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NOVEMBER 2019JAMMU AND KASHMIR BIFURCATION

AYODHYA VERDICT

BHIM UPI GOES INTERNATIONAL

‘RED ATLAS ACTION PLAN MAP’ ATLAS AND CFLOWS-CHENNAI

IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL

ARLS WITH RUSSIA

TRACHISCHIUM APTEII

BROWN TO GREEN REPORT 2019

K12 EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION FRAMEWORK IN INDIA

LAUNCH OF ISRO’S PSLV-C47

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SOWA-RIGPA (NISR)

GOTTIPROLU

INDEX

INDIAN POLITY

JAMMU AND KASHMIR BIFURCATION 1

AYODHYA VERDICT 2

HARMONIZED SYSTEM (HS) CODE FOR KHADI 3

SC STRIKES DOWN FINANCE ACT RULES FOR APPOINTMENTS TO JUDICIAL TRIBUNALS 6

EQUAL REPRESENTATION TO ALL STATES IN RAJYA SABHA

9

PRADHAN MANTRI MATRU VANDANA YOJANA 10

DAMAN AND DIU, DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI TO BE MERGED 12

ECONOMY

BHIM UPI GOES INTERNATIONAL 14

CURRENCY SWAP ARRANGEMENT 15

ADJUSTED GROSS REVENUE (AGR) 16

FASTags 18

NBFC LIQUIDITY NORMS 21

PATENT PROSECUTION HIGHWAY (PPH) PROGRAM 22

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

‘RED ATLAS ACTION PLAN MAP’ ATLAS AND CFLOWS-CHENNAI 23

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL 23

QUAD COUNTRIES 24

BIMSTEC 25

ARLS WITH RUSSIA 25

EAST ASIA SUMMIT (EAS) 26

ENVIRONMENT

TRACHISCHIUM APTEII 27

SATAT INITIATIVE FOR STUBBLE BURNING 28

ROHTANG TUNNEL 29

ZERO CARBON BILL 29

MALABAR TREE TOAD 29

WATER QUALITY REPORT 30

GREEN CLIMATE FUND 31

BROWN TO GREEN REPORT 2019 32

CYCLONE BULBUL 33

DANAKIL DEPRESSION 35

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

‘CONTRACT’ FOR THE WORLD WIDE WEB 37

LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS 38

K12 EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION FRAMEWORK IN INDIA 39

STARLINK NETWORK PROJECT 39

KIMBERLEY PROCESS CERTIFICATION SCHEME (KPCS) 40

NASA’s VOYAGER 2 SPACECRAFT 40

SECRETAGOGIN 41

DEFENCE AND SECURITY

PRITHVI-II MISSILE 42

SISSERI RIVER BRIDGE 42

ZA’IR-AL-BAHR (THE ROAR OF THE SEA) 43

LAUNCH OF ISRO’S PSLV-C47 44

SOCIETY

YUWAAH YOUTH SKILLING INITIATIVE 44

ONE STOP CENTRE (OSC) SCHEME 46

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SOWA-RIGPA (NISR) 46

NADU NEDU PROGRAMME 48

SHAALA DARPAN PORTAL 50

ART AND CULTURE

GOTTIPROLU 50

THE JALLIANWALA BAGH 51

RANI LAKSHMIBAI 51

RASHTRIYA EKTA DIWAS 52

LALA LAJPAT RAI 52

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INDIAN POLITY

DISABLED QUOTA IN CHHATTISGARH PANCHAYAT Why in news? An amendment has been approved by the Chhattisgarh cabinet regarding the State Panchayati Raj Act, 1993. About

Every panchayat will now have differently-abled members, either elected or nominated.

If differently-abled members are not elected through the electoral process, then one member, either male or female, would be nominated as a panch.

For janpads and zilla panchayats, the State government would nominate two such members, one male, and one female, to them.

Constitutional rights of the disabled persons There shall be equality of opportunity for all

citizens (including the disabled) in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State.

Right of justice, liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, equality of status and of opportunity and for the promotion of fraternity.

Article 15(1) enjoins on the Government not to discriminate against any citizen of India (including disabled) on the ground of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

Article 15 (2) States that no citizen (including the disabled) shall be subjected to any disability, liability, restriction or condition on any of the above grounds in the matter of their access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment or in the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads, and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of government funds or dedicated to the use of the general public.

No person including the disabled irrespective of his belonging can be treated as untouchable. It would be an offense punishable in accordance with law as provided by Article 17 of the Constitution.

Every person including the disabled has his life and liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR BIFURCATION Why in news?

Jammu and Kashmir has been divided into two Union Territories and now it is no more a state.

The lieutenant governors of UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are G C Murmu and R K Mathur, respectively.

The new UTs come into existence on National Unity Day to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who was India’s first home minister and a freedom fighter.

Changes in J&K and Ladakh

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 also comes into effect from 31st October 2019.

The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and the Ranbir Penal Code will continue to exist.

The Union Territory of J&K will have a legislature while the UT of Ladakh will have no legislature.

Both the Union Territories will have Lieutenant Governors as administrators who will be appointed by the President of India whose tenure will be determined by the President.

Four sitting members of the Council of States representing the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir shall be deemed to have been elected to fill the seats allotted to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Legislative Assembly of Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir

The Delimitation of Parliamentary Constituencies Order, 1976 shall stand amended as directed in the Second Schedule of the Act.

The Election Commission may conduct the elections to the House of the People for the Jammu and Kashmir as per the allocation of seats specified in the Delimitation of Parliamentary Constituencies Order, 1976 as amended by this Act.

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The provisions which are applicable to “Union territory of Puducherry” shall also apply to the “Jammu and Kashmir”.

The total number of seats in the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir to be filled by persons chosen by direct election shall be 107.

Seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir.

There shall be a Council of Ministers consisting of not more than ten percent of the total number of members in the Legislative Assembly, with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Lieutenant Governor in the exercise of his functions in relation to matters with respect to which the Legislative Assembly has the power to make laws.

Abolition of Legislative Council

On the abolition of the Legislative Council, every member thereof shall cease to be such members.

All Bills pending in the Legislative Council immediately before the appointed day shall lapse on the abolition of the Council.

Powers of the Lieutenant Governor

The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh shall be assisted by an advisor(s) to be appointed by the Central Government.

Lieutenant Governor of Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir may nominate two members to the Legislative Assembly to give representation to women if, in his opinion, women are not adequately represented in the Legislative Assembly.

The Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister.

The Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Lieutenant Governor and the Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly.

Before a Minister enters upon his office, the Lieutenant Governor shall administer to him the oaths of office and of secrecy according to the forms set out for the purpose in the Fourth Schedule.

High Court The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir shall

be the common High Court for the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union territory of Ladakh.

The Judges of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir for the existing State of Jammu and Kashmir holding office immediately before the appointed day shall become on that day the Judges of the High Court.

The expenditure in respect of salaries and allowances of the Judges of the common High Court shall be allocated amongst the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union territory of Ladakh on the basis of population ratio.

All India Services officials

The members of the cadres of Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and Indian Forest Service for the existing State of Jammu and Kashmir, on and from the appointed day, shall continue to function on the existing cadres.

The center will be in direct control of the Jammu and Kashmir police and law and order matters.

AYODHYA VERDICT Why in news?

There comes a time when the need for peace and closure is greater than the need for undoing an injustice. In allowing a temple to come up through a government-appointed trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya, the Supreme Court has apparently chosen a path most conducive to social harmony.

An apex court bench led by the then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi delivered the Ayodhya verdict alongside currently CJI S.A. Bobde, and Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, and S.A. Nazeer.

Background

Hindus believed that the Babri Masjid, named after Mughal emperor Babur, was built in Ayodhya after destroying a Ram Temple that marked the birthplace of the deity.

The Hindu parties wanted the land to themselves, contending that Lord Ram was

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born at a spot on which later the central dome of the mosque was built.

The Muslim parties contended that the mosque was constructed in 1528 by Mir Baqi, a commander of Babur’s army, without demolishing any place of worship and since the land rights had not been transferred to any other party, the space was rightfully theirs.

The verdict

The Hindus would get the entire disputed 2.77 acres in Ayodhya where the demolished Babri Masjid once stood and its possession will remain with Central government receiver.

A trust will be formed in 3 months to build a temple on the disputed land. The court held that the Nirmohi Akhara is not the shebait or devotee of the deity Ram Lalla but will get to be a member of the Trust.

The Muslims will get alternate five acres of land either in the surplus 67 acres acquired in and around the disputed structure by the central government.

This is more of moral consolation by way of a political compromise and less of adjudication in recognition of their religious rights is obvious.

It notes that archaeological evidence - procured only because excavation was made possible by the demolition and as such not available to the parties at the time of institution of the suits - only shows the existence of a 12th-century Hindu religious structure underneath, but does not prove any demolition or explain what happened in the intervening centuries.

It acknowledges that namaz was offered at the mosque between 1857 and 1949, and declares that Muslims did not abandon it, but offers no relief even though their religious rights stand proved.

Article 142 invoked by SC to give land for a mosque

Article 142(1) states that “The Supreme Court

in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it, and any

decree so passed or order so made shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India in such manner as may be prescribed by or under any law made by Parliament and, until provision in that behalf is so made, in such manner as the President may by order prescribe”.

This was the first time that the court invoked this power in a case involving a civil dispute over an immovable property, involving private parties.

Travelers quoted in Ayodhya judgment

In its judgment, the Supreme Court relied in part on centuries-old travelogues, gazetteers, and books to provide an account of the faith and belief that the Hindus placed in the Janmasthan like European travelers Joseph Tieffenthaler, William Finch, and Montgomery Martin – these being written before the building of the grill-brick wall in front of the mosque during British rule.

Conclusion

The idea of justice is based on the perception of fairness. John Rawls, in his seminal work, A Theory of Justice, said that all people have a claim to as much freedom as is consistent with everyone else having an equal level of freedom. This is an important concept towards understanding both justice and freedom.

According to him, freedom and equality can be integrated and, thus, justice can be presented as fairness. With this verdict of the Supreme Court, if justice can be outlined as per Rawls’s definition. Justice and fairness seem to be separated at the seam in this case. This open seam, like an open vein, can bleed a society white. Justice as fairness for just a few can erode societal norms.

We should respect the judgment of the Supreme Court without trying to fit it into the landscape of justice and fairness as explained by Rawls. It is a closure of something perniciously erosive to the idea of India, the idea to which we all owe our allegiance.

To be honest, our worry lies not in this verdict, but the verdicts which can come in the future. It is not a time to celebrate or

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mourn this judgment. It is a time to be alert to the idea of justice, to the idea of inclusion, to the idea of democracy and, most importantly, to the idea of peace.

In the words of the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza, peace is not the absence of war, it is the presence of justice. Not just this, the verdict itself emphasized ‘fact over faith’.

HARMONIZED SYSTEM (HS) CODE FOR KHADI Why in news?

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has allocated a separate Harmonised System (HS) code for Khadi.

Khadi is India’s signature handspun and handwoven cloth that was made iconic by Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom struggle.

The move is expected to boost Khadi exports in the coming years.

In 2006, the government had given the MSME-controlled Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) the Export Promotion Council Status (EPCS). Yet, the absence of a separate HS code hindered Khadi from achieving its full potential, as its exports were difficult to categorize and calculate. The latest move is expected to help resolve this issue.

Meaning of HS code

It is a six-digit identification code. Of the six digits, the first two denote the HS Chapter, the next two give the HS heading, and the last two give the HS subheading.

It was developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO).

Called the “universal economic language” for goods.

It is a multipurpose international product nomenclature.

According to the WCO website, the system currently comprises of around 5,000 commodity groups, each identified by a unique six-digit code that has numbers arranged in a legal and logical structure, with well-defined rules to achieve uniform classification.

STEEL SCRAP RECYCLING POLICY Why in news?

The Ministry of Steel has issued the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy that aims to reduce imports, conserve resources and save energy and to ensure quality scrap for the steel industry.

The policy resulted from the Indian government’s National Steel Policy of 2017, in which the country is expected to have 300 million mt/year of steel production capacity by 2030.

The policy has raised several market concerns ranging from a surge of mixed metal (unprocessed) scrap flowing into the country to the challenges of setting up recycling centers.

Features of the policy

1. To promote a circular economy in the steel sector.

2. To promote a formal and scientific collection, dismantling and processing activities for end of life products that are sources of recyclable (ferrous, non- ferrous and other non-metallic) scraps which will lead to resource conservation and energy savings and setting up of an environmentally sound management system for handling ferrous scrap.

3. Processing and recycling of products in an organized, safe and environmentally friendly manner.

4. To evolve a responsive ecosystem by involving all stakeholders.

5. To produce high-quality ferrous scrap for quality steel production thus minimizing the dependency on imports.

6. To decongest the Indian cities from ELVs and reuse of ferrous scrap.

7. To create a mechanism for treating waste streams and residues produced from dismantling and shredding facilities in compliance with Hazardous & Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 issued by MoEF & CC.

8. To promote 6Rs principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Redesign and Remanufacture through scientific handling, processing and disposal of all types of

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recyclable scraps including non-ferrous scraps, through authorized centers/facility.

OFFICE OF PROFIT Why in news?

In March 2017, a petition was filed before the President seeking disqualification of 11 Delhi MLAs belonging to Aam Aadmi Party claiming that they were enjoying office of profit by being co-chairpersons of district disaster management authorities in 11 districts of Delhi.

The issue was referred to Election Commission which gave an opinion in August this year that holding the office of co-chairperson of a district disaster management authority does not attract disqualification as MLA since there is no remuneration by way of salary and allowances.

The decision of the President rejecting the plea is based on an opinion rendered by the Election Commission.

Concept of ‘office of profit’

MPs and MLAs, as members of the legislature, hold the government accountable for its work. The essence of disqualification under the office of profit law is if legislators hold an ‘office of profit’ under the government, they might be susceptible to government influence, and may not discharge their constitutional mandate fairly. The intent is that there should be no conflict between the duties and interests of an elected member. Hence, the office of profit law simply seeks to enforce a basic feature of the Constitution- the principle of separation of power between the legislature and the executive.

Reason for controversies

The expression “office of profit” has not been defined in the Constitution or in the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

It is for the courts to explain the significance and meaning of this concept. Over the years, courts have decided this issue in the context of specific factual situations.

But, articles 102 (1) and 191(1) which give effect to the concept of office of profit prescribe restrictions at the central and state level on lawmakers accepting government positions.

Role of Judiciary in defining the ‘office of profit’

Supreme Court in Jaya Bachchan vs Union of India(2006) define office of profit as any office capable of yielding a profit or pecuniary gain

In Swapan Roy vs Pradyut Bordoloi case (2001), SC has laid down certain parameters to check whether an office constitutes an office of profit or not:

Whether the government has appointed? Whether the government has the power to

dismiss or remove? Is the government paying the remuneration? Whether the government determines or

controls functions of such office? Whether functions are performed for the

government?

Reducing confusion and bringing clarity on the matter of Office of profit

As an office of profit issue brings the question of disqualification of MPs, the Representation of people’s acts should be duly amended to determine such cases objectively. It will negate the need for multiple laws to deal with disqualification separately as is being done in many states.

Parliamentary joint committee on office of profit have also suggested office of profit parameters like remuneration, executive, judicial or legislative powers, whether the office wields influence or power by way of patronage, etc

The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) has held that all offices involving executive decision making and control of public funds shall be treated as OoP and no legislator shall hold such offices.

The 2nd ARC has also suggested that all offices in purely advisory bodies where the experience, insights, and expertise of a legislator would be inputs in governmental policy, shall not be treated as OoP, irrespective of the remuneration and perks associated with it

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The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution recommended that the Constitution should be suitably amended to empower the Election Commission to identify which offices should be deemed to be offices of profit and which not.

In England, at the time of creation of an office, it is determined and mentioned whether it constitutes an office of profit. India can take a cue from such a practice where the complexities of disqualification and judicial intervention can be reduced.

ALL VISITORS TO MEGHALAYA MUST FIRST REGISTER Why in news?

Meghalaya has brought an ordinance that makes registration on entry mandatory for visitors who intend to spend more than 24 hours in the state.

Background The amendment comes in the backdrop of

demands by civil society and political leaders, that people excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam might try to enter Meghalaya.

Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) 2016 aims to ensure the security of the tenants as well as the safety and security of the citizens of the state.

It provides for verification and regulation of the tenants residing in rented houses in the state.

It also establishes District Task Force and Facilitation Centres for effective enforcement of various laws for the safety and security of the citizens.

Key data An amendment to the Meghalaya Residents

Safety and Security Act, 2016 has been passed to include this provision amid demands for an inner line permit (ILP) system to stop illegal immigration into the state.

Exemption: Central and state government employees are exempt from the new entry rule.

