PIB JUNE 2020

GS-1
World Day against Child Labour
(Topic: Social empowerment (Children); Mechanisms, laws, institutions and
Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of vulnerable sections
(Children))
On: 12th June
Theme: ‘Covid-19: Protect Children from Child Labour, now more than ever!’
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are about 152
million children globally who are engaged in child labour, 72 million of whom are
in hazardous work. With the coronavirus pandemic set to lead the world into a
recession, these children are now at an even greater risk of facing circumstances
even more difficult and working longer hours.
The Covid-19 crisis has pushed thousands of vulnerable children into child
labour. As the pandemic wreaks havoc on family incomes, without support, many
could resort to child labour. In times of crisis, child labour becomes a coping
mechanism for many families
India has
 Increased the NCLP training centres stipends to Rs 400 from Rs 150 per
month per child
 The ratification of ILO conventions 182 and 138 reflects India’s
commitment towards this cause
 The Supreme Court said policing alone will not help prevent child labour
and suggested that measures should be put in place to prevent contractors
from employing children.
Sustainable Development Goal for ending child labour
 SDG Goal 8 (decent work and economic growth): focuses on promoting
sustained, inclusive and sustainable growth and full and productive
employment and decent work for all.
 SDG Target 8.7 aims to “take immediate and effective measures to
eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and
secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour,
 including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour
in all its forms.”
Under the SDG agenda, UN member states, employers’ and workers’
organizations, as well as civil society organizations urged to eliminate child
labour by 2025, and forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking by
2030.
Four systemic failures that underpin the lack of progress:
1. Absence of an effective national legislation: There is a need for an efficient
national legislation to give effect to global conventions on the employment of
children in hazardous industries, as well as on the minimum age of work.
2. Lack of harmony between global commitments and domestic priorities.
3. Lack of effective labour inspections in the informal economy: A strong
legal framework that mandates punitive action against offending firms and
recruitment of youth and adults are important tools to guarantee the protection
of children.
4. Absence of strong collective bargaining mechanisms and effective social
protection policies from the cradle to the end of their lives.
Measures to tackle
 Elimination of school fees
 Boost social protections and provide easier access to credit for poor
households
 Better economic opportunities for parents
 Conduct surprise checks at various industrial units and shops to keep child
labour in check
 Improving migration governance
 Addressing gender considerations and tackling modern slavery as part of
humanitarian actions in areas of fragility, conflict and crisis.

GS-2
All North Eastern States to have e-office
(Topic: e-governance)
E-offices will be set up in all 8 North Eastern States in a stipulated timeframe.
 A part of an initiative on “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”
 Will ensure ease of administration, transparency and citizen-centric
delivery mechanism
 E-office project is also a cardinal pillar of Digital India
Shillong Declaration: Promotion of e-office and quality of its services
The implementation of e-Office in State Secretariats of North Eastern States will
result in
 Creation of paperless State Secretariats in a time bound manner where
officers would be empowered with virtual private networks, digital signature
certificates
 Promotion of less contact governance – work from home will be possible 
The infrastructure bottlenecks:
 Network connectivity
 Lack of funds to implement the e-office project

India and Denmark sign MOU for

developing cooperation between two
countries in the power sector
(Topic: India’s relations with other countries)
Aim: To develop a strong, deep and long-term co-operation between two
countries in the power sector on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual
benefit
The MoU provides for collaboration in areas like 
 Offshore wind
 Long term energy planning
 Forecasting
 Flexibility in the grid
 Consolidation of grid codes to integrate and operate efficiently variable
generation options
 Flexibility in the power purchase agreements
 Incentivize power plant flexibility
 Variability in renewable energy production

GS-3
Efforts to enhance cultivation of Heeng and
Saffron
(Topic: Crops)
Saffron and Heeng (asafoetida) are the most valuable spices of the world and
widely used in Indian cuisine since time immemorial. In India, the annual demand
for Saffron spice is 100 tons per year but its average production is about 6-7 tons
per year. Hence a large amount of Saffron is being imported. Similarly, there is no
production of heeng in India and currently about 1200 tons of raw heeng worth
Rs 600 crore is being imported from Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan.
 A state-of-the-art tissue-culture lab will be established for large-scale
production of quality planting material of these crops.
 Along with reduction in import, it will also lead to increased farm
income, improve the farmer well-being by providing better income prospects
and the state will be benefited by cultivation of these high-value crops along
with rural development.

Streamline the process for import and

possession of exotic live species in India
(Topic: Environment and Conservation)
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has decided to collect stock
information from the holders of exotic species through voluntary disclosure in
next six months.
The registration will be done for the stock of animals, new progeny, as well as for
import and exchange. The declarer would not be required to produce any
documentation in relation to the exotic live species if the same has been declared
within six months of the date of issue of the advisory. For any declaration made
after 6 months, the declarer shall be required to comply with the documentation
requirement under the extant laws and regulations.
This will help in 
 Better management of the species and guide the holders about proper
veterinary care, housing and other aspects of well-being of the species
 Controlling and management of zoonotic diseases on which guidance
would be available from time to time to ensure safety of animals and humans
Why: Exotic live species are animal or plant species moved from their original
range (location) to a new one. These species are introduced to a new location
most often by people. Many citizen of the country have kept CITES (Convention
of International Trade in Endangered Species) enlisted exotic animal species in
their possession but there is no unified information system available of such
stock of species at the State/Central level.  
Indians can make efforts to strengthen the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
 In light of COVID-19, there is a need for greater scrutiny of wet(animal)
markets in China, south-east Asia, and many other countries around the
world.
 There is also a need to eradicate animal farms that breed and trade exotic
species.
 Such wet markets and breeding centres increases the potential for
zoonotic transmission of unknown, deadly viruses and hence a need for
greater monitoring.
 Efforts need to be made to pass and enforce legislation to control the
domestic consumption of wild animals, which also contributes to
environmental conservation
About CITES
 It came into force in July 1975 and currently has 183 signatories
 Aim: Ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and
plants does not threaten their survival.
 The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP and is located at Geneva,
Switzerland.
 The CITES is as an international legally binding agreement aimed at
ensuring “that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants
does not threaten their survival”. However, it does not take the place of
national laws. 
 Rather, it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which
has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is
implemented at the national level.
 The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), a
consortium of the CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, UN Office on Drugs and
Crime,  World Bank and the World Customs Organization has been
established to tackle illegal wildlife trade.
Appendix:
 Appendix I includes species “threatened with extinction”. Trade in
specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
 Appendix II provides a lower level of protection.
 Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country,
which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.

State-of-the-art Flood Warning System for

Mumbai Launched
(Topic: Disaster Management)
iFLOWS- Mumbai, a state-of the-art Integrated Flood Warning System for Mumbai
has been launched 
Mumbai has been facing floods with increased periodicity which brings the city to
a standstill in spite of its natural and storm water drainage systems. In a bid to
aid in the mitigation of the flood prone city, Disaster Management Department of
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) approached the Ministry of
Earth Sciences (MoES) to develop an Integrated Flood Warning System for
Mumbai, on the lines of a similar system developed for Chennai earlier. MoES
initiated the development of the flood warning system in July 2019 using the
expertise of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium
Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
(IITM) and National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), in close coordination
with Disaster Management Department of MCGM.
Features
 The system will help make the city become more resilient, by providing
early warning for flooding especially during high rainfall events and cyclones. 
 Using this, it will be possible to have an estimate of the flood inundation 3
days in advance, along with 3 hours – 6 hours Now cast (immediate weather
updates). 
 It will be very useful, especially if people need to be evacuated from low-
lying areas as we will be able to forecast 12 hours in advance that a particular
spot may get flooded.  
 The system will also forecast the rainfall in each pocket.
How does the Prediction System Works?
The sophisticated system has been developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences
using its in-house expertise, in close collaboration with the Municipal Corporation
of Greater Mumbai (BMC). 
 The system uses rain gauge data and local data such as data on land use,
land topography, drainage systems, water bodies in the city, tide levels,
infrastructure and population, which has been provided by BMC. 
 Using these as inputs, the prediction system models weather, rainfall,
runoff and water movement, tide and storm surge impacts based on which
early Flood Warnings for the city will be provided. 
 It will address the flood inundation due to rainfall, river bank breach, storm
surge, obstruction of flow due to roads, buildings, rail lines, high tides and sea
level rise.
I-FLOWS is built on a modular structure and comprises seven modules. 
 The Data Assimilation Module gathers a variety of dynamic data including
IMD weather forecasts and under-water depth of rivers and lakes across
Mumbai city. 
 The Inundation Module will use the data to forecast flood inundation 3
days in advance, while the Flood Module will predict how the water will move
across areas expected to be flooded. 
 The Vulnerability and Risk Modules, which together comprise the Decision
Support System, enables the administration to take smart decisions to
manage the situation based on a scientific and holistic assessment of
flooding risks. 
 The Dissemination Module makes information available to field officials
through various communication channels, enabling them to take prompt and
informed field action.

Baghjan fire tragedy

(Topic: Disaster Management)
Location: Tinsukia district of Assam, close to Dibru-Saikhowa National Park
The incident
 On May 26, workover was going on at the Baghjan oil well site to enhance
the production of crude oil from the oil field.
 According to the Standard operation Procedure (SOP) drilling can be
carried out only after 48 hours. However, the official who was in charge of
production and services gave the order for drilling on the said oil well only
after 14 hours.
 There was a blowout in the oil well owing to immense pressure when the
pipes were inserted for drilling into the Baghjan 5 oil well
 Baghjan and Barekuri oil field in Tinsukia are the two major oil fields of Oil
India Limited which produces maximum crude oil.
“The well was planned to be capped by following the advice of experts and taking
all safety precautions. While the clearing operations were going on at the well
site, the well caught fire on 9 June 2020 around noon time, spreading the fire in
an area of about 200 meters around the well site. The cause of the fire has not
been ascertained till now,” the petroleum ministry statement said.
Ecological: The gas leak has caused extensive devastation in the Dibru-Saikhowa
National Park (known for its feral horses) and Maguri-Motapung wetland and
forced villagers in the neighbourhood to flee the area — over 7,000 persons are
now lodged in relief camps.
No disaster management structure or mechanism in place: India’s second-
largest hydro-carbon exploration and production PSU did not have an adequate
safety and disaster management plan in place. The toll in Tinsukia may not be
limited to the two brave firefighters. A biosphere reserve faces the prospect of
extinction because of the accident.
Livelihoods: Farmlands with standing crops, as well as ponds and wetlands in the
adjoining villages have also been badly affected and the threat is growing with
every passing day. People engaged in farming would face fertility issue of land as
the land had been contaminated. People who earned their livelihood through
fisheries are now left with no option as the water bodies are polluted and aquatic
species have died in numbers. Those who are involved in animal rearing have
been majorly affected too. This is not just an environmental crisis but has turned
to be in an employment crisis for the locals.
Health: Locals have complained of headaches, itching in eyes, blockage of nasal
passages, various respiratory problems after this blowout. Locals have been
evacuated from the site and have been displaced into relief camps by the
concerned authorities. This problem had become graver because of the Covid-19
restrictions as well. People living in the COVID relief camps had to evacuate their
places as soon as possible. As the impact spread, the National Disaster
Response Force was called and 2,500 people were taken to relief camps. 
While Baghjan has been the most affected by the blowout due to its proximity to
the well, villages located further downstream like Notungaon, Milanpur, Hatibagh,
Bebejia and Barekuri have also suffered. Droplets of condensate (which is the
residue from gas condensing after coming in contact with water) have reportedly
spread up to a radius of 5 km, falling on trees, tea gardens making them unsuited
for the markets, grasslands, water bodies, and on the roofs of houses making it
more difficult for people living there.
Indians have not reacted: While each disaster should get its due coverage, the
blind eye turned to the Assam oil leak has reignited the old grudge people from
the Northeast have regarding mainland India ignoring its issues.
India and Industrial Tragedies
 A toxic gas leak at LG Polymers’ facility last month killed 11 people at
Vishakhapatnam, in one of the deadliest industrial accidents since the Bhopal
tragedy of 1984. 
 In November 2017, there was a blast in the boiler area of state-run NTPC
Ltd’s Unchahar power plant in Raebareli that also claimed many lives.
Conclusion:
Public safety and sensitivity to the local environment have to be an integral part
of its managerial vision.
This year has witnessed many natural disasters from a global pandemic to
tremors to locust attacks. The rich biodiversity and ecology are in danger and
nature calls out for an immediate collective sustainable strategy towards it, not
just by people but also government and industrialists.
Scaling up technology for reducing CO2 to
methanol & other useful chemicals
(Topic: Environment; Technology)
An agreement has been signed between Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced
Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous institute of the Department of
Science and Technology (DST) and Breathe Applied Sciences, a company
incubated at JNCASR for transfer of technology based on lab-scale research on
reducing CO2 to methanol and other useful chemicals and fuels.
 The MOU will help in smooth translation of the research in the area of CO2
reduction to useful chemicals and fuels from the laboratory scale to pilot
scale economically
 Highlight the scientific contribution of a research institute translating to
the industry to solve the problems associated with renewable energy and
environmental pollution
 It will also help in developing an indigenous technology in line with
government policy.
Why is it important: Conversion of CO2 to clean fuels such as methanol and
other useful chemicals on scale with cost-effectiveness is the holy grail of
science to address sustainable development, environmental and climate.
Activities that will be undertaken
 Development of efficient catalysts for the conversion of CO2 to methanol
and other chemicals
 Improvisation of the process engineering to enhance the production of
chemicals and fuels from anthropogenic CO2 generated from various
sources including coal and natural gas power generation sectors, steel
industry, cement industry, and chemical industries
 Integrating multiple components involved in the CCUS (Carbon capture,
utilization, and sequestration) to develop a complete solution for the
environmental issues due to global warming.

New study may help develop therapeutics

for tongue cancer
(Topic: Technology)
A team of researchers have identified a specific microRNA (miRNAs) called ‘miR-
155’ that is over-expressed in tongue cancer. This finding is important in that
molecular strategies can potentially be devised to manipulate miR-155
expression to develop therapeutics for tongue cancer.  
 MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small Ribo Nucleic Acid. They are non-coding
RNAs involved in the regulation of a variety of biological and pathological
processes, including the formation and development of cancer. 
 The miRNAs associated with cancer are called ‘Oncomirs’.”
 The main function of miRNA is to silence the expression of the other
genes. If the silence oncogenes then the cancer will be suppressed. 
 On the other hand, if they suppress tumour suppressor gene, the cancer
will progress. Accordingly, miRNA can act as oncogenes or tumour
suppressor genes depending on what they act upon.
 If the miRNA acts as tumour suppressor genes, then you want to introduce
to the system so that tumour can be suppressed; such therapy is called
miRNA replacement therapy
miRNA manipulation is being combined with conventional cancer treatment
methods such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, and the study
reported by collaborative team can enable such emerging therapeutics for
cancer.
Please Note
World Accreditation Day: 9th June
 To highlight as well as promote the role of accreditation in trade &
economy
 The theme for WAD 2020 is “Accreditation: Improving Food Safety”, as
decided by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International
Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) under Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways has gone ‘Fully Digital’, with the launch of unique cloud based and
Artificial Intelligence powered Big Data Analytics platform – Data Lake and
Project Management Software.
Launch of Aarogyapath, a web-based solution for the healthcare supply
chain: To provide real-time availability of critical healthcare supplies
 During the present national health emergency arising out of the COVID-19
pandemic, where there is severe disruption in supply chain, the ability to
produce and deliver the critical items may be compromised due to a variety
of reasons. 
 This integrated public platform that provides single-point availability of key
healthcare goodscan be helpful to customers in tackling a number of
routinely experienced issues. 
 These issues include dependence on limited suppliers, time-consuming
processes to identify good quality products, limited access to suppliers who
can supply standardized products at reasonable prices within desired
timelines, lack of awareness about the latest product launches, etc.
DST constitutes joint Science Communication Forum
Aim: To facilitate interaction, cooperation, and coordination amongst various
public sector science communication institutions and agencies
 The Forum brings together science communication efforts spread across
various institutions and can help adoption of a common policy and best
practices at a wider scale, ultimately aiming towards a national science
communication framework.
 The Forum would work upon strategies for effective planning and
implementation of science communication programmes at macro and micro
level in the country to spread scientific awareness and inculcate scientific
temper amongst the masses leading to an innovation-driven society that
contributes towards an ecosystem for Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Launch of Sahakar Mitra: Scheme on Internship Programme
Initiative by: National Cooperative Development Corporation has embarked upon
a series of initiatives in the cooperative sector entrepreneurship development
ecosystem through capacity development, paid internship to youth and assured
project loans on liberalized terms to young cooperators on start-up mode.
To assist cooperative institutions access new and innovative ideas of young
professionals while the interns gain experience of working in the field giving
confidence to be self-reliant. It is expected to be a win-win situation both for
cooperatives as well as for the young professionals.
Quality Council of India
 A non-profit autonomous society, under the Department of Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
 To establish an accreditation structure in the country
 To spread quality movement in India by undertaking a National Quality
Campaign
 The Mission of QCI is to lead nationwide quality movement in India by
involving all stakeholders for emphasis on adherence to quality standards in
all spheres of activities primarily for promoting and protecting interests of the
nation and its citizens.
Why is it important today?
 Quality consciousness will have to percolate to the level of the common
man, and quality culture imbibed and cultivated in all aspects of our life. 
 The quality evaluation and certification should be rational, transparent,
reliable, and free from any manipulation or malpractices. 
 The quality standards should be of high class and implementable.
Enhanced Import Duty on Bamboo Sticks to give a big boost to Agarbatti and
Bamboo Industries in India
 Increase in import duty on bamboo sticks from 10% to 25% – will open up
new avenues of self-employment in the country
 Will lead to creation of at least one lakh new jobs in the Agarbatti industry,
a major activity under the village industry sector in India
India is the 2nd largest producer of bamboo in the world but ironically, it is also
the 2nd largest importer of bamboo and its products. The hike in import duty on
bamboo sticks from 10% to 25% will curb heavy import from China and
encourage local manufacture in Agarbatti and bamboo industries.
Heavy import of bamboo sticks from China and Vietnam caused huge
employment loss in India. This decision will pave the way for setting up of new
agarbatti stick manufacturing units to meet the ever-growing demand of
Agarbatti in India.
 Consumption of incense sticks in India is pegged at a whopping 1490 tons
per day but only 760 tons per day is locally produced. Hence, the huge gap
between the demand and supply resulted in heavy import of raw agarbatti. 
 Consequently, the import of raw agarbatti increased from just 2% in 2009
to 80% in 2019. In monetary terms, the import of raw agarbatti in India
increased exponentially from Rs 31 crore in 2009 to Rs 546 crore in 2019 due
to reduction of import duty in 2011 from 30 % to 10 %.
 This hit the Indian agarbatti manufacturers hard and resulted in closure of
nearly 25% of the total units
Agarbatti making industry is a part of the Village Industry, which requires a very
small capital and less technical skill. This industry employs mostly women
workers. In the post Covid scenario, this industry will prove to be a boon for the
migrant workers.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY- PDMC)
Annual allotment of Rs. 4000 crore made to State Governments under ‘Per Drop
More Crop’ component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-
PDMC) for the year 2020-21.
 Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has been formulated
with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation ‘Har Khet ko pani’ and
improving water use efficiency ‘More crop per drop’ in a focused manner with
end to end solution on source creation, distribution, management, field
application and extension activities.
 PMKSY has been formulated amalgamating ongoing schemes viz.
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water
Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR),
Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of
Land Resources (DoLR) and the On Farm Water Management (OFWM) of
Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC).
The major objective of PMKSY is to –
 Achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level,
 Expand cultivable area under assured irrigation,
 Improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water,
 Enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving
technologies (More crop per drop),
  Enhance recharge of aquifers and
 Introduce sustainable water conservation practices
Concept of ‘more crop per drop’
 As part of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) Government
of India has been implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Micro
Irrigation with the objective to enhance water use efficiency in the agriculture
sector by promoting appropriate technological interventions like drip &
sprinkler irrigation technologies and encourage the farmers to use water
saving and conservation technologies. 
 “Per Drop More Crop”, an integral component of PMKSY focuses on
maximizing water use efficiency at the farm level. Major activities under Per
Drop More Crop can be categorized into “Micro Irrigation” including Drip,
Sprinkler, Micro Sprinklers etc; and “Supplementary Water Management
Activities (SWMA)/ Other Interventions”. 
 SWMA activities include farm level secondary storage structures such as
individual or community water storage, Drought proofing structures such as
water harvesting or recharge or ground water development, renovation of
existing water bodies, enhancing water conveyance efficiency and water
lifting devices.
Indian Air Force Inducts Indigenous Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated
Transportation (ARPIT): The Indian Air Force has designed, developed and
inducted an Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation (ARPIT). This pod
will be utilised for evacuation of critical patients with infectious diseases
including COVID-19 from high altitude area, isolated and remote places.
 The system has been developed as a lightweight isolation system made
from aviation certified material. 
 It has a transparent and durable cast Perspex for enhanced patient
visibility which is larger, higher and wider than the existing models. 
 The isolation system caters for suitable number of air exchanges,
integration of medical monitoring instruments, and ventilation to an intubated
patient. 
 In addition, it generates high constant negative pressure in the isolation
chamber for prevention of infection risk to aircrew, ground crew and health
care workers involved in air transportation.
Jal Jeevan Mission
Government of India has restructured and subsumed the ongoing National Rural
Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) into Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to
provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural
household i.e., Har Ghar Nal Se Jal (HGNSJ) by 2024.
Proposed Jal Jeevan Mission will be a decentralised, community-managed and
sustainable water management scheme –
  Out of 17.87 crore rural households in the country about 14.6 crore which
accounts for 81.67 percent are yet to have household tap connections for
water. 
 JJM envisages a structural change in the provision of drinking water
supply services. The service provision should change to ‘utility based
approach’ centered on ‘service delivery’
 The government had also integrated different ministries and departments
dealing with water into one ministry — the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Work to be taken up under JJM: 
 In-village water supply (PWS) infrastructure for tap water connection to
every household
 Reliable drinking water source development/ augmentation of existing
sources
 Transfer of water (multi-village scheme; where quantity & quality issues
are there in the local water sources)
 Technological intervention for treatment to make water potable (where
water quality is an issue, but quantity is sufficient)
 Retrofitting of completed and ongoing piped water supply schemes to
provide FHTC and raise the service level
 Grey water management
 Capacity building of various stakeholders and support activities to
facilitate the implementation
73rd Amendment of Constitution of India: Gram Panchayats or its sub-
committees will play a crucial role in planning, designing, execution, operations
and maintenance of the in-village infrastructure under the Jal Jeevan Mission –
Every village is to prepare a village action plan (VAP) which will be essentially
having three components namely; 
1. Water source & its maintenance
2. Water supply and 
3. Grey water management
With women playing a leadership role in managing their community’s water
resources, minus the drudgery of walking for miles to fetch water for their
families, the Jal Jeevan Mission will provide a massive fillip to the ease of living
for women, and they will no longer be beasts of burden.
GS-2
One Nation One Card scheme
(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various
sectors)
Three more states namely – Odisha, Sikkim and Mizoram have been included in
the scheme on ‘Integrated Management of Public Distribution System’ (IM-PDS)
Under this system nation-wide portability of the benefits under NFSA through
“One Nation One Ration Card” plan is implemented to enable the NFSA ration
card holders to lift their entitled quota of subsidised foodgrains from any ePoS
enabled FPS of their choice anywhere in the country, by using the existing/same
ration card after Aadhaar authentication on ePoS device.
What is One Nation One Ration Card (ON-ORC)?
 The scheme seeks to provide portability of food security benefits all across
the nation.
 Families who have food security cards can buy subsidized food from any
ration shop in the country. 
 Ration cards should be linked with Aadhar Number to avail this service. 
 It was started in mid-2019 with pilot project in 4 states and was supposed
to be rolled-out across country by June 2020
 However, the government has extended the deadline of March 2021 in the
wake of COVID-19 pandemic
What are the challenges with ON-ORC?
 First, the fiscal implications: ON-ORC will affect how the financial burden is
shared between states. 
 Second, the larger issues of federalism and inter-state coordination: Many
states are not convinced about a “one size fits all” regime.
 This is because States have customised the PDS through higher subsidies,
higher entitlement limits, and supply of additional items. 
 Third, the technology aspect: ON-ORC requires a complex technology
backbone that brings over 750 million beneficiaries, 5,33,000 ration shops
and 54 million tonnes of food-grain annually on a single platform.
Learning from GST to resolve above challenges of ON-ORC
1. About Fiscal Challenges – Compensation to States
 Fiscal concerns had troubled GST from the start Ex: States like Tamil Nadu
and Gujarat that are “net exporters” were concerned they would lose out on
tax revenues to “net consumer” states like UP and Bihar
  Finally, the Centre had to step in and provide guaranteed compensation
for lost tax revenues for the first five years
 The Centre could provide a similar assurance to “net inbound migration”
states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka that any additional costs on
account of migrants will be covered by it for the five years.
2. Issues of Federalism- Creation of inter-state council
 In the spirit of cooperative federalism, the central government created a
GST council consisting of the finance ministers of the central and state
governments to address the issues of inter-state coordination
 The government could consider a similar national council for ON-ORC. 
 To be effective, this council should meet regularly, have specific decision-
making authority, and should operate through consensus building.
3. Technology Aspect – A special Vehicle for faster implementation
 GST is supported by a sophisticated tech backbone, housed by the GST
Network (GSTN), an entity jointly owned by the Centre and states.
 The Nilekani-led task force recommended setting up of a PDS network
(PDSN) 
 PSDN would track movement of rations, register beneficiaries, issue ration
cards, handle grievances and generate analytics.
 Such a platform should incorporate principles such as inclusion, privacy,
security, transparency, and accountability. 
4. Learning from the shortcomings and challenges of the GST rollout.
 Delay in GST refunds led to cash-flow issues. Similar delays in receiving
food rations could be catastrophic
 Compliance burden for MSMEs during GST implementation. Likewise, PDS
dealers need to be brought on board with adequate training
Did You Know?
 Portable welfare benefits mean that a citizen should be able to access
welfare benefits irrespective of where she is in the country. 
 In the case of food rations, the idea was first mooted by a Nandan
Nilekani-led task force in 2011. 
 45.36 crore people or 37% of the population is that of migrant labourers.
Discuss: Cooperative Federalism and Competitive Federalism

