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Table of Contents

Polity & Governance ..................................................................................... 1

1. Ministry withdraws order on fake news (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ....... 1

2. Why have protests erupted again over Cauvery? (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper

II) .................................................................................................................................................... 2

3. What is the row over SC/ST Act verdict all about? (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains

Paper II) .......................................................................................................................................... 3

4. Budget session marked with disruptions (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ....... 5

5. Right to convert is part of fundamental right of choice: Supreme Court (Relevant foe GS

Mains II and GS prelims) ............................................................................................................... 6

6. SC to issue order in roster case (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ........................ 6

7. Allocation of cases is CJI s prerogative, rules Supreme Court (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS

Mains Paper II) .............................................................................................................................. 7

8. Why has violence escalated in Kashmir? (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) ............................ 8

9. Law Commission favours simultaneous elections (Relevant for GS prelims, GS Mains Paper

II) ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

10. Make BCCI a public body: law panel (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ............. 11

11. Why we need to build on CWG glory? (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) .......... 12

12. The lowdown on row over SC roster (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ............. 13

13. RS Chairman rejects motion against Chief Justice Misra (Relevant for GS Prelims) ............ 15

14. Does Rajya Sabha Chairperson has the power to reject the removal motion of CJI?

(Relevant for GS prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ........................................................................... 15

15. Unpersuasive: on Centre's arguments against elevating Justice Joseph (Relevant for GS

Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) ........................................................................................................ 16

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16. Appointment of SC Judge (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II; Polity &

Governance) ................................................................................................................................. 18

17. Naroda Patiya case (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) .... 21

International Organizations and Relations ...................................... 23

1. Nepalese PM K.P. Oli and his relationship with India (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS

Mains Paper II) ................................................................................................................................. 23

2. Fifteen years after: on Iraq war (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) .................. 24

3. U.S., Britain, France rain over 100 missiles on Syria (Relevant for GS Prelims) ................ 25

4. Koreas to talk peace (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) ............................................................ 26

5. A day of smiles as Koreas aim for denuclearization (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) .... 27

6. Common wealth? on Commonwealth leaders summit (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains

Paper II) .............................................................................................................................................. 28

7. India s performance in Commonwealth games (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper

III) ........................................................................................................................................................ 30

Economics ..................................................................................................... 35

1. RBI switches back to GDP scale to measure economy (Relevant for GS prelims and GS

Mains Paper III) ........................................................................................................................... 35

2. Undermining of multilateral by US (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains paper III) .... 36

3. The lowdown on poor loan recovery (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III) ............................... 37

4. What govt. can do to keep fuel prices under check (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains

Paper III) ...................................................................................................................................... 38

5. TCS hits $100 billion market capitalization (Relevant for GS Prelims) ................................. 39

6. India highest recipient of remittances (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) ........ 40

7. Nabbing absconders: on Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance (Relevant for GS Prelims,

GS Mains Paper III) ...................................................................................................................... 41

8. Economic freedom index: India ranks 130th, Hong Kong retains top spot (Relevant for GS

Prelims) ......................................................................................................................................... 42








9. Merging associate banks with the SBI (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III;

Economics) ................................................................................................................................... 43

10. The rupee is sliding on account of rising oil prices and FII outflows (Relevant for GS

Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) ....................................................................................................... 44

11. The lowdown on rising fuel prices (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III;

Economics) ................................................................................................................................... 45

12. First health centre under Ayushman Bharat scheme (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains

Paper III) ...................................................................................................................................... 46

13. Centre s oil policy evaluation (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) ....................... 47

Environment .................................................................................................. 49

1. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is growing rapidly (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains

Paper III) ............................................................................................................................................ 49

2. Gujarat, where there is a concern over disappearing lions (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III

and GS Prelims) ............................................................................................................................ 49

3. Centre proposes relaxation of coastal regulation zone norms (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS

Mains Paper III) ........................................................................................................................... 51

Science & Technology ................................................................................. 54

1. What is the E.U. law on data protection all about? (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III) ..... 54

2. Electric and hybrid vehicles & their possibility in India (Relevant for GS prelims, GS

mains paper III) ................................................................................................................................ 55

3. Google appeals against Competition Commission of India s search bias verdict

(Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) ........................................................................... 56

4. IRNSS-1I to enrich navigation fleet (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) .......... 57

5. Draft mission to kick-start renewable energy storage (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains

Paper III; Science & Technology) .................................................................................................. 57

6. Use of blockchain beyond cryptocurrencies (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) 59








Internal Security ......................................................................................... 62

1. Vehicles made on or after Jan. 1 to have High Security Registration Plates (Relevant for

GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III: Internal Security) ................................................................... 62

Miscellaneous .............................................................................................. 63

1. Kolkata, where a metro service goes under the river (Relevant for GS Prelims) .............. 63

2. TN files for contempt against Centre ...................................................................................... 64

3. After glitch, ISRO trying to restore link with GSAT-6A (Relevant for GS Prelims) ........... 65

4. Who is Deepak Kochhar? (Read only for understanding) .................................................... 67

5. NASA s Hubble spots farthest individual star named Icarus (Relevant for GS prelims) .. 68

6. India second largest manufacturer of crude steel (Relevant for GS Prelims) .................... 68

7. Panel to probe CBSE question leaks (Relevant for GS Prelims)............................................. 69

8. End on curb to cattle sale (Read only for understanding) ...................................................... 70

9. Kathua rape case: Eight-year-old girl s brutal rape and murder ignites national outrage;

all you need to know ...................................................................................................................... 71

10. Judge Loya death case: Supreme Court rejects independent probe demand (Read only

for understanding) ........................................................................................................................... 72

11. Defence Planning Committee (DPC) to be set up (Relevant for GS Prelims) ...................... 73

12. Who is Michael Cohen, Trump s deal-maker (Read only for understanding) .................... 74

13. Security forces gun down 16 Naxals in Maharashtra (Read only for understanding) ..... 76






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Polity and Governance 1. Ministry withdraws order on fake news (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) Decision follows directions from PM The Information and Broadcasting Ministry withdrew its order, issued recently, under which accreditation of any journalist found guilty of disseminating fake news could be cancelled. Intervention by PM The PM has directed that the press release regarding the fake news be withdrawn and the

matter be addressed only by the Press Council of India, a senior official in the PMO said. Earlier announcement Announcing the norms on Monday night, the Ministry, headed by Smriti Irani, said accreditation of a journalist could be cancelled if the news reported by him/her was found to be fake. The notification, which did not define the phrase fake news, said complaints would be referred to the Press Council of India if they pertained to the print media and to the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) if they related to the electronic media. The regulatory agencies would have 15 days to dispose off a complaint. During the period of probe, the journalist s accreditation would be suspended, the note said. The note further said that on first violation, the accreditation would be suspended for six months, on the second violation for a year and on the third violation, it would be cancelled permanently. Government interference in Press The government has no mandate to control the press. The media were also worried about growing incidents of fake news, but the Press Council is the right platform to deal with complaints of any fake news. What does accreditation mean for journalists? Journalists accredited with the Press Information Bureau (PIB) are eligible, along with members of their family, for subsidised health services under the Central Government Health Scheme, meant for employees of the Union government. But there are ways in which PIB accreditation is important for a journalist to carry out her professional responsibilities. The PIB accreditation card has two important advantages. First, in certain events involving the President and Prime Minister, and other Ministers, only PIB accredited journalists are allowed entry.






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Second, accreditation allows a journalist to protect her sources. Since it comes after security clearance from the Home Ministry, accredited journalists are allowed to enter the premises of most Union government ministries without prior appointment. She is not required to register or record her presence at the reception, or with any other official in the Ministry. This firewalls the journalist from attempts at finding out when and on how many occasions she visited the premises, and which officers she met. The anonymity of sensitive sources is one of the essential principles of journalism across the world. It may take years for a source to start confiding in a reporter. The trust between the journalist and her source is, to a large extent, based on the latter s faith that his/her identity will not be revealed. This becomes paramount when a source is willing to speak out against a senior official or Minister, or against the policies of the government. Reporters and photographers with five years of experience as a working journalist, and freelance journalists with 15 years working experience are eligible for PIB accreditation. Applications for accreditation are vetted by a Central Press Accreditation Committee headed by the DG, PIB. (Adapted from the Hindu and the Indian Express)

2. Why have protests erupted again over Cauvery? (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) What is the agitation for? Tamil Nadu, which witnessed State-wide protests over the ban on jallikattu in January last year, is again in agitation mode. On Thursday, the Opposition parties, led by the DMK, organised a bandh against the Centre s failure to frame a scheme to implement the Cauvery water-sharing agreement set out in the February 16 judgment. Last Saturday, the AIADMK government moved the Supreme Court to initiate contempt proceedings against the Centre for its wilful disobedience in not implementing the verdict. What is the scheme ? The scheme is required for the implementation of the final order given by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in February 2007. While Tamil Nadu argues that the scheme should have entailed setting up of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, Karnataka says there is no mention of a board in the court s order. Even on March 29, when the deadline lapsed, Tamil Nadu hoped against hope that the Centre would come out with a scheme, but that did not happen. Why does TN want a Board? The popular understanding is that the board, by itself, would ensure timely water release, as spelt out in the Tribunal s final order. The State s long-standing grouse against Karnataka is that it is not getting its share in right quantum and at the right time. This has






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been the situation despite the Tribunal s interim and final orders taking care of irrigation requirements. Certain sections in the State felt aggrieved by the Supreme Court increasing Karnataka s share of water at the cost of Tamil Nadu. The overall share of Karnataka, which has gone up by 14.75 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft), now stands at 284.75 tmc ft, whereas that of Tamil Nadu is 404.25 tmc ft. It has become handy for the critics of the Centre to allege that this is yet another instance of the Union government discriminating against Tamil Nadu. This argument is gaining attention in the absence of forceful articulation of a counter-view by the BJP. Why did the Centre not oblige? The Union government, in its clarificatory application filed in the Supreme Court after the deadline lapsed, referred to divergent views expressed by constituents of the Cauvery basin — Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry — over the judgment. Citing the Assembly elections in Karnataka and describing the Cauvery as a very emotive issue in that State, the Centre said the notification of a scheme at this juncture would lead to massive public outrage, vitiate the election process and cause serious law and order problems. Seeking three more months, it wanted to know whether an implementation mechanism could be a mixture of administrative and technical body, and could have functions, different from what had been recommended by the Tribunal in the February 2007 order. Why is Cauvery important for T.N.? Regarded as the lifeline of Tamil Nadu, the Cauvery is the only major river of the State, unlike Karnataka, the upper-riparian State in the river basin which also gets water from the Krishna and the Godavari. The Cauvery also accounts for 70% of canal irrigation in Tamil Nadu. As many as 24.71 lakh acres have been recognised as the State s irrigated area under the Cauvery. In terms of paddy-sown area, the delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and four others, including Tiruchi and Pudukottai, account for nearly 40% of the total area in the State. In terms of paddy production, they contribute 35% of the total crop. In 2014-15, of the 79.4 lakh tonnes of paddy, the seven districts produced 29.4 lakh tonnes. (Parts of Cuddalore, though considered part of the delta region, are not included here). In the past 10 years, the Cauvery has also become a major source of drinking water for a number of districts, including Ramanathapuram and parts of Madurai and Dindigul in the south and Vellore in the north, apart from central and western districts of the State. (Adapted from The Hindu) 3. What is the row over SC/ST Act verdict all about? (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper II)






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What is it? A recent verdict of the Supreme Court has invited criticism from political parties and others who argue that it amounts to diluting the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The court laid down new guidelines for police officers on how to ensure that innocent persons, especially public officials, are protected from false complaints. Most parties demanded that the Centre file a petition to review the order. They contend that the judgment, and some of the observations in it, would result in the law losing its teeth and leave Dalits unprotected against atrocities. While agreeing to hear the review petition, the Bench has, however, declined to suspend its order. It clarified that its order was aimed at protecting the innocent, not undermining Dalit rights. How did it come about? The Bench of Justices A.K. Goel and U.U. Lalit was dealing with an appeal by the Director of Technical Education (DTE), Maharashtra, a public servant, whose plea for quashing a criminal case against him was declined by a High Court. The court found that an employee of an educational institution had given the complaint solely because the DTE refused to grant sanction to prosecute the institution s principal. It said none of the ingredients of any of the offences listed against him were made out in the complaint. The Bench then took note of cases of a similar nature before other courts in which false and frivolous complaints were made under the Act for personal motives. Hence, it wanted to lay down guidelines to prevent misuse of the law so that the innocent could be protected. It sought to explain that interpretation of the Atrocities Act should promote constitutional values of fraternity and integration of society. This may require a check on the false implication of innocent citizens on caste lines. Why does it matter? It matters because the court s ruling has led to an explosion of Dalit anger. A nationwide protest on April 2 resulted in violence. Nine people died across the country. The protesters, as well as the proponents of social justice and Dalit emancipation, have questioned the verdict. They disagree vehemently with the ruling that the bar under the Act on grant of anticipatory bail need not prevent courts from giving the accused advance bail if there was no merit in the complaint against them, and if on judicial scrutiny, it was found to be prima facie malafide. The ruling also said public servants should not be arrested under the Act without the permission of their appointing authority; and, in the case of others, without the approval of the District Senior Superintendent of Police. It further said a Deputy Superintendent of Police should hold a preliminary inquiry into complaints to rule out their being false or motivated ones. The Bench said there was acknowledged abuse of the power to arrest under the Act. It also observed that the Act cannot be converted into a charter for exploitation or oppression by any unscrupulous person or by the police for extraneous reasons against other citizens, as has been found on several occasions in decisions referred to above. Another observation by the Bench that caused consternation was it is necessary to express concern that working of the Atrocities Act should not result in perpetuating casteism.






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What lies ahead? Under court procedure, the same Bench that delivered a verdict must also hear the review petitions. The Centre will now seek to convince the court that the ruling would make it even more difficult for Dalit victims of caste-based violence and discrimination from getting their complaints investigated. If the court is convinced, it may agree to modify its order or recall part of it. In the event of its refusal to do so, the Centre will have to explore other legal options to ensure implementation of the Act as it stands. (Adapted from The Hindu) 4. Budget session marked with disruptions (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) Both Houses of Parliament adjourned sine die; over 240 hours of work lost Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die, as budget session ended amid repeated disruptions. The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die soon after it met at 11 a.m. on Friday, marking the end of a session in which 127 hours of work were lost to protests over varied issues. The Rajya Sabha saw 120 working hours being wasted.

What is adjournment sine die? Adjournment refers to a short recess in the proceedings of Parliament. It is an act of house and is exercised by Presiding officer of the house. Normally, the house is adjourned with a date and time fixed for the next meeting. When the house is adjourned for indefinite period (i.e., without deciding the time for reassembly), then the adjournment is called sine die.






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(Adapted from The Hindu) 5. Right to convert is part of fundamental right of choice: Supreme Court (Relevant foe GS Mains II and GS prelims) SC judgement on right to choose religion and marry The Supreme Court held that a person's right to choose a religion and marry is an intrinsic part of her meaningful existence. Neither the State nor patriarchal supremacy can interfere in her decision. The observations are part of the judgment published by the Supreme Court in the case of Hadiya, a 26-year-old Homeopathy student who converted to Islam and married a Muslim man. Setting aside High Court judgement The Kerala High Court had called the marriage a sham and referred to it as love jihad . Rationale by Supreme Court Freedom of faith is essential to his/her autonomy; Choosing a faith is the substratum of

individuality and sans it, the right of choice becomes a shadow. Matters of belief and faith, including whether to believe, are at the core of constitutional liberty. The Constitution exists for believers as well as for agnostics . The court held that the Constitution protects the ability of each individual to pursue a way of life or faith to which she or he seeks to adhere. Matters of dress and of food, of ideas and ideologies, of love and partnership are within the central aspects of identity. Society has no role to play in determining our choice of partners, . Chief Justice Misra described the illegal confinement of Ms. Hadiya as the smothering of her liberty. SC judge also wrote that the absolute right of an individual to choose a life partner is not in the least affected by matters of faith. The Constitution guarantees to each individual the right freely to practise, profess and propagate religion. Choices of faith and belief as indeed choices in matters of marriage lie within an area where individual autonomy is supreme . (Adapted from the Hindu) 6. SC to issue order in roster case (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) Petition calls for transparent, codified procedure for constitution of Benches A day after the Supreme Court s number two judge, Justice Jasti Chelameswar, attacked the Chief Justice of India s discretionary powers to constitute Benches and allocate cases, a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra decided to pass judicial orders






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on a petition calling for a transparent and codified procedure for constitution of Benches and allocation of cases in the apex court. View under petition 1. Unfettered power is being exercised by the Chief Justices in the matter of formation of Benches, and so, the same is liable to be regulated through specific rules. 2. It said specific provisions should be incorporated in the Supreme Court Rules of 2013 that the three-judge Bench in the Chief Justice of India s court should consist only of the Chief Justice of India and the court s two seniormost judges. That is, in the present scenario, Chief Justice Misra and Justices Chelameswar and Ranjan Gogoi. 3. The petition further demanded that the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court should consist of five seniormost judges — the CJI, Justices Chelameswar, Gogoi, Madan B. Lokur and Kurian Joseph — or a combination of the three seniormost and two juniormost judges. That would be the CJI, Justices Chelameswar, Gogoi followed by Justices Navin Sinha and Deepak Gupta. Subjectwise roster Justices Chelameswar, Gogoi — who is the next in line as CJI under the seniority norm, Lokur and Kurian Joseph had held the January 12 press conference, accusing the recent trend of CJIs selectively allocating cases to preferred Benches. Subsequently, Chief Justice Misra published a subjectwise roster of cases to be handled by the Supreme Court judges. However, the roster has not eased criticism. (Adapted from the Hindu) 7. Allocation of cases is CJI s prerogative, rules Supreme Court (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) SC judgement A Supreme Court Bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra declared the Chief Justice of India an institution in himself with exclusive prerogative to constitute Benches and allocate cases. Rationale given in Supreme Court judgement The three-judge Bench held there is no room for any presumption of mistrust against the high constitutional functionary, who helms the country's most powerful court. Second instance This is the second time that the Supreme Court has, within six months, reiterated the Chief Justice of India s exclusive duty and authority as master of roster to constitute Benches and allocate cases.