Inner Line Permit (ILP) It is a document that allows an Indian citizen

to visit or stay in a state that is protected under the ILP system. The system is in force today in three North-eastern states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram, and no Indian citizen can visit any of these states unless he or she belongs to that state, nor can he or she overstay beyond the period specified in the ILP.

The concept comes from the colonial area. Under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873, the British framed regulations restricting the entry and regulating the stay of outsiders in designated areas.

It prohibited “British subjects” or Indians from entering into these protected areas.

After Independence, in 1950, the word “British subjects” was replaced by Citizens of India and the focus of the ban on free movement was explained as a bid to protect tribal cultures in northeastern India.

Currently, the Inner Line Permit is operational in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland. It can be issued for travel purposes solely.

SC STRIKES DOWN FINANCE ACT RULES FOR APPOINTMENTS TO JUDICIAL TRIBUNALS Why in news?

The Supreme Court has passed an interim order according to which the appointments to tribunals shall be on the basis of existing statutes and not the rules framed under the Finance Act of 2017.

Also, the SC raised the question of whether the Finance 2017 Act could have been passed as a money bill. For now, it has been referred to a larger Bench of 7 judges.

Stand of the court

The government should reframe the rules and ordered that until then, the existing laws will govern the tribunals.

The Ministry of Law should conduct an impact study and submit a report to the apex court.

Validity of passage of Finance Act 2017 as Money Bill should be decided by a larger bench.

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On account of the merger of tribunals, the SC directed the government to undertake a ‘Judicial Impact Assessment’ of all 24 tribunals and analyze the ramifications of the merger.

The SC also highlighted the dismal state of tribunals. Therefore, in order to monitor the working of tribunals, the SC directed the constituting a statutory organization called the National Tribunal Commission.

Issue

According to the Finance Act, the Centre has the power to govern appointments, removal and service conditions of the members of judicial tribunals like the National Green Tribunal, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal.

The petitioners had challenged the Finance Act, 2017, particularly Part XIV on various grounds. Part XIV had repealed provisions relating to the administration of 26 Tribunals established under diverse central laws.

The petitioners had argued that the passage of the Finance Act in the form of a Money Bill amounted to a fraud on the Constitution since they can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Money Bill It is defined by Article 110 of the

Constitution, as a draft law that contains only provisions that deal with all or any of the matters listed therein.

These comprise a set of seven features, broadly including items such as the imposition or regulation of a tax; the regulation of the borrowing of money by the Government of India; the withdrawal of money from the Consolidated Fund of India; and so forth.

In the event a proposed legislation contains other features, ones that are not merely incidental to the items specifically outlined, such a draft law cannot be classified as a money bill.

Article 110 further clarifies that in cases where a dispute arises over whether a bill is a money bill or not, the Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision on the issue shall be considered final.

CONTEMPT OF COURT Why in news?

The Supreme Court has held former Ranbaxy promoters Malvinder and Shivinder Singh guilty of contempt for violating its order that had asked them not to divest their shares in Fortis Healthcare Limited.

What is contempt under the Indian law?

In common parlance, ‘contempt of court’ can be understood as an offense of lowering or defying the authority of the court by disobeying its instructions.

The term has been defined in the Act for the very first time in the history of contempt law. Section 2(a) of The Contempt of Court Act, 1971, defines the term to mean ‘civil contempt or criminal contempt.’

The two although fundamentally different in character and essence can sometimes be very hard to differentiate.

While civil contempt is a wrong of private nature that injures the interests of the party that is entitled to benefit from the order so disobeyed, criminal contempt is a misdeed against the society at large where the contemner by his words or actions undermines the authority of the court and brings it disrepute.

Historical Background of the Act

The Contempt of Courts Act, 1926 was the first statutory legislation that granted powers to High Courts of Judicature established by Letters Patent to punish contempts of subordinate courts. The Act, however, failed to provide for contempt of courts subordinate to Chief Courts and Judicial Commissioners Court, as also for an extra-territorial jurisdiction of High Courts and was therefore repealed by The Contempt of Courts Act, 1952, with the institution of which all the respective Indian states Acts also stood rescinded.

It, however, made two significant digressions from the prior Act of 1926 in that, one, it redefined ‘High Court’ to include the Courts of Judicial Commissioner and two, provided for the aforesaid to try for contempts subordinate to them as well.

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The statute of 1971 has recently been amended by the Contempt of Courts (Amendment) Act, 2006 to include the defense of truth under Section 13 of the original legislation.

Section 13 that already served to restrict the powers of the court in that they were not to hold anyone in contempt unless it would substantially interfere with the due process of justice, the amendment further states that the court must permit ‘justification by truth as a valid defense if it is satisfied that it is in the public interest and the request for invoking the said defense is bona fide.’

Need

Judiciary ensures justice and equality to every individual and institutions, therefore, the makers of the constitution upheld the sanctity and prestige of the revered institution by placing provisions under Articles 129 and 215 of the constitution, which enables the courts to hold individuals in contempt if they attempt to demean or belittle their authority.

Is criticism allowed?

Yes. The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, very clearly states that fair criticism of any case which has been heard and decided is not contempt.

Constitutional Background Article 129: Grants Supreme Court the power

to punish for contempt of itself. Article 142(2): Enables the Supreme Court to

investigate and punish any person for its contempt.

Article 215: Grants every High Court the power to punish for contempt of itself.

CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA’S OFFICE UNDER RTI ACT Why in news?

The Supreme Court ruled that the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is a public authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by the then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, and including Justices N V Ramana, D Y Chandrachud, Deepak Gupta, and Sanjiv Khanna, upheld a Delhi High Court ruling of 2010 and dismissed three appeals filed by the Secretary-General and the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the Supreme Court.

Background

Previously, the Delhi High Court judgment which ruled that office of the Chief Justice comes under the purview of RTI.

A plea filed was filed by Supreme Court Secretary-General challenging Delhi High Court’s order.

The concept of judicial independence is not the judge’s personal privilege but responsibility cast on the person, the HC had said in its ruling.

The verdict

The Supreme Court is a “public authority” and the office of the CJI is part and parcel of the institution. Hence, if the Supreme Court is a public authority, so is the office of the CJI.

The judiciary cannot function in total insulation as judges enjoy a constitutional post and discharge public duty.

However, the Right to Privacy is an important aspect and has to be balanced with transparency while deciding to give out information from the office of the Chief Justice of India.

RTI cannot be used as a tool of surveillance and that judicial independence has to be kept in mind while dealing with transparency.

The verdict underlines the balance of Supreme Court's needs between transparency and protecting its independence. The step is significant because it opens the doors to RTI requests that will test the frontiers of what has been a rather opaque system. What new red lines are drawn will decide how effective the step is.

The outcome is that the office of the CJI will now entertain RTI applications. Under Section 2(f) of the RTI Act, information means “any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions,

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advice, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force”.

While the office of the CJI is now under the RTI’s ambit, the CBI is exempt.

RTI act

Under the RTI Act, 2005, every public authority has to provide information to persons requesting for the information under the Act.

Public Authority includes the body constituted by or under the Constitution. Article 124 of the Constitution deals with the establishment of the Supreme Court of India.

EQUAL REPRESENTATION TO ALL STATES IN RAJYA SABHA Why in news? On the occasion of its 250th session, Rajya Sabha MPs have made the following suggestions:

1. Giving all States, irrespective of their population and size, an equal number of seats in the Rajya Sabha.

2. All members, irrespective of their parties’ strength in the House, the same amount of time to speak in debates.

Background The Upper House of the Indian Parliament

traces its direct history to the first bicameral legislature introduced in British India in 1919 as a consequence of the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms.

The Council of State, as it was called then, was made up of 60 members, 34 of whom were Indian and elected by a narrow and elite group. There were no women in the council and the direct election was conducted under the framework of a communal franchise that the Indian National Congress opposed vehemently.

India’s Rajya Sabha has equal powers to the Lok Sabha except for money bills, where it has no jurisdiction. It is a 250-member body,

12 of whom are appointed from the field of art, literature, science and social services. Other members are elected by an electoral college made up of state legislators.

Is the Rajya Sabha necessary today? The contemporary argument against it comes

from two primary angles. The first one suggests that a Lok Sabha that has representation from several regional parties more than adequately represents a federal country. The recent reversal on the land acquisition ordinance is an example of this federal character of the Lok Sabha in practice.

The second argument charges that the Rajya Sabha has become a haven for losers in elections, crony capitalists, compromised journalists, and party fundraisers.

Far from being deliberative, the Rajya Sabha appears to have descended into the same fickleness and passion as the Lok Sabha and has shown a disconcerting trend away from the decorum expected from it.

Need for Reforms It is virtually impossible to abolish the Rajya

Sabha without adopting a new Indian Constitution. The bicameral nature of the Indian Parliament is likely to be interpreted as a “basic structure" of the Indian Constitution, rendering it incapable of being amended.

Even if this were to be tested, it would be ensnared in a judicial process for a very long time. It is much more practical to try and reform the Rajya Sabha than seeking to abolish it.

One useful reform step would be to have members of the Rajya Sabha be directly elected by the citizens of a state. This will reduce cronyism and patronage appointments. This step should be combined with equal representation for each state (say, five members) so that large states do not dominate the proceedings in the House. This streamlined Rajya Sabha should remain

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deliberative, but there should be deadlines set for responding to bills initiated in the Lok Sabha.

Only then will India be able to make (progress) haste, slowly.

PRADHAN MANTRI MATRU VANDANA YOJANA Why in news?

As per a survey, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) has been able to reach less than a third of the eligible beneficiaries.

About PMMVY

PMMVY is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme under which cash benefits are provided to pregnant women in their bank account directly to meet enhanced nutritional needs and partially compensate for wage loss.

The scheme is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women.

It provides partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during childbirth and childcare and to provide conditions for safe delivery and good nutrition and feeding practices.

They receive a cash benefit of Rs. 5,000 in three installments on fulfilling the respective conditionality, viz. early registration of pregnancy, ante-natal check-up and registration of the birth of the child and completion of first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family.

The eligible beneficiaries also receive cash incentives under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). Thus, on average, a woman gets Rs. 6,000.

Exceptions

The maternity benefits are available to all Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) except those in regular employment with the Central Government or State Government or Public Sector Undertaking or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force.

Funding The scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme

under which cost-sharing ratio between the Centre and the States & UTs with Legislature is 60:40 while for North-Eastern States & three Himalayan States; it is 90:10. It is 100% Central assistance for Union Territories without Legislature.

The key finding of the survey

The scheme has failed to reach at least 49% of all mothers who would have delivered their first child (an estimated total of 123 lakh for 2017 according to the researchers).

Given the stipulated conditions, the scheme brings under its ambit 23% of all births and pays full benefits to a mere 14% of all births, which was at 270.5 lakh for 2017.

Only 22% of the nursing women surveyed reported that they had been eating more than usual during their pregnancy and the average weight gain was barely 7 kg when it should be at least 13-18 kg.

Hurdles in implementation An application form of about 23 pages, a slew

of documents such as mother-child protection card, Aadhaar card, husband’s Aadhaar card and bank passbook aside from linking their bank accounts with Aadhaar.

The requirement to produce the husband’s Aadhaar card results in excluding women who may be living with men they are not married, single mothers and those who may be staying at their natal home.

Women must also have the address of their marital home on their Aadhaar card, which often results in newlyweds being either left out or forced to go from door-to-door when pregnant and needing rest and care.

APPROVAL OF THE LABOUR CODE ON INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS 2019 Why in news?

The Union Cabinet approved The Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2019, which proposes to amalgamate The Trade Unions Act, 1926, The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

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Last year, the government had floated a draft Note for the Cabinet along with The Labour Code on Industrial Relations Bill, for inter-ministerial consultations. This is the third Code in the government’s proposed codification of central labor laws into four codes.

Parliament has already approved The Code on Wages, 2019. The Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code was introduced in Lok Sabha in July and is now with the Standing Committee on Labour, which has invited public comments on it. The draft of the Social Security Code has been circulated for public comments.

Key features of the bill

It seeks to allow companies to hire workers on a fixed-term contract of any duration.

The code has retained the threshold on the worker count at 100 for prior government approval before retrenchment, but it has a provision for changing ‘such number of employees’ through notification.

It also provides the setting up of a two-member tribunal (in place of one member) wherein important cases will be adjudicated jointly and the rest by a single member, resulting in speedier disposal of cases.

It has vested powers with the government officers for adjudication of disputes involving penalty as fines.

Importance of the Bill Legal Framework: Apart from offering some

degree of flexibility on government permissions for retrenchment, the most important aspect of the Bill is that it presents the legal framework for ushering in the concept of ‘fixed-term employment’ through contract workers on a pan-India basis.

Hire Workers: Currently, companies hire contract workers through contractors. With the introduction of fixed-term employment, they will be able to hire workers directly under a fixed-term contract, with the flexibility to tweak the length of the contract based on the seasonality of the industry. These workers will be treated on a par with regular workers during the tenure of the contract.

Pan-India Move: The move to include it in a central law will help in wider reach, and states are expected to follow similar applicability. The government had tried a move last year to apply fixed-term employment across “central sphere establishments” (which are establishments under the authority of the central government, Railways, mines, oilfields, major ports, or any other central public sector undertaking) in all sectors, but it failed to elicit the desired results as states did not notify similar provisions for it. The Bill now ensures a pan-India impact of this move.

Changes in the Bill The threshold required for government

permission for retrenchment has been kept unchanged at 100 employees, as against the proposal for 300 employees in an earlier draft of the Bill, which was opposed by trade unions.

Instead, the government has now provided flexibility for changing the threshold through notification. The rigidity of labor laws about laying off labor has often been cited by industry as the main reason limiting scalability and employment generation. At present, any company having 100 workers or more has to seek government approval for retrenchment.

The provision of fixed-term employment, which helps in the flow of social security benefits to all workers along with making it easier for companies to hire and fire, in The Industrial Relations Code Bill.

Last year, the government had included the category of ‘Fixed Term Employment Workman’ for all sectors in the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. This was only applicable to the ‘central sphere’ establishments, and the states did not follow suit.

Opposition to the Bill While the industry has welcomed the

changes, others have said that the unclear provision regarding retrenchment would lead to uncertainty and discretionary behavior

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during implementation by the central or state government.

Welcoming the Bill Industry has welcomed the Bill since it has

met its demand for providing flexibility in retrenchment.

Fixed-term employment will help in keeping salaries and facilities to workers such as PF, gratuity, and medical benefits, the same as those for permanent labor, he said, adding that inclusion in the central law will help inapplicability of fixed-term employment uniformly across the country.

PRIVATE MEMBER’S BILL Why in news?

Private member’s Bills introduced in Lok Sabha.

What is a Private Member’s Bill?

A Member of Parliament who is not a Minister (i.e. not a member of the Government) is regarded as a Private Member. A Bill introduced in either house of Parliament by any such Member of Parliament is called a Private Members’ Bill; Bills introduced by Ministers are called Government Bills.

A Private Members’ Bill is introduced in the Parliament by giving prior notice of one month along with a copy of the ‘Statement of Objects and Reasons’ wherein the Private Member explains her/ his rationale for the introduction of the Bill.

The final order of introduction is decided by a ballot system to ensure fairness. On the day allotted for such Bills, the Speaker/ Chairman of the Lok Sabha/ Rajya Sabha calls out to individual Members who then introduce their Bills.

There is also a Parliamentary Committee on Private Members’ Bills and Resolutions which allots time to different PMBs and goes

through all of them (particularly those seeking to amend the Constitution). It also helps in classifying these Bills based on their nature, urgency, and importance. This classification, in turn, determines which of the introduced Bills are discussed first.

PMBs were designed to empower MPs to bring attention to issues that were willingly or unwillingly ignored by the party at the helm. In the past, MPs have used PMBs to put forward important issues.

Admissibility of a private member’s Bill

The admissibility is decided by the Chairman for Rajya Sabha and Speaker in the case of Lok Sabha.

The procedure is roughly the same for both Houses:

1. The Member must give at least a month’s notice before the Bill can be listed for introduction.

2. The House secretariat examines it for compliance with constitutional provisions and rules on legislation before listing.

Is there any exception? In terms of the scope and treatment of Bills in

Parliament, there is no material difference between a Government Bill and a Private Members’ Bill. PMBs can deal with any issue; they can also be Constitutional Amendment Bills or Money Bills.

The only difference is in terms of the process followed outside Parliament. Government Bills are often deliberated upon and approved by the Council of Ministers before being introduced. This is not done for PMBs.

While government Bills can be introduced and discussed on any day, private member’s Bills can be introduced and discussed only on Fridays.

DAMAN AND DIU, DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI TO BE MERGED Why in news?

The Parliament passed a bill which seeks to merge two Union Territories, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, into one unit.

