BYJUS Current Affairs Monthly Magazine August 2021
BYJUS Current Affairs Monthly Magazine August 2021
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in top 50 in top 100 overall selections
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. POLITY • Improving the prospects of Indian
• Tribunal Reforms Bill 01 domestic industries 26
• High number of vacancies in tribunals 01 • Improving social security for workers 26
• New appointments to the Supreme Court 02 • Anti-dumping duty 27
• Delay in proceedings of criminal cases against • Digital sector in India 27
MPs and MLAs 03 • Global Manufacturing Risk Index 27
• Political parties get 48 hours to publish • National Industrial Corridor Programme 28
candidates’ criminal records 04 • SAMRIDH Scheme 28
• LS clears Bill restoring States’ rights to specify • EASE 4.0 29
OBC groups 04 • Sub-Mission on Fodder and Feed 29
• What has the Supreme Court ruled on
‘creamy layer’? 05 3. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
• Arrest is not always a must, says Supreme Court 06 • Evolution of India’s foreign policy 31
• Supreme Court views on externment orders 06 • India’s UNSC presidency term 33
• Governor’s pardon power overrides 433A: SC 07 • Maritime security 33
• Fifth schedule areas 07 • Peacekeeping operations 34
• Public Accounts Committee 08 • India, Sri Lanka and Maldives to
• Adjournment sine die 09 collaborate on security 35
• India-Russia defence relations 35
2. ECONOMY • India- Iran ties 36
• Doing away with retrospective taxation 10 • India Britain ties 36
• Monetary policy 11 • India Sri Lanka bilateral relations 37
• National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm 12 • The Abraham Accords as India’s West Asia Bridge 37
• National Monetisation Plan 14 • Biden govt. non-committal on support for
• RoDTEP scheme 16 India’s UNSC bid 38
• Revisit the idea of ‘aging out’ India’s coal plants 17 • U.S.’s Indo-Pacific foreign policy 39
• Financial inclusion index 18 • Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan 40
• Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 18
• The Indian economy is struggling to recover 20 4. ART AND CULTURE
• Export Sector 21 • ‘Ancestral Dravidian tongues spoken on Indus
• Sugar export from India 22 Valley sites’ 45
• Centre raises fair price of sugar cane 22 • Wanchuwa festival 45
• e-RUPI 23 • Madur mats 45
• Industry 4.0 framework for MSMEs 23 • Pashmina shawls 45
• LS passes Bill to amend insurance Act 25
• Handloom exports 25
13. GOVERNANCE
• Towards a more humane police force 88
• Providing horizontal quota: the Bihar way 89
• Evaluation of the Ujjwala Yojana 90
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakaram (PMJVK) 91
• PM-DAKSH Yojana 91
• ‘Seekho Aur Kamao’ Scheme 91
• Har Ghar Nal Se Jal 91
• SUJALAM 92
14. GEOGRAPHY
• Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation 93
• Break in Monsoons 93
• Ladakh glacier retreat 94
• Agalega island 94
• Oodaaq 94
15. MISCELLANEOUS
• UN warns hunger is expected to rise in 23
global hotspots 95
• Largest Floating Solar PV Project 95
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POLITY
Statutory, Regulatory and various Quasi-judicial * It also specifies a minimum age requirement of
Bodies 50 years for appointment of a chairperson or a
member.
1. Tribunal Reforms Bill Details:
» Prelims: Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2021- Provisions • A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India
» Mains: Concerns associated with the tribunal N.V. Ramana, has criticized the government for
reforms bill the complete absence of material justifying the
Context: Bill and the lack of proper debate in Parliament
before it was made into law.
• The Supreme Court has asked the government
to produce material showing its reasons for Concerns:
introducing the Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2021. • Notably, the Tribunal Reforms Act of 2021 revives
Background: provisions of tenure and service of members of
tribunals which were earlier struck down by the
Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2021: Supreme Court in a judgment. This gives rise
• The Bill replaced the Tribunals Reforms to concerns of government overlooking the
(Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) judiciary’s observations in its previous judgments.
Ordinance, 2021. This could lead to triggering of further litigation
and causing inconvenience to citizens, courts
Major provisions: and other stakeholders.
• The Bill seeks to dissolve certain existing appellate • The fact that this was done without debate in
bodies and transfer their functions (such as the parliament, raises concerns over the falling
adjudication of appeals) to other existing judicial standards of lawmaking in the country.
bodies
• The bill has been criticised for undermining
• Provisions regarding the composition of search- the independence of the judiciary by giving
cum-selection committees the government wide powers regarding
* The Chairperson and Members of the Tribunals appointments, service conditions, salaries, etc. of
will be appointed by the central government members of key tribunals.
on the recommendation of a Search-cum-
Selection Committee. The Committee will
consist of: (i) the Chief Justice of India, or a Statutory, Regulatory and various Quasi-judicial
Supreme Court Judge nominated by him, Bodies
as the Chairperson (with casting vote), (ii)
two Secretaries nominated by the central 2. High number of vacancies in tribunals
government, (iii) the sitting or outgoing » Prelims: Relevant Constitutional articles
Chairperson, or a retired Supreme Court Judge,
» Mains: Concerns associated with large number of
or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court, and
vacancies in tribunals
(iv) the Secretary of the Ministry under which
the Tribunal is constituted (with no voting Context:
right). • The Supreme Court has criticized the Central
* State administrative tribunals will have government for its reluctance to ensure timely
separate search-cum-selection committees. filling up of the vacancies in tribunals across the
country.
* The central government must decide on the
recommendations of selection committees Details
preferably within three months from date of • Chief Justice of India read out the details of
the recommendation. over 240 vacancies in key tribunals with some
• Provisions regarding qualification and terms and tribunals even lacking presiding officers.
conditions of service of tribunal members * The tribunals included some critical ones
* The Bill provides for a four-year term of office like the National Green Tribunal, Income Tax
(subject to the upper age limit of 70 years for Appellate Tribunal and Central Administrative
the Chairperson, and 67 years for members). Tribunal among others.