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In November 2017, a Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice Misra had declared the Chief Justice of India as master of roster. Dispute to the claim Subsequent to this judgment, four judges of the SC — Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B. Lokur and Kurian Joseph — held their historic press conference on January 12, revealing how the CJI selectively allocates cases to preferred Benches. The verdict dismissed the petition filed by advocate Asok Pande, who highlighted the need for a set procedure to constitute Benches and allocate cases in the SC and the HCs. (Adapted from the Hindu) 8. Why has violence escalated in Kashmir? (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) What happened? Unprecedented ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC), growing militant violence and mounting civilian casualties during counter-insurgency operations have made Kashmir more vulnerable this year. What has added a feeling of desperation to the combustible situation is the communal politics played over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua belonging to the nomadic Bakherwal community. Why so many civilian deaths? People s anger is giving way to dissipation of fear of death among the youth, who constitute 60% of Jammu and Kashmir s population. This year, the first civilian death, of Khalid Ahmad Dar in Kulgam s Kudwani in south Kashmir, happened on January 9. Security forces opened fire to stop the locals converging on an Army camp after an encounter nearby, and Dar fell to bullets. The sister of a trapped militant turned up at another encounter site and was shot at on January 24. She succumbed to injuries on February 10, fuelling more anger. The civilian killings proved no deterrent to the locals, who rushed to encounter sites to help militants escape. Last year, 30 civilians died near the sites of gunfights. This year, the graph shows an alarming upward curve. Over 300 civilians have been injured in clashes during counter-militancy operations since January. In the first 100 days of the year, at least 17 civilians died near the sites of encounters, especially in south Kashmir. In just 10 days in April, nine civilians died in the clashes with security forces in their bid to help trapped militants. On April 11, an 18-hour encounter saw four civilians dying in clashes, but the three trapped militants escaped the fierce encounter, emboldening the outfit they belonged to. What is the government stand? Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is struggling to stop the youth from joining militant ranks and to restrain security forces so as to minimise civilian casualties during the operations.






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Her attempt to establish a deterrent for the security forces on January 29 by filing an FIR and naming an Army officer in the killing of two civilians evoked sharp criticism. The Supreme Court also provided relief to the accused Major. The State government has sought changes in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), especially for the police, in dealing with the law and order situation. However, there is no consensus among the security agencies. Director-General of Police S.P. Vaid said any changes in the SOP to fix the loopholes is the prerogative of the senior officers of the security grid. Has Operation All-Out failed? The Army s Operation All-Out, launched in May of 2017, is also failing to yield desired results. From around 150 militants in 2017, the number still hovers around 100, despite the fact that 190 militants were killed last year. Around 30 militants have joined militant ranks since January, against over 35 killed in the same period. So, for every militant killed, one joins the ranks. This despite the fact that for the first time in two decades, 13 local militants were killed in one day on April 1 in Shopian in a coordinated operation by security forces. The impact of the political reach-out and calming of the situation by the Centre through special representative Dineshwar Sharma is diminishing in the absence of concrete steps. Mr. Dineshwar Sharma s multiple visits to the State have failed to persuade the stakeholders, including the Hurriyat, to agree to talks. His lack of a clear mandate and failure to push for any major confidence-building measure is only creating a void to be filled by more radical ideologies. (Adapted from The Hindu) 9. Law Commission favours simultaneous elections (Relevant for GS prelims, GS Mains Paper II)






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Simultaneous elections of Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies A draft white paper released by the Law Commission of India recommends holding of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies, possibly in 2019. It suggests amending the Constitution to realise this objective. In a public notice annexed to the draft, the commission, which is the government s highest law advisory body, said the white paper would be circulated to constitutional experts, academia, political parties, bureaucrats, students, etc. The commission, headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice B.S. Chauhan, says opinions and suggestions should come in by May 8, 2018. History The commission says simultaneous elections were held in the country during the first two decades after Independence up to 1967. Dissolution of certain Assemblies in 1968 and 1969 followed by the dissolution of the Lok Sabha led to the disruption of the conduct of simultaneous elections. The panel refers to a January 2017 working paper of the NITI Aayog on simultaneous elections. Solutions The white paper contains a series of possible recommendations of the commission. 1. The first among these is that simultaneous elections may be restored in the nation by amending the Constitution, Representation of the People Act of 1951 and the Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha and Assemblies. 2. It recommends that in 2019, the election could be held in phases. In the first phase, it says, elections to the legislatures which are scheduled to go for polls synchronous with the






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Lok Sabha in 2019 could be held together. The rest of the States could go to elections in proximity with the Lok Sabha elections of 2024. 3. Citing no-confidence motion and premature dissolution of House as major roadblocks to simultaneous elections, the commission says the parties which introduce the no-confidence motion should simultaneously give a suggestion for an alternative government. 4. It even suggests the relaxation of the rigours of the anti-defection law in the Tenth Schedule to prevent a stalemate in the Lok Sabha or Assemblies in case of a hung Parliament or Assembly. 5. The panel says that in case of mid-term elections, the new Lok Sabha or Assembly would only serve the remainder of the term of the previous Lok Sabha/Assembly and not a fresh term of five years. 6. The commission says the Centre should get the Constitutional amendments, if agreed upon, to be ratified by all the States so as to avoid any challenge to them. 7. It also says that the Prime Minister/Chief Minister should be elected to lead by the full House like the Lok Sabha Speaker. (Adapted from the Hindu)

10. Make BCCI a public body: law panel (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) Recommendations of Law Panel on BCCI The 90-year-old Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should be declared a public body. The board and all its member cricket associations should be brought under the Right to Information law regime, the Law Commission of India recommended to the government. Rationale 1. The board s monopolistic activities, directly and indirectly, affect the fundamental rights of citizens, players, and other functionaries. 2. A private citizen should be able to move the highest court against the BCCI for any violation of his fundamental rights. 3. The commission said the board has encouraged an environment of opacity and non-accountability. 4. Corruption concerns There is an impression in the minds of the general public that corruption and other forms of malpractices are adversely affecting Cricket in India. National Sports Federation






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The BCCI virtually acts as a National Sports Federation (NSF). The commission recommended that the Ministry website should explicitly mention BCCI in the list of NSFs. This would automatically bring it within the purview of the RTI Act, the commission said. Listing some of the reasons why it concluded that the BCCI is a limb of the state , the commission pointed out how the cricket board, as an entity, is permitted de facto by the state to represent the country at the international stage. It selects the Indian cricket team. The selected players wear the national colours and are the recipients of Arjuna awards. The ICC recognises BCCI as the official body representing India and neither the government, nor BCCI have ever challenged, discussed or changed the status. (Adapted from The Hindu) 11. Why we need to build on CWG glory? (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) How well did India perform? The Indian contingent returned from the recent Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast in Australia, with its third best haul (66 medals). The earlier highs were in New Delhi, 2010 (101) and Manchester, 2002 (69). The excellent performance was based on the efforts of shooters, wrestlers, weightlifters and boxers, who together accounted for 46 medals. India finished third, bettering its kitty from the previous edition in Glasgow in 2010 by two medals. The euphoria is not misplaced as Indian achievements have been rare in the international arena. It is a significant step for a country that spends daily a mere three paise per person for sport, a fact admitted by Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore. What made this possible? The Indian surge at Gold Coast was made possible by consistent performances in many events. India bagged its maiden mixed team gold in badminton, won both the gold medals at stake in table tennis, and shimmered more with paddler Manika Batra s victories in the women s singles, which will inspire future generations. Besides Batra in the individual list, the overall display showcased the vast potential in the two teenage sensations of Indian shooting: Manu Bhaker and Anish Bhanwala, the youngest in the fray. There were other peaks too on view, thanks to the never-say-die spirit of boxer M.C. Mary Kom, the three-in-a-row by wrestler Sushil Kumar, the facile wins by weight-lifters Mirabai Chanu and Sanjita Chanu, the exemplary javelin-throwing skills of Neeraj Chopra and the double delight of badminton stars Saina Nehwal and P. V. Sindhu jousting in a final which the former won. How will it help for bigger games?






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The fine outing at the Commonwealth Games has bolstered the expectations of an improved show in the Asian Games at Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia during August and September later this year. There is attention too on the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. The confidence in the Indian contingent will be a good base to build a path towards the future. However, it is clear that the challenges in the Asian Games are vastly different from those encountered at the Commonwealth Games. India will have to compete against the all-conquering Chinese, Japanese, the South and North Koreans, Thais, Iranians and those from the breakaway republics of the erstwhile Soviet Union. At Incheon (South Korea) in 2014, India was placed eighth and it can only get tougher. The benchmarks at the Olympics will be higher too but India can take heart from the way it fought and dominated in the Commonwealth Games. What do we need to do? There is no dearth of talent in India and its emerging athletes believe that they can compete with the best in the world. There is potential, and self-belief and these pillars need to be strengthened with a robust sports policy which plans long-term and also finds corporate funding. Often athletes struggle for finances and enjoy a windfall only after they win medals. It is time to build on the results from the Gold Coast. Realistically, there is hardly any time to plan for the imminent Asian Games but there is some leeway for the Tokyo Olympics. What is imperative is effective brainstorming and a precise plan backed with adequate resources to ensure that India, the second populous nation, excels through its athletes over the next two years. The onus is on sports administrators, coaches, athletes, government officials and corporate sponsors to ensure that the gains from Gold Coast are not frittered away. (Adapted from the Hindu) 12. The lowdown on row over SC roster (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) What is it? The master of roster controversy is focussed on the absolute administrative power of the Chief Justice of India to allot cases to his colleagues in the Supreme Court. Over the past few months, the Supreme Court, through two back-to-back judgments, have formalised the convention that the Chief Justice of India is sui generis(unique) in his discretion to decide

which case in the Supreme Court goes to which judge. Both judgments, delivered by a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, agree that he is only a first among the equals as a judge, but none, even his fellow judges, can question his powers as the court s top administrator. To justify its reasoning that the Chief Justice of India is administratively supreme, the two verdicts — in November 2017 and April this year — refer to Rule 1 of the






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Supreme Court Rules of 2013, which indicates that the Chief Justice of India would nominate the judges who would constitute a Bench to hear a cause, appeal or case. The Supreme Court further applies a Rajasthan High Court judgment which holds that the Chief Justice is the master of the roster. The Supreme Court s Constitution Bench, in November 2017, held that the High Court s judgment must apply proprio vigore as regards the power of the Chief Justice of India. How did it come about? The issue gained public interest when four senior-most Supreme Court judges — Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B. Lokur and Kurian Joseph — blamed the recent Chief Justices of India of selectively allotting cases to preferred Benches at a press conference on January 12. A month later, Chief Justice Dipak Misra published a new subject-wise roster for allocation of cases in the Supreme Court. However, the move did not mend matters among the top five judges, especially because the Chief Justice of India, in the new roster, had allocated public interest litigation matters to himself. The April verdict responded to the criticism by again declaring the Chief Justice of India s exclusive duty and authority as master of roster. This judgment was a follow-up of the

November 2017 verdict which first declared that the CJI s dominance over the roster was necessary to protect the Supreme Court from anarchy. Why does it matter? The doubts voiced about the master of roster issue were summed up by senior advocate Dushyant Dave in two quotes. First, Thomas Fuller s Be ye ever so high, the law is above you and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar s After all, the Chief Justice is a man with all the failings... In a recent lecture, the former Delhi High Court Chief Justice, A.P. Shah, said such immense powers should not rest in one person. There is an urgent need to democratise the position of the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justices of the High Courts while deciding the roster. In fact, the November 2017 judgment was triggered by an order of Justice Chelameswar to have a Bench of the senior-most judges hear the Lucknow medical college scam. The issue related to allegations of a conspiracy to bribe Supreme Court judges. The private medical college s case was heard by a Bench led by the Chief Justice. What next? The controversy refuses to die down. Within a couple of days after the April judgment, the former Union Law Minister, Shanti Bhushan, moved the Supreme Court for a judicial declaration that the authority of the Chief Justice of India as master of roster should not be reduced to an arbitrary power. Mr. Bhushan argued that allocation of sensitive cases should be done by the CJI in consultation with his collegium. A Bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan have sought the assistance of Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal. All eyes are on the next hearing scheduled for April 27.






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(Adapted from the Hindu) 13. RS Chairman rejects motion against Chief Justice Misra (Relevant for GS Prelims)

Decision of Rajya Sabha Chairman Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu refused to admit the motion for removal of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, a first in India s constitutional history. Mr. Naidu, in his 10-page order, dealt with the five charges of misbehavior against the CJI and noted that the Opposition was unsure of its own case. Cong. to move court Former Law Minister Kapil Sibal, addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters, responded by announcing that the party would challenge the unprecedented, ill-advised and illegal order in the Supreme Court.

(Adapted from The Hindu) 14. Does Rajya Sabha Chairperson has the power to reject the removal motion of CJI? (Relevant for GS prelims, GS Mains Paper II) What has happened recently? With the Rajya Sabha Chairman rejecting the notice given by 64 Opposition members for the impeachment of the Chief Justice of India, the focus has shifted to the presiding officer s power to admit or reject a motion.






