MONTHLY NEWS DIARY - Sosin Classes · 2020. 12. 11. · decades ago. But, Globally, India continues...

MONTHLY NEWS DIARY NOVEMBER -2020

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MONTHLY NEWS DIARY (MnD)

(FOR UPSC – PRELIMS & MAINS)

NOVEMBER -2020

http://www.sosinclasses.com/



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Dear Student,

Warm Greetings.

MnD aims to provide news analysis of monthly events in sync

with the UPSC pattern.

It is targeted at UPSC – Prelims & Mains

The articles are provided in the form of Question and

Answers

To have a bank of mains questions.

Providing precise information that can he carries

straight to the exam, rather than over dumping.

Enjoy reading.

THE HINDU - TH

INDIAN EXPRESS - IE

BUSINESS LINE - BL

ECONOMIC TIMES - ET TIMES OF INDIA - TOI




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INDEX

ESSAY PAPER

1. Commission for air quality index…………………………………………………………………05

2. Economic Liberalization. Bane or Boom………………………………………………………06

3. Ethics in Media……………………………………………………………………………………………07

4. Alimony……………………………………………………………………………………………………….08

5. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ………………………………………………………….09

6. Border infrastructure and strategic policy……………………………………………………10

7. Climate impact on human settlements………………………………………………………..11

8. Is competition good or bad………………………………………………………………………….11

9. Sustainable Urban Planning…………………………………………………………………………12

10. Natural Vegetation in India……………………………………………………………………..……13

11. New fiscal stimulus……………………………………………………………………………………….14

12. Need for OTT media regulation…………………………………………………………………….16

13. National Agricultural Education Policy………………………………………………………….17

14. Growth in Economy………………………………………………………………….………………….17

15. Land Law Reform measures in Jammu & Kashmir………………………………………..18

16. White revolution………………………………………………………………………………………….19

17. Article 32..........................................................................................................19

GS 1

SNIPPET

GEOGRAPHY

1. Aegean Sea…………………………………………………………………………….…………………….21

2. Katchal Island……………………………………………………………………………………………….21

3. Cyclone “NIVAR” ………………………………………………………………………………………….22

GS 2

GOVERENCE

1. Star Campaigner……………………………………………………………………………….………….22




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2. Mid-day meal programme…………………………………………………………………………….23

3. PM Swanidhi Scheme……………………………………………………………..…………………….24

4. Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana……………………………………………………………….25

5. Desalination Plant…………………………………………………………………………………………26

6. Agro processing clusters……………………………………………………………………………….26

INTERNATIONAL RELATION

1. QUAD………………………………………………………………………………………………..………….27

2. DIPAM-World Bank agreement…………………………………………………………………….28

3. RECEP…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..29

4. UK-Japan relations…………………………………………………….………………………………….31

5. US-India relations……………………………………………………………………………………..….32

GS -3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Boost in economic activity………………………………………………………….……………….33

2. Social Security Bill 2020…………………………………………………………………….…………34

3. P-notes…………………………………………………………………………………………………..……35

4. Other Service Providers (OSP) …………………………………………………………………….35

5. GST Inflow spike………………………………………………………………………………………….36

6. Technical recession……………………………………………………………………………………..37

ENVIRONMENT

1. Chapare Virus……………………………………………………………………………………………….37

2. SATAT Scheme……………………………………………………………………………………….…….38

3. Olive Ridley turtles……………………………………………………………………………………….39

4. Saffron Bowl…………………………………………………………………………………..…………….39

5. Organic Treatment and Micromanagement Conservation……………..…………….40

SNIPPET

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. World Science Day……………..………………………………………………………………..……….41




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2. CHANG’E-5……………..…………………………………………………………………………………….41

3. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy……………..………………………………………………….….42

4. Asteroid Apophis……………..……………………………………………………………………….….43

ENVIRONMENT

1. SARS-CoV-2 infections IN Farmed minks……………………………………....……………..43

2. Willow Warbler…………………………………………………………………………………………….45

3. US and the Paris agreement……………..………………………………………………………….45

SECURITY

1. Secure Application for Internet (SAI) ……………..…………………………………………….46

2. Fire detection and Suppression System (FDSS) ……………………………...…………….46

3. Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) Missile………………………………………………………….…………….46

4. Mission Sagar II……………..………………………………………………………………….………….47

5. KALVARI-CLASS SUBMARINES……………..………………………………………………….…….47




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EDITORIAL

1. Briefly describe the steps taken by the central govt. to tackle the pollution in and around Delhi? NEW COMMISSION FOR AIR QUALITY INDEX:

Air pollution is a serious problem with environmental, public health and economic dimensions.

Northern India gets exposed to hazardous levels of air quality almost every year.

The “Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in National Capital Region (NCR) AND Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020” was introduced by the centre.

The president of India signed the Ordinance for the commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi and Adjoining Areas.

It is a statutory committee to track and combat air pollution in and around the National Capital Region.

The commission will replace the EPCA (Environment pollution and prevention control authority), formed by the SC as the apex monitoring body in matters of pollution in the NCR. WHY EPCA was not sufficient?

It is not a statutory body and drew legitimacy from SC, which has been looking at cases of air pollution as part of the judgement in M C Mehta vs Union of India (1988).

It did have the authority to issue fines or directions and guidelines to the governments in other states.

It has no state representatives, just two permanent members. COMPOSITION OF CAQM:`

18-member commission headed by a full-time chairperson.

Chairperson: A former or serving secretary to the govt. of India or a Chief Secretary to a state.

Holds post for a term of three years or until the age 70 whichever is early.

Will have members from several Ministries as well as representatives from the stakeholder states.

The other members include:- o A representative from the Environment Ministry o 5 EX-Officio members from the states mentioned in the ordinance o Two full-time members either serving or former joint secretaries o A technical member each from the Central Pollution Control Board and Indian Space

Research Organisation o One member from the NITI Aayog o Three independent members

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NEW COMMISSION:-

Exclusive jurisdiction over NCR, including areas in Haryana, Punjab, UP and Rajasthan.

CONSOLIDATED APPROACH:

ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION CONTROL AUTHORITY:

EPCA is SC mandated body tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in the NCR.

It was notified in 1998 by environment ministry under environment protection act, 1986.

Its mandated is to protect and improve quality of Environment and prevent environmental pollution in NCR.

It is also mandated to enforce graded response action plan in NCR as per the pollutants.




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o Envisages towards monitoring, elimination of pollution sources and enforcement. o Commission has the power to coordinate with relevant state and central govt. on multi-

sector plan including industry, power plants, agriculture, transport, residential and construction.

o Will monitor the actions taken by states against stubble burning, industrial emissions, vehicular emissions, road dust, biomass burning and construction activities.

o Commission will function under the elected representatives with regular reports to the parliament.

o It has power to give directions for imprisonment for a max of 5 years and a fine upto RS. 1 Crore or both.

o But first the offended must be tried before a first class judicial magistrate. o It has to power to take SUO MOTU and file case before a first class magistrate. o This commission will replace all other informal groups’ forms temporarily.

ISSUES WITH NEW COMMISSION:-

The multiplicity of law and institution will create more confusion and friction.

The problems lie in the fact that political will is missing when it comes to implementation.

No farmer’s body has been allowed to be co-opted as members while representatives of any association or commerce or industry can be co-opted as members.

SUGGESTIONS:-

The govt, should have reviewed the existing laws and institutions instead of creating the new one and look at their efficacy and utility.

Draft a bill and should be put up for the public opinion.

Detail consultation with all the stakeholders including farmer’s group.

2. Liberalisation, Privatization and Globalization was a Boon or Bane. Discuss. Is economic Liberalism good for India?

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently disapproved the free trade and globalisation.

He stated that in the name of openness, we have allowed subsidised products and unfair production advantages from abroad.

It is quite extraordinary that an economy as attractive as India allowed the framework to be set by others.

Effect of past trade agreements has been to de-industrialise some sectors.

He also tried to rationalise the government’s decision to walk away from RCEP last year.

1. By refusing to sign RCEP, India is now at the margins of the regional and global economy.




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Trade multilateralism at the World Trade Organization (WTO) remaining stagnant

FTA are the gateways for international trade.

Without FTAs, India cannot be part of the global value chains.

India’s competitors such as the East Asian nations, they are part of FTAs, would attack more investment.

2. Is Indian Economy open completely

If considering the present time,India is surely a much more open economy than it was three decades ago.

But, Globally, India continues to remain relatively closed compared to other major economies.

According to the WTO, India’s import tariffs are 13.8%, which is the highest for any major economy.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, on the import restrictiveness index, India figures in the ‘very restrictive’ category.

From 1995-2019, India has initiated anti-dumping measures 972 times (the highest in the world), endeavouring to protect domestic industry

3. Government’s economic survey has concluded that India has benefitted overall from FTAs

Real problem of the Indian industry is not FTAs but lack of competitiveness and absence of structural reforms.

4. Government was not able to convince the stand to RCEP, its failure. 5. India has been one of the major beneficiaries of economic globalisation according to

International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Post-1991, the Indian economy grew at a faster pace, ushering in an era of economic prosperity. Conclusion

In one side India’s govt. wants to make India biggest destination for investment but on the other side its policies shows as if its moving towards protectionism.

3. Media in a Democratic Country is a watchdog of public interest. Comment

Media plays an important role in democracy and serves as an agency of the people to inform them of the events of national and international significance.

DUTIES OF MEDIA

Helps in shaping a healthy democracy

Makes us aware of socio-politico economic conditions

Acts like a mirror

Helps in shaping our thinking process

Reminds Politicians about their unfulfilled promises

Criticizing any action that is against the spirit of justice

Points out unfair and corrupt practices

Foster the spirit of unity and brotherhood

Exposes loopholes in democratic system

1. Truth and Accuracy

2. Fairness and Impartiality

3. Humanity

4. Accountability

Corerinciples of

Journalism




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People receive a free flow of information and ideas, which is essential to intelligent self-governance.

Freedom of the media is part of the freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution under Article 19.

The fundamental objective of journalism is to serve the people with news, views, comments and information on matters of public interest in a fair, accurate, unbiased and decent manner and language.

GUIDELINES FOR CODE OF ETHICS OF MEDIA:

The Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards laid down by NBA for violation of which a complaint may be made

Ensure impartiality and objectivity in reporting Ensure neutrality Ensure that when reporting on crime, that crime and violence are not glorified Ensure utmost discretion while reporting on violence and crime against women and children Abhor sex and nudity Ensure privacy Ensure that national security is not endangered Refraining from advocating or encouraging superstition and occultism Ensure responsible sting operations

CONCLUSION:

In developing countries like India, the media have a great responsibility to fight backward ideas such as casteism and communalism and help the people in their struggle against poverty and other social evils.

Hence, having journalistic ethics in place becomes very important.

It is important that the media stick to the core principles of reporting like truth and accuracy, transparency, independence, fairness and impartiality, responsibility and fair play.

4. What is Alimony? And what are the Supreme Court Guidelines regarding Alimony. Alimony: A regular amount of money that a court of law orders a person to pay to their pervious wife or husband after a divorce.

In India many girls get married before completion of higher Education and bear children long before they should.

This triggers a state of poor maternal health and is one if the reason for high levels of child stunting and wasting in India.

There is also possibility of marriage not working for varied reasons.

This leaves the young women in extreme distress because often she is not financially independent. CONSTITUTIONAL SAFEGUARDS:

Parliament and courts have persistently enacted legislation to give women better rights.

Article 15(3): Nothing in this article shall prevent the state from enacting any special provision for women and children.

Article 39: it directs state policy towards equal pay and opportunities for both men and women, and protecting the health of women and children.

Recently SC ruled that an abandoned wife and children will be entitled to ‘maintenance’ from the date she applies for it in a court of law.

The judgement also specifics “reasonable needs” of wife and dependent children.