The Rajya Sabha passed Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union

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Territories) Bill, 2019 through voice vote. Lok Sabha had passed this bill on November 27.

The merged Union Territory will be named Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

About

This measure will help in strengthening administrative efficiency services, fast track development of the two union territories and help in cutting down the administrative costs.

The country currently has nine Union Territories after the creation of the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

However, with the merger of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the number of UTs will come down to eight.

BAN ON NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT OF BODOLAND (NDFB) Why in news?

The Centre has extended the ban on Assam-based Bodo insurgent group NDFB for five more years for its involvement in a series of violent activities, including killings, extortion and joining hands with anti-India forces.

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the central government hereby declares the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, along with all its groups, factions and front organizations, as an “unlawful association.

National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)

It has been indulging in illegal and violent activities intending to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India in furtherance of its objective of achieving a separate Bodoland.

In October 1986, the prominent group Bodo Security Force (BdSF) was formed by Ranjan Daimary. The BdSF subsequently renamed itself as the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), an organization that is known to be involved in attacks, killings, and extortions.

In the 1990s, Indian security forces launched extensive operations against the group, causing the latter to flee to bordering

Bhutan. In Bhutan, the group faced stiff counter-insurgency operations by the Indian Army and the Royal Bhutan Army in the early 2000s.

NDFB factions and their activities

In October 2008, bomb attacks in Assam carried out by the NDFB killed 90 people. In January this year, 10 operatives, including founder Ranjan Daimary, were convicted for their role in the attacks.

After the blasts, the NDFB was divided into two factions — the NDFB (P), led by Gobinda Basumatary, and the NDFB (R), led by Ranjan Daimary.

The NDFB (P) started talks with the central government in 2009. In 2010, Daimary was arrested and handed over to India by Bangladesh and was granted bail in 2013. His faction too then began peace talks with the government.

In 2012, Ingti Kathar Songbijit broke away from the NDFB (R) and formed his own faction, the NDFB (S). His faction is believed to be behind the killing of 66 Adivasis in Assam in December 2014. The NDFB (S) is against holding talks.

In 2015, Songbijit was removed as the chief of the group and B Saoraigwra took over. This faction of the NDFB is still active, while Songbijit, himself a Karbi and not a Bodo, is said to have started his own militant group.

Who are the Bodos?

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Bodos are the single largest tribal community in Assam, making up over 5-6 percent of the state’s population. They have controlled large parts of Assam in the past.

The four districts in Assam namely Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri and Chirang that constitute the Bodo Territorial Area District (BTAD), are home to several ethnic groups.

About the dispute

The Bodos have had a long history of separatist demands, marked by armed struggle.

In 1966-67, the demand for a separate state called Bodoland was raised under the banner of the Plains Tribals Council of Assam (PTCA), a political outfit.

In 1987, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) renewed the demand. “Divide Assam fifty-fifty”, was a call given by the ABSU’s then leader, Upendra Nath Brahma.

The unrest was a fallout of the Assam Movement (1979-85), whose culmination — the Assam Accord — addressed the demands of protection and safeguards for the “Assamese people”, leading the Bodos to launch a movement to protect their own identity.

In December 2014, separatists killed more than 30 people in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur. In the 2012 Bodo-Muslim riots, hundreds were killed and almost 5 lakh were displaced.

Loss of original ethnic identity

For centuries, they survived Sanskritisation without giving up their original ethnic identity. However, in the 20th century, they had to tackle a series of issues such as illegal immigration, encroachment of their lands, forced assimilation, loss of language and culture. The 20th century also witnessed the emergence of Bodos as a leading tribe in Assam which pioneered the movements for safeguarding the rights of the tribal communities in the area.

From then on, they have been consistently deprived of political and socio-economic rights by successive state and central governments. The Bodos have not only become an ethnic minority in their own

ancestral land but have also been struggling for their existence and status as an ethnic community.

ECONOMY BHIM UPI GOES INTERNATIONAL Why in news?

BHIM app has gone international with a pilot demo of BHIM UPI QR- based payments beginning at the ongoing Singapore FinTech Festival 2019.

About

This QR code-based system would allow anyone with a BHIM app to scan the SGQR at NETS terminals for payments in Singapore.

The project is being jointly developed by NPCI and NETS of Singapore. It is targeted to go live by Feb 2020.

About BHIM and UPI

Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is a UPI based payment interface, which was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in December 2016. It allows real-time fund transfer.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood. Each Bank provides its own UPI App for Android, Windows and iOS mobile platform(s). It also caters to the “Peer to Peer” collect request, which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and convenience.

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SKILLS BUILD PLATFORM Why in news?

Launched by Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in collaboration with IBM.

This initiative is part of IBM’s global commitment to create a job-ready workforce and to build the next generation of skills needed for new collar careers.

They will then learn foundational knowledge about digital technologies, as well as professional skills such as resume-writing, problem solving and communication.

As part of the program, a two-year advanced diploma in IT, networking and cloud computing, co-created and designed by IBM, will be offered at the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) & National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).

The platform will be extended to train ITI & NSTI faculty on building skills in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The digital platform will provide a personal assessment of the cognitive capabilities and personality via MyInnerGenius to the students.

Students will also receive recommendations on role-based education for specific jobs that include technical and professional learning.

CURRENCY SWAP ARRANGEMENT Why in news?

To further financial stability and economic cooperation within the SAARC region, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with the concurrence of the Government of India (GoI), has decided to put in place a revised Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries 2019-2022.

Based on the terms and conditions of the Framework, the RBI would enter into bilateral swap agreements with SAARC central banks, who want to avail swap facility.

It aims to provide a backstop line of funding for short term foreign exchange liquidity requirements or balance of payment crises till longer-term arrangements are made.

Under the Framework for 2019-22, RBI will continue to offer swap arrangement within the overall corpus of US $ Two billion. The

drawals can be made in US Dollars, Euro or Indian Rupee. The Framework provides certain concessions for swap drawals in Indian Rupee.

The Currency Swap Facility will be available to all SAARC member countries, subject to their signing the bilateral swap agreements.

Currency Swap Arrangement (CSA)

The word swap means exchange. A currency swap between the two countries is an agreement or contract to exchange currencies (of the two countries or any hard currency) with predetermined terms and conditions.

Often the popular form of currency swap is between two central banks. Here, the main purpose of currency swap by a central bank like the RBI is to get the foreign currency from the issuing foreign central bank at the predetermined conditions (like exchange rate and the volume of currency) for the swap. Besides supporting the domestic currency and foreign exchange market, another main purpose of currency swap is to keep the value of the foreign exchange reserves kept with the central bank.

The main purpose of currency swaps is to avoid turbulence and other risks in the foreign exchange market and exchange rate.

Central banks and governments engage in currency swaps with foreign counterparts to ensure adequate foreign currency during the time of foreign currency scarcity. Both works with the same objective and through similar mechanisms.

Besides currency or exchange rate stability, currency swaps between governments also have supplementary objectives like promotion of bilateral trade, maintaining the value of foreign exchange reserves with the central bank and ensuring financial stability (protecting the health of the banking system).

Currency swap agreement can be bilateral or multilateral.

The earliest currency swap was between the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Central Bank of France signed on February 28, 1962.

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ADJUSTED GROSS REVENUE (AGR) Why in news?

Vodafone Idea, Bharti AirtelNSE and Tata Teleservices have filed separate petitions in the Supreme Court, seeking a review of penalties and interest on the dues, and questioning some components of the non-core items that the court said should be included while computing Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) of telcos.

Telecom players, including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, said the court order could have damaging implications for the sector, weakening its viability as a whole.

The telecom industry already reeling under intense tariff war and indebtedness and also under financial stress.

Background

Last month, the Supreme Court upheld the definition of AGR calculation as stipulated by the Department of Telecommunications.

This means that telecom companies will have to pay up as much as Rs 92,642 crore to the government.

What is AGR?

Telecom operators are required to pay the license fee and spectrum charges in the form of ‘revenue share’ to the Centre. The revenue amount used to calculate this revenue share is termed as the AGR.

Why is AGR important?

The definition of AGR has been under litigation for 14 years.

While telecom companies argued that it should comprise revenue from telecom services, the DoT’s stand was that the AGR should include all revenue earned by an operator, including that from non-core telecom operations.

The AGR directly impacts the outgo from the pockets of telcos to the DoT as it is used to calculate the levies payable by operators.

Currently, telecom operators pay 8% of the AGR as license fee, while spectrum usage charges (SUC) vary between 3-5% of AGR.

How is it calculated and what’s the contention?

As per DoT, the charges are calculated based on all revenues earned by a telco – including non-telecom related sources such as deposit interests and asset sales. Telcos, on their part, insist that AGR should comprise only the revenues generated from telecom services.

Issue

In 2005, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) challenged the government’s definition for AGR calculation.

Later in 2015, the TDSAT said AGR included all receipts except capital receipts and revenue from non-core sources such as rent, profit on the sale of fixed assets, dividend, interest and miscellaneous income, etc.

The regulator has also included forex adjustment under AGR apart from ruling that licenses fee will not be charged twice on the same income. It, however, exempted bad debt, foreign exchange fluctuations, and sale of scrap to be calculated for AGR.

The government has also raised the issue of under-reporting of revenues to duck charges. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) called out telcos for understating revenues to the tune of Rs 61,064.5 crore.

Later, the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) upheld the DoT’s definition of AGR (factors against which the license fee is payable) with certain exemptions.

The DoT, however, filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, citing that the TDSAT had no jurisdiction on the validity of terms and conditions of licenses.

INDIA REFUSED TO JOIN RCEP Why in news?

India decided that it won’t sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Participation agreement.

A key reason that India forwarded for declining to sign on was the existence of trade deficits with many of the constituents of the RCEP.

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Background RCEP is a proposed free trade

agreement(FTA) between the ten member states of ASEAN (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its five (formerly six) FTA partners (China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand).

In November 2019, India, the sixth FTA partner, decided to opt-out of the pact. In light of India's departure, China announced that India is welcome to join the RCEP whenever it's ready.

RCEP negotiations were formally launched in November 2012 at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia. In 2017, the 16 prospective signatories accounted for a population of 3.4 billion people with a total Gross Domestic Product(GDP, PPP) of $49.5 trillion, approximately 39 percent of the world's GDP.

Stand of India India was concerned that joining the RCEP

trade pact could lead to Chinese goods flooding the Indian markets, and India’s trade deficit ballooning against most of the RCEP members.

This, India argued, would have led to several sectoral producers such as those in the dairy and steel sector being dominated by foreign competition.

As the industry is reeling under pressure and the government is grappling to deal with the domestic economic situation, a massive free trade pact like RCEP would have exposed the Indian businesses and agriculture to unequal competition from countries that are lurking like giant sharks in the export arena.

The NITI Aayog, in 2017, in its report pointed out that free trade agreements have not worked well for India. It analyzed multiple free trade agreements that India signed in the past decade. Among those were FTA with Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea.

The NITI Aayog analysis showed that imports from FTA countries increased while exports to these destinations did not match up. Even India's export to FTA countries did not

outperform its overall export growth. The NITI Aayog found that FTA utilization by India has been abysmally low between 5 and 25 percent.

The decision to not join RCEP also does nothing to bolster our ‘Act East’ and ‘Act Far East’ policies. Instead, our status quo approach has provided a fillip to a growing rhetoric of protectionism.

Benefits for India of Joining RCEP

India enjoys a comparative advantage in the services sector such as information and communication technology, healthcare, and education services, etc. Thus, RCEP will create opportunities for Indian companies to access new markets.

It can address challenges emanating from implementation concerns vis-à-vis overlapping agreements of ASEAN.

It can boost India’s inward and outward foreign direct investment, particularly export-oriented FDI.

It presents a decisive platform for India which could enhance strategic and economic status in the Asia-Pacific region and can complement its Act East Policy.

The RCEP would help India streamline the rules and regulations of doing trade, which will reduce trade costs.

It would also facilitate India’s MSMEs to effectively integrate into the regional value and supply chains.

It can augment India’s existing free trade agreements with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

India’s free trade agreements with ASEAN A report, analyzing the benefits of India’s free

trade agreements with ASEAN has been released. The report has been prepared by the Ph.D. Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Overall, India failed to benefit from free trade agreements (FTAs) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In fact, India’s trade deficit had increased ever since the country entered into FTAs with ASEAN.

India’s net exports to countries without a trade agreement were only marginally lower

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than its net exports to countries with FTAs. The imports from countries with trade

agreements were substantially higher, pushing India into a trade deficit.

WORLD TALENT RANKING Why in news?

The 2019 World Talent Ranking has been released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). IMD is a business education school based in Switzerland. The ranking is based on the performance in three main categories — investment and development, appeal and readiness.

Performance of India

India has slipped 6 places to 59 ranks. This is due to the low quality of life and

expenditure on education. India is also lagging behind fellow BRICs

countries – China ranked 42nd on the list, Russia (47th) and South Africa (50th).

India also witnessed one of the sharpest declines among Asian economies owing to low quality of life, negative impact of brain drain, and the low priority of its economy on attracting and retaining talents.

The drop is a combination of several factors including expenditure on education (per student) and the quality of education which may be linked to the GDP growth.

There are other issues such as the effectiveness of the health system and women’s participation in the labor force.

Performance of countries The top of the table is still led by European

small and mid-sized economies. These countries all share high levels of investments in education and a superior quality of life.

Switzerland in the first and Denmark in the second position firmly lead the ranking for the seventh year in a row, followed by Sweden, Austria, and Luxembourg.

International Institute for Management Development

IMD is a business education school located in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The professors do not have permanent academic tenure but work under one-year contracts and a performance-based pay package.

IMD focuses on training and developing general management and leadership skills.

It is not part of a university and offers MBA and Executive MBA programs as well as executive education.

FASTags Why in news?

From December 1, FASTags will be mandatory for toll payment on National Highways. The FASTag is a reloadable tag that allows automatic deduction of toll without having to stop for carrying out the cash transaction. The tag uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and is fixed on the windscreen of the vehicle once active.

How does FASTag work?

It is valid for five years and can be recharged as and when required in seven different colors — violet, orange, yellow, green, pink, blue, black. Each color is assigned to a particular category of vehicles.

The device employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it.

It is affixed on the windscreen, so the vehicle can drive through plazas without stopping.

The payment method is a part of the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) program. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) collects the payments.

Why do we need this scheme?

According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), these devices will make passing through tolls considerably smoother since drivers will no longer have to carry cash or stop to make a transaction.

Cameras at toll booths will take photos of passengers in a vehicle, which will be useful

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for the Ministry of Home Affairs as there will be a record of a vehicle’s movement.

Implications

The objective is to remove bottlenecks and capture all tolls electronically.

All 560-odd plazas under the control of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will collect toll without human intervention, and vehicles need not stop to pay tolls.

Ease of payment – No need to carry cash for the toll transactions, saves time.

Near non-stop movement of vehicles leading to lower fuel cost.

Reduced air pollution, and use of paper.

Rules notified to bring financial firms under IBC Why in news?

The Centre issued rules that provide a framework for bringing ‘systemically important financial service providers’ under the purview of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

“Section 227 of the [Insolvency and Bankruptcy] Code enables the Central government to notify, in consultation with the financial sector regulators, financial service providers (FSPs) or categories of FSPs for the purpose of insolvency and liquidation proceedings, in such manner as may be prescribed,” it said in a release.

“Accordingly, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has notified the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Insolvency and Liquidation Proceedings of Financial Service Providers and Application to Adjudicating Authority) Rules, 2019 to provide a generic framework for insolvency and liquidation proceedings of systemically important FSPs other than banks.”

The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, said that it was up to the Reserve Bank of India to now decide which financial companies would be taken up under these rules.

New rules

As per the new rules, only a regulator will be allowed to refer a non-bank lender or housing financier to a bankruptcy tribunal,

unlike in the case of companies that can approach a tribunal on their own, or can be dragged into one either by lenders or operational creditors such as material suppliers.

The bankruptcy tribunal will appoint an administrator who will try to stitch together a turnaround plan.

The administrator will be nominated by the regulator, such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the case of non-bank lenders and housing financiers.

The registration or the license of the financial services provider will not be suspended or canceled during the bankruptcy resolution process.

In case a turnaround of the financial institution is not possible, before deciding to liquidate it, the tribunal will listen to the views of the regulator.

MOODY’S RATINGS Why in news?

Moody’s has lowered India’s credit rating outlook from stable to negative because of what it has assessed as risks to economic growth, prospects of a more entrenched slowdown, weak job creation, and a credit squeeze being faced by Non-Banking Finance Companies.

With growth slowing to 5% in the quarter to June this fiscal, and hardly any green shoots visible, most analysts may find it difficult to fault this assessment.

Basis of rating

Credit rating agencies rate on a scale the financials and business models of companies, as well as economic management by sovereign governments, after analyzing official and other data and interacting with government officials, business leaders, and economists.