Energising the MSME Sector through entire

gamut of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Package’
(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various
sectors)
In the package announcement, the definition of micro manufacturing and
services unit was increased to Rs. 1 crore of investment and Rs. 5 crore of
turnovers. The limit of small unit was increased to Rs. 10 crore of investment and
Rs 50 crore of turnovers. Similarly, the limit of a medium unit was increased to Rs
20 crore of investment and Rs. 100 crore of turnovers.
 It was decided to further increase the limit for medium manufacturing and
service units. Now it will be Rs. 50 crore of investment and Rs. 250 crore of
turnovers. 
 It has also been decided that the turnover with respect to exports will not
be counted in the limits of turnover for any category of MSME units whether
micro, small or medium. This is yet another step towards ease of doing
business. This will help in attracting investments and creating more jobs in
the MSME sector.
 Approval for provisioning of Rs 20,000 crore as subordinate debt to
provide equity support to the stressed MSMEs. This will benefit 2 lakh
stressed MSMEs.
 Approval for equity infusion of Rs. 50,000 crore for MSMEs through Fund
of Funds (FoF). This will establish a framework to help MSMEs in capacity
augmentation. This will also provide an opportunity to get listed in stock
exchanges.
To provide immediate relief to MSME sector, various announcements have been
made under the Package-
 Rupees Three lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans for MSMEs to
meet operational liabilities, buy raw material and restart businesses.
 Revision of MSME definition to render maximum benefits to the sector;
 Disallowing global tenders in procurements upto Rs. 200 crores- to create
more opportunities for domestic players,
 And clearing of MSME dues by the Government and Public Sector Units
within 45 days.
Policy decisions 
 The scheme for Rs. 3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans was earlier
approved by CCEA and has been formally launched.
 Modalities have been worked out for Upward revision of MSME Definition
making it more inclusive broad-based providing greater avenues to MSMEs to
harness their potentials.
 Similarly, amendments in General Financial Rules mandating no global
tenders for procurement upto 200 crore have been carried out. The new rules
have already been issued and effected. This will open up new business
avenues for Indian MSMEs.
 MSME payments to be released within the timeframe of 45 days
 To further ease the burden on MSMEs, RBI has extended moratorium on
repayment of loans for another three months.
To manage all this, a robust ICT based system called CHAMPIONS has also been
launched by the Ministry of MSME. 
 CHAMPIONS: Technology Platform to empower MSMEs
Stands for: Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for
Increasing the Output and National Strength
For making the smaller units big by solving their grievances, encouraging,
supporting, helping and handholding
 Grievance Redressal: To resolve the problems of MSMEs including those
of finance, raw materials, labor, regulatory permissions etc., particularly in the
Covid created difficult situation;
 To help them capture new opportunities:  including manufacturing of
medical equipments and accessories like PPEs, masks, etc., and supply them
in National and International markets;
 To identify and encourage the sparks:  i.e. the potential MSMEs who are
able to withstand the current situation and can become national and
international champions.
As part of the system a network of control rooms is created in a Hub & Spoke
Model.

Atmanirbharta in Electronics and IT

(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various
sectors)
A clarion call for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat – a self-reliant India does not mean India
in isolation but India as a major country of the world with appropriate technology,
capital including FDI and extraordinary human resource contributing significantly
to the global economy.
With a view to building a robust manufacturing ecosystem which will be an asset
to the global economy, there is a need to develop a strong ecosystem across the
value chain and integrating it with global value chains.
1. Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for Large Scale Electronics
Manufacturing: The PLI Scheme shall extend an incentive of 4% to 6% on
incremental sales (over base year) of goods manufactured in India and
covered under the target segments, to eligible companies, for a period of five
years subsequent to the base year.
2. Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and
Semiconductors (SPECS): The SPECS shall provide financial incentive of 25%
on capital expenditure for the identified list of electronic goods, i.e., electronic
components, semiconductor/ display fabrication units, Assembly, Test,
Marking and Packaging (ATMP) units, specialized sub-assemblies and capital
goods for manufacture of aforesaid goods.
3. Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme: The
EMC 2.0 shall provide support for creation of world class infrastructure along
with common facilities and amenities, including Ready Built Factory (RBF)
sheds / Plug and Play facilities for attracting major global electronics
manufacturers, along with their supply chains.
The triology of Schemes entail an outlay of about Rs. 50,000 crore (approximately
USD 7 billion) and will –
 Help offset the disability for domestic electronics manufacturing and
hence, strengthen the electronics manufacturing ecosystem in the country
 Enable large scale electronics manufacturing, domestic supply chain of
components and state-of-the-art infrastructure and common facilities for
large anchor units and their supply chain partners
 Contribute significantly to achieving a USD 1 Trillion digital economy and a
USD 5 Trillion GDP by 2025.
 Attract substantial investments, increase production of mobile phones and
their parts/ components to around Rs.10,00,000 crore by 2025
 Generate around 5 lakh direct and 15 lakh indirect jobs

Consultation process for new Science,

Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP)
initiated
(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various
sectors)
The fifth S&T policy of India is being formulated at a crucial juncture when India
and the world are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. This is only the latest among
the many important changes in the past decade that have necessitated
formulation of a new outlook and strategy for Science, Technology, and
Innovation (STI). As the crisis changes the world, the new policy with its
decentralized manner of formation will reorient STI in terms of priorities, sectoral
focus, the way research is done, and technologies are developed and deployed
for larger socio-economic welfare.
The STIP 2020 formulation process is organised into 4 highly interlinked tracks: 
 Track I involves an extensive public and expert consultation process
through Science Policy Forum – a dedicated platform for soliciting inputs
from larger public and expert pool during and after the policy drafting
process. 
 Track II comprises experts-driven thematic consultations to feed evidence-
informed recommendations into the policy drafting process. Twenty-one (21)
focused thematic groups have been constituted for this purpose. 
 Track III involves consultations with Ministries and States, while Track IV
constitutes apex level multi-stakeholder consultation. For Track III nodal
officers are being nominated in States and in Ministries, Departments and
Agencies of Government of India for extensive intra-state and intra-
department consultation 
 Track IV consultation with institutional leadership, industry bodies, global
partners and inter-ministerial and inter-state consultations represented at the
highest levels are being carried out.
The STI Policy for the new India will also integrate the lessons of COVID-19
including building of an Atmanirbhar Bharat (self- reliance) through ST&I by
leveraging our strengths in R&D, Design, S&T workforce and institutions, huge
markets, demographic dividend, diversity and data
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Bhutan on Cooperation in the areas of
Environment
The MoU will enable establishment and promotion of closer and long-term
cooperation between the two countries in the field of environment protection and
management of natural resources on the basis of equity, reciprocity and mutual
benefits, taking into account the applicable laws and legal provisions in each
country.
Keeping in view the bilateral interest of both sides and mutually agreed priorities,
a Memorandum of Understanding covering the following areas of environment
has been considered:
 Air
 Waste
 Chemical Management
 Climate Change

GS-3
President promulgates two Ordinances with
the aim of giving a boost to rural India and
agriculture
(Topic: Agriculture)
1. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation)
Ordinance 2020:
 It will provide for the creation of an ecosystem where the farmers and
traders enjoy the freedom of choice relating to sale and purchase of farmers’
produce which facilitates remunerative prices through competitive alternative
trading channels. 
 It will promote efficient, transparent and barrier-free inter–State and intra-
State trade and commerce of farmers’ produce outside the physical premises
of markets or deemed markets notified under various State agricultural
produce market legislations. 
 Besides, the Ordinance will provide a facilitative framework for electronic
trading and matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
2. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance
and Farm Services Ordinance 2020
 Will provide for a national framework on farming agreements that protects
and empowers farmers to engage with agri- business firms, processors,
wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for farm services and sale of future
farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative price framework in a fair
and transparent manner and for matters connected therewith or incidental
thereto.
The above two measures will enable barrier-free trade in agriculture produce, and
also empower the farmers to engage with sponsors of his choice. The freedom
of the farmer, which is of paramount importance, has thus been provided.

Agroecology and Natural Farming Could

Accelerate Inclusive Economic Growth in
India
(Topic: Agriculture)
Agroecology:
 Agroecology is the study of ecological processes applied to agricultural
production systems.
 Agroecologists study a variety of agroecosystems recognised worldwide.
The field of agroecology is not associated with any one particular method of
farming. However, it has much more in common with organic and integrated
farming
Agroecology impacts:
 Enhances fertile landscapes,Increases yields,
 Restores soil health and biodiversity,
 Promotes climate resilience and 
 Improves farmers’ well-being
Its practices are supported by many agricultural scientists, the Food and
Agriculture Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
farmers’ groups and several NGOs
Natural farming avoids use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, while focusing
on reviving the beneficial soil organisms that contribute to fertility and good
nutrition of the plants. Experts explained that well-nourished plants lead to well-
nourished human beings.
Both together can avoid excessive and wasteful use of water, prevent farmer
indebtedness, and contribute to mitigating greenhouse gases while supporting
farmer incomes and their ability to adapt to climate change. It is based on
cutting-edge science of the future that recognises the need for systemic
approaches to dealing with complex adaptive systems that are the basis of a
healthy natural world. Working with nature, understanding how to do so will help
us ‘build back better’
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana launched in 2015 to promote organic farming
among small and marginal farmers has in the last four years covered 7 lakh
hectares and 8 lakh farmers.
About ‘zero budget natural farming’ (ZBNF):
 Pioneered by Subhash Palekar, an innovative farmer from Maharashtra
 The technique replaces fertilisers and pesticides with concoctions of cow
dung, cow urine, jaggery and pulse flour, and ensure perfect soil conditions
for plant growth.
 It does so by keeping the top soil covered with crop residues to increase
water retention, coating of seeds with cow dung and urine, concoction made
of dung, urine, jaggery and pulse flour to multiply soil microbes, concoction to
protect plants from pests etc.
Is ZBNF useful for the farmers?
 In 2019 annual budget, Prime Minister stressed on ZBNF that it will be an
advantage for the farmers to reduce chemical residue in the soil.
 It will help the farmers to grow organic products without any chemicals
which fetch more prices in the market than the chemically grown produce.
 Help the farmers to double their farm income.
 Reduces use of chemicals as there are enough nutrients available to plants
by air, soil and water, helps to reduce carbon emission rates.
Conclusion
 More research is required to ensure that natural farming could truly live up
to its expectations. The need for innovation, science and technology – the
importance of regenerating soils and building on biodiversity as two key
elements, along with use of natural inputs readily available to farmers in this
knowledge intensive approach.
 To protect our planet there is need for change in our attitude towards use
of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Technology can help in changing the
 way we farm and will enable the poorest of the poor to enhance their nutrition
status and livelihoods.
 It is not man vs nature, but man in nature or man with nature. Humans
need to realize their responsibility in protecting other species and nature. We
need knowledge-intensive agriculture and the metrics need to be redefined
where production is not the only criterion for good performance. It has to
include the entire landscape and the positive and negative externalities that
are generated by alternative forms of agriculture practices
Note: India’s first organic State: Sikkim
Discuss: Agroecology-based farming is not regressive, but rather a technology of
the future with a traditional idiom.
Mindmap: 
Zero Budget Natural Farming
Organic Farming

Major Impact on climate due to extension of

Amery Ice Shelf (AIS), NCPOR study
(Topic: Climate Change)
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) predicts that there
would be a 24% increase in the expansion of Ameri Ice Shelf (AIS) boundaries by
2021 and another 24% expansion by 2026 from its 2016 positions. The prediction
made by NCPOR is based on a 16-year-long satellite-based observation that
covered an area of 60,000 sq. km across the AIS. Scientists feel that this study
would help understand the ongoing changes in the ocean and atmospheric forces
better.
 The floating sheets of ice called the ice shelves play a multi-faceted role in
maintaining the stability of a glacier. Ice shelves connect a glacier to the
landmass. The ice sheet mass balance, sea stratification, and bottom water
formation are important parameters for the balancing of a glacier. Latent and
sensible heat processes do play important roles here. 
 The insulation of ice shelves from atmospheric forcing is dependent on a
temperature gradient that the ocean cavity beneath the ice shelves provides.
It is the pressure exerted by the ice shelves upon the ocean cavity that
determines this temperature gradient.
 There is always a stress on the sea ice and ice sheets itself plays an
indirect role in reducing the amplitude of the ocean swell. This is assisted by
the freezing atmospheric temperature, which is capable of promoting a
change in the morphology of ice shelves.
The AIS is one of the largest glacier drainage basins in the world, located on the
east coast of Antarctica, at about 70ºS Latitude, 70ºE Longitude. The AIS
dynamics and mass balance help in understanding the changes in the global
climate scenario.

Aerosol characterization and radiative

effects at High Altitude site in Western-
Trans Himalayas
(Topic: Environment, Climate change)
The study can help better understanding the aerosol optical and microphysical
properties and improving the modelling of aerosol effects in view of aerosol-
climate implications
Why is the study important: The atmospheric aerosols play a key role in the
regional/global climate system through scattering and absorption of incoming
solar radiation and by modifying the cloud microphysics. Despite the large
progress in quantifying the impact of different aerosols on radiative forcing, it still
remains one of the major uncertainties in the climate change assessment.
Precise measurements of aerosol properties are required to reduce the
uncertainties, especially over the oceans and high altitude remote location in the
Himalayas where they are scarce.
The transport of light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols and dust from the
polluted Indo-Gangetic Plain and desert areas over the Himalayas constitutes a
major climatic issue due to severe impacts on atmospheric warming and glacier
retreat. This heating over the Himalayas facilitates the “elevated-hat pump” that
strengthens the temperature gradient between land and ocean and modifies the
atmospheric circulation and the monsoon rainfall. A better understanding of the
aerosol optical and microphysical properties through the study can improving the
modelling of aerosol effects in view of aerosol-climate implications via
modifications in atmospheric warming and changes in the snow/glacier albedo
over the trans-Himalayan region.
Technology
CeNS develops low-cost catalyst for hydrogen generation from water
 Hydrogen can be generated from water and produces water on energy
generation without any carbon footprint.
 Electrolytic splitting of water is a promising method to generate hydrogen
but requires energy input that can be brought down in the presence of a
catalyst.
 Hydrogen can be directly used as a fuel similar to natural gas or as input
for fuel cells to generate electricity. It is the future energy for a clean
environment and an alternative to fossil fuels, underlining the necessity of
low-cost catalysts for its production.
ARCI develops Rare earth based magnetocaloric material for cancer treatment
 Magnetocaloric materials can provide controlled heating required to kill the
tumor cells
 Used in conjunction with radiation therapy, the method would reduce the
side effects, and also the treatment time
IASST develops an artificial intelligence-based computer diagnosis framework
for rapid and accurate diagnosis of oral cancers
 Around 16.1% of all cancers amongst men and 10.4% amongst women are
oral cancer. Oral cavity cancers are also known to have a high recurrence rate
compared to other cancers due to the high consumption of betel nut and
tobacco.
 The advent of deep learning in AI holds an extraordinary prospect in digital
image analysis to serve as a computational aid in the diagnosis of cancer,
thus providing help in timely and effective prognosis and multi-modal
treatment protocols for cancer patients and reducing the operational
workload of pathologists while enhancing management of the disease.
Please Note:
Cyclones in India in 2020
 Cyclone Amphan: East coast – West Bengal, Odisha
 Cyclone Nisraga: West coast – Maharashtra, Gujarat
World Environment Day: 5th June
 #iCommit initiative: A clarion call to all stakeholders and individuals to
continue moving towards energy efficiency, renewable energy, and
sustainability to create a robust and resilient energy system in the future. The
pre-requisite for that goal is to create a flexible and agile power system. A
healthy power sector can help the nation in meeting the objective of energy
access and security for all.
 Market Integration and Transformation Program for Energy Efficiency
(MAITREE): This initiative is a part of the US-India bilateral Partnership
between the Ministry of Power and USAID and is aimed at accelerating the
adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency as a standard practice within
buildings, and specifically focuses on cooling.
 Prevention of Human and Animal Mortality on Highways: UNDP’s initiative
o Ethics, economy and ecology are the three most important pillars of
our country.
o India witnesses nearly five lakh road accidents every year, in which
about 1.5 lakh lives are lost.
 o Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has identified over five
thousand black spots, and the process for their rectification including
temporary and permanent measures is being carried out on urgent basis
– rectification of Black Spots, traffic calming measures, Crash Barriers,
Repairing, rehabilitation and reconstruction of dilapidated and narrow
bridges, Road Safety Audit, Reduction of fatalities on vulnerable roads,
Highway Patrolling, and Safety during Construction
o “Eco friendly measures to mitigate impacts of linear infrastructure
on wildlife” for making road or any linear infrastructure and take care of
wildlife accordingly.
Urban Forest scheme to develop 200 ‘Nagar Van’ across the country: On the
occasion of World Environment Day, the government announced implementation
of the Nagar van scheme to develop 200 Urban Forests across the country in next
five years with a renewed focus on people’s participation and collaboration
between Forest Department, Municipal bodies, NGOs, Corporates and local
citizens.
Malasur- The Demon of Defeca: A toolkit for a communication campaign
on faecal sludge management which aims to heighten the risk perception of
faecal sludge. Conceptualized and designed in support from BBC Media Action,
the toolkit has a host of creative outputs in 10 Indian languages along with
English.
Launch of pan-India Real Time Market in electricity: This has placed Indian
electricity market amongst a league of few electricity markets in the world, which
have real time market. 
 Real time market is an organized market platform to enable the buyers and
sellers pan-India to meet their energy requirement closer to real time of
operation. 
 Introduction of real time market will bring required flexibility in the market
to provide real time balance while ensuring optimal utilization of the available
surplus capacity in the system. 
 It will also help manage diversity in the demand pattern in the country with
an organized market at national level.
 The Government of India’s target of 175 GW RE Capacity by 2022 is driving
accelerated renewable penetration pan-India. The real time market would
help to mitigate challenges to the grid management due to intermittent and
variable nature of renewable energy generation and therefore, help to
integrate higher quantum of renewable energy resources into the grid.
 The distribution companies would be able to manage their power purchase
portfolio optimally and need not tie up excess capacity. It would lead to cost
optimization of power purchase and serving the consumers with reliable
supply as any last minute requirement of power can easily be bought from
the Real Time market.
Government to conduct skill mapping of citizens returning from overseas
 With the aim of making the best of our skilled workforce returning to the
country due to the ongoing pandemic, the Government of India has launched
a new initiative SWADES (Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment
Support) to conduct a skill mapping exercise of the returning citizens under
the Vande Bharat Mission. 
 This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development &
Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External
Affairs which aims to create a database of qualified citizens based on their
skillsets and experience to tap into and fulfil demand of Indian and foreign
companies.
Establishment of Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine &
Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) as Subordinate Office under Ministry of AYUSH
The merger is aimed at 
 Optimizing the use of infrastructural facilities, technical manpower and
financial resources of the three organizations for enhancing the
standardization outcomes of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy
drugs towards their effective regulation and quality control
 Facilitating focused and cohesive development of standards of AYUSH
drugs and publication of pharmacopoeias and formularies
Launch of TULIP – Urban Learning Internship Program for providing
opportunities to fresh Graduates in all ULBs & Smart Cities
TULIP is a program for providing fresh graduates experiential learning
opportunities in the urban sector. TULIP- “The Urban Learning Internship
Program” would help fulfill twin goals of providing interns with hands-on learning
experience as well as infusing fresh energy and ideas in the functioning of India’s
ULBs and Smart Cities.
The Government proposes to start a program whereby the urban local bodies
across the country would provide internship opportunities to fresh engineers for a
period up to one year.”  Such a program will help reap the benefits of India’s
demographic dividend as it is poised to have the largest working-age population
in the world in the coming years. India has a substantial pool of technical
graduates for whom exposure to real world project implementation and planning
is essential for professional development. General education may not reflect the
depth of productive knowledge present in society. Instead of approaching
education as ‘doing by learning,’ our societies need to reimagine education as
‘learning by doing.’
Land of Rising Sun – Arunachal Pradesh
A. Geography
 Dafla, Miri, Abor and Mishmi hills in Arunachal Pradesh are part of the
Shivalik range.
 Shivaliks are known by different names in different areas. They are called 
 o Jammu Hills in Jammu 
o Dafla, Miri, Abor and Mishmi hills in Arunachal Pradesh. 
o Dhang range 
o Dundwa range of Uttarakhand
o Chiria Ghat hills of Nepal
 About Shivaliks:
o The Shivalik comprises the outermost range of the Himalayas and is
called the outer Himalayas.
o It assumes a HogBack appearance due to its steep slopes. It runs
almost parallel to lesser Himalayas for a distance of about 2400 kms
from the Potwar Plateau to the Brahmaputra valley.
o The width of the Shivaliks varies from 50 kms in Himachal Pradesh
to less than 15 kms in Arunachal Pradesh.
o The Shivaliks have been formed of sands, gravels and
conglomerates of the MidPleistocene period.
 Name of the passes: Bom Di La, Dihang Pass, Yonggyap Pass, Dipher Pass,
Kumjawng Pass, Hpungan Pass, Chankan Pass
 River Brahmaputra  enters India in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh
where it is known as the  Siang river or Dihang  locally.
B. School Categorisation by Arunachal Pradesh:
 In Arunachal Pradesh, State where teacher absenteeism has been a major
issue in the public education system, schools will be marked ‘hard’, ‘soft’ and
‘medium’-— based on topography, accessibility and degrees of difficulty in
staying at the place of posting
 Geography, lack of infrastructure and reluctance of teachers to work
beyond their comfort zones are the reasons for this categorisation
 According to new teachers posting policy:  All new recruits will be given a
hard posting for a mandatory three years, inclusive of their probation period
 The next five years will be in schools with levels of medium difficulty,
followed by posting in soft schools. This ensures need-based distribution of
teachers to protect the academic interest of students and optimise job
satisfaction among the teachers in a free and transparent manner
C. Tribal rituals for lockdown
In News: Various tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh performed rituals to
observe lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. 
Key takeaways:
 Arr-Rinam was performed by the Galos community. 
 The Adi community performed Motor ritual. 
 The Nyishi community observed Arrue involving self-quarantine. 
Galos community
 They belong to the Tani group inhabiting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh,
besides Tibet.
  Only the Galos maintain genealogy through given names.
 The Galos perform Popir dance. 
 They have been recognized as a Scheduled Tribe under the constitution. 
Adi community
 They are one of the most populous groups of indigenous peoples in the
Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. 
 Their prime festivals are Aran, Donggin , Solung, and Etor.
 The majority of Adi traditionally follow Donyi-Polo religion. 
Nyishi community
 It is the largest ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh. 
 The Nyishi language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family. 
 Polygyny is prevalent among the Nyishi. 
D. Chakma and Hajong 
The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) has directed
the Arunachal Pradesh government to include the Chakma and Hajong
communities in the COVID-19 relief programme.
 The Chakmas and Hajongs are ethnic people. 
 Chakmas are predominantly Buddhists while Hajongs are Hindus.
 They were inhabitants of the Chittagong Hill Tracts of erstwhile East
Pakistan (now Bangladesh) who migrated to India due to:
o Submergence of their land by the Kaptai dam on the Karnaphuli
River in the 1960s.
o Religious persecution they faced in East Pakistan as they were non-
Muslims.
 The Indian government set up relief camps in Arunachal Pradesh and a
majority of them continue to live there even after 50 years.
E. ‘Tawang Monastery’: 
 Located in Arunachal Pradesh, it is the largest monastery in India and
second largest in the world after the Potala Palace in Lhasa. 
 It was founded in 1680-81, by a monk named Merag Lodre Gyatso of the
Gelug sect after the 4th Dalai Lama gave him a painting of goddess Palden
Lhamo to be kept in the monastery. 
 An 8-metre high gilded statue of Lord Buddha dominates the sanctum of
the monastery. It belongs to the Gelug school of Mahayana Buddhism and
had a religious association with Drepung Monastery of Lhasa.
 The library of the monastery has valuable old scriptures, mainly Kangyur
and Tengyur.
F. Environment and Ecology:
 A new species of green pit viper has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
recently which was named Trimeresurus Salazar. They are distinguished by
their heat-sensing pit organs between the eye and the nostril
 It has been collected from the Pakke Tiger Reserve in Pakke-Kessang
district in Arunachal Pradesh.
o Lies in the foothills of the eastern Himalaya in the East Kameng
district of Arunachal Pradesh. It is also known as Pakhui Tiger Reserve.
o Falls within the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot. 
o Known for its amazing sightings of four resident hornbill species.
o India is home to nine species of hornbills. Three of them, the
wreathed hornbill (Aceros undulatus), the brown hornbill (Anorrhinus
austeni) and the Rufous-necked hornbill (Aceros nipalensis) great
hornbill is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala. 
o It is ‘vulnerable’ under the IUCN Red list. Hornbill festival celebrated
in Nagaland is named after the bird – Hornbill which is the most revered
and admired bird for the Nagas.
G. Decision on Dibang Multipurpose Project postponed
In News: The Forest Advisory Committee (FEC), has once again
deferred (postpone) its decision on Dibang project in Arunachal Pradesh. The
project has been delayed for over six years because it
requires diverting 1,165 hectares of forest which is rich in biodiversity.
Dibang Multipurpose Project
 It is located on river Dibang, in Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal
Pradesh.
 The project shall generate 2, 880 MW power. 
 This is the largest ever Hydro Electric Project to be constructed in India.
 The dam will be Concrete Gravity Dam. 
Forest Advisory Committee (FEC):  It is the apex body of the Environment Ministry
responsible for deciding whether forest land can be diverted for industrial
projects. 
ESSAY TOPIC: Catalyzing Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) in India