• The bench also lamented the fact that
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• The selection of three women judges, with one • In some cases, even the charges have not
of them having a chance to head the top court, been framed or charge sheet filed, though the
a judge belonging to the Scheduled Caste and offences were alleged to have been committed
one from a backward community and the nine several years ago.
selected persons belonging to nine different Reasons for the delay:
States in the recent resolution of the collegium
are all attempts in this direction. Inadequately resourced investigative agencies:
Transparency: • The Supreme Court noted that the lack of
adequate manpower and infrastructure with
• Given the fact that India is perhaps the only probe agencies such as the Central Bureau of
country where the judges select judges to the Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate
higher judiciary, it becomes absolutely necessary (ED) had lead to overburdening of the
to make the norms of selection and appointment investigative agencies and was adding to the
transparent. delay in the judicial proceedings.
Conclusion: Overburdened judiciary:
• With the Supreme Court Collegium showing the • The large number of cases having to be dealt
way in judicial appointments, the Government with by the trial courts has adversely impacted
must match the pace and take the process of their functioning and in contributing to the delay
appointments to its logical conclusion at the in judicial proceedings.
earliest.
• The special courts constituted to hear cases
Additional information: against sitting MPs and MLAs have been too few
Article 142 of the Indian Constitution: to handle the large number of cases.
• Article 142 allows the Supreme Court to pass any Misuse of judicial provisions:
order necessary to do “complete justice” in any • Some of the accused politicians have been
case. “The Supreme Court in the exercise of its able to obtain stay orders against criminal
jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such proceedings from the higher judiciary. They have
order as is necessary for doing complete justice also resorted to using other available provisions
in any cause or matter pending before it…”. like adjournments to deliberately delay the
proceedings.
Criminalization of Politics Extraneous reasons:
• Some of the ED cases have been held up because
4. Delay in proceedings of criminal cases against
they spanned to tax havens abroad, which have
MPs and MLAs refused to cooperate with investigations.
» Prelims: Representation of People’s act- relevant Recommendations:
clauses
• To ensure the spirit of rule of law, it is very
» Mains: Reasons for delay and associated concerns; important to ensure timely disposal of cases
Recommendations to address the delays against sitting MPs and MLAs. In this regard the
Context: following measures could be helpful.
• A three judge bench of the Supreme Court * A judicial order from the Supreme Court
headed by the Chief Justice of India has been directing lower courts to complete the pending
hearing a plea about the large number of trial proceedings in a “mandatory time-bound
criminal cases pending against both sitting and manner”, possibly within the next six months
former MPs and MLAs. should be explored which would reduce the
avenue for misuse of judicial provisions.
Details:
* Efforts must be made to rationalize the number
• As per a report submitted by the court’s amicus of cases before each trial court and adequate
curiae, a large number of cases have been funding must be provided to resource
pending against sitting MPs and MLAs with a them adequately in terms of manpower,
substantial number of these cases falling under infrastructure and technology.
serious offences category like the Prevention of
Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 and some ◊ A freeze on the transfer of judicial officers
being punishable with life imprisonment. trying criminal cases against MPs and MLAs
must been ordered. Adoption of virtual
• Some of the cases against sitting and former MPs court facilities needs to be improved. These
and MLAs being investigated by agencies such measures will allow for the speedy disposal
as the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), of cases.
have been pending for over a decade.
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* A mechanism must be put in place soon Modifications in the February 2020 judgment:
to monitor the progress of criminal trials • In order to make the right of information of
involving legislators. This will help understand a voter more effective, the court has ordered
better the reasons for the delay and devise certain modifications in its February judgment.
suitable measures to address them.
* The Election Commission of India has been
* The investigative agencies like CBI and ED must ordered to launch a dedicated mobile app for
be adequately resourced in terms of manpower voters to get details of the criminal history of
and infrastructure and measures to make the candidates.
their functioning more autonomous must be
considered to ensure their independence from * The Election Commission of India has also
the government. This will help them function been ordered to form a separate cell to monitor
in an impartial manner. political parties on their compliance with the
court’s judgment.
Criminalization of Politics
Important legislations in news
5. Political parties get 48 hours to publish
6. LS clears Bill restoring States’ rights to specify
candidates’ criminal records
OBC groups
» Mains: Measures being taken by the judiciary to
address criminalization of politics » Prelims: NCBC; Article 340 and 342A of the Indian
constitution
Background:
» Mains: Significance of the new Constitutional
February 2020 judgment of the Supreme Court: amendment
• Over the last few years, there has been an Context:
alarming increase in the incidence of criminals in
politics. • The passing of the 127th Constitution
Amendment Bill, 2021 in Lok Sabha.
• Based on the reasoning that rapid criminalisation
of politics cannot be arrested by merely * It has become the 105th Constitutional
disqualifying tainted legislators but should amendment act after receiving assent of the
involve cleansing of the political parties, the President.
Supreme Court had ordered political parties Background:
to publish the entire criminal history of their Constitutional provisions relating to reservation:
candidates along with the reasons that provoked
them to field suspected criminals over decent • As per the Indian Constitution, Articles 15 (4), 15
people. (5), and 16 (4) confer power on the Governments
to declare and identify the list of socially and
• The information had to be also published in a educationally backward classes.
local and a national newspaper as well as the
parties’ social media handles, including Twitter • As a practice, separate OBC lists are drawn up
and Facebook. by the Central Government and each State
concerned.
• The political parties had to submit compliance
reports with the Election Commission of India 102nd Constitutional Amendment:
within 72 hours or risk contempt of court action. • The Amendment established a National
Details: Commission for Backward Classes by adding
Article 338B to the Constitution.
• The Supreme Court has imposed fines on
major political parties, for failing to confer with • The Amendment also added Article 342A, under
its February 2020 judgment in the 2020 Bihar which the President shall notify a list of Socially
Assembly elections. and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) in
relation to each State and Union Territory, in
• The court held that the concerned parties had consultation with Governors of the respective
subverted the verdict by either publishing States. Once this ‘Central List’ is notified, only
inadequate information about their candidates’ Parliament could make inclusions or exclusions
criminal antecedents or by printing them in in the list by law.
obscure newspapers. The Supreme Court held
that the concerned political parties were trying Supreme Court Verdict in the Maratha reservation
to cover up from voters the criminal past of the issue:
candidates they had fielded. • While holding the Maratha reservation
unconstitutional, the Constitution Bench of the
Supreme Court also dealt with the issue of the
102nd Constitution Amendment. held that extending the 50% limit would be
tantamount to establishing a society based
• The SC upheld the 102nd Constitutional on caste rule rather than one founded on
Amendment Act that inserted Articles 338B and equality. It reiterated that reservation under
342 A. Article 16(4) should not exceed 50% except in
• The constitutional bench had ruled that after the extraordinary circumstances.
passage of the 102nd Constitution Amendment
Act in 2018, the States do not have any power
to identify ‘socially and educationally backward’ Additional information:
(SEBC) classes and this power lay in the hands of • The First Backward Classes Commission was set
only the Union government. up by a presidential order in 1953 under the
Details: chairmanship of Kaka Kalelkar. It is also known
as the First Backward Classes Commission or the
• The Amendment Bill will amend clauses 1 and Kaka Kalelkar Commission.
