To plan and implement the National Blockchain Framework, a multi- institutional, approach involving various stakeholders from Government, premier academic & research institutions, startups and, industry is proposed. Organisations like C-DAC, NIC and NICSI, NeGD, State Governments shall collaboratively work in, this direction., o Further, Blockchain Advisory Council and Steering Committee shall be constituted to provide overall guidance, and for regular review and monitoring of the implementation of the Strategy respectively., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Related Information, Presidio Principles: Foundational Values for a decentralised future, • Presidio Principles were released by World Economic Forum’s Global, Blockchain Council., • The document calls on all actors, including developers, governments,, executives, international organisations, corporate boards, and others, to, uphold these tenets as they build blockchain applications – and to selfdirect their ecosystems in using these principles as a foundational vision for, how users can and should be protected., • The Presidio Principles are grouped into four broad pillars as shown in the, figure., • The principles are intended to serve as a steering document and are not, legally binding., , 7.2. DRONE TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE, Why in News?, Recently, the Union Agriculture Minister, released the Standard Operating, Procedure (SOP) for use of Drone in, Pesticide Application for Crop Protection, and for spraying Soil and Crop Nutrients., Major Provisions of the SOPs, •, , •, , It covers instructions on pre, post, and during operation, emergency, handling plan for effective and safe, operations of drones., The SOP covers important aspects of, Pesticide application and drones can, be used in Agricultural, Forestry,, Non-Cropped Areas, etc. These, aspects include:, ○ Statutory provisions, Flying, permissions and Other Critical, parameters such as area distance restrictions, weight, classification, overcrowded areas restriction, drone, registration, safety insurance, piloting certification,, operation plan, air flight zones, weather conditions., , Potential of Drone Technology use in Agriculture, “Drone” means an unmanned aircraft system, i.e., an aircraft, that can operate autonomously or can be operated remotely, without a pilot on board (Drone Rules, 2021)., •, , 85, , Why use drones for spraying pesticides?, • Being toxic in nature (Biocides), the Conventional, pesticide use methods carry issues like:, o High Labor Cost, Lower spray uniformity and, excessive application., o Health and environment risks on Oral,, respiratory or dermal (by skin) contact; pollution, of soil and water., • Drones use can help address most of these issues., , Finding use in many fields, it holds potential to modernize the routine manual agriculture activities as well by linking, with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) etc., ○ This includes mining, infrastructure, surveillance, emergency response, transportation, geo-spatial mapping,, defence, and law enforcement etc., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , It will also help in finding solutions to:, ○ Addressing Increasing food demand with world population predicted to reach 9 billion by 2050;, ○ React faster to pest invasions. E.g. in 2020, drones were used in fight against the attack on crops by swarms of, locusts in India., ○ Help in future needs of agriculture through micro level resource management to overcome unsuitable farming, methods. E.g. In an experiment, drones helped in reducing herbicide use by 52% in a Brazilian soybean field., ○ Help in Smart Agriculture through direct communication between drones and other agricultural equipment. It, involves processing of drone inputs to create field maps and sending it to farm equipment., , Challenges, •, •, •, •, •, •, •, , Unviable Commercial Operation due to small and scattered landholding. E.g. According to the Agriculture Census, (2015-16), around 86% farmers in India hold land less than 5 acres., Limited Flight time and range of Drones due to relatively high payloads (20-60 minutes)., High Initial costs of drones with maintenance issues., Connectivity issues in rural areas for online coverage., Knowledge and skill issues as it needs specialized skills and knowledge from farmer to utilize drone inputs,, Concerns over misuse of drones to infringe privacy and security (especially in border areas)., Weather dependence with difficulties to operate in windy or rainy weather., , Way Forward, With Drone Rules, 2021 and the SOPs, the main challenge of the past, i.e. lack of national laws or rules is taken care of., Further, a PLI scheme for drones would benefit all sectors including agriculture and achieve India’s potential to become, a global drone hub by 2030., The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is already working on SENSAGRI, SENsor based Smart AGRIculture, through the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and partner Institutes to develop indigenous prototype for drone, based crop and soil health monitoring system using hyperspectral remote sensing (HRS) sensors., We should further expand the scope of research to study the quality of its operations and fine-tune telecom, skill, and, other policies/initiatives to address the challenges of connectivity and skills among others., , 7.3. JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE (JWST), Why in news?, Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s, most powerful telescope, is rocketed into orbit., More on news, •, •, •, , •, •, 86, , The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is NASA’s, infrared flagship observatory., It is an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency, (CSA)., Mission goals are, o Search for first galaxies or luminous objects formed after Big Bang., o Determine how galaxies evolved., o Observe stars formation from the first stages to formation of planetary systems, o Measure physical and chemical properties of planetary systems, including our own Solar System, and investigate, potential for life in those systems., JWST is headed for Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2)., o Lagrange points are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put as gravitational forces of a two, body system (like Sun and Earth) equal the force required for a small object to move with them., Scientific instruments on JWST: Near Infrared Camera, Near Infrared Spectrograph, Mid Infrared Instrument and Fine, Guidance Sensors/Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , The JWST is being considered as the successor of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)., , Webb vs Herschel Space Observatory, •, •, •, , In 2009, the European Space Agency launched an infrared telescope named the Herschel Space Observatory., It also orbits the Sun similar to how Webb would. The primary difference between Webb and Herschel is the, wavelength range: Webb goes from 0.6 to 28 microns, while Herschel covers 60 to 500 microns., Also, Herschel’s mirror is smaller than Webb’s. It is 3.5 metres in diameter, while Webb’s primary mirror has a, diameter of 6.5 metres., , 7.4. PARKER MISSION, Why in news?, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe (PSP) has now flown through the Sun’s upper atmosphere – the corona – and sampled particles, and magnetic fields there., About PSP, •, •, •, 87, , Launched in 2018, the PSP is part of NASA's Living with a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system, that directly affect life and society., It is named after Eugene Newman Parker, a physicist who proposed concepts about how stars give off energy., It uses a carbon-composite shield, to withstand temperatures nearly 2,500 F (1,377 C), to protect itself from Sun’s, heat., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, , It became the first spacecraft in history to, touch the Sun., It uses a series of gravitational encounters, with the planet Venus to gradually lower, the orbit of the spacecraft until it enters, the outer atmosphere, or corona, of the, Sun., , Relevance of the PSP mission, •, , •, , •, , Deeper insights into sun's evolution:, Touching the very stuff the Sun is made of, will help scientists uncover critical, information about our star, the Sun, and, its influence on the solar system. This in, turn, can also expand our knowledge on, other stars in the universe., Predicting extreme weather events: The, PSP promises new and valuable, information to Scientists to help them, forecasting solar storms. Thus, it can also, help improving forecasts of major space, weather events, o Solar storms are the biggest outbursts from the Sun can rattle our planet's magnetic field. In the process,, communications may be disrupted, satellites can be knocked offline, and power grids will be vulnerable to, electrical surges., Unravelling secrets in, Corona: In Corona some, key processes take place, that, currently, defy, explanation. For example, o The temperature of, the Sun at its, photosphere, is, roughly, 6,000, degree C but within, the corona it can, reach a staggering, million degrees or, more., o It's also within this, region that the, outward flow of charged particles - electrons, protons and heavy ions - suddenly gets accelerated into a, supersonic wind., , Achievements, •, •, •, 88, , In 2019, Parker discovered that magnetic zig-zag structures in the solar wind, called switchbacks, are plentiful close, to the Sun. But how and where they form remained a mystery. Halving the distance to the Sun since then, PSP has, now passed close enough to identify one place where they originate: the solar surface., In April, 2021, the PSP crossed the outer edge of the corona termed the Alfvén critical boundary, a point that marks, the end of solar atmosphere and beginning of the solar wind., It should eventually get to within 7 million km (4 million miles) of the photosphere in 2025., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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Some other solar missions: NASA’s Heliophysics Missions, European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter, India’s Aditya-L1, mission., •, , Aditya L1: It will be launched in the third quarter of next year (2022) and will provide more insights into the origin of, the universe and many other unknowns.” The spacecraft in the Aditya L1 mission will be sent 1.5 million