GS-1
Veer Savarkar –  Vinayak Damodar
Savarkar 
(Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century
until the present- significant events, personalities, issues)
Period: 28 May 1883 – 26 February 1966
Cause of Death: Fasting (Sallekhana Prayopavesa)
He was commonly known as Veer Savarkar (“brave” in his native Marathi
language)
 An Indian independence activist, politician, lawyer, writer, and the
formulator of the Hindutva philosophy
 Championed atheism and rationality and also disapproved orthodox Hindu
belief. In fact, he even dismissed cow worship as superstitious. Savarkar was
a radical and his Hindutva too was a radical break in the Hindu thought: anti-
caste, reformist, modernist and futuristic. It was a modern Hindu response to
the modern world
 Organised a youth group named ‘Mitra Mela’
 In London, Veer Savarkar inspired his fellow Indian students and formed an
organisation ‘Free India Society’ to fight against Britishers for freedom.
 Was against foreign goods and propagated the idea of Swadeshi. In 1905,
he burnt all the foreign goods in a bonfire on Dussehra.
 Provided legal defence to Madan Lal Dhingra, who was accused in a
murder case of a British Indian army officer named Sir William Hutt Curzon
Wyllie.
 Veer Savarkar also founded the two-nation theory in his book ‘Hindutva’
calling Hindus and Muslims two separate nations. In 1937, Hindu Mahasabha
passed it as a resolution. In 1937, he also became the president of ‘Hindu
Mahasabha’.
 A fierce critic of the Indian National Congress (INC) and Mahatma Gandhi;
opposed the ‘Quit India Movement’ and later objected to INC’s acceptance of
Indian partition. He proposed the co-existence of two nations in one country.
Hindutva
The main challenge thrown by the British rule and colonial modernity under the
pale of capitalism was for Hindus to justify their existence as a society. Who
were they? Could Hindus survive in a modern world dominated by the
expansionist organised religions, nations and nation-state?
Savarkar responded to these challenges. The coming together of various pagan
traditions as Hinduism to meet the challenge of the Abrahamic monotheism is a
centuries-old process. Savarkar consolidated it under a new ideological
construct. He wielded it into a coherent political construct, Hindutva that aimed
to answer the challenges of the modern world, especially the charge of the
colonialists that India is not a nation and hence unworthy of self-rule.
For India to be able to resist imperialism, a nation had to be born. For Savarkar,
that nation was a Hindu Rashtra. Only a Hindu nation transcending caste,
regional and linguistic barriers was capable of resisting imperialism. No longer
would invading armies roam around the countryside; no longer would India be a
playground for colonial powers; no longer would its people and cities be
pulverised by warlords for they would have to face a powerful Indian state
created on the foundation of a Hindu nation. And the foundation of this Hindu
nation was Hindutva.
Savarkar was a radical and his Hindutva, too, was a radical break in Hindu
thought: anti-caste, reformist, modernist and futuristic. It was a modern Hindu
response to the modern world.
50 years of imprisonment – Kaala Paani
 Savarkar wrote a book titled “The History of the War of Indian
Independence”- wrote about the guerilla warfare tricks used in 1857 Sepoy
Mutiny. 
 While the book was banned by Britishers, Madama Bhikaji Cama published
the book in Netherlands, Germany and France, which eventually reached
many Indian revolutionaries.
 Savarkar was arrested in 1909 on charges of plotting an armed revolt
against the Morle-Minto reform. He also tried to escape by diving in the water
but was arrested. He was sentenced to two life sentences i.e. 50 years in the
cellular jail of Andamans, also known as Kala Pani, in 1911.
Death – 1964: Savarkar declared his wish to attain Samadhi and started hunger-
strike on February 1, 1966 and passed away on February 26, 1966. He believed
that his purpose of life is solved as India has gained Independence.
In 2002, Port Blair airport at Andaman and Nicobar’s Island was renamed after
Veer Savarkar International Airport.

115th Birth Anniversary of Ramkinkar Baij

(Topic: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century
until the present- significant events, personalities, issues)
To commemorate the 115th Birth Anniversary of Ramkinkar Baij, Ministry of
Culture’s National Gallery of Modern Art will organise virtual tour titled
“Ramkinkar Baij | Journey through silent transformation and expressions”.
 Ramkinkar Baij, one of the most seminal artists of modern India, was an
iconic sculptor, painter and graphic artist.
 In 1925, he made his way to Kala Bhavana, the art school at Santiniketan
and was under the guidance of Nandalal Bose. Encouraged by the liberating,
intellectual environment of Santiniketan, his artistic skills and intellectual
horizons blossomed, thus acquiring greater depth and complexity. Soon after
completing his studies at Kala Bhavana he became a faculty member, and
along with Nandalal Bose and Benodebehari Mukherjee played a pivotal role
in making Santiniketan one of the most important centres for modern art in
pre-Independent India.
 He experimented restlessly with forms, moving freely from figurative to
abstract and back to figurative, his themes were steeped in a deep sense of
humanism and an instinctive understanding of the symbiotic relationship
between man and nature.
 In 1970, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan
for his irrefutable contribution to Indian art. In 1976 he was made a Fellow of
the Lalit Kala Akademi. In 1976, he was conferred the honorary Doctoral
Degree of ‘Desikottama’ by Visva Bharati, and in 1979 an honorary D.Litt by
Rabindra Bharati University.

The onset, progress and retreat of monsoon

in India
(Topics: Indian Geography)
During April and May when the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer, the
large landmass in the north of Indian ocean gets intensely heated resulting into
intense low pressure in the northwestern part of the subcontinent. Since the
pressure in the Indian Ocean in the south of the landmass is high as water gets
heated slowly, the low pressure cell attracts the southeast trades across the
Equator. These conditions help in the northward shift in the position of the ITCZ.
The southwest monsoon may thus, be seen as a continuation of the southeast
trades deflected towards the Indian subcontinent after crossing the Equator.
Progress:
The southwest monsoon sets in over the Kerala coast by 1st June and moves
swiftly to reach Mumbai and Kolkata between 10th and 13th June. The monsoon
may burst in the first week of June in the coastal areas of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa
and Maharashtra while in the interior parts of the country, it may be delayed to
the first week of July. As these winds approach the land, their southwesterly
direction is modified by the relief and thermal low pressure over the northwest
India. By mid-July, southwest monsoon engulfs the entire subcontinent
The triangular peninsula of India breaks the monsoon into two –
1) Arabian Sea branch -which led to rainfall in Western Ghats towards Bihar but
move parallel to Aravali hence no rainfall in Rajasthan and
2) Bay of Bengal branch- brings rainfall to NE, SE and funneling towards Gangetic
plains
Retreat of monsoon:
The months of October and November are known for retreating monsoons. By
the end of September, the southwest monsoon becomes weak as the low
pressure trough of the Ganga plain starts moving southward in response to the
southward march of the sun. It is because of high pressure in Tibetan high
(weakening ITCZ & snowfall in Tibet region) and creation of trough or LP in Indian
Ocean (warmer) that the wind reverses its direction and starts flowing as north-
eats trade wind bringing rain to Coromandel Coast area, WB, etc. This process is
more gradual than on-set. It begins in NW states of India by early September and
completely retreats by mid-October.
Break in the monsoon:
During the south-west monsoon period after having rains for a few days, if rain
fails to occur for one or more weeks, it is known as break in the monsoon. These
breaks in the different regions are due to different reasons:
 In northern India rains are likely to fail if the rain-bearing storms are not
very frequent along the monsoon trough or the ITCZ over this region.
 Over the west coast the dry spells are associated with days when winds
blow parallel to the coast.
Thus monsoon as a phenomenon remains a complex one.

GS-2
Assam plans to provide functional tap
connections to 13 lakh rural households in
2020-21
(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors
and issues arising out of their design and implementation)
Government of India approved Rs 1407 Crore for 2020-21 under Jal Jeevan
Mission (JJM). In 2020-21, State plans to provide tap connections to 13 lakh
households out of total 63 lakhs. 
Realization of the goal of Jal Jeevan Mission in Assam is not difficult taking into
account the abundant water resources in the State i.e. both ground water and
surface water.
 The state is giving emphasis on capitalising on ‘low-hanging fruits’ i.e. in
the villages/ habitations where piped water supply schemes already exist, to
yield the desired results. 
 The state plans to immediately provide household tap connections to all
remaining households of belonging to weaker and marginalised sections on
priority. 
 A defined roadmap is also charted for the effective implementation of
Village Action Plan (VAP) with the active participation of the rural
community. 
 Strengthening of existing drinking water sources for long-term
sustainability of drinking water supply systems through convergence of
various programmes like MGNREGS, SBM (G), 15th Finance Commission
Grants to PRIs, District Mineral Development Fund, CAMPA, Local Area
Development Fund, etc. at village level is planned for judicious use of all
available resources.   
While planning, thrust is given on covering households in quality-affected
habitations, aspirational districts, SC/ ST dominated villages/ habitations, Sansad
Adarsh Gramin Yojana villages, etc. on priority.
Above all, local village community/ Gram Panchayats and or its sub-committee/
user groups are being involved in planning, implementation, management,
operation and maintenance of water supply systems in villages to ensure long-
term sustainability.
To safeguard from COVID-19, Assam is taking up water supply works in villages
to provide household tap connections, which will help in practicing social
distancing, and will additionally help local people in getting employment and
boost rural economy.
About Jal Jeevan Mission
Government of India has restructured and subsumed the ongoing National Rural
Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) into Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to
provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural
household i.e., Har Ghar Nal Se Jal (HGNSJ) by 2024.
Proposed Jal Jeevan Mission will be a decentralised, community-managed and
sustainable water management scheme –
 Out of 17.87 crore rural households in the country about 14.6 crore which
accounts for 81.67 percent are yet to have household tap connections for
water. 
 JJM envisages a structural change in the provision of drinking water
supply services. The service provision should change to ‘utility based
approach’ centered on ‘service delivery’
 The government had also integrated different ministries and departments
dealing with water into one ministry — the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Work to be taken up under JJM: 
 In-village water supply (PWS) infrastructure for tap water connection to
every household
 Reliable drinking water source development/ augmentation of existing
sources
 Transfer of water (multi-village scheme; where quantity & quality issues
are there in the local water sources)
 Technological intervention for treatment to make water potable (where
water quality is an issue, but quantity is sufficient)
  Retrofitting of completed and ongoing piped water supply schemes to
provide FHTC and raise the service level
 Grey water management
 Capacity building of various stakeholders and support activities to
facilitate the implementation
73rd Amendment of Constitution of India: Gram Panchayats or its sub-
committees will play a crucial role in planning, designing, execution, operations
and maintenance of the in-village infrastructure under the Jal Jeevan Mission –
Every village is to prepare a village action plan (VAP) which will be essentially
having three components namely; 
1. Water source & its maintenance
2. Water supply and 
3. Grey water management
SDG-6: Ensuring universal access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by
2030 
Water-stressed districts: Districts with critical or over-exploited groundwater
levels as per the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 2017. For states without
critical and over-exploited groundwater levels, districts with the least availability
of groundwater in comparison to the rest of the districts in the state have been
selected.

Tribal Affairs Ministry announces inclusion

of 23 additional Minor Forest produce
items in Minimum Support Price List
(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors
and issues arising out of their design and implementation)
 This decision enhancing the coverage from 50 to 73 items comes in view
of the exceptional and very difficult circumstances currently prevailing in the
country on account of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the potential of the
Ministry of Tribal Affairs scheme to offer the much needed support to the
tribal MFP gatherers.
 The increase across various items of Minor Forest Produce ranged from
16% to 66%. (in some cases such as Giloe, the increase has been up to
190%). The increase is also expected to provide an immediate and much
needed momentum to procurement of Minor Tribal Produce across all States.
 14 of the newly added items, otherwise agricultural produce, are not
commercially grown in the North Eastern part of India but are found to grow
 in the wild in forests. Hence, the Ministry has favourably considered to
include these specific items as MFP items for the North-East.
 The Ministry has provided flexibility to States to fix MSP upto 10% higher or
lower than MSP declared by the Government.
Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest Produce Scheme
 The scheme for forest produce has been started with following objectives:
o To provide fair price to the MFP gatherers and enhance their
income level. 
o To ensure sustainable harvesting of MFPs.
o To ensure huge social dividend for MFP gatherers, majority of
whom are tribals.
 Earlier, the scheme was only implemented in States having Schedule
areas as listed in the Fifth Schedule of the constitution of India. 
 Since 2016, the scheme is applicable in all States.
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) 
 It came into existence in 1987. 
 It is a national-level apex organization. 
 The basic objective of the TRIFED is to provide good price of the ‘Minor
Forest Produce (MFP) collected by the tribes of the country.
 It functions under Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India.
 TRIFED has its Head Office at New Delhi. 
 It has a network of 13 Regional Offices located at various places in the
country.
Minor Forest Produce (MFP)
 Section 2(i) of the Forest Rights Act defines a Minor Forest Produce (MFP)
as all non-timber forest produce of plant origin and includes bamboo,
brushwood, stumps, canes, cocoon, honey, waxes, Lac, tendu/kendu leaves,
medicinal plants etc.
 The definition of “minor forest produce” includes bamboo and cane,
thereby changing the categorization of bamboo and cane as “trees” under
the Indian Forest Act 1927.
Let us revise Forest Rights Act (FRA) 
 Grants legal recognition to the rights of traditional forest dwelling
communities, partially correcting the injustice caused by the forest laws.
 Makes a beginning towards giving communities and the public a voice in
forest and wildlife conservation.
Why is it required?
 India’s forests are home to crores of people, including many Scheduled
Tribes, who live in or near the forest areas of the country.
 Since times immemorial, the tribal communities of India have had an
integral and close knit relationship with the forests and have been dependent
 on the forests for livelihoods and existence in the form of minor forest
produce, water, grazing grounds and habitat for shifting cultivation.
 For the first time Forest Rights Act recognises and secures community
Rights or rights over common property resources of the communities in
addition to their individual rights.
 Supporters of the Act claim that it will redress the “historical injustice”
committed against forest dwellers, while including provisions for making
conservation more effective and more transparent.
What are the rights granted under the Act?
 Title rights – i.e. ownership – to land that is being fared by tribals or forest
dwellers as on 13 December 2005, subject to a maximum of 4 hectares;
ownership is only for land that is actually being cultivated by the concerned
family as on that date, meaning that no new lands are granted.
 Use rights – to minor forest produce (also including ownership), to grazing
areas, to pastoralist routes.
 Relief and development rights – to rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction
or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for
forest protection
 Forest management rights – to protect forests and wildlife
 Right to intellectual property and traditional knowledge related to
biodiversity and cultural diversity
 Rights of displaced communities
 Rights over developmental activities
Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) authorizes the States give
the Gram Sabah’s power to regulate and restrict
 sale/consumption of liquor
 ownership of minor forest produce
 power to prevent alienation of land and restore alienated land
 power to manage village markets, control money lending to STs
 power to manage village markets, control money lending to STs and
Mandatory executive functions to approve plans of the Village Panchayats,
identify beneficiaries for schemes, issue certificates of utilization of funds.
Impact of FRA
Land Conflicts
 Recognition of rights will check conflict over resources
 Will decrease conflict among tribal and between them and outsiders
 Simplify land acquisition process as the rights of the individuals could be
easily ascertained
Social Impact
 Identification of land rights would create a sense of empowerment and
security
 Decrease in alienation from land will protect tribal culture also
  Will strengthen democratic decentralization by empowering Gram Sabha
 Will check harassment by outsiders, including forest bureaucracy
Economic Impact
 Land right would ensure tribal can economically utilize the land and would
also incentivize investment on the land
 Right over forest produce will help in increasing their income
 Proper compensation would be awarded in case of acquisition of land
Committees on ‘Minor Forest Produce’
A.K.Sharma Committee: The committee was set up to look in to the issues
related with the ownership of the Gram Sabha, fair prices, institutional
mechanism, value addition, etc. and suggest remedial measures including
Ownership, Price fixation, Value addition and Marketing of Minor Forest Produce
(MFP)
T Haque Committee:
 The Ministry of Panchayati Raj had constituted a Committee under the
chairmanship of Dr. T. Haque to look into different aspects of Minor Forest
Produce (MFP) management in fifth schedule areas which has recommended
for fixation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 14 MFPs in its final report.
 These are Tamarind, Mahuwa flower, Mahuwa seed, Tendu leaf, Bamboo,
Sal Seed, Myrobalan, Chironji, Lac, Gum karaya, Honey, Seeds of Karanja,
Neem and Puwad.
 To operationalizing the MSP for selected MFPs, the earlier Planning
Commission had suggested for Central Price Fixation Commission for MFP
as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
 All primary collectors including tribal and people living in and around the
forests involved in the MFP collection will be benefitted.
Solve: Implementation of the Forest Rights Act, in letter and spirit, will not only
help resolve the increasing land conflicts but also help uplift the economic and
social status of forest dwellers. Analyse.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana

(PMMSY)
(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors
and issues arising out of their design and implementation)
Constituting about 7.73% of the global fish production and export earnings of
Rs.46,589 Crores (2018-19), India today has attained the status of the second
largest aquaculture and 4th largest fish exporting nation in the world.
 The ‘fisheries and aquaculture sector’ is recognized as the sunshine sector
in Indian agriculture.
 Fishery is a State subject.
The Union Cabinet has approved the Rs 20,050-crore Pradhan Mantri Matsya
Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to bring about Blue Revolution through sustainable
development of fisheries sector over next five years.
 Augment fish production and productivity at a sustained average annual
growth rate of about 9% to achieve a target of 22 million tonne by FY25
through sustainable and responsible fishing practices
 The government also aims to double the income of fishers, fish farmers
and fish workers by 2024 through the scheme – Targets creating additional
direct employment of 15 lakh fishers, fish farmers, fish workers, fish vendors
in fishing and allied activities and 45 lakh indirect employment
 Increase aquaculture average productivity to 5 tons per hectare from the
current national average of 3 tons per hectare.
 Address critical gaps in the value chain, including infrastructure,
modernisation, traceability, production, productivity, post-harvest
management, and quality control
 Focus areas include Fishing Harbours and Landing Centers, Post-harvest
and Cold Chain Infrastructure, Fish Markets and Marketing Infrastructure,
Integrated Modern Coastal Fishing Villages and Development of Deep-sea
Fishing.
The Need: It is a scheme to bring Blue Revolution through sustainable and
responsible development of fisheries sector in India. 
 Fisheries and aquaculture are an important source of food, nutrition,
employment and income in India. 
 The sector provides livelihood to more than 20 million fishers and fish
farmers at the primary level and twice the number along the value chain. 
 Fish being an affordable and rich source of animal protein, is one of the
healthiest options to reduce hunger and malnutrition.
The scheme intends to address:
 Lack of accurate data on assessment of fishery resources and their
potential in terms of fish production
 Critical gaps in fish production and productivity; Low yield optimisation;
Harvest and post-harvest operations
 Modernization and strengthening of value chain
 Landing and berthing facilities for fishing vessels
 Establishing a robust fisheries management framework and fishers’
welfare
 Sanitary and phyto-sanitary matters
 Welfare of fishermen
Aims and objectives 
 Enhancing fish production and productivity through expansion,
intensification, etc. 
 Reduce post-harvest losses from the present high of 25% to about 10% by
modernizing and strengthening value chain
 Modernizing and strengthening of value chain – post-harvest management
and quality improvement as well as standards and traceability in fisheries
sector from ‘catch to consumer’
 Doubling fishers and fish farmers’ incomes and generation of employment
o Activities like Mariculture, Seaweed cultivation and Ornamental
Fisheries having potential to generate huge employment especially for
rural women will be promoted.
o Underlining the need to enhance domestic fish consumption with
corresponding health benefits, the Government will register “Sagar Mitra”
and encourage formation of Fish Farmers Producer Organizations
(FFPOs) to help achieve the PMMSY goals. 
o Youth will be engaged in fisheries extension by creation of 3477
Sagar Mitras in coastal fisher villages. 
o Large number of Fisheries Extension Services Centers will be set up
in private space to create job opportunities to young professionals.
 Enhancing contribution to Agriculture Gross Value Addition and fisheries
export competitiveness. 
 Create a conducive environment for private sector participation,
development of entrepreneurship, business models, promotion of ease of
doing business, innovations and innovative project activities including start-
ups, incubators etc. in fisheries sector.
 Being a fisher centric umbrella scheme, fishers, fish farmers, fish workers
and fish vendors are the key stakeholders in the developmental activities
envisaged and enhancement of their socio-economic status is one the core
objectives of this scheme.
 Robust fisheries management and regulatory framework
 Under the Swath Sagar plan, activities envisaged with a view to modernize
the fisheries sector include promotion of Bio-toilets, Insurance coverage for
fishing vessels, Fisheries Management Plans, E-Trading/Marketing, Fishers
and resources survey and creation of National IT-based databases.
 Focus on several new activities and areas such as Traceability,
Certification and Accreditation, Aquaculture in saline/alkaline areas, Genetic
improvement programmes and Nucleus Breeding Centres, Fisheries and
Aquaculture start-ups, promotional activities for fish consumption, branding,
GI in fish, Integrated Aqua parks, Integrated coastal fishing villages
development, State-of-art wholesale fish markets, Aquatic Referral
Laboratories, Aquaculture Extension Services, Biofloc, support for
new/upgradation of fishing boats, disease diagnostic and quality testing labs,
 Organic Aquaculture Promotion and Certification and Potential Fishing Zone
(PFZ) devices.
Earlier Initiatives taken by the present Government
1. Creation of a separate Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and
Dairying in the Union Government
2. Setting up a new and dedicated Department of Fisheries with independent
administrative structure
3. Implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Blue Revolution:
Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries during the period 2015-
16 to 2019-20 with a central outlay of Rs. 3,000 crore
4. Creation of Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund
(FIDF) during 2018-19 with a fund size of Rs. 7,522.48 crore
5. Launching of PMMSY with an investment of Rs. 20,050 crore, the scheme
with highest ever investment for fisheries sector.
What else can be done?
 Government needs to lay special thrust on increasing productivity in inland
fisheries along with full utilisation of the country’s deep sea fishing potential. 
 Technology needs to be leveraged at every step and role of logistics
cannot be ignored. A robust logistics support requires complementary
infrastructural facilities like cold chain and storage facilities to handle peak
harvests. Creation of cold chains can help reduce spoilage losses which are
currently at 30-35 per cent. Marketing infrastructure and cloud-based market
intelligence should also be put in place.
 Under social security, accidental insurance of fishers should be enhanced
from Rs 2 lakh to more.
 Fish markets —both wholesale and retail —need to be modernised and
Safal-type (Mother Dairy’s fruits and vegetable stores) retail outlets could be
opened up in cities