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The Congress, spearheading the move, is planning to approach the Supreme Court. Section 3 of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, says the presiding officer may admit or refuse to admit the motion after holding consultations with such persons as he thinks fit, and considering the material before him. What is the present position? The law is open to interpretation on whether he can reject the motion on merits without sending the charges to a committee for investigation. A common-sense view suggests the Chairman has to apply his mind to the nature of the charge. To argue that he should merely satisfy himself on the number of signatures appended to the motion and straightaway constitute a probe committee is unlikely to find judicial favour. However, it needs a court to delineate the contours of such an interpretation. On what grounds was the motion rejected? Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu held there is little merit in any of the five charges. He has considered the implications for judicial independence if an investigation were ordered into charges that he says are based on mere suspicion and conjecture. He has picked holes in the motion s wording, saying the signatories themselves are unsure of the veracity of the charges. As for the legal foundation of his order, Mr. Naidu has cited the Supreme Court ruling in M. Krishna Swami v. Union of India (1992), which directed the Speaker (or Chairman) to act with utmost care, circumspection and responsibility and to keep equally in mind the seriousness of the imputations, nature and quality of the record before him, and the indelible chilling effect on the public administration of justice and the independence of the judiciary in the estimate of the general public . He has also gone by Mehar Singh Saini (2010) to elaborate on the phrase proved misbehaviour or incapacity , used in Article 124(4) of the Constitution, the ground for impeachment of a Supreme Court judge. What were the nature of charges? What is possibly the main charge — that Justice Misra misused his control over the roster to assign cases selectively with a view to influencing their outcome — is indeed a serious one. But the question is whether impeachment is an option in the absence of concrete material to establish this charge. The Opposition is divided on initiating impeachment proceedings and there are two views within the Congress itself. Taking the matter to court may result in a judicial resolution, but it is unlikely to end the controversy over the functioning of the Supreme Court, an issue that has unfortunately assumed a very political and polarised character. (Adapted from The Hindu) 15. Unpersuasive: on Centre's arguments against elevating Justice Joseph (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II)






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The Centre s objections to the elevation of Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K.M. Joseph to the Supreme Court are unpersuasive and raise suspicion whether his appointment is being blocked for extraneous reasons. Arguments given by centre Basically, there are two broad reasons proffered for freezing the appointment. First, that Justice Joseph is much too junior in the all-India list of judges, with 11 Chief Justices ranked above him. Second, that there is an imbalance in the regional representation in the Supreme Court, something that his appointment will only skew by adding another judge from Kerala. Neither of these reasons holds good. Criticism of Centre s views 1. Seniority is not the sole consideration while elevating a High Court judge to the apex court. Inter se seniority is a consideration when a puisne judge is made a Chief Justice, but it is not sacrosanct in elevation to the Supreme Court. There are quite a few instances of senior judges and Chief Justices being overlooked in favour of a more deserving candidate of outstanding merit. Some of these decisions may evoke criticism, but there is no laid-down norm under which the Supreme Court collegium should draw fresh talent for the highest court only in the order in which an all-India seniority list of High Court judges has been drawn up. 2. Kerala will have two Supreme Court judges were Justice Joseph to be appointed. There was a time when Kerala had three judges in the apex court; also, other courts have been routinely over-represented . While it is desirable that regional imbalances and under-representation are not glaring, this cannot be cited as a factor to shoot down the candidature of a person otherwise qualified and validly recommended. What are the allegations against Centre? Not surprisingly, the Centre s decision has been accompanied by suspicions and allegations that Justice Joseph is being targeted for his 2016 judgment quashing the proclamation of President s Rule in Uttarakhand. What happens from now on will depend on how the collegium reacts. What should be done? In the light of its strong recommendation that Justice Joseph is more deserving and suitable in all respects than other Chief Justices and senior puisne judges , it will be no surprise if it reiterates the recommendation. Then the government is bound to abide by the collegium s decision. In that event, the Centre should not prolong the controversy further by seeking to block his elevation again. There is a strong perception, even within the judiciary, that the government is much too slow when it comes to approving judicial appointments. A conflict between the judiciary and the executive over particular






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appointments is not in the public interest. Besides allowing Justice Joseph s appointment to go through, efforts must be made to finalise a revised memorandum of procedure for appointments so that the case of one judge does not turn into a flashpoint for a sustained conflict between the two branches. (Adapted from The Hindu) 16. Appointment of SC Judge (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance)

Uttarakhand Chief Justice K.M. Joseph name not approved Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said the government was free to send back Uttarakhand Chief Justice K.M. Joseph s name to the Supreme Court Collegium for re-consideration. Indu Malhotra approved Dismissing claims that the government had cherry-picked senior advocate Indu Malhotra for appointment as Supreme Court judge over Justice Joseph, Chief Justice Misra, heading a three-judge Bench, said it was unthinkable, unimaginable, inconceivable for the court to stay the presidential warrant for the appointment of Ms. Malhotra.






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Reason for rejecting file The government has already sent Justice Joseph s file back to the Collegium for re-consideration. The grounds for returning the file include Justice Joseph s relative juniority among High Court Chief Justices. The government has said he is the 42nd in the All-India High Court Judges Seniority List and there were 10 High Court Chief Justices senior to him. Besides, the government said, the Kerala High Court was too small a court to be represented by two Supreme Court judges. The Supreme Court already has Justice Kurian Joseph, the fifth senior-most judge and a Collegium member. Lawyers plea Barely an hour after the government communication to the CJI was made known, an urgent mention was made by 100 lawyers of the Supreme Court to stay the appointment of Ms. Malhotra. They said that though they were solidly behind Ms. Malhotra, they were equally anguished by the fact that she was cleared over Justice Joseph. The names of both Ms. Malhotra and Justice Joseph were recommended on January 11 by the Collegium. The Collegium had then recorded that there was no match for Justice Joseph in merit. Procedure for appointment of Supreme Court Judge Article 124(1) of the Constitution provides for 1 Chief Justice of India (CJI) and not more than 30 other judges subject to the law made by Parliament. Parliament prescribes the strength of Supreme Court judges to be 31. Article 124(2): CJI shall be appointed by the President after consulting such number of Judges of Supreme Court and High Court as he/she may deem necessary for the purpose. However, while appointing other judges of the Supreme Court, the President shall consult CJI and such other judges of Supreme Court and High Court as he may deem necessary for the purpose. Similarly, Article 217 deals with the appointment of High Court judges. A High Court judge should be appointed by the President after consultation with the CJI, the Governor of the state, and the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court. Criticism of the Constitutional Provisions Providing for Appointment of Supreme Court and High Court Judges 1. The above provisions do not clearly specify the role of consultation in the appointment of judges, i.e., whether it is binding or not on the President. 2. The above provisions do not state the exact number of judges. President is required to consult. Emergence of Collegium System Detailed role and composition of Collegium for the appointment of judges of Supreme Court and appointment and transfer of judges of High Court has been laid down by Supreme Court itself through two judgements:






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Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association (SCARA) vs. Union of India (1993) Under this case, the Supreme Court gave the following directions relating to the appointment of judges of Supreme Court and appointment and transfer of judges of High Court: 1. President shall give primary consideration to the opinion of Chief Justice of India while appointing the judges, i.e., President is required to make appointments according to the opinion of CJI. 2. The opinion of CJI is basically opinion of Judiciary expressed through CJI, i.e., CJI is required to consult other judges while giving opinion. 3. President may, only with logical reasons, ask the CJI to reconsider his opinion. 4. The whole process of consultation shall be in writing. 5. While appointing judges, seniority principle (in terms of number of years served) should be followed. Appointment of Judges Case (1998) The Supreme Court has further clarified the process relating to appointment and transfer of judges in this case. 1. While appointing the judges of the Supreme Court, CJI shall consult four senior most judges of the Supreme Court. 2. While transferring a High Court judge, apart from consulting four senior most judges of the Supreme Court, CJI shall also consult the Chief Justice of High Court from where the judge is being transferred and the Chief Justice of High Court to where the judge is being transferred. 3. While appointing the judges of the High Court, the CJI shall consult two senior most judges of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned. 4. In all the above cases, if next in line to become Chief Justice of India is not included then he too shall be included. 5. If the President requires the CJI to reconsider the opinion, the same panel which made recommendations earlier shall be reconstituted. 6. No opinion contrary to that of CJI shall be communicated to the President. 7. Similarly, if two or more judges (other than CJI) give an adverse opinion, such opinion shall not be communicated to the President. (Adapted from The Hindu and background from PrepMate-Cengage Polity book, Page 145)






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17. Naroda Patiya case (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance) On April 29, survivors of the massacre at Naroda Patiya, where 97 people were killed in the 2002 riots of Gujarat, will gather to discuss their future course of action. On April 20, the Gujarat High Court acquitted former BJP Minister Maya Kodnani, who had been jailed for being the kingpin of the violence. Advocate Shamsad Pathan, who appeared for the victims in the case, admitted that the verdict amounted to a big setback and they would have to decide how to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the verdict. What happened? On February 28, 2002, a mob of around 5,000 people, led by Bajarang Dal leader Babu Bajarangi, gathered at Naroda Patiya and attacked the lower middle-class Muslim hub. The riots that lasted almost the whole day left 97 people dead and many injured. Houses were looted and shrines destroyed. Among the dead were 36 women and 35 children. Where do victims live? After the riot, survivors shifted to safe places such as Narol, Juhapur and Vatva. Even after 16 years of the violence, only a handful of families have returned to their original homes, while the rest have settled in other places. It s no use going back there because it only brings us memories of those brutally killed,

said a victim, now settled in Juhapura. He lost three members of his family. In 2012, Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years in jail for her role in the riots in Naroda Patiya. The riots broke out after the Godhra train carnage, in which 58 kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya lost their lives. It was one of the worst communal flare-ups in the State, in which over 1,000 people were killed. Why was she acquitted? At a hearing in the case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the Supreme Court to reinvestigate the most crucial cases of the riots, had told the trial court that a day after the Godhra incident, 11 people had seen Kodnani inciting mobs in the Naroda area, her Assembly constituency in north Ahmedabad. The witnesses told the court that they saw her handing out swords to rioters, and at one point even firing a pistol. However, after a protracted battle in the High Court during which several judges recused themselves from hearing her appeal, the Division Bench of Justices Harsha Devani and A.S. Supehia, which had reserved its order last August, observed that the witness statements were inconsistent and had failed to prove Kodnani s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Justices Devani and Supehia said the investigation carried out by the SIT did not inspire much confidence.






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Of the 32 persons convicted by the trial court, the High Court upheld the conviction of 13 persons, acquitting 18, including the key accused, while one convict died during the appeal pending in the court. The High Court also reduced the quantum of sentence awarded to all convicts to 21 years in jail. Additionally, the High Court convicted three others, who were among the 29 persons acquitted by the trial court, and their sentences will be announced on May 9. They are Umesh Bharwad, P.J. Rajput and lawyer Rajkumar Chaumal. In 2003, the Supreme Court stayed the proceedings in nine most crucial cases, including the Naroda Patiya case, on a petition filed by the National Human Rights Commission and Citizens for Justice and Peace, an NGO. In 2008, the court constituted a SIT, headed by former CBI Director R.K. Raghavan, to reinvestigate these nine cases, and special courts were set up to conduct fast-track trials under the monitoring of the Supreme Court. What lies ahead? Working with Jan Sangharsh Manch, an outfit set up by the late advocate Mukul Sinha to fight for justice for the victims of the riots, Mr. Pathan is bringing survivors, witnesses and others together to chalk out a strategy for their legal battle in the Supreme Court. (Adapted from The Hindu)






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International Organizations and Relations 1. Nepalese PM K.P. Oli and his relationship with India (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper II) It is wholly in keeping with other contradictions in Nepal Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli s political career that he should have emerged victorious from one of the country s most divisive campaigns to lead a rainbow coalition of parties with everyone ranging from Maoists to royalists and Nepal s hill elite to Madhesi parties in it. What is his aim? During the 2017 campaign, he often targeted India, and by extension, the Madhesis who claimed support from India. In March 2017, after the Oli-led Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN- UML) launched its election campaign, several Madhesi activists protested, and at least three were killed in clashes at Rajbiraj. But as Prime Minister, Mr. Oli, whose coalition won two-thirds of the seats, has made India his first visit abroad. At home, he is trying to build a maximalist government, winning the support of Madhesi parties like the FSFN and the RJNP that he is expected to support in the provincial government in turn. In an interview to The Hindu, Mr. Oli claimed that not only had he won 88% of the votes in the confidence motion in Parliament, most other members would have liked to vote for him too, if they had not been bound by party norms. It is an irony that Mr. Oli, often seen as the rebel within his own party, now strives for the mantle of Nepal s most widely popular leader. What is his politics? Called Dhruba as a child, Mr. Oli grew up in eastern Nepal s Jhapa, brought up by his grandmother after his mother died of smallpox when he was just four. As a teenager, he took part in the Jhapa revolt or the peasant uprising against landowners in 1967. At 18, he signed up for the Communist party, and was almost immediately arrested. Now an ultra-nationalist, he was once a part of ultra-left-wing plots against Nepal s elite, inspired by India s Naxal movement. Although he rarely refers to his time in and out of prison, where he spent more than 14 years, his associates say he was moulded by his experiences there. He has learnt to count on himself more than anyone else, even if that makes him a loner,

said one journalist who has known Mr. Oli for decades. He also taught himself in prison, and while he never completed a degree, he made himself conversant with philosophy and history and fluent in English by reading. Is he pro-India? Mr. Oli was released in 1987 and formed a front that brought down the Panchayat regime, and later launched the CPN-UML. In the 1990s, Mr. Oli gained administrative experience as Home Minister and also played a major role in supporting the Mahakali water-sharing agreement with India. The CPN-UML split over what it called an unequal agreement, but






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Mr. Oli remained an outlier. He was seen supporting a pro-India stance, a far cry from his more recent role against India during the promulgation of Nepal s Constitution, and the four-month economic blockade that followed. What happens next? According to supporters, he is the most energetic leader they have seen for years, though the 66-year-old has had several health problems, including a kidney transplant in 2007 in Delhi. But the most curious contradiction remains one of his faith. Ideologically, Mr. Oli is no more the young radical youth of the 1970s. But he will preside, according to plan, over the merger of his party with Maoists on April 22 to create a unified Communist Party of Nepal. He balances his communist beliefs with a hearty dose of religiosity, including attending all religious events and frequently quotes Sanskrit slokas. Asked whether he felt he faced more challenges ahead, Mr. Oli said he feared nothing as long as he had the blessings of Pashupatinath. Perhaps as an acknowledgement to his earlier motivators Marx and Lenin, however, Mr. Oli took his oath in the name of the Nepali people, not God as is the norm, when he was sworn in as Prime Minister. (Adapted from The Hindu) 2. Fifteen years after: on Iraq war (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) Endless Iraq war Fifteen years ago, a few weeks into the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, a 39-foot statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad s al-Fardous Square was brought down under the watch of American troops. It was an iconic moment that highlighted more than just the end of the Ba ath party s decades-long reign. Within a month, U.S. President George W. Bush had declared mission accomplished in Iraq. But one and a half decades later, the country is still fighting

the ghosts of the destructive war. Lack of legitimacy The war, which began on March 20, 2003, had no legitimate basis, being founded on misleading intelligence information, if not downright lies. The U.S. did not have a UN mandate to use force against Iraq. Repeated attempts by the Bush administration to get Security Council approval failed. Fought on false claims But the U.S. went ahead with forming an international coalition that included the U.K., and attacking Iraq, citing mainly two reasons — that the Saddam administration possessed weapons of mass destruction and that it had ties with al-Qaeda. Both claims turned out to be false. The occupying troops failed to find any weapon of mass destruction in Iraq, while al-Qaeda in Iraq was actually founded after the invasion.






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Disastrous post war management The post-war management of Iraq was disastrous. The U.S. first disbanded the Iraqi military, leaving tens of thousands of soldiers jobless overnight, which posed a security threat. There was no coherent strategy to stabilise post-Saddam Iraq or to address the sectarian power struggle to fill the vacuum. Massive death and destruction It is difficult to see what the U.S. and its allies achieved from a war that killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and displaced millions. More importantly, by destroying the state apparatus in Iraq, Washington threw a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country into utter chaos. Rise of ISIS It was in this chaos that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi found the fertile ground to build his terrorist empire which, after his death and under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, transformed itself into the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. In effect, the war got rid of a ruthless dictator, but left the country in a worse and much more dangerous situation — in fact, in disarray and perpetual violence. Present position of Iraq Iraq now has a functional government, but with deepening sectarian and ethnic fault lines. Despite the humanitarian and political tragedy that is still unfolding, none of the architects of the war has been taken to task. No action has been taken even based on the U.K. s Chilcot report, which took apart the arguments used to justify the war. The Iraq war will remain a reminder of not only one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes of the century but also of a grave failure of the international system. (Adapted from the Hindu) 3. U.S., Britain, France rain over 100 missiles on Syria (Relevant for GS Prelims) U.S., British and French forces struck Syria with more than 100 missiles in the first coordinated Western strikes against the Damascus government, targeting what they called chemical weapons sites in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack. Major escalation The bombing represents a major escalation in the West s confrontation with Mr. Assad s superpower ally Russia but is unlikely to alter the course of a multi-sided war which has killed at least half-a-million people in the past seven years. That, in turn, raises the question of where Western countries go from here, after a volley of strikes denounced by Damascus and Moscow as reckless and pointless.






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Response of Assad government Syria released video of the wreckage of a bombed-out research lab, but also of President Bashar al-Assad arriving at work as usual, with the caption morning of resilience. There were no immediate reports of casualties, with Damascus allies saying the buildings hit had been evacuated in advance. The strikes had been limited so far to Syria s chemical weapons facilities. (Adapted from The Hindu) 4. Koreas to talk peace (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) What the high-stakes meeting is all about What is the inter-Korean summit? The leaders of North and South Korea, Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in, will meet in the demilitarised zone between the two countries on Friday to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the official end to the Korean War (1950-53) which has technically still not concluded. How did the summit come about?