km away, from the Earth to L1 Lagrangian ( a point between the Earth and the Sun where the gravitational pull of both the, bodies on the satellite is equal to the centripetal force needed to keep the satellite in orbit)., , 7.5., ASSISTED, REPRODUCTIVE, TECHNOLOGY (ART) REGULATION, ACT 2021, Why in news?, Recently, Parliament has passed the ART Regulation Act, 2021 that provides for the safe and ethical practice of ART, services., Key provisions of the Act, •, , •, , •, •, , 89, , Definition of ART: ART to include all techniques that, seek to obtain a pregnancy by handling sperm or, oocyte (immature egg cell) outside human body and, transferring gamete or embryo into the reproductive, system of a woman., Regulation of ART clinics and banks: Every ART clinic, and bank must be registered under the National, Registry of Banks and Clinics of India., o National, Registry, established, will act as a, central, database with, details of all, ART clinics and, banks in the, country., o State, governments, will appoint, registration, authorities for facilitating the registration process, ✓ Registration Authority will have the chairperson, who will be an officer above the rank of Joint Secretary in, the Health Department., o ART bank is an organisation that is set up to supply sperm or semen, oocytes, or oocyte donors to ART clinics or, their patients., Rights of a child born through ART: Child born through ART will be deemed to be a biological child of commissioning, couple and will be entitled to rights and privileges available to a natural child of the commissioning couple., o A donor will not have any parental rights over the child., National and State Boards: These are constituted under the Act to regulate ART services., o State Boards will coordinate enforcement of the policies and guidelines for ART as per the recommendations,, policies, and regulations of the National Board., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , •, , •, , No court will take cognisance of offences under, the Act, except on a complaint made by the, National or State Board or any officer authorised, by the Boards., Stringent punishment: Act introduced stringent, punishment for those practising sex selection, sale of, human embryos or gametes, running agencies,, rackets, and organisations violating the law., Conditions for gamete donation and supply, offering, ART services have also been prescribed., , Concerns associated with the Act, •, , •, •, , •, , Types of ARTs, ART is used to treat infertility., • In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): It is the most common form of, ART that is used by maximum patients. In this, woman’s, eggs are combined with man’s sperm in a laboratory. The, fertilised egg is then placed inside the woman’s uterus in a, procedure called embryo transfer., o Mitochondrial Replacement therapy (MRT) with a, concept of three parent baby is a form of IVF., • Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT): The man’s sperm, and a woman’s egg are made to combine in a lab. Then the, eggs are implanted into the fallopian tubes and the, fertilization occurs inside a woman’s body., • Intrauterine insemination (IUI): Also known as artificial, insemination, it involves insertion of the male partner’s, (or a donor’s) sperm into a woman’s uterus at or just, before the time of ovulation by long narrow tube., • Gestational Surrogacy: In this, the embryo is created via, IVF, using the eggs and sperm of the intended parents or, donors, and is then transferred to the surrogate. The child, is thus not biologically related to the surrogate mother,, who is often referred to as a gestational carrier., , Violation of fundamental rights, o Article 14: It allows for a married heterosexual, couple and a woman above the age of marriage to, use ARTs and excludes single men, cohabiting, heterosexual couples and LGBTQ individuals and, couples from accessing ARTs., ✓ It goes against the spirit of the Supreme, Court’s landmark verdict in Navtej Johar vs, Union of India (2018), where states were, advised to take positive steps for equal protection for same-sex couples., o Article 23: Lack of compensation for providing reproductive labour violative of Article 23 of the Constitution of, India which prohibits forced labour., Surrogacy: Surrogacy is an ART process,, Less protection to donor: It does little to protect the egg donor, as where an intending couple commissions a, harvesting of eggs is an invasive process which, if performed incorrectly, surrogate mother to carry their child., can result in death., Imbalance between ART Act and Surrogacy Regulation Act (SRA), 2021: Both Acts do not work in tandem, as core, ART processes are left undefined in ART Act while several of these are defined in the SRA., o Duplicity: Both laws set up multiple bodies for registration which will result in duplication and lack of regulation., For instance, surrogacy clinic is not required to report surrogacy to National Registry while ART banks and clinics, have to report procedures to the National Registry., o Offences: Offences under the ART Act are bailable but not under the SRA., o Records: Records have to be maintained for 10 years under the ART Act but for 25 years under the SRA., Lack of clarity: Act’s prohibition on the sale, transfer, or use of gametes and embryos is poorly worded and will, confuse foreign and domestic parents relying on donated gametes., , Way forward, •, •, •, •, , Grievance cell: ART clinics and banks have to maintain a grievance cell. Clinics must instead have ethics committees., Mandated counselling services should also be independent of the clinic., Definitions: Definitions of commissioning “couple”, “infertility”, “ART clinics” and “banks” need to be synchronised, between the SRA and ART Act., Maintain confidentiality: ART clinics and banks are required to keep information about commissioning parents or, women and donors confidential., Consent: Clinics shall perform any treatment or procedure with the written consent of all the parties seeking ART and, provide them insurance coverage., , 7.6. ANTI-DOPING BILL, Why in News?, Recently, the government introduced a National Anti-Doping Bill, 2021 in Lok Sabha., 90, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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About doping, •, •, , •, , •, , •, , Doping is the consumption of certain prohibited substances by athletes to enhance performance., o When the drug is consumed by the athlete, he gets an unfair advantage over the clean athlete, thereby banning, such drugs shall propagate level playing field and equality among the athletes., World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) monitors doping in all kinds of competitive sports., o WADA was established in 1999 as an international independent agency composed and funded equally by the, sport movement and governments of the world., o The WADA periodically updates its list of Prohibited Substances and Methods. This includes steroids, anabolic, agents, stimulants, and gene doping. Some components such as narcotics are permanently banned. Some, like, alcohol, are banned only in-competition., o At the national level, there is the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), an independent body under Union, Ministry of Sports., WADA monitors doping in sport based on the World Anti-Doping Code. The Code provides a framework for antidoping policies, rules, and regulations for sport organizations and public authorities., o Any sportsperson competing in national or international events can be asked to give his/her blood and/or urine, samples at any point of time, by anti-doping agency or, sports events committee, during the event. Testing can, be conducted in-competition, and out-of-competition., The WADA doesn't directly, conduct, tests., It, gives, accreditation to laboratories, which adheres to the mandatory, International, Standard, for, Laboratories., In the latest report published by, the World Anti-Doping Agency,, 152 (17% of the world total), Anti-doping Rule Violations, (ADRVs) were reported in India, in 2019., o India ranks third in the list, with the maximum dope, offenders coming from, bodybuilding (57)., , Key features of the Bill, •, , 91, , Prohibition of doping: The Bill, prohibits athletes, athlete support personnel and other persons from engaging in doping in sport., o Anti-doping rule violation by an individual athlete or athlete support personnel may result in:, ✓ Disqualification of results including forfeiture of medals, points, and prizes, ✓ Ineligibility to participate in a competition or event for a prescribed period, ✓ Financial sanctions, ✓ Consequences for team sports will be specified by regulations., ✓ Consequences for a violation will be determined by the National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel after a, hearing., o Exemptions: If any athlete requires a prohibited substance or method due to a medical condition, they may apply, to the National Anti-Doping Agency for a therapeutic use exemption., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , •, , •, , National Anti-Doping Agency: Bill seeks to provide statutory framework for the functioning of the National AntiDoping Agency (NADA), empowering it to conduct raids besides strengthening measures to tackle drug abuse in, Indian sports., o NADA established as societies under Societies Registration Act, will be dissolved and reconstituted. It will be, headed by a Director General appointed by the central government., o The functions of the agency include:, National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), ✓ planning, implementing, and monitoring anti-doping, • NDTL has regained the World Anti-Doping, activities, Agency (WADA) accreditation., ✓ investigating anti-doping rule violations, o The restoration of accreditation is a, ✓ promoting anti-doping research, boost to India’s efforts to achieve the, National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports: The Bill establishes a, highest global standards of excellence, in sport., National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports to make, recommendations to the government on anti-doping regulation and • NDTL was established with an aim to get, permanently accredited by International, compliance of international commitments on anti-doping., Olympic Committee (IOC) and WADA to do, o The Board will oversee the activities of the Agency and issue, the testing for the banned