2 of Article 342A and will also introduce a new
clause 3. * Article 340 in the Constitution of India allows
for the appointment of a Commission to
• The 127th Constitution Amendment Bill is investigate the conditions of backward classes
designed to clarify that the State Governments
can maintain the ‘state list’ of OBCs as was the • The Mandal Commission, the Socially and
system prior to SC judgment. The latest ‘State Educationally Backward Classes Commission
List’ will be taken out completely of the ambit (SEBC), was established in 1979 with a mandate to
of the President and will be notified by the State "identify the socially or educationally backward
Assembly as per the proposed bill. classes" of India.
Significance:
• The Bill seeks to restore the power of State Important Supreme Court Judgments
governments to identify OBCs that are socially
and educationally backward. 7. What has the Supreme Court ruled on ‘creamy
* The Union government’s argument has been layer’?
that the intent of the 102nd amendment was » Mains: Concept of creamy layer and its
only to create a Central List that would be significance in ensuring the effectiveness of
applied only in the Central government and reservation provisions
its institutions. It had nothing to do with the Context:
State Lists of backward classes or the State
governments’ powers to declare a community • The recent observation made by a Division
backward. Bench of the Supreme Court on the criteria for
identifying creamy layer of backward classes in
• The bill will benefit around 671 OBC communities India.
because if the state list was abolished, nearly 671
OBC communities would have lost access to the Details:
reservations in educational institutions and in • The Division has observed that economic
appointments. criterion cannot be the sole basis for identifying
Calls for removal of 50% cap on reservations: the ‘creamy layer’ of a backward class, and that
other factors like social advancement, education,
• During the discussions on the proposed employment also matter in the identification of
amendment, there were calls from lawmakers creamy layer.
across parties to remove 50% ceiling in
reservation. Creamy layer concept:
* In the 1992 Indra Sawhney & Others v. Union • The ‘creamy layer’ concept was introduced in the
of India judgment, the Supreme Court had Supreme Court’s Indra Sawhney judgment of
imposed a ceiling of 50 per cent for reservation 1992.
quota. * In the judgment, the Court although upheld
* Notably, at least three Indian States- Haryana, the government’s decision to give 27%
Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh- have introduced reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs),
quotas that breach the total 50% ceiling. On it emphasized the need to identify sections
the other hand, states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, of backward classes who were already highly
Jharkhand, and Karnataka have asked the advanced socially as well as economically and
Supreme Court to hike the quota ceiling. educationally to exclude them from receiving
the benefits of reservation.
* The SC in the Maratha reservation issue had
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• The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution deals with among members of the Scheduled tribes in
the administration and control of Scheduled such area;
Areas as well as of Scheduled Tribes residing * Regulate the allotment of land to members of
in any State other than the States of Assam, the STs in such area;
Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
* Regulate the carrying on of business as
• At present, 10 States namely Andhra Pradesh, money-lender by persons who lend money to
Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, members of the STs in such area.
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana have Fifth Context
Schedule Areas. • On the occasion of the International Day of the
• Tribal habitations in the states of Kerala, Tamil World’s Indigenous Peoples, the tribal outfits
Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and in Rajasthan have demanded inclusion of over
Jammu & Kashmir have not been brought under 165 village panchayats of seven districts in the
the Fifth or Sixth Schedule. scheduled areas under the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP).
• As per the Article 244(1) of the Indian • The demand is based on the fact that the
Constitution, Scheduled Areas means such areas population of Scheduled Tribes in these
as the President may by order declare to be panchayats had crossed 50%, making them
Scheduled Areas. eligible to be declared as scheduled areas.
Criteria • This they claim would facilitate the control of
local communities over minor minerals and
• The criteria followed for declaring an area as minor forest produce as well as development
Scheduled Area are activities in the region while also ensuring
* Preponderance of tribal population; statutory protection of the tribal population.
* Compactness and reasonable size of the area;
* Under-developed nature of the area; and Parliament functioning
* Marked disparity in economic standard of the 12. Public Accounts Committee
people.
» Prelims: PAC and CAG- Functions and
Special Provisions for Fifth Schedule Areas membership:
• The Governor of each State having Scheduled • The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) examines
Areas shall annually, or whenever so required the audit reports submitted by the Comptroller
by the President, make a report to the President and Auditor General (CAG) of India before the
regarding the administration of Scheduled Areas President who lays it before each house of the
in that State. Indian Parliament.
• The Union Government shall have executive • The Public Accounts Committee examines public
powers to give directions to the States as to the expenditure. That public expenditure is not only
administration of the Scheduled Areas. examined from a legal and formal point of view
• The Constitution provides for establishment to discover technical irregularities but also from
of a Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) in any State the point of view of the economy, prudence,
having Scheduled Areas. The TAC would consist wisdom, and propriety.
of not more than twenty members of whom, • The committee has 22 members, 15 from Lok
three-fourths shall be the representatives of the Sabha (Lower House) and 7 members from Rajya
Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of Sabha
the State. The TAC shall advise on such matters
pertaining to the welfare and the advancement • The members of PAC are elected from the
of the STs in the State as may be referred to them Parliament every year with proportional
by the Governor. representation by means of a single transferable
vote. The Speaker appoints the chairperson from
• The Governor may direct that any particular Act amongst the members. As a convention, the
of Parliament or of the Legislature of the State chairperson has been from the opposition party.
shall or shall not apply to a Scheduled area or
any part thereof in the State, subject to such Context:
exceptions and modifications, as specified. • The Public Accounts Committee’s scheduled tour
• The Governor may make regulations like of Srinagar, Kargil, Leh and Drass.