These agencies then rate instruments such as bonds, debentures, commercial papers, deposits, and other debt offerings of companies or governments to help investors make informed decisions.

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What do these ratings mean? From a company’s or a government’s

perspective, a better rating helps raise funds at a cheaper rate. The agencies do this on a continuous basis, either upgrading or downgrading the instrument based on performance, prospects, or events likely to have an impact on the balance sheet of a company or on the fiscal position of a government or a sub-sovereign entity.

It explained that the decision to lower the rating was based on increasing risks that growth will remain materially lower than in the past, leading to a gradual rise in the debt burden from already high levels.

Political uncertainty can trigger a sovereign rating downgrade. India’s sovereign credit rating from Moody’s is now Baa2, with the outlook cut from ‘stable’ to ‘negative’.

This could potentially have an impact on companies planning to borrow overseas through bonds or foreign loans, for investors or banks abroad may well seek higher interest rates because of weak prospects. This usually weighs on institutional investors such as pension funds, endowment funds of overseas universities, or sovereign wealth funds that manage the wealth of rich countries.

They have to rejig their investments when there is a lowering of ratings. Firms and many governments that borrow from the international markets too are mindful of rating downgrades.

Previous ratings

In India, the concern could be that after Moody’s upgraded its rating two years ago, when the economy grew two percentage points faster than now, the lowering could signal that a change upwards could be a long way off.

As the agency put it, compared with two years ago (when it upgraded India’s rating to Baa2 from Baa3), the probability of sustained real GDP growth at or above 8% has significantly diminished.

Does a downgrade really matter?

That depends on how and where governments borrow. Many countries tap

global debt or credit markets to raise money. Global banks or their investment banks often claim that it is important to diversify their investor base, be it companies or governments, to lower the risk of a narrow set buying into such borrowing programs and posing a risk of selling or pulling out.

India has been an outlier on this count. It has not issued a bond or raised money directly in the international market so far, which means that to a good extent, a downgrade has limited impact. Rather, the impact is felt almost fully by private firms or state-owned companies that raise foreign currency funds.

In this year’s Budget, the government announced its intention to go in for a sovereign bond but hasn’t moved on it yet in the backdrop of criticism and caution by the RBI.

India’s policymakers have often grumbled about the “moody” nature of credit rating agencies and their seemingly differential standards. But it is useful to keep in mind the fact that despite the sovereign ratings being what they have been for a long time, India has attracted plenty of portfolio and flows into both government and corporate debt, besides Foreign Direct Investment. A rational approach should help.

GLOBAL MICROSCOPE ON FINANCIAL INCLUSION REPORT Why in news?

The Economist Intelligence Unit has released the 2019 edition of Global Microscope on Financial Inclusion report. The 2019 edition of the Global Microscope report features 11 new gender focussed indicators that measure financial inclusion for both women as well as men.

Of the 55 countries assessed, only 4 countries - Colombia, India, Jamaica, and Uruguay - scored perfectly across all four parameters.

India has the fifth most conducive environment among emerging countries for inclusive finance. Only Columbia, Peru, Uruguay and Mexico are ahead of India.

Within the overall framework for promoting digital financial inclusion, the report identified four basic enablers – allowing non-

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banks to issue e-money, the presence of financial service agents, proportionate customer due diligence and effective financial consumer protection.

Performance of India

India is among the top nations with the most conducive environment for financial inclusion in terms of allowing non-banks to issue e-money, proportionate customer due diligence, effective consumer protection, and safeguards e-money via some sort of deposit insurance or protection.

About the report

Produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research and analysis division of The Economist Group.

Created in 1946 and is a world leader in global business intelligence.

The Microscope report was first published in 2007 and was originally developed for countries in Latin American and Caribbean regions but in 2009 it was expanded into a global study.

The report is a benchmarking index that assesses enabling environment for financial access in 55 countries across 5 categories.

Five parameters across which countries are assessed

1. Government and Policy Support. 2. Products and Outlets. 3. Stability and Integrity. 4. Consumer Protection. 5. Infrastructure.

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUNDS (AIFs) Why in news?

The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of a 'Special Window' fund to provide priority debt financing for the completion of stalled housing projects that are in the Affordable and Middle-Income Housing sector.

For the purposes of the fund, the government shall act as the Sponsor and the total commitment to be infused by the Government would be up to Rs. 10,000 crore.

Key features The fund size will initially be Rs. 25,000 crore

with the government providing Rs. 10,000 crore and the State Bank of India and the Life Insurance Corporation providing the balance

The funds will be set up as Category-II Alternative Investment Fund registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India and will be managed by SBICAP Ventures Limited.

The open-ended fund is expected to swell over time. The government is also in talks with sovereign bonds and pension funds to put in money in AIF further.

NBFC LIQUIDITY NORMS Why in news?

The Reserve Bank of India has extended its liquidity coverage rules to all deposit-taking non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), large nonbanks, and systemically important core investment companies to prevent a fund's squeeze in the financial system.

The guidelines are applicable to all non deposit-taking NBFCs with an asset size of ₹100 crore and above, systemically important Core Investment Companies and all deposit-taking NBFCs irrespective of their asset size.

Importance of this step

This has come following liquidity crunch among some NBFCs in meeting their recent repayment obligations after the collapse of the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) group.

This was necessary to strengthen their asset-liability management following the liquidity crisis faced by these firms in the past year.

Contribution of NBFC in the Economy

NBFCs play an important role in promoting inclusive growth in the country, by catering to the diverse financial needs of bank excluded customers.

NBFCs often take a lead role in providing innovative financial services to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) most suitable to their business requirements.

NBFCs do play a critical role in participating in the development of an economy by providing

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a fillip to transportation, employment generation, wealth creation, bank credit in rural segments and to support financially weaker sections of the society.

Emergency services like financial assistance and guidance are also provided to the customers in the matters pertaining to insurance.

How the NBFC Liquidity Crisis can Impact Economic Growth?

The mutual fund and the NBFC sector is strongly related as the mutual fund is the biggest fund provider to NBFC space by way of commercial paper and debentures.

Experts say all the investment by mutual funds in the NBFC sector is not in high investment grade or triple-A.

If there is a problem with a few NBFCs, there can be a chain reaction of selling the exposure, which could create more trouble for the NBFC sector.

PATENT PROSECUTION HIGHWAY (PPH) PROGRAM Why in news?

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for the adoption of Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program by the Indian Patent Office (IPO) under the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks, India (CGPDTM) with patent offices of various other interest countries or regions.

The said program will initially commence between the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the Indian Patent Office on a pilot basis for a period of three years only.

Under this Pilot program, the Indian Patent Office may receive patent applications in certain specified technical fields only, namely, Electrical, Electronics, Computer Science, Information Technology, Physics, Civil, Mechanical, Textiles, Automobiles and Metallurgy while JPO may receive applications in all fields of technology.

What is PPH? The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is a

set of initiatives for providing accelerated

patent prosecution procedures by sharing information between some patent offices.

This would allow a patent applicant to demand fast-tracking of his patent application by showing that his product or process has already been granted a patent in Japan.

The ambit of the program may be extended in the future, as decided by the Commerce & Industry Minister. The patent offices will frame their own guidelines for the implementation of the program.

PPH program would lead to the following benefits for the Indian IP office

Reduction in time to dispose of patent applications.

Reduction in pendency of patent applications.

Improvement in quality of search and examination of patent applications.

An opportunity for Indian inventors including MSMEs and Startups of India to get accelerated examination of their patent applications in Japan.

GROWING NPAS IN MUDRA CATEGORY Why in news?

RBI Deputy Governor MK Jain has expressed concerns over growing non- performing assets (NPAs) in the Mudra category.

Data showed that non-performing assets ratio or bad loans as a percentage of MUDRA loans were at 2.68% in 2018-19, up 16 basis points from 2.52% in the previous year. Interestingly, MUDRA loan NPAs were at 2.89% in 2016-17. Of the 182.60 million MUDRA loans sanctioned, 3.63 million accounts defaulted as on 31 March.

Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) It was launched in April 2015 for providing

loans up to ₹ 10 lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small/micro-enterprises.

These advances are classified as Mudra loans and given by commercial banks, regional rural banks (RRBs), small finance banks, cooperative banks, microfinance institutions (MFIs) and NBFCs.

The primary product of MUDRA will be refinancing for lending to micro

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businesses/units under the aegis of the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana.

MUDRA Bank has been established by the government with a Refinance corpus of Rs.20, 000 crore, and credit guarantee corpus of Rs.3000 crore.

Way Ahead Banks need to focus on repayment capacity

at the appraisal stage and monitor the loans through the lifecycle much more closely.

Overall, MUDRA is a step in the right direction for funding the unfunded but the government shall set up a robust monitoring and grievance redressal mechanism to take cognizance problems arrived under the scheme.

The application of technology in finance has its own share of risks and challenges for regulators and supervisors. Early recognition of these risks and initiating action to mitigate the related regulatory and supervisory challenges is key to harnessing the full potential of these developments.

Microfinance institutions must broaden their client outreach to reduce the concentration risk in their own interest and to serve a wider clientele base. From a financial inclusion perspective, they should also critically review their operations so other regions don’t remain underserved.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

‘RED ATLAS ACTION PLAN MAP’ ATLAS AND CFLOWS-CHENNAI Why in news?

Vice-President recently unveiled the ‘Red Atlas Action Plan Map’ atlas and the ‘Coastal Flood Warning System App (CFLOWS-Chennai)’ for flood mitigation in Chennai.

Red Atlas Action Plan Map

It is a first of its kind ready reckoner map, prepared by the Union Ministry of Earth

Sciences to aid the state government of Tamil Nadu ineffective flood mitigation in Chennai which witnessed the worst deluge in 2015.

The atlas is aimed at flood mitigation, preparedness, operations, and management aspects.

The manual besides showcasing the probable scenarios for different rainfall periods also provides information on corporation wards that are likely to be affected due to flooding, and the areas that may need evacuation in Chennai by taking into account all historical datasets.

CFLOWS- CHENNAI

Launched by NIOT. It will be hosted and made operational at National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) with meteorological data inputs from India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).

It is India’s first integrated coastal flood warning system.

It is an integrated GIS-based decision support system to provide forecast on potential inundation 10 days in advance.

The system can simulate the scenario and predict what will happen in a particular area.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL Why in news?

Iran has taken further steps away from its crumbling nuclear deal with world powers by announcing it is doubling the number of its advanced centrifuges, calling the move a direct result of the United States’ withdrawal from the agreement last year.

By doing so, Iran is trying to increase the pressure on Britain, France, and Germany in particular to find some arrangement that will allow them to sell the oil they were buying when Iran was not under sanctions.

That requires some level of US support to waive sanctions against European firms by

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the United States. So far, the US has no agreed to do that.

About

Iran agreed to rein in its nuclear program in a 2015 deal struck with the US, UK, Russia, China, France and Germany.

Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) Tehran agreed to significantly cut its stores of centrifuges, enriched uranium, and heavy-water, all key components for nuclear weapons.

The JCPOA established the Joint Commission, with the negotiating parties all represented, to monitor implementation of the agreement.

Impact of escalated tension between Iran and the US

Iran can make things difficult for the U.S. in Afghanistan as also in Iraq and Syria.

The U.S.’s ability to work with Russia in Syria or with China regarding North Korea will also be impacted.

And sooner or later, questions may be asked in Iran about why it should continue with other restrictions and inspections that it accepted under the JCPOA, which would have far-reaching implications for the global nuclear architecture.

Coming after the rejection of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Paris climate change accord and the North American Free Trade Agreement, President’s decision further diminishes U.S. credibility.

Impact on India

China may consider inducting Iran into the SCO. If the proposal is accepted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which is led by China and Russia, India will become a member of a bloc that will be seen as anti-American and will run counter to some of the government’s other initiatives like the Indo-Pacific quadrilateral with the U.S., Australia, and Japan.

Iran is presently India’s third-biggest supplier (after Iraq and Saudi Arabia), and any increase in prices will hit both inflation levels as well as the Indian rupee. It would impact the development of Chahbahar port.

New U.S. sanctions will affect INSTC plans, especially if any of the countries along the route or banking and insurance companies dealing with the INSTC plan also decide to adhere to U.S. restrictions on trade with Iran.

QUAD COUNTRIES Why in news?

Quad countries recently reviewed situation in Indo- Pacific region. The participants also supported an ASEAN-led mechanisms for the regional architecture for the region.

Quad grouping

The quadrilateral formation includes Japan, India, United States and Australia.

The idea was first mooted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. However, the idea couldn’t move ahead with Australia pulling out of it.

It is one of the many avenues for interaction among India, Australia, Japan and the US and should not be seen in an exclusive context.

It was revived in 2017 and is being viewed as response to increased Chinese economic and military power.

Quad is an opportunity for like-minded countries to share notes and collaborate on projects of mutual interest. Members share a vision of an open and free Indo-Pacific.

KALAPANI TERRITORY Why in news?

In the latest map, India included Kalapani into the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.

Nepal government has strongly objected to the inclusion of ‘Kalapani’ under the Indian Territory as per the newly released political map of India.

Nepal government says that Kalapani is an integral part of the country and that talks are still on between New Delhi and Kathmandu over this “unresolved” area.

Foreign secretaries of both countries have been assigned the responsibility to resolve the remaining border-related issues between India and Nepal.

Geographical Location

Kalapani is located at an altitude of 3600m on the Kailash Manasarovar route. It borders

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Uttarakhand in India and Sudurpashchim Pradesh in Nepal.

Since the Indo-China war of 1962, Kalapani is controlled by India’s Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

Nepal claims that the river located towards the west of the territory is the main Kali river and thus it falls in its territory, India claims a ridgeline towards the east of the Kalapani territory and hence, includes it in the Indian Union.

BIMSTEC Why in news?

First ever ‘BIMSTEC Ports’ Conclave (November 7-8, 2019)was held at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

BIMSTEC and its importance

It was founded in 1997. It is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The objective of BIMSTEC alliance is to harness trade and accelerated growth with mutual cooperation in different areas of common interest by utilising the regional resources and geographical advantage

India attaches great importance to Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) which links five countries from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India & Sri Lanka) and two from South-East Asia (Myanmar & Thailand).

The BIMSTEC region brings together 1.67 billion people - 22% of world population and a combined GDP of US$ 3.71 Trillion.

The Conclave will explore the possibility of increasing economic cooperation by furthering EXIM trade and coastal shipping.

It will also discuss various investment opportunities, best practices adopted for productivity and safety at Ports.

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION JOINT EXERCISE ON URBAN EARTHQUAKE SEARCH & RESCUE (SCOJTEX)- 2019: Why in news?

The latest edition is being held in India.

About The Exercise is being organized by the

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from November 4-7, 2019. The exercise is the outcome of the 9th Meeting of the Heads of Government Departments of SCO countries dealing with the prevention and elimination of emergency situations in Kyrgyzstan during 2017, in which India offered to organize the next Annual Disaster Management Exercise for the region.

Aim to rehearse the disaster response mechanism, share knowledge, experience, technology & also for mutual coordination, etc.

The participants of all 08 member countries namely China, India, Kazakhastan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan shall be participating in this exercise.

Main focus shall be to test the region’s preparedness and resilience towards effective activation of Inter- governmental interaction for immediate response.

ARLS WITH RUSSIA Why in news?

India and Russia are finalising a defence agreement that will simplify interoperability and enable military platforms to receive support and supplies across bases in both nations- Agreement on Reciprocal Logistics Support (ARLS).

About

The two countries have broadly agreed on the pact that will be most beneficial to the Navy as warships will get access to mutual ports and exclusive economic zones to refuel and pick up supplies, the final wording of the agreement are being worked out.

The final pact will have enabling mechanisms to pick up supplies and spares at mutual ports and bases in what could be a cashless transaction, with the final accounts being settled at the end of the year.

The Indian Navy, with a significant strength of Russian origin warships, will be able to smoothly transit through for exercises or refits using the agreement while the air force will find it easier to deploy aircraft for joint exercises. Following the agreement, Russians

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could not only use ports like Mumbai and Visakhapatnam.

Besides ports Russia would also be able to access airbases. India, of course, could do the same, when it came to Russian ports and air bases.

This includes access to Northern route and ports in Russian part of the Arctic. India is looking at an Arctic station in the near future and Russia could be partner. Russia has also assured India access to energy resources in the vast Arctic region.

As part of Indo-Russian Indo-Pacific partnership an Indian warship could be anchored off Vladivostok during the summit. The two sides are planning to relaunch Chennai-Vladivostok shipping route as part of Indo-Pacific partnership.

The pact reflects to India’s willingness to continue nurturing defence ties with Russia. During recent meetings with other partners India emphasised on the point that Russia had helped when no other country was willing to offer weapons and equipment.