drugs in human, directions to it., sports., o The Board will consist of a Chairperson and two members, • WADA is an international independent, appointed by the central government., agency composed and funded equally by, Disciplinary and Appeal Panels: The Board will constitute a, the sport movement and governments of, National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel for determining, the world., consequences of Anti-Doping Rule Violations. This Panel will, o Its key activities include scientific, research, education, development of, consist of a Chairperson and four Vice-Chairpersons (all legal, anti-doping capacities., experts), and ten members (medical practitioners and retired, eminent athletes)., Dope Testing Laboratories: The existing National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) will be deemed to be the principal, dope testing laboratory. The Union Government may establish more National Dope Testing Laboratories., o Recently, NDTL has regained the WADA accreditation which was suspended on 20 August 2019, based on noncompliances which were observed during on-site assessment of the Laboratory held in September 2018., , Significance of the Bill, •, , Strengthen doping control programme: It helps to strengthen the framework and mechanisms for carrying out the, doping control programme in sports to ensure dope-free sport in India., o Currently, NADA had no authority to conduct raids and its anti-doping appeal panel has held the same., • Technological and Medical Expertise: It also provides for the establishment of the NDTL and other dope testing, laboratories. Such laboratories will strengthen the capability for testing a greater number of samples considering the, sizable population and growing number of sportspersons in the country. These will also facilitate India to host mega, sports events in the country., • Legal Backing: If passed by the Parliament, it will give legislative backing to anti-doping norms in the country., • Adherence to international norms: It will also give effect to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural, Organisation (UNESCO) International Convention against Doping in Sport., o The Convention aims to promote the prevention of, and the fight against, doping in sport for its elimination., o India signed the convention in 2005 and ratified it in November 2007., Conclusion, National Anti-Doping Bill 2021 is another step in India’s quest to become a sporting powerhouse. Along with this,, measures have to be taken to ensure the safety and long-term health of the sportspersons as well as participate in the, sports ethically. Goodwill ambassadors, clean sporting icons and media can help reach the aspiring athletes and propagate, healthy participation into the sports hence, achieving athletes' full potential., , 92, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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7.7. WORLD MALARIA REPORT 2021, Why in news?, Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has, released the World Malaria Report 2021 edition that, assess the actions taken by states in response to, Malaria in the backdrop of COVID 19 pandemic., Key findings of the report, •, , •, , •, , About Malaria, • It is a life-threatening mosquito borne blood disease caused by, plasmodium parasites, and spread through the bites of, infected female Anopheles mosquitoes., • There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and, 2 of these species – P. falciparum (African continent) and P., vivax (outside of sub-Saharan Africa) – pose the greatest threat., • It is preventable as well as curable., • Malaria Vaccine, o WHO has recommended broad use of the RTS,S/AS01, (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children living in regions, with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission., o Known by its brand name Mosquirix, this recombinant, protein vaccine has been shown to significantly reduce, malaria, and deadly severe malaria among young children,, and also reduced the overall hospital admissions., , Malaria cases and deaths, o An estimated 241 million malaria cases were, reported in 2020 in 85 malaria-endemic, countries, increasing from 227 million in 2019., o Sub-Saharan Africa continues to carry the, heaviest malaria burden, accounting for, about 95% of all cases and 96% of deaths in, 2020., o Malaria deaths increased by 12% globally in 2020 compared with 2019., India related findings, o India accounted for 83% of cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region., o India was the only high-burden country to record progress by sustaining a reduction in malaria burden between, 2019 and 2020., Globally, 40 countries and territories have now been granted a malaria-free certification from WHO – including,, most recently, China, El Salvador, Argentina and Uzbekistan., , Measures taken to eliminate Malaria, •, , WHO Global Malaria Programme (GMP): It is responsible for coordinating WHO's global efforts to control and, eliminate malaria. Its work is guided by the Global technical strategy (GTS) for malaria 2016–2030 adopted by the, World Health Assembly in May 2015 and updated in 2021., , •, , Malaria Elimination Research Alliance (MERA)- India: Its purpose is to identify, articulate, prioritise and respond to, the research needs of the country in a coordinated and combinatorial way to eliminate malaria from India by 2030., E-2025 initiative: Under this, WHO has identified group of 25 countries with the potential to eradicate malaria by, 2025., High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) initiative: In 2019, WHO has initiated the HBHI initiative in 11 high malaria burden, countries, including India (West Bengal and Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh)., , •, •, , 93, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , •, , •, , National Strategic Plan for Malaria, Elimination (2017-22): It gives year, wise elimination targets in various, parts of the country depending, upon the endemicity of malaria in, the next 5 years., Ministerial, Declaration, on, Accelerating, and, Sustaining, Malaria Elimination in South-East, Asia Region (SEAR): India is a, signatory to it, which was signed in, New Delhi by health ministers of, countries of the WHO- SEAR., National Task Force on Malaria, Elimination: It was formed to, promote intersectoral cooperation, and, engagement, of, all, stakeholders., Parliamentary and Legislative, Forum on Malaria Elimination was, formed., , 7.8. TRANS FATS, Why in news?, World Health Organisation (WHO), released the third progress report on, Global trans-fat elimination 2021, titled ‘Countdown to 2023’., Key highlights of the report, •, , •, , •, 94, , Progress in efforts worldwide:, Since may 2020, there has been, significant progress in TFA, elimination around the world., o Mandatory Trans Fatty Acids, (TFA) elimination policies are, currently in effect in 57, countries; of these, 40, countries (mostly among the, high income countries) have, best-practice policies in effect,, covering 1.4 billion people, (18%, of, the, global, population)., Best performers: India and the, Philippines became the first and, second, lower-middle-income, countries to pass a best-practice policy., Challenges to TFA policy-making faced by countries over the past year were resource and capacity constraints due, to the COVID-19 pandemic., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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About Trans Fatty Acid (TFA), •, , Trans fat, or trans-fatty acids, are unsaturated fatty acids that come from either natural or industrial sources:, o Naturally occurring trans-fat come from ruminants (cows and sheep)., o Industrially produced trans-fat are found in hardened vegetable fats such as margarine and are often present in, snack foods, baked goods and fried foods., ✓ Industrially produced trans-fats are formed in a process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil converting the, liquid into a solid, resulting in “partially hydrogenated” oil (PHO)., ✓ Manufacturers often use them as they have a longer shelf life and are cheaper than other fats., Health Impacts: Intake of TFA is associated with increased risk of heart attacks and death from coronary heart, disease., o Approximately 540,000 deaths each year globally and 60,000 in India can be attributed to intake of industrially, produced trans fatty acids., o People living with cardiovascular disease, are especially at risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19., , •, , Steps taken by WHO to eliminate Trans Fats from food supplies, WHO identified TFA elimination as one of the priority targets in its 13th General Programme of Work (GPW13). In 2018, WHO, called for the global elimination of industrially produced TFA by 2023., • REPLACE action framework: It provides a roadmap for, countries to eliminate industrially produced TFA from, their food supplies., o WHO recommends that trans-fat intake be, limited to less than 1% of total energy intake i.e.,, less than 2.2 g/day with a 2,000-calorie diet., •, , •, , •, , Additional resources to support country actions: This, include six REPLACE implementation modules and a, live policy tracking map – the TFA Country Score Card–, to monitor global progress towards the 2023 target., TFA indicator that records whether countries have, adopted WHO best-practice policies for eliminating industrially produced TFA., o This is one of the indicators in the WHO Triple Billion Indicators, an ambitious initiative to improve the health of billions of, people by 2023., WHO Certification Programme for Trans Fat Elimination: The programme aims to accelerate progress towards the 2023 goal, for global elimination by recognizing countries that have eliminated industrially produced TFA from their national food, supplies. It also establishes country accountability., o To qualify for certification, countries must demonstrate that a best- practice TFA policy has been implemented., , How is India progressing towards TFA elimination?, To eliminate industrially produced TFA in oils and foods, FSSAI – the national food regulator, within the Ministry of Health, and Family Welfare – has adopted a 360-degree approach which includes developing policies and regulations, capacitybuilding for laboratories and food businesses, increasing awareness, etc. Following steps have been taken in recent times:, •, , •, , •, , •, 95, , Goal setting: In 2018, India