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North Korea had conducted a number of nuclear and ballistic missile tests under Mr. Kim s rule, including in 2017, defying United Nations Security Council Resolutions. Consequently, tensions ran high between stakeholders in the region as Mr. Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump exchanged threats of war. Mr. Moon, who took over as President of South Korea last May, has been a proponent of engagement between the Koreas, a cause he has pushed. In his 2018 New Year s Day speech, Mr. Kim said he would send a North Korean delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February. Since then, there have been several high-level diplomatic meetings leading to the setting up of the summit. How is the U.S. involved in peace talks? The U.S. is a major stakeholder in the region where two of its key allies, South Korea and Japan, are located. The U.S has over 28,000 troops in South Korea and the country s involvement in peace talks is to be expected. As the thaw occurred, Mr. Kim conveyed his willingness to talk with Mr. Trump via the South Koreans. The two leaders will meet at the end of May or in early June. U.S. Secretary of State nominee, Mike Pompeo, made a secret visit to Pyongyang to meet with Mr. Kim around April 1, possibly to prepare for the Trump-Kim summit. The outcome of the U.S.-North Korea meeting is particularly difficult to predict because both Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump are unpredictable and prone to dramatic gestures. According to Mr. Moon, the North Koreans have not demanded that U.S. troops withdraw from South Korea as a precondition for denuclearisation but have asked for security and an end to hostility. Mr. Trump, whilst praising Mr. Kim, has said that sanctions will remain in place until a deal is reached. What about China? China is the largest trading partner of both North and South Korea. Some 90% of North Korea s trade passes through China. Mr. Kim has had a cooler approach to China relative to his father or grandfather, both of whom ran North Korea before him. As China participated in UN sanctions against North Korea, the relationship between the two countries was further strained. Mr. Kim made a sudden visit to Beijing last month — his first foreign trip as North Korea s leader, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to visit Pyongyang later this year. His manoeuvres could be a clever strategy to engage with all stakeholders, some of whom, like the U.S. and China, have competing interests in the region. Reaching out to China before talks with the U.S. could also provide some backing to North Korea. It is likely though that Mr. Kim will want to reduce North Korea s dependence on China over the longer term. China, on the other hand, is unlikely to be satisfied for long with the side role that it seems to be playing at the moment in the peace process. (Adapted from The Hindu) 5. A day of smiles as Koreas aim for denuclearization (Relevant for GS Mains Paper II) Kim Jong-un, Moon Jae-in promise an end to Korean war The leaders of North and South Korea embraced after pledging to work for the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula , on a day of smiles and handshakes at the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade.






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Earlier, Kim Jong-un became the first North Korean leader since the 1950-53 Korean War to set foot in South Korea, after shaking hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in over a concrete curb marking the border in the heavily fortified demilitarized zone. To work with U.S., China The two Koreas announced they would work with the U.S. and China this year to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War and seek an agreement on permanent and solid peace. The Panmunjom Declaration, named after the truce village that hosted the talks, included promises to pursue phased arms reduction, cease hostile acts, transform their fortified border into a peace zone and seek multilateral talks with other countries, including the U.S. President Moon Jae-in agreed to visit the North Korean capital Pyongyang later this year, they said. Difference from the past Scenes of Mr. Moon and Mr. Kim joking and walking together marked a striking contrast to last year s barrage of North Korean missile tests and its largest-ever nuclear test that led to sweeping international sanctions and fears of war. Their meeting comes weeks before Mr. Kim is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in what would be the first-ever meeting between sitting leaders of the two countries. After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between

North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell! Mr. Trump said on Twitter. KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea! (Adapted from The Hindu) 6. Common wealth? on Commonwealth leaders summit (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper II) CHOGM London: Attempt to revive The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in London came with hopes of a re-energised Commonwealth . To begin with, the summit was being held in the U.K., the founder of the grouping of mostly former British colonies, after 32 years. Besides, Queen Elizabeth II, the head of CHOGM, attended the summit, which she has done infrequently in the last few years owing to her health. CHOGM members were looking to revive the 53-nation grouping as Commonwealth 2.0, amidst Britain s rocky exit from the EU. Greater role expected from India In India too, the summit was seen to be a promising place to play a leadership role, and Prince Charles s visit to Delhi to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi bolstered that belief. Mr. Modi was the first Indian Prime Minister to attend CHOGM in a decade, after






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Manmohan Singh skipped the summits in Australia (2011) and Sri Lanka (2013) over bilateral differences, and Mr. Modi skipped the summit in Malta (2015) out of indifference. So it was widely expected that India would step up to a bigger role, and help chart a future course for the Commonwealth. Outcome of commonwealth 1. Given the expectations, the outcome of the meet was underwhelming. It was announced Prince Charles would succeed his mother as the head of the Commonwealth, ignoring calls for the position to be more democratically shared or rotated. 2. There were substantive statements on the Blue Charter on Ocean Governance and on the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment, which could together counter China s Belt and Road Initiative. But there was little by way of a road map to achieve the goals. 3. Prime Minister Theresa May apologised for her Home Office s threat to deport thousands of immigrants brought as manual labour in the 1940s on the ship Empire Windrush from the Caribbean but failed to convince most members of the Commonwealth that Britain would reverse its policies on immigration. The U.K. s hard line on Indian illegals , which prevented the signing of a bilateral agreement on immigrant returns between Mr. Modi and Ms. May, too indicates that post-Brexit London is likely to welcome trade in goods from the Commonwealth, not services. Way forward The Commonwealth remains a great platform for development aid, democratic values and educational opportunities, but its relevance is unlikely to increase unless it adopts a more egalitarian and inclusive attitude to its next generation of Commonwealth citizens, to partake in a prosperity their forefathers built. COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organization of 53-member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire. Commonwealth countries span Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific and are diverse—they are amongst the world s largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries. Thirty-one of Commonwealth members are classified as small states—countries with a population size of 1.5 million people or less. The headquarters of Commonwealth is located at London, the United Kingdom. Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Every two years, the heads of governments of Commonwealth states meet to discuss issues affecting the Commonwealth and the wider world at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). All members have an equal say—regardless of size or economic stature. This ensures even the smallest of member states has a voice in shaping the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the Commonwealth. The Queen is also the monarch of 16 members of the






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Commonwealth, known as Commonwealth realms. The other Commonwealth members have different heads of state: 31 members are republics and five are monarchies with a native monarch. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015, also known as CHOGM 2015, was the 24th meeting of the heads of government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Malta. The 25th CHOGM was originally scheduled to be held in Vanuatu in 2017 but could not be held after a cyclone devastated the country s infrastructure in March 2015. The meeting was rescheduled for April 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Adapted from The Hindu and Background from PrepMate-Cengage IOBR Book, Chapter 2) 7. India s performance in Commonwealth games (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) What are Commonwealth games? Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organization of 53-member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire. Commonwealth countries span Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific and are diverse—they are amongst the world s largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries. Thirty-one of Commonwealth members are classified as small states—countries with a population size of 1.5 million people or less. The headquarters of Commonwealth is located at London, the United Kingdom. Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, a multi-sport event, is held every four years; the 2010 Commonwealth Games were held in New Delhi, India, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games were held in Glasgow, Scotland. The 2018 Commonwealth Games were held at Gold Coast, Australia. A summary of India's overall performance at the Gold Coast games India finished third in the medals tally at the Commonwealth Games 2018with 66 medals (26 Gold, 20 Silver and 20 Bronze). Only Australia with 198 medals and England with 136 were ahead. India's 26 Golds was also third, behind Australia (80) and England (45). The list of India s medal winners at the Gold Coast Games: Gold (26) Saina Nehwal clinched women s singles gold in badminton. Boxer Vikas Krishan wins gold in 75kg category at Commonwealth Games.





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Manika Batra wins gold in table tennis women's singles, becoming the first Indian woman to do so. Vinesh Phogat wins gold in women s wrestling freestyle 50 kg Nordic event. Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian javelin thrower to claim a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. In the 52kg Boxing event Gaurav Solanki won gold. In wrestling, Sumit Malik claimed the gold medal in the men s freestyle 125 kg. Sanjeev Rajput won gold in 50m Rifle 3 Position shooting event. M.C. Mary Kom won 45-48 kg category boxing event, claiming gold in her debut Commonwealth Games. Bajrang Punia won the gold medal in freestyle 65kg wrestling. Tejaswini Sawant won the 50m rifle position event 15-year-old Anish Bhanwala bagged gold in men's 25m rapid fire pistol. In men's freestyle 74kg wrestling, double Olympic-medallist Sushil Kumarwon gold. Rahul Aware added another gold medal to India's tally, winning in the Men's Freestyle 57kg wrestling event. In the double trap women shooting, India's Shreyasi Singh won gold. Shooter Heena Sidhu won gold in 25m pistol event to give India its 11th gold medal in the Games. The Indian mixed team badminton claimed gold for the first time in the Games' history. In the 10m men's air pistol event, India's Jitu Rai won gold. This is his second Commonwealth gold. In the women's table tennis event, the Indian team won its first ever Commonwealth gold medal. In 10m women's air pistol, Manu Bhaker won gold and added sixth gold for India at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Weightlifter Punam Yadav became the third woman to win gold for India, coming out on top in the women's 69 kg category at the CWG 2018.






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Weightlifter Venkat Rahul Ragala became the fourth Indian to claim a gold medal in the men's 85 kg category. Weightlifter Satish Kumar Sivalingam won India's third gold in the men s 77kg category. Weightlifter Sanjita Chanu landed India its second gold medal, winning the top spot in the women s 53kg category. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu was the first gold medal winner for India, on the opening day, in the women's 48 kg category. Indian men s table tennis team wins gold beating Nigeria 3-0. Silver (20) P.V. Sindhu picked up the women s singles silver medal in badminton playing against Saina Nehwal. Kidambi Srikanth settled for badminton silver. Dipika Pallikal Karthik and Joshna Chinappa settle for silver in women s doubles squash. In mixed doubles squash, Dipika Pallikal and Saurav Ghosal claim silver. Boxer Manish Kaushik won silver in the Men's 60 kg category. India s Amit Panghal won silver after losing a very close bout in the Boxing Men s 46-49kg Final. Manika Batra and Mouma Das fought hard before going down against defending champions Feng Tianwei and Yu Mengyu to settle for a silver medal in the women s doubles, a first ever for India in the Commonwealth Games. Anjum Moudgil bagged silver in the women s 50m rifle 3 positions event. Wrestler Pooja Dhanda made a late push in the women s 57kg final bout to win silver. Wrestler Mausam Khatri failed to make use of his wealth of experience as he settled for a silver medal in men s freestyle 97 kg event. Seema Punia came up with a best effort of 60.41m in the women's discus throw, which she did in her opening attempt to win her fourth successive CWG medal Mehuli Ghosh won silver in the 10m women's air rifle event. In the 105-category weightlifting for men, Pradeep Singh won the silver.






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In 10m women's air pistol, Heena Sidhu won the silver and added second silver for India at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Weightlifter P. Gururaja opened India s medal account on the first competition day, claiming a silver in the men s 56kg category. Tejaswini Sawant won a silver medal in 50m prone finals in shooting. Wrestler Babita Kumari won silver in 53kg event. Bronze (20) Manika Batra and G. Sathiyan claimed mixed doubles bronze in table tennis. Sharath Kamal claimed bronze in table tennis Men's Singles. Harmeet Desai and Sanil Shankar Shetty bagged bronze in the men s doubles Table Tennis competition. Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy win bronze at women's doubles badminton. In wrestling, Somveer claims bronze in Men's Freestyle 86 kg. In wrestling, Sakshi Malik claimed bronze in the Women's Freestyle 62 kg. Naman Tanwar won bronze in the boxing Men's 91 kg. Manoj Kumar won bronze in the boxing Men's 69 kg. Hussamuddin Mohammed won bronze in the boxing Men's 56 kg. Divya Kakran won bronze medal in the women s freestyle 68 kg by outplaying Bangladesh s Sherin Sultana 4-0. In the women's discus throw, Navjeet Dhillon grabbed the bronze with her final throw of 57.43m. In women's freestyle 76kg wrestling event, Kiran bagged a bronze medal. Delhi-born Ankur Mittal claimed the bronze in men's double trap shooting event. Om Mitharval won bronze in the 50m men's pistol event and in the 10m men's air pistol event. India's Apurvi Chandela won bronze in the 10m women's air rifle event.






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One more medal for weightlifting, Vikas Thakur added a shade of bronze to Indian weightlifters golden run at the Commonwealth Games, claiming the third position in the 94kg category by equalling his personal best. Ravi Kumar settles for bronze in men s 10m air rifle event at 21st Commonwealth Games. Teenager Deepak Lather from Haryana became the youngest Indian weightlifter to claim a Commonwealth Games medal, clinching a bronze in the men s 69kg category. Sachin Chaudhary did the country proud by bagging a bronze medal in the men s heavyweight category in para powerlifting of the XXI Commonwealth Games. Comparison with 2014 performance India's combined 66 medals is its third best showing in the history of the Games. India's best remains 101 in New Delhi (2010), followed by 69 in Manchester (2002). India bettered its showing in Glasgow 2014, where we finished fifth overall, by just two medals. In Glasgow, India claimed 15 Gold, 30 Silver and 19 Bronze. India's best Gold tally of 38 came at home in 2010. What next? India s reputation took a beating when A.V. Rakesh Babu and K.T. Irfan were packed off from the Games for violation of the no needle policy after needles were found in their rooms. This aberration must not go unaddressed against the backdrop of successes of other Indian athletes. With the next Asian Games scheduled in August-September in Jakarta, Indonesia, India is expected to build on the gains from the Gold Coast. Based on the quality of recent performances, India could improve upon its 2014 tally of 11 gold, 10 silver and 36 bronze medals. Considering the Asian standards of table tennis, badminton, shooting, wrestling, weightlifting and field events in athletics, it will be over-optimistic to expect a gold haul anywhere close to what the Indians managed from the Gold Coast. Chopra, Chanu, Sushil, the badminton players in singles, besides select shooters, will hope to do well. But India will certainly try to register a better show in hockey where the men s team will defend its Asian Games title, and automatically qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Till then, the CWG has held a mirror up to Indian sport and found a refreshing reflection. (Adapted from The Hindu)






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Economics 1. RBI switches back to GDP scale to measure economy (Relevant for GS prelims and GS Mains Paper III) Dumps GVA methodology as it cites global best practices The Reserve Bank switched back to the gross domestic product (GDP)-based measure to offer its growth estimates from the gross value added (GVA) methodology, citing global best practices. The government had started analysing growth estimates using GVA methodology from January 2015 and had also changed the base year to 2018 from January. Demand perspective While GVA gives a picture of the state of economic activity from the producers side or supply side, the GDP model gives the picture from the consumers side or demand perspective. What is Global trend? Globally, the performance of most economies is gauged in terms of gross domestic product (GDP). This is also the approach followed by multilateral institutions, international analysts and investors, and primarily they all stick to these norms because it facilitates easy cross-country comparisons. Gross Value Addedor GDP (FC) Gross value added (GVA) is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry, or sector of economy. Relationship to GDP GVA is linked to GDP, as both are measures of output. The relationship is defined as follows: GVA + Taxes on products − Subsidies on products = GDP Why GVA is Calculated? 1. GVA and GDP give a picture of economic activity from producers (supply side) and consumers (demand side) perspective, respectively, because GVA is the net receipt of the producers and GDP is the expenditure incurred by the consumers. 2. Both these measures need not match and there could be a sharp divergence due to net indirect taxes NIT = indirect taxes − subsidies), which are counted in GDP calculations (GDP is the sum of GVA and NIT). 3. GVA provides a better measure of economic activity because GDP can record a sharp increase just on account of increased tax collections due to better compliance/coverage and not necessarily due to increase in output.