Agreement on Reciprocal Logistics Support (ARLS)

It is an arrangement that will allow access to India and Russia, to each other’s military facilities for supplies and fuel, expanding the logistics support and operational turnaround of the Indian military.

EAST ASIA SUMMIT (EAS) Why in news?

The latest edition of EAS is being held in Bangkok.

About

EAS is an initiative of ASEAN and is based on the premise of the centrality of ASEAN.

The East Asia Summit is a unique Leaders-led forum of 18 countries of the Asia-Pacific region formed to further the objectives of regional peace, security and prosperity. It has evolved as a forum for strategic dialogue and cooperation on political, security and economic issues of common regional concern and plays an important role in the regional architecture.

Established in 2005, EAS allows the principal players in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss

issues of common interest and concern, in an open and transparent manner, at the highest level.

The membership of EAS consists of ten ASEAN Member States (i.e. Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam), Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the USA. EAS is an initiative of ASEAN and is based on the premise of the centrality of ASEAN.

EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings.

The first summit was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 14 December 2005.

There are six priority areas of regional cooperation within the framework of the EAS. These are – Environment and Energy, Education, Finance, Global Health Issues and Pandemic Diseases, Natural Disaster Management, and ASEAN Connectivity. India endorses regional collaboration in all six priority areas.

EAS, representing nearly 50 per cent of the world’s population and over 20 per cent of global trade,is a mega gathering and is a testimony to the rise of Asia.

Significance for India

Twelve East Asia Summits have been held so far. India has been a part of this process since its inception in 2005 in Kuala Lumpur and the fact that Indian Prime Ministers have participated in all the Summits, stands testimony to the importance India attaches to this process.

For India, EAS acts as an alternative to the APEC in which India doesn’t enjoy the membership.

India’s deep cultural and civilizational links with the EAS countries are widely known. India can play a major role in cultural and people to people cooperation with the region, which can reinforce the economic momentum for community building.

India’s membership to the EAS is a recognition of its fast growing economic and political clout.

Act East policy of India:In order to build multi-faceted relations with ASEAN and other

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multilateral nations and strengthen bilateral relations India has emphasised upon its Act East Policies for which EAS will prove crucial.

China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea and the nature of its growing investments has led the ASEAN countries to view India as a potential power that could balance a rising China.

India’s strength lies in the service sector and information-technology and Japan has a sound capital base. Thus there are complementarities in trade and production structures of the EAS members.

ENVIRONMENT

COMMON BUT DIFFERENTIATED RESPONSIBILITIES AND RESPECTIVE CAPABILITIES Why in news?

The Union Cabinet has approved India’s approach for the 25th Conference of Parties (COP) scheduled to be held in Spain.

India’s approach will be guided by the principles and provisions of the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement particularly the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capability (CBDR-RC).

CBDR- RC It is a principle within the UNFCCC that

acknowledges the different capabilities and differing responsibilities of individual countries in addressing climate change.

In simpler terms, it means that while all countries should do their best to fight global warming, developed countries – with deeper pockets, which were primarily responsible for the climate mess – should take a bigger share of the burden than the developing and under-developed countries.

DENDROCHRONOLOGY CONFERENCE Why in news?

The 6th Asian Dendrochronology Conference being held for the first time in India at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow.

Dendrochronology is the study of tree rings that hold a wealth of information about not only a tree’s past but also that of the ecosystem in which it lives.

ACCELERATOR LAB IN INDIA BY UNDP Why in news?

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launches Accelerator Lab in India, to work on pollution, water issues and has partnered with Indian government”s Atal Innovation Mission.

It is an innovative new initiative by the UNDP, Germany and Qatar.

The Accelerator Labs are UNDP’s new way of working in development. They will work together with national and global partners to find radically new approaches that fit the complexity of current development challenges.

Four key approaches sit at the core of the Labs’ work

1. Building on locally-sourced solutions, finding things that work and expanding on them.

2. Rapid testing and iteration to implement what works and go beyond the obvious solutions.

3. Combining the best understanding, ideas and expertise to generate collective knowledge.

4. Accelerating progress by bringing expertise, creativity and collective intelligence to bear.

TRACHISCHIUM APTEII Why in news?

It is a newly discovered snake species from Arunachal Pradesh found in Tally Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.

It belongs to a group of fossorial (adapted to digging) snakes that live mostly underground, and surface mainly during or after a heavy monsoon shower.

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SATAT INITIATIVE FOR STUBBLE BURNING Why in news?

Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (STAT) initiative has the potential of addressing environmental problems arising from stubble burning based on techno commercial factors.

It aims to provide a developmental effort that would benefit vehicle-users as well as farmers and entrepreneurs. Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plants are proposed to be set up mainly through independent entrepreneurs.

CBG produced at these plants will be transported through cascades of cylinders to the fuel station networks of OMCs for marketing as a green transport fuel alternative.

The entrepreneurs would be able to separately market the other by-products from these plants, including bio-manure, carbon-dioxide, etc., to enhance returns on investment.

This initiative is expected to generate direct employment for 75,000 people and produce 50 million tonnes of bio-manure for crops.

CBG networks can be integrated with city gas distribution (CGD) networks to boost supplies to domestic and retail users in existing and upcoming markets. Besides retailing from OMC fuel stations, CBG can at a later date be injected into CGD pipelines too for efficient distribution and optimised access of a cleaner and more affordable fuel.

Benefits from converting agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste into CBG on a commercial scale

1. Responsible waste management, reduction in carbon emissions and pollution.

2. Additional revenue source for farmers. 3. Boost to entrepreneurship, rural economy

and employment. 4. Support to national commitments in

achieving climate change goals. 5. Reduction in imports of natural gas and crude

oil. 6. Buffer against crude oil/gas price

fluctuations.

Stubble burning It is a common practice followed by farmers

to prepare fields for sowing of wheat in November as there is little time left between the harvesting of paddy and sowing of wheat.

Stubble burning results in emission of harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide along with particulate matter.

Advantages of stubble burning 1. It quickly clears the field and is the cheapest

alternative. 2. Kills weeds, including those resistant to

herbicide. 3. Kills slugs and other pests. 4. Can reduce nitrogen tie-up.

EMISSION GAP REPORT BY UNEP Why in news?

Annual flagship Emissions Gap Report (10th edition) has been released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The top four emitters (China, USA, EU and India) contributed to over 55% of the total emissions over the last decade, excluding emissions from land-use changes such as deforestation.

India is the fourth-largest emitter of Green House Gases (GHGs).

About Report It assesses the gap between anticipated

emissions in 2030 and levels consistent with the 1.5°C and 2°C targets of the Paris Agreement.

This year, the report looked at the potential of the energy transition such as power, transport and buildings sectors and efficiency in the use of materials such as iron steel and cement.

It considers different scenarios, from no new climate policies since 2005 to full implementation of all national commitments under the Paris Agreement.

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It provides the latest assessment of scientific studies on current and estimated future Green House Gases (GHGs) emissions and compares these with the emission levels permissible for the world to progress on a least-cost pathway to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

“Emissions Gap” The Emissions Gap could also be called the

“Commitment Gap”. It measures the gap between what we need

to do and what we are actually doing to tackle climate change.

The gap is the difference between the low levels of emissions that the world needs to drop to, compared with the projected level of emissions based on countries’ current commitments to decarbonisation.

ROHTANG TUNNEL Why in news?

Rohtang tunnel will officially be ready for inauguration by September 2020. When complete, it will become the world’s longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet.

The 8.8 km long tunnel will cut through Pir Panjal range.

It provides a temporary winter link to the outside world not only to residents of Lahaul and Spiti but also to those living in Zanskar Valley of Ladakh.

The Seri nullah default zone inside the tunnel which had affected the work badly in the past many years has been fixed and only a 100m work is left to be completed.

ZERO CARBON BILL Why in news?

New Zealand has passed Zero Carbon Bill which aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to the point the country becomes mostly carbon neutral by 2050.

It gives some leeway to farmers, who bring in much of the country’s foreign income.

The bill requires all greenhouse gases except methane from animals to be reduced to net

zero by 2050. Methane emissions would be reduced by 10% by 2030 and by between about one-quarter and one-half by 2050.

EXTINCTION OF SUMATRAN RHINO IN MALAYSIA Why in news?

Now, there are now just 80 Sumatran rhinos left in the world, all of them in Indonesia, especially on the island of Sumatra and the Indonesian part of Borneo.

It is the smallest of the five extant rhino species in the world. The other species include the White Rhino, the Black Rhino, the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros and the Javan Rhino.

In the Indian subcontinent in the 19th century, the Sumatran rhinoceros occurred in parts of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, northern Bengal, Bhutan, Comilla and the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

LIVING ROOT BRIDGES Why in news?

It is also known as Jing Kieng Jri. These are aerial bridges built by weaving and

manipulating the roots of the Indian rubber tree.

They have been serving as connectors for generations in Meghalaya.

Built over the centuries, the bridges, primarily a means to cross streams and rivers, have also become world-famous tourist attractions.

MALABAR TREE TOAD Why in news?

A Bengaluru-based non-profit is working to train and equip residents of villages in the Western Ghats stretching from Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu for mapping the range of an extremely rare species of toad- Malabar Tree toad.

It is a very rare species of amphibians endemic to the Ghats.

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It is an endangered species that spends most of its life on trees, coming to the ground only during the first monsoon showers to mate.

FOREST RIGHTS ACT REVOKED BY MIZORAM Why in news?

The Mizoram government passed a resolution revoking the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) in its assembly session on November 19, 2019.

The revocation is being seen as a misuse of Article 371 (G) by the state government.

Under Article 371 (G) of the Constitution, Mizoram has a special provision which makes it mandatory for all legislations of Parliament pertaining to land ownership and transfer to be first passed by the state’s assembly through a resolution before it can be implemented in the state.

The state government used this provision of the Constitution to pass a resolution to revoke FRA from the state.

According to the 2017 State of Forest Report by the Forest Survey of India, around 20% of the total 5,641 square kilometres of the forest land in Mizoram is “Unclassed Forest” which is under Autonomous District Councils.

The area of unclassed forest is lowest in Mizoram, among all North Eastern states. This also means that the potential for FRA implementation is also the highest in the state.

With a major portion of the geographical area of states like Mizoram under forest cover, and communities having ownership on those lands, revoking FRA can be seen as a means to keep the forest land with the forest departments for later diversion.

Forest Rights Act (FRA) The act was passed in December 2006 that

deals with the rights of forest-dwelling communities over land and other resources.

The Act grants legal recognition to the rights of traditional forest dwelling communities, partially correcting the injustice caused by the forest laws.

WATER QUALITY REPORT Why in news?

The Centre has released the Water Quality Report in line with the Jal Jeevan Mission that was launched to provide clean and safe drinking water to all by 2024.

In order to ensure that clean and safe drinking water is provided to all, Department of Consumer Affairs decided to undertake a study through the Bureau of India Standards (BIS) on the quality of piped drinking water being supplied in the country and also rank the States, Smart Cities and even Districts based on the quality of tap water.

In Delhi, all the samples drawn from various places did not comply with the requirements of the Indian Standard & failed on several parameters.

All the 10 samples drawn from Mumbai were found to comply with the requirements.

Basis of testing

Tests were conducted on various parameters such as Organoleptic and Physical Tests, Chemical test, Toxic substances and Bacteriological tests in the first stage.

National Water Policy (NWP) 2012 The NWP currently in force was drafted in

2012 and is the third such policy since 1987. Among the major policy innovations in the

2012 policy was the concept of an Integrated Water Resources Management approach that took the “river basin/ sub-basin” as a unit for planning, development and management of water resources.

Minimum levels: It also proposed that a portion of river flows ought to be kept aside to meet ecological needs. Such an approach led to the government, in 2018, requiring minimum water levels to be maintained in the Ganga all through the year and hydropower projects, therefore, to refrain from hoarding water beyond a point.

The policy also stressed for a minimum quantity of potable water for essential health and hygiene to all its citizens to be made available within easy reach of households.

The policy also noted that inter-basin

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transfers of water should be considered on the basis of merits of each case after evaluating the environmental, economic and social impacts of such transfers.

COUNTDOWN ON HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE Why in news?

The Lancet has published a report titled- ‘Countdown on Health and Climate Change’.

The project is a collaboration between 120 experts from 35 institutions, including the World Health Organisation, the World Bank, University College London, and the Tsinghua University in Beijing.

The report is a comprehensive yearly analysis tracking progress across 41 key indicators, demonstrating what action to meet Paris Agreement targets — or business as usual — means for human health.

Highlights of the report

The report notes that as temperatures rise, infants will bear the greatest burden of malnutrition and rising food prices — average yield potential of maize and rice has declined almost 2% in India since the 1960s, with malnutrition already responsible for two-thirds of under-5 deaths.

Also, children will suffer most from the rise in infectious diseases — with climatic suitability for the Vibrio bacteria that cause cholera rising 3% a year in India since the early 1980s, the study warns.

Diarrhoeal infections, a major cause of child mortality, will spread into new areas, whilst deadly heat waves, similar to the one in 2015 that killed thousands of people in India, could soon become the norm.

As temperatures rise, harvests will shrink — threatening food security and driving up food prices. This will hit infants hardest.

If the world follows a business-as-usual pathway, with high carbon emissions and climate change continues at the current rate, a child born today will face a world on average over 4˚C warmer by their 71st birthday, threatening their health at every stage of their lives.

What is a Heat Wave? A Heat Wave is a period of abnormally high

temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature that occurs during the summer season in the North Western parts of India between March and June, and in some rare cases even extend till July.

Way Ahead

India must transition away from coal and towards renewable energy to dramatically reduce emissions by 2050, and to meet multiple Sustainable Development Goals.

It will also need to enhance public transport, increase the use of cleaner fuels, and improve waste management and agricultural production practices.

GREEN CLIMATE FUND Why in news?

India has kicked-off a USD 43 million project to boost climate resilience in three coastal states in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), funded by the Green Climate Fund.

About

The project will work with communities in restoring ecosystems and promoting climate-resilient livelihood options, such as the sustainable farming of mud crabs.

The six-year project will build climate-resilient livelihoods for 1.7 million people in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha.

It seeks to offset 3.5 million tonnes of carbon, protect vulnerable ecosystems, and benefit another 10 million people with improved shoreline protection.

Green Climate Fund

The Green Climate Fund is a fund established within the framework of the UNFCCC as an operating entity of the Financial Mechanism to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change.

The GCF is based in Incheon, South Korea.

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DAL LAKE AREA TO BE ECO-SENSITIVE ZONE Why in news?

The J&K government has decided to declare world-famous Dal Lake and its surrounding areas as a “eco-sensitive zone”.

in this context, a high-level panel has been constituted to finalise the draft of the notification within a month time

The committee shall be serviced by the Housing and Urban Development Department. The committee shall finalise the draft notification within a period of one month

Reasons behind this step

According to a report, the area of the Dal Lake has shrunk to 24 sq km from 31 sq km and the lake has witnessed significant changes in land use and cover, apart from increasing human population.

What are Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs)?

Eco-Sensitive Zones or Ecologically Fragile Areas are areas within 10 kms around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

ESZs are notified by MoEFCC, Government of India under Environment Protection Act 1986.

In case of places with sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, even area beyond 10 km width can also be included in the eco-sensitive zone.

The basic aim is to regulate certain activities around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries so as to minimise the negative impacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas.

Activities Allowed in ESZs

Prohibited activities

Regulated activities

Permitted activities

Commercial mining, saw mills, industries causing pollution (air, water, soil,

Felling of trees, establishment of hotels and resorts,

Ongoing agricultural or horticultural

noise etc), establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP), commercial use of wood, Tourism activities like hot-air balloons over the National Park, discharge of effluents or any solid waste or production of hazardous substances.

commercial use of natural water, erection of electrical cables, drastic change of agriculture system, e.g. adoption of heavy technology, pesticides etc, widening of roads.

practices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of renewable energy sources, adoption of green technology for all activities.

Importance of ESZs

To minimise the impact of urbanisation and other developmental activities, areas adjacent to protected areas have been declared as Eco-Sensitive Zones.

The purpose of declaring eco-sensitive zones around protected areas is for creating some kind of a 'Shock Absorber' for the protected area.

They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.

ESZs help in in-situ conservation, which deals with conservation of an endangered species in its natural habitat, for example the conservation of the One-horned Rhino of Kaziranga National Park, Assam.

Eco-Sensitive Zones minimise forest depletion and man-animal conflict. The protected areas are based on the core and buffer model of management, through which local area communities are also protected and benefitted.

BROWN TO GREEN REPORT 2019 Why in news?

The 2019 Brown to Green Report has been published by the Climate Transparency partnership.

The report is the most comprehensive review of G20 countries’ climate performance, mapping achievements and drawbacks in their efforts to reduce emissions, adapt to

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climate impacts and green the financial system.

