UPSC September Magazine (Eng)

upsciq.
com September 2019
INDEX
TOPPER’S TALK 1 8) National Animal Disease Control Programme 80
9) Tourism competitiveness index 2019 82
POLITY 10) Corporate tax cut announced 83
1) Role of Judiciary in protecting the 3 11) Ration card portability 84
civil liberties
SECURITY
2) Justice Tahilramani Transfer Contraversy 5
3) Krishna Water Dispute 6
1) Status of Policing in India Report 2019 86
4) Government to implement NRC across 8
2) India to get Swiss banking details 87
country
3) UAPA Tribunals 88
5) Advisory board for banking frauds 10
4) 28th Indo–Thai CORPA 90
5) Shaking the foundation of fake news 92
GOVERNANCE & SOCIAL JUSTICE DISASTER MENAGEMENT
1) Prohibition of E-cigarettes Ordinance 2019 11
1) Angikaar Campaign 94
2) Reforming the Law Commission. 13
2) International Coalition for Disaster Resilient 96
3) Shagun’online junction for School 15
Infrastructure
4) India Iodine Survey 2018-19 Report 17
3) Science of Forest Fire 98
5) What is Time Bank 18
4) Mapping lightning across India 100
6) State of World population 2019 20
7) Status of Policing in India report 2019 21
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
8) Draft Employees Provident Fund and 23
1) Mitra crater of Moon 102
MiscellaneousProvident Act, 2019 2) Samudrayaan’ Project 104
9) India diseases burden leprosy and TB 25
3) ISRO to help Israel on moon 106
10) Vaccine Hesitancy 27
5) Genome sequencing of bacteria to help 107
11) Changes in Corporate social responsibility 28
with biocontrol in farming
12) Ayushman Bharat completes 1 year 29
6) Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) 109
13) Status granted to new institutions 31
7) India declared free of Avian influenza 111
14) Janaushadhi Sugam 33
8) Water vapour found on K2 18b Super Earth 112
15) The burden of malnutrition 35 9) Hepatitis B 113
10) Man portable anti tank guided missile 115
INTERNATIONAL RELATION 11) Gaganyaan mission by 2021 116
1) India European Union free trade agreement 37
2) India will offer $1 billion loan to Russia 38
39 ENVIRONMENT
3) India Nepal oil pipeline
40 1) ANDREX Project 117
4) Made in India trains in Sri Lanka
2) Why electric vehicles are expensive 118
5) Pakistan import life saving drugs from India 41
3) Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme 120
6) PM Modi in Russia's Eastern economic forum 42
4) REDD+ Himalayan programme extended till 2020 122
7) Interpol Red Notice 44
5) Ganga river antibiotic resistance. 124
8) Global liveability index 2019 47
6) Okjokull Glacier, Iceland 126
9) Hong Kong government withdraw China's 48
7) Uranium contamination in Andhra Pradesh 129
extradition bill
8) PUC Test 130
10) India South Korea sign logistic agreement 49
9) CAMPA fund for States 132
for Navy
10) Composite Water Management Index 2.0 by 134
11) USA Israel to sign mutual defence treaty 50
NITI Aayog
12) South Asian speakers summit 51
11) Corbett Reserve -Special Tiger Protection Force 137
13) India Pakistan bilateral trade tensions 52
12) Paraquat Herbicide 139
14) Israel - Pakistan Diplomatic Relations 53
13) Bio-fencing 141
15) TSENTR 2019 military exercise 55
14) Tiger Habitats in high altitude 142
16) Pakistan's relations with Israel 56
15) Project SU.RE 143
17) Israeli PM Netanyahu's plan to annex 58
Jordan
18) Chinese soldier in Pangong Tso lake 60 GEOGRAPHY
19) Boris Johnson dissolves British Parliament. 62 1) Earthquake hits Pakistan occupied Kashmir 144
20) China to invest 400 billion dollar in Iran 64
21) Pakistan Occupied Kashmir 66 HISTORY
ECONOMY
1) Rakhigarhi DNA study 146
1) India's GDP growth slips to 6 year low of 5% 68
2) Employment scenario of India 69 PRELIMS BITS 148
3) Manoharan Committee 71 PRELIMS CAPSULE 159
4) Survey On Mudra Scheme 73 SOLUTIONS 168
5) Finance Minister unveils Third Economic 75 175
booster MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS
6) Linking Loan Rate with Repo Rate 76
7) Marine Fisheries Regulation and 78
management Bill, 2019
A STUDY IQ Initiative
upsciq.com September 2019
TOPPERS’ TALK
UPSC 2018 Topper Talk • I believe that reading monthly Current Affairs in-
AIR 151 - Ayush Nopany, Pride of Bihar, Motivation for depth and analyzing each and every aspect of it is very
UPSC Aspirants important for the exam.
I am Ayush Nopany and I have secured All India Rank of Mains Exam
151 in CSE 2018. This was my 4th attempt. • Content presentation is very important in Mains
I did my graduation from Hansraj College (Economic exam.
Honours -Delhi University ) and started preparing for • Prioritize important things that you will be writing
CSE after 2 years of finishing college. Within those two and it will only come when you have given many mock/
years of span, I worked for an NGO(that is started in test series before.
2010 by me). • Headings should be given for every topic.
• Attempt maximum no of questions but with accuracy.
Tips for Exam • Underline the important things.
• Consistency, focus, and determination these three • If you still have some time left then write additional
things that are important according to me that goes into points in the Mains exam.
the preparation for CSE. • Presentation matters the most, so take care of it.
• Identify the subjects, go through the subject very • I improved my handwriting and presentation skills
well. Go for NCERT’s for basic knowledge and then one to write the answers.
standard book for each subject. • I gave extra attention to giving space between
• Ample material is available online, use them wisely paragraphs while writing answers and highlighting
and focus on self-study. heading clearly.
• I did not take coaching for General Studies.
• I have covered many test series both for preliminary Newspaper Reading
and mains exams. • Frame 2-3 question from the topics that you read
every day from the newspaper.
Attempts • If the framing of the question is difficult then write
• My first attempt was in 2015( 2 months after my important points from the newspaper from that
preparation, did not qualify pre-exam- I sat in exam so I particular day from the newspaper.
could get the feel of examination )
• The second attempt was in 2016 (missed mains by Paper 4
4 marks ) • Ethics – people often get confused in this paper.
• The third attempt was in 2017(missed mains by 3 • Online lecture series is very good for ethics.
marks ) • Examples are important, quote examples from
• Fourth attempt in 2018 (qualified for mains as well personal life, historical examples can also help, set them
as interview) topic wise.
• Examples bring out what you really want to
Strategy communicate.
Prelims Exam Interview

• For MCQ’s in the preliminary exam - choosing the • The interview brings out the best for you.
right balance of options is very important. • Thorough yourself with current affairs.
• 2018 prelims was very difficult and I attempted • Be yourself.
nearly 85 questions. • Try to communicate your points to the interviewer
• Test series is very important so, start giving tests in crips manner.
before 2-3 months of prelims exam. • I suggest that one should work on one's analytical
• Current affairs play important in every stage of CSE. skills and be well versed with everything one has
• Depth of every topic is very much required. written on DAF (Detailed Application Form).
• Revise as much time as you can.
• Thorough yourself with every topic that you have
covered.
• Everything that you have studied should be on your
fingertips.
STUDY IQ
Page 1
Optional Notes
• My optional was a history in which I secured 283
marks this year.
• I took Coaching from Balyan Sir
• Make notes from books.
• I took previous year history papers from 1990
onwards– wrote them out and those questions which
were not in my notes and book, I looked for them online
and from various books and prepared answers for them.
• Scanning through the old papers helped me a lot.
Preparation Experience
• Since 4 years I have been preparing for CSE.
• Earlier I could not sit for long hours and study but
while preparing for CSE I sat for long hours and did my
study.
• Complete your target. Make small targets and try to
complete them on a daily basis, when you will do that
you will feel satisfied.
Every aspirant should be very clear with its objective,
why he/she want to prepare of CSE?
Civil service is not a job, it is service for people and
everything around you.
Motivation is very much required while preparing for
CSE. I used to watch a lot of TED talks.
Reading
• In the last two years, I have inculcated a habit of the
reading novel.
• Have a target of completing a book in a month or 2.
Stay in touch with friends and family.
This Journey will give a lot of experience.
All the best to all the aspirants.
Thank you
STUDY IQ
Page 2
POLITY
So, even the government must always be held accountable
Role of Judiciary in protecting
for its actions.
the civil liberties
When these actions infringe fundamental rights,
accountability must be sought in the court of law.
The habeas corpus judgment betrayed that principle.
The government committed excesses under the cove
of the habeas corpus judgment, which included the torture
(Click on the above image to watch the video) and murder of dissidents.
All these came to light after the end of the Emergency.
Relevance The whole episode highlighted just one basic principle -
‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’.
GS2 || Polity || Judiciary || Supreme Court
Title The alternative principle

Role of Judiciary in protecting the civil liberties - In the
• Principle of proportionality
context of Jammu and Kashmir after removal
In 2017, the judiciary formally overruled the principle
of article 370
behind the habeas corpus judgment.
Issue By this, the state could infringe peoples’ rights in service
Following the Centre’s move to repeal of J&Ks special of a larger goal.
status under Article 370 of the Constitution, there But, it must demonstrate that the measures it is adopting
have been strict limitations to the civil liberties of bear some rational relationship with the goal.
the citizens. More importantly, it must show that rights are being
infringed to the minimum possible extent.
SC’s rationale behind
Also, the constitutionality of the state’s actions is to be
rights suspension
tested by the courts.
• Emergency
‘Ultimately, the object of depriving a few of their Present Status of liberty in J&K
liberty for a temporary period has to be to give to
many the perennial fruits of freedom.’ • Communications lockdown: A communications shutdown
It was this thought made the Supreme Court held Violates the freedom of speech and expression.
that the central rights to life and freedom stood Prevents those outside the State from being in touch with
suspended during Indira Gandhi's Emergency. their families.
It additionally held that the legal executive was to Provides cover for civil rights violations that cannot
'follow up on the assumption that forces [of preventive come to light.
detention] are not being abused. It damages an entire infrastructure, of health, food, and
• Habeas Corpus Judgment and Executive Supremacy’ transport.

• From August 5, 2019, the State of J&K has been placed
The court’s verdict in this well known ‘habeas corpus
under a ‘communications lockdown’.
judgment’ was based upon the principle of ‘executive
supremacy’. • Political leaders arrested
This principle holds that in ‘times of peril’, civil In addition to this, political leaders along with an
liberties must be subjected to the interests of the unknown number of other individuals have been detained.
state. Detention self-evidently violates personal liberty.
In such a case, it is the government that will decide – The government argues that communication was cut
• What these ‘times of peril’ are off to hamper terrorists’ plots.
• Whose rights will be curtailed Also, it says that political leaders would remain in custody
• How the rights will be curtailed until ‘the environment is created for democracy to function’.
• When the freedoms will be restored However, both moves - communication lockdown and
detention - certainly violate crucial fundamental rights.
Drawbacks of Executive
• Collective Punishment
supremacy
A few days earlier, rights experts from the United Nations
• Lack of accountability had called the communication lockdown a form of “collective
India's republican Constitution is based upon a punishment”
system of checks and balances.
STUDY IQ Page 3
Under the guise of ‘prevention’, an entire

population’s rights were taken away for the actions
of a few.
Court's role
• Unlike during the Emergency period, the courts (Scan the QR code to watch video)
have not outrightly upheld the government’s actions,

so far.
• However, they have not condemned the moves
either.
• Instead, the SC and other courts are delaying,

evading and adjourning the case.
Political leader Shah Faesal’s petition challenging
his detention has been twice adjourned by the Delhi
High Court.
• But, most worryingly, the court has engaged in
perversion of the right to habeas corpus.
• On petitions challenging detentions, the Supreme
Court has ‘authorized’ the petitioners to go to Kashmir
and ‘meet’ the individuals under detention.
• In other words, the court did not call upon the
government to justify itself.
• It has merely sought to show ad hoc compromises
in individual cases, without discharging its
constitutional obligation to adjudicate the legality of
the lockdown and the detentions.
Key Concerns
• By not ruling upon the cases before it, the courts
have allowed the infringements of civil liberties to
continue.
• The courts, in effect, have -
Exempted the government from its constitutional
obligation to explain itself.
Exempted the courts themselves from their
obligation to hold the government to account.
• All these merely give place for executive supremacy,
which the courts should urgently address by breaking
its silences.
Conclusion
• Article 21 of the constitution places the personal
liberty of the citizens on the highest pedestal, and so it
is the duty of our courts to protect it. It is unfortunate
that the supreme court seems to be deviating from its
own precedents. In the present political climate, it is
imperative that the court uphold civil liberties lest
another emergency descends upon us.
References
• https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-absen-
tee-constitutional-court/article29394699.ece
• https://www.thehindu.com/opi
ion/op-ed/we-need-a-pro-lib-ty-judicial-approach/arti-
cle25172605.ece
STUDY IQ Page 4
• Justice H.R. Khanna-who had braved intense political

pressure to dissent in the ADM Jabalpur case (Habeas
Corpus case) during the Emergency and chose to resign
when faced with supersession.
Three Judges Cases

1. S. P. Gupta v. Union of India - 1981 (also known as the
Judges' Transfer case)
(Click on the above image to watch the video) 2. Supreme Court Advocates-on Record Association vs
Union of India - 1993
Relevance 3. In re Special Reference 1 of 1998
GS2 || Polity || Judiciary || Supreme Court Way forward

Title • It’s(S.C) functions, both judicial and administrative,
Justice Tahilramani Transfer Contraversy have to be transparent and accountable.

• Courts have in the past held illegal executive orders
Why in news? passed without reason. The same should apply to the
administrative actions of the apex court’s collegium.
• The apex court collegium system had • Personal prejudices of some Supreme Court judges
recommended Chief Justice of madras HCVijaya K should not be resulted in the transfer.
Tahilramani’s transfer to meghalaya HC.
• Whereas Chief Justice of Meghalaya HC Justice
AK Mittal transferred to Madras HC
Background
• Tahilramani was given an opportunity to present
her views on the transfer to the collegium. (Scan the QR code to watch video)
• Justice Tahilramani requested the collegium to
reconsider the decision.The collegium in meeting held
on september 3, rejected the request made by justice
tahilaramani.

Concern
• The transfer of a Chief Justice from one of the
bigger High Courts to one ofthe smallest High Courts
in the country is an obvious case of downgrading and
amounts to the public humiliation of the highest
judicial officer in a State.
• The transfer has created the criticism against the
collegium system becauseof its opaqueness and
inconsistencies process of transfer and appointments.
• The transfer of the highest-ranked woman High
Court judge in the country will only dent the credibili-
ty of the collegium further.
• Supreme Court has not exactly covered itself with
glory in case of women on its administrative side
Case
• Justice Jayant Patel- In 2017, Justice Jayant Patel,
who was slated to be appointed Chief Justice of the
Karnataka High Court, had resigned when he was
transferred to the Allahabad High Court.
STUDY IQ Page 5
It is depending on Section 89 of The Andhra Pradesh State

Reorganization Act, 2014.
Opposition by Karnataka
and Maharashtra
• Maharashtra and Karnataka stated: "Telangana was
created after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. In this way,
(Click on the above image to watch the video) allocation of water ought to be from Andhra Pradesh's
offer which was endorsed by the court."
Relevance
Krishna River
GS2 || Polity || Other Constitutional Dimensions ||
Inter-State Relations • It is an east-flowing river.
• Originates at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and
Title merges with the Bay of Bengal, flowing through
Krishna Water Dispute, States of Maharashtra and Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Karnatakavs. Andhra Pradesh • Basin: Together with its tributaries, it forms a vast basin
that covers 33% of the total area of the four states.
Why in news?
The Inter-State River Water
Maharashtra and Karnataka have mutually chosen to
contradict Andhra Pradesh's application against the
Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019
Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (2010) request given
• The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill,
in the wake of the bifurcation of the Andhra and
2019 and aims to amend the Inter-State River Water
Telangana divisions.
Disputes Act, 1956.
• The Act provides for the adjudication of disputes
River dispute
relating to waters of inter-state rivers and river valleys.
• The shareholders of the dispute are Maharashtra, • Under the Act, a state government may request the
Karnataka, and AndhraPradesh and Telangana while central government to refer an inter-state river dispute to a
the debate has started from past Hyderabad and Tribunal for adjudication.
Mysore states. • If the central government is of the opinion that it cannot
• In 1969, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal be settled through negotiations, it sets up a Water Disputes
(KWDT) was set up under the Inter-State River Water Tribunal within a year of receiving such a complaint.
Dispute Act, 1956, and displayed its report in 1973.
• The report, which was published in 1976, divided Aim of the Bill
the 2060 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of Krishna
water at 75 percent dependability into three parts: • The bill seeks to replace the above mechanism.
560 TMC for Maharashtra. • The main purpose of the Bill is to make the process of
700 TMC for Karnataka. dispute settlement more efficient and effective.
800 TMC for Andhra Pradesh. • The Bill proposes to set up a permanent tribunal to
• Afterward, as the new complaints emerged adjudicate all inter-state disputes over sharing of river
between the states, the second KWDT was initiated waters.
in 2004 • The replacement of five existing tribunals with a
and it submitted its report in 2010. which made permanent tribunal is likely to result in a 25% reduction in
allocations of the Krishna water at 65 percent staff strength and a saving of Rs 4.27 crore per year.
dependability and for surplus flows as follows:
Composition
81 TMC for Maharashtra
177 TMC for Karnataka • The Tribunal will consist of a Chairperson, Vice-
190 TMC for Andhra Pradesh Chairperson, 3 judicial members, and 3 expert members.
• This second report has become controversial. • Each Tribunal Bench will consist of a Chairperson or
Vice-Chairperson, a judicial member, and an expert
Andhra’s Demand member.
• Andhra Pradesh has since asked that Telangana be • They will be appointed by the central government on
incorporated as aseparate party at the KWDT and that the recommendation of a selection committee.
the designation of Krishna waters be adjusted among • The assessor should not be from the state which is a
four states, rather than three. party to the dispute.
STUDY IQ Page 6
• All disputes would have to be resolved within a

maximum of four-and-a-half years.
Decision of the Tribunal

• This decision has the same force as that of an order
of the Supreme Court. There is no provision for appeal.
• The decision of the Bench of the Tribunal will be
final and binding on the parties involved in the
dispute.
References
• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karna-
taka/maharash-
tra-karnataka-to-jointly-oppose-ap-plea-on-water-sha
ring-formula/article29325939.ece
• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cabi-
net-clears-bill-for-single-tribunal-to-umpire-water-dis
putes/article28363277.ece
(Scan the QR code to watch video)
STUDY IQ Page 7
• It culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord on

August 15, 1985.
Government to
• Post the Assam agitation against ‘foreigners’, and the
implement subsequent Assam Accord signed in 1985 between the
government of India and the All Assam Students Union, the
NRC across
Citizenship Act, 1955, was amended.
country. • All Indian-origin people, including from Bangladesh who
entered Assam before January 1, 1966,were deemed as
citizens.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • Those who came between January 1, 1966 and March
25 1971 could get citizenship after registering themselves
Relevance and living for 10 years.
GS2 || Polity || Constitutional Framework || • Those who entered after March 25, 1971 were to be
Citizenship deported.
Title “Updated” NRC

Government to implement NRC across country.
• Witness to decades of migration from Bangladesh —
Why in news? formerly East Bengal and then East Pakistan — Assam already
has an NRC, which was published in 1951 on the basis of that
• The final list of Assam’s NRC excluded names of
year’s Census.
over 19 lakh applicants.
• The only state with such a document, Assam is currently
• A total of 3.30 crore applicants had applied to be
updating it to identify its citizens.
included in the NRC.
• Statements by political leaders.
Last year
• That was a draft, published in July 2018.
• In that list, 2.89 crore residents were included as Indian
National Register of Citizens citizens, while 40 lakh were left out. After that, those who
were left out were allowed to file claims for inclusion.
• Assam, which faced an influx from Bangladesh
since the early 20th century, is the only state having What does this mean?
an NRC. • They still have the option of appealing.
• It was prepared in 1951, following the census of • They can approach, within a deadline, a Foreigners
1951. Tribunal with a certified copy of the rejection order from
• It is being updated to weed out illegal immigration the NRC, along with the grounds for appeal.
from Bangladesh and neighbouring regions.
• Then, it had recorded 80 Lakh citizens in the State.
Since then, the process of identification of illegal Claiming inclusion
immigrants in Assam has been debated and become a
• The excluded persons will need to prove that they
contentious issue in the State's politics.
or their ancestors were citizens on or before March 24,
• A PIL was filed in the Supreme Court seeking the
1971.
removal of “illegal voters” from the electoral rolls of
• This is the cutoff date in the Assam Accord of 1985,
Assam and the preparation of the NRC as required
agreed upon by the Centre, the state and the All Assam
under the Citizenship Act, 1955 and its rules.
Students’ Union, at the end of a six-year movement
• A six-year agitation demanding identification and
against migration from Bangladesh.
deportation of illegal immigrants was launched by the
• Surviving citizens from the 1951 NRC are
All Assam Students’' Union (AASU) in 1979.
automatically eligible for inclusion in the updated version.
STUDY IQ Page 8
Deportation
• Although the Assam movement was for deporta-
tion, Bangladesh has never officially acknowledged
that any of its citizens migrated illegally to Assam.
• The state also has six detention camps (with plants
to build more) for illegal migrants within existing jails,
and proposes to build a seventh with a capacity for
3,000.
Statelessness
• The final excluded would officially be non-citizens,
but what happens to them remains a grey area.
• As of now, nothing is clear about their rights to
work, housing and government healthcare and
education.
• There have been suggestions in Assam that they be
given work permits.
Refugees or Stateless
• Being “stateless” is not the same as being a refugee.
• India has refugees from Tibet, Sri Lanka (Tamils) and
West Pakistan. Among them, only the last group has the
right to vote — in Lok Sabha elections but not in
Assembly polls.
Mains Question
What is National Register of Citizens(NRC)? Detail the
circumstances that led to demand of NRC.
STUDY IQ Page 9
• It will function as the first level of examinationin all

major fraud cases before recommendations or references
are made to investigative agencies such as the Central
Board of Investigation by the respective public sector
banks(PSBs).
• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may also refer any
case or matter to the board where it has any issue or
difficulty or in technical matters with the PSB concerned.
• The board will also periodically carry out fraud analysis
(Click on the above image to watch the video) in the financial system and give inputs for policy
formulation related to the fraud to the RBI.
Relevance
GS2 || Polity || Non-Constitutional Bodies || Central
NPA Vs FRAUDS
Vigilance Commission • Normally, frauds and NPAs are considered a
consequence of each other, but they are different. The
Title distinction between a bank fraud and an NPA is that while a
ADVISORY BOARD FOR BANKING FRAUDS (ABBF) fraud is a criminal offence, an NPA is a loan or advance
wherein the interest and/or installments of the principal
Why in news? remain overdue for over 90 days.
• The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has
Additional Information:
constituted Advisory Board for Banking Frauds
(ABBF) headed by former Vigilance Commissioner T M
Goverment framework
Bhasin to examine bank fraud over Rs 50 crore and to check fraud
recommend action.
• In a bid to check incidence of Fraud, the government has
• The board has been estabilished in consultation
already issued the ‘framework for timely detection,
with the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) based on the
reporting, and investigation relating to large-value bank
recommendation of an expert committee YM
frauds’ to PSBs.
Malegam on NPAs and frauds, constituted by the RBI.
• All accounts exceeding ₹50 crore, if classified as an
NPA, should be examined by banks from the angle of
Composition
possible fraud.
• Chairman: former Vigilance Commissioner TM • A report be placed before the bank’s Committee for
Basin will be chairman of four member body. Review of NPAs based on the findings of the investigation.
• Other members of the panel are Madhusudan • The PSBs have been advised to obtain a certified copy
Prasad - former Urban Development Secretary, D K of the passport of promoters/directors and other author-
Pathak - former Director General of the Border ised signatories of companies taking loan facilities of more
Security Force and Suresh N Patel - former MD and than ₹50 crore.
CEO of Andhra Bank.
Headquarter and
Services
• Headquartered in Delhi
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will provide required
secretarial services, logistic and analytical support
along with the necessary funding to the board.
Functions
• The board’s jurisdiction would be confined to
cases involving officers of General Manager cadre
and above in respect of an allegation of a fraud in a
lending case.
• Individual PSBs would refer all large fraud cases
above ₹50 crore to the board; on receipt of
recommendation, the bank concerned would take
further action.
STUDY IQ Page 10
upsciq.com SEPTEMBER 2019
GOVERNANCE & SOCIAL JUSTICE

• However, a recent order, in which the High Court threw
out a petition asking for protection from an ordinance
against e-cigarettes, has emboldened the Health Ministry.
• It now seeks legal backing for a ban (rather than just an
advisory) in the form of an ordinance.
• The ordinance makes any violation of its provisions
punishable by imprisonment of one to three years, and a
fine of Rs 1-5 lakh.
(Click on the above image to watch the video)
• Some states have already banned use and sale of
e-cigarettes, vape and e-hookah.
Relevance
GS2 || Governance and social Justice || Human
Development || Health
Why ordinance?
Title
• Under the Constitution, health is a state subject, so any move
Prohibition of E-cigarettes Ordinance 2019
to ban manufacture and sale of a product on health grounds
needs to come from the state government.
Why in news?
• In February, the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisa-
• The Prohibition of E-cigarettes Ordinance 2019 is tion had written to all state drug controllers, saying they should
being sent to a Group of Ministers as directed by the not allow sale, online sale, manufacture, distribution, trade,
Prime Minister’s Office. import or advertisement of ENDS.
• The Delhi HC stayed the Centre’s circular banning sale and
What are e-cigarettes? manufacture of ENDS like e-cigarettes and e-hookah with
• An e-cigarette, short for electronic cigarette, is a nicotine flavour, saying as the products were not a “drug”.
battery-operated device.
• One of a large variety of Electronic Nicotine The scientific position on ban
Delivery Systems (ENDS), an e-cigarette emits
vaporized nicotine, or non-nicotine solutions. • The use of ENDS or e-cigarettes adversely affects almost
• The user inhales it looking for a sensation similar to all the human body systems with impact across the life
inhaling tobacco smoke, but without the smoke. course, from the womb to tomb.
• The pros and cons of e-cigarettes are hotly debated, • The cartridges used in ENDS or e-cigarettes are filled
with the industry refuting scientific evidence about the with liquid nicotine, flavouring agents and other chemicals.
product being harmful, and users urging the • A typical cartridge contains about as much nicotine as a
government to legalize it. pack of 20 regular cigarettes and can act as a potential
• India’s market for e-cigarettes, while nascent today, source for nicotine addiction.
is projected to grow annually at more than 25 per cent • Studies on these nicotine solvents had shown a varied
in the next five years. degree of release of potential carcinogens depending on the
battery output voltage.
• The liquid-vaporizing solutions also contain toxic
chemicals and metals that have been demonstrated to be
responsible for several adverse health effects, including
cancers and diseases of the heart, lungs and brain.
Additional Info – Cigarette

and Other Tobacco Product
The draft ordinance Act, 2003
• The draft ordinance was necessitated by the fact that
an earlier order by the Centre asking the states to crack
down against e-cigarettes could not stand judicial
scrutiny.
STUDY IQ Page 11
• The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products

(Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of
Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and
Distribution) Act, 2003 or COTPA is an Act of
Parliament of India enacted in 2003 to prohibit
advertisement and regulation of tobacco business in
India. The Act puts restriction on tobacco products
including cigarettes, gutka, panmasala (containing
tobacco), cigar, cheroot, Beedi, Snuff, chewing
tobacco, hookah, tooth powder containing tobacco.
• The Act prohibits smoking of tobacco in public
places, except in special smoking zones in hotels,
restaurants and airports and open spaces.
• Advertisement of tobacco products including
cigarettes is prohibited.
• A fine up to Rs. 200 can be imposed for smoking in
public place, selling tobacco products to minors, or
selling tobacco products within a radius of 100 metres
from any educational institution.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/govern-
ment-prepar-
ing-ordinance-for-ban-on-e-cigarettes-5946132/
Mains Question
What are the hazards of Electronic Nicotine Delivery
Systems (ENDS)?
STUDY IQ Page 12
• The policy was later changed, and with the exception of K V

K Sundaram, the commission has always been headed by judges.
• Members of the commission are also generally drawn from
the judiciary, and the member-secretary is always from the
bureaucracy.
• Reports of the commission are generally written individually
by members including the chairman and placed before the full
commission for discussion and adoption.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • Few of these reports have been on the Hindu and Christian
family laws, but none on the Muslim personal law. Mostly
Relevance because of backlash against an all Hindu commission.
GS2 || Governance and social Justice || Administration
|| Advisory
Way ahead
Title • If the commission has to work without regard for extra-
Reforming the Law Commission. legal and political considerations it must have a governing
statute defining its powers and responsibilities, and
Why in news? limitations.
There are reports that the cabinet will take a call on • It must be placed under a proper parliamentary charter.
reconstituting the Law Commission. • It should be a predominantly jurists’ commission, not a

retired judges’ collective.
Background
Additional Info Law
• The Law Commission of India is the oldest amongst Commission of India
the national-level parastatal bodies.
• It is a legacy of the country’s colonial past. In 1833, • Law Commission of India is neither a constitutional body
British rulers unified the three presidencies and nor a statutory body, it is an executive body established by
planned to enforce the English common law in “British an order of the Government of India. Its major function is to
India”. For this, they constituted many law commissions. work for legal reforms.
• After the fourth commission completed its work • The Commission is established for a fixed tenure and
towards the end of 19th century, they did not continue works as an advisory body to the Ministry of Law and
the exercise. Justice.
• The first commission was set up in 1955 for a • Its membership primarily comprises legal experts.
three-year term, assumed charge on September 1 that
year and vacated office on August 31, three years later.
History
The same pattern was then irrationally adopted as the • Law Reform has been a continuing process particularly
fixed term for the commission for all time to come. during the last 300 years or more in Indian history. In the
• Each of the later commissions worked for less than ancient period, when religious and customary law occupied
three years, leaving their assigned work half way. the field, the reform process had been ad hoc and not
institutionalised through duly constituted law reform
Ad Hoc nature of agencies.
Law commission
Developments
• It has no fixed composition, no defined eligibility
criteria for its chair and members, and no set • The Government of India established the First Law
functions as everything rests on the government’s will. Commission of Independent India in 1955 with the then
• The terms of reference are specified afresh each Attorney-General of India, Mr M. C. Setalvad, as its
time it is reconstituted as if it were an ad hoc body. Chairman. Since then twenty one more Law Commissions
• Though the commission’s job requires research have been appointed, each with a three-year term.
oriented juristic learning, the commission has been a
haven for retired judges. The Functions of
• The chairpersons of the four pre-independence Law Law commission
Commissions — C H Cameron, John Romilly, Whitley
• Suggesting enactment of new legislation as may be
Stokes and Thomas Macaulay — were eminent jurists,
necessary to implement the Directive Principles and
not judges, and so were many of their members.
to attain the objectives set out in the Preamble of the
• Independent India initially maintained the tradition
Constitution.
by appointing the distinguished jurist M C Setalvad as
the chairman of its first Law Commission.
STUDY IQ Page 13
• Judicial Administration: Considering and conveying

to the Government its views on any subject relating to • Appointment: The members of the Com¬mission should
law and judicial administration that may be specifically be appointed only in consultation with the chairperson.
referred to it by the Government through the Ministry Present system has drawn allegations of favouritism on
of Law and Justice (Department of Legal Affairs). numerous occasions.
• Research: Considering the requests for providing • Independence: The presence of the law secretary and
research to any foreign countries as may be referred to secretary, Legislative Department (who are presently
it by the Government through the Ministry of Law & ex-officio members of the Commission), affects its
Justice (Department of Legal Affairs). independence. They should not be a party to the
• Examine the existing laws with a view of promoting Commission.
gender equality and suggesting amendments thereto. • Funding: It needs sufficient funding, proper resources,
• Examine the impact of globalization on food tie-ups with law institutions and more assistance and
security, unemployment and recommend measures for support.
the protection of the interests of the marginalized.
• Preparing and submitting to the Central Way forward
Government, from time to time, reports on all issues,
• Law Commission of India, though an advisory body, has
matters, studies and research undertaken by it and
been a key instrumentality in the process of legal reforms
recommending in such reports for effective measures
in India.
to be taken by the Union or any State.
• Law commission provides the intellectual depth to the
• Performing such other functions as may be assigned
law ministry as well as to other legal institutions including
to it by the Central Government from time to time.
the Supreme Court.
In a number of decisions the Supreme Court has referred to
Reports of Law Commission
the work done by the Law Commission and followed its
• The law commission of India has submitted 277 recommendations.
reports so far on various issues, some of the recent • It should be given a statutory status with sufficient
reports are: funding and independence to work towards bringing bold
• Report No. 277 – Wrongful Prosecution and much needed legal reforms in the country.
(Miscarriage of Justice): Legal Remedies
• Report No. 276 – Legal Framework: Gambling and Mains Question
Sports Betting Including in Cricket in India
Discuss the role of the Law Commission of India in
• Report No. 275 – Legal Framework: BCCI vis-à-vis
bringing legal reforms in the country. What reforms
Right to Information Act, 2005
are required to strengthen the Law Commission of
• Report No. 274 – Review of the Contempt of
India?
Courts Act, 1971
• Report No. 273 – Implementation of the United
Nations Convention against Torture
• Report No. 272 – Assessment of Statutory
Frameworks of Tribunals in India
• Report No. 271 – Human DNA Profiling
• Report No.270 – Compulsory Registration of
Marriages

Reforms required to
strengthen Law Commission
• Statutory status: It must be a statutory commission.
This is essential to ensure the strength and
independence of the body.
In most countries, particularly western democracies,
Law Commissions are statutory bodies.
If it becomes statutory, it must be answerable only to
Parliament, and not to the Executive.
• Continuity: It is important to ensure continuity.
Presently, every Commission has a three-year term, and
every time, there is a gap in the constitution of the
Commission. The three year term of the 21st Law
commission ended on 31st August 2018, but 22nd Law
Commission has still not been constituted.
STUDY IQ Page 14
• Ensuring full inter-operability among the websites,

portals and applications which are already hosted in the
junction
• Creating high quality e-contents, including quizzes and
puzzles to enhance learning and also for teachers in aiding
classroom transactions
• Using AI and deep machine learning in a variety of ways
to enhance the quality of school education including for
designing evidence based inventions.
4 digital initiatives to
Relevance
push e-education
Development || Education All these digital initiatives are operational under Union
Title Ministry of Human Resource and Development.
Integrated online junction for School Education: ‘Shagun’ Swayam and Swayam Prabha
Why in news?
• Swayam and Swayam Prabha are digital classrooms the
• Union HRD Ministry has launched one of world’s contents of which can be accessed either through the
largest Integrated Online Junction for – School Internet or direct-to-home service respectively.
Education ‘Shagun’. • Through Swayam, courses will be offered through digital
• It also announced the setting up of the Integrated classrooms with study material available online in videos. It
National School Education Treasury (INSET). will be available free of cost, however, students wanting
certifications shall be registered shall be offered a
certificate of successful completion of the course, with a
small fee, the Swayam website states.
• The student will have the opportunity to ask questions
which will be answered in real time. Chief Economic Advisor
Arvind Subramanian has also prepared a series of lectures
on the Indian economy for Swayam and Swayam Prabha.
• The students will be assessed through proctored
Shagun examination and the marks and grades secured in this exam
could be transferred to the academic record of the students,
• School Education Shagun is an over-arching
according to the website.
initiative to improve school education system by
• Swayam Prabha will tap into the potential of Direct- to-
creating a junction for all online portals and websites
Home Service wherein a person can install the dish antenna
relating to various activities of the Department of
for about Rs 1,500 and have access to 32 digital
School Education and Literacy.
educational channels run by the HRD ministry.
• The word Shagun is coined from two different
words- ‘Shala’ meaning Schools and ‘Gunvatta’ National Digital Library
meaning Quality.
• This online junction of different websites and • National Digital Library is a large online library containing
portals into a single platform is aimed enhance the 6.5 million books. It provides free access to many books in
accessibility of information relating to schools and to English and the Indian languages.
ensure a holistic approach to transform education
sector.
National Academic Depository
Integrated National School • It is a digital depository of academic awards for authenti-
cating all certificates issued by institutions.
Education Treasury (INSET)
• National Academic Depository will directly integrate
• INSET envisages a fully integrated, instantly with Boards/Universities which issue Certificates which will
accessible and seamless information network for all be verified, authenticated, accessed and retrieved in a
parameters relating to the students, teachers, and digital depository for purpose of employment, higher
schools in the country. education, and loans.
The main focus will be on the following areas:
• Reinforcing and cleaning the data of the Integrated
Online Junction through feedback from Stakeholders
STUDY IQ Page 15
Operation Digital Board

• The Ministry of Human Resource Development
(MHRD) has launched Operation Digital Board (ODB)
to leverage technology in order to boost quality
education in the country.
• ODB aims to have digital and interactive boards in
every classroom, which is on the lines of Operation
Blackboard which was started in 1987 to supply the
bare minimum crucial facilities to all primary schools in
the country.
• The digital board will be introduced all over the
country in government and government aided schools
from class 9th onwards as well as in higher education
institutions, from the coming session of 2019 itself.
• University Grants Commission (UGC) will be the
implementing agency for ODB in Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs). It will be implemented as a Central
scheme, as a loan from Higher Education Financing
Agency (HEFA).
Mains Question
What are various digital initiatives in HRD sector?
Additional Info
• Websites of 1200 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 600
Navodaya Vidyalayas, 18000 other CBSE affiliated
schools, 30 SCERTs, 19000 organisations affiliated
with NTCE among others are integrated with Shagun.
• Report cards of 15 lakh schools all over the
country will be available on the newly created junction.
• The portal seeks to connect approximately 92 lakh
teachers and 26 crore students.
• The website provides a very robust feedback
mechanism. Common people can directly give their
feedback about schools which will further increase the
public participation and will ensure accountability and
transparency.
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/hrd-
ministry-launches-school-education-portal-shagun/
article29280832.ece
STUDY IQ Page 16
Regional various
• The northeastern States are doing very well with
respect to iodised salt consumption at the household level
because of the distance they have from the three salt
producing centres — Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
• By and large most States get their salt from Gujarat and
Rajasthan and because of the distance, it is sent by rail.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • Salt-producing States have access to common (or non-
iodised) salt and, therefore, they start consuming it since it
Relevance is readily available.
GS2 || Governance and social Justice || Human Salt production in India

• Rajasthan, which is the second largest producer of salt,
Title also figured among the five worst covered States.
India Iodine Survey 2018-19 Report • Gujarat produces 71% of salt in the country, followed by
Why in news? Rajasthan at 17% and Tamil Nadu at 11%.
• The rest of the country accounts for a mere 1% of salt
• The survey was conducted by Nutrition produced.
International in collaboration with the AIIMS and the
Indian Coalition for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Significance of Iodised Salt
Disorders (ICCIDD). • Iodine is a vital micro-nutrient for optimal mental and
• The survey tested the iodine content in samples of physical development of human beings.
cooking salt from households to estimate the • Deficiency of iodine can result in a range of disabilities
coverage of iodised salt. and disorders such as goitre, hypothyroidism, cretinism,
• Lodised salt is salt with at least 15 parts per million abortion, still births, mental retardation and psychomotor
of iodine. defects.
• Children born in iodine deficient areas may have up to
13.5 IQ points less than those born in iodine sufficient areas.
• India made fortification of salt with iodine mandatory for
direct human consumption in 1992. This was relaxed in 2000
and then reimposed in 2005.
• In 2011, the Supreme Court, too, mandated universal
iodisation for the control of iodine deficiencies.
Key recommendations
Highlights of the Survey
• The key recommendation of the study is to sustain the
• The study shows that 76.3% of Indian households momentum so that iodine coverage does not fall below
consumed adequately iodised salt, which is salt with current levels.
at least 15 parts per million of iodine. • It also recommends that the States and the Centre work
• The five worst performers were Tamil Nadu (61.9%), together to address the current gaps and look into issues
Andhra Pradesh (63.9%), Rajasthan (65.5%), Odisha that vary from one State to another, leading to adequately
(65.8%) and Jharkhand (68.8%). iodised salt not being produced.
• The survey was conducted by Nutrition
International in collaboration with the AIIMS and the
Additional Info
Indian Coalition for the Control of Iodine Deficiency https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu-ranks
Disorders (ICCIDD). -lowest-in-coverage-of-iodised-salt/article29376941.ece
• The survey tested the iodine content in samples of
Mains Question
cooking salt from households to estimate the coverage
of iodised salt. What Are Iodine related deficiencies in Children?
• The survey revealed that 13 out of 36 States have
already achieved Universal Salt Iodisation or have
90% of households with access to adequately iodised
salt.

STUDY IQ Page 17
• Later, the CEO of TimeBanks U.S.A popularized the idea

of Time Dollars.
• Today, there are more than 500 such communities
across 32 countries.
• It can also be noted that earlier in October 2018 a panel
of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on disability
and elderly persons had recommended the “time bank”
scheme to take care of senior citizens who are living alone
without any support from their family.
Relevance World Happiness Report 2018

• The World Happiness Report (WHR) 2018, which
Development || Skill Development
ranked 156 countries, placed India at the 133rd place on the
Title index of global happiness
• There’s no denying the fact that there is an intrinsic
Madhya Pradesh’s Happiness Dept. to open Time Bank
relationship between law and people’s happiness.
Why In News?
Factors responsible for low
The Madhya Pradesh government’s Happiness
Department plans to set up a Time Bank that would happiness in India
lend currency to an hour, which could be exchanged • 3.3 crore cases pending in various courts in the country.
to learn a new skill without the need for any paper • Each case is not a mere number — it involves tension,
money. anxiety and deprivation to all those associated with it
• A group of people — family members, relatives, friends
Time Bank in Madhya Pradesh
and others of the parties involved — are necessarily affected
• Whenever a bank member needs a service or wants because of such cases
to acquire a skill, say gardening or playing a guitar, • If we presume that there are about 20 persons in each
she could exchange a credit, worth an hour, with case belonging to one or the other parties, we get a number
another member knowing the skill. of about 64 crore.
• It is a new way to link untapped social capacity to • None of them would be in a state of happiness on account
unmet social needs. of being linked to the case.
• At the start, the 50,000 volunteers registered with • Moreover, not more than 30 per cent people approach
the department through local networks will form the courts in India. There is a visible decline in civil litigation,
community-level banks and list skills they could which suggests that a large number of people in the country
impart are living with unresolved conflicts.
or services they could offer. • This too dents the state of happiness in general.
• An experienced volunteer will induct new members
and keep a record of all the transactions. Criminal justice administration
• Whether one need someone to drive you to a
supermarket, tend to an ailing grandmother or simply • Criminal justice has far-reaching consequences for the
a jogging partner, it could all be sought at the bank. lives of people — it brings difficulties when it does not act,
• In Madhya Pradesh, time banks will enable it causes turbulence when it does
person-to-person, person-to-agency and agency-to- • Millions of accused, victims, suspects, witnesses and
agency transactions. others have poignant tales about the actions and inactions
• Members will start with zero credits, which they of the criminal justice administration.
could gradually acquire by imparting skills. Credits can • The satisfaction level of people is far too low in India
even go in negative. when it comes to the police and courts
• And in case a skill becomes popular over time
benefiting only a few members, other members will be
The relationship between
compelled to do their mite with vigour to collect more crime and happiness
credits.
• Making people happy is the best crime prevention
History • The connection between crime and happiness is
understandable from the experience of Bhutan, which
• The idea of Timebank was conceived in 1827.
introduced Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a
But the concept gained popularity with the setting
measure of good governance.
up of the first Time Bank in Japan in 1973.
STUDY IQ Page 18
• The data show that a great majority of the Notes

Bhutanese population are happy (of whom 41 per cent
are extremely happy), and only 4 per cent reported
being victimised by crime over the last 12 months
• Further, the crime rate in Bhutan is extremely
low.
Benefits
• Creates new and positive ways for people to
connect with others to make new friends
• People who take part feel healthier, happier and
less isolated within their communities
• People become more confident and have improved
self-esteem
• Social inclusion – everyone has opportunity to
participate and benefit
• It can help people to save money as no money ever
changes hands
• Provides opportunities for informal volunteering
that could lead on to other things
• Timebanking reunites and strengthens
communities, builds resilience, often re-awakening a
sense of pride and community spirit.
Additional Info
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-
states/mps-happiness-dept-to-open-time-bank/arti-
cle29369985.ece
Mains Question
What is concept of Time Bank and what are its benefits?
STUDY IQ Page 19
World specific findings

• Top five most populous countries will look like the
following in 2027:
• India – 1.5 billion.
• China – 1.1 billion.
• Nigeria – 733 million.
• United States – 434 million.
• Pakistan – 403 million.
• Besides, the global population is projected to increase
by 2 billion people by 2050 – from 7.7 billion in 2019 to 9.7
Relevance
billion – in 30 years. The world population is expected to
GS2 || Governance and social Justice || Human peak at 11 billion by the end of the century.
Development || Population • However, at least 55 countries, including China, are
expected to see a shrink in population by at least 1 percent
Title
by 2050, as per 'The World Population Prospects 2019'
State of World population 2019
published by the Population Division of the UN Department
Why in news? of Economic and Social Affairs. In China, the population is

projected to shrink by 2.2 percent or 31.4 million people.
State of the World Population 2019, the flagship • The report also mentioned that the overall population
report of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), of the world is ageing, with the age group ‘65 and above’
has been released. growing at a fast rate. By 2050, one in six people will belong
to this group, instead of one in 11 in 2019.
India- specific findings
Major causes behind this
increasing population
• According to the analysis, the absence of reproductive
and sexual rights has major and negative repercussions on
women’s education, income and safety, leaving them
“unable to shape their own futures”.
• Early marriage continues to remain an obstacle to female
empowerment and better reproductive rights.
• The report highlights the threat to women’s and girls’
• India accounts for over one-sixth of the world’s reproductive rights posed by emergencies caused by
population in 2019 (1.37 billion out of 7.71 billion). conflict or climate disasters.
About UNFPA
• UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive
health agency. It was established as a trust fund in 1967
and began operations in 1969.
• In 1987, it was officially renamed the United Nations
Population Fund. However, the original abbreviation,
• It has grown at a rate (1.2% per year between 2010 UNFPA (United Nations Fund for Population Activities), was
and 2019) that is just over the world growth rate (1.2%). retained.
• India’s life expectancy at birth is lower than the • UNFPA is a subsidiary organ of the UN General
world’s (69 years to 72). Assembly.
• It scores higher than the global average in terms of • UNFPA is entirely supported by voluntary contributions
access to healthcare during childbirth, and also has a of donor governments, intergovernmental organizations,
much lower adolescent birth rate. the private sector, and foundations and individuals, NOT by
• India’s maternal mortality ratio in 2015 was 174 the United Nations regular budget.
deaths • UNFPA works directly to tackle Sustainable Develop-
per lakh live births (down from 448 in 1994) while the ment Goal 3 on health, Goal 4 on education and Goal 5 on
global MMR in 2015 was 216. gender equality.
• India’s fertility rate in 2019 is 2.3 births per woman,
compared to 2.5 worldwide.