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4. GVA is a better reflection of the productivity of the producers as it excludes the indirect taxes, which could distort the production process. 5. A sector-wise breakdown provided by the GVA measure can better help policymakers to decide which sectors need incentives/stimulus or vice versa. (Adapted from the Hindu and Background from PrepMate-Cengage Economic Book, Chapter 1 Page-4) 2. Undermining of multilateral by US (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains paper III) Import duties levy This week has seen rounds of tit-for-tat tariffs between the U.S. and China, set off by U.S. President Donald Trump levying import duties of 25% and 10% on American steel and aluminium imports, respectively, in early March. Rationale given by Donald Trump Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly used the U.S. trade deficit of over $500 billion as a barometer for the country s lot in the international trade order, has railed against the U.S. being treated unfairly by its trading partners, often singling out China. Biasness in US import policy While it is true that China produces approximately half the world s steel and that the European Union, India and other countries have complained about international steel markets being flooded with Chinese steel, only 3% of U.S. steel is sourced from China. Interestingly, among those exempted from the tariffs are Canada and Mexico, top sources for U.S steel imports. Mr. Trump has linked the threat of tariffs to the North American Free Trade Agreement, a trade deal among the U.S., Canada and Mexico that Mr. Trump has pried open for renegotiation. Tit for tat Earlier this week China retaliated with tariffs that would impact $3 billion worth of American goods. This was followed by the U.S. proposing tariffs on more than $50 billion of Chinese goods, including in the aerospace, robotics and communication industries — the outcome of an investigation of several months into whether Chinese policies were placing unreasonable obligations on U.S. companies to transfer technology and hand over intellectual property while setting up shop in China. Beijing responded with a second round of proposed tariffs impacting a similar value of U.S. imports into China. Mr. Trump has now asked the U.S. Trade Representative to examine if an additional $100 billion worth of goods can be taxed. Chances for settlement





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Since the proposed tariffs have not kicked off, there may be room for negotiation. The economic ties between the countries are deep; China holds some $1.2 trillion in U.S. debt, and it is in everyone s interest to avoid escalating matters. Undermining multilaterism However, the larger cause for concern here is that Mr. Trump continues to undermine the World Trade Organisation and the international world trade order, now that it has served the West well and developing countries are in a significantly stronger position than when the WTO came into existence in 1995. Mr. Trump has pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, is pushing changes to NAFTA and has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement to combat climate change. While large-scale protectionism and unilateralism may please some of Mr. Trump s constituents in the short run, undermining existing rules arbitrarily serves no nation, including the U.S., in the long run. In the current climate, it is therefore especially important for India to be a good steward for responsible globalisation. (Adapted from The Hindu) 3. The lowdown on poor loan recovery (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III) What is it? The Centre earlier this month told Parliament that non-performing assets (NPAs) worth Rs. 2.41 lakh crore have been written off from the books of public sector banks between April 2014 and September 2017. Since the banks were able to recover only 11% of the distressed loans worth Rs. 2.7 lakh crore within the stipulated time, the rest had to be written off as per regulations. The government, however, clarified that the defaulters will have to pay back the loans, though they were written off. So, a write-off is technically different from a loan waiver in which the borrower is exempted from repayment. This, of course, does not mean banks will manage to collect the dues from defaulting borrowers. How did it come about? For long, India has lacked a proper legal framework to help creditors recover their money from borrowers. According to the World Bank, the country ranks 103rd in the world in bankruptcy resolution, with the average time taken to resolve a case of bankruptcy extending well over four years. Banks in India, in fact, are able to recover on an average only about 25% of their money from defaulters as against 80% in the U.S. Public sector banks have also been lenient in collecting their dues from defaulting borrowers because of pressure from powerful interest groups. Instead of classifying sour loans as troubled assets and taking action to recover them, banks have often chosen to hide such assets using unethical accounting techniques.






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Since 2014, however, the Reserve Bank of India has been stepping up efforts to force both private and public-sector banks to truthfully recognize the size of bad loans on their books. This caused the reported size of stressed assets to increase manifold in the last few years. Why does it matter? The news about the huge loan write-off comes amid the Union government s efforts over the last few years to expedite the process of bankruptcy and improve recoveries. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which came into force last year, was the most notable among them. Many large corporations, as well as smaller enterprises, have been admitted undergoing liquidation under the IBC so that the proceeds can be used to pay back banks. The poor loan recovery reported by the government reflects poorly on the ability of the new bankruptcy law to help banks recover loans and mounts more pressure on bank balance sheets. It is notable that the Centre recently vowed to inject Rs. 2.11 lakh crore into public sector banks to cushion their balance sheets from the impact of bad loans. The poor recovery may increase the size of funds the Centre will have to allocate for the purpose. What lies ahead? It seems unlikely that banks will be able to drastically improve their rate of recoveries since the new bankruptcy code is far from perfect. Its critics say the IBC is focussed more on the time-bound resolution of proceedings than on maximizing the amount of money banks can recover from stressed loans. In particular, since there are strict time-limits imposed on the resolution process, there is the imminent danger that it may lead to the fire-sale of valuable assets at cheap prices. This can affect investment incentives. But, for now, the quick resolution of bad loans will free resources from struggling firms and hand them to the more efficient ones. (Adapted from The Hindu) 4. What govt. can do to keep fuel prices under check (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) Petrol and diesel prices touched record levels over the weekend with petrol selling at ₹74.40 a litre, the highest it s been under the current government s tenure and diesel at Rs. 65.65, largely due to rising global crude oil prices but also on high excise duty on the fuels. How are oil prices behaving? Crude oil prices rose at a scorching 24% in the first three months of 2018 before hitting a 40-month high in April following a decline in global inventories, largely caused by the production cuts by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members and also by geopolitical tensions in West Asia. Agencies such as Crisil Research expect crude oil prices to settle at about $70 a barrel during the calendar year of 2018, representing a 27% increase over last year s level. As a consequence, India s oil import bill is expected to balloon by about 26% to Rs. 6.5 lakh crore in FY19.






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What is the impact of taxes? The other aspect has to do with the excise duty on petrol and diesel, imposed by the government, which has risen sharply over the last few years. According to data with the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the excise duty on branded petrol is Rs. 20.66 a litre or almost 28% of the total price of the fuel. This proportion is 27% for branded diesel. Excise duties have risen significantly since 2013-14, accounting for 22-25% of the retail

prices of petrol and diesel respectively, compared with 12-15% earlier when crude prices were at similar levels, Crisil had said. What can be done? The advantage of linking domestic fuel prices to the global oil market, as India has done, is that oil marketing companies (OMCs) are no longer forced to sell fuel at subsidised rates. But on the flip side, as can be seen now, is that the consumer is forced to buy fuel at high prices when global price levels are elevated. So, one thing the government can do, and which it is reportedly considering doing, is to ask the OMCs to refrain from passing on the higher oil prices to consumers. In other words, this would represent a return to the previous subsidy regime, albeit somewhat better. If crude price hikes are not allowed to be largely passed on to consumers, the marketing margins of OMCs will decline by 80 paise to Rs. 1 per litre, Rahul Prithiani, director, Crisil Research said in the report. However, that would still be better than the Rs. 1-1.5 per litre margins they have earned historically. Is that all? The government can always reduce the excise duty on petrol and diesel thereby earning a lower revenue but at least easing some burden on the consumers. However, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently made it clear that the government had no plans to cut the levy as it needed revenue for developmental needs. Centre and States bank on tax revenues to meet developmental needs. Forty-two per cent of collections from excise duty (on petrol and diesel) goes to States and out of the remaining, 60% is used to fund Centre's share in development schemes in States, Mr. Pradhan said. (Adapted from The Hindu) 5. TCS hits $100 billion market capitalization (Relevant for GS Prelims) Tata Consultancy Services crossed the $100 billion mark in terms of market capitalization. What is 'Market Capitalization'? Market capitalization refers to the total dollar market value of a company's outstanding shares. Commonly referred to as "market cap," it is calculated by multiplying a company's shares outstanding by the current market price of one share. The investment community






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uses this figure to determine a company's size, as opposed to using sales or total asset figures. Using market capitalization to show the size of a company is important because company size is a basic determinant of various characteristics in which investors are interested, including risk. It is also easy to calculate. A company with 20 million shares selling at Rs.100 a share would have a market cap of Rs. 2 billion. (Adapted from The Hindu) 6. India highest recipient of remittances (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III)

Largest receiver of remittances India retained the top position as a recipient of remittances with its diaspora sending about $69 billion back home last year, the World Bank said. Remittances to India picked up sharply by 9.9%, reversing the previous year s dip, but were still short of $70.4 billion received in 2014.






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Global trend In its latest Migration and Development Brief, the World Bank estimated that officially recorded remittances to low-and middle-income countries reached $466 billion in 2017. This was an increase of 8.5% over $429 billion in 2016. Reason for increase in remittances The stronger-than-expected recovery in remittances was driven by growth in Europe, Russia and the U.S. The rebound in remittances, when valued in U.S. dollars, was helped by higher oil prices and a strengthening of the Euro and the Ruble, it added. Other large receiver of remittances India continued to top in terms of receiving remittance and was followed by China ($64 billion), the Philippines ($33 billion), Mexico ($31 billion), Nigeria ($22 billion) and Egypt ($20 billion). (Adapted from The Hindu) 7. Nabbing absconders: on Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018 The Union Cabinet recently approved the promulgation of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018. A fugitive is defined as someone who has left India to avoid criminal prosecution or who is already overseas and refuses to return to face the law. In recent weeks, banks have been asked to mandatorily collect passport details of those borrowing above Rs. 50 crore, and the passports of some wilful defaulters are being impounded too. Need for an ordinance Given that the proposed legislation was announced well over a year ago, the trigger for this belated haste is easy to see. While presenting Budget 2017-18, the Finance Minister referred to instances of offenders fleeing the country to escape its justice system, and said the government was looking at a law to confiscate the assets of such persons till they return to face the law. By September, the Finance and Law Ministries had agreed on a draft Bill, but it was only introduced in the Lok Sabha this March, in a session that proved to be a washout. The government is no doubt conscious of the clamour for tough action on absconding offenders, particularly those involved in financial misdemeanours and wilful defaulters of bank loans. Important cases There remains great consternation over liquor baron Vijay Mallya s flight from the country, with his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines having run up outstanding loans of over Rs. 9,000 crore from Indian banks. Both Mr. Mallya and former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi, who faces an Enforcement Directorate probe for foreign exchange law violations, are in Britain. They left Indian shores for safer climes under the NDA government s watch, as did diamond merchants Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and their






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associates, whose firms defrauded the country s second largest public-sector bank of over Rs. 12,800 crore. What is the state of extradition proceedings? India is no closer to getting Mr. Modi or Mr. Mallya back to face the law, with extradition proceedings against the latter crawling through U.K. courts. No clear indications about whether their return could be expedited emerged during Prime Minister Modi s meeting with his British counterpart Theresa May last week. Meanwhile, though government agencies have attached the diamond merchant duo s assets in India, an American court has disallowed the sale of their assets in other jurisdictions while allowing their U.S.-based entity to offload its assets. The reason: India is yet to pass a model law mooted by the UN for cross-border insolvency cases. It is not clear whether this ordinance can tide over this major handicap. Way forward The government may have opted for the ordinance route to deflect the heat from these cases of fraud, but it needs to present a coherent vision about its plans to bring back those fugitives who have already got away and plug the remaining loopholes in the system. (Adapted from The Hindu) 8. Economic freedom index: India ranks 130th, Hong Kong retains top spot (Relevant for GS Prelims) India has been ranked 130th among 180 countries in the annual Index of Economic Freedom report released by American think tank Heritage Foundation. Hong Kong maintains the number one spot for the 4th consecutive year and is followed by Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, Australia, and Ireland. Last year performance India was ranked 143rd with the same score of 52.6 points in 2017. With 54.4 points, Pakistan features at the 131st spot. India was two spots below Pakistan last year. Reason for improvement India s overall score has increased by 1.9 points, led by improvements in judicial effectiveness, business freedom, government integrity, and fiscal health. The think tank also credited prime minister Narendra Modi for India s new rank. System of ranking Countries are ranked under 5 categories according to their scores – free (100-80), mostly free (79.9-70), moderately free (69.9-60) mostly unfree (59.9-50) and repressed (49.9-40). About the index






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The Index of Economic Freedom is an annual index and ranking created by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal in 1995 to measure the degree of economic freedom in the world s nations. The creators of the index took an approach similar to Adam Smith s in The Wealth of Nations, that basic institutions that protect the liberty of individuals to pursue their own economic interests result in greater prosperity for the larger society . (Adapted from International Business Times) 9. Merging associate banks with the SBI (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III; Economics) Merger of SBI with subsidiary banks In August 2017, the Lok Sabha passed the State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill of 2017 to amend the State Bank of India (SBI) Act of 1955 to remove references related to subsidiary banks. After the acquisition of subsidiary banks by the SBI, subsidiary banks have ceased to exist. Therefore, the government found it necessary to repeal the SBI (Subsidiary Banks) Act of 1959 and the State Bank of Hyderabad Act of 1956. The government has also found it unnecessary to retain certain provisions in the SBI Act, 1955, which apply to subsidiary banks. These subsidiary banks — State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala, and State Bank of Travancore — were constituted under the SBI (Subsidiary Banks) Act of 1959. The State Bank of Hyderabad was originally constituted as Hyderabad State Bank under the Hyderabad State Bank Act and renamed as the State Bank of Hyderabad under sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the State Bank of Hyderabad Act of 1956. Reason for merger To rationalise resources, reduce costs, improve profits, for lower cost of funds leading to better rate of interest for the public, and to improve productivity and customer service, the SBI, with the sanction of the Central government and in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), entered into negotiations with the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, the State Bank of Mysore, the State Bank of Patiala, the State Bank of Travancore and the State Bank of Hyderabad for acquiring their business, including assets and liabilities. The schemes relating to such acquisitions were agreed upon by the Central Board of the SBI and the respective boards of the subsidiary banks and approved by the RBI. In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of Section 35 of the SBI Act, 1955, the Central government accorded its sanction. Accordingly, the Central government issued the following orders, sanctioning the scheme of acquisition: (a) the Acquisition of State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur Order, 2017; (b) the Acquisition of State Bank of Mysore Order, 2017; (c) the Acquisition of State Bank of Patiala






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Order, 2017; (d) the Acquisition of State Bank of Travancore Order, 2017; and (e) the Acquisition of State Bank of Hyderabad Order, 2017. As per these, the business of these subsidiary banks is to be carried out by the SBI in accordance with the SBI Act, 1955, with effect from April 1, 2017. (Adapted from The Hindu) 10. The rupee is sliding on account of rising oil prices and FII outflows (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) After a strong showing in 2017, when the rupee appreciated 6% against the dollar, the currency has weaken by about 4.5% so far this year. Reasons for fall in value of rupee 1. Rise in global oil prices: With global oil prices continuing a steady climb on the back of tight output controls marshalled by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Brent crude futures have gained almost 12% through 2018. This in turn has bloated India s crude import bill and widened the trade deficit appreciably. 2. Rise in bond yields in US: Foreign institutional and portfolio investors — who had pumped in close to $30 billion into Indian debt and equity in 2017 — have turned net sellers, with the pace of outflows accelerating sharply this month to more than $2.3 billion. The prospect of higher interest rates in the U.S., with the Federal Reserve having signalled last month that it is on course to raise the policy rate at least two more times in 2018, have now begun to firmly feed into investors expectations as well. This was best exemplified this week when the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury debt rose above 3% for the first time since January 2014. Global trend While the rupee is not alone among BRICS currencies to have depreciated against the dollar this year, with both the Brazilian real and the Russian rouble losing value, it remains particularly vulnerable to mounting oil costs given the economy s extremely high dependence on crude imports to meet energy needs. Saudi Arabia, one of the world s largest crude producers, is eyeing oil prices in the vicinity of $80 a barrel so as to be able to comfortably balance its budget and have cash to spare to fund Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman s ambitious socioeconomic reforms. Important factors The spectre of fresh tensions involving Iran if President Donald Trump walks his tough talk over the nuclear agreement with Tehran is also almost certain to prevent any significant softening in oil prices even if American shale producers increase output. Signals from the dollar index — a measure of the greenback s value against a basket of six major currencies — too offer little reassurance to the rupee.






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The index is close to its highest level since mid-January, indicating that investors see assets undergirded by the dollar as a strong bet. For now, the war chest of forex reserves the Reserve Bank of India has accumulated, $423.6 billion in all, remains the key bulwark against excessive currency market volatility. What is Dollar index? The U.S. Dollar Index (USDX, DXY, DX) is an index (or measure) of the value of the United States dollar relative to a basket of foreign currencies, [1] often referred to as a basket of U.S. trade partners' currencies. The Index goes up when the U.S. dollar gains "strength" (value) when compared to other currencies. What is a 'Greenback' A greenback is a slang term for U.S. paper dollars. Greenbacks got their name from their colour. (Adapted from The Hindu) 11. The lowdown on rising fuel prices (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III; Economics) What is it? The prices of petrol and diesel in Indian cities have risen to their highest level since late 2013. This has come as a surprise to many since the price of crude oil, a major ingredient in the production of domestic fuels, is now significantly lower than what it was in late 2013. It is notable that Brent crude oil was trading at over $100 a barrel in 2013, compared to its current price of $75. Even when international crude oil prices fell steeply in 2014 and 2015 — as low as $30 — domestic fuel prices failed to come down as much. Whenever crude oil prices have increased, the prices of domestic fuels have been raised steadfastly. How did it come about? There is no strict rule that lower international crude oil prices must lead to lower domestic fuel prices. This is because, under a free pricing regime, petrol and diesel are priced according to what consumers are willing to pay rather than based on input costs. At the same time, there are other ways in which input costs can indirectly influence the retail price. When the price of crude oil is high, oil companies are forced to cut down on their supply to the retail market in order to drive up the prices to competitive levels. It is worth noting that crude oil prices have been on an upward trajectory ever since January 2016 when it hit rock bottom; the agreement between members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to cut down production in late 2016 has added to its momentum.