It also looks into the educational qualification, whether she has an independent source of income and if she does and if it is sufficient, to follow for courts on alimony cases. HOW CAN THE ALIMONY ARE CLAIMED:

The protection of women from domestic violence act, 2005




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The section 125 of the CrPC

The Hindu marriage act, 1995 SIGNIFICANCE:

Keeping in mind the vastness of India and its inequalities, the court added how an order or decree of maintenance may be enforced under various laws and sections 128 of the CrPC.

It said that the maintenance laws will mean little if they do not prevent dependent wives and children from falling into destitution and vagrancy.

For women in India, these words offer a glimmer of hope.

5. Briefly discuss about the CBI and its area of jurisdiction and what are the recent changes made by the Supreme Court. CONTEXT: The court has said that the Centre cannot, on its own, extend the jurisdiction of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) without permission from the States, and that a CBI probe cannot begin without consent from the Centre and the State in question.

The Central Bureau of Investigation traces its origin to the Special Police Establishment (SPE) which was set up in 1941 by the Government of India.

CBI is not a statutory body and it investigates cases related to economic crimes, special crimes, cases of corruption and other high-profile cases.

CBI comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

CBI is exempted from Right to Information (RTI) Act similar to the National Investigating Agency (NIA), National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid), etc. CONCENT GIVEN BY STATE GOVT.: There are two types of consent for a probe by the CBI.

general and specific When a state gives a general consent (Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment

Act) to the CBI for probing a case, the agency is not required to seek fresh permission every time it enters that state in connection with investigation or for every case.

• When a state withdraws general consent, CBI officers lose the powers to conduct investigation in the concerned state and CBI needs to seek case-wise consent for investigation from the concerned state government.

If specific consent is not granted, the CBI officials will not have the power of police personnel when they enter that state.

In order to register a new case, the agency has to seek specific consent from the State government. As a result, it stalls registration of new cases.

This hurdle impedes seamless investigation by the CBI. A general consent is given to facilitate that seamless investigation in a case of corruption or violence. Instances when General Consent has been withdrawn by the states:




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NEW GUIDELINES:

As per the new rules, the CBI has to get a local sanction for starting an investigation against officers under suspicion.

This means getting a permit from the senior officers of the organisation which is being probed. ISSUES WITH NEW GUIDELINES:

The only problem the CBI might face vis-à-vis the consent clause is in pursuing investigations in State-level branches of Central Government departments, PSUs, banks and so on.

In such cases, there is always the risk that the time lag will allow the trail to go cold and let the officers tamper with evidence. As the country’s premier investigative agency, it has superior officers, who, freed from controls, could professionalise the institution as a modicum of propriety and fairness.

6. Strong border infrastructure and bolder strategic policy. Discuss its importance.

India is bordering 17 states having the international borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. All of this border comprised of unique topography, culture and varied socio-economic challenges.

Considering unity of the nation and neighbourhood first policy of India, it is imperative to develop modern and competitive border road infrastructure. Significance of border infrastructure:

It develops legal trade relations with neighbouring countries. Examples Attari-Wagha border and Border Haats with Bangladesh and many more with Nepal, Bhutan, etc.

Will reduce trafficking and smuggling, which is currently a big cause concern for India and neighbouring countries.

Another major economic benefit is inclusive growth and development. Border road infrastructure, especially in harsh terrains such as northeast and Jammu & Kashmir provides avenue for self-employment and boost to traditional small scale Industries.

Furthermore, tourism in Himalayas has not reached to its full potential due to improper road infrastructure. To tap full potential of natural tourism avenues we must further improve our border road infra.

India will get benifited in pushing for her ambitious neighbourhood first and act east policies. It will act as soft power in terms of creating people to people contacts. Best example of this is the most recent project of Kartarpur Corridor.

Maintance peace and stability by controlling the security concerns related to inter-region and intra-region issues.

The task of national integration which started with independence of India and still going on will be incomplete without border road infra. Connectivity and inclusivity are the important tools for national integration of far-flung areas such as Northeastern states and Ladakh, etc.

Another important advantage of border roads is in proper and swift disaster management. Difficult and harsh terrains of Indian borders and relatively low development of bordering countries make it inevitable for India to prepared and self-sufficient to handle any kind of disasters. Various challenges related to border area management and development:

1. Lack of implementation: Even after about 10 years of implementation of BADP, the border blocks are yet to be opened up and are in utter backwardness due to their isolation and inaccessibility.

2. Limited sources: The State Government, though handicapped by its limited resources, is committed to accelerate the pace of development and is trying its best for development of the border areas.

3. Irrational funding: Presently, 10% of BADP 6 fund allotted to the State Government is earmarked for security related schemes to be implemented by the state police and




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paramilitary forces and the balance 90% fund is equally distributed amongst the bordering blocks.

4. Other issues: National credit registry politics in Arunachal Pradesh, Sinhalese prosecution in Sri Lanka are some of the other domestic politics. Rough and difficult terrain, tough Weather and Climatic conditions, Seismically active areas in most of the border, Inadequate manpower, funds with Border Road organisation (BRO), Redtapism and bureaucratic delays in projects also act as hindrance. BRO has been frequently in news due to delays and other lacunae with regard to border road infrastructure Proper and defined autonomy with respect to 3F: Funds, Functions and Functionaries will help to boost the rapid development of border road infra, ultimately leading to economically integrated and strategically amiable South Asia.

7. “Climate impacts on human settlements”. Discuss

Climate change has brought about possibly irreversible alterations to Earth's geological, biological and ecological systems.

These changes have led to the emergence of large-scale environmental hazards to human health, such as extreme weather, ozone depletion, increased danger of wildfires, loss of biodiversity, stresses to food-producing systems and the global spread of infectious diseases.

In addition, climatic changes were estimated to cause over 150,000 deaths annually in 2002, with the World Health Organization estimating this number will increase to 250,000 deaths annually in the next decade.

To date, much less research has been conducted on the impacts of climate change on health, food supply, economic growth, migration, security, societal change, and public goods, such as drinking water, than on the geophysical changes related to global warming.

The consequences of these changes can help or hurt local human populations. For example, climatic changes in Siberia are expected to improve food production and local economic activity. However, Bangladesh has experienced an increase in climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria, dengue, childhood diarrhea, and pneumonia, among vulnerable communities.

Numerous studies suggest that the net current and future impacts of climate change on human society are and will continue to be overwhelmingly negative.

The majority of the adverse effects of climate change are experienced by poor and low-income communities around the world, who have much higher levels of vulnerability to environmental determinants of health, wealth and other factors, and much lower levels of capacity available for coping with environmental change.

A report on the global human impact of climate change published by the Global Humanitarian Forum in 2009, estimated more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economic losses each year, and indicating that most climate change induced mortality is due to worsening floods and droughts in developing countries. Steps for Sustainable life:

Speak up : the best example is Greta Thunberg

Power your home with renewable Energy

Invest in energy – efficient appliance

Reduce water usage

Replace normal bulb with LED lightbulbs

Drive a fuel efficient vehicle

8. “Is Competition Good or Bad”. Discuss Almost every day, people have to compete at work, in family, or in society. It may be signing of a contract, or the winning or losing of a race, but this causes people to experience


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_global_warming_on_human_health

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_global_warming_on_human_health

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_weather

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildfire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity_loss

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity_loss

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_global_warming_on_human_health#Impact_on_infectious_diseases

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_global_warming_on_human_health#Impact_on_infectious_diseases

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_growth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_migrant

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_good_(economics)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_good_(economics)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_water

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophysical

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_global_warming

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulnerability

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Humanitarian_Forum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Humanitarian_Forum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_countries



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different emotions. In addition to the opportunity to feel joy, or to find new friends competition can also lead to stress or obsession with a competitor. A little competition among us is not just a good thing, but it is a great thing for us which can give a highly positive impacts. One of the reasons that really show competition is a good thing is it promotes growth. It is natural if you want something, you would have to compete with other people and to compete, you have to grow. Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to is”. To be a better person at something, you really have to find someone who is already good at it. In this situation, looking for a people who are much better than you and compete with them is actually helps you to grow enormously and they both lead to great friendships as well. Besides, competition also forces us to be more creative. Competition actually encourage us to be more creative in order to be a step ahead from other people. We have to think out of the box and come up with a new idea which can be a bit different from others. In a nutshell, competition is actually a great thing that help us to become a better person and also being independent in achieving something. There is a quote that can be a great inspiration for all of us, “Prepare for the worst and work for the best”. In spite of working to be the best, we also have the courage to prepare for the worst that may come anytime. Being lose in competition is not failure, but it’s a beginning of something new.

9. Bring out the significance of sustainable urban planning for Indian cities. What have we missed out in its absence? Discuss. Currently, India’s nearly 30% population lives in urban areas and it is expected to rise upto 50% by 2050. Being a developing country with a huge population pressure India is facing many challenges due to rural to urban migration. To contain these challanges and to make a proper trajectory towards new India, Sustainable urban planning is an important aspect. Significance:

Safe drinking water: According to a report by NITI Ayog, 21 cities will run out of groundwater by 2020. To avoid further worsening of such crisis we need careful urban planning.

Affordable housing: One of the largest government programmes is to provide affordable housing to citizens. Sustainable urban planning will help to manage land resources in equitable way.

Urban sewage and solid waste management In India less than quarter of the waste generated gets proper treatment. For rapidly growing urban agglomerations we need planning to manage this rising challenge.

Transportation and communication: Sustainable urban planning will provide efficient and eco-friendly public transport facilities to overpopulated urban cities of India.

Sustainable urban planning will also help in equitable resources distribution and affordable service delivery.

It will also help in creating sustainable environment and disaster management. In absence of sustainable urban planning India is facing manifold challenges: Rise in Slums: Few of the Asia’s largest slums are in Delhi and Mumbai where unplanned urbanisation led to polluted water, health issues and rising rate of crimes. Urban flooding: Floods in Mumbai and Chennai are examples of urban flooding. These are results of unsustainable urbanisation. Rising number of accidents: Fires in buildings and deaths in various urban accidents are daily routine in Indian cities. Degrading environment: According to WHO report, out of 20 most polluted cities, 14 are in India.




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Way forward:

India needs to work on achieving the goals set by United Nations under SDG-11 to be achieved by 2030.

Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums, transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport.

Give special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women and children, persons with disabilities and older persons.

Significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses caused by disasters.

Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.

Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces.

Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning

Substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk reduction.

10. Prepare a note on natural vegetation in India. Discuss their types and characteristics.

Natural vegetation refers to a plant community that has been left undisturbed over a long period of time CLASSIFICATION OF VEGETATION:

Based on Climate Conditions, forest are divided into categories. They are:- o Tropical Evergreen and semi evergreen forests o Tropical deciduous forests o Tropical thorn forests o Montane forest o Littoral and Swamp forest

TROPICAL EVERGREEN FORESTS:

These forest are found in the regions that receive annual precipitation of over 200 cm and mean annual temperature above 22 degree C

Found in western slope of the western ghats, hills of the northern region, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In these areas trees reach great heights up to 60 m or above. And these three sdo not have fixed time to shed leaves.

Examplws: rosewood, mahogany, aini, ebony etc

SEMI-EVERGREEN FOREST:

They are a mixture of evergreen and moist deciduous trees, found in the regions that receive less precipitation than the evergreen forests.

Ex: white cedar, hillock and kail

TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FOREST:

Mostly widespread forest of India and are popularly as Monsoon Forest.

Found in the regions which receive rainfall between 70 and 200 cm.

Further categorized as the Moist deciduous and dry deciduous forest. The Thorn Forests and Scrubs:

In regions with less than 70 cm of rainfall, the natural vegetation consists of thorny trees and bushes.




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Found in the north-western part of the country including semiarid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

Acacias, palms, euphorbias and cacti are the main plant species.