Aarogya Setu is now open source

(Topic: Government’s efforts to combat COVID-19)
On April 2, 2020, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
launched Aarogya Setu, a Covid-19 contact tracing app, mandatory for those
employed in private and public offices. The app provides the ability to identify and
analyse a person’s risk of a Covid-19 infection, alert them early, and offer medical
support and resources. Additionally, the data is useful for the government to
identify emerging hotspots.
Data might prove to be our best bet in the battle against this global pandemic.
Hence, Aarogya Setu application!
How does it work?
 The Aarogya Setu app requires users to submit their geodata and utilises
Bluetooth to connect to other registered users on the network. 
 It then analyses whether the user has come in contact with any person
who tested positive for the virus, and directs them towards the appropriate
medical intervention. 
 Based on its terms of service, it is intended to “notify, trace, and suitably
support” registered users and their potential Covid-19 infection risk. 
 These records are stored on the phone till the time any user tests positive
or declares symptoms of COVID-19 in a self-assessment survey in the app. In
such cases, the records are uploaded to the servers.
 The app is available in 11 languages.
What data can be collected and shared by Aarogya Setu?
The data collected by the Aarogya Setu app is broadly divided into four
categories — demographic data, contact data, self-assessment data and location
data. This is collectively called response data. 
 Demographic data includes information such as name, mobile number,
age, gender, profession and travel history. 
 Contact data is about any other individual that a given individual has come
in close proximity with, including the duration of the contact, the proximate
distance between the individuals, and the geographical location at which the
contact occurred. 
 Self-assessment data means the responses provided by that individual to
the self-assessment test administered within the app. 
 Location data comprises the geographical position of an individual in
latitude and longitude.
What are the checks and balances?
The protocol says the response data that can be shared with ministries,
government departments and other administrative agencies has to be in de-
identified form. This means that, except for demographic data, the response data
must be stripped of information that may make it possible to identify the
individual personally; it must be assigned a randomly generated ID.
Further, the NIC shall, “to the extent reasonable”, document the sharing of any
data and maintain a list of the agencies with which data has been shared. This
documentation will include the time at which data sharing was initiated, with
which entities it was shared, the categories of such data, and the purpose of
sharing the data.
The protocol also calls for any entity with which the data has been shared to not
retain the data beyond 180 days from the day it was collected. The protocol reads
back to the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to establish the penalties in case of
violation of the protocol. It also has a sunset clause, which calls for the
empowered group to review the protocol after six months; unless extended, it will
be in force only for six months from the date of issue.
As an open-source software – Why has the source code of Aarogya Setu been
made public?
Government has released the source code of Aarogya Setu app to promote
transparency and collaboration with the software developer community. 
When launching the app on April 2, the IT ministry had explicitly mentioned in the
terms of use that no one was allowed to reverse-engineer the app or alter with
the coding of the app. This led to critics questioning whether the app could be
used for surveillance and go beyond its mandate of contact tracing. Cyber law
experts and the software developer community called upon the government to
allow reverse engineering and also publish the source code of the app so that it
could be seen by anyone.
This will restore some faith in skeptical minds as they can now read and
understand the code for themselves. It will also help in assuaging the data
privacy and security concerns surrounding the app.
The government must take utmost precautions in securing our data and ensure
sensitive information does not land in the hands of unauthorised players who
may misuse it.
Enhancing the app’s ease-of-use, increasing the user base, and analysing the
resulting aggregated, anonymised data will help Indians and the world overcome
the Covid-19 crisis.
ADB, India sign $177 million loan for state road improvements in Maharashtra
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $177
million loan to upgrade 450 kilometers (km) of state highways and major district
roads in the state of Maharashtra.
 The project will improve connectivity between rural areas and urban
centers in the state enabling rural communities to better access markets,
employment opportunities and services. 
 Improved mobility will expand development and livelihood opportunities
outside of the state’s major urban centers to second-tier cities and towns
thus reducing income disparities.
 Will also strengthen road safety measures by developing a road safety
audit framework that will protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly,
women, and children, following the international best practice.
 The project will also focus on training the Maharashtra Public Works
Department project staff to build their capacity in climate change adaptation
and disaster resilient features in road design, road maintenance planning and
road safety.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable
Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.
Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
GS-3
A wave of locust swarms sweeping across
northern India
(Topic: Agriculture, Disaster Management)
Amidst a wave of locust swarms sweeping across western and northwestern
India, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW) has
stepped up locust control operations in the affected States of Rajasthan, Punjab,
Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
What exactly are locusts?
The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a short-horned grasshopper, an
omnivorous and migratory pest, normally live and breed in semi-arid or desert
regions, that is innocuous while it is in a “solitary phase” and moving about
independently. These winged insects differ from normal hoppers, and become
dangerous only when their populations build up rapidly and the close physical
contact in crowded conditions triggers behavioural changes. They, then, enter the
“gregarious phase”, by grouping into bands and forming swarms that can travel
great distances (up to 150 km daily), while eating up every bit of vegetation on
the way. 
If not controlled at the right time, these insect swarms can threaten the food
security of countries. Kenya is already reporting its worst locust outbreak in 70
years, while Ethiopia and Somalia haven’t seen one this bad in quarter of a
century.
What are ‘desert locusts’ doing in non-desert lands?
For laying eggs, they require bare ground, which is rarely found in areas with
dense vegetation. So, they can breed in Rajasthan but not in the Indo-Gangetic
plains or Godavari and Cauvery delta.
But green vegetation is required for hopper development. Hopper is the stage
between the nymph that is hatched from the eggs, and the winged adult moth. 
As individuals, or in small isolated groups, locusts are not very dangerous. But
when they grow into large populations their behaviour changes, they transform
from ‘solitary phase’ into ‘gregarious phase’, and start forming ‘swarms’. A single
swarm can contain 40 to 80 million adults in one square km, and these can travel
up to 150 km a day.
The further eastward movement
The current swarms contain “immature locusts”. These feed voraciously on
vegetation. They consume roughly their own weight in fresh food every day,
before they become ready for mating. But right now Rajasthan does not offer
enough to satisfy their hunger. With no crops in the field, they have been invading
green spaces, including parks, in Jaipur and orange orchards near Nagpur. 
Apart from the search for food, their movement has been aided by westerly winds
that were, this time, further strengthened by the low pressure area created by
Cyclone Amphan in the Bay of Bengal. Thus, we have had two meteorological
drivers behind the current locust invasions:  one, unseasonal heavy rains in the
main spring-breeding tracts in March-April, and, two, strong westerly winds.
How can these pests be controlled?
 Historically, locust control has involved spraying of organo-phospate
pesticides on the night resting places of the locusts. On May 26, the Indian
Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, advised farmers to spray
chemicals like lambdacyhalothirn, deltamethrin, fipronil, chlorpyriphos, or
malathion to control the swarms. However, the Centre had on May 14 banned
the use of chlorpyriphos and deltamethrin. Malathion is also included in the
list of banned chemicals but has been subsequently allowed for locust
control.
 Special mounted guns are used to spray the chemicals on the resting
places and India has 50 such guns, and 60 more are expected to arrive from
UK by the first week of June. Drones are also being used this year.
 A proactive exercise of control, through aerial spraying of ultra-low volume
of concentrated insecticides in all potential breeding sites, is required, along
with continuous monitoring of the crops during the ensuing kharif season.
 Control operations also require procurement of equipment, training of field
teams, prepositioning of supplies in key breeding areas and updating
contingency plans. These operations are technically not restricted under the
current lockdown regime.
Discuss: Despite the ups and downs in the India-Pakistan bilateral relationship,
cooperation on the locust warning system has survived the wars, terrorist
attacks, and political turmoil.
Technological Developments
A. RT-LAMP based test for Coronavirus: RT-LAMP a rapid, accurate and cost-
effective test can be done with indigenous components and set up with minimal
expertise and instrumentation.
 COVID-19 RT-LAMP test is a nucleic acid based test carried out from
nasal/throat swab sample from patients. The test recipe has been developed
and successfully demonstrated using synthetic templates. It is rapid (45-60
min), cost effective and accurate test.
 The advantage of this test is that the RT-LAMP based COVID-19 kit
components are easily available and these can be completely manufactured
in India.  While the, the current COVID-19 testing is done by real-time PCR
their components are mostly imported. Further these tests are expensive;
require highly trained manpower, costly instruments and a relatively high-end
 lab and cannot be deployed at remote locations in quarantine centers,
airports and railway stations, etc.
 On the other hand, the RT-LAMP test can be done in a single tube with
minimal expertise in a very basic lab setup like mobile units / kiosks for
testing at Airports, Railway Stations, Bus Stands and other public places. The
end detection of the test is a simple colored reaction, which is easily visible in
UV light, and now is being modified such that it can be detected in regular
light.
B. Molecular shock absorbers buffer axonal tension of nerve cells: The study
can help in understanding and treatment of concussion from head injuries as well
as stretch-induced nerve injuries.
Axons are long tubular extensions of nerve cells that transmit electrical signals
across long distances and can be up to a meter long in the case of humans. At
such lengths, they are subjected to large stretch deformations during limb or
other bodily movements. Axons in the brain too undergo significant
deformations, even during normal activities like jumping (the human brain is as
soft and wobbly as edible jelly).
C. Study for identification of structure-based potential antivirals against COVID
19
 Will search for small molecule inhibitors targeting some of the most
important viral replication enzymes. These enzymes are viral proteases
(papain-like protease & 3CLprotease), RNA dependent RNA polymerase
(nsp12), and the Methyltransferase or MTase (nsp14).
 Viral proteases, which are enzymes encoded by the genetic material (DNA
or RNA) of viral pathogens, catalyze the cleavage of specific peptide bonds in
cellular proteins.
 In this study, a computer-based high throughput virtual screening approach
will be used to identify antiviral molecules from different compound libraries
that will be experimentally validated for antiviral potential.
D. Facilitating Research and Innovation: Establishment of 4 COVID-19 Bio Banks
by the Department of Biotechnology
 The specimens collected from COVID-19 positive subjects can be a
valuable resource for the R&D efforts. NITI Aayog has recently issued
guidelines for sharing of bio specimens and data for research related to
COVID-19.
 The role of bio-banks for COVID-19 samples would be development of a
vaccine and treatments; guidance regarding handling, including
nasopharyngeal swabs; and conditions under which the higher BSL-3
practices should be followed for example, when working with cultures of the
coronavirus specimens.
E. Development of COVID-19 India National Supermodel for monitoring infection
transmission & aid decision-making by policymakers: To help monitor the future
transmission of infection, thus aiding decisions involving health system
readiness and other mitigation measures.
 While the Government is keeping a close watch on infectivity and mortality,
it is imperative to bring in a robust forecasting model for predicting the
spread and enhancing disease surveillance. 
 The model will entirely rely only on the data that is relevant to COVID-19,
and also have an adaptive built-in component to learn from the newer trends
in the data. 
 It will aggregate successful evidence-based mathematical and statistical
forecasting models and include the best predictive analytics for robust
forecasting of infectious disease spread.
 The supermodel could be used by the policymakers in India and around the
world to overcome difficulties in predicting the rate of spread of infection and
how it would burden the healthcare sector, thereby curbing the epidemic.
F. A note on Science and Technology in finding solutions to combat COVID-19
On vaccines, there are three kinds of attempts being made. 
 The first are indigenous efforts. 
 The second are globally collaborative efforts where Indian organisations
are taking a lead role
 The third is Indian participation in global efforts. 
On drug discovery, our scientific efforts take three approaches. 
 The first is the repurposing of extant drugs to see how effective they are
against the virus and in mitigating the consequences of the disease. 
 Second, Phyto-pharmaceuticals and extracts from medicinal plants are
being tested. 
 Finally, using a variety of approaches, new drug discovery including a
‘Hackathon’ for computational drug discovery is being undertaken.
A conglomeration of research efforts have resulted in new tests and testing kits.
These include new tests for detection of the virus and also for antibody
detection. The latter are being used for serological studies,
The speed of these developments is made possible by the collaborative efforts of
our scientists, institutions and science agencies. The regulatory system has also
been closely engaged, combining speed with quality.
Please Note
Chamba Tunnel under Chardham Pariyojana: Border Roads Organisation (BRO)
achieved this major milestone by digging up a 440 m long Tunnel below the busy
Chamba town on Rishikesh-Dharasu road Highway (NH 94). 
 The construction of tunnel was a challenging task in terms of weak soil
strata, continuous water seepage, heavy built up area on top thereby chances
of sinking of houses, land acquisition issues, restrictions during COVID
lockdown etc.
 BRO is a key stake holder in prestigious Chardham project and
breakthrough of this tunnel has been achieved by Team Shivalik. Latest
Austrian technology has been used in its construction.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK): Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas
Karyakram (PMJVK) restructured in May 2018 earlier known as MsDP –
Implemented for the benefit of the people from all sections of the society  in
identified Minority Concentration Areas for creation of assets in education, skill
and health sectors.
 Provide better socio economic infrastructure facilities to the minority
communities particularly in the field of education, health & skill development
as compared to the present situation, which would further lead to lessening
of the gap between the national average and the minority communities with
regard to backwardness parameters.
 The flexibility introduced in the programme will enable addressing
important issues that would result in speedier implementation leading to
greater inclusiveness of the minority communities.
 The criteria for identification of Minority Concentration Towns and Clusters
of Villages have been rationalized by lowering the population percentage
criteria of Minority Communities and fulfilment of backwardness parameters
in the following manners:-
o Earlier only those Towns which were found backward in terms of
both in Basic Amenities and Socio-economic parameters were taken up
as MCTs. Now, the Towns which were found backward in either or both
of the criteria have been taken up as MCT.
o Earlier only those Cluster of Villages which were having at-least 50%
population of Minority Community were taken. Now the population
criterion has been lowered to 25%.

TOPIC: General Studies 3

 Energy – Oil
 Energy Security in the times of COVID-19
India’s Situation
India, the world’s third largest crude oil importer has an existing storage capacity of 5.3 million tonnes at
Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Paadoor, built at an investment of $600 million in the first phase. This is
operational and can support 9.5 days of net imports. In addition, the government has approved the construction
of an additional 6.5 million tonnes of strategic crude oil reserves. Strategic crude oil reserves, which are typically
state-funded and meant to tackle emergency situations, allows a country to tide over short-term supply
disruptions. 
International Energy Agency members maintain emergency oil reserves equivalent to at least 90 days of net
imports. India will have oil reserves equivalent to at least 87 days of net imports, once the $1.6 billion second
 phase of Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves, which aims to add 12 days of crude storage, is operational. These
facilities together will help support 22 days of India’s crude oil requirements. Indian refiners also maintain 65
days of crude storage, taking the total tally to 87 days.
 First, capacity does not directly translate into utilisation, which is partly because oil is an expensive
commodity most days of the year. In 2019, the average closing price of a barrel of crude was $57.05. In 2018,
it was $64.90, and in 2017, U$50.84. Of the existing 10 days of capacity, only about 50 per cent is utilised.
 The second issue is with regard to the refinery holdings. In India, the SPR arrangement between the oil
refineries and the Union or state governments is not specified well, though most of the refineries that hold
stock are publicly-owned companies. In fact, a breakdown of which refineries hold SPR and in what form
(crude or refined) or information about where they are located is not publicly available.
So, the way forward is …
Introduction of transparency and accountability in relation to the SPR: 
 Timely and reliable dissemination of information
 The SPR mobilisation process could be made more efficient by laying out designated roles for different
agencies to avoid redundancies in times of crisis. 
 There should be role and process clarity regarding SPR mobilisation. For instance, to begin with, there
should be clarity on who (or which agency) can define an emergency and therefore order a mobilisation.
In order to mitigate risks better, India should look to diversify its SPR holdings: Diversification can be based on
geographical location (storing oil either domestically or abroad), storage location (underground or overground)
and product type (oil can be held in either crude or refined form). 
 Storage and transportation costs could be saved by diversifying geographically. India can
operationalise, modernise, and add to the oil tanking facilities at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. India can also
enter into a strategic partnership with Oman (Ras Markaz) for oil storage, which would also help India avoid
the potential bottleneck of the straits of Hormuz. However, since many of these places could potentially be
vulnerable to geopolitical risks, only a small part of India’s overall SPR strategy should involve storing abroad.
 Diversification could also be in the form of ownership — either publicly owned through ISPRL or by
private oil companies, such as ADNOC of Abu Dhabi, which could fill up the SPR when prices are low and take
advantage of price arbitrage. This could achieve a degree of price stability and reduce the cost for India to
buy such large quantities of oil. But there is a need to have a clear contract with the private companies about
the mandatory minimum level of stock that they should preserve for use in emergency times.
Use alternatives like natural gas: India should increase its imports of gas (LNG ) from Australia, Africa and the
US. 
 This will reduce the political risks of dependency on oil supplies from the Middle East. Gas is also now
economically competitive. 
 The landed price of LNG is low enough to kick-start some of the stranded gas-based power plants. India
also needs to look at ensuring continuous, uninterrupted supply of LPG, which is the cooking fuel for almost
all households. 
 With renewables like wind and solar gaining greater importance, securing critical minerals like cobalt
(80% controlled by China), lithium (92% of lithium reserves are controlled by Chile, China, and Australia),
nickel, aluminum, copper, etc, will be as important as having adequate SPR.
Let go of the tight bureaucratic authority: There is also a need to unthread the “patchwork quilt of authority”
exercised by bureaucrats, regulators and politicians, which today stifles management and operational efficiency
of the petroleum companies.
Integrated Energy Policy: India should create an institutional basis for an integrated energy policy. Also, the
focus should be on increasing the efficiency of its oil companies. Government needs to think if oil companies
should pivot away from oil and gas towards clean energy.
Connecting the Dots:
1. Sharp fall in oil prices is opportunity for India to increase stockpile. Why? Discuss.
2. As India suffers from a lockdown, a silver lining for future recovery and reconstruction is the price of oil.
Comment.
3. What should India do now to prepare for an uncertain and contingent energy future post COVID?
Enumerate.
4. Essay: 
1. Energy Security in the post-COVID world
2. The post-COVID world (will be) switching from just in time to just in case
1. Improving the job landscape in the rural sector is imperative to provide the much- needed fillip to the
economy. Comment.
Demand of the question:
 It expects students to write about the criticality of improving job landscape in rural sector to give much needed
fillip to the economy.
Introduction:
India is predominantly a rural country. As per the 2011 Census, 68.8 per cent of country’s population and 72.4 per
cent of workforce resided in rural areas. Rural economy constitutes 46 per cent of national income. Despite the
rise of urbanization more than half of India’s population is projected to be rural by 2050. Thus growth and
development of rural economy and population is a key to overall growth and inclusive development of the country
in post COVID-19 India.
Body:
Rural sector as driver of Economic fillip:
 If there is no universal access to a Covid-19 vaccine for another 18-24 months, then businesses in safer
sectors and locations are likely to do well, here rural sector might act as net gainer. 
 In rural India, where it is naturally easier to have physical distancing and outdoor work. This may shift
the focus from urban markets to rural markets, for both demand and production.
 As per NITI Aayog report, more than half of Indian industrial production comes from the rural areas.
Rural construction also accounts for nearly half of the total building activity in the country. The value of rural
services is about a quarter of the total services output.
 Surplus labour: Livestock, fisheries, dairy, vegetables, fruit and food processing are more labour-
intensive and high value-yielding. 
 Infrastructure investment: Local initiative for building community infrastructure, like water harvesting,
canal irrigation network, hubs for community market centers etc. may generate employment opportunities. 
As migrants returned to source states, agriculture may face overcrowding and cannot sustain surge of labourers.
It is possible that eventually reverse migration will took place and urban centres will return to economic growth
with reduced supply chain constraints. Rural employment has shrunk after 2005 while the urban areas have not
been able to absorb the millions who are leaving the farm. Rural India is incapable of absorbing the estimated 23
million interstate and intrastate migrant labours who might return home from urban areas due to the COVID-19
lockdown. However to reduce the plight of migrant exodus witnessed during forced lockdown indicates necessity
to address root cause of such crisis which lies in the developmental deficit.
Need to improve job landscape in rural sector of India:
 Agriculture has accounted for less than half of total rural output since the turn of the century. On the
other hand, National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data shows that more than one-fifth of rural households
with self-employment in agriculture have income less than the poverty line.
 Agriculture labour productivity in terms of gross value added (GVA) in India is less than a third of that in
China and 1% of that in the US.  Rural sector is net importer vis-e-vis urban areas which indicate outward flow
of money, which highlights critical need of new jobs.
 About MGNREGA: Need to increase the number of days per household from 100 to 200 days for this
year. Another approach would be to let families work as much as they wanted to – even if the number of days
exceeded 100 – as long as the state average of labour days per household did not cross 100. 
 Food processing sector: After many decades of neglect in research and development, lack of market
access, on- off policies for exports, and market distortions, the present adversity may be a timely opportunity
for this sector.
 Entrepreneurship: Local production of items of local requirement, the local weavers, artisans and
craftsmen may establish micro enterprises and form local community marketing cooperatives. 
 Agri-tech start ups will be crucial for developing innovative digital solutions to maximise productivity,
improve market linkages, increase supply chain efficiency and provide greater access to inputs for agri-
businesses. 
 E-commerce platform for local products: On the lines of Amazon India initiative for tribal products of
Telangana, rural crafts can be availed on major e-commerce sites with authentic branding with the help of
state governments.    
These measures or innovations need support of a suitable policy framework and reforms in pricing policy, tax,
market access, credit and rural infrastructure, like warehouses and cold storage. The next two years or so of how
we learn to live with corona virus can redesign the economy towards safer and more sustainable production and
consumption, with agriculture and the rural economy as its strength, rather than its weakness.
Conclusion:
In this economic pandemic, the lifeline of Indian economy lies in the transformation of the rural sector into a
matrix of local economies, striking a balance between their diversified local production for local needs and
surplus trading.
 2. Will it make sense to put an additional tax burden on the super-rich to mobilise revenue at the time of COVID-
19 pandemic? Substantiate your views.
Demand of the question:
It expects students to write about viability of the demand of additional tax burden on the super-rich to mobilise
revenue at the time of COVID-19 pandemic with substantive argument.
Introduction:
IRS association paper, Mission Jai Hind in India proposed by economists and activists suggested ideas of raising
tax burden on super-rich to fight the impacts of COVID-19. There have been demands of additional tax on super
rich to deal with unprecedented fall of revenue of government inspired from Peru’s proposed ‘solidarity tax’ to
mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Body:
In late-March, the government announced an economic package of $22 billion (amounting to 0.8% of GDP). In
second week of May, a second economic package was announced, which amounts to nearly 10% of India’s GDP.
It includes the first economic package and a slew of credit guarantees and liquidity enhancing measures that
hardly qualify as fiscal stimulus.
Case for solidarity tax on super-rich: 
 India desperately needs solidarity and wealth taxes to boost direct tax revenues that would decline
drastically this year due to lockdown and social distancing measures implemented in response to COVID-19. 
 Need of fiscal stimulus: Given the magnitude of humanitarian and economic disaster in India, the
government should not worry about fiscal deficit numbers. This is the right time to abandon fiscal
fundamentalism as India badly needs a strong fiscal stimulus to mitigate COVID-19 shocks which need
additional revenue.
 There is no denying that India has the potential of greater domestic resource mobilisation by imposing
wealth, inheritance, and estate taxes, in addition to raising the income tax slab for the super-rich.
 Quantity of ultra super-rich: While India is still home to 180 million poor people, the country has the
world’s fastest-growing population of millionaires. According to a report by Credit Suisse Research Institute,
there are 7,59,000 dollar millionaires in India. According to Hurun Global Rich List 2020, India occupies the
third position globally (after China and the US) with 137 dollar billionaires.
 In 2016, government abolished the wealth tax introduced way back in 1957. The wealth tax was
replaced with an extra 2 percent surcharge on the super-rich individuals with a taxable income of over Rs 10
million. In the 2019-20 Union Budget, the Finance Minister proposed enhancing the super-rich’s surcharge but
soon withdrew it. Last year, the government slashed the maximum corporate tax rate from 30 percent to 22
percent. The revenue foregone on reduction in corporate tax would be Rs 1.45 trillion annually, not an
insignificant amount.
 Despite experiencing higher growth rates over the past two decades, India’s tax-GDP ratio is abysmally
low primarily due to low direct tax base, parallel economy, and unorganised sectors of the economy. India’s
tax-GDP ratio (excluding states’ share in taxes) was 10.9 percent in 2019, far lower than the average OECD
ratio of 34 percent. According to official statistics, only 14.6 million individuals (less than 2 percent of the
population) paid income tax in India last year. On the other hand, indirect taxes (such as excise taxes) impose
a greater burden on poor people, thereby aggravating the already high degree of inequality in India. In recent
years, there have been frequent demands to reform India’s regressive tax system and to make it more
equitable.
 A policy paper quickly withdrawn due to huge criticism; ‘Fiscal Options and Response to Covid-19
Epidemic’, submitted to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBTD), recommendations include enhancing the
income tax rate to 40% for those earning over Rs 10 million; re-introduction of wealth tax for those with a net
wealth of Rs 50 million; a one-time COVID-19 cess of 4% on taxable income of over Rs 1 million; and
increasing the surcharge on foreign companies operating in India.
However, Prime minister in his one of the Independence Day speech highlighted the importance of wealth
creators and honour to wealth creators; he stressed point of wealth creation as necessity for wealth distribution.
 Targeting: Typically only a small number of individuals often salaried bear the additional tax and/or
cess, while another sizeable segment of the super-rich is believed to unfairly evade such tax burdens. 
 Tax harassment rather tax terrorism: Repeatedly imposing new cess/surcharge on a small group of
captive tax-payers is not only unfair to them and acts as an disincentive, but also goes against the principle of
lowering the tax rate along with broadening the tax net adopted since the economic liberalisation in 1991
(when the highest income tax rate including surcharge used to be as high as 56%).
 Fewer rich people: high marginal rates of taxation on income and wealth would produce adverse
incentives to work which would reduce the overall size and growth of the national pie.
 Against fundamental economic principles:  Laffer Curve’ suggests that, as tax rates go up, initially tax
revenue increases but eventually at some ‘very high’ rates of tax, tax collection begins to fall. For instance,
97% rate (the top tax rate, including surcharges, in Indira Gandhi’ s Budget of 1970-71) is generally regarded
as ‘too high’ as tax payers in that bracket would either prefer not to earn extra income or make all kinds of
efforts to evade paying taxes, including sending capital abroad or migrating to countries with lower taxes.
 Era of digital economy and tax heaven countries: In today’s scenario technology allows capital and
income to fly from one destination to other  in few seconds, competition of tax heaven countries could foil
attempts to increase additional taxes on super rich. 
Even though, there is no denying fact that in time like this, the so-called super-rich have a higher obligation
towards ensuring the larger public good. This is for multiple reasons – they enjoy a higher capacity to pay with
significantly higher levels of disposable incomes compared with the rest, they have a higher stake in ensuring the
economy springs back into action, and their current levels of wealth itself is a product of the social contract
between the state and its citizens. 
Most high-income earners still have the luxury of working from home, and the wealthy can fall back upon their
wealth to cope with the temporary shock. In view of several European economists, taxing the wealthy would be
the most ‘progressive fiscal tool’, as wealth is far more concentrated than income and consumption.
Conclusion:
Even capitalist countries like United States during emergency time of World War 2 increased taxes up to 90% for
significant period of times. However, policy makers should think of other sustainable innovative measures to
raise resources and additional tax burden can be last resort. 