* Prohibit or restrict the transfer of land by or
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ECONOMY
Legislations in news • Cairn Energy has recently secured an order from
a French court to freeze India’s assets in Paris.
1. Doing away with retrospective taxation
Details:
» Prelims: Bilateral investment treaty; Investor-
State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) tribunals • As per the proposed amendments, any tax
demand made on transactions that took place
» Mains: Significance of the new amendment with before May 2012 shall be dropped, and any
respect to retrospective taxation taxes already collected shall be repaid, without
Context: interest.
• The Union Finance Minister has introduced • However to be eligible, the concerned taxpayers
the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill in the would have to drop all pending cases against the
Parliament to nullify the retrospective tax clauses government and give an undertaking that they
that were introduced in 2012. would not make any further claims.
Background: Reasons for the proposed amendment:
Retrospective tax clause: Avoid legal sanctions:
• The retrospective tax clauses were introduced • The government has been fighting legal cases
in 2012 to bring past indirect transfer of Indian against Vodafone and Cairn Energy on this
assets under the ambit of taxation. aspect.
• This provision was invoked against foreign • The loss of the arbitration cases and Cairn’s
investors such as Vodafone and Cairn Energy. pursuit of India’s assets abroad may have forced
the government to propose the amendments.
* Vodafone had in 2007 purchased a 67% stake
in Hutchison Whampoa. Need for economic recovery:
* Cairn Energy had undertaken a corporate • Quick recovery of the economy after the
reorganisation in 2006-07 COVID-19 pandemic is the need of the hour and
foreign investment has an important role to play
• Large tax demands were raised against these in this regard.
companies and upon their failure to pay, their
assets were frozen by the Indian authorities. • The proposed change will go a long way in
undoing the damage done by the retrospective
Concerns: tax clause on India’s image as a foreign
• The retrospective tax and consequent tax investment destination and help attract higher
demand had been termed “tax terrorism” by few inward investments. The proposed change will
sections and it had become a point of concern help end the spectre of policy uncertainty for
for potential investors. potential investors. This would help restore
• This provision was thought to go against the India’s reputation as a fair and predictable regime
principle of tax certainty and damage India's apart from helping put an end to unnecessary,
reputation as an attractive foreign investment prolonged and expensive litigation.
destination. Sovereign right to tax :
Steps taken by the affected companies: • The recently introduced Taxation Laws
• This move of the Indian government was (Amendment) Bill has brought to light the topic
challenged by the affected companies. Separate of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and the
international arbitration tribunal verdicts in the sovereign right to tax.
Vodafone and Cairn cases have ruled against * The retroactive tax amendment of 2012
India’s retrospective tax demands as being resulted in Vodafone and Cairn Energy suing
in breach of bilateral investment protection India before Investor-State Dispute Settlement
agreements. (ISDS) tribunals of India-Netherlands and India-
• Cairn Energy, which was awarded $1.2 billion by U.K. bilateral investment treaties (BITs).
an international tribunal, filed cases in at least ten ◊ Notably, India in its 2016 Model BIT carved
global jurisdictions, including the U.S., the U.K., out taxation measures completely from the
Canada and Japan, to seize India’s assets in lieu scope of the investment treaty.
of the award as the government did not abide by
the tribunal’s decision.
* Both the tribunals ruled against India’s overall money supply to boost the economy
retroactive amendment of tax laws. when growth is slowing.
• Several ISDS tribunals have held that the tax * An accommodative stance means a central
policy of a country is a matter relating to the bank will cut rates to inject money into the
sovereign power of the state, and thus the State financial system whenever needed.
has a sovereign right to enact the tax measures it Projections:
deems appropriate at any particular time.
• RBI has projected 9.5% real GDP growth in the
• However it should be noted that the state’s current fiscal year.
sovereign right to impose taxes are not absolute
and there are limits to it. • The MPC has raised its forecast for retail inflation
to 5.7%, from the previous 5.1% estimate.
• Two provisions of relevance in this regard
are expropriation and the fair and equitable Potential challenges to economic recovery:
treatment provision. • The rising input prices across manufacturing and
* The tax should not be discriminatory or services sectors, weak demand and the higher-
arbitrary and it should not be confiscatory. than-expected CPI inflation could dampen
economic recovery.
* Fair and equitable treatment envisions a certain
degree of legal certainty in taxation measures. • There is the possibility of a third wave, especially
Also any legal changes such as amending the in the background of rising infections in certain
tax laws should be done in a reasonable and parts of the country.
proportionate manner. • Aggregate supply is also lagging below pre-
Conclusion: pandemic levels possibly due to supply chain
constraints and poor investor confidence.
• The biggest take away from the Cairns and
Vodafone fiasco is that India should exercise Concerns regarding MPC stance:
its right to regulate while being mindful of its • The decision to maintain accommodative stance
international law obligations, acting in good despite the higher inflationary pressures leads to
faith and in a proportionate manner. serious concerns.
• India’s right to tax in the public interest should Overlooking of the core mandate of MPC:
be balanced with the investor’s interest of legal
certainty. • The Central bank seems to be overlooking its
mandated function of inflation targeting and
the benefits thereof by delaying steps to rein in
Indian Economy and issues relating to growth and inflation.
development * Stability in inflation rate fosters credibility of
the monetary policy framework. This would
2. Monetary policy help better anchor inflation expectations
» Prelims: Monetary Policy Committee; Repo rate; which in turn will help reduce uncertainty for
accomodative stance; Stagflation investors, increases external competitiveness
and would thus be growth-promoting.
» Mains: Concerns associated with accommodative
stance of the MPC Fears of stagflation:
Context: • The central bank’s policies have failed to
engender a meaningful recovery even as
• Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting.
inflation continues to hover around the upper
Details: bound of the inflation target. This raises concerns
Accommodative stance: of stagflation in the Indian economy.
• The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy * MPC has lowered its growth projections and
Committee (MPC) has voted unanimously to raised its fiscal-year inflation projection by 60
keep the repo rate unchanged at 4%. basis points to 5.7%.
• Majority of the members of MPC agreed to retain Challenges associated with easy monetary policy:
the accommodative stance as long as necessary • Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member
to revive and sustain growth on a durable basis Jayanth Varma has expressed serious reservations
in a bid to help the economy recover from the about the RBI’s protracted “accommodative”
economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. policy stance and has argued that the MPCs
* Accommodative monetary policy, also known forward guidance and stance were in fact
as loose credit or easy monetary policy, occurs becoming “counter productive” for the Indian
when a central bank attempts to expand the economy based on the following arguments.