Trees are scattered and have long roots penetrating deep into the soil in order to get moisture.

The stems are succulent to conserve water.

Leaves are mostly thick and small to minimize evaporation

Montane Forests:

In mountainous areas, the decrease in temperature with increasing altitude leads to the corresponding change in natural vegetation.

As such, there is a succession of natural vegetation belts in the same order as we see from the tropical to the tundra region.

The wet temperate type of forests are found between a height of1000 and 2000 metres.

Evergreen broadleaf trees such as oaks and chestnuts predominate.

Between 1500 and 3000 metres, temperate forests containing coniferous trees like pine, deodar, silver fir, spruce and cedar, are found. and they cover mostly the southern slopes of the Himalayas, places having high altitude in southern and northeast India.

At higher elevations, temperate grasslands are common.

At high altitudes, generally more than 3,600 metres above sea level, temperate forests and grasslands give way to the Alpine vegetation.

Silver fir, junipers, pines and birches are the common trees of these forests.

They get progressively stunted as they approach the snowline and are used extensively for grazing by nomadic tribes like the Gujjars and the Bakarwals.

At higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of tundra vegetation.

Common animals found in these forests are Kashmir stag, spotted dear , wild sheep, jack rabbit, Tibetan antelope, yak, snow leopard, squirrels, Shaggy horn wild ibex, bear and rare red panda, sheep and goats with thick hair.

Mangrove Forests:

Found in the areas of coasts influenced by tides.

Mud and silt get accumulated on such coasts.

Dense mangroves are the common varieties with roots of the plants submerged under water.

The deltas of the Ganga, the Mahanadi, the Krishana, the Godavari and the Kaveri are covered by such vegetation.

In the Ganga Brahmaputra delta, sundari trees are found, which provide durable hard timber.

Palm, coconut, keora, agar, also grow in some parts of the delta.

Royal Bengal Tiger is the famous animal in these forests.

Turtles, crocodiles, gharials and snakes are also found in these forests.

11. Prepare a note on the recent fiscal stimulus announced by the govt.? The Centre will help create affordable rental housing for the urban poor and provide relief worth ₹1,500 crore to small businesses through an interest subvention scheme, apart from extending credit for street vendors, farmers, and middle-class housing.

Helping Migrant Workers without cards

There are an estimated 8 crore migrant workers who have been housed in government and privately-run relief camps across the country since the lockdown.

The move to provide free food grain for migrant workers is an extension of the Pradhan Mantri Gharib Kalyan Yojana, which provided an additional monthly free rice or wheat




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allocation of 5 kg per person, and 1 kg of pulse per household from April to June to the 80 crore people with ration cards covered by the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

Migrant workers and others without ration cards have struggled without access to this free food.

Most of these migrants who have no cards are staying in camps run either by the government or by NGOs.

Food Ministry data shows that inter-State transactions under the scheme have been very low, around 200 per month, since the lockdown due to poor awareness and the stalling of biometric authentications due to the pandemic.

By August 2020, the ration card portability scheme will allow 67 crore NFSA beneficiaries in 23 connected states to use their cards at any ration shop anywhere in the country, allowing migrant workers to access subsidized food away from their home villages.

The need of the moment was to universalize the Public Distribution System to provide food to whoever needed it.

People who are ‘Cardless’ and without food in India:

There are 50 crore people in the country without ration cards, of which 10 crore people are legally entitled to PDS grain under NFSA.

Of the remaining 40 crore people there are many people who were managing in normal times, vegetable vendors, gig economy workers, autorickshaw drivers, who are in dire straits now.

The measure to keep MGNREGA work open during the monsoon, known as the “hungry season” will be very helpful.

Affordable housing:

Migrant workers and other urban poor face difficulties in finding affordable housing.

A scheme to build rental housing complexes through public private partnership mode would be launched under the existing Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme, to help the poor to afford housing.

Both public and private agencies will be incentivised to build rental housing on government and private land, while existing government housing will be converted into rental units. The credit linked subsidy scheme for lower middle class housing under PMAY will also be extended by one year to March 2021, and is likely to benefit 2.2 lakh more families.

Subvention relief

Street vendors who have been hit hard by the lockdown will be given access to easy credit through a ₹5,000 crore scheme, which will offer ₹10,000 loans for initial working capital.

Small businesses who have taken loans under the MUDRA-Shishu scheme, meant for loans worth ₹50,000 or less, will receive a 2% interest subvention relief for the next year.




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12. The need for regulating OTT platforms. Why and how much of regulation would be good. In a move that will have a far-reaching impact, the Union government has brought Over The Top (OTT) platforms, or video streaming service providers under the ambit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). Background

The MIB has found a vast swathe of unregulated content, namely news online and Over the top (OTT) platforms which had escaped any architecture of regulation.

The print was regulated by the Press Council of India and Television, both News and Entertainment were being regulated by the Cable Networks Regulation Act (2005).

However, the content on online, the Government felt, fell into a black hole with no oversight.

What are OTT Media?

An over-the-top (OTT) media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet.

OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributor of such content.

The term is most synonymous with subscription-based video-on-demand (SVoD) services that offer access to film and television content.

They are typically accessed via websites on personal computers, as well as via apps on mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablets), digital media players, or televisions with integrated Smart TV platforms.

Regulating OTT

Currently, there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content. The recent move will give the government control over OTT platforms, which were unregulated till now.

From time to time, the government had indicated the necessity to monitor these platforms.

In October 2019, the government had indicated that it will issue the “negative” list of don’ts for the video streaming services like Netflix and Hotstar.

It also wanted the platforms to come up with a self-regulatory body on the lines of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority.

Self-regulation is not sufficient

Anticipating the government’s intervention, in January 2019, video streaming services had signed a self-regulatory code that laid down a set of guiding principles for content on these platforms.

The code adopted by the OTTs prohibited five types of content: 1. Content that deliberately and maliciously disrespects the national emblem or national

flag, 2. Any visual or storyline that promotes child pornography 3. Any content that “maliciously” intends to outrage religious sentiments 4. Content that “deliberately and maliciously” promotes or encourages terrorism and 5. Any content that has been banned for exhibition or distribution by law or court

The government had refused to support this code. What lies ahead?

The government had been giving enough hints from time to time that it wanted to regulate digital media but the exact nature of the regulation it wanted to bring was not clear.

The government considers digital media and digital aggregators in the same breath but they are different things.

It is unclear whether it is looking at licensing or entry barriers, or any other curbs in digital media.




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However, monitoring content 24×7 has its own challenges. Whether the Ministry will set up a committee involving the public to look into complaints received remains to be seen.

13. Discuss the reformative features of India’s first National Agricultural Education Policy and its challenges? BACKGROUND = The first National Agricultural Education Policy is set to bring academic credit banks and degree programmes with multiple entry and exit options to the 74 universities focussed on crop sciences, fisheries, veterinary and dairy training and research. A six-member committee of ViceChancellors has been asked to submit a draft policy document to the Agriculture Ministry next month and More than 45,000 students are admitted into agricultural universities every year, and the new policy is set to usher in some changes to their academic life. NAEP – NEP

The process started about two months ago, after the release of the National Education Policy. In many ways, agricultural education is ahead of its time, and already aligned with the NEP. The NEP wants a shift to four-year undergraduate degrees, and all our agricultural degrees are already four-year programmes. Similarly, the NEP mentions experiential education, and we have already mandated that since 2016.

6 Month Internship

The Student READY (Rural Entrepreneurship Awareness Development Yojana) programme requires all students to undertake a six-month internship, usually in their fourth year, to gain hands-on training, rural awareness, industry experience, research expertise and entrepreneurship skills.

Challenges –

One major challenge is how to ensure that this experiential learning is made available to all students if we implement the multiple entry-exit system. Even if a student leaves after two or three years, even with a diploma, he should not miss out on it.

The Deans Committee, responsible for creating consensus on changes in the undergraduate curriculum about once in 10 years, is likely to be called to meet in three to four months to ensure that such adaptations are possible.

Another major challenge for agricultural universities could be the push for multi-disciplinarity. Our universities have been modelled on the land grant pattern, with a focus on research and extension, and deep community connections, driven by the philosophy that farmers need holistic solutions to their problems. However, in recent years, several domain specific universities in horticulture, veterinary science and fisheries sciences have come up. How to incorporate humanities and social sciences into these settings, that could be a big challenge

14. The return of economic activity and declining active Covid-19 cases in India have raised hopes of recovery. COMMENT

The stock market has responded enthusiastically with large cap indices trading a little below their preCovid highs.

Investment Flows and improving fundamentals have pulled the market to current levels. Undoubtedly, we are not out of the woods.

Factors like the on-going second wave in the US and Europe, the US election results will impact our markets on a temporary basis.

What factors will determine the recovery path for firms?

India’s economic recovery will be a function of top-down factors like fiscal and monetary stimulus as well as bottom-up entrepreneurial efforts.




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Firms with less leverage, good governance, and the ability to raise capital, cut costs with the precision of a surgeon‘s knife, and innovate to adapt in the current situation will not only survive but also prosper.

When the pandemic continues, what factors raise hopes of recovery?

Active cases are coming down despite normalisation of economic activities.

A vaccine breakthrough seems to be on the horizon.

Macroeconomic Stability: Lower oil, gold and Chinese goods imports have made India current account-surplus. Foreign exchange reserves are about to exceed foreign exchange debt.

Foreign Investment: Global firms are opening up their purses for direct as well as portfolio investment.

Agriculture reforms will materially benefit a large rural population.

Labour reforms and postal life insurance schemes are steps in the right direction for India becoming a manufacturing hub.

Way Ahead: Areas where Policy focus is needed

Credit Transmission: The monetary policy is accommodative but credit transmission needs to improve further.

Borrowing Costs: Policy rates are at lifetime low levels but the cost of borrowing needs to be lowered for below-AA rated borrowers.

Sector Specific Stimulus: Fiscal stimulus has supported growth at the bottom of the pyramid but sectors like travel, tourism, hotel, retailing, aviation, infrastructure etc require more support.

Non-Tax resources: The path of fiscal prudence is important but it needs to be achieved by raising non-tax resources like proceeds from strategic divestment and monetisation of assets, unlocking capital stuck in gold deposits etc.

Rule of Law: Ease of doing business has improved but rule of law needs to be improved. Our laws are being made for the lowest common denominator as crooks escape without adequate punishment. This increases the cost of compliance for the rest. Investment cannot pick up sustainably unless rule of law is experienced by investors.

Inequality: Big has become bigger in these challenging times, but eventually small and medium firms need to become competitive and prosper.

15. Briefly discuss the Land Law Reform measures in Jammu & Kashmir. Discuss how these land reforms have affected or aided the agriculturalists? BACKGROUND = Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha sought to allay apprehensions over the new amendments to laws regarding the acquisition of land by outsiders in the Union Territory, stating that protections of the kind enshrined in land laws of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand were incorporated into the new laws.

He said the amendments covered only non-agricultural land and were for giving a fillip to industrial development in the Union Territory.

The truth is that 90% of land in J&K is agricultural and no one from outside can buy it. The amendments did away with some older laws, some mutually contradictory, that had become redundant. EX –

a. In an earlier law, a ceiling of 182 kanals had been fixed for private holding, after that it was amended to 100 kanals in 1976; these two provisions existed together.

b. Secondly, there was an unfortunate law that required the government’s permission to plant orchards and harvest the fruit, now we have freed that. These were old agrarian laws




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The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of some six parties in Jammu and Kashmir, rejects the statement made by government spokesman Rohit Kansal that the previous laws were “archaic and regressive”, the alliance spokesman said the land laws regime of Jammu and Kashmir was “most progressive, pro-people and pro-farmer in the entire Indian subcontinent”.