Highlights of the report

G20 energy-related CO2 emissions increased by 1.8 % in 2018 because of high economic growth and growing energy demand. In several countries, energy supply from coal, oil and gas has kept increasing in 2018. 82 % of the G20’s energy mix is still fossil fuels. This must fall to at least 67 % by 2030 and to 33 % by 2050 globally to be 1.5°C compatible, and ultimately to much lower levels. Progress in the energy efficiency of G20 economies has also slowed in 2018.

Currently, none of the G20 countries’ NDCs is in line with a 1.5°C limit. In 2030, emissions would be more than twice as high as what is needed for 1.5°C. Seeing that about half of the G20 countries are projected to meet or surpass their national climate targets (NDCs), this indicates plenty of room for increasing ambition in the 2020 NDC update.

India specific observations

Among the G20 countries, India has the most ambitious NDC. However, it still needs real action now to prepare the different sectors for stringent emission reductions.

In the power, India is currently investing in renewable energy, while Brazil and Germany are the only G20 countries with long-term renewable energy strategies.

India and China are among the G20 countries with the most progressive energy efficiency policies.

About the report

The Brown to Green Report is the world’s most comprehensive annual review of G20 climate action: it provides concise and comparable information on mitigation, finance and vulnerability. The report is published annually by „Climate Transparency“, a global partnership of 14 climate research organisations and NGOs from the majority of G20 countries, many from emerging economies.

Germanwatch is one of the main authors.

SWACHH – NIRMAL TAT ABHIYAAN Why in news?

To strive to make our beaches clean and create awareness amongst citizens about the importance of coastal ecosystems, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) are undertaking a mass cleanliness-cum-awareness drive in 50 identified beaches under the “Swachh – Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan”, from 11th -17thNovember, 2019.

The identified beaches are in 10 coastal States/Union Territories (UTs) namely Gujarat, Daman & Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. The beaches have been identified after the consultation with the States/UTs.

About Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan

The campaign will be organized in the beaches after consultation with the state governments.

Environment Education Division and Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) under the Environment Ministry will be responsible for its implementation.

At the end of the drive, the best three beaches will be suitably awarded along with a certificate of appreciation for all the participating eco-clubs.

The implementation of the drive will be monitored by the MoEF&CC officials.

CYCLONE BULBUL Why in news?

It is the seventh named storm of the unusually active 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season.

The season has seen Cyclone Pabuk (South China Sea-Andaman Sea), Cyclone Fani (Bay of Bengal), Cyclone Vayu (Arabian Sea), Cyclone Hikka (Arabian Sea), Cyclone Kyarr (Arabian Sea) and Cyclone Maha (Arabian Sea).

Bulbul name was contributed by Pakistan. If IMD’s predictions hold true, Bulbul will also

be the sixth storm to reach an intensity of very severe cyclonic storm.

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Naming of cyclones Each Tropical Cyclone basin in the world has

its own rotating list of names. For cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian

Sea, the naming system was agreed by eight member countries of a group called WMO/ESCAP and took effect in 2004.

These eight countries are – Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The first cyclone after the list was adopted was given the name in the first row of the first column — Onil, proposed by Bangladesh.

Subsequent cyclones are being named sequentially, column-wise, with each cyclone given the name immediately below that of the previous cyclone.

Once the bottom of the column is reached, the sequence moves to the top of the next column.

So far, the first seven columns have been exhausted, and Fani (again proposed by Bangladesh) is the top name in the last column.

The next cyclone will be named Vayu. When all the names in list are exhausted, the eight countries will propose fresh lists of names.

The lists for storms in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins are, however, rotated when the names in the list get exhausted. Exception are, however, made in certain cases — if a storm causes excessive death and destruction, its name is considered for retirement and is not repeated; it is replaced with another name.

Why naming of cyclones is done?

Appending names to cyclones makes it easier for the media to report on these cyclones, heightens interest in warnings, and increases community preparedness.

Names are easier to remember than numbers and technical terms and hence can reach greater masses.

If public wants to suggest the name of a cyclone to be included in the list, the proposed name must meet some fundamental criteria. The name should be short and readily understood when broadcast. Further, the names must not be culturally sensitive and should not convey

any unintended and potentially inflammatory meaning.

FENI RIVER Why in news?

In August 2019, India and Bangladesh held a water secretary-level meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) in Dhaka, where it was agreed to collect data and prepare water-sharing agreements for seven rivers — Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla, Dudhkumar, and Feni.

The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bangladesh on the withdrawal of 1.82 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the Feni river by India for a drinking water supply scheme for Sabroom town in Tripura.

The MoU stands to benefit Sabroom town on the southern tip of Tripura. The present supply of drinking water to Sabroom town is inadequate. The groundwater in this region has high iron content. Implementation of this scheme would benefit over 7000 population of Sabroom town.

Feni river

The Feni river forms part of the India-Bangladesh border.

It originates in the South Tripura district, passes through Sabroom town on the Indian

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side, and meets the Bay of Bengal after it flows into Bangladesh.

Background

There has been no water-sharing agreement between the countries on the Feni previously.

The dispute over the sharing of the river water has been long-standing. It was taken up between India and Pakistan (before the independence of Bangladesh) in 1958 during a Secretary-level meeting in New Delhi.

POLYPEDATES BENGALENSIS Why in news?

It is a newly discovered frog species from West Bengal.

Also known as the Brown Blotched Bengal Tree Frog

It belongs to the genus Polypedates. There are 25 other Polypedates species round the world. Polypedates bengalensis is the 26th.

The frog’s body colour is yellowish-brown to greenish-brown.

INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE (ISA) ASSEMBLY Why in news?

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy hosted the 2nd assembly of International Solar Alliance at New Delhi attended by member countries, ISA Partners, and other invitees.

As of now, there are 83 member countries with Eritrea and St. Kittis and Nevis latest countries to join ISA.

The Assembly is the supreme decision-making body of the ISA.

It gives directions on various administrative, financial and programme related issues.

India’s Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Power is President of the ISA Assembly and France’s Minister of State for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition is the Co-President of the Assembly.

International Solar Alliance (ISA)

ISA is partnership of solar resource rich countries to address their special energy

needs and provide a platform to collaborate on development of solar energy resource

It is an intergovernmental body registered with the United Nations under Article 102 of the UN Charter.

The ISA is open to 121 countries, most of them located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. However, ISA is now considering to open the membership to all countries.

68 countries have joined the alliance and 44 countries have ratified the framework agreement.

Aim

To create a collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies to enhance energy security & sustainable development and ensure equitable access to energy

Objectives

Promote solar technologies and investment in the solar sector to enhance income generation for the poor and the global environment

Formulate projects and programmes to promote solar applications

Develop innovative Financial Mechanisms to reduce the cost of capital

Build a common Knowledge e-Portal for sharing of policy development experiences and best practices in member countries

Facilitate capacity building for promotion and absorption of solar technologies and R&D among member countries

Target

The ISA has set a target of 1 TW of solar energy by 2030, which would require $1 trillion to achieve.

India has set a target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, which includes 100 GW of solar energy

DANAKIL DEPRESSION Why in news?

A new study says that active and naturally occurring life cannot be sustained at Danakil. It identifies two barriers: magnesium-dominated brines that cause cells to break

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down; and an environment having simultaneously very low pH and high salt, a combination that makes adaptation highly difficult.

The Danakil Depression in northeastern Ethiopia is one of the world’s hottest places, as well as one of its lowest, at 100 metres below sea level.

At the northern end of the Great Rift Valley, and separated by live volcanoes from the Red Sea, the plain was formed by the evaporation of an inland water body.

All the water entering Danakil evaporates, and no streams flow out from its extreme environment. It is covered with more than 10 lakh tonnes of salt.

BAMBOO TECHNOLOGY PARK Why in news?

Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and the North Eastern Council (NEC) have announced setting up of Bamboo Technology Park in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The parks will be in Jammu, Srinagar and Leh and it is consonance with the National Bamboo Mission (NBM).

The Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC) under NEC will implement the project.

The model for bamboo cultivation, harvesting and utilisation currently existing in the North Eastern Region shall be replicated in the 2 UTs.

A Bamboo Industrial Park has already been approved to be set up in the Dima Hasao district of Assam.

WASTELAND ATLAS Why in news?

Ministry of Rural Development releases fifth edition of Wasteland Atlas. The last edition was published in 2011.

It takes into account 08 MHa of unmapped area of J&K for the first time.

The new wastelands mapping exercise was carried out by NRSC using the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite data.

Highlights

The effort has resulted in estimating the spatial extent of wastelands for entire

country to the tune of 55.76 Mha (16.96 per cent of geographical area of the country i.e. 328.72 Mha) for the year 2015-16 as compared to 56.60 Mha (17.21 per cent) in the year 2008-09.

As per the Atlas, during this period 1.45 Mha of wastelands are converted into non wastelands categories.

India with 2.4 per cent of total land area of the world is supporting 18 per cent of the world’s population. The per capita availability of agriculture land in India is 0.12 ha whereas world per capita agriculture land is 0.29 ha.

Unprecedented pressure on the land beyond its carrying capacity is resulting into degradation of lands in the country. Therefore, robust geospatial information on wastelands assumes significance and effectively helpful in rolling back the wastelands for productive use through various land development programmes/schemes.

IDRIS ELBA Why in news?

A species of wasp has been named Idris Elba. The wasp, recently discovered in Mexico, was

found living as a parasite in the eggs of another insect, known as the bagrada bug, which is a major pest of cruciferous vegetables.

This newly discovered wasp species could be the ultimate weapon in the battle against the stink bug — also known as the painted bug — by “parasitizing” stink bug eggs and thus preventing offspring from growing.

Genus Idris contains over 300 species.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

‘CONTRACT’ FOR THE WORLD WIDE WEB Why in news?

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, has announced a “Contract for the Web” — aimed at saving the future of his invention, which is now almost an essential condition for human existence.

The Web is at a tipping point, Berners-Lee wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times, and needs radical intervention from all stakeholders — governments, companies, civil society groups, as well as individual users.

What is the Contract for the Web?

Berners-Lee announced plans for this “Contract” nearly a year ago, and the World Wide Web Foundation, a non-profit he has founded, worked on it.

The idea is to create a global plan of action for all stakeholders to together commit to building a “better” Web.

The Contract consists of nine principles — three each for governments, private companies, and individuals and civil society to endorse — with 76 clauses each.

Contract was not meant to be “simply aspirational”, or just a “declaration”. “It’s actually meant to be implemented, and it’s meant to be a plan of action. For example, that governments who are looking to regulate in the digital era, can use the contract as a roadmap to lay out their policies and laws going forward. And companies to do the same when they’re developing their products and services for the world,” she told The Indian Express over the phone from London.

Who has created this Contract? Representatives from over 80 organisations,

including governments, companies, civil society activists, and academics. The goal was to create a standard policy for a Web that benefits all. The nine principles emerged after a series of discussions over almost a year.

Participants included the governments of France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Ghana; tech majors Google, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, NordVPN, Reddit, Github, and DuckDuckGo. The Contract allows individuals to endorse it on the official website.

What are the principles in the Contract? * Governments will “Ensure everyone can

connect to the Internet”, “Keep all of the Internet available, all of the time”, and “Respect and protect people’s fundamental online privacy and data rights”.

* Companies will “Make the Internet affordable and accessible to everyone”, “Respect and protect people’s privacy and personal data to build online trust”, and “Develop technologies that support the best in humanity and challenge the worst”.

* Citizens will “Be creators and collaborators on the Web”, “Build strong communities that respect civil discourse and human dignity”, and “Fight for the Web” so that it “remains open and a global public resource for people everywhere, now and in the future”.

How will the Contract be implemented? The principles are lofty, and implementation

will not be easy. Companies that do not implement the Contract would be delisted from it — which may not be the strongest deterrent.

Even so, the ‘Contract for the Web’ is not a legal document, or a United Nations document — though the organisation is in talks with the UN. It cannot currently bend governments or companies — even those that are on board — to its will.

Citizen action is an important part of the Contract, and the organisation hopes citizens would hold governments and companies accountable for violations of its terms.

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REVERSE OSMOSIS (RO) FOR DRINKING WATER Why in news?

The Supreme Court has refused to stay the May 2019 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that banned the use of reverse osmosis (RO) systems where drinking water supply had total dissolved solids (TDS) less than 500 mg per litre.

In May, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) asked MoEF to frame rules for the use of RO filters and also banned the use of RO purifiers in locations where TDS was low.

According to NGT, RO purifiers lead to the wastage of almost 70-80 percent water during the purification process.

It had asked the RO manufacturers to ensure that they are able to recover about 75 percent of the water.

Following this, the Water Quality India Association moved the SC to seek a stay on the RO ban. However, the apex court refused to give a stay.

LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS Why in news?

National Symposium on Lymphatic Filariasis was held in India on the theme ‘United to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis’.

About

Lymphatic filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by three species of microscopic, thread-like worms. The adult worms only live in the human lymph system. The lymph system maintains the body’s fluid balance and fights infections.

Lymphatic filariasis affects over 120 million people in 72 countries throughout the tropics and subtropics of Asia, Africa, the Western Pacific, and parts of the Caribbean and South America. You cannot get infected with the worms in the United States.

Spread of this disease

The disease spreads from person to person by mosquito bites. When a mosquito bites a person who has lymphatic filariasis, microscopic worms circulating in the person’s blood enter and infect the mosquito.

When the infected mosquito bites another person, the microscopic worms pass from the mosquito through the skin, and travel to the lymph vessels. In the lymph vessels they grow into adults. An adult worm lives for about 5–7 years.

The adult worms mate and release millions of microscopic worms, called microfilariae, into the blood. People with the worms in their blood can give the infection to others through mosquitoes.

Repeated mosquito bites over several months to years are needed to get lymphatic filariasis. People living for a long time in tropical or subtropical areas where the disease is common are at the greatest risk for infection. Short-term tourists have a very low risk. An infection will show up on a blood test.

Symptoms

Most infected people are asymptomatic and will never develop clinical symptoms, despite the fact that the parasite damages the lymph system. A small percentage of persons will develop lymphedema or, in men, a swelling of the scrotum called hydrocele .

Lymphedema is caused by improper functioning of the lymph system that results in fluid collection and swelling. This mostly affects the legs, but can also occur in the arms, breasts, and genitalia. Most people develop these clinical manifestations years after being infected.

The swelling and the decreased function of the lymph system make it difficult for the body to fight germs and infections.

Affected persons will have more bacterial infections in the skin and lymph system. This causes hardening and thickening of the skin, which is called elephantiasis. Many of these bacterial infections can be prevented with appropriate skin hygiene and care for wounds

Men can develop hydrocele or swelling of the scrotum due to infection with one of the species of parasites that causes LF, specifically W. bancrofti.

Filarial infection can also cause tropical pulmonary eosinophilia syndrome. Eosinophilia is a higher than normal level of

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disease-fighting white blood cells, called eosinophils. This syndrome is typically found in infected persons in Asia. Clinical manifestations of tropical pulmonary eosinophilia syndrome include cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing. The eosinophilia is often accompanied by high levels of Immunoglobulin E ( IgE) and antifilarial antibodies.

Diagnose

The standard method for diagnosing active infection is the examination of blood under the microscope to identify the microscopic worms, called microfilariae. This is not always feasible because in most parts of the world, microfilariae are nocturnally periodic, which means that they only circulate in the blood at night. For this reason, the blood collection has to be done at night to coincide with the appearance of microfilariae in the blood.

Serologic techniques provide an alternative to microscopic detection of microfilariae for the diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis. Because lymphedema may develop many years after infection, lab tests are often negative with these patients.

K12 EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION FRAMEWORK IN INDIA Why in news?

Microsoft rolls out its K12 Education Transformation Framework more widely in India.

Features

It is a flexible platform based on the latest research and input from hundreds of academics, experts, and policymakers.

It provides a holistic framework to facilitate a comprehensive digital transformation of schools.

It comprises four pillars — leadership and policy, modern teaching and learning, intelligent environments and technology blueprint.

INDIAN OIL DEVELOPS WINTER GRADE DIESEL FOR LADAKH Why in news?

Indian Oil Corporation has developed winter-grade diesel for Ladakh to address the problem of loss of fluidity in fuel during extreme winter conditions.

Using the normal grade of diesel fuel becomes an arduous task for the people in the winter months where temperatures fall to sub zero temperatures of nearly –30 degree Celsius.

The new fuel has a pour point of – 33 degrees Celsius and does not lose its fluidity function even in extreme winter weather of the region, unlike the normal grade of diesel which becomes exceedingly difficult to utilise.

STARLINK NETWORK PROJECT Why in News?

SpaceX has launched 60 "Starlink" satellites into low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida that will bring cheaper Internet access to the world.