3. What are the most potent threats to India’s cyberspace today? Explain. What are the institutional
arrangements in place to address these threats? Examine. 
आज भारत के साइबर स्पेस के लिए सबसे प्रबल खतरे  क्या हैं? स्पष्ट करें । इन खतरों को दरू  करने के लिए संस्थागत व्यवस्थाएं क्या हैं? 
जांच करें ।
Demand of the question:
It expects students to write about the most potent threats to India’s cyberspace along with efficiency of
institutional arrangement in place to address these threats.
Introduction:
A cyber security firm Cyfirma has warned against a potential cyber attack from hacking groups in China in
retaliation for the violent clashes between armed forces in India and China. Reports of ‘incident’ happened in
Kudankulam Nuclear power plant in last September was related to cyber security, highlights threats posed to
cyberspace of India by various elements based in national and  international  arena.  
Body:
As the lack of digital literacy, substandard quality of devices used to access internet, import dependence, lack of
skilled manpower makes Indian cyberspace vulnerable to cyber threats.  The digital economy today comprises
14-15% of India’s total economy, and is targeted to reach 20% by 2024. India has more than 120 recognised data
centres and clouds. The average data consumption per person a year is in the range of 15-20 gigabits. 
Threats to India’s cyberspace:
 Threats to Critical information infrastructure: As it is essential to the functioning of a modern economy,
security and other essential social services. Critical information sectors in India include Power,
ICT/Communication, Finance/Banking, Transport and e-governance. A minor disruption at one point could
have a rippling effect across multiple infrastructures. 
 As tool of Proxy warfare: China has built strong ‘cyber offense force’.  Hacking groups of Pakistan and
China, external intelligence agency of Pakistan has started using cyber space as tool to attack security and
economic infrastructure, which might hamper India’s growth trajectory. These countries are acquiring
offensive capabilities by building bits of software called ‘cyber weapons’ to do enormous damage to the
adversary’s networks.
 Threat to economic security: Sectors such as healthcare, retail trade, energy and media face advance
persistent threats (APTs), as the latest reports of an Israeli spyware allegedly used to spy on Indian
journalists and human rights activists attest. These incidents relating to data leakage, ransom ware,
ATM/credit cards denial of service, diversion of network traffic intrusion in IT systems and networks using
malware are on rise.
 Threat to IT infrastructure: As India is renowned IT service provider to the rest of the world; compromise
on the security of IT infrastructure will be huge risk to India’s service sector. 
 Advance technologies: With more inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data
analytics, cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT), cyberspace has become a complex domain, giving
rise to threats of complex nature. Attacks on embedded systems and IoT have also registered a sharp
increase of late. Such incidents are being launched from cyberspace of different international jurisdictions.
Institutional arrangements in India: 
 National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) to battle cyber security threats in
strategic areas such as air control, nuclear and space. It will function under the National Technical Research
Organisation, a technical intelligence gathering agency controlled directly by the National Security Adviser in
PMO. 
 National cyber coordination centre (NCCC) to scan internet traffic coming into the country and provide
real time situational awareness and alert various security agencies.
 A new Cyber and Information Security (CIS) Division has been created to tackle internet crimes such as
cyber threats, child pornography and online stalking.
 Under this, Indian cyber- crime coordination centre (I4C) and Cyber Warrior Police force has also been
established.
 Ministry of Defence formed Defence Cyber Agency in the realm of military cyber security. Indian
Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) to enhance the security of India’s Communications and
Information Infrastructure through proactive action and effective collaboration.
 CERT-fin has also been launched exclusively for financial sector. CERT-in is also operating Cyber
Swachhta Kendra, a Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre.
 Government inaugurated the new body National Information Centre Computer Emergency Response
Team (NIC-CERT) to prevent and predict cyber-attacks on government utilities.
 Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative to strengthen Cyber security ecosystem in India. It is first public private
partnership of its kind and will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in cyber security.
 Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended in 2008) to provide a legal framework for transactions
carried out by means of electronic data interchange, for data access for cyber security.
Steps to be taken: 
 There is need to strengthen National Cyber security Coordinator (NCC) to bring about much-needed
synergy among various institutions and work out a coordinated approach to cyber security, including cyber
deterrence.
 India needs to make a proper assessment of an offensive cyber doctrine.
 National cyber security strategy, 2020 is need of the hour to ensure a safe, secure, trusted, resilient and
vibrant cyber space for our Nation’s prosperity.
 The concept of ‘active cyber defence’ is generally being adopted to address the new challenges; India
should devise its own strategy on the lines of Examples like EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 
As the global multi-stakeholder model of internet governance is showing cracks. UN could not decide norms of
global cyber behaviour. India should not left behind in advancement in fields of cyber security and need to rethink
joining Budapest convention on cyber security.
Conclusion:
Stress on development of cutting edge technology in the field of cyber security along with capacity of skilled
human resources can make Indian cyber space robust, irrespective of changing norms of cyber behaviour at
global level. Priority to cyber security is no longer optional but one of the pillar of India’s internal and external
security.  

ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE
Topic: General Studies 2,3:
 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues
arising out of their design and implementation.
 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth,
development and employment. 
Reforms in India’s coal sector- Part I
 Context: The kick-starting of commercial coal mine auctioning is a fundamental shift in Coal sector which will
help in realizing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. 
Did You Know?
 India is having the fifth largest reserves of Coal in the world.
 India is the second largest producer of coal with its record production at 729 million tonnes (MT) in
2019-20
A brief History of Coal Sector in India
 Coal sector was Nationalised in 1973 which meant that domestic coal could be mined only by public
sector companies.
 While State-owned coal companies improved production, safety and prioritised employee welfare, the
country’s coal demand continued to grow at a very faster rate and often neglected modernization of mining
technologies
 Post liberalisation reforms in 1993, the government decided to allocate coal mines to various players
for captive consumption (in captive mining coal is taken out by a company for its own use and it won’t be
able to sell it in the market).
 Despite private sector participation in a restricted manner, state run Coal India Ltd continued to
dominate the market (but with inefficiency)
 During the high growth years of 2000s the increasing demand of Coal could not be fulfilled by the state
run Coal India Ltd., leading to higher demand-supply gap. 
 Increased imports: Demand Supply gap, procedural delays, environmental clearances led to increase in
imports – the CAGR of coal import from 2009-10 to 2013-14 was 23%
 Coal Auction Scam: The CAG report followed by the Supreme Court verdict in 2014 resulted into
cancellation of allocation near all coal mines allocated after 1993.
Reforms undertaken post 2014
 Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015. enabled allocation of coal mines through transparent
auctions
 In February 2018, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs permitted entry of private firms
in commercial coal mining in the country
 In April 2018, The Ministry of Coal has launched UTTAM (Unlocking Transparency by Third Party
Assessment of Mined Coal) Application for coal quality monitoring.
 Ministry of Coal also developed Online Coal Clearances System to provide a single window access to
its investors to submit online applications for all the permissions / clearances and approvals granted by
Ministry of Coal.
 Coal Allocation Monitoring System (CAMS) was also developed to monitor the allocation of coal by CIL
to States, States to State Nominated Agencies (SNA) and SNA to such consumers in a transparent manner.
Recently announced Reforms in Coal Sector- Easing the process
 Commercial mining of coal allowed, with 41 blocks to be offered to the private sector
 The coal mines being auctioned are located in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
and Odisha. They include partially and fully explored mines. 
 The coal ministry has simplified the process of the mining plan approval process from 90 days to 30
days. 
 In previous auctions, only end users of coal, such as companies in the iron and steel and power sectors,
were permitted to bid on coal blocks. This restriction has been done away with.
 Also, the law earlier excluded companies without mining operations in India from participating in the
auctions. This bar has been done away with, paving the way for local and foreign mining majors and non-
mining ones, too, to participate in the domestic coal sector.
 The government has introduced a more equitable system of sharing revenues, moving away from fixed
rates to an ad-valorem system. So when the prices go up, the miner shares more with the government and if
they decrease, he shares less.
Note: The benefits of the above reforms and the challenges which lay ahead will be dealt in part-II of the article
Connecting the dots:
 2G Scam and Spectrum auction
 Controversial Coal Mining project by an Indian Company (Adani) in Australia
 ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE
Topic: General Studies 2,3:
 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues
arising out of their design and implementation.
 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth,
development and employment

Textile Sector and Atmanirbharta

Context: India has embraced ‘atmanirbhar’ or ‘self-reliance’ as a development strategy to reboot the Indian
economy in the post-COVID world and this includes relooking at Textile Sector as well
What is the larger vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’?
 It is not just import substitution but to build capacity for manufacturers in India to dominate the global
market
 This includes building capacity in every step of manufacturing value chain
The Textile Sector in India
 If there is one sector in the country that is self-reliant end-to-end, it is textiles.
 Over the years a large spinning, weaving and apparel making capacity has been established in India to
convert the raw material into end-products.
 Unlike Bangladesh and Vietnam or for that matter China, which are dominating the global textile market,
India has abundant supply of raw material. 
 India is the largest producer of cotton, accounting for 25% of the global output. 
 India is also the second largest producer of man-made fibres — polyester and viscose. 
 Labour availability is plenty in India which also possess traditional weaving skills
 A strong domestic market exists which ensures a good return on investment
 Textile Sector in India accounts for
o Seven per cent of India’s manufacturing output 
o Two per cent of GDP
o 12 per cent of exports 
o Employs about 10 crore people
 Every $1 billion increase in textile exports adds 1.5 lakh jobs.
Stagnant Exports of Textile Sector
 Textile exports from India have remained at the $40-billion level for the last six years (it briefly touched
$42 billion in FY15).
 The share of textiles in India’s overall exports has declined from 15% in FY16 to 12% in FY 19.
 India’s apparel (finished product) exports declined from $18 billion in FY17 to $17 billion in FY19.
 Relatively newer entrants like Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia have gained substantially during this
period.
o Bangladesh’s apparel exports have risen from $26.60 billion in 2015 to $33 billion in 2019. 
o Vietnam, in a short span of time, has grown to become the third largest apparel exporter in the
world. 
What are the factors for stagnation of India’s textile exports?
Internal factors, more than competition, are responsible for the stagnation of India’s textile exports.
1. Lack of scale: 
 While India’s spinning capacity is of a global scale, the same cannot be said about weaving and apparel
making. 
 Apparel units in India have an average size of 100 machines. Bangladesh has an average of at least 500
machines per factory.
2. Bias towards cotton: 
 Indian policymakers have always favoured cotton. This is because nearly 5.8 million farmers are
engaged in cotton cultivation. 
 GST on cotton is uniformly 5 per cent for fibre, yarn and fabric. 
 However, GST for man-made fibres (MMF) are taxed at 18 per cent for fibre, 12 per cent for yarn and 5
per cent for fabric. 
 This inverted tax structure makes MMF textiles costly. Thus it accounts for just $6 billion of the $39-
billion textile exports.
 However, 72% of today’s global textile fibre consumption is MMF
3. Lack of trade agreements: 
 Preferential Trade Agreements, including FTAs, help gain duty-free access to large textile markets such
as the EU, Australia and the UK which, otherwise, levy 12-14 per cent import duty. 
 FTAs will help Indian players counter Bangladesh which, as a ‘least developed nation’, gets duty-free
access. 
 Vietnam has signed an FTA with the EU and its apparel exports will face no duty from September 2020.
However, India’s FTA negotiation with the EU has remained suspended since 2013 
Way Forward
 India should set up mega apparel parks close to ports with `plug and play’ facilities and common
infrastructure for effluent treatment, etc. This will reduce the cost of India manufacturers and effectively
compete in global market
 India needs to have a fibre neutral tax policy to be a serious player in the global market. 
 Also, there is an imminent need for an MMF Mission to upgrade the industry’s skill when it comes to
non-cotton textiles.
 India needs to adopt an appropriate ‘give and take’ policy and sign the FTAs so as to increase the
stagnated textile exports
Connecting the dots:
 India-EU broad-based Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) – merits and challenges in
signing it

Issue of cross-voting and ‘open ballot’ system

Part of: GS-Prelims and Mains GS-II – Polity and Governance; Elections
Context:
 In previous News Analysis, Supreme Court verdict on Secrecy of ballot, we read about importance of
‘Secret Ballot’.
 In today’s article, we will know about ‘open ballot’ and issue of cross-voting.
What is ‘crossing the floor’ or ‘Cross Voting’?
 In politics, a politician is said to cross the floor if they change their party allegiance. 
 Crossing the floor may mean changing to a second party after being elected as a member of a first
party, or voting against the approved party lines.
 For instance, during the election to Rajya Sabha, when an MLA from x party cast his vote in favour of y
party candidate then it is termed as cross voting.
Concept of ‘open ballot’ system during the election to Rajya Sabha
 Rule 39AA of the Conduct of Election Rules of 1961 provides for open ballot system.
 A voter may show his/her marked ballot paper to the authorised representative of his/her political party
before dropping it into the ballot box.
 Rule 39AA provides that marked votes of MLAs are to be shown  only to the authorised
representative of their political party before being dropped into the ballot box, and any transgression will
amount to their votes being declared invalid.
 In case of independent MLAs, they do not have to show their votes to “anyone at all”.
 However, Rule 39AA is silent on who would be the authorised representative for a rebel MLA.
 ‘Open ballot’ system was adopted to prevent corruption. 
SC on ‘Open’ ballot process
 ‘Open’ ballot process was challenged in SC by Kuldip Nayar alleging that it stifled free speech and
expression of a voter, which is at the core of democracy.
 In 2006, a five-judge bench led by then CJI Y K Sabharwal unanimously upheld the constitutional validity
of the ‘open ballot’ system and said: “if secrecy becomes a source for corruption, then sunlight and
transparency have the capacity to remove it.”
 SC bench also said “Voting in elections to Council of States cannot be compared with a general election.
In a general election, the elector have to vote in a secret manner without fear that their votes would be
disclosed to anyone or would result in victimization. There is no party affiliation and hence the choice is
entirely with voter. This is not the case when elections are held to the Council of States as the electors are
elected members of the legislative assemblies who in turn have affiliations.”
Do you know?
 To deal with money and muscle power, engineering splits in political parties and defections, parliament
had enacted anti-defection law to combat this political evil.
 This provided for disqualification of an MP or MLA if s/he “votes or abstains from voting” contrary to the
directions of her/his party.
 However, the anti-defection law is not applicable to RS elections.
 According to Election Commission, political parties cannot issue any whip, like they do in the Legislative
Assembly, asking their MLAs to vote for a particular candidate. They can issue instructions but it is left to
political organisations to take action as they deem fit if an MLA defies the party‘s order. 

TOPIC: General Studies 2

 India and its relations with its neighbouring countries

In News: The armies of the world’s two most populous nations are locked in a tense face-off high in the
Himalayas. India and China have moved troops and ammunition on the LAC. The number of recorded Chinese
transgressions across the disputed India-China border surged by 75 per cent in Ladakh in 2019, and the Chinese
forays into Indian territory in the first four months of the current year have also witnessed an increase compared
to the same period last year.
US President Trump offered to mediate, but the offer was rejected by both, India and China. Beijing has taken an
aggressive stand with countries around the world, with their diplomats vociferously defending their moves. 
Indian side’ of the LAC
The border is not fully demarcated and the LAC is neither clarified nor confirmed by the two countries. Except for
the middle sector, even the mutual exchange of maps about their respective perceptions has not taken place
between India and China. This has led to different perceptions of the LAC for the two sides, and soldiers from
either side try to patrol the area up to their perception of the LAC. Essentially, what Indians believe to be ‘their
side’ is not the same as what the Chinese believe to be ‘their side’ – this is different from the Line of Control
(LoC) between India and Pakistan where everything was agreed upon by the two armies following the 1971 War.
A higher number indicates that the Chinese soldiers are coming to the Indian side more often, and their
movements are being observed and recorded by the Indian soldiers. This can be seen as an indicator of
increased Chinese assertiveness, but as long as there are no major incidents, it means that the established
border mechanisms between the two sides are working. So far, there has been no major standoff between the
two sides after the 73-day Doklam standoff on Sikkim-Bhutan border in 2017.
What triggered China’s recent LAC moves?
China is responding to India’s efforts to bolster border-area infrastructure in Ladakh after the completion of the
DSDBO road. After India’s move into Doklam in 2017, China is perhaps especially sensitive to Indian activity along
the disputed border. Around Galwan, in particular, China may be seeking to pre-empt an Indian effort to improve
its links to the LAC
Pattern change in Chinese behaviour on the border: 
 They have reportedly come in large numbers into a new area (Galwan river valley) which had not been
contentious in terms of the alignment of the LAC
 They are staying put, dug down and in tents and not just as a short-term patrol
 These incursions are happening in multiple locations
 They have become more assertive and aggressive in their behaviour
This is part of a larger pattern of behaviour from the Chinese and should not be seen as localized and isolated
incidents in pockets along the India-China border. 
 It is reflective of increased Chinese assertiveness. The activation of border areas by China could also be
part of its pressure tactics and its desire to gain leverage vis-a-vis India with regard to issues in bilateral
relations and matters like Covid and WHO.
 It is also quite possible that China is eyeing the waters of the Shyok, Galwan and Chang-Chenmo rivers,
to divert them to the arid Aksai Chin and its Ali region.
 China and USA
 In a forceful article published in The New York Times by a US senator, Josh Hawley, from Missouri,
Hawley says the emergency triggered by the corona pandemic is not a mere health crisis. With millions
of Americans unemployed, “it is also an economic crisis. And it has exposed a hard truth about the
modern global economy: it weakens American workers and has empowered China’s rise.”
 Significant political contestations within the US and between the US and China to reform, reorient or
bypass the WTO system are also at hand. All major economies will be drawn into this conflict. India in
the mid-1990s along with varied domestic complications, struggled to cope with the profound changes
in the global economic order. As the world trade system arrives at a contingent moment a quarter of a
century later, it is time for India to also be better prepared
 The Way Forward
 PM Modi must take the Opposition political parties into confidence on the nature of the crisis. 
 There is a need for an early political consultation between Delhi and Beijing on exploring ways to end the
stand-off. Reports that Chinese troops are sitting on Indian Territory underline the importance of restoring
status quo ante; this is unlikely to be achieved at the local level. 
 A renewed effort at resolving the conflict over the boundary dispute must necessarily complement the
management of frequent crises on the Indian frontier with China. In recent years, Delhi has often proposed
that the two countries must begin the clarification of the Line of Actual Control on an urgent basis. That
would pave the way for a political settlement of the boundary dispute. 
Connecting the Dots:
1. Wolf-warrior diplomacy
2. Why has the Line of Actual Control not been clearly demarcated? Discuss.

Malabar Rebellion or Moplah Riots of 1921

Part of: GS-Prelims and Mains GS-I – History, Modern India
Why in news?
 The 1921 Malabar Rebellion or Moplah Riots turns 100 next year.
 In other words, the year 2021 will mark the 100th year anniversary of the Malabar/Moplah uprising of
1921.
About Malabar Rebellion
 Malabar Rebellion of 1921 was the culmination of a series of riots by Moplahs (Muslims of Malabar) in
the 19th and early 20th centuries against the British and the Hindu landlords in Malabar (Northern Kerala).
 The resistance which started against the British colonial rule and the feudal system later ended
in communal violence between Hindus and Muslims.
 The Moplah Rebellion or the Malabar Rebellion was an extended version of the Khilafat Movement in
Kerala in 1921.
The main leaders of this rebellion were:
1. Variyankunnath Kunjahammed Haji
2. Sithi Koya Thangal
3. Ali Musliyar
Background:
 In 1921 the Muslim peasants of the Malabar districts of Kerala known as the Moplahs rose against their
landlords, the Namboodris and Nairs. These upper classes exploited the peasants. The Moplahs had no
security of their tenure.
 The renewal of fees, high rents and other extractions by the zamindars, broke the backbone of the
Moplahs. They became united and made armed attacks on the Namboodris, Nair’s and other higher castes.
The British Government became active and suppressed them.

Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meet

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Indian and its neighbours; International Relations
About 
 The Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral is a significant multilateral grouping, because it brings together
the three largest Eurasian countries which are also incidentally geographically contiguous.
 The 16th RIC meeting coincides with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Moscow to
attend Russia’s Victory Day parade which marks the 75th anniversary of the Second World War.
 RIC discussions to focus on the current situation of the pandemic and the challenges of global security,
financial stability and RIC cooperation in that context.
 Speedy delivery of S-400 long range air defence system and hardware spares are also on the agenda.
Background:
 The proposal for a Moscow-Beijing-Delhi ‘strategic triangle’ had originally come from the then Russian
Prime Minister in 1998. He argued that such an arrangement would represent a force for greater regional and
international stability.
 This idea of a ‘strategic triangle’ took a tangible form when former Foreign Ministers of Russia, China,
and India met on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2002.
Key facts:
 RIC meeting is important as Russia, India and China are countries that carry important voices in
international politics and have the potential to significantly influence world events.
 Together, the RIC countries occupy over 19 percent of the global landmass and contribute to over 33
percent of global GDP.
 All three countries are nuclear powers and two, Russia and China, are permanent members of the UN
Security Council, while India aspires to be one.

Q) Indian space start ups have got huge potential. However,

there are many challenges that need to be overcome to get
into the league of global space giants like the SpaceX.
Comment. 

Demand of the question:

It expects students to write about the potential of Indian space start ups along with the challenges being faced by
space start ups in reaching global league of giants like SpaceX.  
Introduction:
The recent announcement by Finance Minister in the fourth tranche of the 20 Lakh crore ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat
Special Economic Stimulus Package’ (ANBSESP) for greater participation of the private enterprise in the space
sector is very promising. It will help to realise potential of space start ups in India. 
Body:
Promises of Government include: 
 Govt will provide predictable policy and regulatory environment, and allow private sector to use ISRO
facilities.
 Future projects for travel in outer space or exploration of new planets will be open to the private sector.
 Govt will ease geo-spatial data policy to make such remote-sensing data more widely available to tech
entrepreneurs, with safeguards put in place.
Potential of Indian space start ups:
 India makes a great place for building a space business as a start-up. It has experienced space
professionals who have been nurtured in an ecosystem that has 60 years of space mission experiences. 
 Bengaluru-based Pixxel is gearing up to launch its first satellite by the end of the year. The small satellite
will go in a Russian launch vehicle and will focus on high clarity satellite imagery. It would be helpful for
governments and private organisations in collecting AI-powered analytical data related to agriculture, climate,
spread of crop pests and diseases, defence monitoring, and mining in order to find illegal operations, monitor
oil and gas pipelines, natural disasters, forest fire etc.
 Astrome, another Bangalore based space-tech start up which has plans to launch a constellation of 198
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and Mumbai-based space-tech start-up Kawa Space are among the few
Indian companies in this space.
 India has the entrepreneurial spirit, with perhaps one of the youngest sets of founders among space
start-up hubs around the world. It has established a small and medium enterprises landscape that can cater
to the manufacturing and testing of satellites and rockets. It has academic institutions that produce globally-
matched human resources, which can be employed by the emerging start-ups in the space industry.
 The growth of Indian space start-ups in the last few years has fuelled entrepreneurial activity and
innovation in satellites and Space Launch Vehicles (SLVs). 
 Technology transfer by ISRO: In one of its latest transfers, the space agency has transferred Lithium ion-
cells to a handful of state and private enterprises. Although start-ups do not figure in the list of beneficiaries,
but private players have been integral to the supply chain and sub-contractual work for the Indian space
programme.
 Space start-ups are already in the process of contributing to India’s first human spaceflight mission –
the Gaganyaan -1. Space start-ups have more drive and ambition than the bigger enterprises that tend to do
overwhelmingly sub-contractual work on behalf of ISRO. Endowed with young technically qualified personnel
and possessing initiatives of their own which are distinct, niche and disruptive, the start-up segment in the
space sector can be at the cutting edge. Several start-ups have some working capital. 
 Latest data available between 2016 and 2019 does indicate indicates that venture capital has enabled
space unicorns which are involved in developing palm-sized satellites to Small Satellite Launch Vehicles
(SSLVs) are gaining a toehold. 
 Challenges to reach global league:
 Government was pursuing extensive consultations on the passage of the Space Activities Bill since at
least 2017, but the Bill is yet to become law. This is largely due to the complexities involving space science
and technology, which is a strategic sector, any ensuing legislation will need to be clear and enforceable in a
manner that encourages private initiative, investment, management and technological input.
 It is still not clear how start-ups/private companies in India can get access to space frequencies to
conduct routine telemetry, telecommand and payload data operations. 
 India does have a satellite communication policy, but it was instituted with a Direct-To-Home (DTH)
service provider in mind, rather than companies that would want other services (e.g. remote sensing). 
 This creates uncertainty for the start-ups that plan to operate their own satellites. Friendly geographies
outside India allows them to operate and collect their data over India or other areas of interest without having
to go through the hassle of dealing with uncertainty in bureaucratic processes. 
 A foreign company that wants to launch onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which is
often touted as one of the most cost-effective and reliable launch vehicles in the world, pay 0% Goods and
Services Tax (GST).  In contrast, an Indian space start-up has to cough up 18 per cent GST to launch from
India.
To reach league of giants like SpaceX:
 There is need to bring clarity on the basis of US  Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which
provides the guidelines for private companies that either want to set up ground station facilities or access
frequencies to operate their space assets.
 To incentivise product/service development, several space faring nations provide support programmes
to help entrepreneurs develop their ideas. For example, the European Space Agency (ESA) has several
programmes such as the Business Incubation Centres (BICs), which incubate over 100 space start-ups every
year. 
 In US, there are also several funding instruments for start-ups and small/medium-scale enterprises that
allow competent companies to develop state of the art intellectual property that forms the basis of novel
products/services.
 In contrast, there are no programmes or instruments that provide such support to entrepreneurs who
want to create new space products/services in India. With the US still imposing some rules that restrict
several grants/programmes to citizens, several Indian founders have now started leveraging the ESA start-up
programmes to realise their ideas.
Business incubation centre for new space start-ups in India on the lines of European space Agency will help to
realise of potential to reach big club of private players in space field. 
Conclusion:
Although, recent steps liberating the spaqce sector from over-regulation or governmental control is a positive
step bringing gains to the space start-up segment, more clarity will be necessary particularly in the form of a
comprehensive Space Activities Law spelling out the provisions ranging from licensing and Intellectual Property
Rights (IPR) covering start-ups and customers such as the Indian armed forces.