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* The easy monetary policy has given rise driven retail oil prices to new highs.
to persistent inflationary pressures in the Details:
economy.
• The new mission will strive to ensure self-
* The MPC’s accommodative stance despite the sufficiency in edible oil production. Under the
relatively high inflation levels would create NMEO-OP mission, the aim is to reduce import
the erroneous perception that the MPC is dependence from 60% to 45% by 2024-25, by
no longer concerned about inflation and is increasing domestic edible oil production from
focused exclusively on growth. This could lead 10.5 million tonnes to 18 million tonnes, a 70%
to the risk of inflationary expectations being growth target.
disanchored.
• As part of the Palm oil related targets, the
* There seems to be limited ability of the Mission hopes to increase oil palm acreage by an
monetary policy to mitigate the economic additional 6.5 lakh hectares by 2025-26 and grow
impact of the pandemic. The monetary policy production of crude palm oil to 11.2 lakh tonnes
is much less effective than fiscal policy for by 2025-26 and up to 28 lakh tonnes by 2029-30.
providing targeted relief to the worst affected
segments of the economy. * Currently, less than four lakh hectares are
planted with oil palm in India.
* Also given the high possibility of the COVID-19
pandemic persisting for another 3-5 years • The Centre will offer price assurances, viability
through the mutations, keeping monetary gap funding and planting material assistance to
policy highly accommodative for such a long oil palm farmers to boost domestic production.
horizon would be unviable and counter- * The provision of price assurance will reduce
productive. the risk for farmers facing price fluctuation due
Recommendations: to volatility in the international market. In case
of government will fix a viable palm oil price
• The MPC may as well consider normalising rates and in case of high volatility the government
to rein in the inflation levels in the economy. will pay the difference in price to the farmers
• MPC must look to simultaneously preserve through direct benefit transfer. This assurance
financial stability through controlled inflation will inculcate confidence in the Indian oil palm
rates and support a durable economic revival. farmers to go for increased area and thereby
• With crude oil prices at elevated levels, a calibrated more production of palm oil. The assurance to
reduction of the indirect tax component of pump the farmers will be in the form of the viability
prices by the Centre and States can help lessen gap funding and the industry will be mandated
inflation pressure to a great extent. to pay 14.3% of the crude palm oil prices.
* The Mission will also aim to more than double
the support provided for the cost of planting
Governmental schemes / Programmes / initiatives materials. A substantial increase has been
made for planting material for oil palm and
3. National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm this has increased from Rs 12,000 per ha to
» Prelims: NMEO-OP provisions and targets Rs.29000 per ha. Further substantial increase
has been made for maintenance and inter-
» Mains: Significance and concerns associated cropping interventions as well.
with NMEO-OP; Recommendations
• North-eastern India and the Andaman and
Context: Nicobar Islands have been identified as prime
• Approval of the National Mission on Edible Oils – locations for oil palm cultivation. In a bid to
Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) by the Cabinet. encourage oil palm cultivation in northeastern
* The NMEO-OP’s predecessor was the National India and in the Andaman and Nicobar islands,
Mission on Oil Seeds and Oil Palm. the Centre will bear an additional cost of 2% of
the crude palm oil prices in these States.
Background:
• Over a five-year period, the financial outlay for
India’s heavy dependency on edible oil imports: the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm
• Despite being a major agricultural exporting (NMEO-OP) will amount to Rs. 11,040 crore.
country, India lacks self-sufficiency in terms of • Along with promoting the cultivation of oil palm,
edible oils and continues to be heavily dependent this mission will also expand the cultivation of
on imports for its edible oil needs. The share of other traditional oilseed crops in India.
imported palm oil is more than 55%.
Significance of the NMEO-OP mission:
• India’s dependence on expensive imports has
• The mission with its focus on increasing the
production of edible oil will enable reduction in
the import dependency to some extent and will wait for high returns makes oil palm cultivation
enable self sufficiency in the longer run. unviable for small farmers and suitable only
• The reduction of edible oil imports will also for large corporate investors. This does not suit
enable the saving of valuable foreign exchange India’s unique characteristic of preponderance
for India. of small and marginal farmers in the agricultural
sector.
• The financial outlay will also incentivize farmers
to diversify their agricultural activities into oil • Small cultivators would continue to be
seed production and this can help increase the dependent on heavy government support.
income of the farmers in a substantial way. Impact on tribal land ownership:
• The scheme will immensely benefit the oil palm • The specified areas being predominantly tribal
farmers, increase capital investment and also areas, the promotion of large plantations could
generate new employment opportunities. impact the community ownership of tribal lands.
Concerns: Water intensive crop:
• Prior experience of oil palm plantations in • Oil palm is water-guzzling crop. It requires almost
countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka 300 litres of water per tree per day.
point to the concerns associated with large scale
oil palm cultivation and warn against promoting • Large scale plantations could lead to the fast
them in the northeastern States and in the depletion of water resources in the region.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Possible impact on local economy:
Impact on ecology of the region: • The replacement of existing rubber, teak and
• Environmental experts have warned that the coconut plantations by oil palm plantations had
adoption of large scale oil palm plantations resulted in some economic consequences in
might lead to the clearance of pristine forest Sri Lanka. As compared to oil palm plantations,
areas in the specified regions. This would lead to rubber and coconut plantations offers higher
widespread destruction of rainforests and native employment generating capacity which
biodiversity. The regions being “biodiversity becomes critical to the local economy. This gains
hotspots and ecologically fragile” makes the prominence in the light of reports of a number
proposal all the more worrisome given that the of rubber farmers in Kerala showing interest in
new oil palm plantations could denude forest switching to oil palm.
cover and destroy the habitat of endangered Counter arguments:
wildlife.
Higher productivity of oil palm:
• The palm is an exotic species and it is not a
• The land productivity for palm oil is higher than
natural forest product of northeastern India and
that for oilseeds i.e., the production of palm
could result in some unforeseen impact on the
oil from one hectare is far greater than the
local biodiversity. Monoculture plantations are
production of other oilseeds like groundnut,
not desirable in such areas.
mustard or sunflower.