called for action to make the country TFA free by 2022, a year ahead of the WHO global, target of 2023., o Target is to reduce TFA in all food products containing oils and fats to less than 2% in a phased manner: to not, more than 3% from 1 January 2021 and not more than 2% from 1 January 2022., Labelling of TFA: Food establishments can display the “Trans Fat Free” logo in their outlets and on their food products, if the food contains less than 0.2 g of TFA per 100 g or 100 mL and if edible oils or fats contain less than 1 g of TFA per, 100 g or 100 mL., Behaviour Change Communication: Multilingual Mass media campaign, “Heart Attack Rewind” was launched to, create a demand for healthier alternatives to Partially hydrogenated oils., o Other strategies include celebrity endorsements for wider appeal and providing information to consumers on, strategies to eliminate TFA from their diets., Technology adoption: Nudging Food businesses to adopt technologies to eliminate TFA in the food chain., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , Capacity Building Strengthening Laboratories and Surveillance to provide a baseline so as to strategize the next steps, for implementation of the regulation., , What more can be done in India?, •, •, •, •, , Capacity building and additional technical assistance to Small and Medium Food enterprises to develop their skills, in reformulation to produce healthier and cost-effective alternatives to TFAs., Mandatory labelling of TFA and saturated fat content for all edible oils and food products should be implemented., For proper implementation in India, FSSAI will need to pursue local governments to improve surveillance, inspection, of food premises, sampling of food products, regular training of officers, upgradation of food labs, etc., Role of Civil Society: Civil society organisations should play an important role in informing the public, providing, support for draft legislation/ regulation and monitoring implementation., , Conclusion, As more and more countries regulate TFA, food manufacturers can reformulate products in for sale in multiple countries., This can reduce research and development costs, and allow easier trade between countries and within regions., Taking action to prevent cardiovascular diseases will not only save lives, but will also support economic and health system, recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic by making future generations healthier and more resilient to infectious, disease., What are fats and fatty acids?, Fats are a group of chemical compounds that contain fatty acids., Fats are the sources of energy and also act as main constituents of, cellular membranes assuring the fluidity, flexibility, permeability of, the membrane., The terms fat and fatty acids are frequently used interchangeably., What are the different types of fatty acid?, There are two main types of fatty acids: saturated and unsaturated., All fatty acids are chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms, attached to the carbon atoms., •, •, , Saturated fatty acid has the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms attached to every carbon atom. It is therefore said, to be "saturated" with hydrogen atoms, and all of the carbons are attached to each other with single bonds., Unsaturated fatty acid: If the carbon chain has fewer hydrogen atoms, it is said to be unsaturated. These are further divided, into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated depending on the nature and number of bonds between carbon atoms., o Omega 3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids (also termed as essential fatty acid) with a double bond at the third, carbon atom from the end of the carbon chain. Marine algae and phytoplankton are primary sources of omega-3 fatty, acids., , Are all food fats bad for the body?, •, , •, , The fat in foods contains a mixture of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In foods of animal origin,, a large proportion of fatty acids are saturated. In contrast, in foods of plant origin and some seafood, a large proportion of the, fatty acids are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated., Saturated and Trans fats raise LDL (or "bad") cholesterol levels in the blood, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease., Unsaturated fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, do not raise LDL cholesterol and are beneficial when, consumed in moderation., , 7.9. NEWS IN SHORTS, 7.9.1. WEB 3.0, •, , 96, , Recently, Indian venture capital firms are betting on, Web 3.0 startups as they view such companies as, developers of products for the next stage of the, internet., , •, , www.visionias.in, , Web 3.0 is the next stage of the web evolution that, would make the internet more intelligent or process, information with near-human-like intelligence, ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , •, , through the power of AI systems that could run smart, programs to assist users., o The goal of Web 3.0 is to create more intelligent,, connected, and open websites., Web 1.0, also called the Static Web, which started in, the 1990s enabled easy access to information., However, the information was largely disorganised and, difficult to navigate., The Social Web, or Web 2.0, made the internet a lot, more interactive thanks to advancements in web, technologies like Javascript, HTML5, CSS3, etc., which, enabled startups to build interactive web platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, Wikipedia and many, more., Significance of Web 3.0, o Data will be more relevant to each user: Web 3.0, is being referred to by experts as the semantic, web; semantic meaning data driven. The data will, come from the user and the web will essentially, adjust to meet the needs of the user. For example,, if you do a lot of searching for ‘design blogs’, you’ll, receive more advertisements related to design., o Decentralised data networks: In Web 3.0, data will, be connected in a decentralized way, unlike, generation 2.0 of the internet in which data is, primarily stored in centralized storage locations. In, Web 3.0, users will also be able to interact with, data using AI and machine learning technology., ✓ It will open the internet to new search engines, or social networks with the control over, content not restricted to just a few companies., o Ensure data security and privacy: Web 3.0 is, believed to be more user-specific, which will, ensure data security and privacy while avoiding the, risk of Internet hacking., o Economic growth: It can help India contribute an, additional $1.1 trillion of economic growth to its, GDP over the next 11 years., , 7.9.2. OSCAR 1 (ORBITING SATELLITES, CARRYING AMATEUR RADIO), •, •, •, •, , 7.9.3. IMAGING X-RAY POLARIMETRY, EXPLORER (IXPE), •, •, , •, •, , IXPE observatory is a joint effort of NASA and the, Italian Space Agency., Mission will study the most extreme and mysterious, objects in the universe – supernova remnants,, supermassive black holes, and dozens of other highenergy objects., Mission’s primary length is two years and the, observatory will be at 600 kilometers altitude,, orbiting around Earth’s equator., It will help in answering questions like How do black, holes spin, How do pulsars shine so brightly etc., , 7.9.4. SCIENTISTS TRACE FIRST CLUE TO, UNDERSTAND TRANSIENT HIGH ENERGY, PULSES FROM MAGNETARS, •, , •, •, , 97, , It was launched successfully in December, 1961, (60, years ago) and first non-governmental satellite that, was built by private citizens., It was the first satellite to reach its own orbit after, being ejected as a secondary payload of another, primary mission., It was deployed in low-Earth orbit, just above the, atmosphere and its function post deployment was to, transmit the letters “HI” in Morse code., Ever since the launch of OSCAR I in 1961, it has been, traditional for amateur radio satellites to carry the, name OSCAR, and 111 satellites have received the, OSCAR designations so far., , www.visionias.in, , A magnetar is a type of neutron star. In a typical, neutron star, magnetic field is trillions of times that of, the Earth’s magnetic field; however, in a magnetar,, magnetic field is another 1000 times stronger., o Neutron stars are formed when a massive star, (with a core between 1 and 3 solar masses) runs, out of fuel and collapses, crushing together every, proton and electron into a neutron., o Stars with higher masses will continue to collapse, into stellar-mass black holes., Magnetars suffer violent eruptions that are still little, known due to their unexpected nature and short, duration, of barely tenths of a second., Recently, Scientists have found the first clues to, understand these eruptions., o It is believed that eruptions in magnetars may be, due to instabilities in their magnetosphere or to a, kind of earthquakes (starquakes) produced in their, crust., ©Vision IAS