dictatorship, don’t truly appreciate

the value of freedoms today
Ram Madhav writes: The “freedom” that the anarchists and their left-liberal cohorts enjoy in
the country’s media and public life today is because we have leaders in the government who
fought for that very freedom and are committed to liberal democratic values, not just as a
matter of compulsion but as an article of faith.

in his commencement speech at the Kenyon College of liberal arts in Gambier, Ohio, with an instructive story. Two
young fish were swimming along and bumped into an older fish swimming the other way. “Morning, boys! How’s the
water?”, asks the older fish. The two young fish continue to swim on, and eventually, one of them asks, “What the hell
is water?”
Reality, for many, becomes so obvious sometimes that they fail to appreciate its value. People in many democracies
behave like those young fish today. They don’t realise that with all its defects, democracy is the best available form of
government.
Democracy, a Herodotus-era institution of the “rule of the people”, took wing only in the last seven decades. There
were 137 autocracies and just 12 democracies in 1945. Bolstered by the victory of the democratic Allied forces, more
and more countries turned democratic. By 2001, this number grew to 88 and equalled autocracies. Today, the world
has more than a hundred democratic countries while 80 are autocracies.
Opinion | Ruler alone is not accountable, everyone who succumbs to authority is no less guilty
But democracies are in decline. In the last two decades, more and more countries have become less and less
democratic. The Economist recently reported that only 22 countries can be called true democracies, while another 53
countries can, at best, be described as flawed democracies. More than half of the countries in the world are either
semi-autocracies or downright dictatorships.
Liberal democracies are facing multiple challenges. This pandemic has become an excuse for some leaders to usurp
more powers and become more authoritarian. The rise of the far left and left-liberal anarchist forces, wanting to
destroy mankind’s valuable possession of democracy, is also discernible in many countries. Post-modernist scholars
are trying to dub democracies pejoratively as populist. They argue that democracies are posing a “danger” to “our
freedom”. They seek to pit people against democracy.
It is nobody’s case that democracies are perfect. There is no single definition of democracy that is universally
acceptable. There are “illiberal democracies” as Fareed Zakaria pointed out and “liberal un-democracies” as Yascha
Mounk wrote. But the alternative to democracy, historically, has only been authoritarian dictatorships. When societies
fail to appreciate the value of democratic principles, either dictators are created or anarchy reigns. It also happened,
albeit just for less than two years, in India.
Forty-five years ago, on this day, June 25, 1975, India’s democracy was shackled by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Citing “internal disturbance” and “imminent danger to the security of India” as the reasons, she invoked Article 352 of
the Constitution and declared a state of internal emergency. The country was pushed into a dictatorship that lasted for
21 months. Fundamental rights were suspended. Over 1.4 lakh people were detained, including opposition party
leaders. The media was gagged, and even the higher judiciary became a pliant handmaiden of Indira Gandhi. The
entire country was converted into a prison of fear. Indira Gandhi’s loyalist attorney general, Niren De, had ominously
told the Supreme Court that the Emergency gave powers to the government even to take away the life of a citizen —
and yet not be answerable to anybody. Citizens’ lives and limbs were under threat.
As months passed by, the Stockholm Syndrome set it. Many eminent journalists and writers were singing paeans to
the government. “When asked to bend, they crawled,” L K Advani, who spent the entire duration of the Emergency in
jail along with colleagues such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, commented wryly: Hitlerian fascism was reincarnated in
Indira’s Emergency.
Hitler, after getting elected to the Reichstag — the Lower House of the Weimar Republic — in 1933, had made his
National Socialist Party redundant. Senior party leaders were made inconsequential in Hitler’s Third Reich.
Sycophants and courtiers replaced them. Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda chief, became the most powerful leader
due to his proximity to the Fuhrer. A systematic campaign against Jews was unleashed, culminating in their genocide
towards the end of the Reich.
Something similar had happened in India during those years. Vidya Charan Shukla, minister for information and
broadcasting, became the new Goebbels. Sanjay Gandhi emerged as the super prime minister with a coterie of
officials running the show. A systematic Islamophobic campaign was unleashed by this coterie. Sanjay and his coterie
became infamous for their forced sterilisation programmes. Corruption and sycophancy had reached unforeseen
heights. Dev Kant Barooah, president of the Congress during those years, had acquired sycophantic notoriety by
coining the slogan “Indira is India and India is Indira”, something on the lines of the mandatory “Heil Hitler” salute.
If India’s millennials take to the streets today with anarchist slogans, that is because they are like those young fish in
the water, who have never seen the dark side of a dictatorship. Thanks to the valiant fight against the draconian
Emergency by the forces that are in power today, the country has enjoyed liberal democracy for four-and-a-half
decades. We did not have autocrats partly because of the Gulliverisation of our politics for many years, where smaller
parties would pull the strings of power. When a stable majority returned after three decades, the country was in the
hands of those who were victims of the Emergency regime’s excesses and fought for democracy.
The “freedom” that the anarchists and their left-liberal cohorts enjoy in the country’s media and public life today is
because we have leaders in the government who fought for that very freedom and are committed to liberal democratic
values, not just as a matter of compulsion but as an article of faith.
This article first appeared in the print edition on June 25 under the title “When democracy was shackled”. The
writer is national general secretary, BJP, and director, India Foundation.

Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe)

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains – III – Science and Technology
In news:
 Union Cabinet approves the creation of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre
(IN-SPACe)
 IN-SPACe will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure.
 IN-SPACe will also hand-hold, promote and guide the private industries in space activities through
encouraging policies and a friendly regulatory environment.
Important value addition:
About New Space India Ltd.
 It is the Department of Space’s second commercial arm (after Antrix) that was announced in Budget
2019.
 Its objective is to use research and development carried out by ISRO over the years for commercial
purposes through Indian industry partners.
 One of the mandates of NSIL aims to mass-produce and manufacture the SSLV and the more powerful
PSLV in partnership with the private sector in India through technology transfers.
 NSIL will deal with capacity building of local industry for space manufacturing. 

Country of Origin On Government e-Marketplace

Context: The government on 23 June 2020 made it mandatory for sellers on the Government e-Marketplace
(GeM) portal to clarify the country of origin of their goods when registering new products.
What is GeM?
 GeM is a one-stop National Public Procurement Portal to facilitate online procurement of common
use Goods & Services required by various Central and State Government Departments / Organizations
/Public Sector Undertakings
 It was launched in 2016 to bring transparency and efficiency in the government buying process.
 It operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
 GeM is a completely paperless, cashless and system driven e-market place that enables procurement of
common use goods and services with minimal human interface
What are the new guidelines?
 Sellers on the GeM portal will now have to disclose the origins of their products.
 The portal also has a ‘Make in India’ filter, and government offices will be able to know which products
have a higher content of indigenously produced raw materials.
 This would help government agencies choose products that meet the ‘minimum 50 per cent local
content’ criterion when selecting bidders for their tenders
 The GeM portal now allows buyers to reserve a bid for Class I local suppliers, or suppliers of those
goods with more than 50 per cent local content.
 For bids below Rs 200 crore, only Class I and Class II (those with more than 20 per cent local content)
are eligible.
Significance of the move
 The move is aimed at promoting India-made goods and in line with government’s push for self-reliance
(Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission)
 Products sold on the GeM portal range from stationery used by government officials to medical
products that are used on patients — and this might provide an opportunity to Indian manufacturers across
industries to push their products in government facilities.
 It may over time filter out imported goods from use in government offices and facilities
 Weaponisation of trade ties in the wake of recent border tensions with China 
o India wants to reduce its economic dependence on China so that China doesn’t use its
economic might as a leverage against India during crisis times
o At $ 70.32 billion in 2018-19 and $ 62.38 billion between April 2019 and February 2020, China
accounts for the highest proportion of goods imported into India (around 14 per cent in 2019-2020 so
far)
Critical Analysis of the move
 The GeM move on country of origin is at best symbolic.
 This may erode Indian industry’s global competitiveness by placing a premium on ‘Indianness’ over
quality or cost.
 A more direct impact may be seen if the proposal to mandate the country of origin for products
on private platforms is implemented.
 Attaining genuine self-reliance is a long and capital intensive process that would require far greater
investment in education, skill-building and infrastructure.
 This may further escalate tension with China transcending the boundary misunderstanding into trade
war which may not be in India’s interest. For Ex: India’s drug makers depend on China for nearly 70% of
requirements of bulk drugs and intermediates.
Conclusion
 Enhancing manufacturing capacities with improved efficiency and reduced cost would require an
overhaul of bureaucratic processes rather than mere tweaking of government procurement rules

Drug abuse amidst pandemic

Context: In Punjab, there has been 23% rise in addict registrations since Covid outbreak
Did You Know?
 Around 269 million people used drugs in 2018, up 30% from 2009, with adolescents and young adults
accounting for the largest share of users
 Development assistance dedicated to drug control fell by some 90% between 2000-2017. 
Why India is vulnerable to trafficking of narcotics?
 India is sandwiched between the ‘Golden Crescent’ and the ‘Golden Triangle’, the major opium
production regions in the world
 The Golden Crescent region of the South Asia comprises Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. 
 The Golden Triangle is the area where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet at the
confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers.
 The bumper harvests of opium in Afghanistan for the last few years have given rise to increased supply
of heroin in the subcontinent
 The combination of darknet and courier/postal deliveries have made the narco/psychotropic trafficking
more anonymous in nature

Consequences of pandemic on Drugs usage

 Increased Substance abuse: The economic downturn caused by the global pandemic may drive more
people to substance abuse 
 Anti-social activities: Many people will be vulnerable to involvement in drug trafficking and related crime
as their incomes became dry during lockdown period
 Inattention and neglect: Governments will reduce budgets to deal with drug-related problems in the
wake of reduced government revenues post-COVID-19 pandemic 
 Dangers of increase in use of synthetic drugs: In the global recession that followed the 2008 financial
crisis, drug users sought out cheaper synthetic substances and patterns of use shifted towards injecting
drugs. 
 Increase in drug use disorders: Only one out of eight people who need drug-related treatment receive it,
according to the World Drug Report 2020. Some 35.6 million people suffer from drug use disorders globally.
 Prevents shift by farmers: Assistance for alternative development — creating viable, legal forms of
income to enable poor farmers to stop growing illicit opium poppy or coca — will remain low.
 Increased transnational drug trafficking: National governments efforts will be focused on reviving
domestic economies and this may hamper multi-lateral cooperation on cracking drug trade
 Disproportionate impact on weaker sections: 
o One out of three drug users is a woman but women represent only one out of five people in
treatment. 
o People in prison settings, minorities, immigrants and displaced people also face barriers to
treatment due to discrimination and stigma.
Way Ahead
 Greater investment in evidence-based prevention, as well as treatment and other services for drug use
disorders
 International cooperation to increase access to controlled drugs for medical purposes and to strengthen
law enforcement action to dismantle the transnational organised crime networks.
 Health-centred, rights-based and gender-responsive approaches to drug use and related diseases
deliver better public health outcomes. 

Panchayats to get Rs. 10 lakh crores till 2026

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – Polity – Local Self Govt; Financial Decentralisation; Economy and
Development 
In news:
 Panchayati Raj Ministry has pitched for a fivefold increase in Finance Commission funding for rural local
bodies.
 In a meeting with the 15th Finance Commission, the Ministry asked for Rs. 10 lakh crores to be
allocated for the 2020-21 to 2025-26 period.
 Do you know?
 Rs. 2 lakh crore was allocated under the 14th Finance Commission. 
 Allocations had tripled between the 13th and 14th Commissions as well.
 Road construction and maintenance, as well as drinking water supply have been the major projects
carried out by panchayats using FC grants.
 According to the 11th schedule of the Constitution, 2.63 lakh panchayats across the country have 29
functions under their ambit.
 The new Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan will depend on panchayats to generate employment for newly
returned migrant workers.
IASbaba imparts 360-degree IAS preparation solutions with their exhaustive Prelims and Mains preparation
courses, supported by the latest UPSC preparation material. Avail our expert help by enrolling with us to keep
your knowledge updated and stay ahead of your competition.

IN-SPACe: Growing private role

Context: The government has approved the creation of a new organisation called Indian National Space
Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which is expected to be functional within six months
About IN-SPACe
 IN-SPACE will be a separate vertical within the Department of Space (DoS) that will make independent
decisions for permitting and regulating activities of the private sector. 
 It will have its own legal, technological, activity promotion and monitoring directorates and its Board will
comprise members from the private industry, academia and government of India
 It will act as a national nodal agency for hand-holding and promoting private industry in the space
sector and will even help private players build facilities within DoS premises
Why private participants?
 It is not that there is no private industry involvement in India’s space sector. In fact, a large part of
manufacturing and fabrication of rockets and satellites now happens in the private sector
 However, Indian industries’ role has been mainly that of suppliers of components and sub-systems while
there is huge scope for participation in satellite-based services, and ground-based systems.
 Indian industry had a barely 3% share in a rapidly growing global space economy ($360 billion). There
were several Indian companies waiting for make use of these opportunities but the policy environment in
India was supportive of private players
 Additionally, the demand for space-based applications and services is growing even within India, and
ISRO is unable to cater to this. 
Significance of the creation of IN-SPACe: 
 Facilitator and regulator: IN-SPACe will act as an interface between ISRO and private parties, and
assess how best to utilise India’s space resources and increase space-based activities.
 Fair Competition: IN-SPACe will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space
infrastructure.
 Better utilisation of space resources: Existing ISRO infrastructure, both ground- and space-based,
scientific and technical resources, and even data are planned to be made accessible to interested parties to
enable them to carry out their space-related activities.
 Strategic benefits: ISRO, like NASA, is essentially a scientific organisation whose main objective is
exploration of space and carrying out scientific missions. The private industry will also free up ISRO to
concentrate on science, R&D, interplanetary exploration and strategic launches.
 Widening the horizon of Private participation: IN-SPACe will promote private players in end-to-end
space services, including building and launching rockets and satellites and providing space-based services
commercially.
 Reorients space activities: IN-SPACe will reorient space sector from a ‘supply-driven’ model to a
‘demand-driven’ one, thereby ensuring optimum utilization of the nation’s space assets.
 Leveraging the potential of Young Country: So far only ISRO was doing all space related activities.
Opening up of the space sector means the potential of the entire country can be leveraged
 Boost to Space Start-ups: This will not only result in an accelerated growth of the sector but also enable
India to generate large scale employment in the technology sector.
 Additional revenue: ISRO can earn some money by making its facilities and data available to private
players
Way Ahead
 Need for new navigation policies: India has the SatCom policy and Remote Sensing Data Policy (RSDP)
but they need suitable modifications for the purpose of IN-SPACe to perform its duty in an effective manner
 Changes needed in New Space India Limited (NSIL): It needs to be recalibrated to transform its
approach of a supply-driven model to being a demand-driven model for space-based services
 Enhancing ease of doing space business: Space activities are multi-layered projects which involve a lot
of intricacies across domains, such as gaining access to frequencies, licensing of satellites for operation,
ability to export products, imagery
Value Addition
 The SatCom policy dictates the use of Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system’s capacity by non-
governmental agencies, the establishment and operation of Indian Satellite Systems and the use of foreign
satellites for SatCom Services
 India’s Remote Sensing Data Policy (RSDP) is for the acquisition and distribution of remote sensing
satellite data — from Indian and foreign satellites — for civilian users in India
Connecting the dots:
 UN Outer Space Treaty
 Gaganyaan Mission of ISRO

Armed gangs rule Nagaland: Governor

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – Polity and Governance; Internal Security
In news:
 Nagaland Governor wrote letter to CM regarding the poor law and order situation in the state.
 The Governor’s letter said the constitutionally established State government was being challenged on a
day-to-day basis by armed gangs who question the integrity and sovereignty of the nation, while the
instruments of law and order remain totally unresponsive.
Do you know?
 Nagaland Governor hints at his special responsibility with respect to law and order in the State of
Nagaland, enshrined in the Constitution under Article 371A (1) (b).
Important value additions:
 Article 371A deals with the special provisions with respect to the State of Nagaland.
 Article 371A (1) (b) – the Governor of Nagaland has special responsibility with respect to law and order
in the state so long as internal disturbances caused by the hostile Nagas continue.
 For instance, under Article 371A (1) (b) of the Constitution, important functions like “transfer and
posting of officials” entrusted with the maintenance of law and order of and above the district level will be
with the approval of the Governor.

IN-SPACe to act as space industry regulator

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains – III – Science and Technology
In news:
 Union Cabinet had recently approved the creation of the Indian National Space Promotion and
Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe)
 We have already read that IN-SPACe will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian
space infrastructure.
 The new entity of the Department of Space will also have its own chairperson and Board, and regulate
and promote building of routine satellites, rockets and commercial launch services through Indian industry
and start-ups.
Do you know?
 Until now, ISRO dealt with regulation and promotion of building of routine satellites, rockets and
commercial launch services. 
 In future, IN-SPACe will deal with such activities. It will function autonomously and parallel to ISRO. 
 IN-SPACe will have its own directorates for technical, legal, safety and security, monitoring and activities
promotion.
 NSIL will also be strenghtened and empowered with a larger role to work with IN-SPACe and enable it to
take on some of the activities of ISRO.
 This restructuring will allow ISRO to allocate more time and resources for R&D endeavours.
Boycotting China: More symbolic than
punitive — start designing policies which
support Atmanirbhar Bharat
The better approach would be to start designing policies which support “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, and invest
sufficiently in becoming comparable with China in terms of benefits due to economies of scale.




Boycotting China: More symbolic than

punitive — start designing policies which
support Atmanirbhar Bharat
Published: June 26, 2020 6:45 AM

The better approach would be to start designing policies which support “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, and invest
sufficiently in becoming comparable with China in terms of benefits due to economies of scale. In 2019, India
imported products from China worth approximately $68.2 billion and exported merchandise worth approximately $17
billion. (Illustration by Rohnit Phore)

By Abhishek K Jha & Anjani Kumar

In the wake of the recent Indo-China conflict in the Galwan Valley, a section of Indians are clamouring for a
boycott of Chinese products and promotion of domestic manufacturing. This emotional outrage is justified.
With Indo-China relations becoming acrimonious due to the worst conflict at the border in the last 60 years,
Indian consumers are hoping to hit China economically. Indo-China economic and trade relations are
unlikely to become normal in the coming months, especially if border tensions get aggravated. Prime
minister Narendra Modi’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” vision and the “vocal for local” call looks set to promote
Indian manufacturers, and this can also affect India-China economic relations.

Reduce Chinese imports and FDI

It must be noted that the trade deficit between India and China has been gradually declining, partially
because of the reduction in India’s imports from China. One of the most significant products that has seen
a reduction in imports is cellular phones. Last year, India imported 33% less cellular phones from China on
a year-on-year basis. In 2019, India imported products from China worth approximately $68.2 billion and
exported merchandise worth approximately $17 billion. India’s imports from China is only 2.7% of their total
global exports, which is around $2.5 trillion. It is next to impossible to generate substitutes to Chinese
imports in a short span of time. The Indian government will have to provide both trade protection and time
to our domestic manufacturing sectorfor it to establish itself in terms of competitiveness and quality; much
as we may want it, changes to import-export volumes can’t happen overnight.
We need to understand the structure of Indian imports from China. There are many products imported from
China which can be categorised as high value-added, technologically-oriented, labour-intensive or inelastic
products. Currently, around 40% of India’s imports are high value-added products like electronic items and
medical instruments. The rest are either low-technological, labour-oriented or inelastic products like active
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), fertilisers, chemicals or toys. In the coming five years, India is capable
of substituting at least one-third of its current imports, mainly electronics such as smartphones, televisions,
auto components, solar photovoltaic cells and telecom equipment, by aggressively creating a
manufacturing base in India. It is not pragmatic to steer clear of current imports from China as domestic
stakeholders will need time to build competitiveness. But, there will definitely be a reduction in imports of
Chinese products in a couple of years.
Furthermore, China has been one of the important sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) flowing into
India. According to the ministry of commerce and industry, FDI from China stood at a total of $1.8 billion
between 2015 and 2019. Automobiles, electrical equipment, book printing, services, and electronics were
the top-five sectors attracting investment from China. The payments and fintech app Paytm, e-grocer
Bigbasket, education app Byju’s, ride-hailing platform Ola, and hotel aggregator platform Oyo have
received substantial funds from Chinese investors as the latter have rapidly increased their footprint in the
start-up space. It is difficult to ignore the fact that Chinese investment generates employment in India, and
matching these investments locally will take a fair amount of time. Thinking practically, it will be extremely
daunting for India to ignore Chinese investments. What we need to focus on is to how to make Indian start-
ups profitable. Most Indian unicorns and start-ups are not profitable. Around 10 unicorns each made losses
to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore ($266 million) to Rs 6,000 crore ($800 million) in FY19.
Conglomerates and competitiveness
A conglomerate amalgamates several different types of business operations that may or may not seem
related. Conglomerate corporations may produce military engines for jet fighter planes in one business
segment and run a chain of supermarkets in another. Even within a single market, such as entertainment, a
conglomerate may operate diversified businesses, from movie production to clothing manufacture. The
positive role of giant conglomerates in economic growth has remained unchanged as they influence
manufacturing cost, technological advancement, internationalisation of products and state policies. The
existence of conglomerates at different geographical locations during different time periods is an outcome
of achieving superios technological progress and high market share. For example, during the 1950s and
60s, most of the conglomerates were in developed regions like the European Union and the United States.
But, after reaching saturation in terms of price, technical innovation and physical presence, these
conglomerates were in search of new geographical locations and markets. Then in the 1970s and 80s,
conglomerates marked their presence in East Asian countries, followed by China and Hong Kong in the
1990s and 2000s. Increasingly, there is a shift towards South-East Asian countries like the Philippines and
Thailand as China and Hong Kong are inching towards their saturation point. India too is expected to
experience a similar impact of conglomerates, mainly in manufacturing and mass assembly line production,
like China experienced 30 years before.
Now, the simple question to ask is: What did China gain by becoming a manufacturing hub over the past 30
years, and is it pragmatic for India to replicate this swiftly, in the same manner? Most economists argue
that India has already missed the bus to make a robust manufacturing sector, and time is running out as
technology is moving towards machine learning, artificial intelligence and robotics. The answer cannot be a
simple yes or no. A dependable path is to start designing policies that support “vocal for local” and
“Atmanirbhar Bharat”, and invest sufficient amount of time to be on a par with China in terms of benefits
due to economies of scale.