STUDY IQ Page 20
Social attitude
• One in four male personnel demonstrates high bias
against their female colleagues.
• Most of them see complaints of gender-based violence
as false and motivated, which explains why most sexual
assaults go unreported.
• Nearly one-fourth of the women personnel surveyed
reported of the absence of the Internal Committee mandated
(Click on the above image to watch the video) for dealing with sexual harassment at the workplace.
• 37% of personnel interviewed feel that for minor
Relevance offenses, a small punishment should be handed out by the
police rather than a legal trial.
GS2 || Governance and social Other Aspects of
• 72% of police personnel experience “political pressure”
Governance || NGOs & Pressure Groups
during the investigation of cases involving influential persons.
Title
Lack of Training
Status of Policing in India report 2019 and Sensitization
Why in news? • The survey also found that while the police personnel
were sufficiently trained on physical parameters, weaponry
The report on the Status of Policing in India jointly and crowd control, many lacked training on modules of new
developed by NGO Common Cause and the Centre technology, cybercrime or forensic technology.
for the Study of Developing Societies was released • More than one in 10 personnel reported not having
recently. The report highlights the dismal work received training on human rights and caste sensitization,
conditions in which the police operate in the country. this is clearly reflected in the registeration of cases, use of
violence on criminals and mob violence.
What is the report on?
Working Condition
• This is the second such joint report.
• The report surveys on police adequacy and working • The police work, on average, 14 hours a day, some work
conditions. for 16 hours-six- eight hours more than what the Model
• The latest report surveys 12,000 police persons Police Act recommends.
across 22 states together with their family members • More than one-third of police personnel would be
(around 11,000). willing to give up their profession if they were given a
Significance - The report offers a potent explanation chance to join another job with the same salaries and perks.
for the low credibility of the police in public • Three in four personnel said the workload made it
perception. difficult for them to do their job well and was affecting
• In October 2018, the Delhi High Court in its their physical and mental health.
judgment on the Hashimpura massacre case relied on • The survey found that except for Nagaland(8 hrs), the
the 2018 edition of the Status of Policing in India average working hours of police officers were between 11
Report. and 18 hours.
• With the report’s findings, it established the Representation
institutional bias of the police force against Muslims
• The study also found a decline in the total strength of
to convict 16 policemen for killing 42 people in 1987.
women in the police from 11.4 percent in 2007 to 10.2
Key findings of the Report percent in 2016.
• None of the states have been able to meet the 33
• Infrastructure - Across the states percent benchmark set out by the MHA, with Tamil Nadu
70 police stations did not have wireless devices having the highest representation of women at 12.9
214 police stations lacked telephone access percent in 2016
24 police stations had neither of the above • Representation of SCs in the state police forces ranges
• Police stations, on average, have just 6 computers from 40.2 percent (of the reserved sanctioned strength) in
and states like Bihar and Assam less than one. Uttar Pradesh to 101.8 percent in Punjab.
• Nearly 240 stations did not even have vehicles. • In fact, SCs are under-represented across Hindi-belt
• 1 in 5 women in the police said she lacked a separate with four out of five poorest performing states – UP,
toilet. Chhattisgarh, Haryana, West Bengal and Madhya
Pradesh – belonging to the region.
STUDY IQ Page 21
Prejudices

• Police forces exhibit frightening prejudices against
women, lower castes, and minorities.
• One in every two Indian policemen believes that
Muslims are likely to be “naturally prone” to
committing crimes.
• 15 out of 21 states surveyed believe that complaints
under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act are “very
much” or “somewhat” false and motivated. This
prejudice is highest among UP Police (82%) followed
by Andhra Pradesh police (74%).
• One-third of policemen also believe that people
from Schedule Caste (35%), OBCs (33%), upper-caste
(33%) and tribals (31%) are prone to committing
crimes.
• 35 percent of police personnel interviewed for the
survey think it is natural for a mob to punish the
“culprit” in cases of cow slaughter.
• 43 percent think it is natural for a mob to punish
someone accused of rape.
What does this imply

• The findings are certainly worrying when rapid
social transformation demands a robust and sensitized
police force in the country.
• The training given to officers, a 6-month crash
course on civil and Criminal Procedure Codes, the
Indian Penal Code and the Evidence Act may not be
sufficient.
• E.g. in U.P. and Haryana, there are as many as 60%
and 53% vacancies in positions reserved for SCs, STs,
OBCs, and women.
Way forward
• There is a need to protect police personnel from
political impact and influence. eg; Transfer
• Indian police is the creation of the British as an
instrument of implementation and persecution, not
having its genesis in the concept of public services.
• So most importantly India’s police force should be
redesigned to work as a protector of citizens - of all
citizens’ security, rights, and property, without bias.
References
• https://www.csds.in/uploads/custom_files/156697
3059_Status_of_Policing_in_India_Report_2019_by_
Common_Cause_and_CSDS.pdf
STUDY IQ Page 22
[However, there is a concern that the National Pension

Scheme could not be an option to EPFO as the benefits under
the two schemes are different.]
Besides, those with income below a certain threshold
can opt not to contribute to PF without impacting the
employers’ contribution.
This flexibility will empower the adjustment of rates of
contribution depending upon different variables like age,
salary, sex.
• Wage
It is proposed to change the definition of wages under
Relevance the act to align it with the recently notified wage code.
GS2 || Governance & Social Justice || Other Aspects At present, the PF commitment is computed on the basis
of Governance || Public Sector Reforms of basic wages, dearness allowance and retaining allowance.
The amendment tries to stipulate that allowance paid
Title above 50% or as a notified percentage of all compensation
Draft Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous be incorporated as wages.
Provident Act, 2019
Rationale
Why in news? • The change in the industrial and economic scenario of
• The labour ministry plans to amend the Employees’ the country has led to increased mobility of labour and the
Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provident (EPF & outsourcing of services.
MP) Act. The EPF & MP Act is applicable to every • With this, the need has been felt for introducing some
establishment employing 20 or more people. amendments in the provisions of the EPF Act.
• The amendments will empower the government to • The move is in line with the government’s endeavor to
notify the rate and duration of contributions for any reform labour laws that aim at -
class of employees. bringing all classes of workers in the ambit of social
security
Key Changes Proposed
lower the provident fund burden on employers
• Domestic help increase the take-home salary for employees
It is proposed to introduce provident fund for
domestic help and other self-employed persons such Advantages of
as drivers. the amendments
The government may inform whether in these cases • The proposed amendments may pave the way to extend
the business is obligated to contribute or not. provident fund benefits to many workers.
• Rates • This would be an effort in line with the government’s
Currently, both employer and employee contribute plan to widen the social security net.
12% each to the Employees Provident Fund • The move follows the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan
Organisation. Dhan pension scheme unveiled for unorganized sector
However, the rate is 10% for beedi, block, jute, coir, workers.
and guar gum businesses, any establishment declared
Way Forward
a sick company.
It additionally applies to organizations with • The government must consider limiting the advantages
collected loses equivalent to in excess of their net of the EPF to the individuals who deserve them.
worth at the end of a given financial year. • Now, even employees who earn very high salaries are
A significant change proposed now is to permit allowed to contribute 12% of their basic and dearness
rates of contribution by specific classes of workers to allowance, without any monetary limit, to the EPF, with an
be lower than the mandatory 12%. equal contribution from their employers.
Reportedly, the government may likewise consider • On this sum, they enjoy the benefits of attractive interest
excluding certain classes of employers from the rates, fully tax-free.
obligatory joint contribution to the EPF. • Also, employees can contribute extra to the EPF through
the voluntary provident fund. On this too, they enjoy high
• Flexibility
tax-free returns.
Subscribers may be given the choice of switching
• There is little reason why the rich ought to be given such
between the EPFO and the National Pension Scheme.
benefits.
STUDY IQ Page 23
• There is little reason why the rich ought to be given https : // economictimes.com/wealth/save/govt-plans-to-
such benefits. amend-epf-allow-switch-from-eps-to-nps-protect-pf-dues-in-
• Budget 2016-17 had proposed a monetary limit, for case-of-bankruptcy/articleshow/71211777.cms?from=mdr
the contribution of employers in recognized provident
and superannuation funds, of Rs. 1.5 lakh per annum
for tax benefit.
• It is time to seriously consider implementing this
provision.
References

STUDY IQ Page 24
• Early Detection and prevention

Addressing the problem early would ensure that the
infection cycle is broken.
In the case of leprosy, it could mean the prevention of
disability.
The programme would also give preventive medication to
people who have come in contact with the confirmed cases.
• Malnutrition to be addressed
For TB, India’s malnutrition burden is an additional risk
(Click on the above image to watch the video) factor which should be addressed soon.
As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), -4
Relevance (2015-16), 35.7% children below age five are underweight,
38.4% are stunted (low height for age) and 21% are wasted
GS2 || Governance & Social Justice || Human
(low weight for height) in the country.
Title Burden in India

India diseases burden and mission, India to screen 25 • India eliminated leprosy in 2005 — WHO defines
crore children for leprosy and tuberculosis elimination as an incidence rate of less than one case per
10,000 populations.
Why in news? • All states except Chhattisgarh and the Union Territory of
• Recently, India has embarked on a large-scale plan Dadra and Nagar Haveli have eliminated leprosy.
to screen 25 crore children below the age of 18 for • However, 1.15 lakh to 1.2 lakh new leprosy cases are
leprosy and tuberculosis. still detected every year, Health Ministry officials said.
• If a person is suspected to have either of the two, • TB kills an estimated average of over 1,300 Indians
he/she will be sent to a higher centre for confirmation. every day.
• The existing Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram • India also has more than a million “missing” cases every
(RBSK) infrastructure will be used for the screening. year that are not notified.
• Most remain either undiagnosed or unaccountably and
Why is the screening inadequately diagnosed and treated in the private sector.
necessary? • The problem is that many of these patients do not
• Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by complete the full course of the antibiotic.
Mycobacterium leprae. • This exposes the bacterium to the medicine without fully
• It usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves killing it, which is more than enough for the bacterium to
but has a wide range of clinical manifestations. evolve resistance to that particular drug.
• It is a leading cause of permanent physical disability. Focus of the Mission
• Timely diagnosis and treatment of cases, before
• Launched in 2013 under the National Health Mission,
nerve damage has occurred, is the most effective way
RBSK is focused on preventing disease and disability in
of preventing disability due to leprosy.
children.
• Tuberculosis infection, caused by Mycobacterium
• “Child Health Screening and Early Intervention Services”
tuberculosis, is one of the most common
refer to early detection and management of a set of 30 health
communicable diseases in India.
conditions prevalent in children less than 18 years of age.
• Its transmission is fuelled by unhygienic, crowded
• These conditions are together described as 4D’s and
living conditions.
they are defects at birth, diseases in children, deficiency
• It is said that most Indians carry the bacterium and
conditions and developmental delays including disabilities.
the infection flares up when their immunity levels are
• Until now, neither leprosy nor TB was a part of the
low.
programme.
• India’s tuberculosis burden is the highest in the
• In 2017, India had set a target of elimination of leprosy
world.
by 2018.
• Children tend to be more prone to catching
• The deadline has passed but leprosy remains a challenge
infectious diseases from their peers because of long
in a country that launched the National Leprosy Eradication
hours in confined spaces and more bodily contact than
Programme way back in 1955.
in adults.
• For tuberculosis, the global Sustainable
Development Goal target is to end the disease is 2030.
Solutions
STUDY IQ Page 25
• However, there is a new urgency in India’s TB

control efforts since 2018, when the current
government suo motu advanced the deadline for India
to end TB to 2025.
Conclusion
• As the current government has announced the
advancement of the deadline to eradicate the TB,
more steps are to be taken in the field and there should
be a new urgency in India’s TB control efforts to make
it tuberculosis free by 2025.
Additional information about

Rashtriya Bal Swasthya
Karyakram (RBSK)
• Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) was
launched in February 2013 under National Rural
Health Mission.
• This initiative aims to screen and manage children
from birth to 18 years of age for Defects at Birth,
Deficiencies, Diseases and Developmental Delays
including disabilities.
• Around 27 crore children would be covered in a
phased manner.
• Under this initiative, all newborns delivered at
public health facilities and homes are screened for
birth defects by health personnel and ASHA.
• The children in the age group of six weeks to six
years include those attending Anganwadi centres and
children in the age group of 6 years to 18 years.
References
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/screen-
ing-all-children-for-leprosy-tb-indias-disease-burden-
mission-5966838/
https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=
106931
STUDY IQ Page 26
serious side effects respondents believed that vaccines

cause serious side effects and 38% think vaccines actually
cause the disease that they are supposed to protect against.
• Even in India, a 2018 study found low awareness to be
the main reason why 45% of children missed different
vaccinations in 121 Indian districts that have higher rates of
unimmunised children. They had apprehension about
adverse effects, were reluctant to get immunised for

reasons other than fear of adverse effects.
• Social media is playing a crucial role in spreading
vaccine disinformation.
Relevance
GS2 || Governance and social Justice || Human Vaccine Hesitancy
Development || Health is Real or Fake?
Title • Feeding these concerns are unresolved controversies
Vaccine Hesitancy like the one involving polio vaccines and the emergence of
Type-2 polio in Uttar Pradesh last year
Why in news? • The tragic incident in Hyderabad last week, where a
There is a 30% increase in measles cases worldwide child died and more than 20 others were reportedly
in 2018 and the WHO included ‘vaccine hesitancy’ as hospitalised following treatment given after a vaccine was
one of the 10 threats to global health this year. administered.
Vaccine hesitancy Way forward

• Vaccine hesitancy is defined as the “reluctance or
• Work should be done to address misinformation.
refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of
• Facebook committed to “reduce distribution” of vaccine
vaccines”.
misinformation.
• It only appears to have grown more dangerous to
• Empower paediatricians to project the value of vaccines
public health.
and equip them to respond to concerns effectively and
The case of Measles accurately. Sensitise media to an evidence based rather
than sensational approach.
• Measles vaccine not only provides lifelong
protection against the virus but also reduces mortality Vaccine and its types
from other childhood infections. • Live attenuated vaccines
• This is because measles viruses kill immune cells, • Inactivated vaccines
leaving the child vulnerable to infectious diseases for • Sub-unit vaccine
two to three years. • Toxoid vaccines
• There is a surge in measles cases from the WHO • Polysaccharide Vaccines
African region, WHO European region. • Biosynthetic vaccines
• The infection spread in the European region has
been unprecedented in recent years. Last month the Additional Info
U.K., Greece, the Czech Republic, and Albanialost
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/deadly-spread
their measles elimination status.
/article29442570.ece
Reasons for
Mains Question
Vaccine Hesitancy
• A 2018 report on vaccine confidence among the EU What is the the issue of Vaccine Hesitancy for Measles
member states shows why vaccine coverage has not vaccine?
been increasing to offer protection even to those not
vaccinated.
• It found younger people (18-34 years) and those
with less education are less likely to agree that the
measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe.
• Only 52% of respondents from 28 EU member states
agree that vaccines are definitely effective in preventing
diseases, while 33% felt they were probably effective.
48% of therespondents believed that vaccines cause
STUDY IQ Page 27
The 2013 Changes related

to CSR
• Indian government became the first to mandate CSR
under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013.
• Under this legislation, every company with net worth of
Rs 500 Crore or a turnover of Rs 1000 Cr or net profits of
Rs 5 Crore is required to invest at least 2% of its net profit
on CSR activities and also to constitute a CSR Committee
consisting of at least 3 directors including an independent
director. This committee will formulate the CSR policies for
Relevance the company.
GS2 || Governance and social Justice || Other aspects Salient Features of the new Bill
of Governance || Corporate governance
• The bill aims to ensure greater accountability and a
Title
better enforcement of the corporate governance norms.
Changes in Corporate social responsibility
• A key change in the Bill is related to CSR spending,
wherein companies would have to mandatorily keep
Why in news?
unspent money into a special account.
The Lok Sabha has passed the Companies • The companies will have one year to firm up the CSR
(Amendment) Bill, 2019, recently. The legislation is proposal and another three years to spend funds. In case
aimed at tightening the Corporate Social money remains unspent for one plus three years, the money
Responsibility (CSR) compliance and reducing the will have to be moved to an escrow account, could even be
load of cases before the National Company Law the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.
Tribunal (NCLT). • The Bill seeks to empower the Registrar of Companies
What is CSR? to initiate action for the removal of the name of a company
from the Register of Companies if it is not carrying on any
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is also known business or operation in accordance with the Company Law.
as corporate conscience, corporate citizenship or • The legislation envisages a re-categorisation of 16 minor
responsible business refers to a corporation owning offences as purely civil defaults.
the responsibility for environmental and social • It also provides for transferring of functions with regard
wellbeing. to dealing with applications for change of financial year to
• It includes incurring of expenses towards Central government and shifting of powers for conversion
generating positive socio-environmental externalities from public to private companies from NCLT to the central
as opposed to profit maximization. government.
• CSR thus is a concept rooted in ethics and may • The bill provided more clarity with respect to certain
include corporate philanthropy, community powers of the National Financial Reporting Authority
volunteering, responsible business practices, ethical (NFRA).
labour practices etc.
STUDY IQ Page 28
The journey so far – healthcare

• More than 20,000 HWCs have been made operational.
• More than five crore people have been screened for a
whole range of common non-communicable diseases.
• More than 45 lakh hospital admissions have taken place
for cashless treatment in more than 18,000 empaneled
hospitals across the country, resulting in savings of more
than Rs 13,000 crore for the beneficiary families.
• Ayushman Bharat has provided a platform and
framework for the country to accelerate its progress
Relevance towards comprehensive universal healthcare.

Working with States
• In several states and union territories, it has an
Title opportunity to extend the benefits to far larger numbers,
Ayushman Bharat completes 1 year beyond those covered under the scheme.
• 11 states/UTs have expanded the coverage to include
Why in news? almost all families. 23 states/UTs have expanded the
Ayushman Bharat is a conscious attempt to holistically beneficiary base with the same benefit coverage as under
address health, encompassing prevention, promotion PMJAY or lower.
and ambulatory care at the primary, secondary and • Several states have merged their many ongoing schemes
tertiary levels. with PMJAY to make implementation simpler for both
beneficiaries and participating hospitals.
• They don’t need to deal with different target groups,
rates, and reporting systems.
• Karnataka has merged seven different existing schemes
into one, while Kerala has merged three different schemes.
Private sector participation

• More than half of the empaneled hospitals are private.
Over 62% of the treatments have been done by private
hospitals.
PMJAY • PM-JAY has created a massive demand for private and
• It promises to bring healthcare to the poorest public sector services by making hospital facilities
through two components: accessible to 55 crore people.
Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) delivering • In tier II and tier III cities, private sector hospitals are
comprehensive primary healthcare through the witnessing an almost 20% increase in footfall.
development of 1.5 lakh HWCs • Public sector facilities have streamlined their processes
PM-JAY, the health assurance scheme delivering so as to improve service quality and amenities with funds
secondary and tertiary care to 55-crore people from PMJAY.
through a health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year.
• Ayushman Bharat has been designed based on the Employment
idea that prevention is better than cure.
• With the setting up of 1.5 lakh HWCs by 2022, an
• No one should fall into poverty because of
expected 1.5 lakh jobs will be created for community health
expenditure on healthcare, or die because they
officers, including 50,000 multi-purpose health workers.
cannot afford treatment.
• 90% of them are in the healthcare sector and the
• It promises free healthcare to the poorest 55 crore
remaining in allied sectors such as insurance and
people in the country.
implementation support.
• It would help them avoid the catastrophic
• 1.5 lakh beds will be added to existing and new
healthcare expenditure that pushes 6 crores below
hospitals. This will lead to the creation of around 7.5 lakh
the poverty line each year in India.
new opportunities for doctors, nurses, technicians,
pharmacists and frontline healthcare workers such as
PradhanMantriArogyaMitras.
STUDY IQ Page 29
IT infrastructure

• It is supported by a strong IT backbone that
facilitates the identification of beneficiaries, records
treatments, processes claims, receives feedback, and
addresses grievances.
• A live dashboard helps in monitoring and improving
performance, based on real-time data and regular
analysis.
• This platform also helps states to compare their
performance.
• A strong and sophisticated fraud prevention,
detection and control system at the national and state
level ensures that frauds are largely prevented.
Way ahead
• Tap the potential of collective bargaining and
leveraging economies of scale to deliver affordable
and quality healthcare through devices, implants, and
supplies.
• Prescribing and ensuring adherence to standard
treatment protocols.
• Strengthening the linkage between HWCs and
PMJAY to improve the backward and forward referrals
and enhance overall healthcare services to the poor.
• “Greenfield” states with no past experience of
implementing healthcare schemes have to work harder
to scale up their progress.
India will make sure healthcare is no longer a privilege

and is available to every Indian.
Additional Info
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/
pmjay-scheme-india-health-sector-ayush-
man-bharat-modi-govt-6018952/
Mains Question
Can Ayushman Bharat make for a healthier India?
Critically analyze.
STUDY IQ Page 30
• The private Institutions of Eminence can also come up as

greenfield ventures provided the sponsoring organisation
submits a convincing perspective plan for 15 years.
What will be the benefit

for such institutions?
1. It will ensure complete autonomy to the selected
institutions and facilitate them to grow more rapidly
2. They will get more opportunity to scale up their
(Click on the above image to watch the video) operations with more skills and quality improvement so that
they become World Class Institutions in the field of
Relevance education
GS2 || Governance and social Justice || Human 3. To achieve the top world ranking, these Institutions shall
Development || Education be provided with
• greater autonomy to admit foreign students up to 30%
Title of admitted students
Status granted to new institutions • to recruit foreign faculty up to 25% of faculty strength;
to offer online courses up to 20% of its programmes
Why in news? • free to fix and charge fees from foreign students
without restriction
• The HRD Ministry has awarded the status of
• the flexibility of course structure in terms of number of
Institute of Eminence to the IIT-Madras, the IIT-
credit hours and years to take a degree
Kharagpur, Delhi University, Benares Hindu University
• complete flexibility in fixing of curriculum and syllabus
and the University of Hyderabad.
• Four private universities — the Vellore Institute of Objectives
Technology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Jamia
• Excellence and Innovation: To provide for higher
Hamdard University and the Kalinga Institute of
education leading to excellence and innovations in such
Industrial Technology — were issued Letters of Intent
branches of knowledge as may be deemed fit at post-
to grant them the status.
graduate, graduate and research degree levels.
• The new greenfield Bharti Institute, a project of
• Specialization: To engage in areas of specialization to
Satya Bharti Foundation, has also been issued the letter.
make distinctive contributions to the objectives of the
Significance university education system.
• Global Rating: To aim to be rated internationally for its
• These institutions will not be subject to UGC
teaching and research as a top hundred Institution in the
inspections, and are free to set their own courses and
world over time.
curriculum, fee structure and merit-based admission
• Quality teaching and Research: To provide for high
systems.
quality teaching and research and for the advancement of
• Each university will be required to sign a MoU with
knowledge and its dissemination
the Ministry, laying out its plan to achieve the
objective of becoming a world-class institution. Criteria
• They will have complete academic, administrative
• Global/National Ranking: Only those institutions which
and financial autonomy.
have appeared in any of the global/national ranks shall be
• The public institutions on the list will then be
recommended for the IoE status.
eligible for a government grant of ₹1,000 crore.
• Public institutions are assessed on the basis of QS-2020
Institutions of world rankings, in case of a tie QS- 2019 rankings are used.
Eminence scheme • Private institutions are assessed on the basis of
their ranking in the QS India or National Institution Ranking
• This scheme under the Union HRD ministry aims to
Framework (NIRF), the NIRF ranking being
project Indian institutes to global recognition.
used as a tie-breaker.
• The selected institutes will enjoy complete academic
• Greenfield Proposals: Only after exhausting the
and administrative autonomy.
above criterion, if any slot remains vacant,
• Only higher education institutions currently placed
consideration shall be given to yet to be established
in the top 500 of global rankings or top 50 of the
(Greenfield) proposals.
National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) are
• The term greenfield project generally refers to the
eligible to apply for the eminence tag.
initiation of a project without the need to consider any
prior work.
STUDY IQ Page 31
• The Greenfield Institutions would get 3 year period

Mains Question
to establish and operationalise the institution, and
thereafter, EEC will consider giving IoE status to such What is the outreach of the Eminence Scheme?
institutions. Additional Info
• Satya Bharti Foundation (telecom major Airtel’s
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/hrd-minis-
philanthropic arm) became the second greenfield
try-awards-ioe-status-to-5-public-institutions/article
institution to be given IoE status, after Reliance’s Jio
29341635.ece
Institute.
Recent Initiatives
NISHTHA stands for National Initiative for School
Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement.
• It is S of its kind in the world.
• The basic objective of this massive training
programme ‘NISHTHA’ is to motivate and equip

teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in
students.
• The initiative is first of its kind wherein
standardized training modules are developed at
national level for all States and UTs.
• However, States and UTs can contextualize the
training modules and use their own material and
resource persons also, keeping in view the core topics
and expected outcomes of NISHTHA.
• A Mobile App and Learning Management System
(LMS) based on MOODLE (Modular Object-Oriented
Dynamic Learning Environment) have been developed
by NCERT.
• LMS will be used for registration of Resource
Persons and Teachers, dissemination of resources,
training gap and impact analysis, monitoring, mentoring
and measuring the progress online.
e-Rozgar Samachar launched

to spread awareness about
job opportunities
• The e-version of Rozgar Samachar has been
launched by the Minister of Information & Broadcasting.
• Make aspirants aware of job opportunities in
government sector including public sector enterprises
• Provide information and guidance about admission
and career opportunities in various streams through
career-oriented articles
• Meet the emerging challenge of young readers
switching to electronic modes of communication
‘Paramarsh’ Scheme
• The Union Minister for Human Resource
Development, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank”
launched ‘Paramarsh’ – a University Grants
Commission (UGC) scheme for Mentoring National
Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC)
Accreditation Aspirant Institutions to promote
Quality Assurance in Higher Education.
STUDY IQ Page 32
• In a bid to make sanitary pads more accessible and

affordable to women, the Government reduced the price of
Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin
from Rs 2.50 to Re 1 per pad.
• The biodegradable sanitary napkin ‘Suvidha’ will be sold
in packets of four.
• In last one year, around 2.2 crore sanitary napkins have
been sold from Jan Suvidha stores.
• The Suvidha napkin has a special additive that makes it
100% biodegradable when it reacts with oxygen after it is
used and disposed of.
Relevance
Title
Janaushadhi Sugam
Why in news? PRADHAN MANTRI BHARTIYA

JANAUSHADHI PARIYOJANA
Union Ministry for Chemicals and Fertilizers has
launched a mobile application “Janaushadhi Sugam”.
(PMBJP)
• It is a campaign launched by the Department of
Pharmaceuticals, Govt. Of India.
• To provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the
masses.
• It is done through special kendra’s known as Pradhan
Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
• PMBJK have been set up to provide generic drugs.
About the app

• It aims to enable people to search Janaushadhi
generic medicines and the stores at the tip of their
fingers.
• It will also help analyse product comparison of
Generic vs Branded medicine in form of MRP & overall What is a generic medicine?
Savings.
• They are unbranded medicines which are equally safe
and having the same efficacy as that of branded medicines.
• The prices of generic medicines are much cheaper than
their branded equivalent.
Implementing agency
• Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is the
implementing agency of PMBJP.
• BPPI has been established under the Department of
Pharmaceuticals, Govt. of India.
Mission
• Ensure access to quality medicines.
• Extend coverage of quality generic medicines so
Oxo-biodegradable as to reduce the out of pocket expenditure on

medicines and thereby redefine the unit cost of
sanitary napkin
treatment per person.
STUDY IQ Page 33
• Create awareness about generic medicines through

education and publicity so that quality is not s
ynonymous with only high price.
• A public programme involving Government, PSUs,
Private Sector, NGO, Societies, Co-operative Bodies
and other Institutions.
• Create demand for generic medicines by improving
access to better healthcare through low treatment cost
and easy availability wherever needed in all therapeutic
categories.
Mains Question
What are the features of Janaushadhi Suvidha?
Additional Info
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx-
?PRID=1583141
STUDY IQ
Page 34
• Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh are states

with a high such proportion, while Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu,
Mizoram and Goa have the lowest proportions of such
deaths.
• Among the malnutrition indicators, low birth weight is
the largest contributor to child deaths in India, followed by
child growth failure which includes stunting, underweight,
and wasting.
Relevance
Food and Nutrition
Title Security Analysis
The burden of malnutrition in under-5 children • The Food and Nutrition Security Analysis, India, 2019, a
in India report by the MoSPI and The World Food Programme lists
Maharashtra as one of the six States with high levels of
stunting and underweight.
• The State also has a prevalence of stunting and wasting.
• Here’s a look at the highlights of the report and overall
malnutrition in Maharashtra.
Malnutrition
• Malnutrition, in all its forms, includes undernutrition
(wasting, stunting, underweight) inadequate vitamins or
minerals, overweight, obesity, and resulting diet-related
non-communicable diseases.
• Malnutrition is a complex and multi-dimensional issue.
Why in news?
Double Burden of Malnutrition
A report published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent
Health gives comprehensive estimates of disease • For several decades India was dealing with only one form
burden due to child and maternal malnutrition and the of malnutrition– undernutrition. In the last decade, the
trends of its indicators in every state of India from double burden which includes both over- and
1990 to 2017. undernutrition, is becoming more prominent and poses a
new challenge for India.
Key findings • From 2005 to 2016, prevalence of low (< 18.5 kG/M2)
body mass index (BMI) in Indian women decreased from
• The death rate attributable to malnutrition in
36% to 23% and from 34% to 20% among Indian men.
under-5 children in India has dropped by two-thirds
During the same period, the prevalence of overweight/
from 1990 to 2017.
obesity (BMI > 30 kG/M2) increased from 13% to 21%
• Malnutrition is, however, still the underlying risk
among women and from 9% to 19% in men.
factor for 68% of the deaths in under-five children in
• Children born to women with low BMI are more likely to
India.
be stunted, wasted, and underweight compared to children
• Other states with a high burden are Bihar, Assam
born to women with normal or high BMI.
and Rajasthan, followed by Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Nagaland and Tripura.
National Nutrition Mission
U5 mortality • The government launched National Nutrition
• The proportion of under-5 deaths attributable to Mission (renamed as Poshan Abhiyaan) in March 2018.
malnutrition, which is 68.2% across India, ranges • It aims to reduce undernutrition, anemia (among
between young children, women and adolescent girls) and low
a high of 72.7% in Bihar and a low of 50.8% in Kerala. birth weight by 2%, 3% and 2% per annum
respectively.
STUDY IQ Page 35
• It also aims to reduce stunting (a measure of

malnutrition that is defined as the height that is
significantly below the norm for age) by 2% a year,
bringing down the proportion of stunted children in
the population to 25% by 2022.
• The policy aims to map various schemes that
address malnutrition and set up a robust conver-
gence mechanism, and an information and communi-
cations technology-based real-time monitoring
system, besides incentivising states and Union
territories to meet the targets.
Way Forward
• Farmers should be encouraged and incentivised for
agricultural diversification.
• Innovative and low-cost farming technologies,
increase in the irrigation coverage and enhancing
knowledge of farmers in areas such as appropriate use
of land and water should be encouraged to improve the
sustainability of food productivity.
• The government should improve policy support for
improving agricultural produce of traditional crops in
the country.
• Storage capacity should be improved to prevent
post-harvest losses.
• Child feeding practices should be improved in the
country, especially at the critical ages when solid foods
are introduced to the diet.
• Fortification, diversification and supplementation
may be used as simultaneous strategies to address
micro and macronutrient deficiencies.
Mains Question
Discuss the reasons and challenges associated with
the high level of malnutrition in India?
Additional Info
https://indianexpress.com/article/ex-
plained/the-burden-of-mal utrition-in-un-
der-5-children-state-by-state-6007859/
STUDY IQ Page 36
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Why it is important for India to
hasten talks with the EU on a
free trade agreement?
• India risks being left behind amidst a collapsing global
trade architecture, rising protectionism and a new
emphasis on bilateral FTAs.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • India is the only major power lacking an FTA with any
of its top trade partners, including the EU, the U.S., China
Relevance and Gulf economies. This situation is not tenable as most
trade is now driven either by FTAs or global value chains.
GS2 || International relations || India and rest of the The EU’s revived focus on FTAs could only exacerbate this
world || EU risk for India.
• Stuck in a ‘grey zone’, without preferential FTA tariffs
Title or GSP+ status, India will struggle to keep exports competi-
India European Union free trade agreement tive for Europe, its largest trade partner where 20% of its
exports land up.
Why in news? • The collapse of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment
Partnership and concerns about excessive economic
• As the economy begins to suffer from the reliance on China have propelled the EU to become a little
U.S.-China trade war, it is imperative for India to more pragmatic, which New Delhi should leverage before
pursue a free trade agreement (FTA) with the it’s too late.
European Union (EU). • The EU also offers India a unique regulatory model that
balances growth, privacy and standards. India’s
governance framework shares the European norms of
democratic transparency and multi-stakeholder participa-
tion on a variety of new technological domains, from
regulating artificial intelligence to 5G networks.
• New Delhi must see this as a strategic premium that is
not accounted for in a strict cost-benefit economic
analysis.

What does Free trade
agreement (FTA)?
• The agreement involve cooperation between at least
two countries to reduce trade barriers – import quotas and
tariffs and to increase trade of goods and services with each
other.
India’s largest trading

partners
STUDY IQ Page 37
• A line of credit is a type of loan.

• The borrower can access funds from the line of credit at
any time, as long as he does not exceed the maximum
amount set in the agreement and as long as he meets any
other requirements set by the financial institution, such as
making timely minimum payments.
• There are currently 279 LOCs, worth $28 billion,
extended to these countries located in Asia, Africa, Latin
(Click on the above image to watch the video) America, Caribbean and Oceania, the government
informed Parliament last week in response to a question on
Relevance what India was doing to counter BRI’s economic and
foreign policy issue.
GS2 || International relations || India and rest of the
• Of this, 254 projects aggregating nearly $4.70 billion
world || Russia
have been completed, while 194 projects worth nearly
Title $19 billion are under implementation. These include 94
connectivity projects in five countries in India’s immediate
India will offer $1 billion loan to Russia
neighbourhood being taken up with LOC worth nearly $6.6
billion.
Why in news?
About The Far East
• India to Give $1 Billion Loan for Development of
Russia's Far East.
• The Far East is the easternmost part of Russia.
• It borders two oceans, the Pacific and the Arctic, and
five countries (China, Japan, Mongolia, the United States
and the DPRK).
• The Far Eastern Federal District covers more than a
third of the country’s territory.
• Resourses : The Far East is rich in natural resources like
diamonds, stannary, borax materials, 50 gold, tungsten,
and fish and seafood. About 1/3 of all coal reserves and
What PM Modi said ? hydro-engineering resources of the country are here.
Forests of the region comprise about 30% of the total
• The relation of India and Far East is not new but forest area of Russia.
ages old. India is the 1st country which opened its
consulate in Vladivostok. Even during Soviet, when
there was restrictions on other foreigners, Vladivo-
stok was open for Indians.
• In India also we are building a New India on the
‘mantra’ of ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’. We are aiming
to be US$ 5 trillion economy by 2024.
• India will walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Russia in
its development of Far East region.
• PM Modi launches ‘Act Far East’ policy to boost
India’s engagement with Russia’s Far East. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi says India offers $1 billion
loan to Russia for far east development.
• For the development of Far East, India will give line
of credit worth US$ 1 Billion.
• My govt has actively engaged East Asia as part of
its ‘Act East’ policy. This will also give a new dimen-
sion to our economic diplomacy.
What is the difference

between line of credit
and loan?
STUDY IQ
Page 38
• This is South Asia’s first cross-border petroleum

products pipeline.
Oil Pipeline • It is 69-km long having a capacity of 2 million metric

ton per annum, will provide cleaner petroleum products at
affordable cost to the people of Nepal.
Significance
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • Nepal consumes about 2.66 million tonnes of oil and
about 4,80,000 tonnes of cooking gas, currently carried in
Relevance trucks from half a dozen Indian depots to different points in
Nepal.
GS2 || International relations || India and its • The pipeline will save Nepal about $8.7 million a year
neighbours || Nepal in transport costs for fuel.
• The project would help to deepen India-Nepal Bilateral
Title
Relationship.
India Nepal oil pipeline
Why in news?
• Recently,Prime Ministers of India and Nepal have

jointly inaugurated a cross-border petroleum
products pipeline.
Details of project
• India funded the $45 Million pipeline project,

which has an annual capacity of 2 million metric
tonnes and will enable Nepal to import fuel from
India at a lower cost.
• India is Nepal's sole supplier of oil which is
currently carried on tankers via road to the
land-locked country.
• Pipeline carries petroleum products from
Motihari in India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal.
STUDY IQ
Page 39
• The train sets are equipped with state-of-the-art three

phase AC-AC propulsion system, superior suspension as
well as superior interiors.
Some of the key features of these DEMU sets include
cushioned seats, rotatable seats in AC chair car, modular
toilets, GPS based passenger information LCD display,
oscillating-type fans that cover 360 degree along with wide
air circulation facility, aluminium extruded frame luggage
(Click on the above image to watch the video) racks with glass bottom, LED lighting feature among others.
Relevance
GS2 || International relations || India and its
neighbours || Srilanka
Title
Made in India trains in Sri Lanka
Why in news?
• Pulathisi Express, a new train to Polonnaruwa
was flagged off by President Maithripala Sirisena,

Minister Arjuna Ranatunga and High Commissioner
of India to Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandhu earlier
today from the Fort Railway Station in Colombo.
Details
• India has provided four lines of credit to Sri Lanka
to develop its railway sector, amounting to USD 966
million.
• These credit facilities have been utilised to improve
the southern and northern railway lines and for the
procurement of rolling stocks for the Sri Lanka
Railways.
• An all-new train service has been flagged off in Sri
Lanka and what’s interesting about this train is that
is has been fully manufactured under the ‘Make in
India’ initiative.
• The rake of the train was manufactured in the
Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.
• ICF will manufacture six DEMU rakes consisting of
78 coaches in five variants. Each DEMU rake consists
of 13 cars in a combination of two driving power cars.
STUDY IQ
Page 40
India’s Total pharma exports
• North America constitutes about 30 per cent of Indian

pharma exports, followed by Africa and the European
Union with 19 per cent and 16 per cent share, respectively,
according to the data.
• According to industry experts, the Chinese market is
(Click on the above image to watch the video) also gradually opening up and the government is working
to push India’s exports there as it holds huge potential.
Relevance
GS2 || International relations || India and its
neighbours || Pakistan
Title
Pakistan import life saving drugs from India
Why in news? (Scan the QR code to watch video)
• Imran Khan-led Pakistan government has

restored partial trade with India bowing down to
domestic pressure from its traders.
Details
• Pakistan will now import life-saving drugs from its
arch-rival.
• These medicines include those for cancer,
tuberculosis and cardiac problems.
• Pakistan imports almost 50 per cent of raw
materials for medicines from India.
• Pakistani pharmaceutical companies import more
than 50 percent of their raw material from India and
China to produce medicines, according to the
Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (FPCCI).
• The material bought from India is cheaper than
any other part of the world.
Trade between India and

Pakistan
• Trade between both nations had stood at just $2.4
billion in 2017-18, accounting for a mere 0.31 per
cent of India’s total trade with the world and just
about 3.2 per cent of Pakistan’s global trade.
STUDY IQ
Page 41
• Development of Russian Far East : India would extend a

$1 billion line of credit towards the development of the
Russian Far East.
• An area of special interest for India is the exploration of
hydrocarbon reserves along the coast of Russia’s Far East.
• Also, engaging closely with East Asia is in line with
India’s policy goal of “Act East”.
• Maritime Route: A proposal was made to have a
full-fledged maritime route between Chennai and
(Click on the above image to watch the video) Vladivostok.
• Vladivostok is at a short distance from Russia’s border
Relevance with China and is also the largest port on Russia’s Pacific
coast.
GS2 || International relations || India & Rest of the
• India is building nuclear power plants with Russia’s
World || Russia
collaboration in Kudankulam on the sea coast in Tamil
Title Nadu’s Tirunelveli district. The opening of a sea route is
likely to help in the project.
PM Modi in Russia's Eastern economic forum • It will also increase India’s presence in the Indo-Pacific,
and especially the South China Sea, a deeply contested
Why in news? patch of the ocean.
• Collaboration in Space: Russia, would help train Indian
• The Prime Minister of India was on a two-day visit astronauts for the manned space mission — the Gaganyaan
to Russia to attend the 20th India-Russia annual project.
summit and the 5th meeting of the Eastern Economic • Both sides expressed concern over the possibility of an
Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok. arms race in outer space and advocated peaceful uses of
• This is the first time that an Indian Prime Minister outer space.
visited the Russian Far East Region (Vladivostok).
Economic Cooperation
• The two leaders decided to take the bilateral trade
from the current $11 billion to $30 billion by 2025.
• The work on promoting mutual settlements of payments
in national currencies will be continued.
• Create new technological and investment partnership,
especially in advanced high-tech areas and find new
avenues and forms of cooperation.
• Agreed to speed up preparations for the signing of the
Key highlights of the visit
India-Russia Intergovernmental Agreement on Promotion
and Mutual Protection of Investments.
• Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership :
• Agreed to intensify work for eliminating trade barriers.
Both the leaders agreed to facilitate, in all possible
This would be facilitated, inter alia, by the proposed Trading
ways, exploring the impressive potential of their
Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)
strategic partnership to the fullest, while
and India.
demonstrating the special and privileged nature of the
partnership. Military Cooperation
• Supported India’s decision on J&K : Russia has • The talks highlighted that the sanctions imposed by the
backed India’s move on Jammu and Kashmir, saying US on Russia has no effect on India strengthening
that the changes in the status are within the cooperation with the country in strategic sectors such as
framework of the Indian Constitution. energy and defence.
• Both the countries underlined the primacy of • Both the countries are successfully implementing their
international law and emphasised their commitment bilateral programme on military and technical cooperation
to the purposes and the principles stated in the UN up to 2020 and working to update the same to extend to
Charter including the inadmissibility of interference another 10 years.
in the internal affairs of member states. Cooperation in International Issues
• Development of Russian Far East : India would
• Called for reform of the UN Security Council. Russia
extend a $1 billion line of credit towards the
expressed its support for India’s candidacy for permanent
development of the Russian Far East.
membership of the UNSC.
STUDY IQ
Page 42
• Condemned terrorism in all its forms and

manifestations and called on the international
community to set up a united front to fight against
this evil.
• Reiterated their commitment to further strengthen
global non-proliferation. Russia expressed its strong
support for India’s membership in the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG). • The Far East is the easternmost part of Russia.
• India is ready to play a significant role in the • It borders two oceans, the Pacific and the Arctic, and
Arctic Council. five countries (China, Japan, Mongolia, the United States
• Support an inclusive peace and Afghan-led and and the DPRK).
Afghan-owned reconciliation in Afghanistan. • The Far Eastern Federal District covers more than a
• Reaffirmed their commitment to building an equal third of the country’s territory.
and indivisible security architecture in Asia and the • RESOURCES: The Far East is rich in natural resources
Pacific region. like diamonds, stannary, borax materials, 50 gold, tungsten,
and fish and seafood. About 1/3 of all coal reserves and
hydro-engineering resources of the country are here.
Forests of the region comprise about 30% of the total
forest area of Russia.
About the Eastern