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o, , These triggers create waves (called Alfvén waves), in magnetosphere of the magnetars and while, interacting with each other waves dissipate, energy., , 7.9.5. NATIONAL OXYGEN STEWARDSHIP, PROGRAMME, •, •, , Union government has launched an initiative to train, health care workers in rational utilisation of medical, oxygen to prevent wastage., About National Oxygen Stewardship Programme, o As part of the programme, at least one oxygen, steward will be identified and trained in each, district across the country., o These trained professionals would be responsible, for leading the training on oxygen therapy and, management in their respective districts., o They will also support audit of oxygen delivery and, preparedness for a surge scenario., , 7.9.7. WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY, •, , •, , •, , 7.9.6. GOVERNMENT PROHIBITS USE OF, TB ANTIBIOTICS ON CROPS, •, , •, , •, , 98, , Recently, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and, Farmers Welfare notified the draft order on, ‘Prohibition of Streptomycin and Tetracycline in, Agriculture’., o The antibodies, Streptomycin and Tetracycline are, important medicines used in the treatment of, tuberculosis in human beings., o The use of antibiotics leads directly to the, development and spread of resistance., o It was also observed that the overutilization of the, TB antibodies on crops is not healthy for human, beings, plants, and the soil., According to the draft Order, o No person shall import, manufacture, or, formulate Streptomycin and Tetracycline for use, in agriculture in India with effect from February 1,, 2022., o There will be a complete ban on the use of, Streptomycin and Tetracycline in agriculture from, January 1, 2024., The draft Order also stated that every State, government shall take all steps necessary for the, execution of the Order in their State, under the, provisions of the Insecticides Act, 1968 and rules, framed thereunder., o The Insecticides Act, 1968 is to regulate the, import, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution, and use of insecticide with a view to prevent risk, to human beings or animals and for matters, connected therewith., , World Health Assembly has kickstarted global process, to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement or, other international instrument to protect the world, from future infectious disease crises., Article 19 of the WHO Constitution provides the World, Health Assembly with the authority to adopt, conventions or agreements on any matter within, WHO’s competence., o The sole instrument established to date is ‘WHO, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’,, which has made a significant contribution in, protecting people from tobacco since it came into, force in 2005., The Assembly adopted a sole decision titled: “The, World, Together”, that, establishes, an, intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft and, negotiate the instrument on pandemic prevention,, preparedness and response., o The body will hold public hearings, deliver a, progress report to the 76th World Health, Assembly in 2023 and submit its outcome for, consideration by the 77th World Health Assembly, in 2024., , 7.9.8. GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY INDEX, (GHSI) 2021, •, , •, , GHSI measures capacities of 195 countries to prepare, for epidemics and pandemics., o It was jointly released by non-profits Nuclear, Threat Initiative (NTI) and Johns Hopkins Center for, Health Security., Key Findings, o Countries across all income levels remain, dangerously unprepared to meet future epidemic, and pandemic threats., o World’s overall performance on GHSI score, slipped to 38.9 (out of 100) in 2021 (40.2 in 2019)., India also slipped., o Most countries have not made dedicated financial, investments in strengthening epidemic or, pandemic preparedness., , 7.9.9. SCIENTISTS DEVELOPED FIRST, LIVING ROBOTS THAT CAN REPRODUCE, •, , www.visionias.in, , World’s first living robots, called Xenobots, were, formed from the stem cells of the African clawed frog, (Xenopus laevis) from which it takes its name., o Xenobots are less than a millimeter wide and, could move, work together in groups and selfheal., o Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have the, ability to develop into different cell types., ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, , 99, , Now, scientists have discovered an entirely new form, of biological reproduction different from any animal or, plant to create first-ever, self-replicating living robots., o Researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) to, design a blueprint for organising xenobots into a, new type of organism., ✓ Unlike in cloning, where DNA from one, individual is used to grow identical copies of, that individual, these cells are harvested from, different embryos, and used to create, organisms that don’t resemble their parent, species., Potential applications of Xenobots, o To clean up plastic pollution, both in sea and on, land., o If built with mammalian stem cells, xenobots could, be organised to form lenses to restore vision., , o, o, , To clean up plaque that causes heart blocks, or, brain damage., Could be programmed to attack and remove, cancer cells., , 7.9.10. GREEN HYDROGEN MICROGRID, PROJECT, •, , •, •, , www.visionias.in, , Recently, NTPC awarded India’s first Green Hydrogenbased Microgrid Project at Simhadri, Andhra Pradesh., o It would be a precursor to large scale hydrogen, energy storage projects., Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water into, hydrogen and oxygen using an electrolyzer powered, by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, Project offers benefits of decarbonising far-off regions, (e.g. Ladakh) and meet the clean energy goals because, of its features like sustainability, easy to store etc., , ©Vision IAS

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8. CULTURE, 8.1. INDIAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT & THE ROLE OF SCIENCE, Why in news?, Recently, a two-day National Conference on 'Indian Independence Movement & the Role of Science' was organised., More on news, •, •, , This national conference was held as a part of the 75th year of India’s independence celebrations., Conference was organized by CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication & Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) in, association with Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and Vijnana Bharati, (VIBHA)., The conference was focused on science as tool for subjugation and liberations, the roles of scientists, institutions,, movement, policy and planning and the vision of scientists were also discussed., , •, , Science as tool for subjugation, Strategy, Science as a Tool of, British Exploitation, of India, Science ‘Apartheid’, in British Raj, , Examples, Survey of India (founded in 1767), Great Trigonometrical Survey of India (GTS) (established in 1818) &, Indian Railways (established in 1853) all were established for exploration of rich metal areas and their, transportation to the presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, • Radhanath Sikdar was the first person to calculate the height of the highest mountain the Mount, Everest., • Kishori Mohan Bandhopadhyay played vital role in discovery of malarial parasite for which Sir Ronald, Ross received the Nobel Prize., • Seebchunder Nandy and rendered excellent services to the British government during the Mutiny of, 1857 as the inspector., However, none of them got their due credits and were discriminated in terms of low salary, no, promotion, etc., , Science as tool for liberations, The opening of new educational institutions in Calcutta, Madras and Bombay by the British was in line with their intention, to prepare a more skilled and learned workforce. The young brigade of scientists coming out of these institutions wanted, to break the shackles of the myth that Indians could not think scientifically, did not have logical thinking, and could not, do original research in the prevailing fields during those days. This led to birth of many scientific institution by Indians:, •, , •, •, •, •, , 100, , Indian Association for Cultivation of Science (IACS): It was established by Dr Mahendralal Sircar with an objective to, enable natives of India to cultivate science in all of its departments with a view to its advancement by original, research. The IACS started with seven frontline areas of work viz. Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Systematic botany,, Systematic zoology, Physiology, and Geology., The Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Workshop: It was established by Acharya P. C. Ray in 1901. It was the, foundation stone of indigenous industry in our country., Indian Institute of Science (IISC): It was established Sir Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata in 1908 on the suggestions of Swami, Vivekanada made during their voyage from Japan to Chicago in 1893., Calcutta Mathematical Society: It was established in 1908, to generate opportunities and contribute to mathematics, by Indian students., Bose Research Institute: It was established by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose in 1917 who also dedicate this institute - not, merely a laboratory but a temple which was later known as Basu Vigyan Mandir., o Bose was an extraordinary physicist, botanist and biologist of the time, demonstrated wireless transmission of, electromagnetic radiations. Bose lived his life with the Indian philosophical thoughts of ‘Vasudhaiva, Kutumbakam’ by not patenting his research in the interest of humanity. A man of high calibre, his experiments, discovered and proved the existence of life and sensitivity in plants through his innovative techniques and, instruments., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , Maharashtra Association for Cultivation of Science (MACS): Inspired by Sircar’s IACS, MACS was established by Prof, Shankar Purushottam Agharkar in Pune in 1946. The institute was named after him in 1992 as the Agharkar Research, Institute., o He was an Indian morphologist and an expert on the biodiversity of Western Ghats, where he discovered the, freshwater jellyfish, generally found in Africa., , Conclusion, To conclude, we can infer that the establishments started by the British in India had the sheer aim to loot India and, generate lower-income labour to increase their revenue. Therefore, the majority of institutions established by native, Indians were highly spiritual in developing the Swadeshi spirit and nationalistic approach among the people of India., , 8.2. SRI AUROBINDO, Why in News?, Recently, the High-Level Committee (HLC) constituted to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo, held its 1st meeting under the chairmanship of PM., About the High-Level Committee, •, , Constituted by the Culture Ministry, the HLC committee includes 53 members from different walks of life such as, politicians, governors, spiritual leaders, artists etc., Purpose: To provide policy direction and guidelines for the formulation of programmes for his birthday celebrations, at the national and international level., Celebration Period: From January 2022 to March 2024., , •, •, , About Sri Aurobindo, •, , Early Life:, o Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on 15 August 1872 as Aurobindo Ghose, he received his early education from a, convent school in Darjeeling., o At the age of seven, he was taken to England along with his brothers. He studied at St. Paul’s School London (1884), and King’s College in Cambridge in 1890., o He scored 11th rank in the ICS examination but didn’t clear the probation., Part of the Freedom Struggle:, o He joined a secret society working for India’s freedom, sometimes known as Lotus and Dagger., o In 1893, he joined the State Service of Maharaja of Baroda (Sayajirao Gaekwad III) and learnt about Indian, culture, languages (e.g., Sanskrit) etc. during his work., o He joined the Indian freedom struggle in 1902 in indirect manner by inspiring revolutionaries through committees, such as Anushilan Samiti., o After the ‘Partition of Bengal’ in 1905, he became active in the Indian political movement. He joined the Indian, National Congress (INC) in 1906 and worked as principal of Bengal National College., Spiritual Journey: He remained active in Indian Freedom movement till 1910, when he stopped political activities due, to spiritual awakening. From 1910, he spent rest of his life at Puducherry (a French Colony) till his last breath on 05, December 1950., , •, , •, , Contributions of Sri Aurobindo, A patriot, poet, educationist, philosopher and yogi, he made significant contributions to Indian independence and its, spiritual awakening through his works likeIndian, Nationalism, , •, •, •, , 101, , ‘New Lamps for Old’, articles written by him in InduPrakash from 1893-94, criticizing moderate politics of, Congress., Started Bande Mataram (English Daily), Karmayogin (English newspaper) and Dharma (Bengali Weekly)., Wrote articles in Jugantar Patrika (Bengali revolutionary newspaper) to inspire revolutionaries and the Bhawani, Mandir, a pamphlet published by the Anushilan Samiti., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , •, •, , Spiritual, Philosophy, , During the Surat session of INC in 1907, known, for the Surat Split, he joined the extremist, group led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak against the, moderates., In 1908, he was arrested in relation to Alipore, Bomb Case, acquitted later., On 15 August 1947, in his message he wished, the partition as temporary expedient and to be, reversed. He shared his dreams (as given in, image)., , Inspired by philosophy of Sat-Chit-Ananda and Yoga, he focused on the spiritual evolution of humanity through, inner knowledge or true nature of Human. His contribution can be seen through• The Life Divine (1939) to transform man from mental to supramental beings., • The Arya, a philosophical monthly (1914)., • Other Books compiled as poems, letters and essays such as Essays on the Gita (1922), Collected Poems and, Plays (1942), The Synthesis of Yoga (1948), The Human Cycle (1949), The Ideal of Human Unity (1949), Savitri:, A Legend and a Symbol (1950), etc., • In 1926 he established Sri Aurobindo Ashram with Mirra Alfassa., o Mirra Alfassa founded the Auroville, i.e. the city of dawn, a universal town for a peaceful, progressive and, harmonious existence., , 8.3. SUN TEMPLE OF KONARK, Why in News?, Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) discussed, ways to remove sand filled by the British from the sealed, assembly hall (known as Jagamohan) of Konark Sun Temple., More on News, •, •, •, •, , The Jagamohana was filled with sand by British to avoid, damage. In 2019, it was found to be settled down,, creating a 17 feet gap between sand and the structure., In 1984 it was included in UNESCO World Heritage Site., Chandrabhaga, its nearest beach, received Blue Flag, certification for environmental cleanliness in 2018., Konark Dance Festival and Chandrabhaga Festival are celebrated here., , About Sun Temple of Konark, •, •, , 102, , Dedicated to the Sun God, the temple is located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal., It was built by King Narasimha Deva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty from 1238-1250 CE (as per Kenduli Copper plate, inscription)., ○ The Old Legend links it to Samba, son of Lord Krishna, who built it., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , It is a Kalinga architectural style temple, a sub-style of Nagara Temple Architecture, with a:, ○ Rekha Deula or Vimana (principal sanctuary) with a, Shikhara (Crowning cap);, ○ Jagamohana or assembly hall;, ○ Natamandir or Dance hall; and a number of other substructures., In its complete form, it represents an epic imagination of a, celestial chariot carrying Sun, mounted on 24 intricately, carved wheels, 12 each on North and South side, with nearly, 3 m diameter drawn by seven horses, with:, ○ Set of wheels representing 12 months of a year and the, eight spokes as 8 prahar and symbolic motifs on cycle of, seasons and months., ○ The 7 horses as the 7 days of week., Decorative features on Wall/Pillars: Lions, musicians and, dancers etc., o Also, the wheels of temple are depicted on reverse side of, 10 rupee note., Stones used in the temple: Chlorite, Laterite and the greenish, Khondalite. Because of the color of its stone, it is also known, as Black Pagoda., Temple Destruction: No fixed reason but due to any or a mix, of the following reasons, most of the structure collapsed in, 1837 with only Jagamoahan remaining fully intact., ○ Reasons: Islamic invasion, structural flaws, stones, unsuitability or weathering, removal of its magnets etc., , •, , •, , •, •, , About Kalinga Architectural Style, •, , Flourished in the ancient Kalinga region, lying between the, Mahanadi and Godavari rivers (present day West Bengal, Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh)., A sub-style of Nagara Temples, the Kalinga temples are further classified into three distinct types of temples: Rekha, Deula, Pidha Deula and Khakhara Deula., ○ Rekha-deula is a square plan topped with a curvilinear tower. The parts of the temple align along the same (eastwest) line or axis. Dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva and Sun, it is the most common temple form., ○ Pidha-deula is also a square plan but topped with a pyramidal tower composed of horizontal tiers or platforms,, usually arranged in three tiers. Dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva and Sun, it is mainly used for halls., ○ Khakhara deula are the barrel-shaped (vault-shape) tower over a rectangular plan with an elongated roof, similar, to Dravida Gopuram design. Dedicated to female deities (e.g. Chamunda and Durga), it is a rare form but used as, sanctum sanctorum to house deity., , •, , Phases of Temple Evolution, Formative Phase (6th-9th CE), Transitional Phase (9th-11th CE), , Major Dynasty, Bhaumakaras, Somvanshi, , Mature Phase (11th-13th CE), Decline Phase (14th-16th CE), , Eastern Ganga, Gajapatis, , Main Temples, Parasurameswara Temple, Vaital Deula., Mukteswara Temple (known as Gem of Kalinga Architecture), Rajarani, Temple, Lingaraj Temple., Jagannath Temple (known as White Pagoda), Konark Sun Temple., Decline of temple architecture with focus on culture and literature., , 8.4. DURGA PUJA, Why in news?, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, recently, put “Durga, Puja in Kolkata” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity., 103, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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More on news, •, , This inscription will offer encouragement to the local communities that celebrate Durga Puja, including all the, traditional craftspeople, designers, artists, and organisers of large-scale cultural events, as well as tourists and visitors., Cultural heritage, o According to UNESCO, “cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects”, but “also, includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such, as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning, nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts”., Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), o ICH, according to UNESCO, is “traditional, contemporary and living at the same time”, “inclusive”,, “representative”, and “community-based”., o It is “an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalisation” — and “an, understanding of the ICH of different communities helps with intercultural dialogue, and encourages mutual, respect for other ways of life”., On the list: The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity currently has 492 elements., , •, , •, , •, , 1., 2., 3., 4., 5., 6., 7., 8., 9., 10., 11., 12., 13., 14., , The List of the ICH elements from the UNESCO website includes 14 entries from India, ICH element, Year of Recognition, Durga Puja of West Bengal, 2021, Kumbh Mela, 2017, Yoga, 2016, Nowruz, 2016, Traditional Brass and Copper Utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab, 2014, Sankirtana of Manipur, 2013, Buddhist Chanting of Ladakh, 2012, Chhau Dance of Seraikella, Purulia and Mayurbhanj, 2010, Kalbelia dance of Rajasthan, 2010, Mudiyettu of Kerala, 2010, Ramman festival of Garhwal, Uttarakhand, 2009, Kutiyattam Sanskrit theatre of Kerala, 2008, Ramlila, 2008, Vedic Chanting, 2008, , 8.5. NEWS IN SHORTS, 8.5.1. NIZAMUDDIN BASTI, •, , •, , 104, , 8.5.2. RAMNA KALI TEMPLE, , The conservation initiative at Delhi’s Nizamuddin Basti, bagged the UNESCO’s Award under 2 categories, ‘Award of Excellence 2021’ and ‘Special Recognition, for Sustainable Development Award’., o Project restored over 20 historic monuments, clustered around the 14th century mausoleum of, Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya., The award recognizes:, o outstanding achievement in placing heritage at, the heart of the sustainable development agenda., o overcoming major socio-economic challenges and, improved health, education and well-being,, particularly for women and youth through an, innovative People-Public-Private partnership, model., , •, , •, , •, •, , www.visionias.in, , President of India inaugurated the renovated Sri, Ramna Kali Mandir in Dhaka (Bangladesh)., o Revived shrine is considered a symbol of the, spiritual and cultural bond among the people of, India and Bangladesh., The temple was destroyed by Pakistani forces during, their Operation Searchlight in March 1971, the brutal, crackdown that led to the Bangladesh War of, Liberation., The original RamnaKalibari was built during the, medieval era and was famous for its tall structure., In 1929, the temple complex acquired an additional, building for the devotees of the famous saint, Anandamayee., , ©Vision IAS