* Oil palm has shown signs of becoming an
• This makes it inevitable to adopt oil palm to fill
invasive species threatening native plants and
the huge gap in production versus demand of
animals in countries like Sri Lanka.
edible oils.
* Notably the Supreme Court in a 2002 order
* Palm oil currently makes up about 55% of
had directed that existing plantations, whether
India’s edible oil imports.
of oil palm, rubber or teak, should be phased
out and the land should be regenerated to its No fresh clearance of forest lands:
natural profile without any further introduction • Notably of the recommended 28 lakh hectares
of exotic species in the Andaman and Nicobar targeted for oil palm cultivation across the
Islands. country, only 9 lakh hectares are in the
• The crop requires high pesticide use in areas northeastern States. Also the land identified for
where it is not a native crop. This would have oil palm plantations in the northeastern States
a detrimental impact in terms of chemical is already cleared for cultivation and thus there
pollution in the region and could also lead to would be no new deforestation exercise for the
consumer health concerns. oil palm plantations.
Unsuitability for small farmers: Land availability:
• Oil palm has a long gestation period and involves • According to a feasibility report prepared by the
huge investments. Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR) for
oil palm cultivation in the Andaman and Nicobar
• The high levels of investment and the long
Islands, apart from reviving existing oil palm
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plantations in the Katchal and Little Andaman more than 90% of India’s oil palm.
Island, new plantations could be planned in the Governmental schemes / Programmes / initiatives
grasslands, which make up more than 75% of the
land area of Little Andaman, Katchal, Baratang, 4. National Monetisation Plan
Kamorta and Teressa.
» Prelims: National Monetisation Pipeline-
• The existing grass in the islands is not of any use Provisions; InvITs and REITS
and is being burnt every year to avoid snakebites.
» Mains: Significance; Challenges and concerns
Thus the oil palm plantations will ensure better
associated with NMP; Recommendations
usage of the land resources without any adverse
ecological impact. Context:
• The soil available in the focus regions is also • The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate
found to be suitable for oil palm plantation. Affairs recently launched the National
Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) for Central
Climatic suitability:
ministries and public sector entities.
• Besides the availability of land in the focus
Details:
regions, the suitability of climate is a major factor
for promotion of oil palm in the northeastern • The pipeline has been developed by NITI Aayog,
states and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. in consultation with infrastructure line ministries,
based on the mandate for ‘Asset Monetisation’
• The hot and humid climatic conditions available
under Union Budget 2021-22.
in these regions makes it an ideal location for palm
oil cultivation. The high rainfall in the region will * Union Budget 2021-22 had identified
help do away with the need for irrigation which monetisation of operating public infrastructure
could otherwise suck out valuable groundwater assets as a key means for sustainable
resources. infrastructure financing.
Adoption of suitable agricultural pattern: * The NMP is in with the government’s strategic
divestment policy, under which the state will
• Given the concerns over unsuitability of oil palm
retain presence in only a few identified sectors
plantations for small scale farmers, the IIOPR
with the rest privatized.
suggests multi-cropping during the first three
years of the oil palm’s life cycle which would • NMP is envisaged to serve as a medium-term
help provide income before the plantation yields roadmap for identifying potential monetisation-
returns from the fourth to seventh years. ready projects, across various infrastructure
sectors including roads, ports, airports, railways,
Recommendations:
warehousing, gas & product pipeline, power
Mitigating environmental and economic generation and transmission, mining, telecom,
consequences: stadium, hospitality and housing.
• While the focus on oil palm cultivation is a • Under the plan, private firms can invest in projects
welcome move towards ensuring of self reliance for a fixed return using the InvIT route as well
of edible oil, there is the need to proceed on the as operate and develop the assets for a certain
basis of cautious scientific analysis. The concerns period. Some assets such as warehouses and
over the ecological and economic consequences stadiums can also be given on a long-term lease
of oil palm plantations should be appropriately for operations. Thus it will involve participation of
taken care of. the private firms in the infrastructure sector.
Promotion of other dryland cultivation suitable • The objective of this initiative is to enable
oilseeds: ‘Infrastructure Creation through Monetisation’
• Some experts have also proposed the extension • The programme will include only brownfield
of similar subsidies and support to other oilseeds assets which is either languishing or has not been
which are indigenous to India and suited for fully monetised. There would be no transfer of
dryland agriculture like groundnut, sesame and ownership or land. The primary ownership of the
sunflower. This they argue can help India achieve assets will continue to be with the Government
self-reliance without dependence on oil palm. with the framework envisaging hand back
Additional information: of assets to the public authority at the end of
transaction life.
• The state of Andhra Pradesh currently grows
• NMP estimates aggregate monetisation potential
of Rs 6.0 lakh crores through core assets of the
Central Government, over a four-year period,
between 2021-22 and 2024-25
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Background: Issues:
Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products • Some sectors are concerned about the rates
(RoDTEP) scheme: being lower than expected.
• The RoDTEP scheme had kicked in from January • Engineering firms are concerned about the taxes
1 2021, replacing the earlier Merchandise and on key raw materials not being adequately offset.
Services Export Incentive Schemes (MEIS and
SEIS) that were in violation of WTO norms.
• Based on the globally accepted principle that Indian Economy and Infrastructure - Power sector
taxes and duties should not be exported, and 6. Revisit the idea of ‘aging out’ India’s coal plants
taxes and levies borne on the exported products
should be either exempted or remitted to » Prelims: India’s INDC
exporters, the RoDTEP scheme aims at zero » Mains: Arguments both in favour of and against
rating of exports. the shutting down old coal power plants
• The scheme will ensure that the exporters receive Context:
the refunds on the embedded taxes and duties
previously non-recoverable. • In the light of the growing calls for shutting down
of old coal power plants in India, even in the
Details: current central government the article analyzes
Rates: the arguments both in favour of and against this
proposal.
• The rebates under RoDTEP range from 0.5% to
4.3% of the Free On Board value of outbound Arguments in favour of shutting down old coal power
consignments. plants:
* While the lowest rate is offered on items like Environmental benefits:
chocolates, toffees and sugar confectionary, • The old coal power plants are major contributors
yarns and fibres have been granted the highest to Green House Gas emissions. The shutting down
rate. of these plants will thus aid the achievement of
• Steel, pharma and chemicals have not been India’s Nationally Determined Contributions.
included under the scheme. * India aims to reduce the emissions intensity of
Norms: its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005
level.