The real object to repeal the basic land laws and to make massive amendments to the other laws is to push in and implement the agenda of effecting demographic change and disempowering the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The previous laws ended the exploitative practice of “absentee landlordism”.

Whosoever calls it archaic would be guilty of ignorance of the history of J&K. It is because of the timely land reforms that there are no starvation deaths in J&K and no farmer suicides.

The recently introduced laws ‘now allows’ the land to be transferred to non-state subjects, denuding the residents of their most precious rights.

16. Prepare a note on the White Revolution. Discuss its economic and societal significance.

The govt. of India initiated Operation Flood known as the White Revolution after the huge success of the Green Revolution.

White revolution is associated with a sharp increase in milk production in the country is called the white revolution also known as Operation Flood.

White revolution period intended to make India a self-dependent nation in milk production.

Today India is the world’s largest producer of milk and Dr Verghese Kurien is known as the father of the white evolution.

History:

1964-65 the Intensive Cattle Development Programme was introduced in India in which the cattle owners were provided with a package of improved animal husbandry for promoting the white revolution.

In 1970 “Operation Flood” was initiated by NATIONAL DAIRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD OF INDIA (NDDB) under rural development programme. Features of White Revolution:

Adapting new methods for animal husbandry

Altering the composition of feed ingredients in different proportions Objective of the revolution:

Creating a flood of milk by increasing production.

Increase the incomes of the rural population

Provide milk to consumers at fair prices Significance Of Operation Flood:

Helped in eradicating poverty in rural areas and made India the largest producer

Empowered the dairy farmers with control of the resource created by them and directing their own products.

National Milk Grid was created to connect the producer with the consumer across India.

17. Which article in India’s Constitution provides protection for Individuals from Violating the fundamental rights? Context: Recently, Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde observed that it is “trying to discourage” individuals from filing petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution.

What is Article 32:

It is one of the fundamental rights listed in the Constitution that each citizen is entitled.




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Article 32 deals with the ‘Right to Constitutional Remedies’, or affirms the right to move the Supreme Court by appropriate proceedings for the enforcement of the rights conferred in Part III of the Constitution.

It states that the Supreme Court “shall have power to issue directions or orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari, whichever may be appropriate, for the enforcement of any of the rights conferred by this Part”

The Article cannot be suspended except during the period of Emergency.

Significance of Article 32

The Article is included in Part III of the Constitution with other fundamental rights including to Equality, Freedom of Speech and Expression, Life and Personal Liberty, and Freedom of Religion.

Only if any of these fundamental rights is violated can a person can approach the Supreme Court directly under Article 32.

In the Constituent Assembly debates, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar said article 32 is the “very soul of the Constitution and the very heart of it”

Article 32 is one of the greatest safeguards that can be provided for the safety and security of the individual.

Since Article 32 gives a person the right to approach the Supreme Court as a remedy if fundamental rights are violated, “it is a right fundamental to all the fundamental rights” guaranteed under the Constitution. Can High Courts be approached in cases of violation of fundamental rights?

Both the High Courts and the Supreme Court can be approached for violation of fundamental rights through five kinds of writs

In civil or criminal matters, the first remedy available to an aggrieved person is that of trial courts, followed by an appeal in the High Court and then the Supreme Court.

When it comes to violation of fundamental rights, an individual can approach the High Court under Article 226 or the Supreme Court directly under Article 32. Article 226, however, is not a fundamental right like Article 32. What have been the Supreme Court’s observations on Article 32?

In Romesh Thappar vs State of Madras (1950), the Supreme Court observed that Article 32 provides a “guaranteed” (SC cannot refuse) remedy for the enforcement of fundamental rights.

During the Emergency, in Additional District Magistrate, Jabalpur vs S S Shukla (1976), the Supreme Court had said that the citizen loses his right to approach the court under Article 32 Recent trends

In the case of the journalist Siddique Kappan, the court asked why the petitioners could not go to the High Court. It has sought responses from the Centre and the UP government, and will hear the case later this week.

In another case invoking Article 32, filed by a Nagpur-based man arrested in three cases for alleged defamatory content against Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and others, the same Bench directed him to approach the High Court first.

In another matter, three-judge Bench of SC had issued a contempt notice to the Assistant Secretary of the Maharashtra Assembly who, in a letter to Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, had questioned him for approaching the top court against the breach-of-privilege notice. The court had then said that the right to approach the Supreme Court under Article 32 is itself a fundamental right




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The above instances have been cited by Citizen Activists to criticize the working of Judiciary where access to Justice at apex level is liable to influence and power.

Conclusion Constitutional experts say that it is eventually at the discretion of the Supreme Court and each individual judge to decide whether an intervention is warranted in a case, which could also be heard by the High Court first.

GS 1 SNIPPET

GEOGRAPHY

1. Aegean Sea CONTEXT: Recently, a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 strikes Aegean Sea, shaking Turkey and Greece.

It is located between the Greek peninsula on the west and Asia Minor on the east.

The Aegean is connected through the straits of the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmara, to the Black Sea, while the island of Crete can be taken as marking its boundary on the south.

The rocks making up the floor of the Aegean are mainly limestone.

It is positioned between Greece and Turkey and also includes the Sea of Crete and Thracian Sea.

2. Katchal Island CONTEXT: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) towed a fuel tanker back to safe waters. The tanker was dangerously drifting towards the pristine Katchal Island in Nicobar due to power failure.

About:

Katchal is one of the Nicobar Islands, India.

Katchal Island was previously known as Tihanyu.




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Katchal is inhabited by Nicobari Tribes and Migrated Tamilians (For Rubber plantation workers under Sastri-Srimao Bandaranayaka Pact of 1964).

3. CYCLONE ‘NIVAR’ CONTECT: Tamil Nadu is readying contingency plans to face Cyclone ‘Nivar’. The meteorological department has said that Nivar may make a landfall

About:

The Bay of Bengal will see its second Severe Cyclone of the year, after Super Cyclone Amphan formed in May. It is likely to hit Tamil Nadu coast by midweek. The next three days shall see extremely heavy rain, strong winds along with highly rough sea conditions.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the development of a cyclone in the Southwest region of the Bay of Bengal, off Tamil Nadu coast.

After cyclone Gaja in 2018, this will be the second cyclone to cross Tamil Nadu in the last two years.

The Met department has said that it will strengthen into a cyclone. Once intensified, it would acquire its name ‘Nivar’, proposed by Iran.

GS 2 GOVERENCE

1. Prepare a short not on ‘star campaigners’ and its purpose. Who is a Star Campaigner?

A star campaigner can be described as persons who are nominated by parties to campaign in a given set of constituencies.

These persons are, in almost all cases, prominent and popular faces within the party.

There is no specific definition according to law or the Election Commission of India.

Star campaigners for a party will not exceed 40 where it is a recognised political party.

For parties that are deemed unrecognized, the number of star campaigners will not be more than 20.

Their purpose:

Actors, celebrities and senior political party members are the ones who are nominated to be star campaigners.

This is based on the premise that a popular face, someone that the common voter can immediately identify and side with, can rake in more votes for that political party. How much does a star campaigner cost?




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Section 77 (b) of The Representation of People’s Act, 1951 says that most of the expenses incurred by the campaigner “shall not be deemed to be an expenditure in connection with the election”.

In other words, all expenses will be borne by the respective political party.

For example, expenses borne by star campaigners on account of travel by air or by any other means of transport shall not be deemed as expenditure in connection with the election.

The manual to the Model Code of Conduct states that for the benefit of availing Section 77 (1) of The RP Act, a permit for the mode of transport for every star campaigner will be issued centrally and against their name.

It is also mandatory for this permit to be stuck on a prominent and visible place on the vehicle. A case for PMs:

The MCC states that if the star campaigner is a PM or a former PM, then expenses incurred for bullet-proof vehicles required by centrally appointed security personnel will be borne by the government.

If another political dignitary accompanies this candidate, then 50 per cent of expenses incurred for security arrangements will be borne by the candidate.

2. COVID-19 and its effect on Mid-day meal programme. Discuss

The largest school-feeding programme in the world which played an extremely important role in increasing nutrition and learning among school going children, has been one of the causalities of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It covered around 116 million students.

The report of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020, released by the Food and Agriculture Organization in partnership with other UN organisations, pointed a worrying picture.

STATUS OF FOOD INSECURITY IN INDIA:

India ranks 94 out of 107 countries according to the recent report by Global Hunger Index (GHI), which belongs to Serious Category and India stands behind Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

A report by International Labour Organizations and the UNICEF, on COVID-19 and Child Labour cautions that unless school services and social security are universally strengthened, there is a risk that some children may not even return to schools when they reopen.

Mid-day meal provided by the govt. just covers one-third of the nutritional requirements. But several reports have noted that many children reach school on an empty stomach. Thus mid-day meals are very essential to the vulnerable community.

After lockdown, govt. announced “usual hot-cooked mid-day meal or an equivalent food security allowance/ dry ration would be provided to all eligible school-going children so that immunity and nutrition won’t be compromised.

Nearly 3 months into this decision, states are still struggling to implement this.

SOLUTIONS:

Local smallholder farmers can be involved in feeding

By this the farmers will also be benefited and could also diversify the production and farming system which will boost farmers economy and even fulfil the “ATMANIRBHAR POSHAN” agenda.

The COVID-19 crisis has brought home the need for such decentralization model and local supply chains.

WAY FORWARD:

New initiative such as School Nutrition (Kitchen) Garden under MDMS to provide fresh vegies for mid-day meals.




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Mid-day meal centre similar to urban canteen or community kitchen in states can be opened.

Adequate awareness about the scheme.

Dry ration with retrospective effect.

3. Write a note on PM Swanidhi Scheme and how it will benefit the street vendors post-lockdown. Context: The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry recently said over 5 lakh applications had been received under the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme for street vendors since it started on July 2 and 1 lakh loans had been sanctioned already. Implementing agency:

Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs signed MoU with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in order to engage SIDBI as the Implementation Agency for the scheme.

SIDBI will manage the credit guarantee to the lending institutions through Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched a micro-credit facility for street vendors under the Swanidhi Scheme.

PM Swanidhi Scheme

The Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme is aimed at benefiting over 50 lakh vendors who had their businesses operational on or before March 24.

The scheme was announced by Finance Minister as a part of the economic package for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

The loans are meant to help kick-start activity for vendors who have been left without any income since the lockdown was implemented on March 25.

The scheme is valid until March 2022.

Expected beneficiaries

This loan will be given to those who run shops on the roadside, handcart or streetcar.

Fruit-vegetable, laundry, saloon and paan shops are also included in this category.

Facilities provided under the scheme

The vendors will be able to apply for a working capital loan of up to ₹10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments within a year.

On timely/early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy of 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer on a six-monthly basis.

The loans would be without collateral. There will be no penalty on early repayment of the loan.

WAY FORWARD:

The lockdown has affected the lives and livelihoods of many especially daily wagers including street vendors who businesses were affected due to the restrictions.




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Street vendors usually work with a small capital base taken on very high interest rates from informal sources. Further, they might have consumed their savings and high cost capital during the lockdown.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide affordable credit for working capital through formal banking channel to street vendors to help them resume the business.

4. Briefly write about the initiative taken by the govt. to increase the employment opportunity during the covid-19 economic recovery phase. Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana:

Aim: It is aimed at incentivising the creation of new employment opportunities during the Covid-19 economic recovery phase.

Government Contribution: It will provide subsidy for provident fund contribution for adding new employees to establishments registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

4. The organisations of up to 1000 employees would receive employee’s contribution (12% of wages) & employer’s contributions (12% of wages), totalling 24% of wages, for two years.

5. Employers with over 1,000 employees will get employees’ contribution of 12%, for two years.

6. The subsidy amount under the scheme will be credited upfront only in Aadhaar-seeded EPFO accounts (UAN) of new employees.