IN-SPACe explained: what it means to

the future of space exploration
Government has announced a new organisation, IN-SPACe, part of reforms to increase
private participation in the space sector. A look at its objectives, and what it means to the
future of space exploration.
The government on Wednesday approved the creation of a new organisation to ensure greater private participation
in India’s space activities, a decision which it described as “historic”, and which Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) chairman K Sivan said was part of an important set of reforms to open up the space sector and make space-
based applications and services more widely accessible to everyone.
The new Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which is expected to be functional
within six months, will assess the needs and demands of private players, including educational and research
institutions, and, explore ways to accommodate these requirements in consultation with ISRO. Existing ISRO
infrastructure, both ground- and space-based, scientific and technical resources, and even data are planned to be made
accessible to interested parties to enable them to carry out their space-related activities.
It is not that there is no private industry involvement in India’s space sector. In fact, a large part of manufacturing and
fabrication of rockets and satellites now happens in the private sector. There is an increasing participation of research
institutions as well. But as Sivan told this newspaper on Thursday, Indian industry had a barely three per cent share in
a rapidly growing global space economy which was already worth at least $360 billion. Only two per cent of this
market was for rocket and satellite launch services, which require fairly large infrastructure and heavy investment.
The remaining 95 per cent related to satellite-based services, and ground-based systems.
Indian industry, however, is unable to compete, because till now its role has been mainly that of suppliers of
components and sub-systems. Indian industries do not have the resources or the technology to undertake independent
space projects of the kind that US companies such as SpaceX have been doing, or provide space-based services.
Additionally, the demand for space-based applications and services is growing even within India, and ISRO is unable
to cater to this. The need for satellite data, imageries and space technology now cuts across sectors, from weather to
agriculture to transport to urban development, and more. As Sivan told this newspaper, ISRO would have to be
expanded 10 times the current level to meet all the demand that is arising.
Read | Pandemic hits space manned mission, all other projects, says ISRO chief
At the same time, there were several Indian companies waiting for make use of these opportunities. Sivan said there
were a few companies that were in the process of developing their own launch vehicles, the rockets like ISRO’s PSLV
that carry the satellites and other payloads into space, and ISRO would like to help them do that. Right now, all
launches from India happen on ISRO rockets, the different versions of PSLV and GSLV. Sivan said ISRO was ready
to provide all its facilities to private players whose projects had been approved by IN-SPACe. Private companies, if
they wanted, could even build their own launchpad within the Sriharikota launch station, and ISRO would provide the
necessary land for that, he said.
How ISRO gains
There are two main reasons why enhanced private involvement in the space sector seems important. One is
commercial, and the other strategic. Of course, there is need for greater dissemination of space technologies, better
utilisation of space resources, and increased requirement of space-based services. And ISRO seems unable to satisfy
this need on its own.
The private industry will also free up ISRO to concentrate on science, research and development, interplanetary
exploration and strategic launches. Right now, too much of ISRO’s resources is consumed by routine activities that
delay its more strategic objectives. There is no reason why ISRO alone should be launching weather or
communication satellites. The world over, an increasing number of private players are taking over this activity for
commercial benefits. ISRO, like NASA, is essentially a scientific organisation whose main objective is exploration of
space and carrying out scientific missions. There are a number of ambitious space missions lined up in the coming
years, including a mission to observe the Sun, a mission to the Moon, a human spaceflight, and then, possibly, a
human landing on the Moon.
And it is not that private players will wean away the revenues that ISRO gets through commercial launches. As Sivan
said, the space-based economy is expected to “explode” in the next few years, even in India, and there would be more
than enough for all. In addition, ISRO can earn some money by making its facilities and data available to private
players.
Beyond IN-SPACe
IN-SPACe is the second space organisation created by the government in the last two years. In the 2019 Budget, the
government had announced the setting up of a New Space India Limited (NSIL), a public sector company that would
serve as a marketing arm of ISRO. Its main purpose is to market the technologies developed by ISRO and bring it
more clients that need space-based services.
That role, incidentally, was already being performed by Antrix Corporation, another PSU working under the
Department of Space, and which still exists. It is still not very clear why there was a need for another organisation
with overlapping function.
📣 Express Explained is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@ieexplained) and stay updated with
the latest
On Wednesday, however, the government said it was redefining the role of NSIL so that it would have a demand-
driven approach rather than the current supply-driven strategy. Essentially, what that means is that instead of just
marketing what ISRO has to offer, NSIL would listen to the needs of the clients and ask ISRO to fulfil those. This
change in NSIL’s role, Sivan said, was also part of the reforms that have been initiated in the space sector.
This article first appeared in the print edition on June 26, 2020 under the title ‘In space, growing private role’

India needs an updated cybersecurity strategy

 Context: In mid-June Australia had to ward off its biggest cyber threat with the attack targeting everything from
public utilities to education and health infrastructure.
Did You Know?
 The digital economy today comprises 14-15% of India’s total economy, and is targeted to reach 20% by
2024.
  In 2018, when Wannacry ransomware had disrupted the national health service systems in the UK, the
country’s health system was brought to a standstill.
Need for Cyber Security 
 Increased networking: while each person had 1.7 networked devices in 2014, this is up to seven today.
This requires an updated cyber security apparatus
 Increased Digital usage in Post-COVID world: Financial services, payments, health services, etc are all
connected to digital mediums and this is expected to increase in post-COVID times
 Increased frequency of cyber-attack: In 2018, Pune-based Cosmos Bank lost Rs 94 crore in a malware
attack. In 2019, the Kudankulam plant was attacked using malware.
 Securing Data: Data is referred to as the currency of the 21st century and due to its bulk creation owing
to India’s population, several international companies (Google, Amazon etc.) are trying to have access to it.
 Increasing Complexity: With growing usage of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), cloud
computing and Internet of Things (IoT), cyberspace will become a complex domain, giving rise to issues of a
techno-legal nature.
 National Security Imperative: With countries resorting to digital warfare and hackers targeting business
organisations and government processes, India needs comprehensive cybersecurity guidelines and
standards 
Challenges in India’s Cyber Security Approach
1. Lack of Coordinated Cyber approach
 Although India was one of the few countries to launch a cybersecurity policy in 2013, not much has
transpired in terms of a coordinated cyber approach
 Countries like US, Singapore, and the UK where there is a single umbrella organisation dealing in
cybersecurity, 
 However, India has 36 different central bodies—most ministries have their own—that deal with cyber
issues, and each has a different reporting structure; 
 Each state government has its own CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team)
2. National Cyber Security Strategy 2020 yet to be announced
 This was needed to devise a cyber-readiness roadmap for organisations and the government for cyber-
readiness
 India doesn’t have the ‘active cyber defence’ like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation or USA’s
Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act.
3. Lack of pro-activeness
 While CERT-IN has responded to cyber threats, it has been late in conducting security checks, and often
has released advisories once an attack has taken place.
 In the case of WhatsApp and Pegasus, CERT-IN only came in after others had warned of the possibility
of individuals being compromised
4. Inadequate modernisation of Computer systems
 The government itself uses legacy systems which are vulnerable to cyberattacks
 Countries like China and Singapore, in the meanwhile, have progressed towards creating cyber defence
networks
5. Dependency on Foreign Players for Cyber Security Tools
 India lacks indigenisation in hardware as well as software cybersecurity tools
 This makes India’s cyberspace vulnerable to cyberattacks motivated by state and non-state actors.
Way Ahead
 Integrated Approach: Given increasing dominance of mobile and telecommunication, both National
cyber security policy and National Telecom Policy will have to effectively coalesce to make a comprehensive
policy for 2030.
 Cyber Security in Training & Education: Educational institutions, government bodies and private
industries must incorporate courses on cybersecurity.
 Modernising Cyber Infrastructure:  India should not wait for an attack to upgrade its infrastructure.
Connecting the dots:
 Blockchain Technology: Advantages & Challenges
 Artificial Intelligence and its application in everyday life
Ozone pollution increased in several cities during the lockdown
Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Pollution; Science and Technology 
In news: 
According to an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) – 
 While particulate matter and nitrous oxide levels fell during the lockdown, ozone increased in several
cities.  
 Ozone is a highly reactive gas and even short-term exposure of an hour is dangerous for those with
respiratory conditions and asthma. 
 Eight-hour average is considered for ozone instead of the 24-hour average for other pollutants
Do you know? 
 Ozone is not directly emitted by any source but is formed by photochemical reactions between oxides
of nitrogen (NOx) and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and gases in the air under the influence of
sunlight and heat.  
 It can be curtailed only if gases from all sources are controlled. 

FATF report flags wildlife trade 

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – Indian and its neighbours; International Relations; Concerns related to
Wildlife and Environment  
In news: 
 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) releases its first global report on the illegal wildlife trade. 
 It described illegal wildlife trade as a “global threat”, as it also has links with other organised crimes
such as modern slavery, drug trafficking and arms trade. 
According to FATF’s “Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade” report 
 Illegal trade generates revenues of up to $23 billion a year. 
 Financial investigation is key to dismantling the syndicates involved. 
 Curbing illegal wildlife trade can in turn significantly impact the associated criminal activities. 
 The study has highlighted the growing role of online marketplaces and mobile and social media-based
payments to facilitate illegal movements.  

The government’s recent ordinance on contract farming is

a win-win for farmers, buyers and even traders.
Comment. 
In Contract farming, a farmer provides agreed quantities of agricultural produce which meets the quality
standards of the purchaser at a time determined by the purchaser. In turn, the buyer commits to purchase the
product and sometimes support farmers by supplying farm inputs and technology.

Benefits for Farmers.
* APMC had become monopsonistic. Farmers could not sell outside APMC. They suffered because of high
intermediary cost i.e, mandi fee, commission for arhatiya. Amendment opens a new channel for marketing,
Farmers can now directly enter into contracts with processors, aggregators, large retailers, exporters.
* Provides assured market for their produce at doorsteps, reducing marketing and transportation cost.
* Makes small scale farming competitive. Buyers sometimes provide technology and credit. Small farmers can
access technology, credit, marketing.
* No fluctuation in the price. Farmer's price risk is reduced - because of the contract.

Benefits for Buyers.
* Optimal utilization of installed capacity, manpower, and respond to food safety and quality concerns.
* No Supply shocks.
* Low price because of the absence of intermediaries.
Benefits for Traders.
* Economies of Scale: Essential Commodities Act has been amended, Traders can build storage infrastructure,
since there is no stock limit.
* It can increase the export of high quality processed food which has a huge demand on a global scale.
* APMC had created a fractured market structure. The amendment removes barriers in inter-state trade. It can
help in creating a common market for agri-produce.

New rules to regulate exotic animal trade

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and Biodiversity; Endangered Species
In news:
 Environment Ministry’s wildlife division has introduced new rules to regulate the import and export of
‘exotic wildlife species’.
 Under the new rules, owners and possessors of such animals and birds must register their stock with
the Chief Wildlife Warden of their States.
 Wildlife Department officials have the right to inspect the facilities of such traders to check if these
plants and animals are being housed in healthy conditions.
Do you know?
 ‘Exotic live species’ will mean animals named under Appendices I, II and III of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora.
 It will not include species from the Schedules of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
 Currently, it is the Directorate-General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce, that oversees the trade
of ‘exotic wildlife species’.
 The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is an organisation that is tasked with monitoring illegal trade.
About CITES
 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is part of a multilateral treaty that
includes plant, animals and birds under varying categories of threat of extinction and which will be jointly
protected by members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
 India is a signatory to CITES.

Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Govt schemes and policies; Welfare/Social issue
About:
 Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana, or PMVVY, is a social security scheme for senior citizens.
 It is implemented through the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
 This gives an assured minimum pension.
Do you know?
 LIC invests the corpus in the market and generates market-related returns.
 If such returns are lower than the guaranteed return, the differential is subsidised by the Union
government.
 The scheme also offers a death benefit in the form of return of purchase amount to the nominee. 
 The minimum entry age for this scheme is 60 years, there is no maximum age limit.

Virtues, vices, and character

Part of: GS Mains IV – Ethics and Essay
In news:
On Chinese actions at the border, PM Modi quoted a Sanskrit sloka that reveals a country’s character based on
its actions. 
“Vidya vivaad dhanam madaya, shakti pareshan paripeedanaya. Khalasya sadho vipareetam etat, gyaanaya,
daanaya cha rakshanam”.
English translation – “For crooked persons, knowledge is meant for arguments, wealth for ego, power for troubling
others. The opposite is the case among noble souls. Knowledge is meant for wisdom, wealth for donation and
power to protect the weak”.

India-Russia: Defence Deals 

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – International Relations; Defence
In news:
Highlights/Outcomes of Defence Minister visit to Russia for the 75th anniversary of the Victory Day Parade
 Russia agrees to quickly address some urgent defence requirements sought by India.
 The long-pending deals and over-pricing for AK-203 assault rifles and Ka-226T light utility
helicopters were discussed. 
 S-400 deal deliveries would start by the end of 2021.
 Delays and over-pricing due to transfer of technology and conditions of jointly manufacturing some
percentage of weapons indigenously. 

Nagaland issue: Extremist group counters Governor

Part of: GS Mains II and III – Centre-State Relations; Role of Governor; Internal Security
In news:
In our previous News Analysis – Armed gangs rule Nagaland: Governor – we read that Nagaland Governor in his
letter to CM had warned about armed gangs running Nagaland, which questions the sovereignty and integrity of
the nation and challenges the constitutionally-established State government.
However, Isak-Muivah faction of the extremist National Socialist Council of Nagaland, or NSCN (IM), denied
such allegations and said that the “legitimate taxes” it levies cannot be equated with extortion.
NSCN (IM) added that it was the recognised and legitimate national organisation of the Naga people, not a gang. 
Do you know?
 Nagaland Governor R.N. Ravi is also Centre’s interlocutor for the peace process with the National
Socialist Council of Nagaland, or NSCN (IM) and other extremist groups in Nagaland and adjoining States.
 Extremists groups are known to run parallel governments in Nagaland and collect an array of taxes to
run such governments. The groups also prepare budgets in March and fix tax rates.
To read about Nagaland issue and background, click here – NAGALAND ISSUE: FULL STORY

SC dismisses review petitions on adultery

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Role of Judiciary
In news:
 Supreme Court refused to review its 2018 judgment which decriminalised adultery.
 In September 2018, the Supreme Court had scrapped the 19th century law on adultery calling it arbitrary
and offensive to a woman’s dignity.
 SC in its 2018 judgment found that Section 497 (adultery) of the Indian Penal Code cannot “command”
married couples to remain loyal to each other for the fear of penal punishment.
 Section 497 was also seen to deprive a woman of her dignity, sexual autonomy as the law treated her to
be a property of her husband.
 The court also observed that there was no data whatsoever to support claims that abolition of adultery
as a crime would result in “chaos in sexual morality” or an increase of divorce.
SC bench said –
 Jail term for adultery does not make sense.
 Adultery does not even qualify as a criminal offence and is a civil wrong.
 Adultery has a civil remedy: divorce.
An adulterous relationship is carried on with the consent of the woman and it doesn’t amount to an offence.
Centre’s stand on Adultery:
 Adultery should remain in the Indian Penal Code as it ensures the sanctity of the marriage, and is for public good.
Do you know?
 In many countries adultery has ceased to be a crime – New Zealand, Brazil, Japan, China, Japan,
Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany etc., yet it continues to be a crime in many countries in
the Middle East and Africa.
 Section 497 in The Indian Penal Code – Adultery —Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who
is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or
connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence
of adultery, and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five
years, or with fine, or with both. In such case the wife shall not be punishable as an abettor.

(MAINS FOCUS)

ENVIRONMENT/ GOVERNANCE
Topic: General Studies 2,3:
 Environment Conservation
 Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues
arising out of their design and implementation
Environment Impact Assessment(EIA) – Part 2
Click here for Part I
Did You Know?
 In the Samarth Trust Case, the Delhi high court had considered EIAs- a part of participatory justice in
which the voice is given to the voiceless and it is like a Jan Sunwai, where the community is the jury.
 The EIA process is an outcome of the 1992 Rio Declaration, which says that environmental issues are
best handled through the participation of all concerned citizens and that states must provide an opportunity
to citizens to participate in decision-making processes.
Shortcomings of EIA Process
 Exclusion: There are several projects with significant environmental impacts that are exempted from the
notification either because they are not listed in schedule I, or their investments are less than what is
provided for in the notification
 Inadequate capabilities: Lack of trained EIA professionals often leads to the preparation of inadequate
and irrelevant EIA reports
 Public Consultation: Public comments are not considered at an early stage, which often leads to conflict
at a later stage of project clearance.
 Neglect of indigenous knowledge: The data collectors do not pay respect to the indigenous knowledge
of local people.
 Communication issues: Most reports in English and not in the local language. Hence, local people do
not understand the intricacies of the report
 Poor review or monitoring:  EIA review is not upto the marks. The review agency called Impact
Assessment Agency (IAA) lacks inter-disciplinary capacity
 Corruption: There are so many cases of fraudulent EIA studies where erroneous data has been used,
same facts used for two totally different places etc.
 Distorted Focus: The focus of EIA needs to shift from utilization and exploitation of natural resources to
conservation of natural resources.
 Exempt Categories: For defence and national security installations, the EMP (Environment Management
Plan) are often kept confidential for political and administrative reasons.
 Considered as impediment to the ease of doing business: Industries and business interests have long
regarded EIA as a thorn in their side increasing their transaction cost and complicating the business process
Key provisions of 2020’s Draft EIA Notification and its criticism
1. Creation of an ex-post-facto clearance route 
 It means that the clearances for projects can be awarded even if they have started construction or have
been running phase without securing environmental clearances.
 This also means that any environmental damage caused by the project is likely to be waived off as the
violations get legitimised i.e. the project proponent can enter an assessment procedure, with some minor
fines for the violations
 It is the violation of “precautionary principle”
2. Diluted Public Consultation Process
 The draft 2020 notification shortens the time period from 30 days to 20 days for the public to furnish
responses on the project. 
 For project-affected people, who are frequently forest dwellers or otherwise do not have access to
information and technology, this will make it harder to put forth representations.
 Public hearings without informed citizenry would not be meaningful and hence the whole EIA process
would lack credibility.
3. Monitoring requirements have been reduced. 
 The draft EIA notification halves the frequency of reporting requirements from every six months to once
a year and extends the validity period for approvals in critical sectors such as mining.
 Certain irreversible environmental, social or health consequences of the project could go unnoticed
because of the extended reporting time
4. Scope of the EIA regime is set to shrink
 Through the draft notification, the central government gets the power to categorise projects as
“strategic.”
 Once a project is considered as strategic, the draft notification states that no information related to
such projects shall be placed in the public domain.
 Violations can only be reported suo motu by the project proponent, or by a government authority,
appraisal committee, or regulatory authority. This is against the principles of natural justice.
 Further, the draft notification states that the new construction projects up to 1,50,000 square metres
(instead of the existing 20,000 square metres) do not need “detailed scrutiny” by the Expert Committee, nor
do they need EIA studies and public consultation.
 Industries that previously fell under the categories that required a full assessment have been
downgraded. This means that projects could now be proposed in dangerously close proximities of boundary
of protected and eco-sensitive zones.
5. On a positive note, the 2020 draft notification has a clause dedicated to definitions to several terms related to
EIA. It may be beneficial in the sense that it consolidates the EIA rules and has the potential of alleviating some
ambiguity in the present law.
Consequences of diluting EIA process
 Against democratic norms: For affected communities, where shifts in the local environment can
threaten livelihoods, flood a valley or destroy a forest, public consultation is a referendum on existential
threats
 Increases vulnerability to disasters: A deadly gas leak at LG Polymers’ Visakhapatnam plant in May
2020 killed 12 people and harmed hundreds. What came to light after the disaster was that the plant had
been operating without a valid environmental clearance for decades.
Way Forward
 Instead of reducing the time for public consultation, government should focus on ensuring access to
information as well as awareness about the whole EIA process.
 In order to improve ease of doing business, the government should solve the problems of bureaucratic
delays, complex laws and lengthy dispute resolution.
 Along with the EIA, we also need Social impact assessment to achieve sustainable development in true
sense.
Connecting the dots:
 Polluter Pay principle
 Sustainable Development Goals

INTERNATIONAL/SECURITY/ GOVERNANCE
Topic: General Studies 2,3:
 Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. 
 Security and its challenges
FATF | On the warpath against terror financing
About Financial Action Task Force(FATF)
 In response to mounting concern over money laundering, the FATF was established by the G-7 Summit
that was held in Paris in 1989.
 In 2001, the development of standards in the fight against terrorist financing was added to the mission
of the FATF.
 Therefore, FATF is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. 
 During 1991 and 1992, the FATF expanded its membership from the original 16 to 28 members.  In 2000
the FATF expanded to 31 members, and has since expanded to its current 39 members
 The FATF is not a part of the UN system, but it functions out of the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development headquarters in Paris
Working of FATF
 As a policy-making body, the FATF works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national
legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.
 The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal,
regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related
threats to the integrity of the international financial system
 The FATF runs differently from other multilateral agencies, as its primary focus is on reviewing all
actions through a “technical” not a political prism, and frowns upon countries bringing bilateral issues to the
forum.
 FATF depends on voluntary implementation of its reports by member countries. 
 Also, meetings of the group are carried out behind closed doors, and deliberations are not publicised. In
the past, the FATF has penalised countries that have disclosed the contents of its meetings.
Decision Making of FATF
 Decisions are taken by consensus in the 39-member group, where any three members can exercise a
“veto” on an action,
 FATF conducts reviews of countries on Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism
(AML/CFT) parameters -called “Mutual evaluations” 
 FATF then either clears these evaluation, or use a “colour coded” reference for placing countries in the
one of the following lists
o “increased monitoring” category or the “grey list”, or 
o the “high risk jurisdictions” or “call for action” category, as the “blacklist” is formally known.
 At present, only Iran and North Korea are on the blacklist, while 18 countries, including Pakistan, Syria,
Yemen, Iceland, Jamaica and Mauritius, are on the grey list.
 Pakistan has been kept on the group’s radar since 2008, with one stint on the grey list from 2012-2015,
and another beginning June 2018. 
What happens when a country (Ex: Pakistan) is blacklisted?
 Unlike others, the FATF follows a principle of ostracism against members who don’t comply with its
strictures.
 Countries will face severe financial restrictions which means tightening all banking mechanisms in this
inter-connected globalised world
 A downgrading by credit agencies meaning high interest rate while borrowing 
 Most significantly, possible loan cuts by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
India and FATF
 India became an observer in the grouping in 2006, and was inducted as a full member in 2010. 
 India has faced three rounds of mutual evaluations and cleared them, and faces the fourth round next
year. 
 India has been persistent with its efforts in bringing evidence it has on Pakistan’s terror links to the
world body.
 India is using FATF as a platform to pressurise Pakistan to curb its terror related activities
Future Challenges w.r.t FATF
 Politicisation of body: 

o Even though decisions are taken by consensus, the organisation is affected by geopolitical
trends
 o The U.S. and other countries have been able to ensure that Iran and North Korea remain on the
FATF blacklist.
o while others are able to avoid the blacklist tag as they are able to enlist the political support of
enough other countries like China, Russia and Turkey.
 US-Taliban Deal

o With the U.S. striking a deal with the Taliban in 2020, and efforts to take Taliban off the UN
listing, FATF may change the focus of its reviews in jurisdictions that have engaged with the Taliban in
the past.
 New-Age Challenges which includes

o Bitcoins and cyber currencies, 
o Illegal trafficking of wildlife as a source of funding, 
o Use of artificial intelligence in terror attacks and 
o Biowarfare as part of the wider challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.
Connecting the dots:
 US-Taliban deal – Critical analysis
 G7, G20 and WTO

Why India’s crude oil production is declining? Explain the policy changes that are needed to
boost the production of crude oil.
Explained: Why India is producing
less and less oil
A lack of new oil discoveries in India coupled with a long lead time to begin production from
discovered wells has led to a steady decline in India’s crude oil production.
India’s crude oil production fell 7.1% in May 2020 compared to May 2019 on the back of low demand due to
the Covid-19 pandemic. Domestic production of crude has, however, been falling every year since FY 2012. Annual
crude oil production has fallen at a compounded annual rate of 2.1% since to 32,169.3 thousand Metric Tonnes (TMT)
in FY 2020 from 38,089.7 TMT in FY 2012. This has led to a steady climb in the proportion of imports in domestic
crude oil consumption from 81.8% in 2012 to 87.6% in 2020.
Why is production falling?
Experts say that most of India’s crude oil production comes from aging wells that have become less productive over
time. A lack of new oil discoveries in India coupled with a long lead time to begin production from discovered wells
has led to a steady decline in India’s crude oil production making India increasingly dependent on imports. The output
of these aging wells is declining faster than new wells can come up according to experts. Domestic exploration
companies are attempting to extend the life of currently operational wells.
Crude oil production in India is dominated by two major state-owned exploration and production companies, ONGC
and Oil India. These companies are the key bidders for crude oil block auctions and end up acquiring most of the
blocks that are put up for auction in India, according to experts.

Why are there not more private players?

While there are some private players in the upstream oil sector including Cairn India and Hindustan Oil Exploration
Company there has been a lack of interest in exploration and production in India from major private players,
particularly those based abroad. According to experts, this is because of long delays in the operationalisation of
production even after an oil block is allotted due to delays in approvals. Some of the key approvals which are required
to begin production include, environmental clearances and approval by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons after
the allottee completes a seismic survey and creates a field development plan.
“The best-case scenario from allotment to production is at least 5-7 years,” said an industry expert noting that in many
cases it was delayed beyond this timeline particularly in the case of public sector companies.

What policy changes could help?

Existing public and private sector players have asked for reduced levies of oil production including oil cess, royalties,
and profit petroleum especially when crude oil prices are below $45/barrel. Experts say the requirement to pay
royalties to the government at low crude prices can make it unviable for these companies to invest in further
exploration and production.
The government introduced the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) in 2019 to allow companies to carve out
blocks that they are interested in and with lower royalties and no oil cess. However, existing players are calling for a
relaxation of royalties and oil cess on block allotted under previous policies. One expert pointed out that the Chinese
government offered a floor price to oil producers insulating them somewhat from any sharp falls in international crude
prices.

“This kind of policy at least allows for a company to have a fixed worst-case scenario for the sale of crude oil,” said
an expert noting that this incentivised more investment in exploration and production.

Why the Govt decided to ban 59 Chinese apps?

These measures have been undertaken since there is credible information that  these apps are
engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of
India, security of state and public order.

1. The government had received complaints from various sources including several reports
about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for
stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner to
servers which have locations outside India.

Therefore, the decision has been taken in a bid to safeguard the interests of crores of Indian
mobile users.
 
Background:
The ban comes days after Indian intelligence agencies red flagged these Chinese apps over safety
and privacy issues of users.
The recommendations of the intelligence agencies have backing of  the National Security Council
Secretariat which determined that certain China-linked applications could be detrimental to the
country’s security.
 
How it Will Affect Indian Users?
Jobs at stake:
Most of these platforms have Indian creators, for many of whom this is the only source of
income.
Some apps on the banned list are widely popular among Indians.

1. TikTok (one of the banned apps) has more than 100 million active users in India. TikTok
was the only source of income for many users.

Besides, many of these apps such as UC News and others have offices and employees in India,
hence following the ban, scores of jobs could be at stake.
 
What next?

1. Meity has issued instructions to Google and Apple to remove the banned applications from
their respective application stores.
2. Additionally, telecom operators and Internet service providers will be asked to block access
and use of these applications on their networks.
3. For this, the Ministry has invoked its power under Section 69A of the Information
Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology
(Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules,
2009.