Economic Forum
• Established by Decree of the President of the
Russian Federation in 2015.
• It takes place each year in Vladivostok.
• Serves as a platform for the discussion of key
issues in the world economy, regional integration, and
the development of new industrial and technological
sectors, as well as of the global challenges facing
Russia and other nations.
• Participants: The Forum business programme
includes a number of business dialogues with leading
partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and with
ASEAN, a key integration organization of dynamically
developing nations in Southeast Asia.
About The Far East
STUDY IQ Page 43
• Each country is represented by one or more delegates at

the Assembly, who are typically chiefs of law enforcement
agencies.
• The Assembly also elects the members of the Interpol
Executive Committee, the governing body which “provides
guidance and direction in between sessions of the
Assembly”.
Relevance
GS2 || International relations || International
Organizations || Miscellaneous
Title
Interpol Red Notice
Why in news?
India has proposed to Interpol that the General
Assembly of the organization be held in New Delhi in
2022 as part of the nation’s 75th Independence Day Assembly Resolutions
celebrations.
• The General Assembly’s decisions take the form of
What is Interpol? Resolutions.
• Each member country has one vote.
• The International Criminal Police Organisation, or • Decisions are made either by a simple or a two-thirds
Interpol, is a 194-member intergovernmental majority ,depending on the subject matter.
organization headquartered in Lyon, France.
• It was formed in 1923 as the International Red Notices (RNs)
Criminal Police Commission, and started calling itself
Interpol in 1956. • Criminals or suspects often flee to other countries to
• India joined the organisation in 1949, and is one of evade facing justice. An RN alerts police forces across the
its oldest members. world about fugitives who are wanted internationally.
• Interpol’s declared global policing goals include • Interpol describes an RN as “a request to law
countering terrorism, promoting border integrity enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest
worldwide, protection of vulnerable communities, a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal
providing a secure cyberspace for people and action”.
businesses, curbing illicit markets, supporting • RNs contain information that helps identify wanted
environment security, and promoting global persons, such as their names, dates of birth, nationality,
integrity. and physical attributes such as the colour of their hair and
eyes.
• It also includes pictures and biometric data such as
fingerprints, if they are available.
Not a warrant of arrest
• The Interpol itself does not want individuals; they are

What is the Interpol wanted by a country or an international tribunal.
General Assembly? • Also, an RN is an international wanted persons’ notice; it
is not an international arrest warrant.
• It is Interpol’s supreme governing body, and • Which means that the Interpol cannot compel the law
comprises representatives from all its member enforcement authorities in any country to arrest the
countries. subject of an RN.
• It meets annually for a session lasting approximate-
ly four days, to vote on activities and policy.
STUDY IQ
Page 44
• It is up to individual member countries to decide Strengthen intelligence-sharing platforms

what legal value to give to an RN, and the authority of Disrupt terrorist movement and mobility
their national law enforcement officers to make Trace and disrupt financial streams and weapons
arrests. sourcing
• Goal 2: Promote border integrity worldwide
Why RN? Identify criminal and victim movements and travel
Share information with and between border officials
• RNs mention the crime(s) they are wanted for.
Contribute to the establishment of global standards for
• An RN is published by Interpol at the request of a
border security
member country.
Assist member countries with maintaining the integrity
• The fugitives may be wanted for prosecution or to
of their security documents (e.g. addressing the use of
serve a sentence.
counterfeit/false passports)
• The country issuing the request need not be the
home country of the fugitive; Interpol acts on the • Goal 3: Protect vulnerable communities
request of a country where the alleged crime has been Detect crimes and criminals and identify prevention
committed. opportunities
• In cases where the help of the public is needed to Protect victims of crime from exploitation and
locate an individual, or if those individuals pose a re-victimization
threat to public safety, a public extract of the RN is Respect human rights of vulnerable communities
published on the Interpol’s website. Develop robust networks of experts to exchange
information, best practice and operational activity
Importance of RNs Disrupt the profit element in the criminal business
model
• RNs are issued to simultaneously alert police in all
Identify and disrupt the illicit financial streams and
member countries about internationally wanted
profits derived through this criminal business model
fugitives.
• An RN can help bring a fugitive to justice, • Goal 4: Secure cyberspace for people and businesses
sometimes many years after the crime was committed. Establish partnerships to secure cyberspace
• However, because an RN is not an arrest warrant, Expand cybercrime investigative expertise
action against a fugitive frequently rests on the Safeguard communities through standard setting, public
diplomatic clout that the country making the request education
has with the country where the fugitive is located. Protect critical infrastructure
• Nations with a big international profile, and • Goal 5: Promote global integrity
economic or political heft, are often more successful Promote good governance and rule of law
than the rest. Enhance corruption investigative expertise
Promote a culture of integrity where corruption is not
Checks and balances acceptable
Build mechanisms to support and defend integrity and
• The Interpol says that an RN must comply with its
restore stolen assets
constitution and rules.
• It says that “every Red Notice request is checked • Goal 6: Curb illicit markets
by a specialised task force to ensure it is compliant Raise awareness among the public of the risks associat-
with (Interpol) rules”. ed with illicit goods and products
• The Interpol argues that an RN is issued only after Build mechanisms to detect emerging illicit markets
a competent court has taken cognizance of a charge Strengthen capacity to investigate and prevent illicit
sheet against the fugitive. trade, including its financing
• In the case of Nirav Modi, the CBI filed a Identify and disrupt the illicit financial stream and
chargesheet in May 2018, and Interpol issued an RN profits derived through this type of criminal activity
in July that year. Identify and disrupt organized crime and drugs
• However, in the case of Choksi, India has been networks
frustrated: while the charge sheet was filed in June • Goal 7: Support environmental security and
2018, the RN is yet to be issued. sustainability
Strengthen capacity to investigate environmental crime
Global Policing Goals
Protect resource-dependent communities, vulnerable
• Goal 1: Counter the threat of terrorism species and natural heritage
Identify and arrest terrorist suspects
STUDY IQ Page 45
Build mechanisms to protect biodiversity and

natural resources
Disrupt organized crime networks and the profit
element
Identify and disrupt the illicit financial stream and
profits derived through this type of criminal activity
Additional Info
https://indianexpress.com/article/ex-
plained/pnb-fraud-case-red-notice-against-nirav-mod
i-sister-could-one-against-mehul-choksi-lead-to-arres
t-5351346/
Mains Question
What is Interpol?
STUDY IQ
Page 46
What’s New In 2019

• This year we also note the demonstrable impact of the
effects of climate change on liveability.
• Several cities, such as New Delhi in India and Cairo in
Egypt received substantial downgrades on their scores
owing to problems linked to climate change, such as poor
(Click on the above image to watch the video) air quality, undesirable average temperatures and
inadequate water provision.
Relevance
GS2 || International relations || International
The survey rates cities worldwide
Organizations || Miscellaneous
based on 30 qualitative and
quantitative criteria, which fall
Title into five general categories
Global liveability index 2019
• Stability
• Health care.
Why in news? • Culture and environment.
• Education
• The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has
• Infrastructure
released the Global Liveability Index 2019.
• The index ranks 140 global cities based on their
Performance of Indian cities
living conditions.
• New Delhi has dropped by six places to rank 118th on
Highlights of the index the list.
• Mumbai also fell two places since last year to rank
• The liveability index quantifies the challenges
119th.
that might be presented to an individual’s lifestyle in
140 cities worldwide, and assesses which locations International Organisations
provide the best living conditions.
• The list is topped by Vienna (Austria) for the
In Vienna
second consecutive year. • Vienna is the seat of a number of United Nations
offices and various international institutions and
companies, including the
1. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
2. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
3. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
(UNOOSA)
4. Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation
(CTBTO)
5. United Nations Commission on International Trade Law

STUDY IQ
Page 47
• The government has said that the proposed

amendments would “plug loopholes” that allow the city to
withdraw China's be used by criminals. It has assured that courts in Hong
extradition bill Kong would make the final decision on extradition, that
only certain categories of suspects would be liable, and that
individuals accused of political and religious offences would
not be extradited.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) The protesters in Hong Kong
Relevance are concerned mainly because
• Many Hong Kongers fear the proposed extradition law

GS2 || International relations || India & it’s Neigh-
will be used by authorities to target political enemies.
bours || China
• They worry the new legislation spells the end of the “one
Title country, two systems” policy, eroding the civil rights
enjoyed by Hong Kong residents since the handover of
Hong Kong government withdraw China's
sovereignty from the UK to China in 1997.
extradition bill
Why in news? Relationship of Hong Kong

with respect to China
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has
announced that the controversial extradition bill
• Many Hong Kongers fear the proposed extradition law
that sparked months of anti-government protests
will be used by authorities to target political enemies.
will be withdrawn.
• They worry the new legislation spells the end of the “one
country, two systems” policy, eroding the civil rights
enjoyed by Hong Kong residents since the handover of
sovereignty from the UK to China in 1997.
Why are people protesting ?
• The protesters were marching against proposed

changes in the law that would allow suspects accused
• Hong Kong is a Special administration region of
of crimes such as murder and rape to be extradited to
China(SAR).
mainland China to face trial.
• Being so it operates using a different system and issues
• Once the law is changed, Hong Kong will also hand
its own Currency (HKdollar) passports,ID cards ect. also
over to China individuals accused of crimes in Taiwan
maintains a separate immigration agency
and Macau. Macau, like Hong Kong, is a Chinese
• The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in
special administrative region with significant
1997, and is semi-autonomous under the “one country, two
autonomy.
systems” principle. It has its own laws and courts, and
allows its residents a range of civil liberties. Hong Kong
What The Hong Kong
does not have an extradition agreement with Beijing.
Protestors Want
• The protesters have five core demands, and they
want the government to address every single one.
• The demands are: the complete withdrawal of the
extradition bill; establishment of an independent
commission of inquiry into police conduct; retraction
of the designation of “riot” to describe the protests;
amnesty for arrested protesters, and full democracy.
Earlier China’s response
STUDY IQ Page 48
Significance of the above

Agreements
• Assured logistic support when India operates in the

Indo-Pacific in the ports of South Korea.
• To extend the reach, presence and sustainability of
Indian Navy ships when deployed at great distances.
• The recent meeting has also been considered as an
(Click on the above image to watch the video) opportunity to combine India’s ‘Act East Policy’ with the
Republic of Korea’s ‘New Southern Policy’.
Relevance
GS2 || International relations || India and rest of the
world || Southeast Asia
Title
India South Korea sign logistic agreement for Navy
Why in news?
• India and South Korea have concluded a Military
Logistics Agreement during the ongoing visit of
Defence Minister to Seoul.
Details
• The two countries have also formulated a
forward-looking road map to take bilateral defence
industry cooperation to the next level.
• The roadmap has also listed other areas of
cooperation like Land Systems, Aero Systems, Naval
Systems, R&D cooperation and collaboration in
Testing, Certification and Quality Assurance.
The two Memoranda of

Understanding (MOUs)
were signed during the
meeting which covers
• Defence Educational Exchanges,
• To extend Logistical Support to each other’s
Navies.
STUDY IQ Page 49
Details
• While the idea of a US-Israel defence pact has been
discussed on and off for several decades, it has
re-emerged in recent months. Sen. Lindsey Graham
(R-South Carolina) broached the proposal in June at a
dinner hosted by the Endowment for Middle East Truth,
saying he wanted Israel to be added to the list of countries
(Click on the above image to watch the video) with which the US has treaty obligations.
• The U.S. gives Israel more than $3 billion a year in
Relevance military aid and considers Israel a “major non-NATO ally.”
• Although the details are yet to be revealed – the basic
idea will be if any country attacks Israel, U.S will declare
World || USA
war on that country. (Same goes for Israel in case of an
Title attack on U.S).
USA Israel to sign mutual defence treaty

About ANZUS
Why in news? • The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security
Treaty (ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is the 1951 collective
• Donald Trump says he discussed ‘mutual defense’
security non-binding agreement between Australia and
treaty with Benjamin Netanyahu.
New Zealand and, separately, Australia and the United
States, to co-operate on military matters in the Pacific
Background Ocean region, although today the treaty is taken to relate
to conflicts worldwide.
• Israel's Prime minister has pledged to annex large
• It provides that an armed attack on any of the three
parts of the occupied West Bank if he wins election.
parties would be dangerous to the others, and that each
should act to meet the common threat.
• It set up a committee of foreign ministers that can meet
for consultation.
Impact of a Israel U.S

defence treaty
• If U.S is attacked by a terrorist outfit like in 9/11,Israel
will be forced to attack whichever entity U.S decides to
attack.
• This could potentially lead Israel to a conflict against
China in the future.
STUDY IQ Page 50
• India has defended its decision to scrap provisions of

Article 370 that have special status to Jammu and
Kashmir, saying that it was an internal matter. India has
also snubbed Pakistan for interfering in the internal
matters of the country, saying that Pakistan was misleading
the world.
About Inter-Parliamentary Union

Relevance
GS2 || International relations || India & its
Neighbours || Indian Ocean Geopolitics
Title
South Asian speakers summit
Why in news? • The Inter-Parliamentary Union is a global inter-

parliamentary institution established in 1889 by Frédéric
The fourth South Asian Speakers’ Summit was held Passy (France) and William Randal Cremer (United
recently in Maldives capital with the secretary Kingdom).
general of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and senior • It was the first permanent forum for political multilater-
lawmakers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, al negotiations.
India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. • Initially, the organization was for individual parliamen-
tarians, but has since transformed into an international
organization of the parliaments of sovereign states.
• The national parliaments of 178 countries (the last
three member countries are Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
and Vanuatu; Memberships were given during its 137th
conference) are members of the IPU, and 12 regional
parliamentary assemblies are associate members.
Background
• This is the fourth event in a series of Speakers’
Summits for the region on SDGs, the previous three
having been hosted by the Jatiya Sangsad of
Bangladesh (in 2016), the Sansad of India (in 2017)
and the Parliament of Sri Lanka (2018).
Outcome of the summit • The IPU has permanent observer status at the United
Nations General Assembly.
• At the end of the summit, Male Declaration was
adopted by the leaders.
About the Male Declaration

• The Declaration “unanimously” felt that Kashmir
was an “internal matter” of India and overlooked all
assertions made by Islamabad on the issue.

India’s position
STUDY IQ Page 51
• With Pakistan choosing to totally suspend two-sided

exchange, cotton sends out from India to Pakistan may get
influenced the most, in the end harming Pakistan's textiles.
• In all, the trade tensions have led to a loss on both sides.
Implications
• Unlike national economies, outskirt or border econo-
mies owe their reality to cross-border economic
(Click on the above image to watch the video) opportunities.
• These economies, for the most part, experience abrupt
Relevance
ups and downs by virtue of political changes, trade bans,
GS2 || International relations || India & it's price and exchange rate, and duty variances and tax
Neighbours || Pakistan fluctuations.
E.g. Amritsar (where major economic activity is to a
Title great extent subject to border exchange with Pakistan)
India Pakistan bilateral trade tensions Amritsar is landlocked,isn’t a metropolis and generally
has no significant industry.
Why in news? • Hence, any choice of India-Pakistan exchange directly
affects the neighbourhood economy and the people of
• India and Pakistan share a long border but despite Amritsar.
this, the two countries don't share any significant • Since February 2019, estimated, 5,000 families have
trade. been directly influenced in Amritsar on account of
• The India-Pakistan face-off in the recent period is breadwinner dependence on bilateral trade.
having more repercussions than intended, with border
economies the worst hit.
Way ahead
• In all, the general financial matters of the two nations
Recent trade unrest might just figure out how to remain above water in spite of
• In February 2019, in the wake of the Pulwama the suspension of economic ties.
attack, India chose to pull back the Most Favoured • However, it is the neighbourhood economies that will
Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan. endure the most and are as of now perishing.
• Subsequently, it forced 200% customs duty on • In this connection, there has been a loss in business,
every single Pakistani great coming into India. ascend in costs, lack of alternative sources of livelihood,
• After the Balakot airstrikes, again, India and and a normal increment in bank defaults.
Pakistan shut their airspace, with Pakistan keeping • Alternative sources of employment that can be
the boycott set up for about 5 months. produced to keep border economies above water ought to
• In April 2019, India suspended exchange over the be found with high priority.
Line of Control in J&K, referring to abuse of the

Mains Question
exchange course by Pakistan-based elements.
• More as of late, post the Jammu and Kashmir Analyse the scope of ‘soft diplomacy’ between India and
Reorganization Bill, Pakistan cut off strategic and Pakistan.
financial ties with India.
References
Impact on both the Nations • https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/put-
ting-the-skids-under-border-trade/article29325485.ece
• In 2018-19, respective exchange among India and • https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-poli-
Pakistan was esteemed at $2.5 billion. In this period, tics/paki-
India's exports to Pakistan represented $2.06 billion stan-suspend-trade-with-india-370-35a-modi-imran-khan/s
and imports from Pakistan were at $495 million. tory/371213.html
• India's withdrawal of MFN status and burden of
200% obligation has harmed Pakistan's fares to India.
• The exports tumbled from a normal of $45 million
every month in 2018 to $2.5 million every month
over the most recent 4 months.
STUDY IQ Page 52
[At present Egypt, Turkey and Jordan are among the few
Arab and Muslim countries that have diplomatic relations
with Israel.]
The idea of having ties with Israel has been discussed in
Pakistan before too.
• Revamping the foreign policy
However, the current discourse is part of a new urgency
to revamp Pakistan’s foreign policy to garner support
internationally.
Why is the rethink on

Relevance Pakistan’s foreign policy?
GS2 || International relations || India & Rest of the Pakistan is a country that maintains isolation with most of
World || West Asia the countries and that hinders its maintenance of
diplomatic relations with other countries and that’s
Title compelling Pakistan to revamp its foreign policy
• Mobilize international support
Israel - Pakistan Diplomatic Relations
A key factor in Pakistan’s rethink has been its difficulty
Why in news? in mobilizing international support especially the US
against India’s policies towards Pakistan and Kashmir in
• There is much speculation in recent days about the backdrop of the abrogation of Article 370.
imminent establishment of diplomatic relations Another is the growing sense in Islamabad and Rawal-
between Israel and Pakistan. pindi about Pakistan’s current alienation from its tradition-
• The current discourse is part of a new urgency to al allies in the West and the Muslim world.
revamp Pakistan’s foreign policy. Pakistan’s “deep state” or “miltablishment” (military +
• This has cast fresh light on the changing dynamics establishment) is eager to put the nation’s foreign policy
in the region and Israel’s growing diplomatic reach and back on track.
success. • International tilt in favour of India
It is keen to correct the emerging international tilt (with
Pakistan’s Rationale the exception of China) in favour of India when it comes to
Pakistan is in the middle of a major debate on its international issues in general and Pakistan in particular.
international relations. Pakistan believes that by establishing better bilateral
relations with the countries it will be able to get interna-
• Improve Pakistan’s Standing in the US
tional support to deal with their issues at international
It is believed that normal relations with Israel
platforms.
would improve Pakistan’s standing in the US as Israel
• Economic reforms mandated by the IMF
is a close ally of the US.
Pakistan’s foreign policy rethink is also complemented
This would, in turn, help Pakistan to deal with
by the decision to implement harsh economic reforms
India’s influence in the US as the US is in better terms
mandated by the IMF and these economic reforms can only
with India except for WTO issues.
be undertaken if there are better bilateral relations
• Advantages of India between the countries.
It would help to deal with India’s influence in the • Address current Alienation
US and disrupt its partnership with the influential Another factor is Pakistan’s current alienation from its
Jewish community in America. traditional allies in the West and the Muslim world.
Pakistan’s zeal to establish ties with Israel is driven There are efforts from Pakistan to end the steady
by the belief that the special relationship with Israel deterioration in bilateral relations with the U.S., which is
has given India many advantages. disturbed since the start of the decade.
• Key changes in the Middle East At this end, Pakistan offers to free the US from
There is growing engagement between Israel and Afghanistan and facilitate a peace deal between the US and
some of the Sunni Arab states like Saudi Arabia and the Taliban.
the UAE, that have been among Pakistan’s closest By doing so, it hopes to better its ties with Washington
partners. and more broadly with the West.
The shared threat perceptions about Iran have Whether this strategy will survive the suspension of the
brought Saudi and UAE closer to Israel, though there peace talks with the Taliban, announced by Trump, remains
are no diplomatic relations. to be seen.
STUDY IQ Page 53
Israel’s priorities
• Bangladesh: Israel would hope that if Pakistan
makes a move, Bangladesh would find it easier to
overcome its own Islamist resistance to relations with
Israel.
• South Asian Muslims: Israel would also hope of
having normal relations with the South Asian
Muslims through Pakistan (more than 40% of the
world’s Islamic population) will be a huge diplomatic
triumph for Israel.
• Ending Isolation with Muslims: Ending its isolation
in the Islamic world is a major priority for Israel.
Way Foward
• While it is the sovereign right of nations states to
decide such matters, it appears that the idea of
diplomatic ties between Israel and pal remains, for
now, a pie in the sky.
• By establishing better diplomatic issues Pakistan
will get better international support(apart from
China) for their issues and alienation of Pakistan with
the countries that may end.
• Impact on India and the world: Balance of power
would change, new allies and association can be
formed.
Conclusion
• While it is the sovereign right of nations states to
decide such matters, it appears that the idea of
diplomatic ties between Israel and pal remains, for
now, a pie in the sky.
Additional References
• https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/isra-
el-paki-
stan-ties-a-bridge-too-far/article29433453.ece
• https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/col-
umns/pakistan-is-
rael-imran-khan-kashmir-economy-5980797/
STUDY IQ Page 54
Aim of the exercise

• The exercise aims at evolving drills of the participating
armies and practicing them in the fight against the scourge
of international terrorism thereby ensuring military
security in the strategic central Asian region.
• It will focus on evaluating the level of troop
preparedness, the acquisition of the required skills and
raising the level of inter- operability and demonstrate the
readiness of the participating armies.
Relevance
GS2 || International relations || IIndia and rest of the
world || Russia
Title
TSENTR 2019 military exercise
Why in news?
• Armies of India, Pakistan will take part in this

year’s military exercise TSENTR 2019 that will be
conducted by Russia from September 9 to 23, 2019.
Details
• It is part of the annual series of large scale
exercises that form part of the Russian Armed
Forces’ annual training cycle.
• Russia holds a major military exercise every year at
one of it’s four military Commands i.eVostok (East),
Zapad (West), TSENTR (Centre) and Kavkas (South).
• The series rotates through the four main Russian
operational strategic commands.
• These annual exercises have slowly began taking an
international character, with Belarus participating in
ZAPAD-2017 and China and Mongolia participating in
VOSTOK-2018.
• This year, invitations for participation have been
extended to nine other countries.
• Apart from host Russia, military contingents from
China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Pakistan and Uzbekistan will also take part in this
mega event.
STUDY IQ Page 55
• India established full diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992.

• Many factors brought these two democracies together.
Both have successfully tackled state-centric threats
throughout their history.
• Both Israel and India have been victims of asymmetric
warfare such as terrorism, which they continue to tackle
with resolve.

India-West Asia
Relevance • India’s interactions with the GCC states have witnessed

an impressive upward trajectory in recent times.
GS2 || International relations || India and rest of the • High-level political engagement with the West Asian
world || West Asia region has been another hallmark of the government.
Title Israel’s outreach

Pakistan's relations with Israel
• Mutual apprehensions about Iran have brought Israel
Why in news? and the Gulf states closer.
• Israel continues to look beyond the confines of its
Recently, Israeli and Pakistani scholars have speculat- immediate region for greater economic and diplomatic
ed about the possibility of the two states establishing relationships.
diplomatic ties. • Israel established diplomatic ties with China at the
same time as India. Their relations have been primarily
limited to the economic realm due to the American
embargo on selling sophisticated weapons systems to
Beijing.
• Israel is expanding its arms sales to India and countries
in Southeast Asia.
• It is also looking at increasing its diplomatic footprint in
South Asia and beyond.
• Forging closer ties with populous Asian Muslim
countries such as Bangladesh and Indonesia would help it to
Background of the
gain greater legitimacy in the Islamic world.
relationship
• Ever since Israel’s founding in 1948, it has been Relations with Pakistan
trying to overcome its regional isolation and enhance –convergence
diplomatic relations with as many countries as
possible. • It is argued that Pakistan’s national interests would
• Apart from Turkey (1949), Egypt (1979) and better be served by having ties with Israel, particularly
Jordan (1994), none of the states in the region have since Israel carries weight in Washington and could
recognised Israel. mediate on recurring U.S.-Pakistan tensions.
• OIC routinely pillories Israel for its “occupation” • Concerns regarding Iran were also cited as a point of
of Palestinian lands. Recently OIC called to convene convergence.
an emergency session to discuss Israeli Prime • Iran is recognised as a potent threat by Israel and the
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks that, if Shia-Sunni divide in Pakistan is frequently a point of
re-elected, he would definitely annex the Jordan friction between Iran and Pakistan.
Valley in the West Bank and the northern Dead Sea.
• Still, Israel has been successful in gradually Limitations of the
expanding its diplomatic profile beyond its immediate relationship
neighborhood.
• Pakistan is considered the “sword-arm” of the Sunni
• Israel has established diplomatic relations with a
world.
large majority of the 193 UN member states.
• It has invested considerably in the security of the Arab
monarchies, including in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
India-Israel ties
STUDY IQ Page 56
• Pakistani military units have been stationed in

Additional Info
these countries to promote internal stability.
• Pakistan has used the platform provided by the https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/israel-paki-
OIC to increase support for its stand on Kashmir, just stan-ties-a-bridge-too-far/article29433453.ece
as the OIC has done for the Palestinian issue.
• If Pakistan were to establish diplomatic ties with Mains Question
Israel, it would dilute its Islamic credentials and lead
to a weakened support base within the OIC on What type of relationship does India shares with Israel?
Kashmir.
• The regime in Pakistan would also face the heat
from its many domestic conservative Islamist groups.
• Israel cannot expect Pakistan to be used against
Iran and escalate sectarian conflict as more than 20%
of its population is Shia.
• Pakistan is unlikely to take any steps that could
rock its relations with Iran. In 2015, Pakistan’s (Scan the QR code to watch video)
Parliament had turned down Riyadh’s request to join a

Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen to fight the
Houthi rebels supported by Iran.
India Israel ties
• Economic Engagement
• Defense collaboration
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship Culture
• Agricultural Partnership and Water Conservation
• Medical and Pharma sector cooperation
• Academia-Industry- government Connect
• Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence Sharing
• Military and Strategic Ties
• Space Collaboration
Way Forward
• Investments to boost tourism, education and
cultural ties and building bridges with the Indian
diaspora in Israel can help significantly in this context.
• Taking cues of Israel’s industry-academia
ecosystem, its innovation and start up culture and the
state of art cutting edge technology across sectors;
India can build mutual collaborations for present and
future development.
• Tapping each other’s potential should be the
imperative in the new “Strategic Partnership” to truly
make “India-Israel is a match made in heaven”
Conclusion
• It is not in Israel’s interest to seek diplomatic ties
with a state that sponsors terrorism. The idea of
diplomatic ties between Israel and Pakistan remains,
for now, seems a pie in the sky.
STUDY IQ Page 57
Relevance
World || West Asia
Title
Israeli PM Netanyahu's plan to annex Jordan
"If I receive from you, citizens of Israel, a clear mandate to

Why in news? do so... today I announce my intention to apply with the
"If I receive from you, citizens of Israel, a clear formation of the next government Israeli sovereignty over
mandate to do so... today I announce my intention to the Jordan Valley and northern DeadSea.” “If I am elected I
apply with the formation of the next government commit to annex the Jordan Valley. It is our eastern
Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and border, our defense wall,”Annouced by Israel President
northern DeadSea.” “If I am elected I commit to Benjamin Netanyahu.
annex the Jordan Valley. It is our eastern border, our

defense wall,”Annouced by Israel President Benja-
min Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
• "Bibi" has been the Prime Minister of Israel since
2009.
• Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud Party.
• He is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israeli • The 2,400-square kilometre Jordan Valley, which
history. Palestinians seek for the eastern perimeter of a state in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip, stretches from the Dead Sea in
the south to the Israeli city of Beit Shean in the north.
• The Jordan Valley accounts for about one-third of the
West Bank
• Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 but
stopped short of annexation
(65,000 Palestinians, 11,000 Israelis)
STUDY IQ Page 58
Existing Israeli settlements

• The Oslo II Accord divided the Israeli-occupied
West Bank into three administrative divisions
• The distinct areas were given different statuses,
according to their governance pending a final status
accord
1. Area A - exclusively administered by the
Palestinian Authority
2. Area B - administered by both the Palestinian Mains Question
Authority and Israel
3. Area C - which contains the Israeli settlements, is "If I receive from you, citizens of Israel, a clear mandate to
administered by Israel. do so... today I announce my intention to apply with the
formation of the next government Israeli sovereignty over
Israeli Elections the Jordan Valley and northern DeadSea.” “If I am elected I
• This is the second election in less than six months commit to annex the Jordan Valley. It is our eastern
and opinion polls suggest a close vote similar to the border, our defense wall,”
one in April 2019, after which no workable coalition
Why is the announcement significant despite seeming like
could be formed.
political rhetoric?
• Likud and Blue and White both won 35 of the
Knesset's 120 seats.
Why Annex?
• Strategic Reasons.
• Israel has faced invasions from Jordan before
• An IDF military presence in the Jordan Valley is
arguably vital to protecting Israel from another
hypothetical invasion in the future.
Blow to 2 state solution

• Annexing Jordan valley would mean seizing land
that’s vital to any future Palestinian state’s
success — effectively dismantling the peace process.
Election rhetoric?
• The polling for the September 17 election is
ambiguous.
• The leading opposition party, centrist Blue and
White, is polling ever so slightly ahead of
Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud, but neither party is
projected to come close to a parliamentary majority.
• Whoever comes out ahead will depend on a
coalition agreement with a group of smaller parties,
and it’s not at all clear what the most likely coalition
will be come next week.
• It’s possible Netanyahu is out of a job or stuck with
some kind of coalition that won’t let him pursue
annexation.
STUDY IQ Page 59
• In the Ladakhi language, Pangong means extensive

concavity, and Tso is lake in Tibetan.
• Pangong Tso is a long narrow, deep, endorheic
(landlocked) lake situated at a height of more than 14,000
ft in the Ladakh Himalayas.
• The western end of Pangong Tso lies 54 km to the
southeast of Leh.
• The 135 km-long lake sprawls over 604 sq km in the
shape of a boomerang, and is 6 km wide at its broadest
point.
Relevance • The brackish water lake freezes over in winter, and
becomes ideal for ice skating and polo.
GS2 || International relations || India and its • The legendary 19th century Dogra general Zorawar
Neighbours || China Singh is said to have trained his soldiers and horses on the
frozen Pangong lake before invading Tibet.
Title
Chinese soldier in Pangong Tso lake The 2017 incident
Why in news? • On August 19, 2017, a video was posted online that
appeared to be visual confirmation of reports of an alleged
• Indian and Chinese soldiers had a heated scuffle that had taken place a few days earlier between
exchange in Ladakh near the Pangong Tso Lake few Indian and Chinese soldiers on the banks of Pangong lake.
days back. However, the issue has now been • The video showed the two sides kicking and punching,
resolved, the report said. throwing stones, using sticks and rods against each other.
• Differing perceptions of where exactly the LAC • In the normal course, the two patrols, after coming face
lies has often been the reason for such incidents. to face, would have been expected to engage in what is
called a “banner drill”, displaying a banner asking the other
side to vacate its territory.
• Such a drill might last a few minutes to an hour — but
barring some occasional jostling, the two sides would
disengage quietly.
Strategic significance of the

lake
India’s Reaction After • The LAC cuts through the lake, but India and China do
not agree on its exact location.
The Fact - Off
• As things stand, a 45 km-long western portion of the
• Indian Army carried out a rare integrated military lake is in Indian control, while the rest is under China’s
exercise combining its various wings in eastern control.
Ladakh bordering China, days after a face-off • Most of the clashes between the two armies occur in the
between the Indian and Chinese troops in the region. disputed portion of the lake.By itself, the lake does not have
• The war games included tanks, infantry soldiers, major tactical significance.
paratroopers jumping from helicopters and • But it lies in the path of the Chushul approach, one of
mechanised infantry as a part of readiness exercise to the main approaches that China can use for an offensive
test the army’s capabilities against China. into Indian-held territory.
• Indian assessments show that a major Chinese
About Pangong Tso offensive, if it comes, will flow across both the north and
south of the lake.
Why Chinese aggression?

• On the water, the Chinese had a major advantage until
a few years ago, but India purchased better boats some
seven years ago, leading to a quicker and more aggressive
response.
STUDY IQ Page 60
• Although there are well-established drills for

disengagement of patrol boats of both sides, the
confrontations on the waters have led to tense
situations in the past few years.
• The induction of high-speed boats has ostensibly
provoked the Chinese, who have responded by
increasing the number of transgressions in this area in
recent years.
STUDY IQ Page 61
How can the prime minister

‘shut down’ Parliament?
• MPs do not vote to prorogue - it's a power that rests
with the Queen, done on the advice of the prime minister.
• So, it is within Boris Johnson's right to ask the Queen to
shut Parliament, dramatically reducing the influence of
MPs.
• Even though the Queen agreed to the request, legal
proceedings have been brought against the government,
which will be decided by the Supreme Court.
Relevance
• The State Opening of Parliament will take place on
GS2 || International relations || India & Rest of the Monday 14 October 2019.
World || Europe • The State Opening of Parliament marks the formal start
of the parliamentary year and the Queen's Speech sets out
Title the government’s agenda for the coming session, outlining
Boris Johnson dissolves British Parliament. proposed policies and legislation.
Why in news? When is British Parliament

DISSOLVED?
Boris Johnson , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
and Leader of the Conservative Party since July 2019 • The Parliament of the United Kingdom is dissolved 25
dissolves British Parliament. working days before a polling day as determined by the
Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011.
• Importantly, the Act does not affect the sovereign's
power to prorogue Parliament, under the "Supplementary
provisions" of the Act.
Why take this drastic step?

Image of Britain Parliament(above)
• While prorogation is normal, the timing of it in this case
End of the 2017-19 is controversial.
Parliament ? • This will reduce the influence of the elected Parliament
in a major decision(Brexit deal)
• The 2017-19 Parliamentary session has been
• It could also make planning for the possibility of no-deal
brought to aclose with a 'prorogation' announcement
Brexit harder.
on Monday 9 September 2019.
• A no-deal Brexit is the withdrawal of the United
• The House of Commons and the House of Lords
Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) without a
will next sit for the State Opening of Parliament on 14
withdrawal agreement.
October 2019.
• Under article 50 of the Treaty on EU, the Treaties of the
European Union cease to apply once a withdrawal
What is prorogation?
agreement is ratified or two years have passed since a
• Prorogation marks the formal end of the Parlia- member state has indicated its will to leave.
mentary session. It usually takes the form of an • The two year period can be extended by unanimous
announcement, read on behalf of the Queen, in the consent of all member states, including the one wishing to
House of Lords chamber. leave.
• It is normally done once a year, often between a
yearly session in late April or early May. It is different
from the dissolution of Parliament, which is done
before a general election.
• In Britain, prorogation brings to an end all bills or
any other business pending before the House.
STUDY IQ Page 62
Mains Question
Boris Johnson dissolves British Parliament, How it will
impact Brexit process?

STUDY IQ Page 63
(Click on the above image to watch the video) How Investments Will
Relevance Be Made
GS2 || International relations || || India & it's

• The central pillar of the new deal is that China will
Neighbours || China
invest $280 billion developing Iran's oil, gas and
Title petrochemicals sectors.

• Another $120 billion will go into upgrading Iran's
China to invest 400 billion dollar in Iran and impact on
transport and manufacturing infrastructure, bringing it
India
more in line with Chinese specifications and operations.
Why in news? Chinese Military Will Enter Iran

Iran and China have updated a 25-year deal signed
• The most outlandish part of the new agreement is that
first in 2016 that foresees $400 billion of Chinese
it will allow "up to 5,000 Chinese security personnel on
investment in the resource-rich Middle Eastern
the ground in Iran to protect Chinese projects.”
nation, well-regarded energy industry publication
• Iran’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General
the Petroleum Economist reports.
Hossein Baqeri, went to China recently to hold talks with
his Chinese counterpart, Li Zuocheng, on “reinforcing
military relations and developing cooperation.”
Major Shift For Iran
• Allowing China such a significant stake in Iran’s

economic and military structures is unprecedented since
the Revolution of 1979 when Iran warded off
international interference with the motto “Neither East,
Nor West”.
• It arguably challenges the Islamic Republic’s
Constitution, which foresees “complete rejection of
colonial penetration and influence of foreigners.”
China’s Interests In Iran
• As a senior Chinese official put it recently, China But This Policy Change Brings
and Iran are “comprehensive strategic partners” Benefits To Iran
when it comes to energy.
• With over a 50 percent drop in oil and gas income due
• China recently agreed to invest some $400 billion
to US sanctions, China’s 25-year deal brings Iran several
in Iran’s oil and gas, petrochemicals, transport and
benefits.
energy-related manufacturing sectors over the next
• Firstly, it allows Iran to expedite increases in oil and gas
25 years.
production from three of its key fields, notably the giant
• This adds substance to the much reported
South Pars gas field.
China–Iranian investment deals signed in 2016. Now
• Secondly, China has reportedly agreed to continue to
we know what is at stake for Chinese money there.
import Iran’s oil and pay in “soft” currencies, including
those of African and Central Asian states to avoid dollars.
STUDY IQ Page 64
Impact On India
• The US sanctions notwithstanding, New Delhi
cannot afford to further upset its relationship with
Tehran.
• Beijing’s US$280 billion deal provides Iran with a
powerful ally, since both countries have a common
adversary, which can only draw them closer together.
• The China-Iran relationship could, therefore, see
India sidelined.
• Iran China deal will have immediate impact on the
Chabahar port investments
STUDY IQ
Page 65
Demography
• PoK has a population of over 40 lakh, according to a
(Click on the above image to watch the video) census carried out in 2017.
• It is divided into 10 districts: Neelum, Muzaffarabad,
Relevance Hattian Bala, Bagh, and Haveli bordering areas in Kashmir,
GS2 || International relations || || India & it's and Rawlakot, Kotli, Mirpur, and Bhimber bordering areas
Neighbours || Pakistan in Jammu.

• The capital of PoK is Muzaffarabad, a town located in
Title the valley of the Jhelum river and its tributary Neelum
PoK and Gilgit Baltistan, parts of J&K under Pak (which Indians call Kishanganga) to the west and slightly
north of Srinagar.
occupation
Why in news? And what is Gilgit Baltistan?

• This is a picturesque, hilly region to the north of PoK
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said this week
and east of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
that “we expect one day we will have physical
• The British sold it, along with the rest of Jammu and
jurisdiction” over Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Kashmir, to the Dogra ruler of Jammu, Gulab Singh, after
defeating the Sikh army in 1846.
Supporting regulation
• However they retained controlled over the area through
• A resolution unanimously adopted by Parliament a lease extracted from the Maharaja. This lease was last
on February 22, 1994 affirmed that “the State of renewed in 1935.
Jammu & Kashmir has been, is and shall be an integral • In 1947, a British army officer of the rank of Colonel
part of India. imprisoned Maharaja Hari Singh’s governor in the region,
• It demanded that Pakistan must vacate the areas of and handed over the area for accession to Pakistan.
the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, which they • Gilgit Baltistan (GB) is spread over 72,871 sq km, and is
have occupied through aggression. five-and-a-half times the size of PoK. But it is sparsely
• PoK and GB are both part of the State of Jammu populated, with just under 20 lakh people.
and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India by • GB is divided into three administrative divisions and 10
virtue of its accession to India in 1947. districts.
The PoK What is the administrative

• Pakistan Occupied Kashmir is an area of 13,297 sq
status in GB?
km, which was under the control of the Pakistani • Though both PoK and GB are ruled directly from
forces when the ceasefire line came into effect on Islamabad, neither is officially listed as the territory of
January 1, 1949. Pakistan.
• That was after a 14-month period of hostilities • Pak has just four provinces: Punjab, Khyber
between India and Pakistan, which began with an Pakhtunkhwa (which now includes the Federally Adminis-
invasion of Kashmir by Pashtun tribesmen, and later tered Tribal areas or FATA), Balochistan, and Sindh.
its Army, to seize Kashmir. • PoK and GB are both “autonomous territories”.
• In 1963, through an agreement, Pakistan ceded to • Pakistan has kept this fiction going, as incorporating
China over 5,000 sq km of J&K land under its control, these areas into its map would damage its international
in the Shaksgam area, in northern Kashmir, beyond position in the UN and elsewhere that the entire Jammu
the Karakoram. and Kashmir is “disputed”.
Pakistan, in 2017, proposed to declare the strategic
Gilgit-Baltistan region as its fifth Province, a move that may
raise concerns in India as it borders the disputed
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
STUDY IQ
Page 66

Importance of
GB-Gilgit Baltistan
• GB is one of the two parts of Pakistan Occupied
Kashmir (PoK).
• The other one is “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” (AJK)
and both formed part of the territory of the erstwhile
princely state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Is integration of PoK
with of India a
permanent solution?
• If a move is made to occupy the disputed land, the
flames of terror in the neighbourhood will not only
engulf PoK, but we may lose our side of Kashmir as
well.
• When we see the issue in its perspective on
economic, social, political or technical lines, it
becomes more and more clear that the Kashmir issue
will not be resolved even if we secure PoK.
• Our focus should be on our side of Kashmir only
and the well-being of its people.
Additional Info
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/ex-
plained-pok-gil-
git-baltistan-parts-of-jammu-kashmir-under-pak-occ
upation-explained-6010351/
Mains Question
What is Importance of Gilgit Baltistan?
STUDY IQ
Page 67
ECONOMY
India's GDP growth slips to 6 year • A combination of various factors has hurt automobile
low of 5% sales in India and an immediate government intervention
in the form of GST rate cut can help bring back growth to
the industry, according to Hyundai Motor India Managing
Director and Chief Executive Officer S S Kim.
• In terms of car penetration, India stands at 22 per
1,000 people as compared to 160 in China, 600 in South
Korea and almost 800 in the US.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • Automobile sales in India witnessed its sharpest decline
in nearly 19 years in July, dropping 18.71 percent,
Relevance rendering almost 15,000 workers jobless over the past
two-three months.
GS3 || Economy || Structure of Indian economy ||
• Need to increase rural income through various
Economic Slowdown
measures.
Title
India's GDP growth slips to 6 year low of 5%
Why in news?
Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5% in the first
quarter of FY20, data released by the government
showed, marking the slowest growth since the fourth
quarter of FY13.