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High taxes are another factor that can discourage producers from bringing enough supply to the retail market, leading to higher prices. This has predominantly been the case in India. When crude oil prices fell drastically in 2014 and 2015, for instance, the government increased the amount of taxes by more than Rs. 10 a litre on both petrol and diesel. While this increased the amount of revenue collected by the government, it prevented retail fuel prices from falling as much as international crude oil prices. Why does it matter? The rising prices of petrol and diesel increase the burden on citizens, affecting to some extent the government s popularity. It also quite often brings into question the government s policy when it comes to taxing basic fuels. More than half of the money that is paid by the consumer goes to the government in the form of taxes. Some have speculated that the government might compromise on its fuel deregulation policy, which allows oil marketing companies (OMCs) to price their output freely. Not surprisingly, the shares of the government-owned OMCs have witnessed a sharp fall in recent weeks. The current price rise will thus act as a litmus test for the government s commitment to reforms in the energy sector. Further, to the extent rising fuel prices have to do with the decreasing supply in the world market, it has a negative impact on economic growth. What lies ahead? The price of domestic petrol and diesel going forward is likely to depend on the price of crude oil in the international market as well as the policy preferences of the government as it heads into a series of elections in 2018 and 2019. While rising geopolitical tensions have been used to explain the rise in crude oil prices this month, where oil prices are headed next is anybody s guess. The oil bulls believe that OPEC countries will drive oil prices even higher in order to meet their increasing revenue needs. The sceptics of the recent rally, on the other hand, expect American shale oil producers to rein in any further rise in oil prices quite soon. If international crude oil prices fail to stabilise or fall, the government may decide to look at either reducing taxes on these fuels or forcing OMCs to incur losses by selling at lower prices. (Adapted from The Hindu) 12. First health centre under Ayushman Bharat scheme (Relevant for GS Prelims and GS Mains Paper III) Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first health centre in Chhattisgarh under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Ayushman Bharat scheme The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitely while presenting the Budget 2018-19 announced Ayushman Bharat programme.






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The programme consists of two flagship programmes: (i) Health and Wellness Centre: The government seeks to transform 1.5 lakh Health Sub-Centres into Health and Wellness Centres. These Centres will provide comprehensive health care to people in their local areas, including free essential drugs and diagnostic services. The centres will provide health care for both non-communicable and communicable diseases. The government has allocated Rs.1200 crore in the Budget. Contribution of private sector through Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and philanthropic institutions in adopting these centres is also expected. (ii) National Health Protection Scheme: National Health Protection Scheme will provide coverage of Rs. 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 10 crore poor families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries). Once implemented, it will be the world s largest government funded health care programme. According to government, Ayushman Bharat Programme will build a New India 2022 and ensure enhanced productivity, well-being and avert wage loss and impoverishment. These Schemes will also generate lakhs of jobs, particularly for women. (Adapted from The Hindu) 13. Centre s oil policy evaluation (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) After a sharp fall at the beginning of the year, oil prices have risen dramatically in recent weeks. The price of Brent crude has risen by around $10 since it touched a short-term low of around $62 in early February, hitting its highest mark since late 2014. Reasons for rise Tensions in West Asia after U.S. President Donald Trump s decision to strike Syria helped push up prices. But it is important to separate short-term volatility in oil prices owing to geopolitical tensions from longer-term trends in the oil market. In its latest market report, the International Energy Association (IEA) noted that with oil prices ruling over $70, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has accomplished its goal of ending the glut in global oil supply. Notably, OPEC cut production by around 201,000 barrels a day in March compared to February. Yet, total world oil supply actually rose by 180,000 barrels a day in March, as output from non-OPEC countries, including the U.S., has been increasing in response to higher oil prices. Criticism of government policy In India, rapidly rising international crude oil prices have failed to push local petrol and diesel prices upwards in equal measure. The retail selling prices of petrol and diesel across major Indian cities have in fact risen by less than a rupee since the beginning of April. That is, they are not in sync with the upward rise in crude oil prices. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for more responsible oil prices, which he said have been in roller coaster mode for too long. Oil prices, he argued, need to factor in the interests of both consumer and producer. This assertion, along with the talk of allying with China and other






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Asian countries now to buy oil from OPEC members at lower prices, would have held more weight if the government s actions matched the sentiment. It has imposed high duties on petroleum products ever since crude oil prices started moderating in 2014 but has been reluctant to scale down those duties in the face of rising prices, leading to record pump level prices. This clearly doesn t benefit the consumer. Now, with the general elections about a year away and critical Assembly polls in Karnataka just a month away, the Centre is being cautious not to have higher oil import costs passed on to consumers. Fake deregulation of Oil Prices This flies in the face of the pricing freedom it had ostensibly granted to the oil marketing companies and packaged as a major deregulation reform. So, its stance hasn t benefited the producers either, as is reflected in their falling stock prices. How the Centre responds to rising international crude oil prices was always going to be the litmus test of its commitment to fuel price deregulation. In the current situation, it appears that the government has only tied itself up in knots over the petroleum pricing policy, and with it, its reformist credentials. (Adapted from The Hindu)






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Environment 1. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is growing rapidly (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) Great Pacific Garbage Patch The vast dump of plastic waste swirling in the Pacific Ocean is now bigger than France, Germany and Spain combined – far larger than previously feared – and is growing rapidly, a study warned. Researchers based in the Netherlands used a fleet of boats and aircraft to scan the immense accumulation of bottles, containers, fishing nets and microparticles known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) and found an astonishing build-up of plastic waste. Size of dump We found about 80,000 tonnes of buoyant plastic currently in the GPGP, Laurent

Lebreton, lead author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports, told. That's around the weight of 500 jumbo jets, and up to sixteen times greater than the plastic mass uncovered there in previous studies. But what really shocked the team was the amount of plastic pieces that have built up on the marine gyre between Hawaii and California in recent years. They found that the dump now contains around 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, posing a dual threat to marine life. Cause for concern • Microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic smaller than mm in size that make up the vast majority of items in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, can enter the food chain when swallowed by fish. • The pollutants they contain become more concentrated as they work their way up through the food web, all the way to top level predators such as sharks, seals and polar bears. • Fishing net fragments kill marine life by trapping fish and animals such as turtles in a process known as 'ghost fishing'. (Adapted from The Hindu) 2. Gujarat, where there is a concern over disappearing lions (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III and GS Prelims)






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Gir in Gujarat, the last abode of Asiatic lions in Asia, has lost an alarmingly large number of the endangered wild cats in two years. On March 28, a report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) was tabled in the Gujarat Assembly. It listed huge flaws in lion conservation efforts in the State. What happened? Forest Minister Ganpat Vasava told the Assembly that 184 lions had died in two years: 104 in 2016 and 80 in 2017. As many as 32 died of unnatural causes like falling into wells or getting run over by trains in the same period at the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary. The dead included cubs too. The high number of deaths prompted the High Court to take suo motu cognizance of the issue. The court took the authorities to task this March, directing them to get back on measures being taken by the Environment and Forest Department to ensure adequate protection to lions. Why the conflict? Significantly, the number of lion attacks on livestock and humans in 2016 and 2017 was pegged at 398, raising serious concerns about a man-lion conflict in eight to nine districts in the coastal Saurashtra region. Responding to a question by Congress legislator Gyasuddin Sheikh, Mr. Vasava admitted that wells without parapet walls often became death traps for the animals. There are 27 open wells in Amreli district near the sanctuary, and the government has promised to build parapet walls as soon as possible. Several open wells have already been secured. The other preventive measures are construction of fences along the rail track in Amreli district and building speedhumps on roads in the sanctuary.

Why no new habitat?






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As per the 2015 census, there were 523 lions in and around the Gir sanctuary. Unfortunately, though the total population of Asiatic lions increased from 359 in 2005 to 523 in 2015, no new protected habitat was approved by the State government since 2008. As stated in the CAG report, the number of lions outside the protected area in 2011 was 108, which increased by 54.6% to 167 in 2015. The Gir Protected Area includes the Gir, Girnar, Paniya and Mitiyala sanctuaries and the Gir National Park. To provide a safe corridor for the lions moving out of the Gir Protected Area, the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) had proposed a new sanctuary spread over 30,000 hectares in Amreli and Bhavnagar districts in 2005. Later, the plan was revised, and the new region was proposed to be a conservation reserve (CR) spread across 10,953 hectares. The CAG observed that as on May 2017, the Revenue Department had not transferred 4,800 hectares of wasteland to the Forest Department for setting up the conservation reserve. Thus, the declaration of the lion habitat area as a conservation reserve is pending despite

the lapse of 11 years, it said. It questioned the non-approval of a new protected area despite high instances of deaths of lions in their present habitat. The CAG also pointed out that the genome mapping project was being handled by an agency which did not possess the expertise, and the progress was slow. What is their future? The government, which has always taken pride in showcasing Gujarat as the only habitat of Asiatic lions, refuses to translocate some of them to Madhya Pradesh despite a Supreme Court order. It must make sincere efforts to provide adequate protection to the animals moving out to non-protected areas. It must increase the size of the protected areas to prevent more lions from dying, wildlife experts say. (Adapted from The Hindu) 3. Centre proposes relaxation of coastal regulation zone norms (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III)






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States to get leeway in developing tourism, industrial infrastructure The Centre has allowed India s coasts to be made more accessible to tourism and industrial infrastructure and given individual States considerable leeway to decide how they should plan such development, according to a draft version of the proposed modification to India s coastal regulation zone plan made public on the Environment Ministry website. Coastal regulation zone - 2011 The coastal regulation zone, or CRZ, 2011, refers to regions in the proximity of India s 7000-km-long shoreline where buildings, tourism facilities, industrial projects, residential facilities etc are highly regulated. In most cases it begins from the high tide line (HTL) to about 500 metres towards the landward side. The zone is subdivided into regions, with varying leeway for infrastructure development, depending on population and ecological sensitivity. The CRZ-1, for instance, includes the most ecologically sensitive areas and according to current laws is off-limits for tourism activities and infrastructure development except for defence, strategic and rare public utilities projects. Coastal regulation zone - 2018 According to the new CRZ, 2018 notification . nature trails and eco-tourism activities. may be permitted in CRZ-1 regions provided they conform to state-approved coastal zone management plans. Change in definition of Coastal Zone The current law, called the CRZ, 2011 also defines as coastal zone, the region from the HTL to 100 m of the creek along tidal-influenced bodies such as bays, estuaries, rivers, backwaters, lagoons and ponds etc. that are connected to the sea. The proposed laws relax this to 50 metres.






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Earlier, rural habitations or relatively undisturbed areas close to the shore, called CRZ-II, possessed a 200 metre no development zone . This has now been reduced to 50 metres, provided the area has a population density exceeding 2161 per square kilometre as per the 2011 Census. (Adapted from The Hindu)






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Science and Technology

1. What is the E.U. law on data protection all about? (Relevant for GS Mains Paper III) What is it? The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is, arguably, the most notable change in the data protection regime in the last two decades. The law, which comes into effect on May 25, has been designed to protect the personal data of E.U. residents. Personal data is data that relates to an identifiable living individual and includes names, email IDs, ID card numbers, physical and IP addresses. The GDPR reflects a paradigm shift in the understanding of the relationship individuals have with their personal data, granting the citizen substantial rights in his/her interaction with data controllers (those who determine why and how data is collected such as a government or private news website), and data processors (those who process the data on behalf of controllers, such as an Indian IT firm to which an E.U. firm has outsourced its data analytics). Under the GDPR, a data controller will have to provide consent terms that are clearly distinguishable, i.e., consent cannot be buried in the fine print that is incomprehensible to the layperson. Additionally, the GDPR requires those collecting data to provide information on the who and how. Individuals will also have the right to have personal data deleted under certain conditions. The GDPR also makes reporting obligations and enforcement stronger: data breaches will normally have to be reported within 72 hours and failure to comply with the new laws could result in a fine up to 4% of global turnover or € million — the maximum amount of the fine. How did it come about? Brussels recognized that the growth in the digital economy and rapid advances in technology meant individuals were sharing personal data, and companies and governments used this data on an unprecedented scale. Therefore, it sought to replace the existing data privacy directive, which enables and guides laws in each of the 28 EU member states, with a regulation (GDPR), a stronger instrument which harmonizes data protection laws across the 28 countries. Why does it matter? Apart from its profound significance for Europe, the GDPR has global implications as it also applies to those outside the E.U. who either monitor the behavior of EU residents or sell goods and services to them. Consequently, the law is expected to have a significant impact on Indian IT firms and other service providers with an E.U. clientèle.






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The E.U. as a bloc is India s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in services alone running upwards of € billion ₹ . lakh crore . Yet, only a third of Indian IT firms are making arrangements for the GDPR, with 39% unaware of what it is even, according to a 2018 survey by tax and accounting firm EY. This will likely mean fines, loss of business and missed opportunities, as well as diplomatic wrangling in trade talks between India and the E.U. What lies ahead? The alleged data breach around Facebook and Cambridge Analytica has alerted people to the challenges of protecting data in a hyper-digitised environment. The issue has once again raised questions about what constitutes legitimate uses of data and how businesses, governments and political parties can and cannot use data. A White Paper produced by a government-appointed committee, headed by retired judge B.N. Srikrishna, which is formulating a national data protection law for India, has suggested a hybrid approach to privacy. This combines the EU rights-based approach, the U.S. approach of using data with consent to encourage innovation, and an Indian approach, which takes note of the Supreme Court s ruling that privacy is a fundamental right subject to reasonable restrictions. (Adapted from The Hindu) 2. Electric and hybrid vehicles & their possibility in India (Relevant for GS prelims, GS mains paper III) Though the government seems to have dropped its plan to implement a comprehensive electric vehicle (EV) policy, it is still keen on shifting India s petrol-diesel-based auto industry to electric. Government think tank NITI Aayog has tasked seven Ministries, including Heavy Industries and Power, to come up with guidelines to encourage the use of EVs. What are the differences between electric and hybrid vehicles? The key difference between hybrid and all-EVs is in the sources of fuel and locomotion available to them. Hybrid vehicles have two sources available to them— a battery that powers an electric motor and a fuel tank that powers a normal petrol engine. Typically, the battery can power the electric motor for only about 60-70 km, but there are constant improvements being made in the efficiency and capacity of lithium-ion batteries and so, this is expected to improve as more carmakers choose to roll out hybrid or electric variants. Once the battery is depleted, the hybrid car switches over to the petrol engine, which then functions like any other normal car engine. An all-EV does not have this advantage. Once its battery is depleted, it has no backup source of fuel. However, electric cars have the benefit of larger batteries since they do not have to share space with a petrol engine or fuel tank. So, typically, an EV can travel a much longer distance than a hybrid car running on its battery. How do you refuel them?






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A normal plug-in hybrid vehicle can be refuelled by plugging the car into a wall socket or a charging point and refilling the petrol tank. However, there are some hybrid variants that can recharge the electric battery through a technology called regenerative braking, where the vehicle converts the force of the car when it brakes into electrical energy. In these models, only the fuel tank needs to be filled. All EVs need to be charged from a charging point. Charging time depends on the size of the battery and the source of electricity. A DC charging point can fully charge a car battery in a fraction of the time taken using an AC charging point, which is 6-8 hours. How does the Center differentiate between the two? The main difference is in their tax treatment under the Goods and Services Tax. While EVs are taxed at 12%, hybrid vehicles are taxed on par with the luxury vehicles at 28% plus 15% cess. (Adapted from The Hindu) 3. Google appeals against Competition Commission of India s search bias verdict (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) Online search giant Google has filed an appeal at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) against a judgement from India s competition watchdog that found it guilty of search bias . In February, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) had imposed a Rs.1.36 billion ($20.95 million) fine on Google, saying it was abusing its dominance in online web search and online search advertising markets. Rationale by CCI A CCI official said that its judgement was robust and that the competition watchdog plans to defend its verdict at the NCLAT. Google was found to be indulging in practices of search bias and by doing so, it causes

harm to its competitors as well as to users, the CCI said in its 190-page judgement. European Commission imposed fine Last year, The European Commission imposed a record € . billion $ billion fine on the company for favouring its shopping service and demoting rival offerings. Google has appealed against the verdict. Details In India, the Commission found that Google, through its search design, had placed its commercial flight search function at a prominent position on the search results page to the disadvantage of businesses trying to gain market access.