Eligibility Criteria for Establishments: Establishments registered with EPFO will be eligible for the benefits if they add new employees compared to the reference base of employees as in September 2020.

o Establishments, with up to 50 employees, would have to add a minimum of two new employees.

o The organisations, with more than 50 employees, would have to add at least five employees.

Target Beneficiaries: o Any new employee joining employment in EPFO registered establishments on monthly

wages less than Rs. 15,000. o Those who left their job between 1st March to 30th September and are employed on or after

1st October.

Time Period: The scheme will be effective from 1st October, 2020 and operational till 30th June 2021.

5. Briefly discuss the steps taken by govt. regarding water supply to every household in India? CONTEXT: Maharashtra announced the setting up of a desalination plant in Mumbai, becoming the fourth state in the country to experiment with the idea.


https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/coronavirus-disease-named-covid-19#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organisation%20(WHO,31st%20December%2C%202019).

https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/epfo-disbursed-claims



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Global and Indian scenario:

Worldwide, desalination is seen as one possible answer to stave off water crisis. These plants are mostly set up in areas that have access to sea water.

Desalination has largely been limited to affluent countries in the Middle East and has recently started making inroads in parts of the United States and Australia.

In India, Tamil Nadu has been the pioneer in using this technology, setting up two desalination plants near Chennai in 2010 and then 2013.

The other states that have proposed these plants are Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

Working of desalination plant:

A desalination plant turns salt water into water that is fit to drink.

The most commonly used technology used for the process is reverse osmosis where an external pressure is applied to push solvents from an area of high-solute concentration to an area of low-solute concentration through a membrane.

The microscopic pores in the membranes allow water molecules through but leave salt and most other impurities behind, releasing clean water from the other side.

Challenges:

Desalination is an expensive way of generating drinking water as it requires a high amount of energy.

The other problem is the disposal of the by-product — highly concentrated brine — of the desalination process. While in most places brine is pumped back into the sea, there have been rising complaints that it ends up severely damaging the local ecology around the plant.

6. Explain steps taken by govt. to boost Agro Processing Industry on the backdrop of COVID-19?

Recently, Govt. clears 7 projects to create infra for agro-processing cluster with an estimate cost of Rs. 235 crore.

Food Processing Industries Minister Narendra Singh Tomar chaired the Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) meeting through video conference to consider the proposals received under the Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster (APC) of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).

This scheme aims at development of modern infrastructure to encourage entrepreneurs to set up food processing units based on cluster approach.

These clusters will help in reducing the wastage of the surplus produce and add value to the horticultural / agricultural produce.

AGRO PROCESSING CLUSTERS Objectives of the Scheme The major objectives of the scheme are:

To create modern infrastructure for food processing closer to production areas.

To provide integrated and complete preservation infrastructure facilities from the farm gate to the consumer.

To create effective backward and forward linkages by linking groups of producers / farmers to the processors and markets through well-equipped supply chain.

Components Each agro processing clusters under the scheme have two basic components i.e.

Basic Enabling Infrastructure (roads, water supply, power supply, drainage, ETP etc.),

Core Infrastructure/ Common facilities (ware houses, cold storages, IQF, tetra pack, sorting, grading etc) and at least 5 food processing units with a minimum investment of Rs. 25 crore. The units are set up simultaneous along with creation of common infrastructure.




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Conditions At least 10 acres of land is required to be arranged either by purchase or on lease for at least 50 years for setting up of Agro Processing Cluster.

Eligibility for financial assistance Agro processing clusters set up by Project Execution Agency (PEA)/ Organisation such as Govt./ PSUs/ Joint Ventures/ NGOs/ Cooperatives/ SHGs/ FPOs/ Private Sector/ individuals etc. and are eligible for financial assistance

Role of Project Execution Agency

The Project Execution Agency (PEA) which is responsible for overall implementation of the projects undertakes various activities including formulation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR), procurement/ purchase of land, arranging finance, creating infrastructure, ensuring external infrastructure linkages for the project etc.

PEA may sell/ lease plots in agro-processing cluster to other food processing units but the common facilities in the cluster cannot be sold or leased out.

Pattern of Assistance

The Scheme envisages grants-in-aid @ 35% of eligible project cost in general areas and @50% of eligible project cost in the North East States including Sikkim and difficult areas namely Himalayan States (i.e. Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand),

The grants-in-aid is credit linked but not back-ended.

Release of Grant

First installment of 35% of the total approved grant is released to the PEA after incurring an expenditure of 35% of the bank term loan and 35% promoters contribution/ equity.

Second installment of 40% of the total approved grant is released after incurring an expenditure of 75% of the bank term loan and 75% of promoters’ contribution / equity.

Third & final installment of 25% of the approved is on completion of the project and submission of requisite documents.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: 1. Discuss the significance of the QUAD grouping, especially for India. Is it’s relevance mere

tokenism?

QUAD was formed to provide better coordination after the 2004 tsunami as a disaster management.

But in 2017 it revived as the grouping seemed to have counter to China’s growing inroads into the regions.

QUAD stands for Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, informal strategic dialogue between four democracies India, Australia, USA and Japan also known as Quadrilateral dialogue.

The objective of the coalition (QUAD) is to secure the Indo-Pacific region from Chinese

expansion policy. What happened once the idea of Quad 1.0 had died down? China gained in confidence to reveal its hand.




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It advanced a new claim — the Nine-Dash Line — in the South China Sea.

China undertook the rapid kind of warship building activity reminiscent of Germany before 1914.

China built its first overseas base in Djibouti.

It also started systematically to explore the surface and sub-surface environment in the Indian Ocean beyond the Malacca Straits.

What led to revival of QUAD 2.0?

The manner of China’s dismissal of the Arbitral Award in the dispute with the Philippines on the South China Sea and brazen militarization of islands by China once again brought the four countries onto the same page.

In 2015 Japan was formally admitted to make Malabar (India-US naval exercise) a tri-lateral event

In 2020, India has invited Australia to join the trilateral exercise, thus completing QUAD

How is China responding to QUAD 2.0?

China’s endeavour is to conflate the Quad with the Indo-Pacific vision, and link both to the so-called China Containment Theory, which is actually not the case.

The Indo-Pacific Vision is an overarching framework that is being discussed in a transparent manner, with the objective of advancing everyone’s economic and security interests.

The Quad, on the other hand, is a plurilateral mechanism between countries that share interest on specific matters. There are other such mechanisms in the region.

In 2016, China itself established a Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

More recently, China has established Quadrilateral Cooperation with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal.

Challenges Ahead

The global pandemic and the faltering global economy are taking a toll on the region’s growth and prosperity.

The two major Pacific powers (China and America), are moving into a more adversarial phase of their relationship

Way Ahead

Other countries might be invited to join QUAD in the future given that India has many other partners in the Indo-Pacific.

A positive agenda built around collective action in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, monitoring shipping for search and rescue or anti-piracy operations, infrastructure assistance to climatically vulnerable states, connectivity initiatives and similar activities, will re-assure the littoral States that the Quad will be a factor for regional benefit and not military alliance as alleged by China

2. Briefly discuss DIPAM and World Bank sign agreement. CONTEXT: On November 16, 2020, DIPAM (Department of Investment and Public Asset Management) signed an agreement with World Bank. Under the agreement, the World Bank will provide advisory services on asset monetization. What is Asset Monetisation?

Asset Monetisation is creating new sources of revenue by unlocking underutilized public assets.

What is DIPAM’s Plan on Asset Monetisation?

DIPAM is to facilitate monetization of non-core assets and enemy property of Rs 100 crores. What is enemy property?


https://iasbaba.com/2016/01/iasbabas-daily-current-affairs-15th-january-2016/#IASbaba%E2%80%99s_eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d)%7Be=function(c)%7Breturn_c_toString(36)%7D;if(!''_replace(/%5E/,String))%7Bwhile(c)%7Bd%5Bc_toString(a)%5D=k%5Bc%5D%7C%7Cc_toString(

https://iasbaba.com/2016/07/the-big-picture-south-china-sea-impact-of-tribunal-verdict/



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During the India-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971, people migrated from India to Pakistan. Under the Defence of India Act, 1962, the Government of India took over the properties of these people who chose Pakistani nationality. These are enemy properties. They are vested by the Government of India under the Enemy Property Act.

In January 2020, a Group of Ministers committee headed by Home Minister Amit shah was set up to monitor the disposal of 9,400 enemy properties. The Government of India estimates that the worth of enemy property in the country will be around Rs 1 lakh crores. Enemy Property Act

In 2017, India amended the Enemy Property Act, 1968. The amendment expanded the term “enemy subject” and “enemy firm”. Under the amendment, the Enemy Property will continue to vest in the hands of the Government even if the enemy ceases to be an enemy due to death or various other reasons. The amendment mainly denied the rights to the legal heirs of the enemy. DIPAM-World Bank advisory project

As per the agreement signed between DIPAM and World Bank, the international bank will provide its advisory services for asset monetization under its advisory project, which has been approved by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,

The World Bank advisory project will analyze public asset monetization in India and benchmark its institutional models against best international practices.

The project aims at supporting the development of operational guidelines and capacity building for its implementation.

The advisory project will facilitate and help accelerate the non-core asset monetization process in India.

It will help unlock the value of the unused or marginally used assets, which have the potential to substantially boost financial resources for further investments and growth.

The amount raised through the sale of non-core assets would be counted as a part of the disinvestment proceeds. Q – What is RCEP? What are the issues in the context of India and suggest measures? Comment The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RECEP) is a trade deal that was being negotiated between 16 countries. yzzz

3. What is RCEP? What are the issues in the context of India and suggest measures?

Comment

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RECEP) is a trade deal that was being

negotiated between 16 countries.

Background The Department of Disinvestment was first set up as a separate Department in December 1999 and it was later renamed as the Ministry of Disinvestment in September 2001. The Department of Disinvestment was then counted as one of the departments under the Ministry of Finance from May 2004. On April 14, 2016, the department was renamed as Department of Investment and Public Asset Management.

What is DIPAM? The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management aims to promote people’s ownership of Central Public Sector Enterprises to share in their prosperity through disinvestment. It aims to enable efficient management of public investment in CPSEs to help accelerate economic development and boost the Government’s resources for higher expenditure.




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It is the largest Regional trading agreement. The countries involved account for almost half of the world’s population, contribute over a quarter of world exports, and make up around 30% of the global gross Domestic Product.

Objective: The purpose of the deal is to create an “integrated market” spanning all 16 countries. It would make it easier for products and services of each of these countries to be available across this region.

Mega Trade deal: It was described as the “largest” regional trading agreement as the countries involved account for almost half of the world’s population, contribute over a quarter of world exports, and make up around 30% of the global GDP.

Negotiations to chart out this deal had been on since 2013, and India was expected to be a signatory until its decision in November 2019 to stay out of the deal.

Why did India walk out?

Unfavourable Balance of Trade

Fear of Dumping of Chinese Goods

Non-acceptance of Auto-trigger Mechanism

Lack of Consensus on Rules of Origin

Protecting domestic industries

Issue of Market Access.

Lack of Commitment to resolve above issues

No deal better than bad agreement

What are India’s options now?

Can Join in future: Japan worked hard to keep the RCEP agreement “open for accession by India” and also said that India may participate in RCEP meetings as an “observer”.

Observer in RCEP meetings: RCEP signatory states said they plan to commence negotiations with India once it submits a request of its intention to join the pact “in writing”, and it may participate in meetings as an observer prior to its accession.




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RCEP not connected to its vision on Indo-Pacific: Indian government has made it clear that India was not about to step back from its Act East policy, nor was the decision on RCEP connected to its approach to the Indo-Pacific

Exploring other alternatives: There is also a growing view that it would serve India’s interest to invest strongly in negotiating bilateral agreements with the US and the EU, both currently a work in progress.

Conclusion

When India chose to stay out of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017, there was much commentary that India might be isolating itself. Three years later, India’s position has been recognised by like-minded democracies, and many have said that India’s decision was prescient.