Concerns associated with that

• This is the second consecutive quarter where
India has fallen behind China.
• Comparatively, China, which is a much larger
economy than India, had recorded a GDP growth of 6.2
per cent during the April-June period, slightly lower
than 6.4 per cent record in the previous quarter.
• With the subsequent decline in GDP growth, India
has fallen further behind its neighbour in terms of
economic growth.
Why is this happening in india?
• India’s domestic consumption slowdown

• People are not consuming enough.
• India’s exports have not risen substantially to
compensate for it.
• Trade war between USA and China
• Global slowdown is also a factor.
Solutions
STUDY IQ
Page 68
• According to the United Nations Population Fund

(UNFP), it means the economic growth potential resulting
from shifts in a population’s age structure, mainly when the
share of the working-age population (15-64) is larger than
the share of non-working age population(14 and younger
and 65 and older.
Causes
• Poor Training and Talent Shortage
(Click on the above image to watch the video) Only 7% of the people surveyed in the framework of the
PLFS declared any formal or informal training. So, it may
Relevance possibly be understood that this all-encompassing
GS3 || Economy || Structure of Indian economy || joblessness is due to the poor training of the youth.
Employment Programs & Entrepreneurship However, this does not explain the whole picture.
According to a recent survey, 48% of Indian employers
Title
reported difficulties filling job vacancies due to talent
Employment scenario of India, Skill India Mission
shortage. The demand of the industry and supply of the
success or failure
labour force is different.
Why is the issue? • Worst Affected - IT Sector

The worst affected sector has been Information
India’s present demographic scenario calls for increased
focus on skill development as demography brings a Technology (IT) which is also one of the strong points of
dividend only if the youth is trained properly. India’s economy.

In the IT sector, 1,40,000 skilled techies could not be
India’s current employment recruited in 2018 despite the employers’ efforts; 5,00,000
scenario job offers had been made that year.
Indeed, the CMIE reports show that the more educated
• Eight million new job seekers
Indians are, the more likely they are to remain
A minimum of 8 million new job seekers enters the jobs
unemployed too.
market every year means there is an increased supply of
The last PLFS for 2018 revealed that 33% of the
new job seekers.
formally trained 15-29-year-olds were jobless.
In 2017, only 5.5 million had been created, and the
situation is worsening. Government’s skilling plan
• Unemployment Rate
The unemployment rate is the highest in 45 years now. • Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
The Indian youth has been affected the most, with the set up in 2014
unemployment rate reaching 34% among the To harmonise training processes, assessments,
20-24-year-olds in the first quarter of 2019, close to 38% certification and outcomes
To develop Industrial Training Institutions (ITIs), the
among the urban lot, according to the CMIE (Centre for
building blocks of skill development
Monitoring Indian Economy).
• Skill India Programme
According to the last 2018 Periodic Labour Force
The government assumed that the above problem was
Survey (PLFS), the unemployment rate among the urban
because the trained youth were not well-trained enough.
15-29-year-olds was 23.7%.
Hence came the “Skill India” programme, to train a
minimum of 300 million skilled people by the year 2022.
Demographic Dividend
The government assumed that the above problem was
Meaning because the trained youth were not well-trained enough.
Hence came the “Skill India” programme, to train a
• Demographic dividend is a phenomenon which occurs
minimum of 300 million skilled people by the year 2022.
when the proportion of the working population out of the
• PMKVY
total population is high.
One of the most innovative dimensions of Skill India was
the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
STUDY IQ Page 69
Under this, the training fee is being paid by the • Quality of the Training
government. The training is not good enough, and this is primarily why
The PMKVY’s budget is approximately Rs 12,000 the employability rate remains very low.
crore for 4 years (2016-2020). • Self Employment creation low
Its main tool is “short-term training”, which could the government expect that some of the
last between 150 and 300 hours. PMKVY-trainees would create their own enterprise.
It included some placement assistance by Training But only 24% of the 6,15,000 mentioned above started
Partners upon successful completion of their their business. Out of these, only 10,000 applied for
assessment by the candidates. MUDRA loans.
• Vocational Training • Decline in Investment
More courses and institutes of vocational training India’s joblessness issue is not only a skills problem.
have been created. It is also representative of the lack of appetite of
Besides this, the main innovation of “Skill India” industrialists and SMEs for recruiting.
consisted of integrating “vocational training classes The decline of the investment rate is a clear indication
linked to the local economy.” that the demand is weak.
This came with formal education from class nine
onwards in at least 25% of the schools and in higher Way Forward
education bodies.
• Skill India may not be enough to create jobs if the
• PPP economic slowdown continues, which needs to be
A very important aspect of Skill India is its PPP addressed.
(Public-Private Partnership) character. • In the long run, government expenditures in education
Companies were requested to earmark 2% of their should also substantially increase, to prepare the ground
payroll bill (including for contract labour) for skill for proper skill training. (Centre should make law to
development initiatives. allocate 6% of GDP to education).
In parallel, the ITIs were supposed to tie up with • Entrepreneurs generate employment for many;
industry in the relevant trades to improve placement therefore the government needs to encourage
opportunities for candidates. entrepreneurship among the youth.(Startup India, Standup
India).
Effectiveness of the
measures taken Additional References
• Lesser number of Candidates
• https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/unem-
Against the target of reaching out to 300 million
ploy-
young people by 2022, only a mere 25 million had
ment-rate-at-45-year-high-confirms-labour-ministry-data/
been trained under Skill India by the end of 2018.
article27379174.ece
• Fund Mismanagement
• https://www.livemint.com/politics/poli-
It was partly due to mismanagement and partly due
cy/a-third-of-skilled-youth-in-india-jobless-official-survey-
to the fact that funds available were either not spent
1565161972818.html
sufficiently quickly or too little was spent. Notably, in
• https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/col-
2018, only 16% of the youth who had received formal
umns/the-prob-
training was funded by the government.
lem-of-skilling-india-unemployment-joblessness-modi-gov
• Jobs ernment-5973808/
The real problem is that those who have been
trained do not find jobs.
The number of those who have benefited from the
Skill India scheme has increased, from 3,50,000 in
2016-17 to 1.6 million in 2017-18. but, the percentage
of those who could find a job upon completion of their
training has dropped from more than 50% to 30%.
Under PMKVY, 4.13 million people had been
trained, but only 6,15,000 (15%) of them got a job.
Flaws in the Approach
STUDY IQ
Page 70
• SEBI functions as the regulator for the secondary market.
Key Suggestions by
the Committee
• Self Regulatory body
It suggested creating a self-regulatory body (SRB) to
manage the secondary market.
This would develop appropriate benchmark rates for
(Click on the above image to watch the video) secondary market purchase and sale of corporate loans.
The SRB is expected to also finalize detailed modalities
Relevance and formulate guidelines.
It would -
GS3 || Economy || Banking & Financial Sector || • Standardize the paperwork associated with loans,
Money Market making them easier to trade
• Maintain the standards and examine documentation
Title • Maintain a central registry, and so on
Manoharan Committee Report on Corporate Loans • Existing Requirements to be Changed

Aside from the creation of this quasi-regulator, the
Why in news? committee also suggested that existing requirements be
changed.
The 6- member task force set up by the RBI to It said the secondary market for corporate loans,
examine the possibilities of a secondary market for currently dominated by banks, be thrown open to mutual
corporate loans headed by Canara Bank Chairman TN funds, pension funds, and insurance companies.
Manoharan submitted its report to RBI recently. • Long term loans
To start with, it was recommended that long term loans
Corporate sector and be prioritized for sale in the secondary market.
corporate loans Subsequently, depending upon the experience gained,
other categories of loans like revolving credit facilities
• Those firms/ companies that are in the private sector
should follow suit.
are called the corporate sector and loan took by the
These include cash credit, credit card receivables,
private corporate firm/company it is called a corporate
assets with bullet repayment standardize and non-fund
loan.
based facilities.
• The amount involved is very high as they borrow the
money from the market and financial institutions to Committee’s Rationale
undertake their operations. The loan taken is for along
period of time. • No Formal Mechanism
• The sources of finances for the corporate sector are The secondary loan market in India is largely restricted
mostly financial institutions like banks and financial to sale to Asset Reconstruction Companies and ad-hoc
institutions sales to other lenders, including banks.
Notably, no formalized mechanism has been developed
Meaning of a Secondary to deepen the market.
Market • Widen the spectrum of Participants
Banks and NBFCs are currently the only participants in
• When a company issues its shares/securities for the the primary and secondary loan markets.
first time, it does it in the primary market. So, the taskforce felt that it was essential to widen the
• After the IPO (Initial Public Offering), those spectrum of participants to boost the secondary market.
securities get available for trade in the secondary market.
• Liquidity
• A secondary market is thus a marketplace were
Greater innovation and regulatory cohesion are
already-issued securities (both shares and debt) can
needed across the board for debt and loan markets.
be bought and sold by the investors.
This must be the priority for growing long-term finance
• It is a market where investors buy securities from
and better pricing of debt.
other investors, and not from the issuing company.
This is crucial to avoid investment crises such as those
• Equity shares, bonds, preference shares, treasury
India is enduring.
bills, debentures, etc. are some of the key products
available in a secondary market.
STUDY IQ Page 71
Additional Information
about RBI
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Founded: 1 April 1935
• Governor:Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy Governors: 4 (BP Kanungo, Mahesh Kumar
Jain, N S Vishwanathan & the 4th is yet to be
appointed).
References
• https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/mon-
ey-and-banking/r-
bi-taskforce-calls-for-participation-of-non-banks-to-d
evelop-secondary-market-for-corporate-loans/article
29324685.ece#
• https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressRelease-
Display.aspx?prid=47155
STUDY IQ
Page 72
• 4 of these, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha and • Microfinance institutions (MFI) monitoring and
Bihar, also figure among the top 5 additional regulation: With the help of MUDRA bank, the network of
employment creators, generating 40% jobs. microfinance institutions will be monitored. New
registration will also be done.
• Promote financial inclusion: With the aim to reach Last
mile credit delivery to micro-businesses taking the help of
technology solutions, it further adds to the vision of
financial inclusion.
• Reduce jobless economic growth: Providing
(Click on the above image to watch the video) micro-enterprises with credit facility will help generate
employment sources and an overall increase in GDP.
Relevance • Integration of Informal economy into the Formal
GS3 || Economy || Structure of the Indian Economy || sector: It will help India also grow its tax base as incomes
Employment Programs & Entrepreneurship from the informal sector are non-taxed.
Title
Survey On Mudra Scheme
Why in news?
• Recently, PMMY Survey has been conducted by the
Labour Bureau under the Ministry of Labour and
Employment.
• The survey was conducted between April-November
2018 of 97,000 beneficiaries.
• It takes into account, the loans disbursed during
April 2015-December 2017 (33 months). Findings of the report
• A total of Rs 5.71 lakh crore in loans was sanctioned —
Highlights of MUDRA Scheme
through 12.27 crore loan accounts.
• The average size of a loan was Rs 46,536.
• Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) Launched in
• Shishu loans (up to Rs 50,000) account for 42%.
April 2015 is a scheme to provide loans up to Rs. 10
• Kishor (Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh) account for 34%.
lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small/micro-enterprises.
• Tarun loans (Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh) constituted 24%.
• MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance
• Overall 1.12 crore additional jobs were created during
Agency) provides loans through various financial
those 33 months period.
institutions.
• This means, the loan extended for every additional job
• The loans are offered under the Mudra scheme by
created works out to Rs 5.1 lakh.
Private Banks, NBFCs, MFIs, PSBs, RRBs, Co-operative
Banks and Foreign Banks.
• The scheme has three categories under which
Sector-wise additional job
loans are disbursed:
creation under MUDRA
Shishu – For loan amount up to Rs. 50,000.
• Services: 34.34 %
Kishor –For loan amount from Rs. 50,001- Rs 5 lakh.
• Trading: 33.23%
Tarun – For loan amount of more than 5 lakhs
• Allied agriculture: 20.33%
and up to Rs 10 lakh.
• Manufacturing: 11.7 %
• The categories signify the stage of growth/
development and funding needs of the beneficiary
State-wise report on Jobs
microunit/ entrepreneur and also provide a reference
point for the next phase of growth.
• Just 5 states, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha,
Bihar, and West Bengal, account for about 70% of
Objectives of the scheme
total loans disbursed — by value.
• Fund the unfunded: Those who have a business • 4 of these, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha and
plan to generate income from a non-farm activity like Bihar, also figure among the top 5 additional
manufacturing, processing, trading or service sector employment creators, generating 40% jobs.
but don’t have enough capital to invest can take loans
up to Rs 10 lakh.
STUDY IQ Page 73
• Although Maharashtra could garner just 4% of

total loans but generated the maximum additional jobs Additional references
of 15%.
• UP with a meager 2.7% share in loans generated • https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karna-
5.1% of jobs. taka/what-is-prad-
• Kerala with a 2.9% share in loans generated 5.2% han-mantri-mudra-yojana/article7736361.ece
extra jobs. • https://www.thehindu.com/business/Econo-
• On the contrary, states which are traditionally my/why-do-mudra-loans-have-credit-risks/article2501638
industrial powerhouse generated lesser jobs. 8.ece
• Gujarat, with a 4.5% share in total loan • https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx-
disbursements, generated just 5% of the total 1.12 ?relid=187913
crore additional employments. • https://www.business-standard.com/article/econo-
• Tamil Nadu, which received the created only 8.1% my-policy/r-
of extra jobs.lion’s share — 20.2% — of loans bi-blames-banks-for-mudra-loan-defaults-bankers-say-can
disbursed. -t-help-119072100710_1.html
Concerns
• The rising NPAs under the scheme is a matter of
concern. It is already three years and there is a need to
review how the banks are sanctioning the loans.
The RBI has already flagged its concerns regarding the
bad loans to the government.
• In order to push the scheme, there had been an (Scan the QR code to watch video)
overemphasis on banks to meet loan disbursal targets.

In the race to meet the target, the credentials of
loan-seekers were not being properly verified and in
many instances, loans were being given without any
collateral or security, making it difficult for the banks
to go after defaulters.

Way forward/Conclusion
• There is no doubt that when the bank credit was
squeezed, the Mudra Scheme came to the rescue of
Micro, and small entrepreneurs, whose credit
demands were less than Rs 10 lakh and they got the
loans without collateral, supported them to expand
their existing businesses. But at the same time, there
is a growing concern raised by RBI about the spike of
NPAs under the government flagship scheme. So
taking the NPA crises in kind the Mudra scheme
needs to be revamped.
STUDY IQ Page 74
• Special window to provide last-mile funding for stalled

housing projects.
• Who can avail special window: Non-NPA
(Non-Performing Assets) and non-NCLT (National Company
Law Tribunal) projects and worth positive in the affordable
and middle-income category.
• Funding: The government may contribute to the
Rs 10,000 crore fund for the special window. The rest of the
funds will be from the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and
other institutions and private capital from banks, sovereign
funds, etc.
Relevance • External commercial borrowing (ECB) guidelines will be
relaxed to facilitate financing of home buyers who are
GS3 || Economy || Infrastructure || Export and Housing
eligible under the PMAY, in consultation with RBI.
Title • According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs,

the definition of affordable housing is categorized into three
Finance Minister unveils Third Economic booster-
parts, as per the minimum area of habitation.
Package to Boost Exports and Revive Housing Sector
For the Economically Weaker Section, affordable
housing is defined with an area of habitation between
Why in news? 300-500 sq ft. The Lower Income Groups have a minimum
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently \area of 500-600 sq ft, while Middle Income Groups are
presented the third round of stimulus measures to allotted between 600-1,200 sq.
revive the struggling economy. The new package aims
Way ahead
to boost exports and revive the housing sector.
• The decisions follow two previous mega • Without establishing any significant stockpile side
announcements to encourage and energize private changes like land and labor reforms that can raise potential
sector investment and to bring further stability into the development, it is difficult to perceive how more prominent
banking system through several public sector bank spending can raise growth for long.
mergers. • The government may accept that the present log jam, set
apart by five successive quarters of dropping development,
Key measures to boost export is just a cyclical one.
• But given the size of its triumph in two consecutive
• India will also now host annual mega shopping elections, the administration should point higher by
festivals in 4 places. attempting to push through long-pending structural changes
• A new attractive scheme for remission of duties or that can raise India's growth trajectory to the next level.
taxes on export product (RoDTEP) to replace the
existing Merchandise Exports from India Scheme
References
(MEIS) from January 1 next year.
• Revised priority sector lending (PSL) norms fo https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-busi-
export credit (after extensive discussion with RBI) – ness/government-unveils-3rd-eco-booster-focuses-on-hou
This’ll release an additional Rs 36,000 crore - sing-exports/articleshow/71131645.cms
Rs 68,000 crore as export credit under the priority https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets/ex-
sector. perts-in-
• Mass enrolment of artisans across India with the dia-inc-appreciate-efforts-made-by-govt-to-boost-exports-
help of the Ministry of Textiles. revive-housing-sector-4436531.html
• Affordable testing and certification infrastructure https://www.thehindu.com/business/government-announc-
– To be expanded and developed in PPP mode to enable es-rs-50000-crore-export-incentive-scheme/article29417
exporters to get all internationally. 295.ece
• Enable the handicrafts industry to effectively
harness e-commerce for exports - For facilitating and
onboarding handicrafts artisans and cooperatives
directly on an e-commerce portal and enable seamless
exports.
Key measures to boost

the housing sector (Scan the QR code to watch video)
STUDY IQ Page 75
• At present, interest rates on loans are linked to a bank’s

marginal cost of fund-based interest rate, known as the
Marginal Cost of Lending Rate (MCLR), MCLR is calculated
based on banks’ internal factors such as cost of funds.
• These internal factors are insensitive to changes in the
policy interest rate or repo rate. Also, the effect of change
in repo by RBI is not fully translated to the public.
• Existing loans and credit limits linked to the MCLR, base
rate or Benchmark Prime Lending Rate, would continue till
(Click on the above image to watch the video) repayment or renewal.
• Arbitrariness in calculating the MCLR and spreads
Relevance charged over them has thus undermined the integrity of the
GS3 || Economy || Banking & Financial Sector || RBI interest rate-setting process.
Title Why the need for a new method

Linking Loan Rate with Repo Rate- Good or bad for
• For faster transmission: Since February, RBI cut its
borrowers and banks
policy rate by 110 basis points (100 bps=1 percentage
Why in news? point),
The Reserve Bank of India has made it mandatory including the higher-than-expected reduction of 35 bps in
for all banks to link all new floating rate loans (i.e. its August policy review.
personal/retail loans, loans to MSMEs) to an external • However, banks have not been so generous. Until August,
benchmark with effect from 1st October 2019. they had only passed on 29 bps in rate cuts to borrowers,
The move is aimed at faster transmission of monetary which the RBI thought was unfair.
policy rates. • Hence, the regulator has now made it compulsory for
banks to link their new floating rate home, auto and MSME
What is the Benchmark? loans to an external benchmark from October 1 so that the
borrowers can enjoy a lower interest rate.
• The study group has cited some 13 possible options
as external benchmarks for determining interest rates.
Repo-linked deposit and
• The group has shortlisted 3 among these, one of lending rates – Effect on
which is to be selected by the RBI. Those are- banks and borrowers
• T-Bill rate
• The RBI has been looking at various ways in which banks
Treasury Bills are government bonds or debt
can be made to transmit repo rate cuts to depositors and
securities with maturity of less than a year.
borrowers.
T-Bill Rates are determined by the central bank and
• Earlier SBI linked the interest rate on its savings bank
used as a primary instrument for regulating the money
accounts as well as short-term loans to RBI’s repo rate.
supply and raising funds.
• Curbing inflation or stimulating growth by raising or
• Certificates of Deposit (CD) rate
lowering the cost of money is the key objective of
A certificate of deposit (CD) is a savings certificate
monetary policy.
with a fixed maturity date and specified fixed
• But hikes or reductions in the repo rate by RBI had only
interest rate.
a marginal impact on the economy because of the partial
A CD restricts access to the funds until the maturity
transmission of these cuts by banks.
date of the investment.
• The banks source only about 1% of their funds from
• RBI’s policy repo rate
RBI’s repo window and the bulk from deposits from the
It is the rate at which the RBI lends money to
public.
commercial banks.
• So it becomes difficult for the banks to slash their
A repo rate cut allows banks to reduce interest
lending rates unless their deposit rates moderate.
rates for consumers on loans and lowers EMI on home
• Linking savings account interest rates to the repo rate
loans, car loans, and personal loans.
partly solves this problem.
• It ensures that banks’ cost of funds falls immediately
Current scenario
after every repo rate cut, enabling lending rates to be
pruned.
• Using an external benchmark like the repo rate makes
the process more transparent to retail borrowers and
depositors.
STUDY IQ Page 76
• On the flip side, both savings bank account and

loan rates will swing with the repo rate.
• So both depositors and borrowers will need to
brace for more volatile rates and keep a closer watch
on MPC actions.
• However, Indian banks have currently linked only
a part of their deposits and loans to the repo rate.
• SBI, for instance, applies it only to depositors who
have a balance of over Rs 1 lakh in their savings
accounts.
• This makeup less than 10% of its deposit base.
This is bound to lead to partial transmission.
Conclusion
• Using external benchmarks isexpected to make the
process more transparent to retail borrowers, and
depositors.
• Again,transmission of policy rate changes will
become faster and more transparent with this move.
However, there could be nominal charges that may
have to pay for making the switch.
References
• https://www.businesstoday.in/top-story
what-will-happen-to-your-loan-after-
banks-link-it-to-external-benchmark/story/380795.
html
• https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/mon-
ey-and-banking/r-
bis-external-benchmark-for-loans-the-good-and-
the-bad-for-borrowers/article29340370.ece
STUDY IQ Page 77
• Regulation
Since fisheries is a state subject, fishing in the IW and TS
come within the purview of the states concerned.
Other activities in the TS and activities, including fishing
beyond the TS up to the limit of the EEZ, are in the Union list.
No Central government, up until now, has confined laws
covering the whole EEZ, the Bill endeavors to compensate
for this gap.
The annual fishery potential of the country’s EEZ is
(Click on the above image to watch the video) about 5 million tonnes.
Utilizing it sensibly is a significant need of the
Relevance
administration that was underscored by the development of
GS3 || Economy || Agriculture || Animal Husbandry another fisheries ministery.
• WTO
Title
The Bill is also a response to discussions on fisheries
Marine Fisheries Regulation and management Bill, 2019 endowments at the WTO since the Doha Round of 2001.
Developed countries contend that nations without
Why in news?
laws to oversee fisheries in their particular EEZs are not
• The Marine Fisheries Regulation and Management genuine about unregulated angling.
(MFRM) Bill 2019 is in the public domain for discussion.
Key provisions of the Bill
What is the Bill about?
• Nationalization of EEZ
• India has obligations to frame laws under the United • The Bill prohibits fishing by foreign fishing vessels, thus
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) nationalizing the country’s EEZ.
1982 and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) • Permi
agreements. An Indian fishing vessel keen on fishing in the EEZ, outside
• The Marine Fisheries Regulation and Management the TS, must obtain a permit.
(MFRM) Bill, 2019 is one such piece of legislation. This requirement has been contested by the fishing
industry, particularly small-scale operators.
UNCLOS Bigger vessels, especially trawlers, enlisted and licensed
under state departments, will need a permit to fish.
Under UNCLOS, which India ratified in 1995, the sea This is an invite measure to deal with the angling area.
and resources in the water and the seabed are classified The Bill respects the purview of the coastal states over
into three zones: the TS.
• The Internal waters (IW) • Social Security
IW is on the landward side of the baseline; includes It proposes social security for fish workers and calls for
gulfs and small bays. Coastal states treat IW like land. protection of life at sea during severe weather events.
• The territorial sea (TS)

Extends outwards to 12 nautical miles from the
Concerns
baseline. • Small Scale Fishing
In this, coastal nations enjoy sovereignty over There is a faulty assumption in the bill that only large-
airspace, sea, seabed, and subsoil and all living and scale vessels fish outside the TS.
non-living resources therein In reality, thousands of small-scale fishing crafts regularly
• The Exclusive Economic zone venture into such areas.
Extends outwards to 200 nautical miles from the Their freedom to access fish outside the TS will cease if
baseline. the bill becomes law.
Coastal nations have sovereign rights for A few exemption clauses to safeguard their livelihoods
exploration, exploiting, conserving and managing all should be incorporated in the bill.
the natural resources therein.
• Regional Fishing Agreements
The Bill also lacks congruence with important regional
Objectives of the Bill
fishery agreements.
STUDY IQ Page 78
It seems to be incomplete compared to the

regulations in other coastal nations.
However, it is necessary for the sustainable
future of the marine fishing industry.
Way forward
• Improve cooperative governance/Cooperative (Scan the QR code to watch video)
federalism
Cooperative governance between them over
different territories (IW, TS, and EEZ) is vital to the
sustainable management of marine fisheries.
Hence, ideally, this should now go into the
Concurrent List.

Small-scale fish workers should demand to make the
entire IW and TS completely free of trawling using the
FAO/UN Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines to help their
contentions
This will raise their livelihoods, guarantee an
unfaltering stock to buyers, mend the beachfront
zones and curb the most despicable aspect of
destructive fishing.
Conclusion
• India has been defending the rights of developing
nations for special and differential treatment.
Developed countries contend that nations without
laws to manage fisheries in their respective EEZs are
not serious about unregulated fishing. The MFRM Bill
is India’s response to such sentiments.
Additional information
about UNCLOS
• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS) also called the Law of the Sea
Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is the
international agreement that resulted from the third
United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS III).
• Adopted and signed on 10 December 1982,
Effective from 16 November 1994.
• It defines the rights and responsibilities of nations
with respect to their use of the world’s oceans,
establishing guidelines for businesses, the
environment, and the management of marine natural
resources.
• The UN has no direct operational role in the
implementation of the Convention.
• India ratified this convention in 1995.
References
• https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/
a-finer-net-marine-fisheries-bill-5949162/
• https://www.iucn.org/theme/marine-and-po-
lar/our-work/international-ocean-governance/unclos
STUDY IQ Page 79
• FMD is found in all excretions and secretions from

infected animals. Notably, these animals breathe out a large
amount of aerosolised virus, which can infect other
animals via the respiratory or oral routes.
• The virus may be present in milk and semen for up to 4
days before the animal shows clinical signs of disease.
Schemes to Control FMD

and Brucellosis
Relevance • Cabinet announced special scheme for control of Foot

and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis.
GS3 || Economy || Agriculture || Animal Husbandry
• The entire cost of the scheme is to be borne out by the
Title Central Government.
• The scheme includes vaccination coverage to 30 crore
National Animal Disease Control Programme &
bovines, 20 crore sheep or goat, and 10 million pigs.
National Artificial Insemination Programme
• Brucellosis control programme shall extend to cover
Why in news? 100% vaccination coverage of 3.6 crore female calves.
Prime Minister will be launching National Animal Role of Livestock in Indian

Disease Control Programme for Foot and Mouth Economy
Disease and Brucellosis .
• Livestock plays an important role in Indian economy.
National Animal Disease About 20.5 million people depend upon livestock for their
Control Programme livelihood. Livestock contributed 16% to the income of
small farm households as against an average of 14% for all
rural households.
• The programme for Foot and Mouth Disease and
• Livestock provides livelihood to two-third of rural
Brucellosis is a 100% centrally funded programme,
community. It also provides employment to about 8.8 % of
with a total outlay of Rs.12,652 crore from 2019 to
the population in India. India has vast livestock resources.
2024.
Livestock sector contributes 4.11% GDP and 25.6% of total
• It aims to control Foot and Mouth Disease and
Agriculture GDP.
Brucellosis by 2025 with vaccination and eventual
eradication by 2030.
Livestock resources -India is
About FMDs- Foot and • World’s highest livestock owner at about 512.05 million
mouth disease (FMD) • First in the total buffalo population in the world - 105.3
million buffaloes
• Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly • Second in the population of cattle and goats - 140.5
contagious viral disease of livestock that has a million goats
significant economic impact. • Second largest poultry market in the world
• The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats and • Second largest producer of fish and also second largest
other cloven-hoofed ruminants. aquaculture nation in the world
• Intensively reared animals are more susceptible to • Third in the population of sheep (72 millions)
the disease than traditional breeds. • Fifth in in the population of ducks and chicken
• The disease is rarely fatal in adult animals, but • Tenth in camel population in the world.
there is often high mortality in young animals due to Source : 19th Livestock Census
myocarditis or, when the dam is infected by the
disease, lack of milk. Contribution of livestock
• FMD is characterised by fever and blister-like to people
sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the
• Food: The livestock provides food items such as Milk,
teats and between the hooves.
Meat and Eggs for human consumption. India is number
• The disease causes severe production losses, and
one milk producer in the world. It is producing about
while the majority of affected animals recover, the
176.34 million tones of milk in a year (2017-18). Similarly it
disease often leaves them weakened and debilitated.
is producing about 95.22 billions of eggs, 7.70 million
tonnes of meat in a year.
STUDY IQ Page 80
• Fibre and skins: The livestock also contributes to The landless and less land people depend upon livestock for
the production of wool, hair, hides, and pelts. Leather utilizing their labour during lean agricultural season.
is the most important product which has a very high • Food: The livestock products such as milk, meat and
export potential. India is producing about 41.5 eggs are an important source of animal protein to the
million Kg of wool per annum during 2017-18. members of the livestock owners
• Draft: Bullocks are the back bone of Indian • Social security: The animals offer social security to the
agriculture. Despite lot of advancements in the use of owners in terms of their status in the society.
mechanical power in Indian agricultural operations,
the Indian farmer especially in rural areas still Additional Info
depend upon bullocks for various agricultural
operations. The bullocks are saving a lot on fuel https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/oth-
which is a necessary input for using mechanical power er-states/naren-
like tractors, combine harvesters etc. Pack animals dra-modi-segregates-plastic-waste-alongwith-labourers/ar
like camels, horses, donkeys, ponies, mules etc are ticle29390695.ece
being extensively used to transport goods in https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx-
different parts of the country in addition to bullocks. ?PRID=1584719
In situations like hilly terrains mules and ponies serve http://vikaspedia.in/agriculture/livestock/role-of-live-
as the only alternative to transport goods. Similarly, stock-in-indian-economy
the army has to depend upon these animals to
transport various items in high areas of high altitude. Mains Question
• Dung and other animal waste materials: Dung and
Livestock sector in India has an important role to play in
other animal wastes serve as very good farm yard
enhancing the level of inclusive growth in the country.
manure and the value of it is worth several crores of
Discuss.
rupees. In addition it is also used as fuel (bio gas, dung
cakes), and for construction as poor man’s cement
(dung).
• Storage: Livestock are considered as 'moving
banks' because of their potentiality to dispose off
during emergencies.
• Weed control: Livestock are also used as
Biological control of brush, plants and weeds.
• Cultural: Livestock offer security to the owners
and also add to their self esteem especially when they
are owning prized animals such as pedigreed bulls,
dogs and high yielding cows/ buffaloes etc. (Scan the QR code to watch video)
• Sports / recreation: People also use the animals

like cocks, rams, bulls etc for competition and sports.
Despite ban on these animal competitions the cock
fights, ram fights and bull fights (jalli kattu) are quite
common during festive seasons.
• Companion animals: Dogs are known for their
faithfulness and are being used as companions since
time immemorial.
Role of livestock in
farmers’ economy
• Income: Livestock is a source of subsidiary
income for many families in India especially the
resource poor who maintain few heads of animals.
Cows and buffaloes if in milk will provide regular
income to the livestock farmers through sale of milk.
• Employment: A large number of people in India
being less literate and unskilled depend upon
agriculture for their livelihoods. But agriculture being
seasonal in nature could provide employment for a
maximum of 180 days in a year.
STUDY IQ
Page 81
(Click on the above image to watch the video) Tourism in India

Relevance
GS3 || Economy || Services || Tourism
Title
Tourism competitiveness index 2019
Why in news?
• India has moved up six places to rank 34th on the
World Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index
2019, released by the World Economic Forum.
• The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that

tourism generated ₹16.91 lakh crore (US$240 billion) or
9.2% of India's GDP in 2018 and supported 42.673 million
jobs, 8.1% of its total employment.
• The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of
6.9% to ₹32.05 lakh crore (US$460 billion) by 2028 (9.9%
of GDP).
• In October 2015, India's medical tourism sector was
estimated to be worth US$3 billion, and it is projected to
grow to US$7–8 billion by 2020.
Worldwide International
tourist arrivals
Highlights of Index • In 2018, according to the World Tourism Organization,
• India was ranked 40th in 2018. the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide
• Spain, France, Germany, Japan and the United reached 1.4 billion, two years before it was predicted to
States are the world’s most travel-ready nations. do so.
• Japan remains Asia's most competitive travel and • That year also marked the seventh year in a row where
tourism economy, ranking 4th globally. the growth in tourism exports (+4%) exceeded the growth
• China is the largest travel and tourism economy in in merchandise exports (+3%).
Asia-Pacific and 13th most competitive globally. • Given this rapid pace of growth, the prediction that
• Published biennially, Travel & Tourism international arrivals will reach 1.8 billion by 2030 may be
Competitiveness Report and Index benchmarks the conservative.
Travel & Tourism (T&T) competitiveness of 140

economies.
The 140 economies are

ranked in four sub-indexes
• Enabling environment, (Scan the QR code to watch video)
• Travel and tourism policy and enabling conditions,

• Infrastructure, and
• Natural and cultural resources.
STUDY IQ Page 82
• Will give MAT relief for those opting to continue paying

surcharge and cess. MAT has been reduced to 15 percent
from 18.5 percent for companies who continue to avail
exemptions and incentives.
• To stabilise flow of funds into the market the enhanced
surcharge announced in Budget 2019 will not apply on
capital gains arising on sale of any security, including
derivatives by foreign portfolio investors (FPI).
• For listed companies which made announcement for
(Click on the above image to watch the video) public buyback before July 2019 it is provided that tax on
buyback on shares of such companies will not be charged.
Relevance
GS3 || Economy || Public Finance || Taxation How do these rates
compare globally?
Title
Corporate tax cut announced • The new corporate income tax rates in India will be
lower than USA (27 percent), Japan (30.62 percent), Brazil
Why in news? (34 percent), Germany (30 percent) and is similar to China
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has (25 percent) and Korea (25 percent).
announced major changes in corporate income tax • New companies in India with an effective tax rate of 17
rates to revive growth in the broader economy. This percent is equivalent what corporates pay in Singapore (17
has been achieved through an ordinance– the percent).
Taxation Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2019.
What has the

government done?
• Corporate tax rate to be 22 per cent without
exemptions.
Significance of the
latest move
• The goal is to turn India into an investors’ darling,
demonstrate the government’s intent to walk the talk on
economic management, restore investors’ confidence and
boost sentiments and demand.
• No Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) applicable on

such companies.
• Effective corporate tax rate after surcharge and
cess to be 25.17 percent.
• To attract investment in manufacturing, local
companies incorporated after October 2019 and till
March 2023, will pay tax at 15 percent.
• That effective tax for new companies shall be
17.01 percent, including cess and surcharge. Compa-
nies enjoying tax holidays would be able to avail
concessional rates post the exemption period.
STUDY IQ Page 83
• Later, in 2013, when the National Food Security Bill

was passed, different ration cards were compressed to just
two — priority and Antyodaya (for the most poor)
• The responsibility of identifying eligible families and
issuing ration cards to them rests with the state/UT
government.
One Nation One Ration

Card scheme
• Until recently, this has been a location-linked benefit,
Relevance leaving crores of migrant workers and families out of the
GS3 || Economy || Agriculture || Food Security food safety net.

• Each household’s ration card is linked to a specific fair
Title price shop and can only be used to buy rations in that
Ration card portability particular shop.

• Over the last few years, 10 States (partially in one)
Why in news? have implemented the Integrated Management of Public
Distribution System, which allows beneficiaries to buy
• The government is showcasing the rollout of the rations from any fair price shop within that State.
‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme as one of the • The Centre is now in the process of expanding these
biggest achievements of its first 100 days in power. efforts into a nationwide portability network which is
• The launch of the nationwide food security net is called the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme.
scheduled for June 2020, but several challenges • It is scheduled to come into full effect by June 2020,
remain before migrants can take advantage of full after which a ration card holder can buy subsidised grain at
portability. any fair price shop in the country.
Beneficiaries of the
scheme
• The main beneficiaries of the scheme are the country’s
migrant workers.
• According to data from the Census 2011, there are
Food Security in India more than 45 crore internal migrants in India, of whom
more than half have not completed primary education,
• India runs the world’s largest food security while 80% have not completed secondary education.
programme, distributing more than 600 lakh tonnes • Registering for ration cards at their new location is an
of subsidised food grain to more than 81 crore arduous process, especially if some members of the
beneficiaries every year. household still remain in their original home.
• This is done through a vast network of more than • Apart from this, field studies estimate that four crore
five lakh ration or fair price shops. to ten crore people are short-term migrants, often
• Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), each working in cities, but not moving there permanently.
beneficiary is eligible for five kg of subsidised grains • Women who change locations after marriage also find
per month at the rate of ₹3/kg for rice, ₹2/kg for it difficult to start accessing ration benefits using a new
wheat and ₹1/kg of coarse cereals. household’s card.
Ration Card Benefits

• A ration card is issued to the head of the family, • Lower levels of education are linked to lower income,
depending on the number of members in a family and which would make a large percentage of these migrants
the financial status of the applicant. eligible for NFSA benefits.
• It is used by households to get essential food • The Centre hopes that allowing ration card portability
grains at subsidised prices from designated ration will also curb corruption and improve access and service
shops (also called fair price shops) under the quality by removing monopolies.
Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). • Under the old system, beneficiaries were dependent on
• Over the years, different types of ration cards a single fair price shop and subject to the whims of its
were issued depending on the level of deprivation. dealer.
STUDY IQ Page 84
• Under the new system, if they are denied service • In Jharkhand, a State which was an early adopter of
or face corruption or poor quality in one shop, they digitisation and Aadhaar-based biometric authentication
are free to head to a different shop. in 2016, there have been widespread complaints of denial
• The scheme is also driving the faster of food due to system failures.
implementation of initiatives to digitise and integrate
the food storage and public distribution system. Different ration benefits
What is needed to • In other States, the challenge comes from the difference
make it work? between ration benefits offered by the State in comparison
to the Central entitlement.
• The scheme involves the creation of a central • Tamil Nadu, for example, offers 20 kg of free rice per
repository of NFSA beneficiaries and ration cards, month to almost 2 crore ration card holders, as well as
which will integrate the existing databases subsidised sugar, pulses and oil, over and above the NFSA
maintained by States, UTs and the Centre. benefits.
• Aadhaar seeding is also important as the unique • The State government has made it clear that it will not
biometric ID will be used to authenticate and track be offering these benefits to migrant workers, as the
the usage of ration by beneficiaries anywhere in the Centre will cover the costs of NFSA benefits only.
country.
• Currently, it is estimated that around 85% of Household issue
ration cards are linked to Aadhaar numbers.
• Another issue could arise if the members of a single
• For the scheme to work, it is critical that all fair
household are split between two different locations.
price shops are equipped with electronic
• The scheme’s guidelines only permit purchase of half
point-of-sale machines (ePoS), replacing the old
the subsidised grain at one time in an effort to prevent one
method of manual record-keeping of transactions
member of the household taking the entire ration for the
with a digital real-time record.
month, leaving family members in a different location
• On the back-end, the Food Corporation of India’s
stranded without food.
Depot Online System is integrating all warehouses
and godowns storing subsidised grain in an attempt
Lack of data and inventory
to create a seamless flow of online information from
procurement until distribution.
management
• The biggest challenge may lie in the lack of any concrete
Progress so far
data on inter-State migration trends, especially short-term
• Two pairs of States — Andhra Pradesh-Telangana migration.
and Maharashtra-Gujarat — became the first to begin • The allocation of food grains to States will have to be
implementing portability between their States last dynamic to allow for quick additional delivery to cover any
month. shortfalls in States with large migrant populations.
• From October 1, two more pairs — Kerala-Karnata- • Currently, Food Corporation of India godowns stock
ka and Rajasthan-Haryana — will join the experiment. grains up to three months in advance.
• By January, all eight States and at least three • Food Ministry officials acknowledged that there is a
others which already implement intra-State portabili- “steep learning curve” ahead to ensure that movement of
ty will form the first national grid for the ‘ONORC’ grain matches migration flows.
scheme.
Mains Question
Difficulties ahead Lack
• “Providing portability of food security benefits all
of infrastructure across the nation through One Nation One Ration Card can
• There are only 4.32 lakh ePoS machines which prove to be very beneficial and will bring a big change in the
have been installed in more than 5.3 lakh fair price public distribution aspects of the country”. Comment.
shops.
• Apart from much of Northeast India, much of that
Additional Info
gap comes from three States: Bihar, West Bengal and https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/what-is-ra-
Uttarakhand. tion-card-portability/article29363067.ece
• Given that they are major source States for
migrants, Bihar (only 15% coverage) and West Bengal
(70% coverage) must speed up ePoS installation for
the system to work smoothly.
• In some rural and remote areas, ePoS connectivity (Scan the QR code to watch video)
also remains erratic, jeopardising smooth

functioning.
STUDY IQ Page 85
SECURITY
Minorities at risk
• One in two police personnel surveyed feel that
Muslims are likely to be “naturally prone” to committing
crimes.
• It also found that 35 per cent of police personnel
interviewed for the survey think it is natural for a mob to
punish the “culprit” in cases of cow slaughter, and 43 per
(Click on the above image to watch the video) cent think it is natural for a mob to punish someone
accused of rape.
Relevance
What does this imply?
GS3 || Internal security || Tackling Security Threats
|| Police • The findings are certainly worrying when rapid social
transformation demands a robust and sensitised police
Title force in the country.
• The training given to officers, a 6-month crash course on
Status of Policing in India Report 2019
civil and Criminal Procedure Codes, the Indian Penal Code
and the Evidence Act may not be sufficient.
Why in news?
• On the other hand, there are simply not enough people
In a new report that looks at the working conditions of to do the fundamental job.
police in India, one key finding is about the political • E.g. in U.P. and Haryana, there are as many as 60% and
pressure perceived by police, and the extent to which 53% vacancies in positions reserved for SCs, STs, OBCs,
this hampers their investigations. and women
• There are vacancies at all ranks, but those in senior
About the Report ranks are higher than those in the constabulary.
• ‘Status of Policing in India Report 2019: Police What is to be done?

Adequacy and Working Conditions’ has been prepared
by Common Cause and the Lokniti programme of the • There is a need to insulate police personnel from
Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). political influence.
• Transfer as a form of punishment for displeasing
Key Findings someone should be reconsidered.
• 28% police personnel believe that pressure from • Unlike most functioning democracies, India’s police force
politicians is the biggest hindrance in a crime does not have its genesis in the concept of public service.
investigation. • It is instead the creation of the British as an instrument
• Taking into account various kinds of obstacles, 2 in of enforcement and oppression.
5 police personnel believe that these pressures are • So, above all, India’s police force should be redesigned to
the biggest obstacle in crime investigation. work as a protector of citizens - of all citizens’ security,
• The other obstacles cited were related to society, rights, and property, without bias.
legal systems and internal working systems in police.
Mains Question
Popular cases
Comment on the urgency to have necessary police reforms
• 38% personnel reported always facing pressure in India.
from politicians in cases of crime involving influential
persons. Additional Info
• Roughly one third also reported “always” facing
pressure from their seniors in the police force. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/telling-num-
• This proportion drops to one-fifth of the police bers-does-political-pressure-hinder-probes-police-reflect-i
“always” facing pressure from media, while about 14% n-survey-5945874/
reported that they “always” faced pressure from
human rights organisations/NGOs, judiciary and the
common public in cases involving influential people.