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8.5.3. TAI KHAMTI MUTINY OF 1839, •, •, , In 1839, Tai Khamti people resisted British, colonisation which resulted in killing of 80 British, soldiers., About Tai Khamti, o One of the major tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, they, inhabits the district of Namsai., o The word ‘Khampti’ means ‘a land full of gold’, o They follow Theravada Buddhism and have their, own script which the people call it Tai script (LikTai)., o Khampti dance is also known as ka pung (ka, implies dance and pung means story)., , 8.5.6. DECLINE IN IMPORTS OF TOYS, INTO INDIAN MARKET, •, , FY 20-21 saw 53.58% decrease in import of toys, classified under HSN Code 9503 compared to FY1920. Similarly, decrease in imports of toys classified as, HSN Code 9505 was 37.61% in the same period., o HSN (Harmonised System of Nomenclature) code, was introduced by the World Customs, Organization for a systematic classification of, goods both national and international., Need for promoting local toy industry, o India imported around $1.5 billion worth toys in, 2020, with China and Taiwan accounting for, around 90% of domestic toy market., o Study by Quality Council of India (QCI) had, revealed that 67% of imported toys failed a, testing survey, prompting an aggressive effort to, produce safe toys locally., o Currently toy industry in India is primarily, unorganised., Steps taken by government to promote toy industry o Approval to eight toy manufacturing clusters., o National Action Plan for Indian Toy Story to, boost local manufacturing., o Need-based interventions for toy industry in 13, identified handicrafts toy clusters, o National Toy Fair is planned in February 2021., o Under National Education Policy 2020 toymaking will be introduced to students from the, sixth standard onwards., , 8.5.4. APATANI TEXTILES, •, , •, , Recently, GI tag application has been filed for the, Arunachal Pradesh Apatani textile product., o Woven fabric by the Apatani tribe is known for its, geometric and zigzag patterns., o They predominantly weaves shawls known as jigjiro and jilan or jackets called supuntarii., Apatani Tribe:, o They are settled in the village of Ziro (Arunachal, Pradesh)., o They are known for their fish and paddy culture,, along with cane and bamboo crafts, o They speak a local language called Tani and, worship the sun and the moon., o Important festival: Dree and Myoko festivals., , •, , •, , 8.5.5. KAAVI ART, •, •, •, , •, 105, , Kaavi, a form of wall art introduced by Portuguese, is, done in bright red and white shades., It is done on wet plaster in a manner similar to frescoes, (technique of mural painting executed upon freshly, laid lime plaster)., It gets its name from kaav, a red pigment found in, laterite soil that is used to create images on white, background of plaster., o Red is the only colour used in kaavi art., It is found in the Konkan region, especially in temples, of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka., , Traditional Toys, Channapatna toy, Kinnal toys, Etikoppaka Toys, Kondapalli toys, Nirmal toys, ThanjavurGolu Dolls, Choppusaman, Laiphadibi, Asharikandi Terracotta Toys, Sambalpur toys and paper mache and, stone toy, Chankana (a toy with a whistle), ghuggu, (rattle box for babies), lattoo (spinning, top), handwai (kitchen sets), Thigdadhingla, , www.visionias.in, , State, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Assam, Odisha, Punjab, , Gujarat, , ©Vision IAS

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8.5.7., VERNACULAR, PROGRAM (VIP), •, •, , INNOVATION, , It was launched by the NITI Aayog, under ‘Atal, Innovation Mission (AIM), to Empower Innovators,, Entrepreneurs in 22 Mother Tongues., To build the necessary capacity for the VIP, AIM has, identified and will be training, in collaboration with IIT, Delhi, a Vernacular Task Force (VTF) in each of the 22, scheduled languages., o Each task force comprises vernacular language, teachers, subject experts, technical writers, and, the leadership of regional Atal Incubation Centers, (AICs)., , 8.5.8. PRADHAN MANTRI YUVA (YOUNG,, UPCOMING, AND, VERSATILE, AUTHORS) SCHEME, •, •, , •, , 106, , National Book Trust, under Ministry of Education, (MoE), announced selection of 75 authors under PM, YUVA., YUVA is a part of India@75 Project (Azadi Ka Amrit, Mahotsav) to bring to the fore perspectives of young, generation of writers on themes like Unsung Heroes,, Freedom Fighters etc., It is aimed at training 75 aspiring writers below 30, years, who are ready to express themselves and project, India and its culture and literature globally., , •, , A consolidated scholarship of Rs 50,000 per month for, a period of six months per author will be paid under, the mentorship scheme., , 8.5.9. SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARDS (SAA), •, •, , •, , Sahitya Akademi announced SAA in 20 languages., o Awards in Gujarati, Maithili, Manipuri and Urdu, languages will be announced later., It is a literary honour, conferred annually on writers of, most outstanding books of literary merit published in, any of the major Indian languages., o Besides 22 languages enumerated in Constitution,, English and Rajasthani language are also, recognised., o Award includes a casket containing an engraved, copper-plaque, a shawl and an amount of Rs., 1,00,000/-., Sahitya Akademi functions as an autonomous, organisation. It is registered as a society under, Societies Registration Act, 1860., , 8.5.10. ORDER OF THE DRUK GYALPO, •, •, , www.visionias.in, , It is Bhutan highest civilian award., The award was honoured upon the Indian Prime, Minister on the occasion of the Bhutan’s National, Day., o It was awarded in recognition of a lifetime of, service to the people and Kingdom of Bhutan., , ©Vision IAS

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9. ETHICS, 9.1. MOB VIOLENCE AND LYNCHING, Introduction, Mob Violence or Lynching is one of the major challenges to, State authority. Though it can be done by group of people, in rage, typically it involves vigilante group, i.e. selfappointed doer of justice, who keep watch over people, and punish them in their own way (Vigilantism)., In both forms, it goes against the rule of law and notion of, a civilized society due to the destructive expression of, emotions in it for immediate gratification., About Mob Violence/lynching, •, , •, , •, , Mob Violence or Mob Lynching is defined as targeted, homicidal aggression, including killing, against a, person/s by a group of people or mob to○ Punish for a crime actually committed or mere, suspicion based on allegations or misinformation,, ○ The targeting can be for a serious crime in the eyes, of law or merely to suppress the tendency of deviance from the ideology of the mob., Fundamentally, it is seen in two ways as○ Defence of society, i.e. protest against anarchy, due to failure of law enforcement agencies in curbing the issues, of cow theft, kidnapping, crimes etc. or, ○ Offence against society, i.e. return of anarchy, as it goes against the fundamental principle of law, i.e. what the, law provides must be taken by lawful means. Self-appointed people holds no right to undertake law enforcement, Ethically, it goes against the moral principles like fairness and reasonableness. If it is not controlled, it may give rise, to social hatred with increased tendency of mass criminal outburst, ultimately leading to a state of anarchy., , Reasons behind Lynching, •, •, •, •, , Religious Beliefs or Principles: Being a multi-religious and pluralistic society, the religious beliefs or principles play an, important role with imposition of one’s beliefs on others. E.g. The recent killings in Punjab over sacrilege issue or, bovine-related mob-lynching., Socio-cultural Influences: This includes the historical socio-cultural norms or moral principles which govern a person's, behaviour or attitude towards an action. E.g. From 2000-2012, nearly 2,097 lynching due to witchcraft were reported, from 12 states of India., Feelings of Fear or Hate: Often, the rumors of being kidnappers or actual action of person/s give rise to lynching. E.g., the killing of Sadhus in Palghar on rumor. Similarly, in Dimapur (2015) an, Note: Due to lack of definition and, angry mob lynched a rape accused by breaking into the prison., unreliable data, National Crime Records, Lack of trust in the efficacy of laws: Either due to dissatisfaction from Bureau (NCRB) stopped collecting data, implementation of laws or judicial delays, mob justice is seen by non-state on mob lynching, cow vigilantism and, actors as a discharge of public duty., other such crimes after 2017., , What are the ethical issues it creates?, •, •, , 107, , Dehumanization of the victim: Lynching incidents lead to dehumanisation of individuals or groups leading to, ghettoization and hate crimes., Denial of Justice: Lynching goes against the rule of law and the extra-judicial elements or non-state actors’ award, punishment beyond what is deserved under laws., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, •, •, , Otherization of the Society: Lynching leads to higher distrust among people and society becomes more mechanical, rather than organic, i.e. homogeneity based integration. Being a nation with large diversity, it can create challenges, to the unity of nation., Creation of an atmosphere of fear: The level of intolerance and private security need rises in society as more people, start taking law into their own hands for justice., Encourages use of violence: If not resolved, lynching boosts confidence of non-state actors and violence gains, acceptance. If not controlled, it can be used over non-agreement and becomes a threat to individual liberty,, rationality and logical discussion., , Solution to Lynching: Current Framework and Other, steps needed to stop Lynching, With growing use of social media by non-state actors to, gain public attraction, mobilise people and target, individuals through false allegations, solution to, lynching is essential not only for sustenance of law and, order but for nation building as well., Current Framework, •, •, •, •, , With police and public order being part of state, subjects, India lacks a single law to specifically deal, with mob lynching., In Tehseen Poonawalla vs UOI (2018), Supreme, Court issued preventive, remedial and punitive, guidelines to deal with mob violence and lynching, Calling it a “horrendous act of mobocracy”, the, Supreme Court also asked Parliament to establish, lynching as a separate offence with punishment., Presently, it is mainly dealt under various sections, of IPC with a handful of states taking legal initiatives. This includes- Manipur, West Bengal, Rajasthan and recently, by, the Jharkhand assembly., , Other Steps Needed, •, , •, •, , Societal Approach: With involvement of beliefs and emotions, regulation of social behavior is first step to stop mob, violence and protect rights conferred to the citizens. This includes○ Respect for Law: Law is the mightiest