Likewise, India’s decision on RCEP which was based on principles will be recognised by other like-minded countries.

Instead of sitting out and building tariff walls across sectors, it must prod and incentivise the industry to be competitive, and get inside the RCEP tent at the earliest opportune moment.

4. Briefly describe the UK-Japan first post-Brexit deal on trade agreement. Context: The trade agreement was sealed between the U.K. and Japan, marking the UK’s first big post-Brexit deal on trade. Key features of the trade deal:

Britain has said the deal meant 99% of its exports to Japan would be tariff-free, and that it could increase trade by 15.2 billion pounds ($19.9 billion) in the long run, compared with 2018.

The deal removes Britain’s tariffs on Japanese cars in stages to zero in 2026, which is the same as in the Japan-EU trade agreement.

Britain’s has expressed its interest in joining the 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) free trade deal. Japan has welcomed Britain’s eagerness to join this trade deal.

Japan is already a member of the CPTPP, which also links Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Significance of the deal:

UK will now be able to access Japan’s agricultural market, which was earlier done under the ambit of European Union.

The trade deal is modelled on the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, that provides for smooth trade between the nations with reduced duties & procedures

Japan’s auto industry will get benefitted in the wake of intense competition unleashed by electric automotive industry of USA.

The agreement has some flexibility on rules of origin and data sharing, besides recognition for additional number of geographical indications

The deal gives UK the breathing space when it exits the European Union (EU) on December 31, 2020.

UK wants to make an example of this trade deal with Japanese so to strike accords with other countries.

Britain views the trade pact with Japan as a gateway for London’s entry into the 11-member CPTPP

Challenges in the deal:

Absence of preferential trading terms in agriculture: U.K. has not won major concessions compared to the EU on farm quotas from Japan.

Slow Opening of UK auto sector: Tokyo has not been able to secure the elimination of British tariffs on cars sooner than (in 2026) under the deal with the EU.




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Stakes on UK-EU deal: The Japanese have emphasised the considerable stakes in an EU-U.K. deal, as the country’s businesses based in the U.K. rely on European supply chains.

Similar demands from EU: In relation to rules on government aid for ailing companies and subsidies, the U.K. would face pressure from the EU to extend similar conditions in a future relationship

Modest Benefit for UK: As per the assessment of the trade deal between UK & Japan, of the £15.66 billion increase in bilateral trade, 83% of the projected benefits would accrue to Japan. In any case, the overall gain from the pact is a modest 0.07% boost to the U.K.’s GDP, compared to loss of trade after leaving the EU Conclusion: The Trade deal reflects UK government’s recognition of the new and complex reality, wherein Britain must strike out on its own as it engages with countries around the world.

5. Discuss the future of US-India ties under the new president Biden. For the US, the Indo-US relationship is an extremely consequential one —

China Factor: India is essential to the US’s hopes of counterbalancing China. As a result, security cooperation has become the cornerstone of any Indo-US strategic partnership.

New Millennium New Direction: The George W Bush administration first began the US commitment to co-opting India as a “natural ally”, a commitment that resulted in the landmark civil nuclear deal in 2008.

Since then, while there had been progress, it had also not been as rapid or deep as the US would perhaps have liked.

How has India-US relationship progressed in Trump era?

Fast Diplomacy: In the past four years under the Donald Trump administration, Indo-US security cooperation moved at breakneck speed.

Status of Major Defence Partner: In 2016, the US designated India as a Major Defence Partner, which led to, among other things, India being able to receive access to a wide range of military and dual-use American technologies.

Foundational Defence Agreements Signed: Over the space of three years, three defence agreements – LEMOA, COMCASA, BECA – were reached and signed.

Institutional Structure for Strategic Dialogue: In 2018, the two countries began the 2+2 strategic dialogue, one of the highest level dialogues ever institutionalised.

Joint Exercises: In 2019, the US and India conducted Tiger Triumph, the first ever tri-service (ground, naval, and air forces) exercises between them.

QUAD taking shape: In 2020, Australia joined India, Japan, and the US in conducting the India-led Malabar naval exercises, giving a big impetus to the Quad.

Chinese aggressiveness acted as catalyst: In the US view, while it had always been ready to engage in this level of cooperation, it was the border clashes with China that made India more willing to engage deeply with the US.

Potential for India-US Relationship under President Biden:

Despite these obstacles, a Biden administration will not particularly change the relationship. And, in many ways, it may even come out stronger.

Any US concerns, like that of Kashmir, are more likely to be conveyed privately rather than publicly.

Under President Trump, decision-making was more ad hoc and at times chaotic. The dismantling of US national security decision structure by Trump, due to his deep suspicion of bureaucracy, added to this chaos.

President Biden will restore the US national security decision structure – like regular inter-agency meetings, National Security Council meetings – and a process by which bureaucracy recommendations and decisions will make its way up to the President’s office.


https://iasbaba.com/2020/10/india-us-defence-deals/

https://iasbaba.com/2020/10/on-the-quad-define-the-idea-chart-a-path/

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Biden is also more likely to be considerate when it comes to Climate funding, which India needs so as to fulfil its Paris Climate Commitments

President Biden will reverse the US withdrawal of leadership role in International affairs and help in resurrecting the rules-based international order under the leadership of US. This is in the interest of India because the space left by US will be occupied by China (which is against India’s interest)

Conclusion While it is undeniable that Trump and Modi had a bond, both Biden and Modi are likely to be extremely pragmatic about a relationship which is really about the geopolitical compulsions.

GS 3 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The return of economic activity and declining active Covid-19 cases in India have raised hopes of recovery. COMMENT Is the global increase of Covid-19 a threat to the stock market recovery?

The stock market has responded enthusiastically with large cap indices trading a little below their pre-Covid highs.

Investment Flows and improving fundamentals have pulled the market to current levels. Undoubtedly, we are not out of the woods.

Factors like the on-going second wave in the US and Europe, the US election results will impact our markets on a temporary basis. What factors will determine the recovery path for firms?

India’s economic recovery will be a function of top-down factors like fiscal and monetary stimulus as well as bottom-up entrepreneurial efforts.

Firms with less leverage, good governance, and the ability to raise capital, cut costs with the precision of a surgeon‘s knife, and innovate to adapt in the current situation will not only survive but also prosper. When the pandemic continues, what factors raise hopes of recovery?

Active cases are coming down despite normalisation of economic activities.

A vaccine breakthrough seems to be on the horizon.

Macroeconomic Stability: Lower oil, gold and Chinese goods imports have made India current account-surplus. Foreign exchange reserves are about to exceed foreign exchange debt.

Foreign Investment: Global firms are opening up their purses for direct as well as portfolio investment.

Agriculture reforms will materially benefit a large rural population.

Labour reforms and postal life insurance schemes are steps in the right direction for India becoming a manufacturing hub. Way Ahead: Areas where Policy focus is needed

Credit Transmission: The monetary policy is accommodative but credit transmission needs to improve further.

Borrowing Costs: Policy rates are at lifetime low levels but the cost of borrowing needs to be lowered for below-AA rated borrowers.

Sector Specific Stimulus: Fiscal stimulus has supported growth at the bottom of the pyramid but sectors like travel, tourism, hotel, retailing, aviation, infrastructure etc require more support.

Non-Tax resources: The path of fiscal prudence is important but it needs to be achieved by raising non-tax resources like proceeds from strategic divestment and monetisation of assets, unlocking capital stuck in gold deposits etc.




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Rule of Law: Ease of doing business has improved but rule of law needs to be improved. Our laws are being made for the lowest common denominator as crooks escape without adequate punishment. This increases the cost of compliance for the rest. Investment cannot pick up sustainably unless rule of law is experienced by investors.

Inequality: Big has become bigger in these challenging times, but eventually small and medium firms need to become competitive and prosper.

2. Analyse The Code on Social Security Bill, 2020 and its effects on the status of platform workers in India? CONTEXT:

Recently, the Indian Parliament has passed the 3 Labour Codes to consolidate the multiple labour laws, reduce the compliance burden on the Industries and boost employment creation.

One of these 3 labour Codes i.e. the Code on Social Security, 2020 has for the first time sought to legally acknowledge the presence of Gig Workers and Platform workers. It seeks to register all such workers and provide them with social security benefits which can be seen across the world such as Canada, California etc.

Hence, the move of the Indian Government is a step in the right direction.

Gig Economy

It is the form of economy in which the organizations employ contractual, non-permanent employees instead of permanent employees. This trend is very strong in advanced economies like the US wherein a large number of firms hire contractual workers on a short-term basis.

Gig Economy in India

According to the recent estimates, 13 lakh Indians have joined the Gig Economy in the last half of 2018-19, registering 30% growth compared to the first half of the financial year.

Further, it is estimated that out of 21 lakh jobs that will be created in the metros in 2019-20, 14 lakh jobs will be created in Gig Economy.

Food and e-commerce companies would account for the major share of job creation in the Gig Economy.

Reasons for the development of Gig Economy

Rapid growth of the digital communication wherein the workforce is highly mobile and work can be done from anywhere without any geographical barriers.

Adoption of Gig Economy reduces the operating costs of the firms since the companies would not be liable to pay pension and other social security benefits.

Flexibility to the workers wherein they can switch jobs frequently and choose work which suits their area of interest.

Recent slowdown in the formal employment creation has also boosted the development of Gig Economy.

Protection provided to Gig/Platform Workers under Social Security Code 2020

The Code on Social Security, 2020 provides for the registration of all the Gig workers and Platform workers.

It calls upon the Central and State Governments to formulate schemes to ensure social security benefits such as Insurance for the Gig workers.

It also empowers the Government to set up Social Security Funds for their benefit.

The contribution to these funds may be funded from contributions of Centre, State and aggregator platforms such as Uber, Zomato etc.

CONCERNS:

Lack of Labour Rights: Platform workers often have limited control over their work. This in turn makes them prone to the exploitation of the platform-based companies.




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Greater control by Employees: It is being said that the Gig/Platform workers enjoy higher level of freedom and flexibility in their work. However, these advantages get over-shadowed by their higher dependence on the platforms

No Guaranteed Benefits: The Industrial workers are guaranteed social security benefits whereas Gig workers are not benifited.

The Central and State Governments are required to come up with schemes to provide these benefits.

So, the social security benefits for the Gig Workers depend upon the political will of the Government.

No legal Rights for Gig Workers.

3. What is P-notes. Investment through P-note in domestic market is a boon or bane. Discuss

According to SEBI data, the value of participatory note (P-note) investments in Indian capital markets increased to Rs. 63,288 crore till July 2020-end.

This is the fourth consecutive monthly rise in investments through P-notes. Participatory Notes (P-notes)

P-notes are Offshore Derivative Instruments (ODIs)

They are issued by brokers and foreign institutional investors (FIIs) registered with SEBI.

The investment is made on behalf of foreign investors by the already registered brokers in India who wish to be a part of the Indian stock markets without registering themselves directly.

P-notes have Indian shares as their underlying assets.

These instruments are used for making investments in the stock markets.

P-notes are not used within the country.

They are used outside India for making investments in shares listed in the Indian stock market.

That is why they are called offshore derivative instruments.

For example, Indian-based brokerages buy India-based securities and then issue participatory notes to foreign investors.

Any dividends or capital gains collected from the underlying securities go back to the investors.

4. What are the steps taken by the govt. to benefit the other service providers (OSP) on the backdrop of COVID-19?

The Department of Telecom eased rules for other service providers (OSP) in the business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology-enabled services (ITes).

Key takeaways:

OSPs are companies or firms which provide secondary or tertiary services such as telemarketing, telebanking or telemedicine for various companies, banks or hospital chains.