STUDY IQ Page 86
What are Participatory

notes? How does it feed
Black money monster?
• Participatory notes are the financial instruments
through which individual foreign investors or hedge fund
who
do not want to disclose their identity can invest in Indian
markets, otherwise registration with Sebi is a must to get
an exposure into Indian equities.
Relevance • Registered foreign institutional investors (FIIs), foreign
banks and brokerages based in India issue P-notes to
GS3 || Internal security || Internal security threats || foreign investors and invest in Indian stocks on their
Money laundering and Black money behalf. Any dividends or capital gains collected from the
underlying securities go back to the investors.
Title
• While a common investor has to fill up several KY
India to get Swiss banking details (know your customer) forms, provide PAN number and
proof of address, etc, a P-Note investor can invest
Why in news? anonymously.
• This makes it a 'legal' way to route unaccounted wealth
India will start getting details of bank accounts held
in Indian equities, thus feeding the black money monster.
by its citizens in Switzerland from September, ending
the era of Swiss bank secrecy.
PM Modi’s visit
• Narendra Modi visited Geneva in 2016 to strengthen
the bilateral relations of the two countries.
• He raised the black money issue with Swiss Government
and secured its support for the Indian claim to NSG
membership which later Switzerland refuted and took a
U-turn on India's NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) bid.
Details • Later, the Swiss President Doris Leuthard visited
• India will start getting details of bank accounts New Delhi, India in August 2017 to improve relations.
held
by its citizens in Switzerland from September.
• This was announced by the Income Tax department
in a tweet.
• The development is a major success of the Modi
govt's fight against black money.
The Data (Scan the QR code to watch video)
• Money parked by Indian individuals and

enterprises in Swiss banks, including through

India-based branches, fell by nearly 6 per cent in
2018 to 955 million Swiss francs (about Rs 6,757
crore) to hit its second-lowest level in over two
decades, Swiss National Bank data showed.
How black money finds its

way out of India, and how it
comes back as white ?
• The most common way is through the hawala
route. It's basically a process in which mediators
(hawala contractors) are involved .
• Participatory notes are also used.
STUDY IQ Page 87
Shortfalls of the UAPA tribunal
• A close reading of UAPA Tribunal orders makes it clear

that the requirement of judicial scrutiny is not
implemented in true spirit.
• They act as little more than judicial rubber stamps.
• The tribunal makes it easy for the government to prove
its case.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • In effect, the tribunal departs from some of the most
fundamental principles of fair procedure.
Relevance • This is made evident by a recent UAPA Tribunal Order
GS3 || Security || Internal Security Threats || (on August 23, 2019) confirming the government’s ban on
Terrorism the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu, and Kashmir (“JeI, J&K”).
Title
Charges on JeI J &K
UAPA Tribunals issues, Is UAPA ignoring fundamental
principles of fair procedure? • The government’s ban on the JeI, J&K was based on its
opinion that the association was -
Why in news? Supporting extremism and militancy
A close reading of UAPA Tribunal orders shows how Indulging in anti-national and subversive activities
fundamental principles of fair procedure are being Indulging in activities to disrupt the territorial integrity
ignored. of the nation
• In support of this opinion, the government said that
Background there were a large number of First Information Reports
• Recently, Parliament has cleared the Unlawful Act (FIRs) against various members of the association.
vities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 or • Among other things, the JeI, J&K responded that for
anti-terror law. In the wake of increasing terrorist almost all of the FIRs in question, the people accused had
activities in the country; the NDA government has nothing to do with the association.
changed the certain provision of the Unlawful • It was also argued that this could be proven by looking
Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 to tackle terrorism at the association’s membership register.
and Naxalism in the country. • But, the membership register had been seized by the
• Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and government.
Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar have been
designated as Individual terrorists under the
Why is the ban on JeI
legislation.
contentious ?
• Sealed Cover Jurisprudence
Working of UAPA
If the government proves the case with sufficient
• Ban on Associations and individuals evidence of wrongdoing against JeI’s members, it could be
Before the 2019 amendments, the UAPA could be resolved straightforwardly.
used to ban associations and not individuals. However, the government resorts to the “sealed cover
jurisprudence”, submitting material that it claimed was too
• Grounds must be clearly defined
sensitive to be disclosed.
To this end, the UAPA required and still requires
The material on the basis of which the ban is justified is
that the ban must clearly spell out the grounds on
crucial for the association to defend itself.
which the government has arrived at its opinion.
But, notably, the evidence was not disclosed even to the
• Tribunal
association and its lawyers, who were contesting the ban.
It may then be contested by the banned
It was said that the evidence in the sealed covers was
association before a Tribunal, consisting of a sitting
carefully examined and the tribunal was convinced of them
High Court judge.
to be “credible documents.”
• Scrutinize Government Decision The association’s request to the government to produce
As a number of judgments have held, the task of a the membership register also failed as the government
UAPA Tribunal is to carefully scrutinize the submitted even this piece of evidence in a sealed cover.
government’s decision.
In doing so, it should keep in mind that banning an Larger concern
organization or a group infringes on the crucial
fundamental freedoms of speech and association.
STUDY IQ Page 88
• In essence, the fundamental freedoms of speech

and association have been violated on the basis of
secret evidence.
• The most basic rules of procedural justice and
fairness seem to have been compromised.
• Courts seem to be acting to legitimize and enable
governmental overreach, rather than protecting
citizens and the rights of citizens against the
government.
Way forward
• The center needs to address the concerns related to
the UAPA and related tribunals. There needs to be a
check on the misuse and misappropriation of the
amended act so that the Fundamental rights of an
individual in particular and citizens, in general, are not
affected.
• The law should be put into effect constructively
and efficaciously and should be able to protect the
integrity and sovereignty of the country.
References
• https://prsindia.org/billtrack/unlawful-activi-
ties-prevention-amendment-bill-2019
• https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/jurispru-
dence-of-the-ju-
dicial-rubber-stamp/article29334498.ece
• https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-sto-
ries/cen-
tre-sets-up-tribunal-to-decide-if-jamaat-e-islami-jam
mu-and-kashmir-is-an-unlawful-association-1190325
00499_1.html
STUDY IQ Page 89
• This doctrine had first come into operation during the

17th As per this law, there were no limits or boundaries set
to the aspect of marine business and commercial activities.
• Over-exploitation of the sea’s resources was immensely
felt towards the middle of the 20th century and many
nations started feeling the need to ensure protection of
their marine resources.
Relevance
GS3 || Security || Tackling Security Threats || Army,
Navy & Airforce
Title
28th Indo–Thai CORPAT
Why in news?
28th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol
(Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy (IN)
and the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is being conducted
from 05 – 15 September 2019.
About the exercise

• Indian Navy has been participating in the biannual
Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) with the Royal Thai
Navy (RTN) since 2003.
List of Naval Exercises
• The Objectives of the Indo-Thai CORPAT are to
ensure effective implementation of United Nations
• In April, in their biggest and most complex exercise,
Conventions on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Indian and Australian warships held drills in the
• UNCLOS specify regulations regarding protection
Bay of Bengal.
and conservation of natural resources, conservation
• This was followed by a much-publicised
of marine environment, prevention and suppression
anti-submarine exercise with the U.S. Navy near Diego
of illegal, unregulated fishing activity/ drug
Garcia.
trafficking/ piracy, exchange of information in
• Last week, the Indian Navy held a joint exercise
prevention of smuggling, illegal immigration and
‘Varuna’ with the French Navy off the coast of Goa and
conduct of Search and Rescue operations at sea.
Karwar. even as two Indian warships participated in a
‘group sail’ with warships from Japan, the Philippines
United Nations Conventions and the United States on return from a fleet review in
on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) Qingdao.
• The convention is also sometimes referred to as the Reasons for numerous exercises
Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea
treaty. 1. China’s increasing naval footprint
• It defines the rights and responsibilities of nations • For many, the trigger for India’s newfound zeal at
with respect to their use of the world’s oceans, sea is the rapid expansion of China’s naval footprint in
establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, the Indian Ocean.
and the management of marine natural resources. • Military outposts – Beyond commercial investments
• It came into operation and became effective from in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, China has established a
16th November 1982. military outpost in Djibouti, a key link in Beijing’s Belt
• Before the nautical law of UNCLOS came into force, and Road Initiative (BRI).
there existed a school of thought known as
freedom-of-the-seas.
STUDY IQ Page 90
• Base for non-peacekeeping missions – Reports • Only risk management approach – For all its rhetoric
suggest the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is planning surrounding the ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’, New Delhi is
an expansion of its logistics base for non-peacekeeping yet to take a stand on a ‘rules-based order’ in littoral-Asia.
missions, raising the possibility of an operational A wariness for sustained operations in China’s Pacific
overlap with the Indian Navy’s areas of interest. backyard has rendered the Indian Navy’s regional strategy
2. South Asian Navies increasing Presence a mere ‘risk management’ tactic, with limited approach to
• Meanwhile, South Asian navies have been making shape events in littoral-Asia.
their presence felt in the seas of the subcontinent.
upsciq.com
Mains Question
• In a quest for regional prominence, Sri Lanka has
positioned itself as a facilitator of joint regional Explain United Nations Conventions on Laws of the Sea
endeavours, expanding engagement with Pacific (UNCLOS).
powers which includes the Royal Australian Navy and
the U.S. Navy.
• With China’s assistance, Pakistan too is becoming
an increasingly potent actor in the northern Indian
Ocean, a key region of Indian interest.
• Beijing has also been instrumental in strengthening
the navies of Bangladesh and Myanmar, both
increasingly active participants in regional security
initiatives.
3. Looking for partnerships
• Widely acknowledged as the most capable regional
maritime force, the Indian Navy has played a prominent
role in the fight against non-traditional challenges in
the Indian Ocean.
• While its contribution to the counter-piracy mission
off the coast of Somalia, humanitarian assistance and
disaster relief (including in cyclone-hit Mozambique)
has been substantial, a paucity of assets and capacity
has forced the Navy to seek partners willing to invest
resources in joint security endeavours.
4. African focus
Chinese investments in port infrastructure in Kenya,
Sudan, Tanzania and Mozambique have grown at a
steady pace, even as PLAN has sought to expand its
presence in the western Indian Ocean.
• In response, India has moved to deepen its own
regional engagement, seeking naval logistical access to
French bases in Reunion and Djibouti, where the
second phase of ‘Varuna’ will be held later this month.
Conclusion
• Defensive stand – Yet, India’s Indian Ocean focus
makes for an essentially defensive posture.
• No strategic gains – Notwithstanding
improvements in bilateral and trilateral naval engage-
ments, it hasn’t succeeded in leveraging partnerships
for strategic gains.
• Power equation favouring China – With India’s
political leadership reluctant to militarise the
Quadrilateral grouping or to expand naval operations
in the Western Pacific, the power-equation with China
remains skewed in favour of the latter.
STUDY IQ Page 91
SEPTEMBER 2019
In India, numerous sites are being set up to commercialise fake

news with click-bait headlines. Users are enticed with multiple
link pages to click and continue reading making the content go
viral.
• Cheap data plans – The proliferation of technology, cheap
smartphones, and reasonable data rates has enabled the
democratization of online content. The flip side is that the speed
of content distribution has made traditional journalistic controls
of verification unfeasible.
Relevance Response to fake news

GS3 || Security || Internal Security Threats || Social • The current response to fake news primarily revolves around
Media & Internal Security three prongs
1. Rebuttal
Title
2. Removal of the fake news item
Shaking the foundation of fake news 3. Educating the public.
• They are not sufficient in themselves to address the larger
Why in news?
‘political’ problem posed by fake news.
Combating fake news is a growing preoccupation with
the technology platforms, the political class, the Rebuttal and removal
news media.
• A rebuttal is a form of fact-checking wherein the fake news
Fake News is debunked by pointing out errors like mismatch, malicious
editing and misattribution.
• Fake news refers to the deliberate creation of
• If the fake news item appears on institutional handles,
misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print
attempts are made to have it removed after rebuttal.
and broadcast news media or online social media
• There is pressure on companies like Facebook and YouTube
shaping the belief of people around the nation and
to proactively remove fake news from their platforms and
world.
rework their algorithms to ensure that such content does not
What gives rise to the gain prominence.
fake news? • The newly introduced limits on forwarding messages on

WhatsApp are due to this discourse.
• Lack of regulation – The online platforms, unlike
the mainstream media, do not fall under comprehensive Challenges in the approaches
regulation. A number of online news/information
• Along with de-anonymising all social media accounts it
portals are being set up due to the lack of proper entry
will rise serious issues concerning the invasion of privacy
barriers. The lack of binding rules and the ability to keep
and free speech.
owners and editors private, offers a larger scope for
• It may be used by governments to quell dissent.
wrongdoing in
• Attempting to rebut fake news may be possible to rebut
case of online platforms.
news on one fake instance. But the ‘fake news factory’ will
• Communal polarisation – The growing polarisation
keep churning out similar stories to advance its chosen
of society on ideological lines has made the job of
narrative.
spreading fake news easier. Also, the spread of
• It is impossible to completely ‘remove’ fake news even
hatred-inducing content among leaders/groups of the
after rebuttal, given the decentralised nature of
opposing ideologies, further deepens the prevailing
dissemination.
communal hatred.
• Propagation and virality of a news item are contingent
• Reach – In the past, communal violence in India was
not on its accuracy but on how well it conforms to the
more a localised affair. However, in recent days it is
dominant narrative.
extensively being triggered through the Internet on a
• The act of ‘rebuttal’, instead of supplanting the original
much larger scale. The online and mobile platforms
fake news item, could vie for space with the latter.
serve like nodal agencies distributing unverified
• The average consumer relies on overall narratives to
information.
evaluate a piece of information. The increasing complexity
• Quick gains – Spreading false news is becoming a
of issues and deluge of information has made it impossible
way to make advertising money through click baits.
for any individual to develop a well-researched stand on all
the topics.
STUDY IQ Page 92
• When an individual piece of information conforms

to someone’s held beliefs, it is readily accepted and

shared.
• Studies have confirmed that people don’t care
about finding the ‘truth’ behind a news item and
instead look for evidence to support their preferred
narrative – confirmation bias.
• Therefore, debunking discrete items of fake news
without addressing this battle of narratives will have
only marginal value.
Way ahead
• If we are concerned about the impact of fake news,
we must address the underlying narratives, instead of
merely trying to rebut individual items.
• By addressing the weaknesses that allow the fake
news narrative to take root. Eg., the rise of right-wing
due to the loss of credibility of the liberal camp.
• Mobilize public opinion around an alternat
narrative that makes the fake news item irrelevant.
• Most people cannot hold multiple stories in their
head and thus, instead of poking holes in an opponent’s
story, it may be more effective to replace it with a
different narrative built on facts.
Mains Question
In the post-truth world, digitisation and fake news has
become a deadly combo. Discuss. What steps can be
taken to counter the menace?
Additional Info
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/shak-
ing-the- foundation-of-fake-news/art
cle29451787.ece
STUDY IQ Page 93
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
• The third edition of Atlas brought out by BMTPC is
collation of the existing hazard scenario for the entire
country and presents the digitized State/UT-wise Hazard
Maps with
respect to Earthquakes, Winds & Floods for district-wise
identification of vulnerable areas.
• This edition contains additional digitized maps for
Thunderstorms, Cyclones and Landslides.
• The Atlas also presents the district-wise Housing
Vulnerability Risk Tables based on wall types and roof types
Relevance as per 2011 Census Housing data.
• The Atlas is a useful tool not only for public but also for
GS 3 || Disaster Management|| Disaster Management
urban managers, State & National Authorities dealing with
||Preparedness & Response
disaster mitigation and management.
Title
Challenges in disaster
Angikaar Campaign
management
Why in news? • Insufficient levels of Implementation
• Lack of local capacities
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
• Absence of integration of climate change into Disaster
launched “Angikaar” a campaign for change
risk management plans.
management and e-Course on Vulnerability Atlas of
• Divergence of obtaining political and economic
India.
commitments
• The campaign will officially be rolled out in all cities
• Insufficient investment in building disaster resilient
with PMAY(U) on October 2 commemorating 150th
strategies.
Gandhi Jayanti culminate on the occasion of Human
Rights Day December 10.
Way Forward for
Angikaar Campaign disaster Management
• The e-course is offered by the MoHUA in • Disasters are no longer to be considered as occurrences
collaboration of School of Planning & Architecture that are to be managed through emergency response
(SPA), New Delhi services. So, there is a need to foster a culture of prevention
and Building Materials & Technology Promotion and
Council (BMTPC). identification of the key issues to be addressed especially in
• It is a unique course that offers awareness and the development process.
understanding about natural hazards, helps identify • The path ahead for managing disasters is to bring in a
regions people-centered development strategy.
with high vulnerability with respect to various hazards • Strategies for disaster management should be
(earthquakes, cyclones, landslides, floods, etc.) and accompanied by strong political will, keenness and
specifies district-wise level of damage risks to the commitment on the
existing housing stock. part of all concerned actors involved in the exercise.
• The e-course will be a tool for effective & efficient • Educating people in Disaster Risk Reduction is the need
disaster mitigation & management in the field of of the hour and it can be done through decentralised
Architecture, Civil Engineering, Urban & Regional planning, implementation and monitoring and control.
Planning, Housing & Infrastructure Planning etc. • The major strategies which should get prominence are
• Angikaar aims for social behaviour change, focusing institutionalising national systems and capacities,
on issues such as water & energy conservation, waste strengthening governance mechanisms at local level,
management, health, tree plantation, sanitation and building community resilience, reducing the vulnerabilities
hygiene for beneficiaries of completed houses under of the communities at risk and public private people
PMAY (U). partnerships
etc.
Vulnerability Atlas of India • Disaster Management has to embark upon a strategy
aimed at holistic human development integrating the
• PM has released the Third Edition of Vulnerability
sustainable development goals, policies and practices that
Atlas of India March, 2019.
harness people’s strengths instead of vulnerabilities.
STUDY IQ Page 94
Mains Question
What is Angikaar Campaign?
Additional Info
(Scan the QR code to watch the video)
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/angi-
kaar-pro-
ject-for-pmay-u-beneficiaries-launched/article29293
842.ece
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx-
?PRID=1583534
Notes
STUDY IQ Page 95
• In doing so, it will create a mechanism to assist countries

to upgrade their capacities and practices, with regard to
infrastructure development in accordance with their risk
context and economic needs.
• Economically weaker sections, the most vulnerable to
the impacts of disasters will be benefitted from the
improvement of knowledge and practice in creating
disaster resilient
infrastructure.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • In India, the north-eastern and Himalayan regions are
prone to earthquakes, coastal areas to cyclones and
Relevance
tsunamis and central peninsular region to droughts.
GS 3 || Disaster Management|| Disaster Management • It will also benefit all areas with high disaster risk.
||Policy framework
Significance
Title
• A global coalition for disaster resilient infrastructure
International Coalition for Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure would address concerns that are common to developing and
developed countries, small and large economies, countries
Why in news? at early and advanced stages of infrastructure development,
and countries that have moderate or high disaster risk.
• The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval
for the Establishment of an International Coalition for India’s Zero Casualty Policy
Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) along with its
supporting Secretariat Office in New Delhi. • It refers to Indian Meteorological Department’s “almost
pinpoint accuracy” of early warnings that helped
International Coalition for authorities conduct a well-targeted evacuation plan and
Disaster Resilient minimise the loss of life.
Infrastructure (CDRI) Disaster risk reduction

• The CDRI is proposed to be launched at the UN
• Disaster risk reduction means identifying the underlying
Climate Action Summit in New York, USA on 23rd
hazards and vulnerabilities, natural or anthropogenic, and
September 2019.
taking necessary measures to prevent the creation of
• Organized by the UN Secretary General, this event
disaster from the beginning.
will bring together the largest number of Heads of
• Disaster risk reduction is very critical as disasters are
States to generate commitments for combating the
intertwined with development in a three-dimensional nexus.
effects of climate change and resulting disasters.
Disaster Management
Components of CDRI
• A disaster is a result of natural or man-made causes that
• Establishment of the International ‘C.D.R.I.’ along
leads to sudden disruption of normal life, causing severe
with its supporting Secretariat office in New Delhi;
damage to life and property to an extent that available
• Establishment of the Secretariat of the CDRI as a
social and economic protection mechanisms are
Society under The Societies Registration Act,1860 in
inadequate to cope.
New Delhi as ‘CDRI Society’ or similar name as per
availability. Classification of Disasters
• The memorandum of association and by-laws of the
‘CDRI Society’ will be prepared and finalized by the • Disasters are classified as per origin, into natural and
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). man-made disasters. As per severity, disasters are classified
as minor or major (in impact).
Major Impact • Natural disasters can be broadly classified into catego-
• The CDRI will serve as a platform where ries including geophysical such as earthquakes and volcanic
knowledge is generated and exchanged on different eruptions; hydrological such as floods; meteorological
aspects of disaster and climate resilience of such as hurricanes; climatological such as heat and cold
infrastructure. waves and droughts; and biological such as epidemics.
• It will bring together technical expertise from a
multitude of stakeholders.
STUDY IQ Page 96
• Man-made disasters can include hazardous • 68% of its cultivable area is vulnerable to droughts; and,
material spills, fires, groundwater contamination, the hilly areas are at risk from landslides and avalanches.
transportation accidents, structure failures, mining • Moreover, India is also vulnerable to chemical,
accidents, explosions and acts of terrorism. biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies
and other man-made disasters.
Causes for Occurrence
of Disaster Stages in Disaster Management
• Environmental degradation: Removal of trees and There are three key stage of activities in disaster
forest cover from a watershed area have caused, soil management
erosion, expansion of flood plain area in upper and • Before a disaster: to reduce the potential for human,
middle course of rivers and groundwater depletion. material, or environmental losses caused by hazards and to
• Developmental process: Exploitation of land use, ensure that these losses are minimised when disaster
development of infrastructure, rapid urbanization and strikes;
technological development have caused increasing • During a disaster: to ensure that the needs and
pressure over the natural resources. provisions of victims are met to alleviate and minimise
• Political issues: War, nuclear power aspirations, suffering; and
fight between countries to become super power and • After a disaster: to achieve rapid and durable recovery
conquering land, sea and skies. These have resulted which does not reproduce the original vulnerable
into wide range of disaster events such as Hiroshima conditions.
nuclear explosion, Syrian civil war, growing
militarisation of oceans and outer space. Way Forward
• Industrialization: This has resulted into warming
• People-centered development strategy.
of earth and frequency of extreme weather events has
• Strong political will,
also increased.
• Decentralised planning, implementation and monitoring
Impacts of Disaster and control.
• Institutionalising national systems and capacities.
• Disaster impacts individuals physically (through • Integrating the sustainable development goals.
loss of life, injury, health, disability) as well as
psychologically.
• Disaster results in huge economic loss due to
Mains Question
destruction of property, human settlements and What is the need for disaster resilient infrastructure?
infrastructure etc.
• Disaster can alter the natural environment, loss of Additional Info
habitat to many plants and animals and cause
ecological stress that can result in biodiversity loss. https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=192854
• After natural disasters, food and other natural
resources like water often becomes scarce resulting
into food and water scarcity.
• The disaster results in displacement of people, and
displaced population often face several challenges in
new settlements, in this process poorer becomes more
poor.
• Disaster increases the level of vulnerability and
hence multiply the effects of disaster.
Vulnerability Profile of India

• India is vulnerable, in varying degrees, to a large
number of disasters. Around 59% of the landmass is
prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high
intensity.
• About 12% (over 40 million hectares) of its land is
prone to floods and river erosion.
• Close to 5,700 kms, out of the 7,516 kms long
coastline is prone to cyclones and tsunamis.
STUDY IQ Page 97
Cleansing properties
of forest fires
• As devastating as forest fires are in the rainforest, the
destructive power of fire is necessary for the preservation
of other ecosystems, where parts of the natural fauna and
flora develop only thanks to the fires.
• Regular fires give these ecosystems their distinctive
(Click on the above image to watch the video) structure.
• This is true for about three-quarters of all habitats
Relevance worldwide.
• These include the Siberian taiga, the African savannahs,
GS 3 || Disaster Management || Major Disasters ||
the South Asian monsoon and dry forests, the Californian
Others
coniferous forests, the Australian eucalyptus forests and
Title the Mediterranean region.
Science of Forest Fire
How small fires are useful?
Why in news?
• In a rainforest-like the Amazon, massive forest fires • Rare but very intense fires are characteristic of bush
are a disaster. landscapes or forests.
• They irretrievably destroy the habitat of tens of • They consume old and diseased trees, create new
thousands of plant and animal species. habitats and ensure an ecological rejuvenation of the tree
population.
Loss of nutrients • Intervening in these ecosystems, for instance by
• If the rainforest burns down, all nutrients are lost preventing small fires in order to protect the population,
because they are stored in the plants themselves, not can have fatal consequences.
in the soil. • Over time, more and more combustible material
• Despite the lush vegetation and the unique accumulates. Even harmless fires can quickly turn into
biodiversity, the soils are particularly barren and poor highly
in nutrients. destructive walls of flames.
• Thanks to the year-round warm and humid climate, • This happens time and again in Australia or in the dense
fungi and bacteria immediately decompose fallen pine forests in the southwest of the United States, which
leaves or branches and the nutrients released are were once grasslands.
reabsorbed by the roots — not the soil. • When fires occur too frequently humans have to
• The thin humus layer is quickly washed out after a intervene even in ecosystems that depend on fires.
forest fire, and within three years of the fire nothing • In the Siberian taiga, fires have been breaking out more
will grow in the exhausted soil. and more frequently due to a rise in the population and
expanded development, destroying large areas of forest
A fire sensitive ecosystem and releasing enormous amounts of carbon dioxide.
• Scientists describe tropical rainforests like those

Fires give new life
in the Amazon, the Congo Basin and Southeast Asia as
“fire-sensitive ecosystems. • Many plants in the southern US, in the Mediterranean
• About a third of all ecosystems worldwide are region or in Australia actually need fire to survive.
considered “fire-sensitive.” • The Douglas fir, a conifer species, survives most fires
• In the past, severe fires tended to occur less often thanks to its thick bark — after a fire, it will sprout new
there due to the natural humidity, vegetation and shoots.
structure. • The North American lodgepole pine also needs the heat
• If there is a prolonged drought triggered for of the fire to open its cones and release seeds while the
example by the El Nino climate phenomenon or in Australian grass tree needs smoke to open its seed pods.
case of purposefully started fires disastrous surface • After a fire, without the usually dense treetops, more
fires develop quickly. sunlight reaches the forest floor and the seedlings find
• The plants and animals lack a natural ability to enough nutrients because they do not have to compete
resist and recover from fires. with other plant species.
STUDY IQ
Page 98
• Even some insect species need the fire to survive,

including the larvae of the Australian fire beetle that
can only develop in freshly burnt wood. Mains Question
• Thanks to its heat-sensitive sensors, the fire beetle
Is forest fire good or bad. Discuss?
can detect fires from up to 50 kilometers (30 miles)
away.
• Storks and birds of prey feast on beetles and
insects made sluggish by the smoke after a forest fire.
Still catastrophic
• Climate change is bound to increase the risk of
forest fires even further.
• Forest fires cause 15% of global greenhouse gas
emissions, more than 30% of global carbon monoxide
emissions, 10% of methane emissions and more than Notes
85% of global soot emissions.
• They contribute greatly to global warming, which in
turn leads to forests becoming increasingly dry and
weak.
• This destructive cycle often makes it easy for new
fires to develop.
Importance of local wisdom

in combating forest fire
• Local wisdom is a body of knowledge which has
evolved with the life experiences of people.
• Before the advent of capitalism, growth of
nationalism and globalization, there were small
communities which used to take care of their natural
and cultural heritage. These communities constitute a
group of people who share similar hopes and goals
who has a sense of unity and maintain a stable
identity in the face of rapid societal change.
Way ahead
• Fighting fires with minimal equipment in challeng-
ing terrain is a thankless task that poses grave risks. It
is perhaps time to ask whether a strict no-fire policy
is relevant in ecological and societal contexts, rather
than raise ineffective questions about how forest fires
can be controlled or prevented through technology.
• Instead of viewing forest fires as being purely
destructive in nature, forest managers should perhaps
expand
their world view and be more inclusive to information
from ecological and local knowledge systems that
view fires as being both rejuvenating and revitalising.
Additional Info
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/ama-
zon-forest-fire-brazil-climate-change-5950264/
STUDY IQ Page 99
Why are these findings

important?
• The report is part of an effort to create a database that
can help develop an early warning system for lightning,
spread awareness, and prevent deaths.
• Between 2,000 and 2,500 people are estimated as killed
every year in lightning strikes in the country.
• It is possible to predict, 30-40 minutes in advance, when
Relevance a lightning strike heads towards Earth.

• The prediction is made possible through study and
GS 3 || Disaster Management || Major Disaster || monitoring of the in-cloud lightning strikes.
Other • Timely dissemination of this information can save several
lives.
Title
• After carrying out a pilot project in 16 states, the IMD
Mapping lightning across India
has begun providing lightning forecasts and warnings through
Why in news? mobile text messages from this year.

• However, this is not yet available in all regions, and there
• For the first time, a report has mapped lightnin isn’t enough awareness as yet on the kinds of action that
strikes across the country, and the lives they have need to be taken after an alert.
claimed.
About the report Lightening

• Lightning is a very rapid and massive discharge of
• It has been prepared by Climate Resilient Observing electricity in the atmosphere. Some of it is directed
Systems Promotion Council (CROPC), a non-profit towards the Earth.
organisation that works closely with India • It is a result of the difference in electrical charge
Meteorological Department (IMD). between the top and bottom of a cloud.
• The lightning-generating clouds are typically about
What has the report found? 10-12 km in height, with their base about 1-2 km from the
Earth’s surface. The temperatures at the top range from
• Lightning strikes have caused at least 1,311 deaths -35°C to -45°C.
in the four-month period between April and July this
year, according to a first-of-its-kind report on Mechanism of formation
lightning incidents in India.
• As water vapour moves upwards in the cloud, it
• UP accounted for 224 of these deaths, followed by
condenses into water due to decreasing temperatures.
Bihar (170), Odisha (129) and Jharkhand (118).
• A huge amount of heat is generated in the process,
• It counted 65.55 lakh lightning strikes in India
pushing the water molecules further up. As they move to
during this four-month period, of which 23.53 lakh
temperatures below zero, droplets change into small ice
(36 per cent) happened to be cloud-to-ground lightning,
crystals.
the kind that reaches the Earth.
• As they continue upwards, they gather mass, until
• The other 41.04 lakh (64 per cent) were in-cloud
they become so heavy that they start descending. It
lightning, which remains confined to the clouds in
leads to a system where smaller ice crystals move
which it was formed.
upwards while larger ones come down.
• Odisha recorded over 9 lakh incidents of lightning
• The resulting collisions trigger release of electrons,
(both kinds), the maximum for any state but fewer
in a process very similar to the generation of electric
deaths than Uttar Pradesh, which had 3.2 lakh
sparks. The moving free electrons cause more collisions
incidents.
and more electrons; a chain reaction is formed.
• The process results in a situation in which the top
layer of the cloud gets positively charged while the middle
layer is negatively charged.
• The electrical potential difference between the two
layers is huge, of the order of billions of volts. In little
time, a huge current, of the order of lakhs to millions of
amperes, starts to flow between the layers.
STUDY IQ Page 100

• As they continue upwards, they gather mass, until • One must get to a safe place immediately if thunder or
they become so heavy that they start descending. It distant rumble is heard such as a fully enclosed building.
leads to a system where smaller ice crystals move Sheds, tents or covered porches must be avoided.
upwards while larger ones come down.
• The resulting collisions trigger release of electrons, Lightning Protection
in a process very similar to the generation of electric Lightning conductors must be installed in buildings or any
sparks. The moving free electrons cause more other elevated structures. Lightning conductors are metal
collisions and more electrons; a chain reaction is rods or metallic objects mounted on the top of an elevated
formed. structure (a building, a ship or even a tree). This is
• The process results in a situation in which the top electrically bonded using an electrical conductor that is
layer of the cloud gets positively charged while the interfaced with
middle layer is negatively charged. the ground through an electrode. During an event of a
• The electrical potential difference between the lightning strike, the flashes strike the rod and get conducted
two layers is huge, of the order of billions of volts. In through the wire to the ground, instead of passing through
little the structure. Thus, these conductors protect the structure.
time, a huge current, of the order of lakhs to millions
of amperes, starts to flow between the layers. Safety Measures During
• It produces heat, leading to the heating of the air the Calamity
column between the two layers of cloud. It is because
of this heat that the air column looks red during • One must avoid open areas and stay away from isolated
lightning. trees, towers or electrical poles as lightning tends to strike
• The heated air column expands and produces the tallest object in an area.
shock waves that result in thunder sounds. • One must stay away from conductors such as fences and
wires. These objects act as a conductor to the lightning to
How does it strike Earth? distant areas.
• In a situation where a sturdy building is difficult to locate
• The Earth is a good conductor of electricity. While
nearby, a hard-topped metal vehicle with closed windows
electrically neutral, it is relatively positively charged
must be used as a shelter.
compared to the middle layer of the cloud.
• One must stand away from electrical equipment and
• As a result, an estimated 20-25 per cent of the
wiring. Also, corded phones must not be used during a
current flow gets directed towards the Earth. It is this
thunderstorm.
current flow that results in damage to life and property.
• Water pipes also conduct electricity, so taking a shower
• Lightning has a greater probability of striking raised
or using the plumbing must be avoided during a storm.
objects on the ground, such as trees or buildings.
• One must avoid being stuck in a crowd and must spread
• Once they are sufficiently near the ground, about
out. This would help to avoid multiple casualties in case of a
80-100 m from the surface, they even tend to redirect
lightning strike.
their course to hit the taller objects.
• If someone is struck by lightning, urgent medical
• This is because travelling through air, which is a bad
attention must be provided. Cardiac arrest is the immediate
conductor of electricity, the electrons try to find a better
cause of death in most of these situations. Hence, the victim
conductor and also the shortest route to the relatively
must be moved quickly to a safer place. Also, CPR and
positively charged Earth’s surface.
Automatic External Defibrillator must be given.
• Thousands of thunderstorms occur over India every
year. One thunderstorm can involve more than 100
Additional Info
lightning strikes.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/mapping-
Lightning Safety: Before the lightning-across-india-imd-weather-prediction-5970345/
Calamity
Mains Question
• In order to avoid lightning threats, we must follow a
safety plan. This includes finding a shelter house and What is Lightening mapping and what are its benefit?
estimating the time required to reach there.
• One must check the weather forecast for a
thunderstorm before going out. Outdoor activities
must be postponed if there are signs of a developing
thunderstorm such as darkening skies, flashes, or
strong winds. This will help us to avoid being caught in (Scan the QR code to watch the video)
dangerous situations.
STUDY IQ Page 101
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

while others named the lunar features after comparable
features on Earth.
• In a resolution by the International Astronomical Union
in 1973, crater and crater-like formations are given the
names of astronomers or eminent scientists , posthumously.
• Among other lunar features, mountains are given names
corresponding to the geographical names of mountains of
the Earth, while extensive dark surfaces are given names
(Click on the above image to watch the video) that correspond to the mental states of humans.
Relevance
GS 3 || Science & Technology || Space || Space Missions
Title
Mitra crater of Moon
Why in news?
Chandrayaan-2’s orbiter or mother spacecraft has
zeroed in on a crater on the moon named after 20th
century’s.
The set of images taken by the
Chandrayaan-2, also include the
images of impact craters namely
• Jackson: Named after a Scottish astronomer.
• Mach: Named after an Austrian physicist and philosopher.
• Korolev: Named after the father of the space programme
of the erstwhile USSR.
Mitra Crater About Sisir Kumar Mitra

• Mitra is a lunar impact crater that is attached to the • Mitra led the research in ionosphere– the upper region
western outer rim of the larger crater Mach, on the far of the atmosphere–and radiophysics.
side of the Moon. • He was the first to introduce the teaching of radio
• It is named after Sisir Kumar Mitra (1890-1963). communication in India.
He also lends his name to the S. K. Mitra Centre for • His book, ‘Upper Atmosphere’ published in 1947 is still
Research in Space Environment of the University of considered the Bible for research workers in the field of
Calcutta. ionosphere.
• This is a heavily eroded formation with an outer • In 1950s, he advocated space research and high altitude
rim that has been damaged by subsequent impacts. rocket research programmes which had been successfully
• The pictures were taken by the Terrain Mapping conducted by US and USSR.
Camera-2 at the north pole of moon.
• At 25 degrees Kelvin (minus 248 degrees Celsius), How are Lunar craters formed?
the northern polar region is believed to be one of the
• Moon craters are bowl-shaped landforms created by
coldest spots in the solar system.
two processes: volcanism and cratering. There are
hundreds of thousands of moon craters ranging from less
Lunar nomenclature
than a mile across to giant basins called mare, which were
• The first attempts at naming lunar craters date once thought to be seas.
back to the 17th century, K B Shingareva and G A • The largest crater on the Moon is called South
Burba write in their book The Lunar Nomenclature: Pole-Aitkin Basin. It’s about 1,600 miles across (2,500
The Reverse Side of the Moon, 1961-1973. kilometers). It’s also among the oldest of the Moon’s impact
• Some used the names of prominent personalities basins and formed just a few hundred million years or so
— scientists, philosophers and even members of after the Moon itself was formed.
royalty —
STUDY IQ Page 102

• Because of the Moon’s lack of water, atmosphere,

Mains Question
and tectonic plates, there is little erosion, and craters
are found that exceed two billion years in age. How are Lunar craters formed?
Why is the study of

the Moon important?
• The Moon is the closest celestial body at which
space discovery can be attempted and documented. It
is also a promising testbed to illustrate technologies
required for deep-space missions. Chandrayaan-2 (Scan the QR code to watch video)
attempts to foster a new age of discovery, increase our

understanding of space, stimulate the advancement of
technology, promote global alliances, and inspire a
future generation of explorers and scientists.
• Extensive mapping of lunar surface to study v
ariations in lunar surface composition is essential to
trace back the origin and evolution of the Moon.
Evidence for water molecules discovered by
Chandrayaan-1, requires further studies on the extent
of water molecule distribution on the surface, below
the surface and in the tenuous lunar exosphere to
address the origin of water on the Moon.
objectives
• To identify or to find out the minerals and
indicators of hydroxyl and water molecules.
• To study the surface of the moon.
• To study the density of the electrons in the Moon’s
ionosphere that is the uppermost part of the at
mosphere that is ionised by radiation.
• The Orbiter will observe the lunar surface and
relay communication between Earth and Chandrayaan
2’s Lander
Additional Info –
Chandrayaan-2
• It will be attempt to soft-land the lander -Vikram
and rover- Pragyan in a high plain between two
craters, Manzinus C and Simpelius N.
• It is the first Space Mission to conduct a soft
landing on the Moon's south polar region.
• It is the First Indian expedition to attempt a soft
landing on the lunar surface with home-grown
technology.
• India is the fourth country ever to soft-land on the
lunar surface.
STUDY IQ Page 103

• India has been allocated a site of 75,000 sq km in the

Central Indian Ocean Basin by the International Sea Bed
Authority for exploration of polymetallic nodules from
seabed.
• The estimated resource of polymetallic nodules is about
380 million tonnes, containing 4.7 million tonnes of nickel,
4.29 million tonnes of copper and 0.55 million tonnes of
cobalt and 92.59 million tonnes of manganese.

Significance
Relevance
• The success of the ‘Samudrayaan’ will help India to join
GS 3 || Science & Technology || Miscellaneous the league of developed nations in exploration of minerals
from oceans.
Title • Such missions had already been carried by developed
Samudrayaan’ Project countries and India could be the first among the developing
nations.
Why in news?
• India’s ambition to send men to the deep sea in a Deep Sea Mission
submersible vehicle is likely to be a reality in 2021-22 • Ministry Of Earth Sciences Plans Rs 8000 Crore ‘Deep
with the ‘Samudrayaan’ project. Ocean Mission’ To Boost India’s Sea Exploration
• It will be a part of the ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ that Capabilities. The mission proposes to explore the deep
has received in-principle approval but is awaiting a ocean similar to the space exploration started by ISRO
final nod from the Union Finance Ministry. about 35 years ago.
Features of the Mission

• The focus of the mission will be on deep-sea mining,
ocean climate change advisory services, underwater
vehicles and underwater robotics related technologies.
• Two key projects planned in the ‘Deep Ocean Mission’
report include a desalination plant powered by tidal energy
and a submersible vehicle that can explore depths of at
least 6,000 metres.
‘Samudrayaan’ project Significance of the Mission

• The ‘Samudrayaan’ is a part of the Ministry of Earth • The ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ plan will enable India to
Sciences’ pilot project for deep ocean mining for rare develop capabilities to exploit resources in the Central
minerals. Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB).
• The project proposes to send a submersible vehicle • India has been allotted 75,000 square kilometres in the
with three persons to a depth of about 6000 metres to Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by UN International
carry out deep underwater studies. Sea Bed Authority for exploration of poly-metallic nodules.
• The project is undertaken by the National Institute CIOB reserves contain deposits of metals like iron,
of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai in line with the manganese, nickel and cobalt.
ISRO’s ambitious ‘Gaganyaan’ mission of sending an
astronaut to space by 2022. Potential
• The indigenously developed vehicle is capable of • It is envisaged that 10% of recovery of that large reserve
crawling on the sea bed at a depth of six kilometre for can meet the energy requirement of India for the next 100
72 hours. years.It has been estimated that 380 million metric tonnes
• The project proposes to carry three persons in a
of polymetallic nodules are available at the bottom of the
submersible vehicle to a depth of 6000 metres under
seas in the Central Indian Ocean.
sea for various studies. Submarines go only about 200
metres.
What are PMN?
Mission
STUDY IQ Page 104

• Polymetallic nodules (also known as manganese

nodules) are potato-shaped, largely porous nodules
found in abundance carpeting the sea floor of world
oceans in deep sea.
• Composition: Besides manganese and iron, they
contain nickel, copper, cobalt, lead, molybdenum,
cadmium, vanadium, titanium, of which nickel, cobalt
and copper are considered to be of economic and
strategic importance.
Additional Info
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cen-
tre-to-launch-deep-ocean-mission-in-october/article2
8733519.ece
Mains Question
• What are the benefits of deep sea mining and what
are the potential harms it can have and on the
environment. Discuss
STUDY IQ Page 105

What we know ?
Relevance
GS 3 || Science & Technology || Space || Space missions
Title
• ISRO Sources confirms me that "Lander found 500m
ISRO to help Israel on moon
away from the actual landing spot. Seen from OHRC
Why in news? (Optical High Resolution Camera) image and it is intact.
Trying to send commands from Bangalore control center.
ISRO, Israel’s SpaceIL may exchange notes on each
• However, Isro scientists remain hopeful and said that
other's lander ‘crashes’ on moon.
they would try their best to connect with the lander over
the next 14 days, after which the lunar night would begin
and the landing site would be covered in darkness.
What went wrong?