Legitimate concern: on law and order in Nagaland

 
Context:
With the legitimacy of the Constitutionally-elected state government’s being “challenged on a day-to-
day basis by the armed gangs who question the sovereignty and integrity of the nation”,  Nagaland
Governor has told the chief minister that he “could no longer abstain from constitutional obligations
in the state under Article 371A (1) (b) of the Constitution”.
 
What is Article 371A(1)(b) all about?
It applies exclusively to Nagaland and bestows upon the governor “special responsibility with
respect to law and order”.
According to the provision, the governor, for all practical purposes, has the final say on all
matters related to the state’s law and order and on what constitutes law and order.
 
What’s the issue?
The governor has voiced concerns of sections of civil society over the slide in law and order; illegal
collections by armed groups have been an issue for several years.
 
What next?
Despite the Centre’s heady statements heralding a Naga peace accord since 2015, it is nowhere
close to finalising it with the groups.
In some ways, this is due to the NSCN-IM’s obstinacy such as its insistence on retaining a
separate flag and a Constitution for the State of Nagaland and its unwillingness to dismantle its
parallel administrative and paramilitary structure.
The distrust it invokes among other Naga organisations besides other north-eastern governments
because of its core ideology of a “greater Nagalim”, and the inherent difficulties in getting other
insurgent actors on board have made this a conflict that persists despite the ceasefire and a
problem that does not lend itself to a quick solution.
 
How old is the Naga political issue?
Pre- independence:

1. The British annexed Assam in 1826, and in 1881, the Naga Hills too became part of British
India. The first sign of Naga resistance was seen in the formation of  the Naga Club in 1918,
which told the Simon Commission in 1929 “to leave us alone to determine for ourselves as
in ancient times”.
2. In 1946 came the Naga National Council (NNC), which declared Nagaland an independent
state on August 14, 1947.
3. The NNC resolved to establish a “sovereign Naga state” and conducted a “referendum”
in 1951, in which “99 per cent” supported an “independent” Nagaland.

 
Post- independence:
On March 22, 1952, underground Naga Federal Government (NFG) and the Naga Federal Army
(NFA) were formed. The Government of India sent in the Army to crush the insurgency and, in 1958,
enacted the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
 
When did the NSCN come into being?
A group of about 140 members led by Thuingaleng Muivah, who were at that time in China,
refused to accept the Shillong Accord, and formed the National Socialist Council of Nagaland in
1980.
As per the accord, NNC and NFG agreed to give up arms.
In 1988, the NSCN split into NSCN (IM) and NSCN (K) after a violent clash.

World Bank’s STARS project

 
What is it?
STARS stands for Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States  Program  (STARS) .
It is a project to improve the quality and governance of school education in six Indian states.
Six states are- Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
Some 250 million students (between the age of 6 and 17) in 1.5 million schools, and over 10 million
teachers will benefit from the program.
 
Reform initiatives under the project include:

1. Focusing more directly on the delivery of education services at the state, district and
sub district levelsby providing customized local-level solutions towards school
improvement.
2. Addressing demands from stakeholders, especially parents, for greater accountability
and inclusionby producing better data to assess the quality of learning; giving special
attention to students from vulnerable section.
3. Equipping teachers to manage this transformationby recognizing that teachers are
central to achieving better learning outcomes.
4. Investing more in developing India’s human capital needsby strengthening foundational
learning for children in classes 1 to 3 and preparing them with the cognitive, socio-
behavioural and language skills to meet future labour market needs.

 
 Atmanirbhar and education:
Atmanirbhar Bharat calls for an India that is able to produce and deliver local goods and
services to its citizens. This applies equally to education for all children.
Delivering a service, like education, requires a capable state, especially given the scale and
complexity of its large and diverse population.
Building state capability involves a process of learning to do things on one’s own. This is
precisely the idea behind an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Fundamentally, therefore, it cannot be outsourced.

1. In other words, state capability is about getting things done in the government, and by
the government, by ensuring effective implementation that is responsive to local
needs, but also about being able to design and conduct reforms.

 
Why is the STARS approach to build state capacity flawed? 

1. It fails to address the basic capacity issues: major vacancies across the education
system from District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs), district and block
education offices, to teachers in schools, remain unaddressed.
2. World Bank ignores that decentralising decision-making requires the devolution of
funds and real decision-making power. It requires not just investment in the capacity of
the front-line bureaucracy but also in increasing their discretionary powers while fostering
social accountability.
3. Trust is entirely ignored in the World Bank project. Instead, the Bank displays yet again
an over-reliance on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as a panacea
that lacks any backing in evidence (Trust here implies listening and collaborating across
different levels within the administration).
4. Outsourcing basic governance functions by “expanding private initiatives” and
“reducing government tasks” will not make education “more relevant to local needs” or
“democratically promote people’s participation by empowering local authorities” as stated in
the project document.

 
What needs to be done?

1. Administration must be equipped with adequate physical, financial and human resources. An
overburdened bureaucracy with vacancies and without basic equipment cannot be expected
to be effective.
2. Administrative or governance reforms must give greater discretion to the front-line
bureaucracy to address local issues and innovate if required.
3. There needs to be trust within the administration among peers and across different levels
within the administration.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Welfare Schemes
In news: 
 PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana was announced as part of the first relief package during the COVID-19
pandemic.
 The scheme was announced for a three-month period and ends on June 30.
 The scheme covered 80 crore ration card holders. Each household was provided 5 kg of foodgrains (rice
or wheat) and 1 kg of pulses (only channa ) free of cost.
The salient features of the scheme are:
1. Government of India would not allow anybody, especially any poor family, to suffer on account of non-
availability of food grains due to disruption in the three months.
2. 80 crore individuals, i.e, roughly two-thirds of India’s population would be covered under this scheme.
3. Each one of them would be provided double of their current entitlement over next three months. 
4. This additionality would be free of cost.
Do you know?
 According to Union Food and Public Distribution Ministry, 116.02 lakh tonnes of foodgrains have been
lifted under the scheme.
 Around 21 States have appealed to the Centre to extend the scheme for another three months till
September.
 Food Corporation of India has “sufficient stock of foodgrains”.

Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors’ AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)

scheme portal launched
Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – Welfare Schemes; Govt schemes and initiatives
In news:
 Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched the portal for a loan scheme for street vendors.
 Name of the loan scheme for street vendors – Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors’ AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM
SVANidhi) scheme.
 The portal — pmsvanidhi.mohua.gov.in — provides an “integrated end-to-end IT interface to users for
availing benefits under the scheme.
About PM SVANidhi scheme
 Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the scheme on June 1st.
 The vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000.
 It will be repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year.
 On timely/early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy at 7% per annum will be credited to the bank
accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on six monthly basis. 
 There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan.
 Over 50 lakh people, including vendors, hawkers, thelewalas, etc. are likely to benefit from this scheme.
 Street vendors from peri- urban/ rural areas have become beneficiaries of an urban livelihood
programme for the first time.
 MFIs/ NBFCs/ SHG Banks have been allowed in a scheme for the urban poor due to their ground level
presence for the first time.

India-Bhutan: Kholongchhu project

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II – India and its neighbours; International Relations
In news:
 India and Bhutan signed pact for first joint hydel project – Kholongchhu project
 It is the first time an India-Bhutan hydropower project will be constructed as a 50:50 joint venture, not as
a government-to-government agreement.
Do you know?
 India had committed in 2008 to help Bhutan create a total 10,000 MW of installed capacity by 2020.
 The Kholongchhu project is one of four additional projects agreed to in 2008.

Accessibility in the Post-COVID world

Context: There were stories of disabled persons facing acute difficulties during the lockdown. As the world
continues to re-imagine a new normal for its physical and social spaces, there is a window of opportunity to
improve accessibility. 
Impact of the crisis on persons with disabilities
 Problems of financial stability
 Difficulty to access to essential items
 Inadequate accommodation
 Social isolation
 Lack of availability of healthcare 
 Lack access to critical care takers and domestic help, who play crucial roles in caring for person with
disability
 Triple burden on working women: Along with household chores and work from home women also faced
added responsibilities due to absence of caregivers
 Decreased access to basic services and rights: Persons with disabilities were already struggling for
equitable access to education, healthcare, transportation, and economic opportunities which was
exacerbated during this pandemic
 How were the above challenges tackled during lockdown period?
 Families & Organisations joined forces with caregivers to collaborate on common challenges to develop
innovative solutions for persons with disabilities.
 For Ex: Parent or families delivered interventions and therapies for their disabled member, with
telephone support from therapists or other support workers. 
Filling the gaps 
 Accessibility should be considered in COVID-19 recovery plans to catalyse the vision of an inclusive
world
 Governments and Civil Society must engage people to promote education and awareness on including
persons with disabilities.
 Implementing accessibility laws and regulations 
 Improving physical accessibility and universal design
 Reducing stigma
 Developing the tools for individuals and communities to engage meaningfully with persons with
disabilities.
 Including and involving persons with disabilities in decision and policymaking, for COVID-19 recovery
and beyond.
Conclusion
Using this crisis to implement universal accessibility should be central to the vision of the post-COVID era.
Connecting the dots:
 Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Economic recovery: Challenges & way forward

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought global economic activity to a virtual halt an induced recession.
Did You Know?
 The IMF estimates the global economy to contract by -4.9 per cent in 2020
 With regards to Indian economy, growth has been decelerating for the past eight quarters, and
indications by the RBI suggest that growth is contracting for the first time in four decades. 
What has been the economic scenario of India in recent years?
 Consumption and investment demand in India have been subdued for the past few quarters, dragging
down overall growth.
 These two components were perhaps casualties of a sharp deceleration in credit supply even after an
impressive bank cleanup exercise by the government and RBI. 
 The IL&FS debacle in September 2018 only made matters worse. 
 The NBFC sector, which played an important role in fuelling India’s consumption growth, suffered from
funding crunches leading to a further squeeze in credit supply, thereby impacting consumption demand. 
 This deceleration was exacerbated in the wake of pandemic & lockdown
Has government taken steps to tackle the economic crisis?
Yes, government has taken steps like 
 Economic package – PMGKY – for addressing the short term needs of society particularly weaker
sections of society
 RBI actions to provide much-needed near-term liquidity support 
 Long-pending structural reforms (Ex: Agriculture, Coal, Textile) aiming towards medium-to-long-term
stability
However, government needs to further aid a demand recovery
What Keynesian Theory says about demand recovery?
 Keynesian theory suggests that for aggregate demand to increase, at least one of the components of
GDP needs to expand. 
 Growth in the Indian economy has been dominated by 
o Consumption (PFCE)
o Investments (GFCF) 
o Government expenditure (GFCE) 
o Net exports (NEX). 
Challenges with reviving economy
1. Challenges with increasing Investments: 
 Uncertain economic prospects restrict bankers to lend further despite measures taken by government &
RBI. A higher rate of investments is essential for sustainable economic growth. 
 Increasing levels of debt during this deteriorating economic scenario along with rating downgrades for
industries are likely to aggravate existing problems.
2. Challenges with increasing Consumption:
 Industry-wide job/pay-cuts with a growing sense of uncertainty over the future may limit spending to
non-discretionary items and force people towards precautionary savings.
 Estimates suggest that PFCE will grow at its slowest pace in 15 years.
3. Challenges with increasing exports
 Disrupted global trade due to heightened trade tensions between the US and China, especially in the
wake of pandemic. 
 Global trade witnessed its steepest decline since 2009, falling by -4.3 per cent in March over the
previous year, with only downside risks from hereon.
 India’s limited share in global trade along with a battered domestic and global outlook provides  little
room for exports to contribute towards growth.
Solution to revive economy 
 With the above challenges we can see that government expenditure is the only exogenously determined
element in a Keynesian framework. 
 The positive push required to aid a demand recovery has to come through increased government
expenditure
 However, given the sparse resources that India has, government must deploy funds that yield a higher
return. 
 One key area that can provide the necessary support is infrastructure investment. 
 Historically, countries have used infrastructure to provide counter-cyclical support to the economy –
New Deal in the US, Germany’s expansion post-WWII debt reduction (1953) and more recently with China in
the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. 
 Infrastructure has strong links to growth and with both supply and demand-side features that help
generate employment and long-term assets
 1 per cent of GDP spend on infrastructure can boost real growth by 2 per cent while creating 1.3 million
direct jobs
 Front-loading key projects with greater visibility from the recently announced National Infrastructure
Pipeline (NIP) could aid in a quicker recovery.
Way Forward
 India already has several institutions for infrastructure development purposes from the likes of IIFCL,
IRFC to more recently NIIF
 However, over these years, their scale and functioning have remained inadequate. A relook,
to restructure these into one large development institution could help reduce inefficiencies and allow for
greater leverage
 Taking a cue from China, floating special infrastructure bonds through this organisation to accelerate
the funding of the NIP could aid a speedier recovery.
 Development of state government and urban local body bond markets by leveraging the capabilities of
this large development institution
Connecting the dots:
 FRBM Act
 2008 Financial Crisis
1. The attitude of the contemporary political leadership towards India’s participation in WWII was different than
what it was during WWI. Elucidate.
WWII में  भारत की भागीदारी के प्रति समकालीन राजनीतिक नेतत्ृ व का रवैया WWI के दौरान से अलग था। स्पष्ट करें ।
Demand of the question: 
It expects students to write about the change in attitude of contemporary political leadership towards India’s
participation in WWII from the approach of WWI.
Introduction:
Indian freedom struggle passed through different phases after each World War. The First World War gave
perspective to Indian leadership on politics at the world stage whereas the Second World War provided actual
opportunity to contemporary political leadership to play an active role to achieve freedom with the help of
prevalent situations.
Body:
Attitude of contemporary political leadership about India’s participation during WWI:
In the First World War (1914-1919), Britain allied with France, Russia, USA, Italy and Japan against Germany,
Austria-Hungary and Turkey. This period saw the maturing of Indian nationalism.
 Expectation of reward in response to service during emergency need of empire: All the believers in
Swadeshi and swaraj it as opportunity to convince colonial leadership about Indian concerns of self
government.
 Divided or weak congress at the start of WWI: Congress was not revived to its pre 1907 spirit and energy
till start of WWI. Its stand on the issue of participation was pacifist rather than aggressive.
 Moderates supported the empire in the war as a matter of duty; Extremists, including Tilak who was
released in June 1914, supported the war efforts in the mistaken belief that Britain would repay India’s loyalty
with gratitude in the form of self-government. The Home Rule Movement was the Indian response to the First
World War in a less charged way.
 Nationalists believed it will provide an opportunity to boost nationalist sentiment among soldiers as they
will experience the freedom of European countries and opportunity to use prisoners of war of enemy nations
to plot a coup against the colonial government in India.
 The revolutionaries decided to utilise the opportunity to wage a war on British rule and liberate the
country. The Indian supporters of British war efforts failed to see that the imperialist powers were fighting to
safeguard their own colonies and markets.  During the First World War, the Jugantar party arranged to import
German arms and ammunition through sympathisers and revolutionaries abroad for ‘German Plot’ or the
‘Zimmerman Plan’. The Jugantar party raised funds through a series of dacoities which came to be known as
taxicab dacoities and boat dacoities, so as to work out the Indo-German conspiracy. During the First World
War, Rash behari Bose was involved as one of the leading figures of the Ghadr Revolution.
 War was seen by Indian capitalist class as mean to benefit as supply lines of continental Europe was
disturbed due to war.
 Changed attitude of contemporary political leadership:
 Gandhiji at the start of the war: Gandhi, who had all sympathy for Britain in this war because of his total
dislike of the fascist ideology, advocated unconditional support to the Allied powers. He made a clear
distinction between the democratic nations of Western Europe and the totalitarian Nazis and fascists. He
said that he was not willing to embarrass the British government during the war.
 Gandhiji after Cripps mission decided to adopt more extremist stand of launching Quit India movement
and refused to formally call off movement despite of violence. 
 Influence of Socialism: Rise of socialism in 1920s due to disillusion created by abrupt end of Non
cooperation movement and influence of Russian revolution.  Subhash Bose and other socialists, such as
Acharya Narendra Dev and Jayaprakash Narayan had no sympathy for either side in the war.
 Understanding of colonial nature of rule: Contemporary political leadership understood; war was being
fought by imperialists on both sides; each side wanted to protect its colonial possessions and gain more
territories to colonise, so neither side should be supported by the nationalists. In fact, they thought it was the
ideal time to launch a civil disobedience movement, to thus take advantage of the situation and snatch
freedom from Britain.
 Middle path of Jawaharlal Nehru and insistence on Purn Swaraj i.e. complete independence: He was not
ready to accept the opinion of either Gandhi or of the socialists. He was clear in his mind about the difference
between democratic values and fascism. He believed that justice was on the side of Britain, France and
Poland, but he also believed that Britain and France were imperialist powers. He, therefore, advocated no
Indian participation till India itself was free. However, at the same time, no advantage was to be taken of
Britain’s difficulty by starting an immediate civil disobedience movement.
Contemporary congress leadership condemned Fascist aggression and also stressed that India could not be
party to a war being fought, on the face of it, for democratic freedom, while that freedom was being denied to
India. 
Conclusion:
The First World War started the phase of nationwide mass movements in India, returned soldiers spread the
stories of different free nations among masses, while Second World War hastened the process of India’s
independence with all out efforts from INA on the external front and Quit India on domestic front. 

2. Examine the series of incidents and the prevalent geopolitics that led to the Indo-China war of 1962.
घटनाओं की श्रंख
ृ ला और प्रचलित भू–राजनीति की जाँच करें  जिनकी वजह से 1962 का भारत–चीन युद्ध हुआ।
Demand of the question:
It expects students to write about the series of incidents and the prevalent geopolitics behind the Indo-China war
of 1962. 
Introduction:
 Recent face-off between India and China in Galwan valley has awaken the memory of 1962 war. China attacked
India over multiple points across the border in 1962, leading to a month-long standoff between 10,000 to 20,000
Indian soldiers and 80,000 Chinese troops. Unprepared for the offensive, India lost nearly 4,000 soldiers in the
war and suffered its most humiliating defeat.
Body:
The main cause of the war was a dispute over the sovereignty of the widely spread Aksai Chin and Arunachal
Pradesh border regions.
Series of incidents that led to Indo-China war of 1962:
 Following India’s independence, British left behind a disputed legacy on 3,488km long boundary
between India and then Tibet which laterally occupied by China. Dispute especially on McMahan line and
Johnson line because of no mutually agreed border.
 The first sign of discord between India and China came in 1950 when China invaded Tibet. This was
blatant aggression, Tibetans looked up to India for help but India’s feeble protest merely antagonised the
Chinese without helping the Tibetans.
 Occupation of Aksai Chin: Opportunities to negotiate a border settlement in the fifties existed, but were
not seized. India entered into the Panchsheel Agreement with China in 1954, hoping to put an end to Chinese
provocations but that was not to be. On the contrary, China illegally occupied the Aksai Chin and completed
construction of their Western Highway through it in 1957.
 Asylum to Dalai Lama: In 1958 rebellion of Tibet led to the exodus of the Dalai Lama to India, which led
to first armed clash with China occurred at Longju in the east. China perceived India is acting with both USSR
and USA to destabilise Tibet. 
 Forward policy: To counter continued Chinese aggression, India embarked on a policy of establishing a
series of small posts all along its Northern and Eastern borders with China, to prevent further incursions.
Called the ‘Forward policy’, most posts were not capable of giving a fight to the Chinese and were logistically
unsustainable. Coupled with this, India neglected the improvement of infrastructure in the border areas,
which was to cost the country dear when the conflict started in 1962. 
 By 1959-60, Chinese had made up their mind that since India was not negotiating the border issue to
their satisfaction, which was basically bartering the Aksai Chin in Ladakh for Chinese acceptance of the
McMahon Line in Arunachal Pradesh, they would “teach India a lesson”.
Prevalent geopolitical situations behind Indo-China war of 1962:
 China wanted to show the world who is real master of Asia. It allowed India to take leadership in
Bandung Conference of 1954 and maintained low profile till the completion of western highway connecting
Xinxiang with Tibet.
 After the failed talks between India and China in 1960, China was quite convinced that it has to fight war
with India.  Success of Chinese armed forces in the long drawn civil war against Chang kai shek, Japan in
Manchuria and against US forces in Korea boosted their confidence for expansion on Indian front.
 Cold War peak: China chose time to execute its intension in the month of October when Cuban Missile
crisis kept super powers busy in Atlantic and for the first time created threat of cold war becoming hot.   It
created nuclear panic across the world. 
 By 1960, relations between China and the USSR had also deteriorated to a point where their respective
leaders were trading insults publicly. The reasons included USSR’s friendship with India as India had received
more economic and military assistance than China. Another reason was the USSR’s neutrality in the Tibet
border dispute.
 Chinese perception of India as major threat to stability of Tibet. China perceived that India might acting
at the haste of United state in giving asylum to Dalai Lama.   
 India was more isolated than China due to faith in Non alignment movement. India’s defence capacity
as compared to china was weak as we undermined Chinese threat.
Conclusion:
India and China are two growing Asian powers and hence a clash of interests is inevitable.  The key is to keep it
manageable and not allow it to flare up into another border war. It will be tough test for our diplomacy in the
prevailing situation.

3. The government’s recent ordinance on contract farming is a win-win for farmers, buyers and even traders.
Comment.
अनुबंध खेती पर सरकार का हालिया अध्यादे श किसानों, खरीदारों और यहां तक कि व्यापारियों के लिए एक जीत है । टिप्पणी करें ।
Demand of the question:
 It expects students to write about the benefits of new contract farming ordinance to farmers, buyers and even
traders along with  
Introduction:
The ordinance on contract farming is part of the new legal framework for agricultural markets. It is in addition to
the other two ordinances that amend the Essential Commodities Act and reduce the power of APMCs, with the
aim of setting up a national market for food.
Body:
Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance Benefits:
Farmers: 
 Market access: Framework for farmers to enter into direct contracts with those who wish to buy farm
produce. So far, in most of the country, a farmer cannot directly sell his produce to consumers or food
processing companies; he has to go through a licenced trader. E.g. If a certain kind of potato was needed for
potato chips, or a specific variety of oranges was more suited to making juice, or a restaurant chain needed a
large quantity of mushrooms or asparagus, It could  get into a contract with farmers to grow that particular
item and buy it later at prices already agreed upon. Farmers are no longer at the mercy of the traders.
 Complex structure of APMCs: Solving the problem of APMC laws Which are outdated in several states.
Traders find it easy to form cartels in these markets and offer low prices to farmers. Farmers are also left to
the vagaries of daily price changes. However, the ordinance states that APMC market laws will only apply in
the physical space of the market, and will not govern transactions outside the market. No taxes or fees
associated with any APMC can be levied on such transactions.
 More liberty and freedom: Farmers can lock in prices and buyers for their produce even before the
harvest, and intermediaries can be assured of supply and price at the time of harvest. 
Buyers:
 Reduction in intermediaries will reduce the cost of farm produce which will help common buyers to
manage their monthly budget.
 Buyers like the food processing industry will get a more secure and flexible environment for
procurement of raw materials directly from farmers or farmer producer organisations.
 Similar models have already benefited farmers in selling their poultry livestock and few agriculture
commodities to industrial players directly.
Traders:
 Competition to traders: While intermediaries play an essential role in meeting supply and demand, It
does not prohibit intermediaries or discourage them in any manner. It does not do away with APMCs.
However, from now on, they have to compete with other buyers to provide better services or prices.
 Expansion of storage capacity in the private sector: Since the ordinance in addition to other ordinance
on the Essential Commodities Act exempts intermediaries from stock limits for contract farming, it will give
comfort to large organisations to participate in contract farming. It may also encourage smaller traders to
expand capacity.
The idea of contract farming is not new; some states like Punjab have attempted to encourage it through state
legislation. Even today, in spite of multiple legal hurdles, the small scale of contract farming in India is playing
a positive role for farmers. The agriculture ministry had released a model law to govern contract farming in 2018,
but it was a little too prescriptive, the ordinance allows contract farming in any agricultural product, leaves pricing
to the parties, and allows for a central e-registration of contracts.
However, the ordinance is a positive move towards freedom of contracting,
 So far, modern retail has been largely purchasing perishable produce from mandis. Since the volumes of
fresh produce are still low for modern retail and it has to compete with roadside vendors, it has been
reluctant to invest in backend infrastructure.
 Instead of using the regular judiciary for dispute resolution between parties, the ordinance delegates
dispute resolution to the executive (sub-divisional magistrate), who will not be bound by rules of procedure.
This gives the government more powers than the parties in the case. That would not happen if disputes were
required to go to the judiciary.
 The ordinance also creates a window for reintroducing government interference by giving the executive
powers to adjudicate disputes through suo motu cases. This violates a fundamental principle of contract law:
If the parties to a contract are not complaining, third parties should not interfere in the contractual
relationship. 
 Violating this principle undermines the commercial relationship between the parties. If the government
intervenes in contract farming agreements frequently, buyers may back out.
 Big buyers like processors, exporters, and organised retailers going to individual farmers are not a very
efficient proposition. They need to create a scale, and for that, building farmer producer organisations (FPOs),
 based on local commodity interests, is a must. This will help ensure uniform quality, lower transaction costs,
and also improve the bargaining power of farmers vis-à-vis large buyers.
The 1991 reforms saw a fundamental shift in the legal approach to industry and services. A whole host of laws of
the licence, permit and inspection raj were withdrawn, and more freedom was given to the participants. 
Conclusion:
Agriculture sector was long waiting for reforms. The participants in this sector still live in the old legal regime.
The ordinances are a welcome step in giving freedom to farmers to sell their produce without restrictions.