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The CCI ruling brought to an end a probe first started by the watchdog in 2012 on complaints filed by matchmaking website Bharat Matrimony and a not-for-profit organisation, Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS). (Adapted from the Hindu) 4. IRNSS-1I to enrich navigation fleet (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) Navigation satellite IRNSS-1I was flown into space from Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota space pad. The 1,425-kg satellite will shortly become the eighth satellite to join the NavIC constellation of Indian regional navigation satellites. IRNSS-1I is expected to serve for 10 years. It was put to orbit on the PSLV-C41 rocket. What is NavIC? NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), dubbed India s own GPS, has been designed to provide precise information on position, navigation and time related to objects or people. The eight satellites have a civilian and restricted military/security application to aid security and disaster management and fleet monitoring on land, air and sea. What was the need for IRNSS- 1I? ISRO launched the first seven navigation satellites — IRNSS-1A to 1G — between July 2013 and April 2016. Although 1I is the ninth to be built and launched for the NavIC fleet, the previous satellite, 1H, was lost in a faulty launch last August. 1I and 1H were planned as backups but became necessary after all three imported rubidium atomic clocks on 1A failed in orbit. All seven satellites are required for accurate, 24-hour information from the fleet. Both 1I and 1H were fitted with corrected atomic clocks. (Adapted from The Hindu)

5. Draft mission to kick-start renewable energy storage (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III; Science & Technology)






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Power grids currently do not integrate renewable energy sources The draft National Energy Storage Mission expects to kick-start grid-connected energy storage in India, set up a regulatory framework, and encourage indigenous manufacture of batteries, according to a member of the expert committee set up by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) last month. What is the target? The draft sets a realistic target of 15-20 gigawatt hours (GWh) of grid-connected storage within the next five years, according to Debi Prasad Dash, director, India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), an industry body that is a part of the committee. Power grids do not currently use storage options that would help in smoothly integrating renewable energy sources. Why there is need of storage? Renewable energy sources now make up almost one-fifth of India s total installed power capacity. However, as power grids increase their share of solar and wind energy, the problem remains that the peak supply of renewable sources does not always meet peak demand. For instance, solar energy generation may be at its peak at noon, but unless stored, it will not be available when needed to light up homes at night. Moreover, renewable sources are inherently intermittent: there are days when the wind doesn t blow, or the sky is cloudy. Batteries could help store surplus energy during peak generation times but are more immediately needed to stabilise the grid when shifting between renewables and the base load thermal capacity. Once the installed capacity of renewables reaches 100 GW [from the current 65 GW], it will become critical to incorporate storage options.






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(Adapted from The Hindu) 6. Use of blockchain beyond cryptocurrencies (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III) With India s digital footsteps gaining significant stride in recent years, blockchain technology has caught the imagination of many. While most of us identify blockchain with cryptocurrencies, bitcoins in particular, tech designers are yet to fully realise its disruptive potential in numerous other sectors. In today s rapidly evolving interconnected digital ecosystem, blockchain can emerge the biggest disrupter. Blockchain technology has the power to transform business processes and applications across sectors — from financial services to agriculture, from healthcare to education, among others. Blockchain-powered smart contracts, where every piece of information is recorded in a traceable and irreversible manner, can play a revolutionary role in enhancing ease of doing business. It will augment the credibility, accuracy and efficiency of a contract while reducing the risk of frauds, substantially. Property deals Property transactions in India are still carried out on paper, making them prone to disputes. Application of blockchain technology would bring revolutionary changes through in-built transparency, traceability and efficiency in the system. State governments are already exploring use of this technology to bring order and efficiency to property transactions. Financial services has been a pioneer in blockchain-based use cases that are driving significant improvements in operations and client experience. For example, Yes Bank is an early adopter of this technology by implementing a blockchain-based multi-nodal system to fully digitise vendor financing for one of its clients. The system today enables the bank to do timely processing of vendor payments without physical documents and manual intervention, while enabling both parties to track the status of transactions in real time. Healthcare and pharmaceuticals is one of the best prospective areas where a lot of clinical data is built up and exchanged, which, owing to its sensitive nature, demands a secure and reliable system. Blockchain could play a crucial part in health insurance claims management by reducing the risk of insurance claim frauds. The technology can also be used to prevent the sale of spurious drugs in the country by tracking every step of the supply chain network at every level. The education sector can benefit from a blockchain-powered, time-stamped repository of pass-outs and job records of students so that it becomes easier for employers to verify the credibility of candidates. In agriculture too, seasonal data related to crop and climatic cycles and soil testing data can be protected and used by multi-nodal blockchain application for the benefit of insurance companies, researchers, market agencies and even to predict stock prices.






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Globally, blockchain technology has proven to be a change-maker. Nasdaq Inc. has successfully tested a blockchain-powered proxy voting system on its Estonian exchange and is gearing up for full-scale implementation. In Russia, blockchain-based systems are being pursued for land registry management as well as for improving the local voting system. The Dubai government, on the other hand, is on its way to implement blockchain-based paperless digital systems in areas such as visa applications, licence renewals and bill payments. Government as enabler While the government of India has eliminated the possibility of considering cryptocurrencies as legal tender, it has endorsed the idea of exploring use of blockchain technology for ushering in India s digital economy. The NITI Aayog is exploring the use of blockchain and AI technologies in diverse areas such as education, healthcare, agriculture, electricity distribution and land records, among others. In this direction, the Think-Tank is reportedly building a platform called 'IndiaChain' — a shared, India-specific blockchain infrastructure that would leverage the trinity of Jan-Dhan-Yojana, Aadhaar and the mobile trinity. When implemented, this one-of-its-kind initiative will likely be the world s largest blockchain implementation programme in governance. What may actually work for India is the version Blockchain 2.0 that allows programmable transactions (modified by a condition or a set of conditions), extending its capability from being able to do simple transactions to more complex transactions. It can also address privacy and regulatory needs, complex functions and is not limited to one vendor. Meanwhile, several State governments including A.P., Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra, have started gauging the possibilities, and even implementing in some cases, the distributed ledger technology for their e-governance initiatives. The A.P. government is leading the way in blockchain adoption by executing pilot projects in land records and transport. For a true digital future Blockchain s ability to enhance real-time visibility in the functioning of the supply chain offers myriad possibilities across a range of sectors to prevent leakages, and thereby increase efficiency. Realising its genuine potential, a number of leading corporations in India have started investing in Blockchain. At the same time, a number of start-ups are emerging in this space, developing and using the technology for diverse applications. While baby steps are being taken, it is also crucial to lay our collective focus on identifying and resolving key issues and challenges in implementing this technology, the prime amongst those being data privacy.






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A sustainable future for blockchain would also necessitate creation and sustenance of the right kind of ecosystem in the country. (Adapted from The Hindu)






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Internal Security 1. Vehicles made on or after Jan. 1 to have High Security Registration Plates (Relevant for GS Prelims, GS Mains Paper III: Internal Security) Tamper-proof lock, hologram tags among features From January 1, 2019, all classes of motor vehicles will come fitted with tamper-proof High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) that have a host of in-built security features. They are expected to offer increased protection against theft. The HSRP was made mandatory in some States 13 years ago but failed to take off. To end monopoly of few manufacturers The move to rope in automobile manufacturers and the dealers is aimed at ending the monopoly of a few HSRP manufacturers and ensure uniformity in the HSRPs quality. About High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) The HSRPs will come with a 15-year guarantee. They will have in-built security features such as a self-destructive sticker with the engine and chassis number of the vehicle. The plates will be fitted on the front and rear of the vehicles and windscreens will have a number plate tag with hologram. Laser branded numbers A chromium-based hologram will be applied by hot stamping on the top left corner of the number plates both at the front and back. A permanent identification number with a minimum of 10 digits will be laser-branded into the reflective sheeting on the bottom left of the registration plate. The permanent number will be preceded by two alphabets indicating the name of the vendor, manufacturer, or supplier, for whom the Type approval certificate was issued by the testing agencies. A third registration plate, in the form of a self-destructive, chromium-based hologram sticker will be affixed on the inner side of the vehicle s windshield. The registering authority, registration number, laser-branded permanent number, the engine number and chassis number will all be in the sticker. The registration plate fitted in the rear of the vehicle will be fastened with a non-removable/non-reusable snap lock system. For enhanced security, two snap locks will be used in the HSRP affixed in the rear. The replacement of an existing registration plate will also be done through the agency responsible for affixing the new plate. (Adapted from the Hindu)






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Miscellaneous 1. Kolkata, where a metro service goes under the river (Relevant for GS Prelims) The twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah, on either side of river Hooghly, will be soon connected by a metro service, part of which runs under water. The first tunnel connecting Howrah and Kolkata is ready. How long did it take? On March 22, a German-made tunnel-boring machine, christened Prerna, punched through the diaphragm of the proposed Metro station at Esplanade in Kolkata and came out on the surface of the earth. It marked the completion of an eventful journey of 23 months from April 21, 2016, when the machine was lowered into the ground on the other side of the river. Another tunnel-boring machine Rachna, running parallel to Prerna, is catching up and is just a few metres behind. What s the distance under water? Having traversed a distance of 520 metres below the riverbed, the two tunnels, about 3.8 km long, are the first underwater transport tunnels in India. The depth of the crown of the tunnel below the riverbed is 13 metres. Experts who oversaw the construction of the engineering marvel say the challenge was not only boring the tunnel below the riverbed but taking it past some of the oldest buildings in Kolkata, two Jewish synagogues, the Raj Bhavan and a few dilapidated Railway buildings which could not even be evacuated. Why are the tunnels needed? The tunnels are the most crucial part of the East West Metro Project, a 16.6-km line connecting Salt Lake in the north-eastern fringes of Kolkata to Howrah Maidan on the other side of the river. Of the 16.6-km line, about 10.8 km will be underground and the rest will be through an elevated corridor. The mega infrastructure project, costing ₹ , . crore, was delayed primarily by objections raised by the Archaeological Survey of India to a 3.8-km stretch running too close to three heritage structures. With the construction of these tunnels being almost over, work on the project has received a major boost. What s the plan? Work on the next phase of the project, construction of tunnels connecting Esplanade to the Sealdah railway station, will begin in May. Once this phase is complete, two of the busiest railway stations, Sealdah and Howrah, located on the opposite banks of the Hooghly, will be connected. Kolkata Metro Rail, the agency executing the mega project, is hopeful that by 2021 metro services will be operational along the entire route. Why is it important for the city?






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The East West Metro Line will align with the existing 27.23-km North South Line, which ferries 6 lakh passengers on a weekday. This was the first metro railway in the country and has been operational since 1984. Considering the population growth, it is projected that by 2035, 10 lakh passengers will take the East West Metro daily. Among major Indian metros, the ratio of road space to city space in Kolkata is the lowest, at 6%. The only hope for the lumbering traffic system, suffering from want of road space, is the metro railway networks criss-crossing the city. Along with the East West Metro project, four metro networks are in the pipeline. (Adapted from The Hindu) 2. TN files for contempt against Centre

Union government seeks three months' extension to frame scheme for sharing of Cauvery water Tamil Nadu moved the Supreme Court to initiate contempt proceedings against the Union government for its wilful disobedience in not implementing the court s February 16 judgment in the Cauvery dispute. In its petition, the State said the Centre had failed to frame a scheme within the time limit set by the court, by not setting up the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee to monitor the allocation of the river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.






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Election constraints The contempt petition has been filed at a time when the Centre has also moved the court for a three-month extension of time to implement the verdict. The Karnataka Assembly election is to be held on May 12. While seeking clarification on some aspects of the verdict, the Centre claimed that notifying the scheme during the election process would lead to public outrage and cause law and order problems. Tamil Nadu accused the Centre of refusing to act to protect the interests of the farmers and the larger interests of the State. Six-week deadline The contempt petition wants the court to purge the contempt forthwith by directing the Centre to frame a scheme by providing for the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee as per the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal s order of 2007. As per the February 16 judgment in the appeals, the Centre had to frame the scheme in six weeks. The deadline ended on March 29. (Adapted from The Hindu) 3. After glitch, ISRO trying to restore link with GSAT-6A (Relevant for GS Prelims)






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Spacecraft built for 10 years goes silent on second day A day after GSAT-6A, the country s newest communication satellite, went incommunicado in space, officials of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said that they were working to restore the link with it. Reason for losing contact The silence is initially believed to have been caused by a power glitch or a short circuit on the satellite. What was GSAT-6 lauched? The spacecraft, launched on March 29, was meant to support military communications in hostile regions using handy ground terminals. Built to last 10-12 years, it was to be a standby for its three-year-old replica GSAT-6. ISRO chief hopeful ISRO Chairman K. Sivan said, Going by preliminary data, we expect that we will be able to recover the satellite. Its systems are in good health. Functionally, there would be no shortage or disturbance as GSAT-6 would be at work for some more years.






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The command team at the ISRO s Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan would get another shot at recovery when the satellite passes over India on Monday morning. Next launch due The launch of the navigation satellite IRNSS-1I is scheduled for April 12. It will replace the IRNSS-1A satellite. (Adapted from The Hindu) 4. Who is Deepak Kochhar? (Read only for understanding) Low profile CEO of NuPower boasts high profile contacts Low profile, first generation entrepreneur Deepak Virendra Kochhar, founder and CEO of NuPower Renewables Pvt. Ltd., has been in the news following CBI investigations into alleged favours of Rs.64 crore he received from industrialist Venugopal Dhoot after his firm Videocon Industries got a loan of Rs. 3,250 crore from ICICI Bank. Mr. Kochhar s wife, Chanda is the MD and CEO of ICICI Bank. According to the website of NuPower Renewables, the company was set up in December 2008 as independent power producer in the renewable space. Since then the company has nearly 700 MW of renewable energy assets operating and in the pipeline in projects located in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. NuPower has authorised share capital of paid up capital of Rs.5.9 crore. Mr. Kochhar also incorporated NuPower Windfarms Limited in 2013 and Echanda Urja Private Limited in 2014 and became its director in March 2016. NuPower offices are located just a stone s throw from the corporate headquarters of the ICICI Bank at the Bandra Kurla Complex. Batchmates Mr. Kochhar holds Master s Degree in Finance from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Bombay University. Ms. Kochhar, also an alumnus of JBIMS was Mr Kochhar s batchmate. He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School. Relation between Dhoot and Kochhar Videocon Industries chairman Venugopal Dhoot has said he was introduced to Deepak Kochhar through his friend, Sharad Upasani, IAS officer and former chief secretary of Maharashtra. Mr. Upasani is the father-in-law of Deepak s brother, Rajeev Kochhar. While Mr. Kochhar maintains a low profile, in the 90s, as a high profile finance professional, he headed a firm, Credential Finance with his brother, which also accepted public deposits. However, the company was shut down in a few years. Rajeev Kochhar then moved to Singapore where he runs a consultancy firm Avista.






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(Adapted from The Hindu) 5. NASA s Hubble spots farthest individual star named Icarus (Relevant for GS prelims) Setting a new distance record, astronomers using NASA s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered an enormous blue star nicknamed Icarus , the farthest individual star ever seen. About Icarus Icarus, whose official name is MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1 , is only visible because it is being magnified by the gravity of a massive galaxy cluster — located about five billion light-years from Earth. Gravitational lensing In gravitational lensing, gravity from a foreground, massive cluster of galaxies acts as a natural lens in space, bending and amplifying light. The discovery of Icarus through gravitational lensing has initiated a new way for astronomers to study individual stars in distant galaxies. Benefit of these observations These observations provide a rare, detailed look at how stars evolve, especially the most luminous stars, NASA said. Detecting the amplification of a single, pinpoint background star provided a unique opportunity to test the nature of dark matter in the cluster. Dark matter is an invisible material that makes up most of the universe s mass. NASA s James Webb Space Telescope When NASA s James Webb Space Telescope is launched, astronomers expect to find many more stars like Icarus. Webb s extraordinary sensitivity will allow measurement of even more details, including whether these distant stars are rotating. Such magnified stars may even be found to be fairly common, NASA added. (Adapted from the Hindu) 6. India second largest manufacturer of crude steel (Relevant for GS Prelims) India has overtaken Japan to become the world s second largest producer of crude steel, according to the Steel Users Federation of India (SUFI). At present, China is the largest producer of crude steel in the world, accounting for more than 50% of the production. India s crude steel production was up 4.4% and stood at 93.11 million tonnes (MT) for the period April 2017 to February 2018, compared with April 2016 to February 2017. This had helped India to overtake Japan and become the second largest producer of crude steel in the world, SUFI said in a statement here.