• Four thrusters were fitted on board the lander to
support the descent operation, and decrease the speed
from 1.6 km a second to almost zilch, and were
programmed to function in sync with one another.
Details
• Perhaps, one of them malfunctioned, resulting in loss of
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is trajectory.
likely to exchange notes with Israel’s SpaceIL, which
lost its robotic lunar lander on April 11, 2019, in a
manner similar to Chandrayaan-2’s lander Vikram,
just five months earlier.
• SpaceIL’s Beresheet mission entailed sending a
robotic lander to the moon. It was launched on
February 22, 2019, onboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. (Scan the QR code to watch video)
What ISRO chairman

said about chandrayaan
2 mission landing?
• ISRO Chairman K Sivan said that Chandrayaan-2's
Vikram module has been located on the lunar surface
and it must have been a hard-landing, in an admission
that the planned soft-landing wasn't successful. "Yes,
we have located the lander on the lunar surface. It
must have been a hard-landing", he added.
STUDY IQ Page 106

Helping Biocontrol
• Bioinformatics analysis showed that the genome

contained a plant chitinase, an enzyme capable of degrading
fungi and insect exoskeleton.
• The scientists have cloned the gene and engineered the
recombinant protein.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • The strain can produce metabolytes that are toxic to
plant pathogens, making it a candidate for biocontrol
Relevance applications.
GS 3 || Science & Technology || Biotechnology || • Across the world, fungal phytopathogens cause
Agriculture and Biotechnology significant agricultural crop loss, both in farmlands and
post-harvest storage conditions.
Title
• The use of micro organisms to control phytopathogens
Genome sequencing of bacteria to help with biocontrol
and pests offers an important alternative to chemical
in farming
fungicides and pesticides which result in environmental
Why in news? pollution and development of resistance in fungal pathogens.
• Scientists in Kerala have completed the whole

genome sequencing of a rare bacterium capable of
producing antifungal and insecticidal compounds.
• This has opened up the potential to develop a new
line of products for biocontrol applications in
agriculture.
Biological pest control

• Biological control or biocontrol is a method of
controlling pests such as insects, mites, weeds and plant
diseases using other organisms.
• It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other
natural mechanisms, but typically also involves an active
Obtained from soil human management role. It can be an important component
of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs.
• Researchers isolated some strains of actinomycetes
(a kind of hairy bacteria) from the forest soils of the Types of biological
Neyyar wildlife sanctuary, one of the 12 mega pest control
diversity centres in the world. There are three basic biological pest control
• One of the isolates was identified as strategies
Streptosporangium nondiastaticum reported to have
• Conservation of a pest's natural enemies often requires
antimicrobial properties.
a change in production practices or pesticide applications
so as not to harm the beneficial species.
Genome Sequencing
• Augmentation involves adding natural enemies to the
area, usually by buying or rearing them. This strategy works
only if the practice adds to overall death of the target pest
instead of replacing existing causes of death.
• Importation is the classical biological control strategy.
Many pests are exotics — that is, they have been brought
into a region that they are not native to, usually
accidentally. The natural enemies of these pests can be
imported so as to "reunite" the pests with their natural
control agents. Importation must involve extensive natural
STUDY IQ Page 107
hosting studies and a quarantine stage to ensure that

bringing these natural enemies into the area won't Mains Question
cause further problems.
What is Genome sequencing?
Biological control agents
• Predators
• Parasitoids
• Pathogens
Additional Info
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/genome-
sequencing-of-bacteria-to-help-with-biocontrol-in-farming

STUDY IQ Page 108

• The target is the smaller of two bodies in the “double

Didymos asteroids” that are in orbit between Earth and
Mars.
• Didymos is a near-Earth asteroid system. Its main body
measures about 780 m across; the smaller body is a
“moonlet” about 160 m in diameter.
• The project aims to deflect the orbit of the smaller body
through an impact by one spacecraft.
• Then a second spacecraft will survey the crash site and
gather the maximum possible data on the effect of this
collision.
Relevance
GS 3 || Science & Technology || Space || Miscellaneous
Title
Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA)
Why in news?
• Among all the causes that will eventually cause the
extinction of life on Earth, an asteroid hit is widely
acknowledged as one of the likeliest.
• Over the years, scientists have suggested different
ways to ward off such a hit, such as blowing up the
Tools of the mission
asteroid before it reaches Earth, or deflecting it off • NASA is building the Double Asteroid Impact Test
with a spacecraft. (DART) spacecraft for launch in summer 2021.
• Now, scientists have embarked on a plan to test • It is planned to collide with the target at 6.6 km/s in
their expertise with the second of these two methods. September 2022.
• Flying along with DART will be an Italian-made miniature
Asteroid CubeSat, called LICIACube, to record the moment of impact.
• Asteroids are small, airless rocky worlds revolving • ESA’s contribution is a mission called Hera, which will
around the sun that are too small to be called planets. perform a close-up survey of the post-impact asteroid,
They are also known as planetoids or minor planets. acquiring measurements such as the asteroid’s mass and
• In total, the mass of all the asteroids is less than detailed crater shape.
that of Earth’s moon. But despite their size, asteroids • Hera will also deploy a pair of CubeSats for close-up
can be dangerous. Many have hit Earth in the past, and asteroid surveys and the very first radar probe of an
more will crash into our planet in the future. asteroid.
• All this would allow researchers to model the efficiency
of the collision.
• This can help turn this experiment into a technique that
could be repeated, as needed, in the event of a real threat.
Hera
• Hera is the proposed European component of the
ESA–NASA AIDA mission. The Hera spacecraft would
focus on key measurements to validate impact and
asteroid deflection models such as the detailed
characterisation of the impact crater made by the DART
impactor.
Asteroid Impact Deflection • Hera would also measure the DART impact outcome,
Assessment (AIDA) such as change in the binary system orbit, and would
• It is an ambitious double-spacecraft mission to enable detailed characterisation of the Didymoon
deflect an asteroid in space, to prove the technique as volume and surface properties, as well as measure the
a viable method of planetary defence. volume and morphology of the DART impact crater.
• The mission, which includes NASA and the
European Space Agency (ESA), is known as the
Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA).
STUDY IQ Page 109


Double Asteroid
Redirection Test (DART):
• On the sidelines, the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) in USA will also launch
the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)
between 2020 and 2021, which will target Didymoon
as part of its planetary defence programme.
Additional Info
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/ex-
plained-how-to-deflect-an-asteroid-plan-in-progress-
5963243/
Mains Question
What is Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA)?
STUDY IQ Page 110

• Prevention: Strict biosecurity measures and good

hygiene are essential in protecting against disease outbreaks.
• Eradication: If the infection is detected in animals, a
policy of culling infected and contact animals is normally
used in an effort to rapidly contain, control and eradicate
the disease.
Relevance
GS 3 || Science & Technology || Health and (Scan the QR code to watch video)
Medicines || Disease

Title
India declared free of Avian influenza
Why in news?
With effect from 3rd September 2019, India has been
declared free from Avian Influenza (H5N1), which has
also been notified to the World Organization for
Animal Health (OIE).
Details
• The declaration is a result of measures taken to
control the recent outbreak of the disease at several
places in Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha and hence
there is no presence of the Highly Pathogenic Avian
Influenza (HPAI) Virus.
• The status will last only till another outbreak is
reported. India was last declared free of the disease in
2017.
• This declaration is important not just from the
poultry industry standpoint, but also because humans
can contact the disease from animals. Though the
pathogen is not capable of sustained human-to-human
transmission.
About Avian Influenza

• Avian influenza (AI) is a highly contagious viral
disease affecting several species of food-producing
birds (chickens, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.), as
well as pet birds and wild birds.
• Occasionally mammals, including humans, may
contract avian influenza.
• Influenza A viruses are classified into subtypes
based on two surface proteins, Hemagglutinin (HA)
and Neuraminidase (NA).
• Avian influenza virus subtypes include A(H5N1),
A(H7N9), and A(H9N2). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAz7fhPgM1I
• HPAI A(H5N1) virus occurs mainly in birds and is
highly contagious among them.
• HPAI Asian H5N1 is especially deadly for poultry.
• Avian Influenza outbreaks can lead to devastating
consequences for the country, particularly the poultry
industry.
• Farmers might experience a high level of mortality
in their flocks, with rates often around 50%.
STUDY IQ Page 111
• The exoplanet also lies within the habitable zone of its

star, which means it will have the right temperature for
liquid water to exist on the surface of the planet and
potentially support life. This indicates that the planet could
be habitable.
Relevance (Scan the QR code to watch video)
GS 3 || Science & Technology || Space || Miscellaneous

Title
Water vapour found on K2 18b Super Earth
Why in news?
Water has been found by scientists in the atmosphere
of a potentially habitable super-Earth. The exoplanet,
named K2-18b, is twice the size and eight times the
mass of Earth.
Details
• K2-18b is the first planet outside the solar system
in the habitable zone of its star.
• The discovery was published in a paper in a
scientific journal, Nature Astronomy on September
11, 2019 by researchers from University College
London (UCL).
• The paper revealed that scientists studied the
atmosphere of K2-18b, a distant super-Earth and for
the first time discovered water vapor in its atmosphere
and temperature that could potentially support life.
About K2-18b exoplanet

• The exoplanet is twice the size and eight times the
mass of Earth and hence, known as a super-Earth.
• Super-Earths are exoplanets that are larger than
Earth but smaller than Neptune.The exoplanet orbits a
red dwarf star, K2-18 and is 110 light-years away from
Earth in the Leo constellation.
• Though the actual conditions on the surface of the
planet are not known, the red dwarf star it orbits is
quite active. This means that the planet will be
exposed to ultraviolet radiation. However, the study
reveals that K2-18b receives about the same amount of
radiation from its star as the Earth does from the sun.
STUDY IQ Page 112

the problematic inclusion of birth portion in all newborn

children inside 24 hours of birth.
The coverage has increased with the introduction of a
prevalent vaccine on a pilot basis in Kerala and TN in 2011
and national roll-out in 2014-2015.
According to the WHO, the coverage of hepatitis B's
third dose had reached 86% in 2015.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • Prevalence

Despite the availability of the vaccine, about 1 million
Relevance people in India become chronically infected with the virus
every year.
GS 3 || Science & Technology || Space || Health &
The WHO has listed viral hepatitis as a major public
Medicine
health problem throughout the world and particularly in
Title India, causing over 1, 00,000 premature deaths annually
Hepatitis B - 4 Southeast Asia nations eliminate from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Hepatitis B According to the Health Ministry, as of February 2019,
an estimated 40 million people in India were infected.
Why in news? Despite the high vaccination coverage, disease
• On September 3, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and prevalence in children aged less than 5 years has not
Thailand turned into the initial four nations in the dropped below 1%.
World Health Organization's Southeast Asia locale to One of the reasons for this is the sub-optimal coverage
have effectively controlled hepatitis B. of birth dose in all infants within 24 hours of birth.
• The infection is said to be controlled when the
illness pervasiveness is decreased to less than 1% Significance of the dose at birth
among youngsters under five years old.
• Hepatitis B birth dose, given in the initial 24 hours,
Hepatitis B keeps checking on vertical transmission from the mother
to the youngster.
• It is a viral infection that attacks and affects the
• The impulse to expand birth portion to cut vertical
liver and can cause both acute and chronic diseases.
transmission emerges from two significant reasons:
• Hepatitis B spreads through unsafe sex, unsafe
• About 70-90% of infants tainted along these lines
blood transfusion, unsafe injection, etc. and also from
become chronic carriers of hepatitis B
mother to child. Hepatitis B is preventable by ensuring
• About 20-30% of carriers in India are because of vertical
precautionary measures.
transmission
• The virus is most commonly transmitted from
• But even 7 years after the Health Ministry endorsed
mother to child during birth and delivery, as well as
the birth portion in 2008; its inclusion stayed low - 45% in
through contact with blood or other body fluids.
2015 and 60% in 2016.
• It is the primary cause of liver cancer.
• More worryingly, even on account of institutional
• Hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccines that are
conveyance, the birth portion antibody inclusion is
safe, available and effective.
low - 76.36% in 2017.
• Every year, World Hepatitis Day is celebrated on
• Incidentally, institutional deliveries represent about
the 28th of July.
80% of all deliveries in the country.
• It is among the four diseases apart from HIV-AIDS,
• The birth portion inclusion when conveyance happens
TB, and Malaria for which, the World Health
outside human services foundations isn't known.
Organisation officially endorses disease-specific global
awareness days.
Reason for low coverage
India’s Scenario
• One of the reasons for the low coverage is the fear of
• Vaccination coverage wastage of vaccines when a 10-dose vial is used. [Vial - a
Despite the introduction of the hepatitis B antibody small container, mostly cylindrical and made of glass, used
in the Universal Immunization Program in 2002 and especially for holding liquid medicines]
scaling-up across the nation in 2011, around one • Unfortunately, health-care workers are very often
million individuals in India become constantly unaware of the WHO recommendation that allows
contaminated with the infection consistently. hepatitis B open-vial policy.
Despite the high immunization inclusion, infection • Opened vials of the hepatitis B vaccine can be kept for a
pervasiveness in youngsters matured less than five maximum duration of 28 days for use in other children if
years has not dipped under 1%. One reason being the the vaccine meets certain conditions.
STUDY IQ Page 113


Steps India has taken
• In line with the Government of India’s deep
commitment towards elimination of viral hepatitis, the
“National Action Plan – Viral Hepatitis” was launched
by Union Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare in
February 2019.
• As part of the National Viral Hepatitis Control
Programme, the government is providing free drugs at
all government hospitals for those suffering from
hepatitis B and C.
• Focus under the program is also on screening of
pregnant women for hepatitis B, in places where
institutional delivery is less than 80%, to ensure the
provision of birth dose hepatitis B vaccination and
Hepatitis B immunoglobulin if required.
• The aim is to eliminate hepatitis by 2030.
• Another important strategy adopted by the program
is propagating the use of Re-use Prevention (RUP)
syringes in the country.
Way Forward
• Controlling the hepatitis B virus calls for universal
vaccination of newborns.
• There is also a need to increase public awareness
about the merits of the birth dose.
• Coordination and Collaboration with other national
programs and schemes to provide a promotive,
preventive and curative package of services will further
augment the government of India’s determined efforts
towards achieving the goal.
• Effective participation between the government of
India, state governments and other stakeholders will
progressively strengthen the program and will remain
the hallmark for achieving the program’s aim.
References
• https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editori-
al/a-weak-chase-on-controlling-hepatitis-b/article
29345193.ece
• https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/world-
hepatitis-day-all-you-want-to-know/article28737126.
ece
• https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx-
?PRID=1566140
STUDY IQ Page 114


Relevance
GS 3 || Science & Technology || Defence || Military
technology
Title
Man portable anti tank guided missile
Why in news?
Recently, the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flight tested
indigenously developed Man-Portable Antitank
Guided Missile (MPATGM).
How was missile launched?

• The missile was launched from a man-portable
tripod launcher and the target was mimicking a
functional tank.
Details
• It is low weight and fire and forget missile.
• The missile was launched from a man-portable
Tripod launcher.
• This is the third series of successful testing of
MPATGM.
• The missile is incorporated with Infrared Imaging
Seeker along with advanced avionics.
• The Indian Army requires around 70,000 ATGMs of
various types and around 850 launchers of different
types. It is planning to procure third-generation ATGMs
with a longer range than that of its existing Milan-2T
and Konkurs ATGMs.
STUDY IQ Page 115

How Are The Astronauts

Gaganyaan mission Being Selected?
by 2021
• The Indian Air Force has completed the first level of
selecting astronauts for the ambitious Gaganyaan mission
from its pool of test pilots.
• According to the Air force, the pilots underwent
necessary physical exercise tests, lab investigations,
radiological tests, clinical tests and evaluation on various
Relevance aspects of their psychology.
GS 3 || Science & Technology || Space || Space Missions
Title
Gaganyaan mission by 2021
Why in news?
"By December 2020, we will have our first unmanned
mission of human space plane. The second unmanned
human space plane, we target for July 2021," Sivan said.
Russian Help
• India is likely to receive assistance from Russia in the
project. In July this year, National Security Advisor Ajit
Doval met Russia’s space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin and
discussed key aspects of the mission.
What is At Stake ?
• If Gaganyaan is successful, India will become the fourth
nation to launch a manned mission to space after Russia,
the United States and China.
Ahead Of Deadline The Race To Become

The 4th Nation
• The Gaganyaan programme will be India’s first
• Japan hopes to be launching astronauts aboard a
manned mission to space. The space agency is
manned capsule or space plane by 2022, and the nation is
planning to send two unmanned missions to space in
also eyeing point-to-point suborbital transportation over
December 2020 and July 2021, and the manned
the longer haul.
mission in December 2021 ahead of the 2022 deadline
• Other countries are also eyeing the 4th country position
that was initially announced.
to send a human in Space.
About GAGANYAAN
Where Does Space Begin?
• The Union Cabinet had approved the mission on
December 28. It is expected to cost Rs 10,000 crore, • The Kármán line is an attempt to define a boundary
and will include the cost of technology development, between Earth's atmosphere and outer space.
flight hardware and essential infrastructure elements. This is important for legal and regulatory measures; aircraft
The programme will carry a three-member crew into and spacecraft fall under different jurisdictions and are
space for a minimum of seven days. subject to different treaties.
• A three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle, GSLV Mk III,
will be used to launch the spacecraft, and national
agencies will collaborate with the Indian Space
Research Organisation to bring the mission to fruition.
• The spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit
of 300-400 km. (Scan the QR code to watch video)
STUDY IQ Page 116

ENVIRONMENT
Role of Southern Ocean
in CO2 absorption
• Carbon dioxide is absorbed in the surface oceans and
stored in the deep seas, gradually, over a timescale of 100s
to 1,000s years.
• The Southern Ocean plays a critical role in how the
carbon dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere.
• Whether carbon is released into the atmosphere or
trapped in the deep ocean, is crucially determined by the
transformation of the water from light to dense which is in
Relevance turn caused by cooling at the ocean’s surface.
GS3 || Environment || Climate change || Tackling Outcomes

climate change
• The dominant factor driving the uptake of carbon from
the atmosphere to the ocean was not related to dense
Title water formation in the close to Antarctica, but rather to
ANDREX Project biological processes further out in the sea.
• The results carry implications for our understanding of
Why in news? how the high-latitude Southern Ocean, close to the
Antarctic continent, influences atmospheric carbon and
Scientists have made a new discovery challenging the global climate on 100 to 1000-year timescales.
previous understanding of the link between the • The findings are important both for our understanding
Southern Ocean — next to Antarctica — and the of climate transitions in the past, such as the ice ages, as
atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. well as our projections of future climate change.
Additional Info
• Biological carbon pump
The 'biological carbon pump' (BCP) contributes to the
ocean's role in taking up and storing carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere. Without the BCP the atmospheric
concentration of CO2 would be much higher.
• Carbon sink
ANDREX Project A carbon sink is a natural reservoir that stores carbon
-containing chemical compounds accumulated over an
• Researchers studied the ocean circulation and indefinite period of time. The process by which carbon
carbon concentration of the Weddell Gyre — a region sinks remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere is
lying east of the Antarctic Peninsula. known as carbon sequestration.
• The team studied data collected as part of the https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/re-
ANDREX project (Antarctic Deep water Rates of search-suggests-how-southern-ocean-could-control-global-clima
te/article29309267.ece
Export) which measured the physical, biological, and
chemical properties of the waters in the gyre
between 2008 and 2010. Mains Question
• The data considered in this study showed
• How can oceans play the role of carbon sink?
unambiguously that, in the Weddell Gyre, the
dominant process enabling the uptake of carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere and its removal to the
deep ocean included the role of phytoplanktons.
• The researchers reasoned that as phytoplankton
in the centre of the gyre grow and sink, they remove
carbon from the surface of the ocean, causing an
uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – a (Scan the QR code to watch video)
process known as the ‘biological carbon pump’.
STUDY IQ Page 117

• The predominant battery chemistry used in EVs is

lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion).
• No new technologies are on the horizon for immediate
commercial usage.
• The cost of the materials or key-components of the
battery, namely the cathode, anode, electrolyte, separator,
among others, contribute the most (60%) to the total cost.
Where does India

(Click on the above image to watch the video) stand on EV adoption?
Relevance • In India, EV adoption will be driven by two-wheelers

rather than cars in high numbers on because India’s
GS 3 || Environment || Environment & Ecology ||
mobility market is driven more by two wheelers.
Pollution
• According to the NITI Aayog, 79% of vehicles on Indian
roads are two-wheelers.
Title
• Three-wheelers and cars that cost less than ₹10 lakh
Why electric vehicles are expensive?
account for 4% and 12% of the vehicle population,
respectively.
Why in news? • Two-wheelers will also need smaller batteries when
• Shifting gears in the transition to electric vehicles compared to cars and hence the overall affordable cost.
(EVs), the NITI Aayog, in May this year, proposed to • India needs to manufacture Li-ion cells in-house. Now,
ban the sale of all internal combustion engine (ICE) cells are imported and “assembled” into batteries.
powered three-wheelers post March 2023. • Setting up a Li-ion manufacturing unit requires high
• It is suggested that all new two-wheelers below capital expenditure. But battery manufacturing in India is
150cc sold after March 2025 should be electric. expected to grow as electric vehicles grow.
Background? Are EV vehicles completely

• In consonance with these proposals, the Union
environment friendly?
Budget announced tax incentives for early adopters. • In conventional ICEs, petrol or diesel fuels the engine.
• The automobile industry had objected to the • However, in EVs, batteries are not the fuel; electrons
proposal and called for a practical approach in framing supplied by the battery fuel the vehicle.
EV-related policies. • Presently, most of India’s electricity is generated using
• There has been the worry that EVs are still not conventional sources.
financially viable because of various costs associated • In 2018-19, over 90% of India’s electricity was
with their manufacture and use. generated from conventional sources, including coal, and
around 10% was produced from renewable sources such
How are cost structures of as solar, wind and biomass.
conventional vehicles and • While the rate of electricity generated from renewable
electric vehicles different? sources has increased over the years, more needs to be
• The portion of the costs of the drive train of EVs done for their adoption.
the system in a motor vehicle which connects the • This is because the EV-charging infrastructure needs to
transmission to the drive axles in comparison to the be powered through renewable sources to make it truly
cost of the entire vehicle is 4% lower compared to ICE sustainable.
vehicles.
Electric car over a
• This is primarily due to less part in the electric
drive train.
petrol or diesel vehicle
• However, the battery pack takes up nearly half the
• Charge up at home, at work and around
cost of an electric vehicle.
town – electric cars can be charged anywhere there is a
• For any meaningful reduction in the physical value
power point, just like charging your cellphone.
of EVs, the cost of battery packs needs to reduce
• Pollution-free driving – Battery electric vehicles (BEVs)
significantly.
don’t have a tailpipe and produce no exhaust emissions that
Components of a battery cause local air pollution.
pack and their cost
STUDY IQ Page 118

• Noise reduction – EVs are quieter than petrol or • Swapping the battery at convenient locations with one
diesel vehicles. that is pre-charged, especially for commercial vehicles that
• 80% reduction in CO2 emissions in New Zealand run longer and need a quick turnaround, is worth
this significant reduction in emissions is because 80% considering.
of New Zealand’s electricity is generated from • A longer-term policy priority has to be the setting up of
renewable sources. There are also many other lithium battery production and solar charging
advantages to using this home-grown energy infrastructure of a scale that matches the ambition.
compared with using imported fossil fuels.
• Fewer lifecycle emissions – even when you take Mains Question
into account raw material extraction, battery
Why we should use electric car over a petrol or diesel
manufacture, vehicle manufacture and shipping, BEVs
vehicle ?
emit 60% fewer climate change emissions over the
full life cycle than for petrol vehicles.
Additional Info
• More efficient – electric cars can convert up to
90% of energy from their batteries into motive https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technolo-
energy. This compares to 20% – 30% for a petrol or gy/what-is-the-economics-behind-e-vehicle-batteries/article293
diesel vehicle. 11800.ece
Way Ahead for shifting

to E-Vehicles
• This is because the EV-charging infrastructure
needs to be powered through renewable sources to
make it truly sustainable.
• Any reduction in the cost of the battery pack will (Scan the QR code to watch video)
have to come from a reduction in materials cost or the
manufacturing overhead.
How has the cost of the

Li-ion battery pack cost
evolved in the last decade?
• The price of these battery packs has consistently

fallen over the past few years.
• This decrease is in part due to technological
improvements, economies of scale and increased
demand for lithium-ion batteries.
• Fierce competition between major manufacturers
has also been instrumental in bringing down prices.
• The chart shows the change in the price of Li-ion
batteries from 2010 to 2016. It is not clear if the
battery cost can be reduced even further.
• Given that raw materials account for 60% of the
cost of the battery pack, the room for further cost
reduction is rather limited.
• Affordable charging will make these vehicles and

commercial three-wheelers attractive because
operating costs are a fraction of petrol and diesel
equivalents.
STUDY IQ Page 119

• At present, this programme has been extended to whole

of India except UTs of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep
islands with effect from 01st April, 2019 wherein OMCs
sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 10%.
About the decision

• According to the new decision, the price of ethanol from
C-heavy molasses will be increased from ₹43.46 per litre
to ₹43.75 per litre.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • The price of ethanol from B-heavy molasses will be
increased from ₹52.43 per litre to ₹54.27 per litre. The
Relevance price of ethanol from sugarcane juice, sugar, and sugar
GS 3 || Environment || Environment & Ecology || syrup has been set at ₹59.48 per litre.
Sustainable Development • The oil marketing companies will also pay the GST and
transportation tax associated with the ethanol supply — a
Title provision that existed in the previous plan as well.
Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme
Re-vitalising Ethanol
Why in news? blending
• A consistent and flexible policy for ethanol blending is
• The Union Cabinet has approved a higher
needed to derive the many advantages that it offers across
procurement price for ethanol purchased by oil
sectors.
marketing companies for the ethanol blended petrol
• To achieve the government’s target of 10% blending by
(EBP) programme.
2022, the ethanol required is 300 crore litres.
Biofuels • However, lack of a consistent policy and the will to
implement the programme effectively resulted in the
• Any hydrocarbon fuel that is produced from an
average blending rate still hovering around 2.07% in
organic matter (living or once living material) in a
2016-17.
short period of time (days, weeks, or even months) is
considered a biofuel. Flaws
• Biofuels may be solid, liquid or gaseous in nature.
• Octane Count - World Health Organisation (WHO) has
• Solid: Wood, dried plant material, and manure
already declared 14 Indian cities as among the 20 most
• Liquid: Bioethanol and Biodiesel
polluted in the world.
• Gaseous: Biogas
• Untested Technology - NPB-18 has proposed “Viability
gap funding scheme” and a “6 year tax incentive” for
refiners manufacturing 2G ethanol.
Measures needed
• For India’s ethanol blending programme to deliver, three
critical factors are essential — policy consistency, price
stability and flexibility.
• Automotive Industry will have to study if engines need
EBP Programme
to be modified, with increasing blending requirements, and
• Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme was have to make necessary adjustments.
launched in January, 2003 for supply of 5% ethanol
Pro-arguments for
blended Petrol. Measures
Ethanol needed
Blending
• The programme sought to promote the use of
alternative and environment friendly fuels and to • It decreases a nation dependence on foreign oil.
reduce import dependency for energy requirements. • It reduces the carbon monoxide emissions by up to 30
• OMCs are advised to continue according priority percent.
of ethanol from • Cleaner air means healthier people, especially those
1 Sugarcane juice/sugar/sugar syrup, that suffer from respiratory diseases.Mortality rates will
2 B-heavy molasses decrease, health care visits will decrease in number and
3 C-heavy molasses and severity, health care costs will decrease, and productivity
4 Damaged food grains/other sources. will improve as absenteeism and performance is improved.
STUDY IQ
Page 120
Anti-arguments against Notes

Ethanol Blending
• Ethanol is derived from Sugarcane, corn, sorghum.
Ethanol blending in petrol, increases the demand and
ultimately the price of these crops. + indirectly
increase fertilizer, pesticide prices= Food security
problem in India.
• However not really a problem because Indian
Government has proposed only 5% blending, unlike
Brazil where it is 25%. Besides, In India, ethanol is
mainly derived by sugarcane molasses, which is a
by-product in the conversion of sugarcane to sugar.
Therefore, ethanol does not compromise on the food
security front.
Additional Info -Ethanol

• Ethanol, an anhydrous ethyl alcohol having
chemical formula of C2H5OH, can be produced from
sugarcane, maize, wheat, etc which are having high
starch content.
• In India, ethanol is mainly produced from
sugarcane molasses by fermentation process.
• Ethanol can be mixed with gasoline to form
different blends.
• As the ethanol molecule contains oxygen, it allows
the engine to more completely combust the fuel,
resulting in fewer emissions and thereby reducing the
occurrence of environmental pollution.
• Since ethanol is produced from plants that harness
the power of the sun, ethanol is also considered as
renewable fuel.
https://www.thehindu.com/business/cabinet-ap-
proves-higher-pro-
curement-price-for-ethanol/article29325411.ece
Mains Question
What is Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme?
STUDY IQ Page 121

• It aims to create incentives for communities so that they

stop forest degrading practices.
• More than 300 REDD+ initiatives have taken place
since 2006.
• The mechanism is enshrined in the 2015 Paris
Agreement and its implementation transitions from
smaller, isolated projects to larger, jurisdictional
programmes with support from bilateral and multilateral
(Click on the above image to watch the video) agencies.
Relevance What is the difference

GS 3|| Environment || Governance: India ||
between REDD and REDD+?
Conventions & Protocols
• REDD = “reducing emissions from deforestation in
Title developing countries”
• REDD+ (or REDD-plus) = to “reducing emissions from
REDD+ Himalayan programme extended till 2020
deforestation and forest degradation in developing
countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable
Why In News? management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon
• The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and stocks in developing countries”
Forest Degradation (REDD+) programme being • REDD+ is essentially a vehicle to financially reward
carried out in the Himalayan states jointly by Indian developing countries for their verified efforts to reduce
Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) emissions and enhance removals of greenhouse gases
and International Centre for Integrated Mountain through a variety of forest management option
Development (ICIMOD) has been extended till July • India favours REDD+
2020.
About the Programme

• The Himalaya programme was launched in January
2016 in Mizoram to address the drivers of
deforestation and forest degradation in India’s
Himalayan states.
• The initiative was meant to last only till 2018 is Compensatory
extended till July 2020 keeping in view of the Afforestation Fund
contributions made by the agencies.
• The Union Environment Ministry has transferred
• The project is supported by the environment,
₹47,436 crore to 27 States for afforestation. The funds are
nature conservation and nuclear safety ministry of
long-pending dues, part of the Compensatory
Germany, was implemented in four countries of the
Afforestation Fund (CAF), that has been collected for
Hindu Kush Himalayan region— Bhutan, India,
nearly a decade as environmental compensation from
Myanmar and Nepal.
industry.
REDD+ • The funds transferred are in addition to State Budget.
The centre expects that states will utilize the funds
• REDD+ is a mechanism developed by Parties to the
towards forestry activities to achieve the objectives of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Nationally-Determined Contributions (NDCs) of
Change (UNFCCC).
increasing forest & tree cover.
• It creates a financial value for the carbon stored in
• The CAF Act was passed by the centre in 2016 and the
forests by offering incentives for developing countries
related rules were notified in 2018.
to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in
• The CAF Act was enacted to manage the funds collected
low-carbon paths to sustainable development.
for compensatory afforestation which till then was
• Developing countries would receive results-based
managed by ad hoc Compensatory Afforestation Fund
payments for results-based actions.
Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
• REDD+ goes beyond simply deforestation and
forest degradation and includes the role of
conservation, sustainable management of forests
and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
STUDY IQ Page 122

• The funds can be used for treatment of catchment

areas, assisted natural generation, forest
management, wildlife protection and management,
relocation of villages from protected areas, managing
human-wildlife conflicts, training and awareness
generation, supply of wood saving devices and allied (Scan the QR code to watch video)
activities.
Mains Question
What is status of afforestation in India ?
Additional Info
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx-
?PRID=1583452

STUDY IQ Page 123

• Identify the source of bacteria Escherichia Coli (bacteria

that lives in the guts of humans and animals).
• The project is expected to last for 2 years.
To indicate the type of contamination- sewage or
industrial,
The threat to human Health- case of antibiotic
resistance,
Identify the source of bacteria Escherichia Coli (bacteria
that lives in the guts of humans and animals).
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • The project is expected to last for 2 years.
Relevance
Related Studies in the Past
GS 3 || Environment || Environment & Ecology ||
Pollution • Earlier in April 2019, a study was commissioned by the
Union Water Resources Ministry to probe the “unique
Title properties” of the river Ganga.
Ganga river antibiotic resistance. • It found that the Ganges contains a significantly higher
proportion of organisms with antibacterial properties.
Why in news? • Several studies were conducted on microbial diversity in
• The government has commissioned a study to the past, but none of them covered the entire stretch of
assess the microbial diversity across the entire 2,500 Ganga.
km stretch of river Ganga, and test for the presence • Researchers from IIT-Delhi in collaboration with
of microbes that may promote antibiotic resistance. Newcastle University, the UK in 2014 reported that during
• The project is to be undertaken by scientists at the the pilgrimage months of May & June the levels of
Motilal Nehru Institute of Technology (Allahabad), resistance genes that lead to ‘superbugs’ are 60 times
the National Environmental Engineering Research greater than at any other time of the year.
Institute (Nagpur), Sardar Patel Institute of S&T • Superbug is a strain of bacteria that has become
(Gorakhpur). resistant to antibiotic drugs.
World’s Rivers Contaminated

with Antibiotics
Rivers around the world are contaminated with dangerous
levels of antibiotics, with concentrations of antibiotics in
some waterways exceeding safe levels by 300 times, a
Project global team of scientists led by the University of York
found.
• The study will undertake test entire stretches of
the 2,500 km Ganga river if it contain microbes that
Worried?
may promote “antibiotic resistance”.
• Basically, superbugs are becoming more powerful and
• To indicate the type of contamination.
widespread than ever. Medical experts are afraid that
• To identify sources of Escherichia coli
we’re one step away from deadly, untreatable infections,
• While largely harmless, some species have been
since the mcr-1 E.coli is resistant to that last-resort
linked to intestinal disease as well as aggravating
antibiotic Colistin.
antibiotic resistance.
• Antibiotic-resistance is passed relatively easily from
Notes one bacteria to the next, since it is transmitted by way of
• Two genome sequencing start-ups are also loose genetic material that most bacteria have in common.
working on this project for performing the mapping of
The cost of antimicrobial
the genomes of the sampled microbes.
• According to the National Mission for Clean Ganga,
resistance
the aim of the project is: • High human and economic cost
• To indicate the type of contamination- sewage or • GDP loss and poverty widening
industrial, • For poorer countries, the price is higher but still modest
• The threat to human Health- case of antibiotic compared to the costs of an antibiotic apocalypse.
resistance,
STUDY IQ Page 124

What is Antibiotic resistanc ?

• Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat
bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when
bacteria change in response to the use of these
medicines. (Scan the QR code to watch video)
• Bacteria, not humans or animals, become

antibiotic-resistant.
• These bacteria may infect humans and animals,
and the infections they cause are harder to treat than
those caused by non-resistant bacteria.
• Antibiotic resistance leads to higher medical costs,
prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality.
• Antibiotic resistance is a consequence of evolution
via natural selection.
• Other factors contributing towards resistance
include incorrect diagnosis, unnecessary
prescriptions, improper use of antibiotics by
patients, and the use of antibiotics as livestock food
additives for growth promotion.
Way Forward
• A multi-stakeholder approach, involving private
industry, philanthropic groups and citizen activists is
needed.
• Private pharmaceutical industries must take it
upon themselves to distribute drugs in a responsible
manner.
• Philanthropic charities must fund the develop-
ment of new antibiotics, while citizen activists must
drive awareness.
• These stakeholders must appreciate that the only
way to postpone resistance is through improved
hygiene and vaccinations.
Additional Info
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ganga-mis-
sion-study-to-check-for-antibiotic-resistance-in-river
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/de-
tail/antibiotic-resistance
Mains Question
What is Antibiotic resistance?
STUDY IQ Page 125

Okjokull Glacier is now dead

(Click on the above image to watch the video) • Okjokull, also called OK (jokull is Icelandic name for
“glacier”), was part of the Langjökull group.
Relevance • The glacier was officially declared dead by the Icelandic
GS 3 || Environment || Climate Change || Global Meteorological Office when it was no longer thick enough
Warming to move.
• What once was glacier has been reduced to a small
Title patch of ice atop a volcano.
Okjokull Glacier, Iceland • The people attending the ceremony will walk up the
volcano northeast of the capital Reykjavik to lay a plaque
Why in news? which carries a letter to the future.
• Iceland loses about 11 billion tonnes of ice per • The plaque is also labelled “415 ppm CO2”, referring to
year, and scientists fear that all of the island country’s the record level of carbon dioxide measured in the atmos-
400-plus glaciers will be gone by 2200. phere in May 2018.
• In Iceland, people gathered to commemorate the
loss of the glacier Okjokull, which was officially
declared dead in 2014 at the age of 700.
Why is Iceland mourning?

• An ice-free Iceland represents more than just an
identity crisis for Icelanders.
• If global leaders don’t take action to slow rising
temperatures, the melting of Greenland’s ice sheet alone
could raise sea-levels more than five feet in the next 200
years.
• Enormous quantities of methane slumbering in the
Arctic permafrost are threatening to come alive as record
temperatures fry the poles.
• Two fast-melting glaciers in Antarctica are holding back
Glacier enough sea ice to flood oceans with another 11 feet of
water
• A glacier is defined as a persistent mass of
compacted ice that accumulates more mass each
winter than it loses through summer melt and moves
constantly under its own weight. When this ceases to
be the case, the remains are known as “dead ice”.
• According to a study published by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
First Monument in
(IUCN), nearly half of the world’s heritage sites could
Memoryof a Glacier
lose their glaciers by 2100 if greenhouse gas
emissions continue at the current rate.
STUDY IQ Page 126

• Iceland honours the passing of Okjokull, its first • Similarly, increase in frequency of droughts due to
glacier lost to climate change. A bronze plaque was climate change would force farmers and pastoralists, who
unveiled in a ceremony to mark Okjokull — which rely on rainfall to raise their crops and livestock, to migrate
translates to “Ok glacier” — in the western Iceland. to areas in search of land and water.
• It will be the first monument to a glacier lost to • Impact on Glacier
climate change anywhere in the world. Glaciers the world over are thinning and shrinking as the
planet warms, and glaciers in the Himalayas are receding
Basics of climate change faster than anywhere else.
• Climate change’ as a change of climate which is • If the earth keeps warming at the current rate,
attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that Himalayan glaciers are likely to disappear altogether in 25
alters the composition of the global atmosphere and years.
which is in addition to natural climate variability • Impact on Weather
observed over comparable time periods. The major Increasing global temperatures will lead to higher
characteristics of climate change include rise in maximum temperatures, more heat waves, and fewer cold
average global temperature, ice cap melting, changes days over most land areas.
in precipitation, and increase in ocean temperature • More severe drought in some areas, combined with
leading to sea level rise. other factors, has contributed to larger and more frequent
wildfires.
Impact • Impact on Human Health
• Impact on Agriculture
• According to World Meteorological Organization,
climate change can adversely impact global
environment, agricultural productivity and the quality
of human life.
• More importantly in developing countries, it will
be difficult for farmers to carry on farming in the
increased temperatures.
• While in temperate latitudes a rise in temperature • Impact on Sea Level Rise
would help countries increase food productivity, it will • The Bay of Bengal points to the sea rising 3.14 mm a
have adverse effects in India and countries in the year in the mangrove swamps of ‘the Sunderbans delta’
tropics. against a global average of 2 mm, threatening the low-lying
• The monsoon accounting for 75% of India’s rainfall area which is home to about 4 million people.
significantly impacts country’s agriculture and • A trend of sea level rise of 1 cm. per decade has been
livelihood of tens of millions of small farmers. recorded along the Indian coast. The major delta area of the
• Climate change is likely to intensify the variability Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus rivers, which have large
of monsoon dynamics, leading to a rise in extreme populations reliant on riverine resources, will be affected
seasonal aberrations, such as increased precipitation by changes in water regimes, salt water intrusions and land
and devastating floods in some parts of the country as loss.
well as reduced rainfall and prolonged droughts in • Impact on Water Resources
other areas. • Climate change will have an impact on the predictability
• Impact on fisheries and Aquaculture- and variability in the availability of water and also increase
Climate change, more particularly harsher weather in frequencies of droughts and floods.
conditions, will have impact on the quality, productivi- • Worst sufferers would be farmers of the rainfed
ty, output and viability of fish and aquaculture agriculture, which covers 60% of all cultivated land in the
enterprises, thereby affecting fishing community. country.
• The small-scale fishers may be faced with greater • The risk of crop failures will increase in semi-arid zones
uncertainty as availability, access, stability and use of with prolonged dry seasons
aquatic food and supplies would diminish and work
opportunities would dwindle. Aquaculture develop- Way Forward
ment opportunities will increase in particular in
tropical and sub-tropical regions. • Climate change is a global phenomenon that we have to
• Impact on Demography address in a spirit of cooperation taking into account the
historical responsibilities and capabilities of countries.
Rising sea levels owing to climate change would force
communities in low-lying coastal areas and river
deltas to move to higher ground level.
STUDY IQ Page 127

• The direct fallout of this environmental decline will

be borne by the poor and the already deprived.
Therefore each action in this context must be seen
from the perspective of the most underprivileged. The
entire global community has to work towards this
issue.
Mains Question
What is impact on Sea level rise and global warming?
STUDY IQ Page 128

disposal areas with a layer of 250 micron polyethylene

with an adequate protective layer of clay or sand of 250
mm.
• They also suggested that tailings pond should be
provided with a holding pond to collect drainage and
rainfall precipitation.
• The water from holding pond should be pumped to a
treatment plant and care should be taken to ensure water
does not escape from the pond, the PCB suggested.
About Uranium
Relevance • Uranium is a naturally-occurring radioactive element
that has been mined and used for its chemical properties
GS3 || Environment || Environment and Ecology ||
for more than a thousand years. It is now primarily used as
Pollution
fuel for nuclear reactors that make electricity.
Title • Regardless of how uranium is extracted from rock, the
processes leave behind radioactive waste.
Uranium contamination in Andhra Pradesh • For example, the solid radioactive wastes that are left
over from the milling processes are called tailings and the
Why in news? liquid wastes are called raffinates.
• Mill tailings and raffinates are stored in specially
• The Andhra Pradesh government has ordered a
designed ponds called impoundments.
full-fledged inquiry into a number of complaints
• The tailings remain radioactive and contain hazardous
about groundwater pollution caused by the uranium
chemicals from the recovery process.
mining and processing project of the Uranium
Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) at Tummalapalle
What is the scenario of
in Vemula mandal of Kadapa district.
Uranium contamination?
About Tummalapalle • Evidence - A recent study, has found over 30
Uranium mine micrograms per litre (mcg/l) of the heavy metal in parts of
• The Tummalapalle Mine is a uranium mine in north-western, southern and south-eastern India.
Tumalapalli village located in Kadapa of the Indian • Reports of uranium contamination has cropped up
state of Andhra Pradesh. across India in recent years, with south Bangalore
• Results from research conducted by the Atomic recording 2000 mcg/l of uranium in groundwater.
Energy Commission of India in 2011 made the • Previously, regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
analysts conclude that this mine might have one of were found to have over 500 mcg/l of uranium in their
the largest reserves of uranium in the world. aquifers.
• Although nothing has been confirmed yet. • More recently, parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan
recorded undesirable uranium levels in their waters.
Details • Regulations - Drinking such water can damage one’s
• The government asked the Andhra Pradesh kidneys, and the World Health Organization (WHO)
Pollution Control Board (APPCB) to set up a prescribes '30 mcg/l' as an upper limit.
committee of experts which would visit the tailings • But unfortunately, the residents of the regions surveyed
pond where the wastage from the UCIL facility is were using wells recording far greater uranium levels as
stored. their main source of drinking water.
• Ever since uranium was discovered at this remote • Significantly, as the “Bureau of Indian Standards” does
village and the mining of ore and processing began, not specify a norm for uranium level, water is not tested
residents of six to seven villages around the site have regularly for it.
been complaining of contamination of groundwater.