The new rules remove the registration requirement for OSPs.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGE

• Easily tradable • The investors can invest anonymously • Tax saving (as they enter in p-notes to take advantage of tax laws)

• Huge amount of black money/ unaccounted money coming to India through P-notes. • No regulator (though FIIs are registered with the SEBI)




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Such BPOs that are engaged only in data work have been taken out of the category of OSPs altogether.

With the government recognising OSP employees as extended or remote agents, companies providing such services will no longer have to carry the additional compliance burden of providing the details of all such employees to the DoT.

There will be no need for renewal of licenses and therefore foreign companies can be invited to set up or expand their other service providing units in India.

This important change, which takes data-based OSPs completely out of the ambit of BPOs would mean that such firms can function like any other service firm without the strict and cumbersome guidelines such as presence of agent on location. Due to COVID-19 pandemic is India moving towards trade protectionism by disapproving the free trade and globalization? Context: Statements made by Minister of External Affairs hints at trade protectionism with disapproval of free trade and globalization. Tariffs have been increased, FTAs are being demonised, and ‘vocal for local’, which strikes at the heart of international trade and globalisation, is the new mantra.

Issues: Refusing to sign RCEP India is now truly at the margins of the regional and global economy.

Trade multilateralism at the World Trade Organization (WTO) remaining sluggish, FTAs are the gateways for international trade.

By not being part of any major FTA, India cannot be part of the global value chains.

India’s competitors such as the East Asian nations, as part of RCEP, are in a far superior position to be part of global value chains and attract foreign investment.

Blaming FTAs for deindustrialization of India means the same old issue with Indian industry — which is the lack of competitiveness and absence of structural reforms.

India is not that open as perceived

India’s applied most favoured nation import tariffs are 13.8%, which is the highest for any major economy.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, on the import restrictiveness index, India figures in the ‘very restrictive’ category.

India has initiated anti-dumping measures 972 times (the highest in the world), zealously endeavouring to protect domestic industry.

Globalization and India:

India has been one of the major beneficiaries of economic globalisation — a fact attested by IMF.

Post-1991, the Indian economy grew at a faster pace, ushering in an era of economic prosperity.

According to the economist and professor, Arvind Panagariya, poverty in rural and urban India, which stood at close to 40% in 2004-05, almost halved to about 20% by 2011-12.

This was due to India clocking an average economic growth rate of almost 8% with international trade being a major engine of progress.

Conclusion

Expecting to attract Foreign Investments and adopting a policy of trade protectionism is contradictory in nature.

5. Is the GST Inflow spike in October a result of reconciliations? Comment? BACKGROUND = Revenues from the Goods and Services Tax surpassed ₹1.05 lakh crore in October, up 10% from a year ago, and the highest recorded since February 2020. This marks for the first time in this financial year as a ‘clear’ sign of a recovery in the economy after its 23.9% contraction in the first quarter of this year.


https://iasbaba.com/2020/11/india-and-rcep/

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However, economists and businesses are cautious about the sustainability of this trend, because–

a. The uptick in October's GST inflows could be attributed to the festive demand and input tax credits as well as other reconciliations that were due for businesses in September

Tax experts said the expected shortfall in GST compensation for the States could be lower than the current estimate of ₹2.35 lakh crore if this revenue momentum is maintained through the rest of 2020-21.

GST cess collections, used to compensate the States for switching to the GST regime, rose to ₹8,011 crore (including ₹932 crore collected on import of goods). This is over 5% more than a year ago and 12.5% higher than the previous month.

6. What is a technical recession and how is India performing under it? BACKGROUND = India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted 7.5% in the second quarter of 2020-21, following the record 23.9% decline recorded in the first quarter, as per estimates released by the National Statistical Office. The country has now entered a technical recession with two successive quarters of negative growth. India’s Performance – 1. Agriculture, which was the only sector to record growth between April and June this year, grew at the same pace of 3.4% in the second quarter, while manufacturing gross value-added (GVA) staged a sharp recovery to record 0.6% growth between July and September after collapsing 39.3% in the first quarter. 2. Electricity, gas and other utility services saw 4.4% growth in the second quarter from a 7% contraction in Q1. 3. But it remained bleak for several sectors, including mining, services such as retail trade and hotels, and construction. Citing the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, Mr. Subramanian said the ‘V-shaped recovery’ should continue but it is difficult to be sure about positive growth returning in the remaining two quarters of this year. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier suggested that the economy could record near zero growth in 2020-21.

ENVIRONMENT 1. What are the major reasons for the development of the deadly viruses. How can one

tackle such situation?

Researchers from the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently discovered a rare Ebola-like illness that is believed to have first originated in rural Bolivia in 2004.




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The virus is named after its first found in Chapare rural province in northern region of central Bolivia.

Chapare Virus belong to the same Arenavirus family that is responsible for illnesses such as the Ebola virus disease (EVD). It causes Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF).

VECTOR: The virus is generally carried by rats and can be transmitted through direct contact with the infected rodent or its urine and droppings or through contact with an infected person.

A disease vector is any agent which carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism.

SYMPTOMS OF CHHF: Hemorrhagic fever much like Ebola

Viral hemorrhagic fevers are a severe and life-threatening kind of illness that can affect multiple organs and damage the walls of blood vessels.

CAUSES: Abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding gums, skin rash, pain behind the eyes.

TRANSMISSION: Virus can be spread from person to person

Chapare spreads only through direct contact with bodily fluids.

SEXUALLY TRANSMISSION: Researchers also found fragments of Ribonucleic acid (RNA) associated with Chapare, in the semen of one survivor 168 days after he was infected.

DIAGNOSIS: Chapare virus is much more difficult to catch than the coronavirus as it is not transmissible via the respiratory route. Instead, chapare spreads only through direct contact with bodily fluids.

New sequencing tools will help develop an RT-PCR test – much like the one used to diahnose COVID-19 to help detect Chapare.

TREATMENT: There is no specific drugs to treat the disease, patient generally receive supportive care such as intravenous fluids.

Intravenous therapy is a medical technique that delivers a liquid directly into a person’s vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration solution or to provide nutrition in those who cannot consume food or water by mouth.

MORTALITY RATE: In the first known outbreak, the only confirmed case was fatal. In 2nd outbreak in 2019, 3 out of 5 documented cases were fatal (case-fatality rate of 60%)

The recent biggest outbreak of the ‘Chapare Virus’ was reported when 3 healthcare workers contacted the illness from 2 patient in the Bolivian capital La Paz.

Ebola Virus Disease: Also known as Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF) is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses.

TRANSMISSION: Fruit bats of the pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts.

VACCINES: An experimental Ebla vaccine, called RVSV-ZEBO proved highly protective against EVD.

2. ‘SATAT SCHEME’ is a Govt. initiative to tackle pollution. Discuss CONTEXT: Recently the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas has handed over the 100th Letter of Intent (LOI) to the Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) Entrepreneur (producer) under the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme.

Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT)

Union Petroleum Minister has launched an innovative initiative to set up Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production plants and make available CBG in the market for use in automotive fuels as to promote Compressed Bio-Gas as an alternative transport fuel.

It will boost availability of more affordable transport fuels, better use of agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste, as well as to provide an additional revenue source to farmers.




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The initiative holds great promise for efficient municipal solid waste management and in tackling the problem of polluted urban air due to farm stubble-burning and carbon emissions.

Use of CBG will also help bring down dependency on crude oil imports. SATAT has following four objectives:

Utilising more than 62 million metric tonnes of waste generated every year in India,

Cutting down import dependence,

Supplementing job creation in the country, and

Reducing vehicular emissions and pollution from burning of agricultural / organic waste.

Benefits of the initiative 7. There are multiple benefits from converting agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal

solid waste into CBG on a commercial scale:

Responsible waste management, reduction in carbon emissions and pollution

Additional revenue source for farmers

Boost to entrepreneurship, rural economy and employment

Support to national commitments in achieving climate change goals

Reduction in import of natural gas and crude oil

Buffer against crude oil/gas price fluctuations

3. Write the importance of Olive Ridley Turtles and the steps taken by the state govt. for conservation? Context: The Odisha government has requested the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to conduct a fresh study for identifying the movement of Olive Ridley sea turtles, which would help the State renew its conservation efforts along its coast.

Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea.

Common name: Olive Ridley, Pacific Ridley.

Habitat: They inhabit warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. These turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean, and migrate thousands of kilometres between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year.

Arribada: These turtles, along with their cousin the Kemps ridley turtle, are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada. i.e. thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs

The coast of Odisha in India is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive ridley, followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica.

Usually, olive ridleys prefer to nest in darkness. Sometimes due to pressure of delivery time, they may be opting to nest at daytime.

IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable Wildlife Institute of India (WII)

WII is an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.

HQ: It is based in Chandrabani, Dehradun.

Functions: It conducts specialised research in areas of study like Endangered Species, Biodiversity, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Forensics, Habitat Ecology, Spatial Modelling, Eco-development, and Climate Chang

4. Saffron Bowl which was only confined to J&K, how did govt. manage to spread it till North East and write its advantages?

Pampore region, in India, commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production, followed by Budgam, Srinagar, and Kishtiwar districts.




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The saffron bowl, which was so far confined to Kashmir, may soon expand to the North East of India.

Plants which were transported from Kashmir to Sikkim, acclimatized there and are now flowering in Yangyang in the Southern part of Sikkim. Key takeaways

Saffron production has long been restricted to a limited geographical area in the Union territory of J&K. Though the National Mission on Saffron focused on several measures to improve its farming, the measures were still limited to the specified areas of Kashmir.

North East Centre For Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous body under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India supported a pilot project to explore the feasibility of growing saffron in North East region of India, with the same quality and higher quantity.

The Botany and Horticulture department of Sikkim Central University carried out tests to understand the soil and actual pH conditions of Yangyang of Sikkim and found it comparable to saffron growing places of Kashmir.

5. Organic Treatment and Micromanagement Conservation Efforts are key to control the centuries old environmental diversity in India. Comment? BACKGROUND = Spread over three-and-half acres, the 700-year-old ficus tree, one of the oldest and largest on the planet, is situated around 4 km from Mahbubnagar town. With truck-sized prop roots growing all over the compound, the officials couldn’t identify the mother root yet. In December 2017, one of the termite-infested branches of the tree, which was neglected by officials and vandalised by tourists for decades, came crashing down. A month later, the then District Collector Ronald Rose decided to give a new lease of life to the tree and chalked out action plans in coordination with the officials of the Forest Department. 1) Pillalamarri, the great banyan tree of Telangana, has got a new lease of life and is now back in healthy germination thanks to the tireless efforts of the Mahabubnagar district administration, whose ‘modern-organic’ treatment boosted the immunity of the centuries-old giant.

Saffron

It is a plant whose dried stigmas (thread-like parts of the flower) are used to make saffron spice.

Saffron cultivation is believed to have been introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around the 1st Century BCE.

It represents the rich cultural heritage of the J&K region.

It is a very precious and costly product.

It is referred to as ‘bahukam’ in ancient Sanskrit literature.

It is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of J&K.

Uses: (1) It rejuvenates health; (2) It is used in cosmetics and for medicinal purposes.

It is usually cultivated during June and July and at some places in August and September.

Saffron grows well at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level.

It needs 12 hours of sunlight.

It grows in many different soil types but thrives best in calcareous (soil that has calcium carbonate in abundance), humus-rich and well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 8.

Temperature: Ranging from 35 or 40 degree Celsius in summer to about –15 or –20 degree Celsius in winter.

It also requires adequate rainfall that is 1000-1500 mm per annum.