About

The "Starlink" satellites will be deployed at an altitude of 280 km to beam broadband Internet services.

The 60 Starlink satellites are part of the second batch of SpaceXs broadband Internet mega constellation.

SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe.

Enabled by a constellation of low Earth-orbit satellites, Starlink will provide fast, reliable internet to populations with little or no connectivity, including those in rural communities and places where existing services are too expensive or unreliable, the company said in a statement.

Since the most recent launch of Starlink satellites in May, SpaceX has increased spectrum capacity for the end-user through upgrades in design that maximise the use of both Ka and Ku bands.

Additionally, the components of each satellite are 100 per cent demisable and will quickly burn up in Earth's atmosphere at the

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end of their life cycle - a measure that exceeds all current safety standards.

Starlink is targeted to offer service in parts of the U.S. and Canada after six launches, rapidly expanding to global coverage of the populated world after 24 launches.

KIMBERLEY PROCESS CERTIFICATION SCHEME (KPCS) Why in news? The Plenary meeting of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is being hosted by India.

India is the present Kimberley Process (KP) Chair. The plenary is being hosted in New Delhi in November 2019.

Kimberley Process

It is a binding agreement that imposes extensive requirements on every participant to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain.

The KP is underpinned by the United Nations mandate.

Since August 2013, the KP has 54 participants, representing 81 countries.

Today, participants actively prevent 99.8% of the worldwide trade of conflict diamonds.

The visible evidence of this commitment is the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) that both safeguard the shipment of ‘rough diamonds’ and certifies them as conflict free.

Conflict diamonds

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

Contribution of India

India is a founding member of KPCS and is actively involved in KP activities to ensure that almost 99% of the diamond trade in the world is conflict free.

India is at the forefront in addressing the issue of differentiation between Natural

Diamonds and Lab Grown Diamonds and ensures responsible business in this area.

India chaired the Ad hoc Committee on Review and Reform (AHCRR).

WORLD COPD DAY Why in news?

World COPD Day is organized by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) in collaboration with health care professionals and COPD patient groups throughout the world.

Its aim is to raise awareness about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and improve COPD care throughout the world.

The first World COPD Day was held in 2002. Each year organizers in more than 50 countries worldwide have carried out activities, making the day one of the world’s most important COPD awareness and education events.

The 2019 theme for World COPD Day will be “All Together to End COPD.”

NASA’s VOYAGER 2 SPACECRAFT Why in news?

NASA’s Voyager 2 has exited heliosphere and has entered interstellar space. It is now at 11 billion miles from the earth.

Voyager 2

NASA's Voyager 2 is the second spacecraft to enter interstellar space. On Dec. 10, 2018, the spacecraft joined its twin—Voyager 1—as the only human-made objects to enter the space between the stars.

Voyager 1 and 2 were designed to take advantage of a rare planetary alignment to study the outer solar system up close. Voyager 2 targeted Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Like its sister spacecraft, Voyager 2 also was designed to find and study the edge of our solar system.

Itis the only spacecraft to study all four of the solar system's giant planets at close range.

It discovered a 14th moon at Jupiter. It was the first human-made object to fly past

Uranus. At Uranus, Voyager 2 discovered 10 new

moons and two new rings.

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Voyager 2 was the first human-made object to fly by Neptune.

At Neptune, Voyager 2 discovered five moons, four rings, and a "Great Dark Spot."

NATIONAL REGISTRY OF VOLUNTARY ORGAN DONORS Why in news?

the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Centre and the states of Punjab and Haryana, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, to implement ‘The Transplant of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994’ in letter and spirit, and to also consider the recommendations of an Expert Committee set up to give suggestions for an effective implementation of the law.

The Committee of nine doctors from PGIMER, Chandigarh has pushed for a National Registry of Donors, and recommended a biometrics-based authentication of donors and recipients.

Key Recommendations made by the committee

While the Committee has said that a donor card should be treated as a Living Directive for cadaver donations, it has also said that mandatory informed consent should be taken in case of live donors after explaining to them the risks involved in donation surgery.

It has suggested that a right be given to the donor to withdraw consent at any time before the surgery. It has suggested a ‘wait period’ or cooling period to allow rethinking on the part of the live donor, and has also sought a procedure for mandatory confidential psychological analysis of the donor in private before presenting them to the authorization committee.

The Committee has recommended that a lumpsum monetary reimbursement be given to the donor towards expenses related to the transplantation, and suggested a payment of at least Rs 50,000 at the time of discharge. It has also called for a system to provide for medical insurance of the donor, and also for their post surgical needs.

Stating that the process of organ donation and consent involves religious beliefs, social taboos and certain apprehensions by the relatives, the Committee has said there

needs to be the involvement of certified NGOs and religious bodies to create positive awareness.

It has said that government hospitals and transplant centres should be given priority attention to improve the deceased organ donation, and that measures should be taken to prevent the trend of employing visiting surgeons at private centres in violation of practice registration norms.

INDIA INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL (IISF) Why in news?

Fifth India International Science Festival is being held at Kolkata to instill scientific temper among the masses, showcase India’s contribution in the field of S&T over the years and encourage translation of its benefits to people. It aims to build a strategy for inclusive advancement of Science and Technology.

It is an annual event organised jointly by science and technology related Ministries and Departments of the Government of India and Vijnana Bharati (Vibha).

Theme: ‘RISEN India – Research, Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation’.

SECRETAGOGIN Why in news?

Scientists have recently demonstrated the role of a protein secretagogin (SCGN) in increasing insulin action in obesity-induced diabetes.

SCGN is now established as a functional insulin-binding protein with therapeutic potential against diabetes. It is found in lower quantities in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

SCGN binds to insulin and protects it from various stresses, increases its stability and adds to its action.

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DEFENCE AND SECURITY

HIM VIJAY MILITARY EXERCISE Why in news?

It is the first-ever military drill that was held in the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

HIM Vijay is the Indian Army’s biggest mountain combat exercise, which will include troop mobilisation, mountain assault and air assault.

PRITHVI-II MISSILE Why in news?

It is India’s first missile indigenously developed by DRDO under prestigious Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).

Features It is a surface-to-surface tactical missile with

a strike range of 350 km. It was inducted into armour of the defence

forces in 2003. It is capable of carrying 500 to 1,000 kg of

warheads, both conventional as well as nuclear.

The state-of-the-art missile is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines.

It uses an advanced inertial guidance system with maneuvering orbit to hit its target.

SISSERI RIVER BRIDGE Why in news?

Recently, the Defence Minister inaugurated the Sisseri River Bridgelocated at lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.

Features

The bridge was constructed by ‘Project Brahmank’ of Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

The 200m long bridge provides connectivity between Dibang Valley and Siang.

This bridge is strategically important from the military viewpoint and will be a part of Trans Arunachal Highway.

CYBER SECURITY Why in news?

A UN committee has passed a Russian-led resolution on a global cybercrime treaty, despite the reservations that it could be used to justify shutting down civil society in repressive countries.

The resolution was sponsored by China, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Syria, among others, and will up an “Open Ended Working Group” to examine cybercrime.

The proposed treaty has been framed to serve as an alternative to the US-led Budapest Convention.

Budapest convention

The Convention is the first internationally binding treaty on crimes committed on the Internet and other computer network, dealing particularly with infringements of copyright, computer related fraud, child pornography and violations of network security. It also contains several powers and procedures such as the search of computer networks and interception.

The Convention serves as a guideline for any country developing a comprehensive national legislation against cybercrime and as a framework for international cooperation between the Parties to the Convention. The Convention has been supplemented by Protocol on Xenophobia and Racism committed through computer systems.

The Council of Europe have set up a dedicated website with resources and guidance to assist.

Aim The aim of the legislation was to provide a

harmonised approach to tackling cybercrime, to date, the Convention has been signed and entered into force by 61 nations in Europe and around the world. The harmonisation of this legislation is crucial as it reduces the incidence of “safe havens” but more importantly to facilitate the effective cooperation between global law enforcement agencies.

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India’s concerns Worldwide, governments are struggling not

only with the increasing levels of cybercrime but also with the complexities of securing electronic evidence (e-evidence) of any type of crime or economic offence.

If only a minuscule portion of cybercrimes and other offences entailing e-evidence is brought to justice, it risks failure of governments in their obligation to protect the rights of individuals and society against crimes and loss of faith in the rule of law.

Securing e-evidence for criminal justice purposes is particularly challenging in the context of cloud computing where data is distributed over different services, providers, locations and often jurisdictions, and where mutual legal assistance is often not feasible.

These challenges are currently being addressed by the Council of Europe’s Cybercrime Convention Committee, which represent the parties to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. Solutions to enable criminal justice access to evidence in the cloud are a priority of the committee.

While India is confronted with the same challenges, it is not participating in this work, nor sharing its experience and shaping future international solutions as it has not yet decided to join this treaty.

So far, foreign policy considerations may have prevented India’s accession to the Budapest Convention. Given the surge in cybercrime and the vision of a Digital India, it may be time for the government of India to reconsider its position.

That the Budapest Convention — through its Article 32b — allows for transborder access to data and thus infringes on national sovereignty. After thorough scrutiny, the Cybercrime Convention Committee confirmed the limited scope of Article 32b in a Guidance Note in 2014. This then led some quarters in the government of India to criticise that Article 32 was too limited and that additional options would be needed.

The Convention offers a legal basis and practical framework for police-to-police and judicial cooperation on cybercrime and e-evidence with an increasing number of other

parties. This framework is constantly under review to make it more effective;

As the Convention evolves, India would be able to contribute to shaping future solutions if it were a party.

Given Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Digital India and considering the surge in cybercrime, it would be beneficial for India to join this treaty.

ZA’IR-AL-BAHR (THE ROAR OF THE SEA) Why in news?

The latest edition is being held in Doha. It is the Joint Exercise between the Qatari

Emiri Navy and the Indian Navy, Za’ir-Al-Bahr (the Roar of the Sea).

It aims to strengthen cooperation and enhance interoperability between the two navies.

DUSTLIK 2019 Why in news?

It is the first-ever India-Uzbekistan Joint Exercise being held at Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

The primary focus will be on counterterrorism.

The exercise will enable sharing of best practices and experiences between the Armed Forces of the two countries and would lead to greater operational effectiveness.

“NO MONEY FOR TERROR” CONFERENCE IN 2020 Why in news?

India will host the next edition of the ”No Money For Terror” conference to be held in 2020. The announcement was made at its conference in Melbourne, Australia.

About

This conference is organised by Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) of over 100 countries, jointly called The Egmont Group.

The Egmont Group was created to provide FIUs around the world a forum to exchange information confidentially to combat money-laundering, the financing of terrorism and other predicate offences.

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Recognising the importance of international cooperation in the fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism, a group of FIUs met a few years ago at the Egmont Arenberg Palace in Brussels, Belgium, and decided to establish an informal network of FIUs for the stimulation of international co-operation.

SAMUDRA SHAKTI Why in news?

The latest edition is being held in the Bay of Bengal.

It is a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Indonesia, which include, manoeuvres, surface warfare exercises, air defense exercises, weapon firing drills, helicopter operations and boarding operations.

LAUNCH OF ISRO’S PSLV-C47 Why in news?

India’s PSLV-C47 successfully launched Cartosat-3 and 13 commercial nanosatellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.

About

Cartosat-3 satellite is a third generation agile advanced satellite having high resolution imaging capability.

13 Commercial Nanosatellites from USA were also successfully injected into designated orbit. These satellites were launched under commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

PSLV-C47 is the 21st flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration. This will be the 74th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota

Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO)'s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C47 carrying India's earth observation satellite Cartosat-3 and 13 nano-satellites from the US lifts-off from Sriharikota.

With overall mass of 1,625 kg and mission life of five years, Cartosat-3 shall address the increased user's demands for the large scale urban planning, rural resource and infrastructure development, coastal land use and land cover etc.

SOCIETY

YUWAAH YOUTH SKILLING INITIATIVE Why in news?

UNICEF has informed that they have launched ‘YuWaah’ Generation Unlimited in India on 1.11.2019.

About According to UNICEF, Generation Unlimited,

called YuWaah in India, is a multi-stakeholder alliance which aims to facilitate youth to gain relevant skills for productive lives and the future of work.

The target age group of YuWaah includes adolescent girls and boys and its key mission is to promote access to foundational, transferable and 21stcentury skills for youth inside and outside formal education systems, which includes defining foundational skills, life skills and flexible learning and identifying and scaling impactful delivery models.

YuWaah intends to create platforms to guide youth to market opportunities (career guidance, mentorship, internships, apprenticeships) and facilitate integration of career guidance in school education.

QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS Why in news?

QS World University Rankings for Asia has been released.

Highlights of the report

The National University of Singapore is ranked Asia’s best for the second consecutive year.

It is followed by Nanyang Technological University, which has risen from 3rd to 2nd; and the University of Hong Kong.

96 Indian institutions rank among 550 for the continent. India does not yet have a university among the top 30. The best performing institution from India is IIT Bombay, which drops one place to 34th position. It is followed by IIT Delhi at 43rd place and IIT Madras at 50th.

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The Indian higher education system has grown exponentially over the past decade. The number of universities has nearly doubled, and the number of colleges has grown by 50 per cent.

Nevertheless, the domestic demand for tertiary education of its young population — which is estimated to become the world’s largest by 2030 — is growing more rapidly than the expanded provision.

NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOL HEADS’ AND TEACHERS’ HOLISTIC ADVANCEMENT (NISHTHA) Why in news?

NISHTHA has been launched in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

About

The programme aims to build the capacities of around 42 lakh participants covering all teachers and Heads of Schools at the elementary level in all Government schools, faculty members of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs), District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) as well as Block Resource Coordinators and Cluster Resource Coordinators in all States and UTs.

The initiative is an Integrated Teacher Training Programme of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of HRD as part of its National Mission to improve learning outcomes at the Elementary level under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha during 2019-20.

TRANSGENDER PERSONS (PROTECTION OF RIGHTS) BILL, 2019 Why in news?

Parliament has made into law the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on 5th August and the Rajya Sabha passed it on 26th November, with a last minute move to refer it to a Select Committee being defeated in a voice vote.

New definition and impact The Bill had been framed for the welfare of

transgender community as it is one of the most marginalized communities in India.

It defines a transgender person as one whose gender does not match the gender assigned at birth. It includes trans-men and trans-women, persons with intersex variations, gender-queers, and persons with socio-cultural identities, such as kinnar and hijra.

Intersex variations is defined to mean a person who at birth shows variation in his or her primary sexual characteristics, external genitalia, chromosomes, or hormones from the normative standard of male or female body.

The Bill will benefit a large number of transgender persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse against this marginalized section and bring them into the mainstream of society. This will lead to inclusiveness and will make the transgender persons productive members of the society.

Provisions of the Bill

The Bill states that a person will be recognized as transgender on the basis of a certificate of identity issued through the district screening committee.

It aims to stop discrimination against a transgender person in various sectors such as education, employment, access to public goods and facilities, right to movement, right to rent or own property, and healthcare. It also directs the central and state governments to provide welfare schemes for them.

According to the bill, a person would have the right to choose to be identified as a man, woman or transgender, irrespective of sex reassignment surgery and hormonal therapy. It requires transgender persons to go through a district magistrate and “district screening committee”, would comprise a medical officer; a psychologist or psychiatrist; a district welfare officer; a government official; and a transgender person, to get certified as a transperson.

Offences like compelling a transgender person to beg, denial of access to a public place, physical and sexual abuse, etc. would

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attract up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine.

Objections to the Bill 1. The Bill is silent on granting reservations to

transgender persons. 2. The bill has prescribed punishments for

organised begging. However, the Bill doesn’t provide anything to better to condition in those areas.

3. It does not mention any punishments for rape or sexual assault of transgender persons as according to Sections 375 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code, rape is only when a man forcefully enters a woman.

ONE STOP CENTRE (OSC) SCHEME Why in news?

The Government of India is implementing One Stop Centre (OSC) scheme for setting up One Stop Centre since 1st April 2015 to support women affected by violence.

About

One Stop Centres (OSCs) are intended to support women affected by violence, in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace.

Women facing physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse, irrespective of age, class, caste, education status, marital status, race and culture will be facilitated with support and redressal.

Aggrieved women facing any kind of violence due to attempted sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, honour related crimes, acid attacks or witch-hunting who have reached out or been referred to the OSC will be provided with specialized services.

The Centres established across the country would provide integrated support and assistance under one roof to women including girls below the age of 18 years affected by violence irrespective of caste, class, religion, sexual orientation or marital status. For girls below 18 years, institutions and authorities established under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection Act) 2000 and the Protection of Children from Sexual

Offences Act, 2012 will be linked with the OSCs.

Objectives of the Scheme To provide integrated support and assistance

to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces under one roof.