• There were reports of people falling ill and
damage to crops.
• According to APPCB officials, though the tailing
pond was lined with Bentonite to prevent seepage of
the chemicals into the ground, as a precautionary
measure, the APCCB recommended for lining the
thickened tailings
STUDY IQ Page 129

• Subsequently, a certificate may be issued if the emission

values are within the limits.
Why PUC?
• According to the Transport Department, Delhi, 217.7
tonnes of carbon monoxide is emitted every day by
vehicles in the city.
• Vehicular pollution estimates include 84.1 tonnes of
nitrogen oxides and 66.7 tonnes of hydrocarbons per day.
Air Pollution in Urban areas

Relevance
GS3 || Environment || Environment and Ecology || • Stubble Burning : National capital shares its border
Pollution with the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. One of the
main reasons for increasing air pollution during the month
Title of October-November is crop burning by the farmers in
What is a PUC certificate? these states.
• Vehicular Emission: Delhi has more than 9 million
Why in news? registered vehicles. The Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB) and the National Environmental Engineering
• Since the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019
Research Institute (NEERI) have declared vehicular
came into force, long queues of vehicles are commonly
emission as a major contributor to Delhi’s increasing air
being seen at pollution control centres in Delhi.
pollution.
• After undergoing pollution under control (PUC)
• Weather: During the winter season, dust particles and
test, a vehicle is certified for a certain period of time.
pollutants in the air become unable to move. Due to
stagnant winds, these pollutants get locked in the air,
What is a PUC certificate? resulting in smog.
• High Density: With more than 11000 people per square
• The PUC certificate is a document that any person
kilometer, Delhi is among the most densely populated
driving a motor vehicle can be asked to produce by a
cities in the world. Over-population adds up to the various
police officer in uniform authorised by the state
types of pollution.
government.
• Lack of Infrastructure: In India, investment in public
• These issue certificates if a vehicle is found
transport and infrastructure is low which leads to congest-
complying with the prescribed emission norms.
ed roads, and hence air pollution.
• The fine for PUC violations has now gone up to Rs
• Construction Activities and Open waste burning:
10,000; it used to be Rs 1,000 for the first offence and
Large-scale construction in Delhi-NCR is another culprit
Rs 2,000 for subsequent violations before the
that is increasing dust and pollution in the air. Delhi also
amendments came into force.
has landfill sites for dumping of waste, burning of waste in
• The test costs between Rs 60 and Rs 100.
these sites also contributes to air pollution.
• The validity of the test is one year for BS IV
• Thermal Power Plant and Industries: Industrial
vehicles and three months for others.
pollution and garbage dumps are also increasing air
• A PUC certificate contains information such as the
pollution and building-up smog in the air.
vehicle’s license plate number, PUC test reading, date
• Firecrackers: Despite the ban on cracker sales in 2017,
on which the PUC test was conducted and the expiry
firecrackers were a common sight in Diwali. It is the major
date.
reason for smog in Delhi after Diwali.
• Diesel generators: A large number of housing societies
How is a pollution control
and businesses resort to using diesel generators as
check carried out?
alternate for power supply during cuts. Diesel generators
• The computerised model for pollution check was contribute approximately 15 percent to the city’s air
developed by the Society of Indian Automobile pollution.
manufacturers. • Dust Storm from Gulf countries: During the smog in the
• A gas analyser is connected to a computer, to year 2017, the dust storm from Gulf countries was also the
which a camera and a printer are attached. reason which enhanced already worse condition.
• The gas analyser records the emission value and
sends it to the computer directly, while the camera
Key features of the National
captures the license plate of the vehicle. Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
STUDY IQ Page 130

• Achieve a national-level target of 20-30% • Urban governance: better urban planning based on
reduction of PM2.5 and PM 10 concentration by models like transit oriented development (TOD), integrated
between 2017 and 2024. and accountable transport authority, empowered local
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will bodies, scientific waste management etc. can help bring
execute this nation-wide programme in consonance down pollution footprints of urban areas.
with the section 162 (b) of the Air (Prevention and • Market for agricultural waste: the problem of crop
Control of Pollution) Act, 1986. burning can be resolved only through financial and
The programme has been launched with an initial technological support and incentives for farmers. Access to
budget of ₹300 crore for the first two years. technologies like super seeder machines and development
• The plan includes 102 non-attainment cities, of market for crop stubble will push farmers to a cleaner
across 23 states and Union territories, which were method of waste disposal.
identified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) • Better planning and coordination: a single body on the
on the basis of their ambient air quality data between lines of EPCA as mandated by SC with clear targets and
2011 and 2015. accountability mechanisms is necessary for effective
• Non-attainment cities are those which have been environmental governance.
consistently showing poorer air quality than the • Forecasting systems for better response: China has
National Ambient Air Quality Standards. These shown the way in controlling the pollution by an effective
include Delhi, Varanasi, Bhopal, Kolkata, Noida, pollution forecasting (2-3 days in advance) and monitoring
Muzaffarpur, and Mumbai. systems. Its permanent odd-even policy during severe
• As part of the programme, the Centre also plans to pollution levels, early warning systems, strict enforcement
scale up the air quality monitoring network across of GRAP like action plan has significantly brought down the
India. At least 4,000 monitors are needed across the pollution levels in Beijing.
country, instead of the existing 101 real-time air • Healthcare for pollution related diseases: pollution and
quality (AQ) monitors, according to an analysis. its health burden are inevitable in the near future.
• The plan proposes a three-tier system, including Therefore it is necessary to equip public healthcare
real-time physical data collection, data archiving, and systems with adequate resources for facing this emerging
an action trigger system in all 102 cities, besides challenge and shield poor from catastrophic healthcare
extensive plantation plans, research on expenditures.
clean-technologies, landscaping of major arterial • Coherent environmental policies: since air pollution
roads, and stringent industrial standards. knows no boundaries, states and center have to harmonize
• It also proposes state-level plans of e-mobility in their strategy to deal with it. Platforms like inter-state
the two-wheeler sector, rapid augmentation of council apart from serving this objective can also help
charging infrastructure, stringent implementation of resolve pollution related disputes among states.
BS-VI norms, boosting public transportation system,
and adoption of third-party audits for polluting Additional Info
industries.
• Various committees:The national plan has https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/ex-
proposed setting up an apex committee under plained-how-vehicles-are-tested-for-pollution-5977592/
environment minister, a steering committee
under-secretary (environment) and a monitoring Mains Question
committee under a joint secretary. There would be
project monitoring committees at the state-level with How can we Combat air pollution in urban areas?
scientists and trained personnel.
Solution
• Green cover: increasing green cover especially in
the urban areas must be an indispensable part of
urban planning. Other initiatives such as
afforestation, greening of highways etc. must also
pick up.
• Push to renewables: addressing the problem of (Scan the QR code to watch video)
intermittence by adopting smart grid technology,

incentives for decentralised power production via
biogas, rooftop solar and push to EVs as has been
done in Norway (exemptions on tax, toll, parking fee,
environment tax on other vehicles, charging stations
powered by renewable).
STUDY IQ Page 131

• To compensate for the loss of forest area and to

maintain sustainability, the Government of India came up
with a well-defined Act, known as CAMPA (Compensatory
Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority).
• The law establishes the National Compensatory
Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India and a
State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public
Account of each state.
• The Fund will receive payments for:
• Compensatory afforestation
Relevance • Net present value of forest (NPV)
• Other project-specific payments
GS 3 || Environment || Governance: India || Forest • The National Fund will receive 10% of these funds
Laws & Policies while the State will receive the 90%.
• Company diverting forest land must provide alternative
Title
land to take up compensatory afforestation.
CAMPA fund for States • For afforestation, the company should pay to plant new
trees in the alternative land provided to the state.
Why in news? • According to the Act’s provision, a company diverting
• In a bid to promote forestry activities and boost forest land must provide alternative land to take up
Afforestation across the nation, the central compensatory afforestation.
government released a fund of 47,436 crore.
• These funds are a part of the Compensatory About the Rules
Afforestation Fund.
The rules for the operationalization of funds were notified
• The top four states that received the highest
in August 2018.
CAMPA fund are-
• 13 activities are permitted for funding-
• Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and
• Plantation
Jharkhand that received funds of Rs 5,933.98 crore,
• Assisted natural regeneration of forests
Rs 5,791.70 crore, Rs 5,196.69 crore, and Rs 4,158.02
• Forest fire prevention
crore respectively.
• Pest and disease control in forests
• Kerala received the least amount of only Rs 81.59
• Soil and moisture conservation works
crore.
• Improvement of wildlife habitat
• Prakash Javadekar made it very clear that the
• 80% of the compensatory afforestation amount will be
CAMPA funds cannot be used for payment of salary,
utilized by states for the above-listed works.
travel, allowances, medical expenses, etc.
• The remaining 20% will be used to strengthen forest
What will be the effect? and wildlife protection related infrastructure.
• Also, the working plan will be taken up in consultation
• It will help to achieve the objectives of the with the
Nationally- Determined Contributions of increasing • So far most of the funds had been collected under the
forest and tree cover. (2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 aegis of the top court, Successive govt at the center to tap
equivalent) into them.
• The move will help India re-green it's forest and
non-forest areas which have lost trees due to forest Way forward
diversions. • The fund should efficiently be used only for
• There will also be a balance between afforestation and wildlife conservation activities.
Development & Environment. • Restoring the existing forests is more important than
• SC ordered for establishment of Compensatory creating new ones.
Afforestation Fund and CAMPA in 2001. • The concept of outcome budgeting for allocation of
• In 2006, Adhoc CAMPA was established. funds must be adopted.
• But due to the absence of enabling rules, much of • Itshould guarantee that there is no grassroots conflict.
the funds collected had been left unspent. CAMPA should be introduced to pave the way for rural
learners to be empowered and involved.
Compensatory Afforestation
Fund Act, 2016
STUDY IQ Page 132

Conclusion
• It should be taken care that Bureaucrats with little
accountability should not waste the CAMPA
resources. With little democratization, the act will
have negative implications for the hard-won rights of (Scan the QR code to watch video)
the tribal and forest-dwelling groups.
?PRID=1583452
• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cen-
tre-gives-over-rs-47000-cr-to-27-states-for-green-ac
tivities/article29289605.ece

STUDY IQ Page 133

Relevance
GS 3 || Environment || Governance: India ||
Miscellaneous
Title
Composite Water Management Index 2.0 by NITI
Aayog
Why in news? Ranking of the States/ UTs
• NITI Aayog in association with Ministry of JAL

Shakti Ministry of Rural Development released
Composite Water Management Index 2.0
• Gujarat topped in the Index which ranked 25
states and 2 union territories for the reference year
2017-18.
Background
• Gujarat Continues to hold onto its Rank one in the
• NITI Aayog had 1st launch the Composite Water
reference year(2017-18) as against the base year of
Management Index in 2018.
2016-17
• It was launched as a tool to instill a sense of
• Followed by Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa,
cooperative and competitive federalism among the
Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
states in water resource management.
• In North Eastern and Himalayan States, Himachal
• It was first-ever attempted to measure different
Pradesh has been ranked number 1, followed by
dimensions of water management across India.
Uttarakhand, Tripura and Assam.
• In UTs, Puducherry has been declared top rank.
• In terms of incremental change, Haryana holds the
number one position in general States and Uttarakhand
ranks at first position in Himalayan states.
• On average, 80% of the states have improved their
water management scores.
Concerns
CWMI 2.0
• Even though states are making progress, the overall
• It is the 2nd round of the Composite Water performance remains below what is required.
Management Index. • 16 states score less than 50 points and thus fall in the
• CWMI 2.0 ranks the states and UTs for the low-performing category.
reference year 2017-18. • Low-performing states like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand,
• The assessment has been conducted in Odisha, Delhi, Rajasthan, Nagaland and Meghalaya,
partnership with the Jal Shakti Ministry, Rural collectively account for around 48% of the population.
Development Ministry and all the states and Union
Territories.
STUDY IQ Page 134

Dam construction on Kali river contributed to the

western ghats decline in forest cover of 30 percentage
points in 40 years
Need of the hour

• The states must improve water management practices
so that the country can provide its citizens with a better
quality of life, support economic growth and sustain its
biological system.
Way forward
• Water shortage is perhaps the most severe issue the
nation is confronting today and that more than the
shortage of water, it is an issue of the management of water
assets.
Water Risks • Water management is at present seen as a zero-sum
game by states because of restricted structures for
• Risk to food security between state and national administration. Be that as it
• About 74% area under wheat cultivation and 65% may, Center-state and between state collaboration can
area under rice cultivation faces extreme levels of help address the issue.
water scarcity. • There is a need to remunerate those states which are
• Expected water demand-supply gap of up to 570 doing great in dealing with their water assets and
BCM by 2030 in the agriculture sector. furthermore to bring in the public domain the names of
• Virtual water export adds to the problem- export those states which are not managing their resources
of ~ 37 lac tonnes of Basmati rice alone cost India 10 properly.
trillion liters of water in 2014-15.
• Risk of exceeding the carrying capacity of urban Conclusion

hubs • The index not only provides extremely useful
5 of the world’s largest cities under water stress information to the states but also to the concerned Central
present in India; Delhi ranks second on the list. departments or Ministries, which will enable them to form
No Indian city is able to provide a 24*7 water and implement effective plans for better management of
supply to its entire urban population. water resources.
Expected water demand-supply gap of ~ 50 BCM
for the domestic sector by 20130, as future demand Additional Information
doubles present use. about CWMI
• Risk of Sustainable industrial activity • The Composite Water Management Index report is a
Industries expected to draw 3x water compared to step in a direction that aims to create awareness among
their actual consumption by 2030. people and governments about the realities of the water
Shutdowns possible as states prioritize irrigation crisis in the country.
and households' needs, and fail to provide water to • CWMI aims to enable effective water management in
industries. Indian states in the face of this growing crisis.
Water intensive industries such as Fodo and • The index would provide useful information for the
beverages, Textiles, paper and pulp likely to be worst states and concerned Central ministries and departments
affected. enabling them to formulate and implement suitable
• Risk of energy shortages strategies for better management of water resources.
40% of India’s thermal power plants presently • NITI Aayog has ranked all states in the index on the
located in water-scarce regions. composite water management, comprising 9 broad sectors
70% of India's thermal power plants expected t with 28 different indicators covering various aspects of
face high water stress by 2030. groundwater, restoration of water bodies, irrigation, farm
Risk of biodiversity destruction practices, drinking water, policy, and governance.
Human intervention impacts 35 species on
average in biodiversity hotspots in India.
The western Ghats, Himalayas, and the
North-East are amongst hotspots with threatened
species category.
STUDY IQ Page 135
• https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2019-08/CW-
MI-2.0-latest.pdf
• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/poli-
tics-and-na-
tion/niti-aayog-releases-composite-water-management-ind
ex/articleshow/70804426.cms
?PRID=1582772
STUDY IQ Page 136

• According to the latest tiger census, India’s tiger

population has doubled in the past dozen years, a
significant achievement for the country’s wildlife
conservation efforts.
• India is now home to 2,967 tigers, up from 1,411 in
2006 when it conducted its first national survey. The last
census in 2014 had counted 2,226 tigers.
Tigers in India
• India accounts for the majority of the 3,500-odd tigers
that are scattered among Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia,
Relevance
China, Indonesia, China, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia,
GS 3 || Environment and Ecology || Biodiversity || Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation, Thailand, and
Protected Area Network Vietnam.
• India’s five tiger landscapes are Shivalik Hills and
Title Gangetic Plains, Central Indian Landscapes and Eastern
Ghats, Western Ghats, North-East Hills, and Brahmaputra
Corbett Reserve -Special Tiger Protection Force
Plains and the Sundarbans.
Why in news?
Three Tier Protection
Uttarakhand cabinet has decided to form Special Tiger
Protection Force for Corbett Tiger Reserve. The step • 1st layer of protection:- In the inner range by beat level
has been termed as a welcome move for the forest guards. It is done through regular patrolling.
protection of the Tigers. • 2nd layer of protection:- It will be provided by the
• The force will have 85 posts. Special Tiger Protection Force.
• It will help to serve the much needed 2nd layer of • 3rd layer of protection:- Through intelligence-
protection for the tigers. gathering mechanisms- by forest, police & central
• The decision is in line with GOI guidelines for intelligence agency personnel.
providing 3-tier protection to the tigers.
Why STPF?
• There have been many cases in the past of illegal
human intrusion into the reserve through villages located
on its fringes.
• STPF will help blocking such intrusions.
• STPF will be deployed at the maximum on the
extremely sensitive southern fringe of the reserve
bordering Uttar Pradesh.
Need for Tiger Conservation

• Tigers are at the top of the food chain and are
sometimes referred to as “umbrella species" that is their
conservation also conserve many other species in the same
area.
• The Tiger estimation exercise that includes habitat
assessment and prey estimation reflects the success or
failure of Tiger conservation efforts.
• More than 80% of the world’s wild tigers are in India,
and it’s crucial to keep track of their numbers.
JIM Corbett National Park
STUDY IQ Page 137

• It is the oldest national park in India having an • https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?re-

area of 521 sq km and was established in 1936 as lid=192357
Hailey National Park. • https://www.corbettnationalpark.in/
• It is located in the Nainital district and Pauri
Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
• The park was the 1st to come under the Project
Tiger(1973) initiative.
• Presently, the reserve has around 250 tigers.
• The park encompasses the Patli Dun valley formed
by the Ramganga river.
• Forest covers almost 73% of the park, 10% of the
area consists of grasslands.
• The reserve, located partly along a valley between
the Lesser Himalaya in the north and the Shivaliks in

the south.
• The weather in the park is temperate compared to
most other protected areas of India.
Concerns
• Tiger has been classified as endangered in the
IUCN Red List. With the tiger population constantly
on the rise at the reserve, the setting up of a
dedicated force like this was required. In India, such
initiatives are an important and welcome step
towards the holistic protection of tigers in a particular
area and efforts must be continued to improve their
population further to conserve the ecological
pyramid.
Additional information
for Prelims
• There are 50 tiger reserves in India like Jim
Corbett (Uttarakhand), Kanha (Madhya Pradesh),
Periyar (Kerala), Namdapha (Arunachal Pradesh), etc.
• These reserves are governed by Project Tiger
which is administered by the NTCA.
• Global tiger day is celebrated on the 29th of July
every year and was first observed for the first time in
2010 at st.
• Petersburg Tiger summit in Russia when all 13
tiger range countries came together for the first time
with the commitment of doubling the number of wild
tigers by 2022.
• Global Tiger recovery plan which outlines how
each country can contribute to the ambitious goal,
known as tx2.
• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/spe-
cial-ti-
ger-force-for-corbett-reserve-set-up-wildlife-officials
-welcome-move/article29288629.ece
• https://nainital.nic.in/corbett-tiger-reserve/
STUDY IQ Page 138

• The Rotterdam Convention is formally known as the

Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for
Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in
International Trade.
• It is a multilateral treaty to promote shared
responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous
chemicals.
• The convention promotes open exchange of information
and calls on exporters of hazardous chemicals to use proper
(Click on the above image to watch the video) labeling, include directions on safe handling, and inform
purchasers of any known restrictions or bans.
Relevance • Signatory nations can decide whether to allow or ban
the importation of chemicals listed in the treaty, and
GS 3 || Environment || Geography & Environment || exporting countries are obliged to make sure that produc-
Agriculture ers within their jurisdiction comply.
Title • India is a party to the convention, with 161 other
parties.
Paraquat Herbicide
Notes
Why in news?
• Paraquat is an organic compound .
The use of herbicide Paraquat killed around 170
• It is quick-acting and non-selective, killing green plant
people in the last two years in Odisha’s Burla district
tissue on contact.
leading to demands for its ban.
• It is also toxic to human beings and animals due to its
redox activity, which produces superoxide anions.
Paraquat
• It has been linked to the development of Parkinson's
• Paraquat is a toxic chemical that is widely used as disease and is banned in several countries.
an herbicide (plant killer), primarily for weed and
grass control. Toxicity
• Paraquat also figures on the list of 99 pesticides
• Pure paraquat, when ingested, is highly toxic to
and herbicides the Supreme Court to ban in an
mammals, including humans, potentially leading to acute
ongoing case.
respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
• Paraquat dichloride is being used for 25 crops in
• Although there are no specific antidotes, fuller's earth
India
or activated charcoal is an effective treatment if taken in
• So far in India, only Kerala has banned the
time.
herbicide.
• There have been some successful cases of using
cyclophosphamide to treat paraquat poisoning.
Why lethal? • Death may occur up to 30 days after ingestion.
• There is no antidote to this herbicide, the • Diluted paraquat used for spraying is less toxic; thus,
consumers of which complain of kidney, liver and lung the greatest risk of accidental poisoning is during mixing
problems. and loading paraquat for use.
• They may recover from kidney problems, but die of • According to the Centers for Disease Control, ingesting
lung- and liver-related ailments. Some also witness paraquat causes symptoms such as liver, lung, heart, and
kidney failure. kidney failure within several days to several weeks that can
lead to death up to 30 days after ingestion.
Need for worldwide ban • Those who suffer large exposures are unlikely to
survive.
• Paraquat is yet to be listed in the prior informed
• Chronic exposure can lead to lung damage, kidney
consent (PIC) of Rotterdam Convention, is an
failure, heart failure, and oesophageal strictures. Acciden-
international treaty on import/export of hazardous
tal deaths and suicides from paraquat ingestion are
chemicals signed in 1998.
relatively common. For example, there are more than 5,000
• If a chemical figures in the PIC, the exporting
deaths in China from paraquat poisoning every year.
country has to take the importing nation’s prior
consent before exporting it.
Use in suicide and murder
Rotterdam Convention
STUDY IQ Page 139

• A large majority (93 percent) of fatalities from

paraquat poisoning are suicides, which occur mostly
in developing countries.
• For instance, in Samoa from 1979–2001, 70
percent of suicides were by paraquat poisoning.
• Trinidad and Tobago is particularly well known for
its incidence of suicides involving the use of
Gramoxone (commercial name of paraquat).
• In southern Trinidad, particularly in Penal, Debe
from 1996–1997, 76 percent of suicides were by
paraquat, 96 percent of which involved the
over-consumption of alcohol such as rum.
• Fashion celebrity Isabella Blow committed
suicide using paraquat in 2007. Paraquat is widely
used as a suicide agent in third-world countries
because it is widely available at low cost.
• The indiscriminate paraquat murders, which
occurred in Japan in 1985, were carried out using
paraquat as a poison.
Parkinson's disease
• In 2011, a US National Institutes of Health study
showed a link between paraquat use and Parkinson's
disease in farm workers.
• A co-author of the paper said that paraquat
increases production of certain oxygen derivatives
that may harm cellular structures, and that people
who used paraquat, or other pesticides with a similar
mechanism of action, were more likely to develop
Parkinson's.
• Paraquat-induced toxicity in rats has also been
linked to Parkinson's-like neurological degenerative
mechanisms.
Mains Question
How can we prevent farmers death due to hazardous
chemicals?
STUDY IQ Page 140

Why bio-fencing?
• Solar-powered wire fencing is effective only when local
villagers maintain them.
• About erection of walls in forest areas, building and
repairing them is a costly affair.
• If local farmers agree to be part of the bio-fencing
exercise, they can earn by growing lemongrass, a good
(Click on the above image to watch the video) source of oil.
• Once these plants are in place, the department will
Relevance string beehives in the next phase to deter elephants.
GS 3 || Environment || Biodiversity || Conservation
Efforts Human-wildlife conflict include
Title • Predation on livestock or domestic animals by wild
Bio-fencing animals
• Ungulate damage to crops and fences
Why in news? • Wildlife strewing about residential garbage
• Damage caused by squirrels or bats to fruit and fruit
To prevent wild animals from entering residential
trees
areas and to protect agricultural crops and livestock
• Bird nesting in undesirable residential locations
in areas adjoining to forests, the Uttarakhand
• Vehicle/wildlife collisions, aircraft/bird collisions
government has decided to opt for bio-fencing.
Bio-fencing Way ahead

• Bio-fencings are lines of trees or shrubs planted on • The solutions are often specific to the species or area
farm or field boundaries that provide protection concerned and are often creative and simple. Solutions
against cattle and wildlife, act as windbreaks, enrich should lead to mutually beneficial co-existence.
the soil, provide bee forage, provide shade, and • Apart from the above-mentioned measures, the WWF
control dust. report ‘Common Ground’ identifies themes that can be
• They are less expensive and more useful than used to compose a common ground or a basic list of
fences made of wood, barbed wire, or stone masonry. available and tested solutions.
• Various species have been tested to discover their
suitability for use as biofencing plants ex. thorny Mains Question
species have been widely used.
In current times, man animal conflict is a reality we have to
A case in Uttarakhand deal with and thus proactive measures are required for a
healthy human animal interface. Examine.
• According to Uttarakhand officials, lemongrass,
agave, rambans, and certain species of chilly and
some other plant species have been identified to be
Additional Info
grown for fencing.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/uttara-
• Leopards and bears, along with elephants and
khand-plans-bio-fences-to-check-man-animal-conflict-600
wild boars are a major threat to human life, livestock
8193/
and crops.
• Traditional methods like solar-powered wire
fencings, walls and pits in the woods prevents the
entry of elephants, wild boars, tigers, leopards and
others in residential areas.
• Bio-fencing with lemongrass will be done to
prevent entry of elephants because elephants do not
like the smell of lemongrass.
• Likewise, agave will be grown to deter elephant
and wild boars.
• This biotic method is environment-friendly and
harvesting of such plants can also be economical for
farmers.
STUDY IQ Page 141
Global Tiger Forum

• The GTF was formed in 1993 on recommendations from
an international symposium on Tiger Conservation at New
Delhi, India.
• The GTF is the only intergovernmental international
body established with members from willing countries to
embark on a global campaign to protect the Tiger.
• Utilizing co-operative policies, common approaches,

technical expertise, scientific modules and other
appropriate programmes and controls the GTF is focused
Relevance on saving the remaining 5 sub-species of Tigers distributed
over 13 Tiger Range countries of the world.
GS 3 || Environment || Biodiversity || Conservation
Efforts
Title
Tiger Habitats in high altitude
Why in news?
Union Environment Ministry released a report on
Status of Tiger Habitats in high altitude ecosystems.
About the study

• The study is led by the Global Tiger Forum (GTF),
with range country governments of Bhutan, India and Analysis of the Tiger Project
Nepal, along with WWF.
• World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) found that under
• It has been supported by the Integrated Tiger
optimal conditions, tiger numbers can triple in 18 sites
Habitat Conservation Programme (ITHPC) of the
across the world, including eight in India.
IUCN.
• Another study by researchers has found Royal Bengal
• This provides the action strategy for a high
Tiger in the snow-capped regions of the Eastern Himalaya
altitude tiger master plan, with gainful portfolio for
at an altitude of more than 4,000m in Dibang valley of
local communities.
Arunachal Pradesh.
• It ensures centrality of tiger conservation in
More on News
development, through an effective coordination
• This new assessment could guide planning for tiger
mechanism, involving stakeholders and line
recovery globally and help inform more effective,
departments operating within the landscape.
integrated approaches to tiger conservation.
• The presence of the big cats in Dibang valley which is
Why such report?
not even a tiger reserve is a tribute to the ways the people
• Various studies reveal that even ecology at high there have been coexisting with the animals.
altitude is compatible for the tiger growth.
• The habitat of tiger of varied, encompassing Mains Question
several biomes and ecological conditions.
Explain Global Tiger Forum.
• However, most of the high-altitude habitats,
within the range have not been surveyed for an
appraisal of tiger presence, prey and habitat status.
• Tiger habitats in high altitude require protection
through sustainable land use, as they are a high value
ecosystem with several hydrological and ecological
processes providing ecosystem services.
• Several high-altitude habitats in South Asia have
the spatial presence of tiger, active in-situ efforts are (Scan the QR code to watch video)
called for ensuring their conservation.
STUDY IQ
Page 142
• Develop a complete understanding of the environmen-

tal impact of the garments being currently produced
• Develop a sustainable sourcing policy for consistently
prioritizing and utilizing certified raw materials that have
a positive impact on the environment
• Make the right decisions about how, where, and what
we source across the value chain by selecting sustainable
and renewable materials and processes and ensuring their
traceability.
(Click on the above image to watch the video) • Communicate our sustainability initiatives effectively
to consumers and media through our online and physical
Relevance stores, product tags/labeling, social media, advertising
campaigns and events.
GS 3 || Environment || Environment & Ecology || • Through these actions, shift a significant percentage of
Sustainable Development our supply chain to a sustainable chain by the year 2025,
Title addressing critical global issues such as climate change,
contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Project SU.RE
Why in news? Water Usage in Textile

Manufacturing
• Union Textile Minister launches Project SU.RE on
Sustainable Fashion Day at Lakme Fashion Week. • The textile industry is dependent on water in virtually
• The project has been launched by the Minister, all steps of manufacturing.
along withClothing Manufacturers Association of • Huge amounts of water are used to dye ,finish, and in
India (CMAI); United Nations in India; and IMG washing of cloth.
Reliance, the organizers of Lakmé Fashion Week. • In india alone,the textile industry uses 425,000,000
gallons of water daily.
What is Project SU.RE? • Approx. 500 gallons of water are used in the production
of just one pair of jeans.
• It is a commitment by India’s apparel industry to
set a sustainable pathway for the Indian fashion
industry.
• SU.RE stands for ‘Sustainable Resolution’ which
means a commitment from the industry to move
towards fashion that contributes to a clean
environment.
What is the significance

of the project?

• It will be the first holistic effort by the apparel
industry towards gradually introducing a broader
framework for establishing critical sustainability goals
for the industry.
Benefits of this project

• Reduction in carbon emissions
• Increase resource efficiency
• Tackle waste and water management
• Create positive social impact to achieve long term
sustainability targets
5 Point Sustainable
Solution
STUDY IQ
Page 143
GEOGRAPHY
Bad Memories From The Past
• On 8 October 2005, a devastating magnitude-7.6
earthquake struck the Kashmir region in the Himalaya. It
killed more than 80,000 people, injured more than 100,000,
and left 3 million homeless.
• One of the worst natural disasters in South Asia.

Why Does This Keep Happening?
• Kashmir lies in the area of collision of the Eurasian and
Relevance Indian tectonic plates.
GS1 || Geography || Geomorphology || Earthquake
Title
Earthquake hits Pakistan occupied Kashmir
Why in news ?
• Twenty-six people died and over 300 were injured
after an earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter
scale hit Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir's Mirpur.
• The epicentre of the earthquake was 140
kilometres from Srinagar at the depth of 10 kilometres,
the United States Geological Survey reported.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
• The geological activity born out of this collision, also
responsible for the birth of the Himalayan mountain range,
is the cause of unstable seismicity in the region.
Mangla Dam 'Safe'

• Mangla Dam - a multipurpose dam located on the
Jhelum River in the Mirpur District of PoK Dam was
opened in 1965. The Impact Eurasian And
• Mangla Dam was constructed at a cost of Rs. 15.587 Indian Tectonic Plates
billion (US$1.473 billion) with the funding being
provided by the World Bank and the Asian Develop- • The Himalayas are still rising by more than 1 cm
ment Bank. per year as India continues to move northwards into
• It is the seventh largest dam in the world. (Pakistan Asia.
claims). • However, the forces of weathering and erosion are
lowering the Himalayas at about the same rate. The
Tremors Felt In India Himalayas and Tibetan plateau trend east-west and
• Tremors were felt as far as New Delhi, while the extend for 2,900 km, reaching the maximum elevation
Press Trust of India reported that panicked people of 8,848 meters.
rushed out of their homes and offices in panic in
What Can We Do?
several places, including in Rajasthan, Punjab and
Haryana. • India and Pakistan should resolve differences and
normalise ties.
STUDY IQ Page 144
• Build proper infrastructure around Kashmir region

that can help sustain mega Earthquakes.
Lessons From The Past

• In 2005 a powerful earthquake struck both India
and Pakistan, also prompting cooperative relief efforts.
• Indian fixed-wing aircraft flew relief supplies and
equipment to Pakistan, and New Delhi channeled $25
million through a United Nations fundraising program
in order to support Pakistani relief efforts.
STUDY IQ Page 145

HISTORY
• Excavations for over 4 years yielded 53 burials, six of
which were unearthed in 2014-15; the remaining in the
2015-16 digging season.
• The necropolis, dated to between 2,500 BC and 2,000
BC, or the Mature Harappan Period, sprawl under a
1-hectare patch of land that has long been under
cultivation by present-day residents of Rakhigarhi.
Relevance
GS 1 || History || Ancient History || Indus Valley Brown area shown in the above map is area covered by
Civilization Indus Valley Civilization.
Title The Aryan Invasion/

Rakhigarhi DNA study Migration Theory
Why in news? • When the Indus Valley Civilisation was first
'discovered' in the 1920s, colonial archaeologists quickly
• A DNA analysis of the female skeleton I6614 from identified it as evidence of a pre-Vedic culture, which, they
Rakhigarhi which is 6000 years is been studied since theorized, had been utterly destroyed by the advent of
3 years. 'Aryan' invaders from the Northwest who represented the
dawn of Hindu India.
• In later years, most mainstream historians have
discarded the 'Aryan invasion theory' or 'AIT' as an
oversimplification -- while retaining a chronology that
places the Vedic civilization as a successor to the Indus
Valley Civilisation.
Background
The Aryan gene
• Rakhigarhi is a village in Hissar District in the
• R1a1, often loosely called 'the 'Aryan gene', is now
state of Haryana in India, situated 150 km to the
understood to have originated in a population of Bronze
northwest of Delhi
Age pastoralists who dispersed from a homeland in the
• It was the site of a 'mature' Harappan settlement
Central Asian pontic steppe (the grasslands sprawling
of the 2nd and 3rd millennium BCE.
between the Black Sea and the Caspian) some 4,000 years
• In January 2014, the discovery of additional
ago.
mounds resulted in it becoming the largest Indus
• The genetic impact of their migrations has left a
Valley Civilization site, overtaking Mohenjo-Daro
particularly strong and 'sex-biased', (i.e. male-driven)
(300 Hectares) by almost 50 hectares, resulting in
imprint on the populations of two geographically distant
almost 350 hectares
but linguistically related parts of the world: Northern India
• Estimates of the size of Rakhigarhi have been given
and Northern Europe.
upto 550 hectares.
• R1a1, often loosely called 'the 'Aryan gene', is now
In 2014 Radiocarbon dating revealed the time period
understood to have originated in a population of Bronze
of settlements to be ~4470 B.C.E. (about 6500 years
Age pastoralists who dispersed from a homeland in the
old)
Central Asian pontic steppe (the grasslands sprawling
between the Black Sea and the Caspian) some 4,000 years
ago.
• The genetic impact of their migrations has left a
particularly strong and 'sex-biased', (i.e. male-driven)
imprint on the populations of two geographically distant
but linguistically related parts of the world:
STUDY IQ Page 146

Northern India and Northern Europe. • According to another paper by a few of the same
authors a few months ago, inhabitants of the Indus Valley
The Latest DNA study are the primary ancestral population of South Asia.
• They mixed with steppe-pastoralists to form, what the
• A Paper titled - ‘’An Ancient Harappan Genome
paper calls, Ancestral North Indians.
Lacks Ancestry from Steppe pastoralists and Iranian
• In contrast, the Ancestral South Indian population was
Farmers’’, published in the Cell journal.
formed by the mixing of inhabitants hailing from the Indus
• The study says that the inhabitants weredevoid of
Valley with aboriginals in the southeast.
any ancestry from the steppe-pastoralists.
• The study fundamentally did not debunk the Aryan
These revelations are part of the long-awaited and
invasion theory, as mentioned by certain media publica-
much-postponed results of an excavation conducted
tions.
in 2015 by a team led by Dr Vasant Shinde, an
• Although the paper did not mention the theory by its
archaeologist, and vice-chancellor of Pune's Deccan
popular name, it did say that the languages spoken in north
College.
India did indeed come with the Aryans, also known as the
steppepastoralists, several years after the fall of the Indus
Valley Civilization.
Conclusion
• Both papers also affirmed that IVC ancestry continues to
thrive in the subcontinent as the most significant compo-
nent in the genomes of modern Indians.
• The study’s main authors are Vasant Shinde, an
• But the significant Steppe ancestry of modern Indians
archaeologist from the Deccan College in Pune, Niraj
is absent in the IVC and must indeed be the consequence of
Rai, a geneticist from BirbalSahni Institute of
a large-scale movement of 'Indo-Aryan’ speaking people
Paleosciences, Lucknow, and David Reich, a Harvard
into South Asia after the decline of the IVC in the 2nd
Medical School geneticist.
millennium BCE
• The findings of the paper are based on the DNA
sequencing of skeletal remains of a woman.
Additional Info
Main findings https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/indus-val-
ley-set-
• A DNA analysis of the female skeleton I6614 from
tlers-had-a-distinct-genetic-lineage/article29355941.ece
Rakhigarhi reveals ancestry related to Andamanese
tribes and ancient Iranians
• Rakhigarhi DNA closely matches 11 Indus Mains Question
Periphery’ skeletons found in ancient sites in Iran and What is significance Rakhigarhi DNA study ?
Turkmenistan that traded with Indus Valley
• These 12 samples suggest that the Indus Valley
Civilisation preceded the arrival of mostly male
migrants from the Steppe, who introduced
Indo-European languages such as Vedic Sanskrit to
India.
• Harappans probably spoke a Dravidian language
• The population has no detectable ancestry from
Steppe pastoralists or from Anatolian and Iranian
farmers, suggesting farming in South Asia arose from
local foragers rather than from large-scale migration
from the West.
STUDY IQ Page 147

PRELIMS BITS
POLITY & GOVERNANCE
President Appoints Governors
Context: By exercising his authority under Article 156 of the constitution, President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed new
Governors for five states.
Governors of States in India:
• The nominal head of a state, unlike the Chief Minister who is the real head of a state in India.
• According to 7th Constitutional Amendment Act 1956, the same person can be the Governor of two or more states.
• Appointment: The governors and lieutenant-governors are appointed by the president.
• Removal: The term of governor’s office is normally 5 years but it can be terminated earlier by: Dismissal by the president
on the advice of the prime minister of the country, at whose pleasure the governor holds office or Resignation by the gover-
nor. Thus, the term is subject to pleasure of the president.
• There is no provision of impeachment, as it happens for the president.
Association of World Election Bodies

Context: Election Commission is hosting the 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) at
Bengaluru.
• India will take over as A-WEB’s Chair for the 2019-21 term.
About The Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB):
• It is the largest association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide.
• Established on October 14, 2013 in Song-do, South Korea.
• Permanent secretariat is located at Seoul.
• Aims to foster efficiency and effectiveness in conducting free, fair, transparent and participative elections worldwide.
• Composition: 115 EMBs as Members & 20 Regional Associations/Organisations as Associate Members. 24 EMBs from
Asia, 37 from Africa, 31 from America, 17 from Europe & 6 from Oceania presently are members of A WEB.
North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC)

Context: Foundation stone of North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC) Marketing
complex was recently laid in Guwahati, Assam
About NERAMAC:
• The NERAMAC is a pioneer marketing organization in the field of Agri-Horti sector of the North-eastern region, involved
in supporting farmers right from the fields and up to the markets to the end consumers through registered FPO/FPCs.
• It was incorporated in the year 1982 as a Government of India Enterprise and having its registered office at Guwahati and
operating under the administrative control of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
ECONOMY
Country’s longest electrified rail tunnel:
Context: India’s longest electrified rail tunnel was recently inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh.
• The 6.7 km long tunnel was constructed at a cost of Rs 437 crore and connects Cherlopalli and Rapuru.
Project REPLAN (Reducing Plastic in Nature):

• Launched by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
• It aims to make carry bags by mixing processed and treated plastic waste with cotton fibre rags in the ratio 20:80.
• The made paper is found to have good strength and durability.
• It can be used to make paper bags, fine tissues and other paper-based items.
Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs)

Context: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into 26 Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) in the first 5
months of the financial year (April to August, 2019).
• Out of these 26 APAs, 1 is a BAPA entered into with the United Kingdom and the remaining 25 are Unilateral Advance
Pricing Agreements (UAPAs).
STUDY IQ
Page 148
What are APAs?

• An APA is an agreement between a taxpayer and the tax authority determining the Transfer Pricing methodology for
pricing the tax payer’s international transactions for future years.
• An APA provides certainty with respect to the tax outcome of the tax payer’s international transactions.
NIRVIK scheme
Context: Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC) has introduced ‘NIRVIK’ scheme to ease the lending
process and enhance loan availability for exporters.
Key features of the scheme:
• Insurance cover guaranteed will cover up to 90 percent of the principal and interest.
• The increased cover will ensure that foreign and rupee export credit interest rates are below 4 percent and 8 percent
respectively for the exporters.
• The insurance cover will include both pre and post-shipment credit.
• The gems, jewellery and diamond (GJD) sector borrowers with limit of over Rs 80 crore will have a higher premium rate in
comparison to the non-GJD sector borrowers of this category due to the higher loss ratio.
• For accounts with limits below Rs 80 crore, the premium rates will be moderated to 0.60 per annum and for those
exceeding Rs80 crore, the rates will be 0.72 per annum for the same enhanced cover.
• It mandates inspection of bank documents and records by ECGC officials for losses exceeding Rs.10 crore as against the
present Rs 1crore.
• The banks shall pay a premium to ECGC monthly on the principal and interest as the cover is offered for both outstandings.
Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS)

Context: RBI has expanded the scope and coverage of Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to include all categories of
billers who raise recurring bills and payments (except prepaid recharges) as eligible participants, on a voluntary basis.
Significance:
• At present, the facility of payment of recurring bills through BBPS is available only in five segments i.e. direct to home
(DTH), electricity, gas, water and telecom.
• Expansion of biller categories would increase the user base of Bharat Bill Pay along with providing an efficient, cost-
effective alternative to existing systems and enhance consumer confidence and experience.
About BBPS:
• The Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an RBI conceptualised system driven by National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI).
• It is a one-stop payment platformfor all bills, providing an interoperable and accessible “Anytime Anywhere” bill payment
service to customers across the country with certainty, reliability and safety of transactions.
• Payments through BBPS may be made using cash, transfer cheques and electronic modes. Bill aggregators and banks, who
will function as operating units, will carry out these transactions for the customers.
NPCI:
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is an umbrella organization for all retail payments system in India. It was
set up with the guidance and support of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA). NPCI has ten
promoter banks.
Unitary taxation system for MNEs
Context: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its Trade and Development Report 2019
has recommended for the adoption of a unitary taxation system for the Multi-National Enterprises (MNEs).
The proposal:
• The profits of MNEs are generated collectively at the group level. Hence, unitary taxation should be applied by combining
it with a global minimum effective corporate tax rate on all MNE profits.
• Such an approach would simplify the global taxation system and is expected to increase tax revenues for all countries.
STUDY IQ
Page 149
SOCIETY & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Context: India has announced a contribution of 22 million US Dollars to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria
(GFTAM) for the 6th replenishment cycle, an increase of 10% over the amount contributed by us in the 5th cycle.
What is it?
• The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (or simply the Global Fund) is an international financing
organization.
• It aims to “attract, leverage and invest additional resources to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to
support attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations.”
• Founded in 2002, the Global Fund is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people
affected by the diseases.
• The organization maintains its secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.
‘eat right movement’ campaign

Context: Government has launched a mass media campaign on the Eat Right India movement.
• This movement is aligned with the government’s flagship public health programmes such as POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anemia
Mukt Bharat, Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Swachh Bharat Mission.
About Eat Right Movement:
• It was launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• The movement aims to cut down salt/sugar and oil consumption by 30% in three years.
• It also aims to engage and enable citizens to improve their health and well-being by making the right food choices.
Project Bal Basera:

• Bal Basera or a Crèche is a project for the welfare of Children of Construction Workers was deployed at AIIMS Rishikesh
site. The project is supported by Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
• Bal Basera shall accommodate about 35 Children and shall be run by CPWD Officers’ Wives Association (OWA).
Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA)

Context: Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020 has been launched.
About ARIIA:
• ARIIA considers all major indicators which are commonly used globally to rank most innovative education institutions/
universities in the world.
• More than quantity, ARIIA will focus on quality of innovations and will try to measure the real impact created by these
innovations nationally and internationally.
ARIIA will primarily focus on 5 main parameters:
• Budget Expenses and Revenue generated through Innovation and entrepreneurship development.
• Facilitating access to advance centres / facilities and entrepreneurial support system.
• Idea to Entrepreneurship.
• Development of Innovation Ecosystems Supported through Teaching & Learning.
• Best innovative solutions Developed In-house for Improving Governance of Your Institution.
Draft Social Security code

Context: Draft social security code circulated.
Objectives of the draft:
• To amalgamate a clutch of existing laws and proposes several new initiatives including universal social security for
unorganized sector workers and, insurance and health benefits for gig workers.
• To Corporatize of existing organizations like EPFO and ESIC headed by people other than the labour minister.
Key highlights of the draft:
• Insurance, PF, life cover for unorganized sector employees: Central Government shall formulate and notify, from time to
time, suitable welfare schemes for unorganised workers on matter relating to life and disability cover; health and maternity
benefits; old age protection; and any other benefit as may be determined by the central government.
STUDY IQ
Page 150
• Corporatization of EPFO and ESIC: The pension, insurance and retirement saving bodies including EPFO and ESIC will be
body corporate. Labour minister, labour secretary, the central PF commissioner and Director General of ESIC may not be by
default the head of such organizations.
• Benefits for Gig workers: “Central Government may formulate and notify, from time to time, suitable social security
schemes for gig workers and platform workers” and such schemes would encompass issues like “life and disability cover”,
“health and maternity benefits” , “old age protection” and “any other benefit as may be determined by the Central Government”.
• Maternity Benfit: Subject to the other provisions of this Code, every woman shall be entitled to, and her employer shall be
liable for, the payment of maternity benefit at the rate of the average daily wage for the period of her actual absence, that is
to say, the period immediately preceding the day of her delivery, and any period immediately following that day.
• The Code on Social Security, 2019 once in place will merge eight exiting labour laws including Employees’ Compensation
Act, 1923; Employees‘ State Insurance Act, 1948, Employees‘ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952;
Maternity Benefit Act, 1961; Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972; Cine Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1981; Building and Other
Construction Workers Cess Act, 1996 and Unorganized Workers‘ Social Security Act, 2008.
‘UMMID’ initiative
Context: Government launches ‘UMMID’ initiative to tackle inherited genetic diseases of new born babies.
• UMMID (Unique Methods of Management and treatment of Inherited Disorders) initiative:
• Department of Biotechnology has started the UMMID Initiative which is designed on the concept of ‘Prevention is better
than Cure’.
• UMMID aims to create awareness about genetic disorders amongst clinicians and establish molecular diagnostics in
hospitals so that the fruits of developments in medical genetics reach the patients in India.
TB Harega Desh Jeetega’ campaign
Context: ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign’ has been launched with an aim to eliminate tuberculosis from India.
About ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega’ Campaign:
• Campaign aims to improve and expand the reach of TB care services across the country, by 2022.
• Three pillars of the campaign- clinical approach, public health component and active community participation.
• Supporting aspects of the campaign – patient support, private sector engagement, political and administrative
commitment at all levels.
• The government will ensure that all patients, at private or public hospitals, receive free-of-cost and high-quality TB care.
IR , DEFENCE & SECURITY
Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI)

Context: Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) Regime between Switzerland and India kicked off from September
1, 2019. Under this mechanism, India will start receiving information on all financial accounts held by Indian residents in
Switzerland, for the year 2018.
What is AEOI?
• Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) is systematic and periodic transmission of “bulk” taxpayer information by the
source country to the residence country, which is possible under most of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs)
and Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (MAC).
• It aims to reduce global tax evasion.
Interpol General Assembly