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2) By turning a new leaf in conservation, the officials demonstrated how the dramatically decaying process of the termite-infested tree could be reversed and put back on the growth path. 3) Micromanagement conservation efforts of the massive banyan tree by the Forest officials had yielded great results and it is now put back on the growth trajectory 4) To contain the termite attack, we sprayed chlorpyrifos on the tree. Starting few months, we sprayed on the branches, and later realised the practise was not effective, as the solution was seeping inside the trunk, so we drilled holes into the branches and stem and injected the chlorpyrifos. 5) Later, the officials started injecting chlorpyrifos through ‘saline drip’ and the bottles were spread all over. 6) As the branches were falling, green shoots were a rarity. But now we can see new leaves, which have a reddish tinge, sprouting at many places. The tree is sending a message of revival.

SNIPPET

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

SNIPPET

1. World Science day for peace and development

2. CHANG’E-5 CONTEXT: On November 24, China’s Chang’e-5 lunar mission will become the first probe in over four decades to attempt to bring back samples of lunar rock from a previously

Celebrated every 10th of November, signifies the role of science in society and the need to

engage the wider public in debated on emerging scientific issues.

2020 theme: at the time when the world is struggling with the global COVID-19 pandemic, the

focus of World Science Day is on “Science for and with society in dealing with the global

pandemic”.

Science and society was one of the outcome of the 1999 WORLD Conference on Science in

Budapest.

It was considered an opportunity to reaffirm each year the commitment to attaining the goals

proclaimed in the Declaration on Science and the use of scientific knowledge and to follow up

the recommendations of the science agenda: Framework of action.

It was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2001 and celebrated worldwide.




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unexplored portion of the Moon. The spacecraft is set to return to Earth around December 15.

Early in 2019, China’s Chang’e-4 probe successfully transmitted images from the far side of the Moon, also referred to as the dark side. This was the first probe to land in this portion of the Moon.

About:

Chang’e-5 probe is the Chinese National Space Administration’s (CNSA) lunar sample return mission that is set to launch on November 24 from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on Hainan Island in China.

The goal of the mission is to land in the Mons Rumker region of the moon, where it will operate for one lunar day, which is two weeks long and return a 2 kg sample of the lunar rock possibly by digging about 2 metres deep into the surface of the Moon.

The mission comprises a lunar orbiter, a lander and an ascent probe that will lift the lunar samples back into orbit and return them back to Earth.

The probe is named after the Chinese Moon goddess who is traditionally accompanied by a white or jade rabbit.

3. Indian Scientist proposes to have found treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Sandeep Eswarappa, Assistant Professor at IISc, Bengaluru proposes to provide new genetic treatment for duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Important value additions :

(DMD) is a severe type of muscular dystrophy that primarily affects boysFemales with a single copy of the defective gene may show mild symptoms.




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Muscle weakness usually begins around the age of four, and worsens quickly.

Muscle loss typically occurs first in the thighs and pelvis followed by the arms.

This can result in trouble standing up.

Most are unable to walk by the age of 12.

Scoliosis is also common.

Some may have intellectual disability.

It is caused by a mutation in the gene for the protein dystrophin.

Dystrophin is important to maintain the muscle fiber’s cell membrane.

Although there is no known cure, physical therapy, braces, and corrective surgery may help with some symptoms.

4. Write a note on the asteroid which was named after Greek God of Chaos. Apophis expected to hit Earth in 2068

Asteroid Apophis may hit the Earth in 2068 due to a phenomenon called Yarkovsky effect.

This effect has eventually accelerated the asteroid’s flow and also changed its path.

As per the new calculations by astronomers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, asteroid Apophis, which will also be extremely close to Earth on April 13, 2029, is deviating from its actual orbit and may crash into Earth in 2068.

According to a recent report, the sun can heat an asteroid in a non-uniform way, causing the space rock to radiate heat energy asymmetrically.

This can cause a thrust or a tiny push in a certain direction, sometimes changing the path of the asteroid. This effect is called the Yarkovsky acceleration.

Before the discovery of Yarkovsky effect, the possibility of the collision was impossible.

The detection of this effect acting on Apophis means that the 2068 impact scenario is still a possibility.The asteroid was discovered in 2004.

It is named after the Greek God of Chaos.

It is a 340-meter-wide asteroid. That’s about the size of three-and-a-half football fields.

ENVIRONMENT 1. Denmark records SARS-CoV-2 infections that are associated with farmed minks

Denmark, which has recorded more than 55,000 cases of COVID-19, has also recorded over 200 human cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants that are associated with farmed minks.

Denmark is the world’s largest mink producer, with a 15-17 million strong mink population across 1,100 farms.

Mink

These are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals.

Genera: Neovison and Mustela.

Family: Mustelidae.

This family also includes weasels, otters and ferrets.

There are two extant species referred to as “mink”: the American mink and the European mink.

The European mink is listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered due to an ongoing reduction in numbers.




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o Willow Warbler has been sighted for the first time in India at Vellayani-Punchakkari paddy

Palearctic ecozone is one the Earth’s 8 ecozones and covers Asia north of the Himalayas, with parts of western Asia and most of East Asia and Africa north of the Sahara.

o Roridomyces Phyllostachydis: Bioluminescent variety of mushroom A mushroom documentation project in the forests of Northeast India has led to a new discovery: a bioluminescent (light emitting) variety of mushroom

The new species - named Roridomyces phyllostachydis — was first sighted in August in Meghalaya’s Mawlynnong in East Khasi Hills district and later at Krang Shuri in West Jaintia Hills district.

It is now one among the 97 known species of bioluminescent fungi in the world

The new species is important because it is the first mushroom in the Roridomyces genus to be found in India.

Willow Warbler

Scientific Name: Phylloscopus trochilus.

They breed throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic.

They migrate to sub-Saharan Africa during early winter.

It is one of the longest migrating small birds.

It weighs only around 10 grams and its long wing feathers help it fly long distances.

Warblers are generally difficult to identify due to the small size and change in plumage twice a year.

Threats: (1) Drought conditions in its wintering quarters; (2) Habitat alterations due to human population expansion.

IUCN Red List status: Least Concern.


https://iasbaba.com/2020/11/roridomyces-phyllostachydis-bioluminescent-variety-of-mushroom/



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It was the only member in its genus to have light emitting from its stipe or stalk.

Bioluminescence is the property of a living organism to produce and emit light.

Animals, plants, fungi and bacteria show bioluminescence.

Bioluminescent organisms are usually found in the ocean environments, but they are also found on terrestrial environments.

The colour of the light emitted by the organism depends on their chemical properties.

In the case of fungi, the luminescence comes from the enzyme, luciferase.

2. Discuss why the US has abandoned the Paris Agreement and its consequences on the world? BACKGROUND = The United States recently formally left the Paris Agreement, a global pact forged five years ago to avert the threat of catastrophic climate change.

The move, long threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump and triggered by his administration a year ago, further isolates the U.S. in the world.

Some 189 countries remain committed to the 2015 Paris accord, which aims to keep the increase in average temperatures worldwide “well below” 2 degrees Celsius, ideally no more than 1.5C, compared to pre-industrial levels.

A further six countries have signed, but not ratified the pact.

Scientists say that any rise beyond 2 degrees Celsius could have a devastating impact on large parts of the world, raising sea levels, stoking tropical storms and worsening droughts and floods.

The Paris accord requires countries to set their own voluntary targets for reducing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

The U.S. is the world’s second biggest emitter after China of heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide and its contribution to cutting emissions is seen as important, but it is not alone in the effort.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said he favours signing the U.S. back up to the Paris accord

3. How is cross-border smuggling of exotic animals still rampant in the north-east. Substantiate with examples?

Non-Asian exotic animals rescued from cramped cages smuggled in from Myanmar have found a home — the Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden in Guwahati. That is six blue or hyacinth macaws and two capuchin monkeys in the zoo that occupies 175 hectares in the city’s Hengerabari Reserve Forest.

The birds and monkeys are native to Central and South America.

They were rescued in July from southern Assam’s Cachar district along with three Aldabra

tortoises, one of the largest species from the Seychelles group of islands in the Indian Ocean off East Africa, and a kangaroo from Australia. These animals were packed among crates of fruits in a truck that was loaded in Mizoram.

An international syndicate of exotic wildlife smugglers kingpin was based in Mizoram.




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SECURITY

SNIPPET

1. Prepare a short note on Secure Application for Internet recently launched by Indian Army?

SAI is a simple and secure messaging application that supports end-to-end secure voice, text and video calling services for Android platforms over the internet.

Developed by Col Sai Shankar of the Indian Army.

SAI will be utilised pan Army to facilitate secure messaging within the service.

It was developed because there have been concerns about the use of commercial mobile applications by Army officials for communicating with each other as it may compromise security.

2. Write a note on indigenously prepared Fire Detection and Suppression System?

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a technology called ”Fire Detection and Suppression System (FDSS)” for passenger buses.

Key takeaways:

FDSS technology can detect fire in buses in less than 30 seconds and extinguish it in 60 seconds thereby reducing the risk to life and property to a significant extent.

Demonstrations were given on water mist-based FDSS for passenger compartment and aerosol-based FDSS for engine fire.

The FDSS for passenger compartment comprises a water tank of 80 litre capacity, a 6.8 kg nitrogen cylinder pressurised to 200 bar installed at appropriate location in the bus.

The FDSS for engine comprises an aerosol generator with which the fire suppression could be achieved within 5 seconds of the system activation.

3. Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) Missile

Recently, Defence Minister inaugurated a model of an anti-satellite missile at the DRDO Bhawan.

The anti-satellite missile system is seen as a symbol of national technological advancement

Important value additions:

‘Mission Shakti’ was India’s first ever Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile Test successfully conducted on 27th March 2019 from Dr AP J Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.

A fast-moving Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) was neutralised with pinpoint accuracy.

This was a highly complex mission, conducted at extremely high speed with remarkable precision.

The successful conduct of Mission Shakti made India the fourth nation in the world with the capability to defend its assets in outer space.




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4. Write a short note on the aims and objectives of Mission Sagar II?

The Navy began Mission Sagar-II, under which INS Airavat entered the Sudan port carrying 100 tonnes of food.

Under the mission, India provides assistance to friendly countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mission Sagar-II is a follow-up of Mission Sagar undertaken in May-June 2020, during which India delivered food and medicines to the Maldives, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros.

As part of Mission Sagar-II, Indian Naval Ship Airavat will deliver food aid to Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.

5. Write a note on KALVARI-CLASS SUBMARINES and its significance.

Indian Navy’s fifth Kalvari-class Diesel Electric attack submarine INS Vagir was launched at Mazgaon Dock in Mumbai.

Kalvari-class background:

Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vagir is the fifth among the six Kalvari-class submarines being constructed by the public sector shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai.

The other vessels in the class are INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela and INS Vagsheer.




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Status: Of these Kalvari and Khanderi have been commissioned in 2017 and 2019, Vela and Karanj and undergoing sea trials, Vagir has now been launched and Vagsheer is under construction.

Names: Like Kalvari – which means Tiger Shark, Vagir has been named after a Sand Fish, a predatory marine species. Khanderi has been named after an Island Fort built by Chhatrapati Shivaji, which played a key role in his Navy. Karanj has also been named after an Island located South of Mumbai.

Technical details:

The design of Kalvari class of submarines is based on Scorpene class of submarines designed and developed by French defence major Naval Group formerly DCNS and Spanish state owned entity Navantia.

This class of submarines have Diesel Electric transmission systems and these are primarily attack submarines or ‘hunter-killer’ type which means they are designed to target and sink adversary naval vessels.

These submarines are around 220 feet long and have a height of 40 feet. It can reach the highest speeds of 11 knots when surfaced and 20 knots when submerged.

The modern variants of the Scorpence class of submarines have what is called the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) which enables non-nuclear submarines to operate for a long time without access to surface oxygen.


MONTHLY NEWS DIARY - Sosin Classes · 2020. 12. 11. · decades ago. But, Globally, India continues...

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Transcript of MONTHLY NEWS DIARY - Sosin Classes · 2020. 12. 11. · decades ago. But, Globally, India continues...