• To enable zero rating of exports, all taxes,
including those levied by States and even Gram * India also aims to achieve about 40 per cent
Panchayats, will be refunded under the scheme. cumulative electric power installed capacity
from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by
• The RoDTEP scheme would be valid till March 31, 2030.
2024.
Economic benefits:
Significance:
• The replacement of older power plants with
Increase competitiveness of Indian products: newer and more efficient coal based power
• The rebate will allow the exporters to price plants would lead to improved efficiencies,
their products at a lower level. This will help reduced coal usage, and hence, cost savings.
make Indian products price competitive in the • Also several studies have indicated that it would
international market. be uneconomical for old plants to install pollution
Boost to exports: control equipment required to meet the emission
• This would incentivize people to undertake standards announced by the Environment
exports of notified goods. This will give not only Ministry. It would be more financially viable to
give an impetus to India’s foreign exports and close such plants.
its balance of payments position but would also Arguments against shutting down of old coal power
augur well for India’s economic growth. plants:
Boost to specified sectors: Other factors contributing to the cost of power
• The scheme would put direct cash in the pockets produced:
of exporters and this could be used to further • It is worth noting that given the large forward
increase production or productivity. and backward linkages to power generation in
coal based power plants, higher efficiency does
not naturally translate to savings.
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• For example: given that the older plants are likely » Mains: Significance and challenges associated
to be located closer to the coal source, reducing with ensuring financial inclusion
coal transport costs, they enjoy locational Context:
advantage. Some of these older plants generate
power at lower costs compared to the national • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently
average. announced the formation of a composite
Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index).
Negligible savings:
Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index):
• As per the analysis conducted by the authors of
this article, the total savings from shutting down • The composite Financial Inclusion Index (FI-
plants older than 25 years would be negligible Index) would help capture the extent of financial
and inadequate to even pay for the fixed costs inclusion across the country.
(such as debt repayment) that would have to be • The FI-Index has been conceptualised as a
paid if the plants are prematurely retired. comprehensive index incorporating details
• Also the savings in coal consumption by of banking, investments, insurance, postal as
replacing older plants with newer ones will likely well as the pension sector in consultation with
be only in the 1%-2% range. Government and respective sectoral regulators.
Necessary complement for renewable energy: • The FI-Index will be published annually in July
every year.
• There has been the growing share of renewable
energy mix in the Indian power sector. To support • The index captures information on various
the intermittent renewable energy generation, aspects of financial inclusion in a single value
there is the need for capacity that can provide ranging between 0 and 100, where 0 represents
flexibility, balancing, and ancillary services. Old complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates
thermal capacity, with lower fixed costs, can play full financial inclusion.
this role until affordable and affordable storage • The FI-Index comprises of three broad
technologies develop. parameters viz., Access (35%), Usage (45%), and
• The old coal based plants could be used to meet Quality (20%). The Index is responsive to ease
instantaneous peak load as well meet load when of access, availability and usage of services, and
renewable energy is unavailable. quality of services, comprising in all 97 indicators.
Risks with retirement: * A unique feature of the Index is the Quality
parameter which captures the quality aspect
• Coal power plants older than 25 years make of financial inclusion as reflected by financial
up around 20% of the total installed thermal literacy, consumer protection, and inequalities
capacity in India and hence play a significant role and deficiencies in services.
in the country’s power supply.
• The FI-Index has been constructed without any
• Aggressive early retirement of coal-based ‘base year’ and as such it reflects cumulative
capacity could result in real or perceived electricity efforts of all stakeholders over the years towards
shortage in some States and may lead to new financial inclusion.
investments in coal-based base-load capacity by
State-owned entities. This would be unwelcome • The annual FI-Index for the period ending March
given that already the planned thermal capacity 2021 is 53.9 as against 43.4 for the period ending
is in excess of what the country needs. Further March 2017.
addition of thermal power capacity will lead to
stranded assets and locked-in resources issues.
Indian Economy and Infrastructure
Recommendations:
• Based on the above arguments, it is prudent 8. Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021
that age should not be the only criterion to » Prelims: UDAY scheme; electricity subject in
close coal based power plants. There is the concurrent list of the Indian Constitution
need for a more detailed analysis, considering » Mains: Bad state of the Discoms; Major provisions
the various technical, economic and operating of the new amendment bill; arguments both in
characteristics of individual plants and units. favour of and against the new amendments
Background:
Index Bad state of the Discoms:
7. Financial inclusion index • Electricity distribution has remained the sore
point in the country’s power network.
» Prelims: Financial Inclusion Index- Parameters
• The distribution companies (discoms) which by • The other major changes that the Bill is expected
and large come under the control of the States, to bring about include the appointment of
have been plagued by a variety of issues. a member with legal background in every
electricity regulatory commission, and the
* Thirty-six out of 56 discoms have reported
strengthening of the Appellate Tribunal for
aggregate losses of around Rs. 32,900 crore as
Electricity.
on March 31, 2020. They owe over Rs. 90,000
crore to power producers at the end of June Arguments in favour:
2021. Increased competition and associated benefits:
* Discoms continue to be saddled with structural • The de-licensing provision will help end the
challenges in governance and regulation. monopoly of state-run distribution companies
◊ The Regulatory Commissions in many states and overcome their financially non viability.
have not been able to function with the By incentivizing greater private participation
desired speed or efficiency. in the distribution sector it will help increase
competition and thus aid in unleashing of next-
* They face the problems of underinvestment,
generation power sector reforms in India.
line losses and issues in billing, metering, and
collection which seems to be acting as a body • It will have a positive bearing on distribution
blow to their financial viability. efficiency and help reduce tariffs. The anticipated
technological upgrades including smart
◊ Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C)
metering and infrastructure advancements that
losses lies in the range of around 20%.
is expected through greater private participation
• The government has tried several times to make will help reduce the huge AT&C losses.
discoms financially viable through schemes like
• Increased competition will not only empower
UDAY, but their efforts have not met with the
customers but also help bring huge investments
desired success. into the sector and accelerate technology
Major provisions of the amendment bill: adoption.