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India overtook the U.S. in 2015 to become the third largest producer of crude steel. (Adapted from the Hindu) 7. Panel to probe CBSE question leaks (Relevant for GS Prelims) The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has constituted a high-power committee to examine the system of conducting Class 10 and Class 12 examinations to prevent question paper leaks. The committee, formed in the wake of leaks in CBSE 10th and 12th board question papers, will submit its report by May 31. What is the task of the committee? Retired secretary (higher education) Vinay Sheel Oberoi will be the chairperson of this seven-member committee that will revisit all aspects related to the security checks built into the system for ensuring that the question papers reach the examinees without tampering. Its terms of reference also include suggestions on the possible ways in which the system can be made more secure with the use of technology and minimisation of human intervention. The other members of the high-power panel include retired CBSE controller of examinations Pavnesh Kumar and India representative on the executive board of the UNESCO and former NCERT chairman J.S. Rajput. Background The MHRD and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had to battle a major crisis last week with reports of question paper leaks. The CBSE announced cancellation of the Class 10 mathematics examination soon after the exam was held, as the leaked paper doing the rounds reportedly matched the actual question paper. This came days after complaints that the Class 12 economics paper had also been leaked. While the CBSE had initially denied leakage of the economics question paper, it cancelled it alongside the maths paper, thus admitting the leak. After a preliminary enquiry, the MHRD has announced that there will be no Class 12 maths re-examination anywhere, but the Class 12 economics exam will be held again across India on April 25. Procedure of conducting exams The CBSE question papers are prepared and distributed through an elaborate system involving setting of question papers by experts, moderation to calibrate difficulty levels and ensure syllabus compliance, translation in Hindi, printing by confidential printers, storage in bank vaults and, finally, distribution to exam centres.






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(Adapted from the Hindu) 8. End on curb to cattle sale (Read only for understanding) Withdrawal of ban on sale With a fresh set of draft rules to replace last year s poorly conceived ones, the Centre has sought to withdraw the ban on sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets. The draft rules are now open for comments and suggestions. What happened last year? When the Union Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change notified the rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act on May 23, 2017, there was concern that in the name of preventing cruelty to animals and regulating livestock markets the government was surreptitiously throttling the cattle trade and furthering the BJP s cow protection agenda. Why the rules putting restriction were criticised? The rules were criticised for restricting legitimate animal trade and interfering with dietary habits. The new draft makes a welcome departure from the earlier rules, seeking to provide great relief to buyers of animals from cumbersome paperwork and procedural requirements. Some distance-specific conditions to curb inter-State and cross-border movement of animals are to be dropped, as also rules barring animal markets within 25 km of a State border and 50 km of the international boundary. The definition of animal markets will no more include any lairage adjoining a slaughter-house, thereby removing curbs on the sale of animals in a resting place in the vicinity of a market. The draft retains good provisions in the earlier notification barring cruelty in the treatment and transport of animals. Issue of federalism The notification had set off a storm last year, with some Chief Ministers stridently opposing it on the ground that regulating livestock trade was essentially a State subject. Even assuming that the Centre had jurisdiction under the law against animal cruelty to notify the rules, it was obvious that only the States could enforce them. Earlier rules were not implemented With the Supreme Court expanding a stay granted by the Madras High Court into a nation-wide bar on the rules, and some States taking a clear stand that they would not implement the regulations, the notification was a non-starter. Impact on village economy There was further concern whether the regulations would adversely impact poor villagers, as animal markets are predominantly in the countryside. There was an impression that under the guise of stiff regulations, the Centre was making it impossible for cattle, a term that covers cows, buffalo, bulls and camels, to be slaughtered even for food, despite the PCA Act recognising explicitly that animals can be food for humans. The meat trade, valued at






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thousands of crores of rupees, would have suffered a serious setback had the rules been implemented. (Adapted from the Hindu) 9. Kathua rape case: Eight-year-old girl s brutal rape and murder ignites national outrage; all you need to know The Kathua rape case that united entire country to fight against the heinous crimes that happen against women in the country. The Kathua rape and murder took place in the first week of January, the case came to spotlight for its shocking revelations of how an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu region was raped, sedated, and killed. When did it happen? The eight-year-old had gone missing on January 10 while grazing horses in the forest. Investigators said the accused abducted the girl on the pretext of helping her find her horses. The news first came to notice, when the father of the victim, lodged a complaint on January 12, where he reported his daughter as missing since January 10. The motive behind the rape According to charge sheet filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police s Crime Branch reveals, that the abduction, rape, and killing of the Bakherwal girl was part of a carefully planned strategy to remove the minority nomadic community from the area. The caretaker of the Devisthan, a small temple in Rassana village in Kathua about 90 km from site of abduction, is the main conspirator behind the abduction, rape, and killing. Who are the conspirators? Sanji Ram 60-year-old (the alleged mastermind) was allegedly joined by special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma, friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu, Ram s nephew, a juvenile, and his son Vishal Jangotra alias Shamma . Even cops name have come up during the investigation and in the charge sheet, the police have named investigating officers head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta, who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Ram and destroyed crucial evidence. All eight are under arrest. Special Police Officers (SPOs) Deepak Khajuria and Surinder Kumar, a Rasana resident Parvesh Kumar, Assistant Sub Inspector Anand Dutta and Head Constable Tilak Raj were also arrested. The heinous crime The day after their daughter went missing, the parents went to the Devisthan and asked Sanji Ram (the alleged mastermind) about her whereabouts. He said she may have gone to






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a relative s house. According to the charge sheet, the accused gave the girl sedatives to make her unconscious while holding her in captivity at the Devisthan . According to the charge sheet filed, the victim was kidnapped and then sedated and rituals were performed in a prayer hall, before she was raped, multiple times, by different men. The juvenile, a school dropout, turned out to be the main player in the abduction and murder, raping the child repeatedly along with Jangotra and Khajuria. Special police officers Deepak Khajuria, lured the juvenile to kidnap the girl on the assurance that he will help him in passing the board examination. Subsequently, he shared the plan, worked out by Ram and Khajuria, with Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu , his close friend and asked for his help in executing the plan. Special police officer Surender Verma reached Rassana from Meerut after his cousin s call, raped the sedated girl along with the juvenile and Mannu. Special police officer Deepak Khajuria also reached the spot and told them to wait as he wanted to rape her before she is killed . The charge sheet said the girl was once again gang-raped and later killed by the juvenile. The case handed over to Crime Branch On January 23, about a week after the body was discovered, the government handed over the case to the Crime Branch, which formed a Special Investigation Team in the course of investigation, it transpired that somewhere in the first week of January, accused Sanji Ram decided to put a plan to dislodge the Bakherwal community from Rassana area which had been brewing in his mind for quite some time, into operation and in pursuance to that he made accused Deepak Khajuria, a special police officer, and his nephew (juvenile) as part of the conspiracy and assigned them tasks separately and individually. The entire country protests This rape case shook the entire country, and media outcry brought politicians out of a deep sleep. Even Bollywood celebrities stood strong and condemned the act. But still, the President, Prime Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah have still to make comments on the rape case. (Adapted from Free Press Journal) 10. Judge Loya case verdict: We will surely file a review petition in the Court, says petitioner Ahmed Abdi (Read only for understanding) Petitioner alleges that the Bench has only believed the statements of the four colleagues of Loya, but they are not medical experts. Ahmed Abdi, president of the Bombay Lawyers Association and one of the petitioners who sought a judicial investigation into the death of judge B.H. Loya, says the verdict dismissing the public interest litigation petitions will surely be challenged. We are disappointed, but we have only lost the battle, not the war, he says.






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Quoting the Supreme Court, how did the petition go from serious to scandalous ? I filed a PIL plea in the Bombay High Court on January 8. After four days, two petitions were filed in the Supreme Court. We pleaded that the petition be heard in Bombay, but Justice Arun Mishra said we will hear all the matters together in the SC. From the very beginning, they were not inclined to entertain it. Initially, when the four judges of the SC came out in the open, this matter was sent to Justice Mishra, and at that time itself, we knew the fate of the petition. On top of that, all those four judges have been sidelined. The SC has only believed the statements of the four judges [who were colleagues of Loya], but they are not medical experts. How can they make opinions and express views like this? It should all be based on medical evidence. So the statements of these judges should come on affidavit, on oath. Then we can cross-examine them and make them liable because they are coming as witnesses in the case and not judges. What do you make of the dismissal? Everyone told me this will happen. But it was important to file the PIL plea, as the lower judiciary is the first interface of the institution for the common man. So steps have to be taken to protect judges and magistrates of the lower judiciary. We are talking about the protection of these courts because the High Court and the Supreme Court are well protected. And they [SC] say we are maligning the judiciary. In fact we are protecting it. Why do you think the Bench has said the petition is a frontal attack on the judiciary ? This is because it was rightly pointed out by senior counsel Prashant Bhushan that Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.M. Khanwilkar should not have presided over the matter as they are from Mumbai. They should have recused themselves as you know judges there and it is a direct conflict of justice. But the lordships took it as an attack . How can the SC conclude that Judge Loya died a natural death? The report relied upon by the SC only has the statements of judges, post-mortem report and some other reports. They haven t relied on any media reports and just gone by the statements of the judges. But how can you rule out that the judge who died told his father and sister that he was offered ₹ crore for giving a favourable order [in the Sohrabuddin encounter case]. The way the petitions were argued, it was heard every Monday and Friday for two hours each and there was no scope for them to dismiss it like this. Will you challenge the judgment? We will surely file a review petition, though a review is filed before the same Bench. At least we will get an opportunity to point out all the fallacies in the judgment. If it gets rejected, we will file a curative petition. (Adapted from the Hindu) 11. Defence Planning Committee (DPC) to be set up (Relevant for GS Prelims) Defence Planning Committee (DPC)






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In an effort to improve higher defence management, the government on constituted a new committee headed by the National Security Adviser. A notification issued by the Defence Ministry said the Defence Planning Committee (DPC) will draft reports on national security strategy, international defence engagement strategy, road map to build a defence manufacturing ecosystem, strategy to boost defence exports, and priority capability development plans. The DPC will submit these to the Defence Minister. Mixed reactions Several military sources and observers pointed out that the committee could help improve India s defence planning in the long term but may end up having no noticeable impact. Moreover, the next government may dump this committee. While some of them hailed the move to place the committee under NSA Ajit Doval, others said it gives Mr. Doval an unprecedented role in the process of planning India s security strategy. Vice-Admiral (Retd) S.C.S Bangara, who has had a ring side view of the only effort to bring military integration after the Kargil conflict, said there were many good aspects to the present move. Proposed Composition The committee will have the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, three service chiefs, secretaries of the Ministries of Defence, Expenditure and Foreign Affairs as its members. The Chief of Integrated Staff in the Defence Ministry will be the member secretary of the DPC, and his headquarters will be the secretariat. Sub-committees The order has also listed four sub-committees. One to look at policy and strategy; the second one will work on plans and capability development; third one on defence diplomacy and the fourth one on defence manufacturing ecosystem. Members will be decided by the DPC, which is expected to hold its first meeting soon after Mr. Doval returns from Germany on April 21, officials said. (Adapted from the Hindu) 12. Who is Michael Cohen, Trump s deal-maker (Read only for understanding) Michael Dean Cohen, the 51-year-old personal lawyer of U.S. President Donald Trump, had generated a fair share of controversies during their association of more than a decade, but nothing would have prepared him to be in the eye of the storm that he is currently in. It all began with a revelation that Mr. Cohen paid a porn star $130,000 to keep quiet on a sexual encounter between her and Mr. Trump in 2006. The porn star in question is far from






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keeping mum. Aided by an articulate lawyer, her story has triggered multiple lines of investigations that could be the most consequential thus far for the Trump presidency. Mr. Cohen has become the unlikely central character in the scandal that engulfs Mr. Trump. When did he join Trump? Mr. Cohen has held multiple positions in the Trump organisation before becoming personal counsel to the President. He was executive vice-president, a title he shared with the adult children of Mr. Trump, in the organisation. More than the title, ever since their first public association in 2007, Mr. Cohen grew into the role of the future president s fixer and deal-maker. The deal with the porn star is under public scrutiny and investigation. Why is he in trouble? The special counsel investigating Mr. Trump s alleged links to Russia appears to have unearthed material that puts Mr. Cohen in the dock. FBI agents seized documents and collected evidence from his home and offices in New York on April 9. He is reportedly being probed for bank fraud, wire fraud and violation of campaign finance laws. According to court filings, he showed lack of truthfulness. Mr. Cohen, a New Yorker like Mr. Trump, had his first law office in a taxi garage in Queens. He invested in New York taxi licenses, a highly valued asset before Uber came into the scene and brought lawsuits against insurance companies on behalf of clients claiming injuries in auto accidents. His associates in both fields created history sheets, but Mr. Cohen shifted focus to real estate. He bought apartments in Trump buildings, a move that brought him close to Mr. Trump. He also dabbled in New York politics, unsuccessfully. In 2011, it was Mr. Cohen who tested the waters for Mr. Trump s presidential run with a website shouldtrumrun.com. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr. Cohen became a surrogate for Mr. Trump on TV, but the more significant job he did during that period was negotiating a hush deal with the porn star. Mr. Cohen claims that he paid her the money without the knowledge of candidate Trump to protect him. Whether this was an act of contribution to his campaign is now a matter of dispute and investigation. Is there a Russia link? Of the deals that Mr. Cohen did for Mr. Trump, those linked to former Soviet republics, including Russia, remain highly speculated upon. A scandalous dossier on Mr. Trump a British spy made for the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016 follows the trail of Mr. Cohen s contacts with Russian moneybags. The special counsel has reportedly gathered evidence of Mr. Cohen s secrets contacts with Russian operatives. Hot on Mr. Cohen s trail is his namesake Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for the porn star. The seizure of documents from Mr. Cohen s office lightened the dreams of Mr. Avenatti and spooked the President and his associates. Jay Goldberg, another Trump lawyer and adviser, fears that Mr. Cohen is going to spill the beans on Mr. Trump. Mr. Goldberg said in interviews this week that Mr. Cohen might even






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lie to investigators to get some leniency and take Mr. Trump down in the process. The reason why Mr. Cohen s future could have global implications. Even North Koreans would be interested in what is going to happen to Mr. Cohen next. (Adapted from the Hindu) 13. Security forces gun down 16 Naxals in Maharashtra (Read only for understanding)

The security forces gunned down 16 alleged members of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on Sunday. The rebels were killed in an intelligence-based operation in Kasansur area of the district bordering Chhattisgarh. What is naxalism?






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Naxals or Naxalites (or Maoists) are terms used to refer to militants who believe in the ideology of Communism (or Maoism) and operate in various parts of India, mostly in those having large forest cover. The term "Naxalite" or "Naxals" comes from the village named "Naxalbari" which is in West Bengal (Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district), which is where a violent uprising of laborers was organized by a section of the then Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) under the leadership of mostly three people: Kanu Sanyal, Charu Mazumdar and Jangal Santhal. This uprising took place in the year 1967. Reasons for naxalism The reason why this particular uprising started, is of course hardly discussed or looked at among Indian politicians or even the other organs of the Indian state, be it the police (especially in West Bengal) or among the Congress party or rulers who then ruled the state. The violent uprising though was not against the Indian state. Because of the Permanent Settlement revenue system introduced by the Britishers once the East India Company established its rule in West Bengal, a large number of zamindars/landlords were created who owned large tracts of land but were hardly involved in cultivation of crops and agricultural activities themselves. They instead employed a large number of laborers and also tenant farmers/sharecroppers (i.e. people who didn't own your land but who would organize agricultural activity on your land, in lieu of which he/she will get a part of the total produce). The sharecroppers would in turn employ agricultural laborers in many cases, who would be paid a pittance because in most cases the sharecropper would hardly get much of the total agricultural produce from the land, and whose own tenure was not secure. Moreover, the sharecropper could be evicted at any moment from the land, because he/she did not own the land. This happened both under the Britishers and continued once India became independent using the loophole present in the Land Reforms Act of India (1955), which stated that sharecroppers had permanent use rights on land leased out to them under certain conditions, but these rights could not be claimed if the landlord wanted to take the land back for personal cultivation. Using this route, many landlords used to evict sharecroppers/tenant farmers regularly and keep them on a leash, with the local administration working to the benefit of the landlords themselves. The Naxalbari violent uprising was thus directed at ensuring land reforms, which in simple terms, meant re-distribution of agricultural land equally among all those engaged in agricultural production, particularly among the landless (both sharecroppers and also agricultural laborers), since land was seen as the basis of wealth of the zamindars who in most cases were absentee landlords-cum-goondas who controlled the local machinery of the state (local administration and also local police). One should also try and read on the conditions under which the local people (and a substantial section among them were tribals) functioned as laborers and sharecroppers.






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There were regular complaints of women being molested and even raped by landlords or relatives/family members of landlords. (Adapted from The Hindu and quora.com)





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