Context: India has proposed to Interpol that the General Assembly of the organization be held in New Delhi in 2022 as
part of the nation’s 75th Independence Day celebrations.
What is Interpol?
• The International Criminal Police Organisation, or Interpol, is a 194-member intergovernmental organisation.
• headquartered in Lyon, France.
• formed in 1923 as the International Criminal Police Commission, and started calling itself Interpol in 1956.
• India joined the organisation in 1949, and is one of its oldest members.
STUDY IQ
Page 151
• Interpol’s declared global policing goals include countering terrorism, promoting border integrity worldwide, protection
of vulnerable communities, providing a secure cyberspace for people and businesses, curbing illicit markets, supporting
environment security, and promoting global integrity.
Indo–Thai CORPAT:
Context: Fourth Indian Ocean Conference 2019 was recently held in Male, capital of Maldives.
• Theme: ‘Securing the Indian Ocean Region: Traditional and Non-Traditional Challenges’.
About Indian Ocean Conference:
• Initiated by India Foundation along with its partners from Singapore, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
• It is an annual effort to bring together Heads of States/Governments, Ministers, Thought Leaders, scholars, diplomats,
bureaucrats and practitioners from across the region.
MAITREE-2019
It is Indo-Thailand Joint Military Exercise.
• It is an annual training event which is being conducted alternatively in Thailand and India since 2006.
• 2019 edition is being held in Meghalaya.
• Aim: to share experience gained during various counter terrorism operations in their respective countries.
SITMEX-19
Context: Sea Phase of maiden SITMEX-19 (Singapore India Thailand Maritime Exercise), between Indian Navy, Republic of
Singapore Navy (RSN) and Royal Thai Navy (RTN) recently commenced in the Andaman Sea.
Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT)
Context: Led by Presidents of New Zealand and France, the members of GIFCT recently met at the UN General Assembly
to discuss the progress on the steps taken to implement Christchurch Call to Action.
About GIFCT:
• Formally established in July 2017 as a group of companies, dedicated to disrupting terrorist abuse of members’ digital
platforms.
• The original Forum was led by a rotating chair drawn from the founding four companies—Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter
and YouTube—and managed a program of knowledge-sharing, technical collaboration and shared research.
• GIFCT as an independent organization was formally established in 2017.
KAZIND-2019
• It is a joint military exercise between India and Kazakhstan.
• The latest edition is scheduled to be held in Pithoragarh district, Uttarkhand from 3-15 October 2019.
• Focus: counter terrorism operation.
• Conducted alternatively in Kazakhstan and India every year.
GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT & BIODIVERSITY

Great Indian Bustards (GIB):
Why in News?
• Prepare plan for protection of the Great Indian Bustard: NGT.
Key facts:
• IUCN status: critically endangered.
• Found in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972 and in the CMS Convention and in Appendix I of CITES.
• Identified as one of the species for the recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitatsof
the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
• Project Great Indian Bustard — state of Rajasthan — identifying and fencing off bustard breeding grounds in existing
protected areas as well as provide secure breeding enclosures in areas outside protected areas.
• Protected areas:Desert National Park Sanctuary — Rajasthan, Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary – Andhra Pradesh and Karera
Wildlife Sanctuary– Madhya Pradesh.
Hurricane Dorian:
STUDY IQ
Page 152
Context: India has announced an immediate humanitarian assistance of $1 million to help people in The Bahamas affected
by Hurricane Dorian.
Background:
• Hurricane Dorian has caused a large scale destruction in The Bahamas.
• It was an extremely powerful and destructive Category 5 hurricane. It was the first major hurricane of 2019 Atlantic
hurricane season.
Basel Ban Amendment

Context: The 1995 Basel Ban Amendment, a global waste dumping prohibition, has become an international law after
Croatia (97th country to ratify) ratified it on September 6, 2019.
What next?
• It will become a new Article in the Convention and will enter into force in the 97 countries after 90 days — on December 5.
About the 1995 Basel Ban Amendment:
• Adopted by the parties to the Basel Convention in 1995.
• To protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes.
• The amendment prohibits all export of hazardous wastes, including electronic wastes and obsolete ships from 29
wealthiest countries of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to non-OECD countries.
District mineral foundations

Context: Amendments to District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Trust Rules, 2015, by Chhattisgarh government has made it
more inclusive, people-centric and will also empower people affected by mining in the state, according to Centre for Science
and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based non-profit.
Background:
• Chhattisgarh became the first state in July 2019, to amend DMF rules.
• The new rule mandates the inclusion of 10 Gram Sabha members directly from mining-affected areas in the DMF
Governing Council (GC).
• In Scheduled Areas, at least 50 per cent of the Gram Sabha members must be from Scheduled Tribes (ST).
• To ensure better public accountability, a two-step social audit process has been mandated.
• Provisions have also been introduced for five-year plan, which can be subjected to a third party review if the secretary of
the mines department considers it to be necessary.
• The rules have also specified ‘sustainable livelihood’ as a high priority issue, including for forest rights holders.
About DMFs:
• DMFs were instituted under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Act 2015.
• They are non-profit truststo work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining-related operations
in such manner as may be prescribed by the State Government.
• Jurisdiction: Its manner of operation comes under the jurisdiction of the relevant State Government.
Drought Toolbox:
Context: At the ongoing 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
(UNCCD), a Drought Toolbox has been launched.
What is it?
• A kind of knowledge bank that may be used by vulnerable countries, such as India, to reduce drought risk and be better
prepared and effectively respond to it.
• It is a web page that provides involved stakeholders easy access to case studies and other resources to support action on
drought preparedness with aim to boost resilience of people and ecosystems to drought.
• It contains tools that strengthen ability of vulnerable countries and enable communities to anticipate and prepare for
drought effectively, mitigate their impacts and find land management tools that help them to build resilience to drought.
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

Context: The International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer (or World Ozone Day) is observed every year on
September 16 for the preservation of the Ozone Layer.
• World Ozone Day 2019 Theme: 32 Years and Healing.
STUDY IQ
Page 153
Significance of the day:

• In 1994, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone
Layer, commemorating the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)

Context: Since the past 15 years, Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) has been weakening — a
development that could have dramatic consequences for Europe and other parts of the Atlantic rim. Warming up of Indian
Ocean is said to be a key driver behind this.
How it affects?
• Warming in the Indian Ocean generates additional precipitation, which, in turn, draws more air from other parts of the
world, including the Atlantic.
• The higher level of precipitation in the Indian Ocean will reduce precipitation in the Atlantic and increase salinity in the
waters.
What is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation?
• The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a large system of ocean currents that carry warm water from
the tropics northwards into the North Atlantic.
• It aids in distributing heat and energy around the earth, as the warm water it carries releases heat into the atmosphere,
and in absorbing and storing atmospheric carbon.
Happy Seeder:
What is it?
• Happy Seeder (HS) or Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) is a tractor-operated machine developed by the Punjab Agricultural
University (PAU) in collaboration with Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), for in-situ
management of paddy stubble (straw).
• Significance: Using Happy Seeders for direct wheat sowing leads to increased productivity and farmers can ‘stop burning
paddy stubble’ to clear the fields.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
‘Build for Digital India’ programme

Context: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Google have signed a statement of intent to
roll-out ‘Build for Digital India’ programme.
Key features of the programme:
• The programme will give engineering students a platform to develop market-ready, technology-based solutions that
address key social problems.
• Applicants will take part in online and offline learning opportunities on key technologies such as machine learning, cloud
and android.
• These will be offered through Google’s Developer Student Club network and other Google Developer networks.
• Google will also offer mentorship sessions in product design, strategy and technology to the most promising products and
prototypes.
‘Samudrayaan’ project
Context: India to undertake deep ocean mining with ‘Samudrayaan’ project.
About Samudrayaan:
• It is a pilot project of the Ministry of Earth Sciences for deep ocean mining for rare minerals.
• It proposes to send men into the deep sea in a submersible vehicle for ocean studies.
• The project is expected to become a reality by 2021-22.
• The project has been undertaken by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).
National Genomic Grid (NGG)

Context: Recently, the government has announced to set up a National Genomic Grid (NGG).
STUDY IQ
Page 154
About NGG:
• It will study genomic data of cancer patients from India.
• It will collect samples from cancer patients, through a network of pan-India collection centres by bringing all cancer
treatment institutions on board.
• The grid to be formed will be in line with the National Cancer Tissue Biobank (NCTB) set up at the Indian Indian Institute
of Technology, Madras.
African Swine Fever (ASF)

Context: ASF outbreak has been sweeping through swine populations in China, leading to massive mass cullings and a
subsequent increase in the price of the country’s favourite protein.
Background:
• ASF has been seen in other Asian countries as well. Most recently, the Philippines had to cull more than 7,000 pigs to arrest
the spread of ASF.
About African Swine Fever (ASF):
• ASF is a highly contagious and fatal animal disease that infects domestic and wild pigs, typically resulting in an acute form
of hemorrhagic fever.
• It was first detected in Africa in the 1920s.
• The mortality is close to 100 per cent, and since the fever has no cure, the only way to stop it spreading is by culling the a
nimals.
• ASF is not a threat to human beings since it only spreads from animals to other animals.
• According to the FAO, “its extremely high potential for transboundary spread has placed all the countries in the region in
danger and has raised the spectre of ASF once more escaping from Africa. It is a disease of growing strategic importance for
global food security and household income”.
What is Salmonella?
Context: MDH masalas in US have tested positive for Salmonella.
What is Salmonella?
• A group of bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses known as salmonellosis.
How widely is it spread?
• According to estimates by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Salmonella causes 1.2 million
illnesses, 23,000 hospitalisations and about 450 deaths in the United States every year.
• In a majority of these cases — roughly 1 million — food is the source of the illness.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies Salmonella as one of four key global causes of diarrhoeal diseases.
Symptoms:
• Nausea, diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after contracting the infection.
• Usually, the illness lasts for 4-7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
Bioterrorism
Context: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh says bio-terrorism among new threats facing Armed Forces Medical Services
of SCO countries.
• He called on them to find effective ways to deal with new threats posed by advancing battle field technologies.
What is bioterrorism?
• A form of terrorism where there is the intentional release of biological agents (bacteria, viruses, or other germs). This is
also referred to as germ warfare.
Concerns:
• In effect, biological warfare is using non-human life to disrupt — or end — human life. Because living organisms can be
unpredictable and incredibly resilient, biological weapons are difficult to control, potentially devastating on a global scale,
and prohibited globally under numerous treaties.
• The threat of bioterrorism is increasing as a result of the rise of technical capabilities, the rapid expansion of the global
biotechnology industry, and the growth of loosely sophisticated networks of transnational terrorist groups that have
expressed interest in bioterrorism.
STUDY IQ
Page 155
Head on Generation (HOG) technology

Context: Railway Ministry is upgrading all existing Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches with the Head on Generation
(HOG) technology.
• Significance: This would cause the trains to become more cost-efficient and less polluting.
What is Head on Generation (HOG) technology?
• The system runs the train’s ‘hotel load’ (the load of air conditioning, lights, fans, and pantry, etc.) by drawing electricity
from the overhead electric lines through the pantograph.
• The power supply from the overhead cable is 750 volts at single-phase, and a transformer with a winding of 945 kVA
converts it to a 750 Volts 50 Hz output at 3-phase. This energy is then provided to the compartments.
Quantum Supremacy
Context: Google researchers claim to have achieved a major milestone in computer science known as “quantum supremacy.”
What is quantum supremacy?
• It means only that researchers have been able to use a quantum computer to perform a single calculation that no
conventional computer, even the biggest supercomputer, can perform in a reasonable amount of time.
The case of Google:
• This calculation involved checking whether the output of an algorithm for generating random numbers was truly random.
• The researchers were able to use a quantum computer to perform this complex mathematical calculation in three minutes
and 20 seconds, according to the paper.
• They say it would have taken Summit 3—an IBM-built machine that is the world’s most powerful commercially-available c
onventional computer—about 10,000 years to perform the same task.
How do quantum computers work?
• Quantum computers work by harnessing the properties of quantum mechanics.
• Quantum computers use logical units called quantum bits, or qubits for short, that can be put into a quantum state where
they can simultaneously represent both 0 and 1.
MISCELLANEOUS
Delhi under Firoz Shah Tuglaq

Context: Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla stadium is set to be renamed Arun Jaitley Stadium after the former Finance Minister.
• The stadium took its name from a 14th century fortress Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
About Firoz Shah Tughlaq:
• Born in 1309 and ascended the throne of Delhi after the demise of his cousin Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq.
• He was the third ruler of Tughlaq dynasty that ruled over Delhi from 1320 to 1412 AD. Tughlaq was in power from 1351
to 1388 AD.
• He was the one who started the imposition of Jaziya.
• He provided the principle of inheritance to the armed forces where the officers were permitted to rest and send their
children in army in their place. However, they were not paid in real money but by land.
India’s first ever helicopter summit:

What?
• India’s first ever helicopter summit was held recently in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Organised by?
• Civil Aviation Ministry, Uttarakhand government and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI).
• Theme: expanding connectivity through helicopters.
5th International Ramayana Festival and ICCR: me
Context: It was organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in New Delhi recently.
• About Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR): ICCR was founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,
Independent India’s first Education Minister.
Objectives:
• To actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programs pertaining to India’s external
cultural relations.
STUDY IQ
Page 156
• To foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries to promote
cultural exchanges with other countries and people, and to develop relations with nations.
International Day of Peace 2019:

Context: United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared 21 September as International Day of Peace.
• Objective: Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all
humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.
• Theme: “Climate Action for Peace”.
Shodh Shuddh:
• It is a Plagiarism Detention Software (PDS) launched by the union Ministry of HRD.
• This service is being implemented by Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an Inter University Centre (IUC) of
UGC.
• Significance: It will significantly help to improve the quality of research outcome by ensuring the originality of ideas and
publication of the research scholars.
#FridaysForFuture:
• It is a movement that began in August 2018, after 15 years old Greta Thunberg sat in front of the Swedish parliament
every schoolday for three weeks, to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis.
• On the 8th of September, Greta decided to continue striking every Friday until the Swedish policies provided a safe
pathway well under 2-degree C, i.e. in line with the Paris agreement.
• It has now become an international movement of school students who take time off from class to participate in
demonstrations to demand action to prevent further global warming and climate change.
Paika Rebellion
Context: President Ram Nath Kovind to lay the foundation of a memorial dedicated to the 1817 Paika Rebellion.
Who are Paikas?
• Paikas had been recruited since the 16th century by kings in Odisha from a variety of social groups to render martial
services in return for rent-free land (nish-kar jagirs) and titles. They were the traditional land-owning militia of Odisha and
served as warriors.
How the rebellion began?
• When armies of the East India Company overran most of Odisha in 1803, the Raja of Khurda lost his primacy and the
power and prestige of the Paikas went on a decline.
• The British were not comfortable with these aggressive, warlike new subjects and set up a commission under Walter Ewer
to look into the issue.
• The commission recommended that the hereditary rent-free lands granted to the Paikas be taken over by the British
administration and this recommendation was zealously adhered to. They revolted against the British.
• Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Mohapatra Bharamarbar Rai, the highest-ranking military general of King of Khorda
Mukund Dev II, led the Paikas to join the uprising.
• However, the rebellion had several other underlying causes – like the rise in the price of salt, abolition of the cowrie
currency for payment of taxes and an overtly extortionist land revenue policy.
• Although initially the Company struggled to respond they managed to put down the rebellion by May 1817. Many of the
Paik leaders were hung or deported. Jagabandhu surrendered in 1825.
Sardar Patel National Unity Award:

Context: A notification instituting the Sardar Patel National Unity Award was recently issued by Ministry of Home Affairs.
Key facts:
• It is the Highest Civilian Award for contribution to Unity and Integrity of India.
• The Award seeks to recognize notable and inspiring contributions to promote the cause of national unity and integrity
and to reinforce the value of a strong and united India.
• The award will be announced on the occasion of the National Unity Day, i.e. the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel on 31st
October.
STUDY IQ
Page 157
• The Award shall be conferred by the President by a Sanad under his hand and seal and presented by him in a presentation
ceremony along with the Padma award presentation ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhawan.
• An Award Committee would be constituted by the Prime Minister, which would include the Cabinet Secretary, Principal
Secretary to the Prime Minister, Secretary to the President, Home Secretary as Members and three-four eminent persons
selected by the Prime Minister.
• The Award would consist of a medal and a citation. No monetary grant or cash award would be attached to this Award.
• Not more than three Awards would be given in a year.
• It would not be conferred posthumously except in very rare and highly deserving cases.
• Eligibility: Any Indian national or institution or organization based in India would be able to nominate an individual for
consideration for this AwardIndividuals may also nominate themselves. State Governments, UT Administrations and
Ministries of Government of India may also send nominations.
World Tourism Day 2019

Context: This day is commemorated each year on 27 September, with celebrations led by UNWTO.
• The day of September 27 was chosen for World Tourism Day because the Constitution of the World Tourism Organization
was accepted on this day in 1970.
• Objectives: to raise awareness about the role of tourism around the world and to promote social, cultural, political and
economic values.
• 2019 theme: “Tourism and jobs: a better future for all”.
• Host: India.
About UNWTO:
• The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible,
sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize:

• Context: President of India Ram Nath Kovind, presented Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes 2019, for outstanding
contributions in science and technology.
What is it?
• The award is named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), the late Dr (Sir)
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and is known as the ‘Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science and Technology’. The Prize is
given each year for outstanding contributions to science and technology.
• Nature of the Prize: SSB Prizes, each of the value of Rs 5,00,000 (Rupees five lakh only), are awarded annually for notable
and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in the following disciplines: (i) Biological Sciences, (ii) Chemical Sciences,
(iii) Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, (iv) Engineering Sciences, (v) Mathematical Sciences, (vi) Medical
Sciences and (vii) Physical Sciences.
STUDY IQ
Page 158
PRELIMS CAPSULE
Q.1) 1st paperless Legislative Assembly of the country was recently inaugurated at
(A) Bihar
(B) Andhra Pradesh
(C) Sikkim
(D Jharkhand
Q.2) Consider the following statements

1.India’s only Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal is located on river hugli
2.Terminal has been built by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) which works under ministry of jal shakti now
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1) Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) is an autonomous organization under Union Ministry of health
2) Unani Medical Centre at New OPD Building in Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi is recently inaugurated by it.
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1) Union Cabinet had given its nod to set up Indian Institute of Skills (IISs) in all metro cities to give wings to the Skill India
mission.
2) To provide skill training in highly-specialized areas to students who want to pursue technical education after completing
graduation.
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
Q.5) Country which is not member of Eurasian Economic Union

1.Russia
2.China
3.Uzbekistan
4.Armenia
(A) 2 only
(B) 2 & 3
(C) 3 & 4
(D) All are members

1. The total tribal population in is more than 97%
2. Balti, Beda, Bot, Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard, Shin, Changpa, Garra & Mon tribes live here
Name the region
(A) Sikkim
(B) Arunachal
(C) Ladakh
(D) Uttarakhand
STUDY IQ
Page 159
Q.7)Consider the following statements

1.GeM is a state-of-the-art national public procurement platform of Ministry of small & medium enterprizes
2.It facilitates offline procurement of common use Goods & Services required by various Government Departments /
Organisations / PSUs.
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1.Pangong Tso lake is a land locked lake
2.It is located in Tibet entirely and it’s a Ramsar site
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
Q.9) Fedor, recently in news was a

(A)Spacecraft
(B)Moon Lander
(C)Space robot
(D)None
Q.10) Cryodrakon boreas is a

(A) Recently found amphibian
(B) An invasive plant species
(C) The largest flying bird of all time
(D) None

1. Market Intervention Price Scheme is to protect the growers of these horticultural/agricultural commodities from making
distress sale in the event of bumper crop
2. Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices ia the implementing agency
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
Q.12) AITIGA goods agreement is between India &

(A) Nepal
(B) Myanmar
(C) EU
(D) ASEAN

1. Fall Armyworm is a dangerous bloodsucking worm for humans
2. It was first found in Karnataka and its endemic to India
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
STUDY IQ
Page 160

1. Sardar Sarovar Dam is the biggest dam in terms of volume of concrete used in it.
2. It is funded by ADB
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. Droughts affect 42 per cent of India’s land while another 6 per cent is ‘exceptionally dry plane
2. Drought Preparedness report released in ongoing CoP14 has suggested a national drought management policy commission
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1 .African Swine Fever is a viral disease in some tribal groups of Africa
2. It’s a zoonotic disease that spreads from pigs to humans through pork eating
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. Since 2000, global malaria incidence and death rates declined by 36% and 60%, respectively.
2. More than 90 percent of the deaths were in India & Pakistan, and over 60 percent were among children under 5.
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. Project Bal Basera is for homeless and trafficked kids
2 .It is executed by NCPCR
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1 .India ratified the UNCCD Convention on December 1996, the same year it was formed
2. It is committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating desertification and
land degradation.
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
STUDY IQ
Page 161

1 .India has won global acclaim for its “Beat Plastic Pollution” resolve under which it pledged to eliminate single-use plastic
by 2 nd October 2019.
2. Big producers of plastics are facing the ban, while unorganized entities covered by the Extended Producer Responsibility
clause continue with business as usual.
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
Q.21) ‘ANGAN’- International Conference, recently was organised. It is related to

(A) Children’s safety from trafficking
(B) Urbanization
(C) Energy efficiency
(D) Child mortality below 5 years of age
Q.22) First ever cross-border petroleum products pipeline in South Asia is recently inaugurated between
(A) India & Bangladesh
(B) India & Nepal
(C) India & Tibet
(D) Bangladesh & Myanmar

1. The influenza virus is of four types, A, B, C, and D. among these C & D are fatal to humans
2. Recently, India was again declared free of the H1N1 virus, which causes ‘avian influenza’ or ‘Bird flu’ (earlier declaration in
2017).
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. The 1 st Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) was instituted in 2004. It delivered its report in 2010.
2 .Maximum water was allocated to Maharashtra as it rises near trimbak plateau in Maharashtra
Choose correct
(A) 1 & 2
(B) 1 & 3
(C) All
(D) None

1 .Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious Bacterial disease of cattle and swine
2 .It impacts movability of cattle but milk production is unaffected 3. India has eradicated the disease recently
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
STUDY IQ
Page 162
Q.26) Arrange salt-producing states in decreasing order

1. Rajasthan
2 .Tamil Nadu
3 .Gujrat
4. Andhra Pradesh
(A) 1>3>4>2
(B) 3>2>1>4
(C) 3>1>2>4
(D) 1>3>2>4
Q.27) According to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2017, “Assisted Reproductive Technology
services shall not be available to a woman below the age of 18 years and above the age of______ ?
(A) 60
(B) 50
(C) 45
(D) There is no maximum age defined

1 .At the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) 2015 in Paris, India joined the voluntary Bonn Challenge and
pledged to bring into restoration 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030.
2 .According to latest data around 30% land of total geographic area of country is degraded
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. Helicopter Summit- 2019 was country’s first ever helicopter summit at Sahastradhara helidrome, Jammu
2. Was organized jointly by Defence Ministry and state govt.
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
Q.30) Species for which conservation(breeding) program is recently launched

(A) Cheetah
(B) Nilgiri Tahr
(C) Great Indian Bustard
(D) Rhinos
Q.31) Lake Tanganyika divides

(A) DRC & Zimbabwe
(B) DRC & Tanzania
(C) Tanzania & Malawi
(D) Uganda & Tanzania
STUDY IQ
Page 163

1. India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue(SED) was established in December 2010 between NITI Aayog and National
Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China.
2 .India is hosting 6th India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) in New Delhi.
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. Per 100000 people a national average of 204 is there for Tb prevalence in India
2. World Health Organization and India have set 2035 as the deadline to eliminate the TB epidemic
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. Sahariyas are snake charmers in Karnataka
2. It is a PVTG listed group
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. Aspirational District Programme was launched by ministry of home
2. It focuses on 5 main socio-economic themes
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. He was Congress president thrice, in 1886, 1893, and 1906
2. He set up the ‘Gyan Prasarak Mandali’ (Society for Promotion of Knowledge) for the education of Indians.
3.He acted as a mentor to Mahatma Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He was
(A) Gopal krishan Gokhale
(B) MG Ranade
(C) RC Mazumdar
(D) Dada bhai Naoroji

1. India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of the banana fruit
2. A new study has found that climate change has lowered Banana yield over the last several decades.
Choose correct
(A)Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
STUDY IQ
Page 164

1. James Webb Space Telescope is composed of 18 hexagonal mirror segments which combine to create a 30 meter diameter
mirror
2. It is a collaboration of NASA, ISRO & JAXA
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. India was the first country in the world to open a consulate in Vladivostok.
2. Indian Prime Minister attended the 1st ‘Eastern Economic Forum’ (EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia.
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. Suktagendor – Gujrat
2. Burzahom – Kashmir
3. Daimabad – Maharashtra
4 .Chanhudaro – Sindh
Choose correct matches
(A) 1 & 4
(B) 3 & 4
(C) 2 & 4
(D) 2,3,4

1. Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 does not include any International treaty
2 .Now If the investigation is conducted by an officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the approval of the
Director General of NIA would be required for seizure of properties that may be connected with terrorism.
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1. Fourth Indian Ocean Conference 2019 was recently held in New Delhi
2. It is an annual effort to bring together navies chiefs of countries
Choose correct
(A)Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
STUDY IQ
Page 165

1. Air is not a conductor to the electricity
2 .Earth has a negative charge on it and thatswhy lightening strikes
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1 .Firoz Shah Tughlaq was the founder of Tughlaq Dynasty
2. He abolished Jaziya
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
Q.45) Manufacturer of apache helicopters is

(A ) Dassault Rafale
(B ) AugustaWestland
(C) HAL
(D) Boeing
Q.46) India and Russia on Wednesday agreed to open a maritime route between
A ) Gujrat to Vladivostok
B) Chennai to Moscow
C) Chennai to Vladivostok
D) Vishakhapatnam to Vladivostok
Q.47) According to World gold council, India stands in the terms of gold reserves in the countries list
(A) 11th
(B) 10th
(C) 9th
(D) 4th

1. Ministry of Communication & Google tied up to Build for Digital India
2. This will work under Make in India as a component
Choose correct
(A)Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

1 .A hurricane is an Extra-tropical cyclone that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and the northeastern Pacific Ocean
2. A typhoon occurs in the northwestern Pacific Ocean; in the south Pacific or the Indian Ocean
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
STUDY IQ
Page 166
Q.50) Kalimantan is located

(A) North to Tehran
(B) East to Cambodia
(C) South to Bali
(D) East to Shanghai
NOTES
STUDY IQ
Page 167
SOLUTIONS
1) Solution: (D)
Source: Study IQ daily current Affairs
2) Solution: (D)
• This is the 2nd of three Multi Modal Terminals (MMTs) being constructed on river Ganga under Jal Marg Vikas Project
(JMVP). In November 2018, PM Modi inaugurated first MMT at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• The Rs.290 crore multi-modal cargo terminal has been built by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) on River
Ganga at Sahibganj.
• It will have a cargo storing capacity of 3 million tonne (MT) per year, a stockyard and parking and berthing space for 2 vessels
3) Solution: (B)
4) Solution: (D)
5) Solution: (B)
• The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) [note 1] is an economic union of states located in central and northern Asia and
Eastern Europe. The Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union was signed on 29 May 2014 by the leaders of Belarus,
Kazakhstan and Russia, and came into force on 1 January 2015.
• Treaties aiming for Armenia's and Kyrgyzstan's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union were signed on 9 October and
23 December 2014, respectively. Armenia's accession treaty came into force on 2 January 2015. Kyrgyzstan's accession
treaty came into effect on 6 August 2015. It participated in the EAEU from the day of its establishment as an acceding state.
6) Solution: (B)
• National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) Writes to Union Home Minister & Union Tribal Affairs Minister
Conveying Its recommendation to Include Union Territory of Ladakh Under 6th Schedule of Constitution Of India.
7) Solution: (D)
• Its an online platform
8) Solution: (A)
• Pangong Tso in tibetan for "high grassland lake", also referred to as Pangong Lake, is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas
situated at a height of about 4,350 m (14,270 ft). It is 134 km (83 mi) long and extends from India to the Tibetan Autonomous
Region, China. Approximately 60% of the length of the lake lies within the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The lake is 5 km
(3.1 mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers 604 km2 . During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being
saline water. It is not a part of the Indus river basin area and geographically a separate landlocked river basin.
9) Solution: (C)
10) Solution: (C)

11) Solution: (A)

• The government is planning to procure almost 12 lakh metric tonnes of apple this season, under the MISP.
STUDY IQ Page 168

12) Solution: (D)

• India and the 10-member ASEAN have agreed to initiate a review of the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in goods to
make it more user-friendly, simple and trade facilitative.
• The countries have also agreed to initiate the review of the ASEANIndia trade in goods agreement to make it more user-
friendly, simple, and trade facilitative for businesses.
13) Solution: (D)

• Maize crops falling victim to fall armyworm in Bihar. Reports of the pest attacking crops have been reported from a number
of districts in the state, India’s third-largest maize producer.
• It is a native of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas
• First detected in the African continent in 2016. Since then, it has spread to other countries such as China, Thailand,
Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
14) Solution: (D)

• The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a gravity dam on the Narmada river near Navagam, Gujarat in India. Four Indian states, Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra and Rajasthan, receive water and electricity supplied from the dam. The foundation stone of the
project was laid out by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on 5 April 1961.
• The project took form in 1979 as part of a development scheme funded by the World Bank through their International Bank
for Reconstruction and Development, to increase irrigation and produce hydroelectricity, using a loan of US$ 200 million.
• The construction for dam begun in 1987, but the project was stalled by the Supreme Court of India in 1995 in the backdrop
of Narmada Bachao Andolan over concerns of displacement of people.
15) Solution: (C)

• Framework for the Assessment of Benefits of Action/Cost of Inaction for Drought Preparedness report has been released
at the ongoing 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
• Droughts affect 42 per cent of India’s land while another 6 per cent is ‘exceptionally dry plane’.
• 40 per cent of the country’s population is vulnerable to droughts .
16)Solution: (D)
• ASF outbreak has been sweeping through swine populations in China, leading to massive mass cullings and a subsequent
increase in the price of the country’s favourite protein.
• ASF has been seen in other Asian countries as well. Most recently, the Philippines had to cull more than 7,000 pigs to arrest
the spread of ASF.
17) Solution: (A)

• Malaria exacts a massive toll on human health and imposes a heavy social and economic burden in low- and middle-income
countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. An estimated 219 million people suffered from the disease in
2017 and about 435,000 died. More than 90 percent of the deaths were in Africa, and over 60 percent were among children
under 5.
• Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted by mosquitoes. Even in relatively mild cases, it can cause high fever, chills, flu-like
symptoms, and severe anemia. These symptoms can be especially dangerous for pregnant women and young children who are
experiencing the disease for the first time. Severe malaria can cause lifelong intellectual disabilities in children, and malaria’s
economic impact is estimated to cost billions of dollars in lost productivity every year.
STUDY IQ
Page 169
18) Solution: (D)

• ‘Bal Basera’ or a ‘Creche’ has been inaugurated for the welfare of Children of Construction Workers deployed at AIIMS
Rishikesh.
• Project is being executed by ‘Central Public Works Department’ (CPWD), Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
• CPWD has signed an MoU with CPWD OWA (Officers’ Wives Association), which shall run Bal Basera.
• The Creche shall accommodate about 35 Children.
• CPWD OWA, a socio cultural organization, is actively involved in the social welfare activities of weaker sections of society.
• It is providing monetary help to the families of CPWD employees in distress.
• It manages a large number of Bal Baseras and organizing health camps at construction sites, a day care centre.
19) Solution: (B)

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
• UNCCD was adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994 and ratified by 196 countries & European Union.
• India ratified the UNCCD Convention on December 1996.
• UNCCD called as “Mother convention” along with other 2 Conventions emerged at 1992 Rio Earth Summit. The other 2 are,
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It is committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local
people in combating desertification and land degradation.
• India takes over COP Presidency of UNCCD from China for next two years.
• Through hosting COP 14, India will highlight its leadership in navigating the land management agenda at global level.
• It will also provide a stage to mainstream sustainable land management in country’s national development policies.
• The key outcomes of COP 14 will facilitate in delivering convergence and synergies among the existing programmes in the
field of agriculture, forestry, land, water management and poverty alleviation.
• It will cater the need to achieve the SDGs and focused vision of of Doubling the Farmer’s Income by 2022.
20) Solution: (D)

India’s efforts:
• India has won global acclaim for its “Beat Plastic Pollution” resolve declared on World Environment Day last year, under
which it pledged to eliminate single-use plastic by 2022.
• Single-use plastic items will be banned in India from October 2, 2019
• The ubiquitous plastic has made humans so dependent that it is virtually impossible to live without it.
• The PWM Rules Amendment, 2018, omitted explicit pricing of plastic bags that had been a feature of the 2016 Rules.
• Waste plastic from packaging of everything from food, cosmetics and groceries to goods delivered by online platforms
remains unaddressed.
• The fast moving consumer goods sector that uses large volumes of packaging, posing a higher order challenge.
• Lack of adequate infrastructure for segregation and collection is the key reason for inefficient plastic waste disposal.
• Small producers of plastics are facing the ban, while more organized entities covered by the Extended Producer
Responsibility clause continue with business as usual.
21) Solution: (D)

• ‘ANGAN’- International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Building Sector:
• The recently held international conference, ANGAN (Augmenting Nature by Green Affordable New-habitat), focused on
Energy Efficiency in Building Sector.
• Organized by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, Government of India in collaboration with GIZ
under the Indo German Technical Cooperation.
• It’s aim is to provide a platform to deliberate on the interdependence between organizations, systemic sustainability and
feedback loops for better resource efficiency.
STUDY IQ
Page 170
22) Solution: (B)

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reiterated India's commitment to supporting the development of Nepal according to
priorities of the neighboring country. He expressed hope that the two countries will move fast to further broaden their
partnership and deepen it in the diverse fields.
• Mr. Modi said this while inaugurating the first-ever cross-border petroleum products pipeline in South Asia, the Motihari-
Amlekhganj petroleum product pipeline with his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli through video conferencing.
23) Solution: (D)

• Recently, India was again declared free of the H5N1 virus, which causes ‘avian influenza’ or ‘Bird flu’ (earlier declaration in
2017).
• WHO defines influenza as a contagious, acute respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.
• The many kinds of viruses causing influenza are identified by a standard nomenclature issued by the WHO in 1980.
• It is of four types, A, B, C, and D.
• According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only ‘influenza A and B viruses’ are known to
cause ‘epidemics’.
• The ‘C type’ virus usually causes mild respiratory illness.
• The ‘D type’ virus typically affects cattle and is not known to infect humans.
24) Solution: (D)

• Recently, Maharashtra and Karnataka Chief Ministers jointly oppose Andhra Pradesh’s application.
• A.P seeks to relook at the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal’s 2010 order on water distribution between the riparian states.
• This took a new turn in the Krishna water dispute.
• The Krishna is an east-flowing river that originates at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra.
• It flowing through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh before entering into the Bay of Bengal.
• A dispute over the sharing of Krishna waters has been ongoing for many decades.
• In 1969, the ‘Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal’ (KWDT) was set up under the Inter-State River Water Dispute Act, 1956.
• It presented its report in 1973, which was published in 1976.
• It divided the 2060 TMC of Krishna water at 75% dependability into 3 parts.
25) Solution: (C)

26) Solution: (C)

27) Solution: (C)

28) Solution: B)
29) Solution: (D)

30) Solution: (C)

31) Solution: B)
STUDY IQ
Page 171
32) Solution: (B)

33) Solution: (A)

2035 deadline
• Though TB prevalence among Saharias has dropped from 3,003 to 1,995 per 1,00,000 persons over the years against a
national average of 204, as per an Indian Council of Medical Research study, malnutrition, poor housing, alcoholism and
seasonal migration continue to be risk factors. While the World Health Organization has set 2035 as the deadline to eliminate
the TB epidemic, India, which accounts for a quarter of cases, plans to do so much ahead by 2025.
• “Treating TB is not just a public health issue like polio wherein two drops are enough,” says Ashish Vyas, Shivpuri TB officer.
• “It requires improving socio-economic conditions of vulnerable people and their education levels to surmount it.”
• Indigenous people across the world confront higher TB rates than others due to multiple factors. While only 23% of
Saharias, mostly agricultural labourers, are literate, every fifth person in the community suffers from an infection, and every
second child under five in Shivpuri is underweight.
34) Solution: (B)

• The Saharia, Sahar, Sehariya, or Sahariya are an ethnic group in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The Saharias are mainly
found in the districts of Morena, Sheopur, Bhind, Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri, Vidisha and Guna districts of Madhya Pradesh and
Baran district of Rajasthan.
35) Solution: (B)

• The apex body for child rights, NCPCR, is visiting 117 Aspirational Districts to hold public meetings on complaints affecting
children pertaining to education, health and nutrition as well as lack of infrastructure. The National Commission for
Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has so far held 23 benches in 27 districts and has received nearly 5,000 complaints. The
districts visited so far include Adilabad (Telangana), Ramanathpuram (Tamil Nadu), Chamba (Himachal Pradesh), and Mewat
(Haryana).
• “The Aspirational District Programme focuses on five main themes to improve socio-economic status which include Health
and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development. Of these, three issues
come directly under our mandate and account for 70% of the total weightage for ranking districts. So we have been holding
our benches where we meet officials from nearly 30 departments as well as local residents,” NCPCR Chairperson Priyanka
Kanoongo told The Hindu.
36) Solution: (D)

• Dadabhai Naoroji birth anniversary
• September 4, 2019 was the 194th birth anniversary of ‘Dadabhai Naoroji’.
• “Grand Old Man of India”, was among the first leaders who stirred national consciousness in the country.
• He was closely involved with the Indian National Congress in its early phase.
• His first agitation, in 1859, concerned recruitment to the ‘Indian Civil Service’ (today’s IAS).
• In 1865 and 1866, Naoroji helped in founding the ‘London Indian Society’ and the ‘East India Association’ respectively.
• The two organisations sought to bring nationalist Indians and sympathetic Britons on one platform.
• In 1885, Naoroji became a vice-president of the Bombay Presidency Association.
• He was nominated to the Bombay legislative council and helped form the Indian National Congress (INC).
• He was Congress president thrice, in 1886, 1893, and 1906.
• He was the first Asian to become a ‘British MP’ when he was elected to the House of Commons in 1892.
STUDY IQ
Page 172
37) Solution: (A)

Climate change and Bananas
• A new study has found that climate change has benefited Bananas over the last several decades.
• It also predicted that the trend will reserve, with climate change eventually causing a negative impact.
• Bananas are recognized as the most important crop, providing food, nutrition and income for millions across the globe.
• It thrive in warmer climates and India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of the fruit crop.
• The study found that 27 countries, accounting for 86% of the world’s dessert banana production.
• These countries have, on an average seen increased crop yield since 1961 by 1.37 tonnes/hectare every year.
• It was due to the changing climate resulting in more favourable growing conditions.
• In India, data from the National Horticulture Board show broadly consistent yields in 6 years.
• The study says the gains in these 27 countries could be significantly reduced by 2050 to 1.19-0.59 tonnes/hectare.
• The study predicts that 10 countries, including India could see a significant decline in crop yields.
• On the other hand, that some countries including Ecuador (the largest exporter), Honduras and a number of African
countries may see an overall benefit in crop yields.
38)Solution: (D)
• NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has been fully assembled.
• It is the successor to the ‘Hubble observatory’ and is scheduled to launch into space in March 2021.
• The JWST won’t just replace Hubble, it will massively expand our ability to observe distant objects.
• Once put in space, the telescope will explore the cosmos, planets, and moons within our solar system.
• It will also explore the most ancient and distant galaxies using infrared light.
• It is funded by NASA in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
• It will also have the power to analyze the atmospheres of many the new planets, for the potential for life.
39)Solution: (A)
• Eastern Economic Forum (EEF)
• Indian Prime Minister attended the 5th ‘Eastern Economic Forum’ (EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia.
• PM announced India would extend a $1 billion line of credit towards the development of the Russian Far East.
• India was the first country in the world to open a consulate in Vladivostok.
• Engaging closely with East Asia was in line with India’s policy goal of “Act East”.
• This gives a new dimension to our economic diplomacy.
• Among the participants in the Summit are India, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and South Korea.
• In the last five years as many as 17 different countries have invested in the Far East.
• The region has its investment-friendly approach and vast reserves of natural resources.
• With this, it has the potential to strengthen India-Russia economic partnership in areas like,
• Energy, tourism, agriculture, diamond mining and alternative energy.
• Lack of manpower is one of the main problems faced by the Far East.
• Given this, Indian professionals like doctors, engineers and teachers can help in the region’s development.
• For India, there is immense potential for mid-sized and small businesses.
• The two countries agreed for the Chennai-Vladivostok sea route.
40) Solution: (D)

41) Solution: (D)

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019-
• The Bill amends the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
• Who may commit terrorism: Under the Act, the central government may designate an organization as a terrorist
organization if it: (i) commits or participates in acts of terrorism, (ii) prepares for terrorism, (iii) promotes terrorism, or (iv) is
otherwise involved in terrorism. The Bill additionally empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists on the
same grounds.
STUDY IQ Page 173

• Approval for seizure of property by NIA: If the investigation is conducted by an officer of the National Investigation Agency
(NIA), the approval of the Director General of NIA would be required for seizure of properties that may be connected with
terrorism.
• Investigation by NIA: Under the Act, investigation of cases may be conducted by officers of the rank of Deputy
Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police or above. The Bill additionally empowers the officers of the NIA, of the
rank of Inspector or above, to investigate cases.
• Insertion to schedule of treaties: The Act defines terrorist acts to include acts committed within the scope of any of the
treaties listed in a schedule to the Act. The Schedule lists nine treaties, including the Convention for the Suppression of
Terrorist Bombings (1997), and the Convention against Taking of Hostages (1979). The Bill adds another treaty to the list. This
is the International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005).
42)Solution: (D)
• Fourth Indian Ocean Conference 2019 was recently held in Male, capital of Maldives.
• Theme: ‘Securing the Indian Ocean Region: Traditional and Non-Traditional Challenges’.
• About Indian Ocean Conference:
• Initiated by India Foundation along with its partners from Singapore, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
• It is an annual effort to bring together Heads of States/Governments, Ministers, Thought Leaders, scholars, diplomats,
bureaucrats and practitioners from across the region.
43)Solution: (D)
44)Solution: (D)
• Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla stadium is set to be renamed Arun Jaitley Stadium after the former Finance Minister.
• The stadium took its name from a 14th century fortress Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
45) Solution: (D)

• Apache is considered the fiercest, lethal survivable, deployable and maintainable multimission helicopter in the world.
• It can fly up to a speed of around 290 km/hour.
• It can affect an attack in30 seconds.
• It can climb at a rate of 889 meters in a minute
• Its endurance is 3 hours 9 minutes.
• The new fleet of Apache helicopters will be part of 125-Helicopter squadron, popularly called “Gladiators” of the IAF.
46) Solution: (D)

47) Solution: (C)

48) Solution: (D)

49) Solution: (B)

50) Solution: (B)

STUDY IQ
Page 174
MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS
CLICK HERE
or
(Scan the QR code)
STUDY IQ
Page 175

UPSC September Magazine (Eng)

Încărcat de

Informații document

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

UPSC September Magazine (Eng)

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

upsciq.

com September 2019

Prelims Exam Interview

All the best to all the aspirants.

Title The alternative principle

• Habeas Corpus Judgment and Executive Supremacy’ transport.

Under the guise of ‘prevention’, an entire

have not outrightly upheld the government’s actions,

• Justice H.R. Khanna-who had braved intense political

Three Judges Cases

GS2 || Polity || Judiciary || Supreme Court Way forward

Justice Tahilramani Transfer Contraversy have to be transparent and accountable.

It is depending on Section 89 of The Andhra Pradesh State

• All disputes would have to be resolved within a

Decision of the Tribunal

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

• It culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord on

Title “Updated” NRC

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

• It will function as the first level of examinationin all

GOVERNANCE & SOCIAL JUSTICE

Additional Info – Cigarette

• The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

• The policy was later changed, and with the exception of K V

reconstituting the Law Commission. • It should be a predominantly jurists’ commission, not a

• Judicial Administration: Considering and conveying

• Ensuring full inter-operability among the websites,

Operation Digital Board    

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

GS2 || Governance and social Justice || Human Salt production in India

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

• Later, the CEO of TimeBanks U.S.A popularized the idea

Relevance World Happiness Report 2018

• The data show that a great majority of the Notes

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

World speciﬁc ﬁndings

Why in news? of Economic and Social Affairs. In China, the population is

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

What does this imply

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

[However, there is a concern that the National Pension

• Early Detection and prevention

Title Burden in India

• However, there is a new urgency in India’s TB

Additional information about

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

serious side effects respondents believed that vaccines

(Click on the above image to watch the video)

Vaccine hesitancy Way forward

The 2013 Changes related

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

The journey so far – healthcare

GS2 || Governance and social Justice || Human

Private sector participation

India will make sure healthcare is no longer a privilege

(Scan the QR code to watch video)

• The private Institutions of Eminence can also come up as

What will be the beneﬁt

• The Greenfield Institutions would get 3 year period

e-Rozgar Samachar launched

• In a bid to make sanitary pads more accessible and

Why in news? PRADHAN MANTRI BHARTIYA

About the app

Operation Digital Board

About the Eastern

India Israel ties