sovereign of a civilized society. Efforts should be made to increase the, feeling of law being sacred in society., ○ Culture of duty: Efforts should be made to universalize the basic duties such as- Duty of Justice, Duty of, nonmaleficence etc. as part of social norms or actions., Governmental Approach: Apart from bringing laws and guiding society on social behavior, the government should, apply emotional intelligence to handle conflicts with equal condemnation of social and political violence to avoid, revenge tendencies., People-centric Approach: As society and government are made by the people, it is vital that people should seek true, freedom through a life based on reason (objectivity or rational will), self-control and virtues of empathy, compassion,, and humanity. As Thiruvalluvar, well-known poet and philosopher of ancient India, said, , The first and most important thing a man should keep away from is not doing harm of any kind knowingly to anyone, at, any time., , 108, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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10. SCHEMES IN NEWS, 10.1. DEENDAYAL ANTYODAYA YOJANA - NATIONAL RURAL LIVELIHOODS, MISSION (DAY-NRLM), Why in news?, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) has launched a facility for overdraft (OD), of Rs. 5,000/- to verified SHG members having accounts under the Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana with Banks., About DAY-NRLM, Objectives, • To reduce poverty, by enabling the poor, households, to, access gainful selfemployment, and, skilled, wage, employment, opportunities., • To mobilize about 910 crore rural poor, households into Self, Help Groups (SHGs), in a phased manner, and provide them, long-term support., , 110, , Details of scheme, • Genesis, o Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), started in 1999 was restructured in FY 2010-11, for implementation as the National Rural Livelihoods Mission to provide a sharper and, greater focus as well as momentum for poverty reduction., o In 2015, the program was renamed Deendayal Antayodaya Yojana (DAY-NRLM)., • Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), • DAY- NRLM is a Centrally Sponsored Schemes., • Key Features, o Universal social mobilization: At least one woman member from each identified rural poor, household, is to be brought under the Self Help Group (SHG) network in a time bound manner., Special emphasis is particularly on vulnerable communities., o Participatory identification of poor: The inclusion of the target group under NRLM is, determined by a well-defined, transparent and equitable process of participatory, identification of poor, at the level of the community. All households identified as poor through, the PIP process is the NRLM Target Group and is eligible for all the benefits under the, programme., o Community funds as resources in perpetuity: NRLM provides Revolving Fund (RF) and, Community Investment Fund (CIF) as resources in perpetuity to the institutions of the poor,, to strengthen their institutional and financial management capacity., o Financial inclusion: On the demand side, it promotes financial literacy among the poor and, provides catalytic capital to the SHGs and their federations. On the supply side, the Mission, coordinates with the financial sector and encourages use of Information, Communication &, Technology (ICT) based financial technologies, business correspondents and community, facilitators like ‘Bank Mitras’., o Livelihoods: NRLM focuses on stabilizing and promoting existing livelihood portfolio of the, poor through ‘vulnerability reduction’, ‘livelihoods enhancement’, tapping new opportunities, in farm and non-farm sectors, building skills and nurturing self-employed and entrepreneurs., o Other features:, ✓ High emphasis on convergence with other programmes of the MoRD and other Central, Ministries., ✓ Proactively seeking partnerships with Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and other, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), at two levels - strategic and implementation., • National Rural Livelihoods Project (NRLP) has been designed as a sub-set of NRLM to create ‘proof, of concept’, build capacities of the Centre and States and create an enabling environment to, facilitate all States and Union Territories to transit to the NRLM., • Core values, o Inclusion of the poorest, and meaningful role to the poorest in all the processes;, o Transparency and accountability of all processes and institutions;, o Ownership and key role of the poor and their institutions in all stages – planning,, implementation, and, monitoring;, o Community self-reliance and self-dependence., , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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•, , Achievements, o It has mobilised a total of 8.01 Crore women from poor and vulnerable communities into 73.19, lakhs SHGs., o In the current year, 248 blocks have been covered with the mobilization of 41.02 lakh, households into 3.81 lakh SHGs., o Around 3.5 lakhs community resource persons (CRPs) have been developed for providing, capacity building and technical support to community institutions., o Scheme has been able to facilitate a total of Rs. 4.35 lakh crore of Bank Loan to the SHGs from, 2013 to 2021., o The Non-performing Assets (NPA) is just 2.57% which shows the remarkable repayments, culture in the SHG members under DAY-NRLM., , 10.2. PRADHAN MANTRI KRISHI SINCHAYEE YOJANA (PMKSY), Why in news?, The Union government has approved extension of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) till 2026., About PMKSY, Objectives, , Key Features, , •, , •, •, •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , •, , 111, , Achieve convergence of, investments in irrigation at, the field level (preparation, of district level and, if, required, sub district level, water use plans)., Enhance, the, physical, access of water on the farm, and expand cultivable area, under assured irrigation, (Har Khet ko pani)., Integration of water source,, distribution and its efficient, use, to make best use of, water through appropriate, technologies and practices., Improve on-farm water use, efficiency, to, reduce, wastage and increase, availability both in duration, and extent., Enhance the adoption of, precision irrigation and, other, water, saving, technologies (More crop, per drop)., Enhance, recharge, of, aquifers and introduce, sustainable, water, conservation practices., Ensure the integrated, development of rain-fed, areas using watershed, approach towards soil and, water, conservation,, regeneration of ground, , Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare., It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme., It is an inter-ministerial Scheme that has been formulated amalgamating ongoing schemes, viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP); Integrated Watershed Management, Programme (IWMP); and On Farm Water Management (OFWM) component of National, Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)., • Water budgeting is done for all sectors namely, household, agriculture and industries., • Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) has been instituted under PMKSY in NABARD for funding, and fast tracking the implementation of incomplete major and medium irrigation projects., • A dedicated Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural, Development (NABARD) under PMKSY has been set up to provide states financial, assistance on concessional rate of interest., • National Steering Committee (NSC) under PM with Union Ministers of all concerned, Ministries supervises and monitors the scheme., • National Executive Committee (NEC) under the Chairmanship of the Vice Chairman, NITI, Aayog oversees the implementation of the scheme., Components of PMKSY, • Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme(AIBP): To focus on faster completion of ongoing, Major and Medium Irrigation including National Projects., • PMKSY (Har Khet ko Pani), o Repair, restore water bodies; strengthen carrying capacity of traditional water sources,, construction of rain water harvesting structures (Jal Sanchay)., o Creation of new water sources through Minor Irrigation., o Ground water development in the areas where it is abundant, so that sink is created to, store runoff/ flood water., o Diversion of water from source of different location where it is plenty to nearby water, scarce areas, lift irrigation from water bodies/rivers at lower elevation., o Creating and rejuvenating traditional water storage systems like Jal Mandir (Gujarat);, Khatri, Kuhl (H.P.); Zabo (Nagaland); Eri, Ooranis (T.N.); Dongs (Assam); Katas,, Bandhas (Odisha and M.P.) etc. at feasible locations., • PMKSY (Per Drop More Crop), o Promoting efficient water conveyance and precision water application devices like, drips, sprinklers, pivots, rain-guns in the farm (Jal Sinchan)., o Construction of micro irrigation structures to supplement source creation activities, including tube wells and dug wells (in areas where ground water is available and not, under semi critical /critical /over exploited category of development)., www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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o, , water, arresting runoff,, providing livelihood options, and other activities., •, , Secondary storage structures at tail end of canal system to store water when available, in abundance (rainy season) or from perennial sources for use during dry periods., o Extension activities for promotion of scientific moisture conservation and agronomic, measures including cropping alignment to maximise use of available water., o Water lifting devices like diesel/ electric/ solar pump-sets., PMKSY (Watershed Development), o Effective management of runoff water and improved soil & moisture conservation, activities such as ridge area treatment, drainage line, treatment, rain water harvesting,, in-situ moisture conservation and other allied activities on watershed basis., o Converging with MGNREGS for creation of water source to full potential in identified, backward rain-fed blocks including renovation of traditional water bodies., , Copyright © by Vision IAS, All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any, form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Vision, IAS., 112, , www.visionias.in, , ©Vision IAS

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