To facilitate immediate,emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services including medical, legal, psychological and counselling support under one roof to fight against any forms of violence against women.

ARUNDHATI SWARNA YOJANA IN ASSAM Why in news?

‘Arundhati Swarna Yojana’ has been announced by the Assam Government, under which the state government will give Rs. 30,000 to purchase 10 gms of gold as a gift to every adult bride who has completed at least 10th standard and has registered her marriage.

About

The annual income of the bride’s family must be less than five lakh rupees to avail the scheme.

Minimum age should be 18 years and 21 years for the bride and bridegroom respectively.

The family has to register their marriage under the Special Marriage (Assam) Rules, 1954.

Minimum education should be 10th standard. However, minimum educational qualification criteria have been relaxed for the tribes and workers of tea gardens.

The eligible bride and bridegroom must apply for the scheme before the date of their wedding.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SOWA-RIGPA (NISR) Why in news?

The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) at Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh.

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About Sowa-Rigpa

Sowa-Rigpa is a Traditional Medical system of the Himalayan belt in India.

It has been popularly practiced in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Himachal Pradesh, Union Territory of Ladakh and now all over India.

Aims of setting up of NISR The setting up of the NISR would provide an

impetus for the revival of Sowa-Rigpa in the Indian Sub-continent. The Institute will also provide opportunities for students of Sowa-Rigpa not only in India but also from other countries.

The Institute will be an autonomous National Institute under Ministry of AYUSH with the mandate to undertake interdisciplinary education and research programmes in Sowa-Rigpa in collaboration with premier national and international Institutes and facilitate integration of different systems of medicine.

After setting up of NISR, the synergy among the existing Sowa Rigpa Institutions – Central University of Tibetan Studies. Sarnath, Varanasi and Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh, which are under the administrative control of Ministry of Culture and NISR will be established.

This will facilitate quality education, scientific validation, quality control & standardization and safety evaluation of Sowa-Rigpa products, standardized Sowa-Rigpa based tertiary health delivery and to promote interdisciplinary research & education of Sowa-Rigpa at undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral levels.

NISR would identify the best Sowa-Rigpa treatment – including their standard procedures-within the framework of traditional Sowa-Rigpa principle and possible co-relation with bio-molecular western medicine in providing health care facilities to the general public.

Objective The objective is to establish the National

Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) as an apex Institute for Sowa-Rigpa with aim of bringing a valid and useful synergy between Traditional Wisdom of Sowa-Rigpa and modern science, tools and technology.

It will help to promote interdisciplinary research & education of Sowa-Rigpa.

SOCIAL AWARENESS AND ACTION TO NEUTRALISE PNEUMONIA SUCCESSFULLY (SAANS) Why in news?

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a campaign in Gujarat named Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS).

Highlights of SAANS

A mass awareness campaign will be launched about the effective solutions for pneumonia prevention like breastfeeding, age-appropriate complementary feeding and immunization etc.

A child suffering from pneumonia will be treated with a pre-referral dose of antibiotic amoxicillin by Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers.

Pulse Oximeter (device to monitor oxygen saturation) will be used at the Health and Wellness Centre for identification of low oxygen levels in the blood of child and if required, the child can be treated by the use of oxygen cylinders.

Objectives of SAANS

1. To mobilise people to protect children from pneumonia, and train health personnel and other stakeholders to provide prioritised treatment to control the disease.

2. To reduce child mortality due to pneumonia, which contributes to around 15% of deaths of children under the age of five annually.

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ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION (OCSAE) PREVENTION/INVESTIGATION UNIT Why in news?

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has set up an Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) Prevention/Investigation Unit.

The unit, which will function under the agency’s Special Crime Zone in Delhi, will collect and disseminate information on online child sexual abuse and exploitation.

It will also probe such offences covered under the IPC, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Information Technology Act, apart from other relevant laws.

NADU NEDU PROGRAMME Why in news?

Andhra Pradesh Government has launched the 'Nadu-Nedu' programme to introduce English medium from classes 1 to 6 in state-run schools.

Key features

It aims to transform all government schools with required infrastructure and up- gradation of skills besides setting up English labs.

It also seeks to provide basic amenities such as clean water, furniture, compound wall, toilets etc.

Teachers would be imparted training to effectively implement the decision to introduce English medium from Classes 1 to 6 in government schools from the next academic year.

The parent committees and locals would be involved to make it an inclusive system.

In the first phase, the ‘Nadu-Nedu’ programme will be implemented in 15,715 schools.

It will cover all schools in three years under a budget of Rs 12,000 crores. For the first year in the initial phase, Rs 3,500 crores will be spent for infrastructure development

Objections

In this age of rapid globalization, the detractors, primarily the Opposition, has

argued that the state should stick to Telugu to protect itself from cultural degradation, else it would endanger the regional language’s survival.

Need for English education Language is a means of communication. Today English is a global language, but our vernacular languages are where our thoughts form. At the same time, English is needed to reach out to people at a global level.

“Shishu Suraksha” app launched in Assam:

“Shishu Suraksha”, the mobile application, is the brainchild of Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR).

The e-complaint box will enable users from all over the state to lodge complaints about the violation of child rights. The purpose of the e-box is to empower citizens to take moral responsibility of protecting our future generations. The app can be used by anyone in Assam, coming across any incident of children’s rights violation, to lodge a complaint which will be directly registered at ASCPCR. As soon as the complaint is lodged, the Commission will receive a message. It will then deal with the issue by being in touch with the appropriate authority.

INDIA JUSTICE REPORT (IJR) Why in news?

India Justice Report (IJR) has been released by Tata Trusts in collaboration with the Centre for Social Justice, Common Cause, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Daksh, TISS-Prayas and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.

It is India’s first-ever ranking of states on justice delivery.

Performance of Indian states

Karnataka is ranked sixth among 18 big and mid-sized states when it comes to justice delivery, with Maharashtra and Kerala topping the list and Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state ranked last, the India Justice Report (IJR) 2019 says.

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The report is an initiative of Tata Trusts in collaboration with Centre for Social Justice, Common Cause, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, DAKSH, TISS- Prayas and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. The report said even the best-performing states have been unable to score even 60% in their performance on capacity across policing, judiciary, prisons and legal aid.

The ranking is based on measuring the capacity of police, prison system, judiciary and legal aid in each state in terms of budgets, human resources, personnel workload, diversity, infrastructure and trends against its own declared standards or benchmarks.

Overall, Maharashtra scored 5.92 out of 10 followed by Kerala (5.85), Tamil Nadu (5.76), Punjab (5.53), Haryana (5.53) and Karnataka (5.11). Uttar Pradesh even fell behind the scores of smaller states with a score of 3.32.

Karnataka fell behind due to its poor performance in judiciary in which it was ranked a lowly 16, while it ranked third in prisons, sixth in policing and seventh in legal aid.

NATIONAL EDUCATION DAY, 2019 Why in news?

On September 11, 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development had decided to celebrate November 11 as National Education Day.

India celebrates National Education Day on November 11 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who served as the first Minister of Education of independent India.

About

He was the first independent India’s Education Minister (served from 1947 to 1958).

Maulana fought for country’s freedom and in 1912, he started a weekly journal in Urdu called Al-Hilal to increase the revolutionary recruits. For his contribution – both as an educationist as a freedom fighter – he was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992.

The ex-minister was a renowned scholar and poet and was well-versed in many languages. His real name was Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin and was known as a brilliant orator. He firmly believed in universal primary education, free and compulsory education for all children upto the age of 14, vocational training and technical education.

He strongly advocated the education of women. In 1949, in the Central Assembly, he emphasised the importance of imparting instruction in modern sciences and knowledge. He also said that no programme of national education can be appropriate if it does not give full consideration to the education and advancement of one-half of society – that is the women.

He is also responsible in establishing most of the major cultural and literary academies we have today, including the Sangeet Natak Academy, Lalit Kala Academy, Sahitya Academy as well as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. The first IIT, IISc, School of Planning and Architecture and the University Grants Commission were established under his tenure.

Maulana was an eminent scholar of Urdu, Persian and Arabic. He also advocated the retention of English language for educational advantages. He also believed that primary education should be imparted in the mother-tongue.

NATIONAL HEALTH PROFILE, 2019 Why in news?

National Health Profile, 2019 has been released by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI). This is the 14th edition.

What is NHP?

Objective: To create a versatile database of health information and making it available to all stakeholders in the healthcare sector.

Highlights

Life expectancy in India has increased from 49.7 years in 1970-75 to 68.7 years in 2012-16. life expectancy for females is 70.2 years and 67.4 years for males.

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Diabetes and hypertension rates are high among Indians while dengue and chikungunya are a cause of great concern to public health.

Highest population density of 11,320 people per square kilometre was reported by the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) whereas Arunachal Pradesh reported the lowest population density of 17.

High incidence in the young and economically active population.

There has been a consistent decrease in the birth rate, death rate and natural growth rate in India since 1991 to 2017.

As of 2017, India has registered birth rate of 20.2 per population of 1,000 and death rate of 6.3 while the natural growth rate was 13.9 per population of 1,000.

The birth rate in rural areas was higher than in the urban. The death rate and natural growth rate were also higher in rural areas as compared to the urban.

The population continues to grow, as the decline in the birth rate is not as rapid as the decline in the death rate.

The infant mortality rate (IMR) has declined considerably (33 per 1,000 live births in 2016), however differentials of rural (37) and urban (23) are still high.

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) for the country was 2.3 whereas in rural areas it was 2.5 and 1.8 in urban areas during 2016 as per the latest available information.

The NHP highlights substantial health information under major indicators

Demographic indicators (population and vital statistics).

Socio-economic indicators (education, employment, housing and amenities, drinking water and sanitation).

Health status indicators (incidence and prevalence of common communicable and non-communicable diseases and RCH), etc.

The health finance indicators provides an overview of health insurance and expenditure on health, both public and Out of Pocket Expenditure (OOP), etc.

Human resources provides an overview of the availability of manpower working in the health sector.

Health infrastructure section provides details of medical and dental colleges, AYUSH institutes, nursing courses and paramedical courses, etc.

SHAALA DARPAN PORTAL Why in news?

Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has launched Shaala Darpan portal.

About

It is an end to end E-Governance school automation and management system for Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) in New Delhi.

It is a database management portal, where information about all government schools and education offices is kept online and updated as a continuous process.

ART AND CULTURE

GOTTIPROLU Why in news?

Excavation by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Gottiprolu, Andhra Pradesh has unearthed a trade centre of early historic period.

About Gottiprolu

Gottiprolu is located near Naidupeta in Nellore (now renamed as Sri Potti Sri Ramulu) district, Andhra Pradesh

ASI has discovered the remains of a huge settlement surrounded by a massive brick enclosure at this place.

The site of Gottiprolu lies on the right bank of a distributary of river Swarnamukhi, about 17 km east of Naidupet and 80 km from Tirupati and Nellore.

Among many other antiquities unearthed are one life size Vishnu sculpture and a wide

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variety of pottery of the early centuries of current era.

Detailed topographical study and drone images have helped in identifying an early historic settlement surrounded by a fortification and the possibility of a moat encircling it.

These settlements could have been an important trade centre as indicated by the presence of imitated amphorae wares that were mostly used to transport liquid commodities.

THE JALLIANWALA BAGH NATIONAL MEMORIAL (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2019 Why in news?

Parliament has passed the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The Bill seeks to amend Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951 to change provisions related to composition of Trustees of memorial and termination of trustee.

The Bill also allows the Central government to terminate the term of a nominated trustee before the expiry of the period of his term, without assigning any reason.

Amendments

The 2019 amendment bill removes the President of the Indian National Congress as a Trustee.

It clarifies that when there is no Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, the leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha will be the Trustee.

The bill is introduced so that such organizations or trusts could not be politicized and should instead be nationalized.

The 1951 act provided that the three eminent persons nominated by the central government will have a term of five years and will be eligible for re-nomination.

The 2019 bill added a clause to allow the central government to terminate the term of a nominated trustee before the expiry of his term without assigning any reason.

RANI LAKSHMIBAI Why in news?

19th November 2019 marks the 191st birth anniversary of Rani Lakshmibai.

About

Rani Lakshmibai or Jhansi ki Rani, the queen of Jhansi was one of the leading figures of the Rebellion of 1857. For Indian nationalists, she became an icon for the freedom struggle against the British Raj for Indian.

She, one of the warriors of India's struggle for Independence, was born as Manikarnika Tambe in 1828 in Varanasi.

She lost her mother at the age of four and was raised in an unconventional way by her father who worked as an advisor in the court of Peshwa. He supported her in learning horsemanship, archery, self-defense, and shooting.

In 1842, Lakshmibai got married to Gangadhar Rao Newalkar, the Maharaja of Jhansi and got the name of Rani Lakshmibai. Few years after marriage, in 1851, Manikarnika gave birth to a boy but he couldn't survive and died after four months.

Then Lakshmibai and Gangadhar Rao adopted Rao's cousin's son, Anand Rao, who was later renamed as Damodar.

Soon after they adopted Anand, Maharaja died due to an illness in 1853. Rani Lakshmibai was just 18 at that time.

The East India Company took advantage of the Maharaja's death and applied the Doctrine of Lapse.

What was the Doctrine of Lapse?

The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy followed widely by Lord Dalhousie when he was India's Governor-General from 1848 to 1856.

According to this, any princely state under the direct or indirect (as a vassal) control of the East India Company where the ruler did not have a legal male heir would be annexed by the company.

As per this, any adopted son of the Indian ruler could not be proclaimed as heir to the kingdom. This challenged the Indian ruler's long-held authority to appoint an heir of their choice.

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So, due to the Doctrine of Lapse, Britishers did not accept Damodar Rao as the legal heir.

Displeased by injustice, Rani Lakshmibai even appealed to a court in London which discarded her case.

The plan of the Britishers was to annex Jhansi. They seized the state jewels, granted her an annual pension of Rs 60,000 and asked her to leave the fort forever.

Revolt of 1857

It is believed that prior to sepoy mutiny, Lakshmibai was unwilling to rebel against the British but changed her mind in 1858 when commanding officer of the British forces, Sir Hugh Rose, demanded the surrender of Jhansi.

Lakshmibai gave a great fight to the British as the siege of Jhansi lasted for about two weeks. She was supported by Tantia Tope and Nana Sahib.

After a fierce war, when the British army entered Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai, tied her son Damodar Rao to her back and fought bravely using two swords in both her hands.

She escaped to Kalpi and was accompanied by other rebellions. She then departed to Gwalior and a fierce battle was fought between the British and Lakshmibai's army.

She died on June 17, 1958, martyring her life for India's freedom. Rani Lakshmibai's tomb is situated in the Phool Bagh area of Gwalior.

RASHTRIYA EKTA DIWAS Why in news?

It is observed on 31st October in India and is also known as National Unity Day.

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day commemorates the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. In 2019, the 144th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is celebrated.

Background of National Unity Day

In 2014, the Government of India introduced Rashtriya Ekta Diwas with an aim to pay tribute to Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary.

He is always remembered for his extraordinary works for the country and no

doubt, he worked hard in keeping India united.

The theme for 2016 celebrations was "Integration of India".

About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

He played an important role in uniting India. He is also famous as an Iron Man of India and one of the founding leaders of the Republic of India.

He was born on 31st October 1875 in Nadiad, Gujarat.

He was the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India.

At the time of independence, Sardar Patel played a key role in convincing several princely states to align with the Indian Union. He is recognized as the real unifier of India for his colossal contribution to integrate and make India a united (Ek Bharat) and an independent nation.

He requested the people of India to live together by uniting in order to create Shresth Bharat (Foremost India).

He also worked hard as a social leader for the Independence of India.

Women of Bardoli bestowed the title ‘Sardar’ on Vallabhbhai Patel, which means ‘a Chief or a Leader’.

He is also remembered as the ‘Patron saint of India’s civil servants’ as he established the modern all-India services system.

LALA LAJPAT RAI Why in news?

November 17 is the death anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai, the firebrand Indian nationalist leader affectionately called ‘Punjab Kesari’.

About

Lala Lajpat Rai was a prominent nationalist leader who played an important role in India’s struggle for freedom.

He was a prominent member of the famous ‘Lal Bal Pal’ firebrand trio during the independence movement. His fierce brand of patriotism and potent vocalism against the British rule earned him the title of ‘Punjab Kesari’ or the Lion of the Punjab. He was deeply impressed by the ideals of patriotism

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and nationalism outlined by Italian revolutionary leader Giuseppe Mazzini.

He also initiated the foundation of Punjab National Bank. In 1897, he founded the Hindu Orphan Relief Movement to keep the Christian missions from securing custody of these children.

He was badly injured in police lathi-charge on the activists, who were protesting the arrival of Simon Commission, and died a few days later due to the injuries.

Published on30/11/ 2019