• The broad objectives of the legislation are to
ensure consumer-centricity, promote ease of Impact on Renewable energy sector:
doing business, enhance sustainability of the
power sector and promote green power. • The reforms will especially make the RE
generation, transmission and distribution
• One of the main provisions includes the move financially more attractive to investors.
to de-license power distribution and allow
for greater private sector participation in • The provision regarding renewable energy (RE)
the electricity distribution sector. This will let purchase obligations will help India meet its RE
consumers choose a distribution company in and global climate commitments.
their area. It also proposes a role for distribution Reduce subsidy foregone:
sub-licensees with regulators’ nod.
• The introduction of Direct Benefit Transfer
• There is the provision of a universal service (DBT) of power subsidies will ensure greater
obligation fund, which shall be managed by a transparency and accountability and ensure that
government company. This fund shall be utilised the subsidy reaches people who are entitled to it,
to meet any deficits in cross-subsidy. as we have seen in the case of LPG.
• The draft bill proposes direct benefit transfer • This will help cut down on subsidy to the
(DBT) of subsidies, reduction of cross subsidies, electricity sector and help ensure a better cost-
and the establishment of the electricity contract reflective tariff.
enforcement authority.
Robust regulatory regime
• It provides that the Commissions shall determine
• The strengthening of electricity regulatory
tariffs that are reflective of cost so as to enable
commission and the Appellate Tribunal for
Discoms to recover their costs.
Electricity will ensure faster resolution of long-
• There will also be a penalty for not meeting pending issues and reduce the legal hassles for
renewable energy (RE) purchase obligations that all stakeholders.
require power distribution companies to buy a
Arguments against
fixed amount of RE and reduce their reliance on
fossil fuels. The responsibility of fixing renewable • Opposition parties and several organisations
power obligation (RPO) is shifted from state have objected to certain features in the draft
commissions to the central government. Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
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* The proposed de-licensing of distribution has • The primary reason for this divergence seems to
been opposed by some state governments. be the difference in vaccine access and the pace
They fear that a greater role for private of vaccination coverage and the ability of the
distribution companies and franchisees would countries to provide for additional fiscal support.
only lead to “cherry-picking of remunerative
areas” by these companies, leaving it to the * There has been a huge difference in the pace
State discoms to serve social sector obligations of vaccine roll-out between the advanced
and rural areas. This would only push the State and the emerging and low-income countries.
discoms to incur more massive losses. According to the IMF estimates, overall, over
40% of the population in advanced economies
* Some states have opposed the proposed have been fully vaccinated as compared with
amendment on the grounds that it goes just 11% in emerging market economies.
against the federal structure of the Constitution
as electricity is in the concurrent list. * The advanced economies have been able
to use their vastly superior fiscal situation
* Those opposing the Bill contend that it will to implement significantly bigger stimulus
lead to more private players in the power packages. This has helped prop up consumer
sector, making electricity unaffordable for demand and hence support domestic industry
vulnerable sections. A greater stake for private and growth.
sector could lead to a scenario where the new
private service providers could undertake Concerns for India:
unreasonable tariff hikes for profiteering. Economic contraction:
* There is also the fear that the proposed DBT • The Indian economy has exhibited one of the
will do away with the heavily subsidised or free poorest performances among the emerging
power supply to the farm sector. market economies.
* Other specific complaint from the state * After the first COVID-19 wave, Indian economy
includes the one from the state of Tamil Nadu, contracted by over 7% during 2020-21.
which argues that hydro-power purchase Slow recovery:
obligation cannot be fixed separately as hydro-
power generation is seasonal, monsoon- • The economic recovery has been slow in India
dependent and not in the control of its discom. partly attributable to the second wave of the
pandemic.
• The recovery process has been also skewed and
Conclusion: India has been experiencing what is commonly
• The proposed amendment can be a game- referred to as a K-shaped economic recovery
changer for the power sector provided its process. This does not augur well for long term
lacunae are covered for and it is implemented as sustainable economic growth prospects of India.
envisaged. Inflation:
• Retail inflation had crossed 6% and continues
Indian Economy and issues relating to growth and to remain high leading to price pressures on the
economic recovery process. It has also raised
development
fears of stagflation in the Indian economy.
9. The Indian economy is struggling to recover • The high inflation will only further exacerbate
» Prelims: World Economic Outlook the difficulties being faced by the poor.
» Mains: Challenges associated with India’s Limited resources with government for public
economic recovery in the post pandemic phase expenditure:
Background: • Given the slowdown in revenue inflow to the
government, the government too had cut back
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s latest public spending.
update of the World Economic Outlook report
though projected a global economic expansion • Given the large role that public expenditure
of around 6%, it had warned of a widening plays in India’s economy, this does not augur well
variance in the global recovery process in the for the growth prospects of Indian economy.
aftermath of the pandemic. Limited fiscal stimulus in India:
* While the forecast for advanced economies has • Unlike other economies India’s actual fiscal
been revised upwards, prospects for emerging stimulus has been very limited as compared to
and developing economies, particularly those its GDP. Also most of the measures are in the form
in Asia are projected to experience slower of easy credit facilities to affected sectors of the
recoveries.
» Prelims:Export targets set by the government • The Directorate General of Foreign Trade would
be restructured to make it a trade promotion
» Mains: Service exports from India; Measures organisation rather than being only an incentive-
being taken to promote exports from India distribution organization.
Export Targets: * Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT),
• Buoyed by record merchandise exports in the first formerly known as the Chief Controller of
quarter of the current fiscal year, the government Imports and Exports (CCI&E), is India’s official
has set a target of $400 billion merchandise administrating body for imports and exports.
exports in FY22, with specific targets set for It is an attached office of the Ministry of
sectors and countries. Commerce and Industry.
* Notably however, India was a net importer in * DGFT is accountable for implementing
June 2021 with a trade deficit of $9.4 billion. the Foreign Trade Policy, with the primary
objective of promoting the Nation’s exports.
• Subsequently the government also aims to reach
a merchandise exports target of $500 billion for Export incentives:
FY23 and $1 trillion in 2027-28. • The government will remit about Rs. 50,000
• The government is aiming to target $2 trillion crore of pending export benefits over a two-year
exports by 2030, with $1 from trillion merchandise period.
exports and $1 trillion from services exports.. • The government would also be soon notifying
the RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on
Export Products) rates.
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made-ups occupy a place of eminence in innovation and IPR (intellectual property
the markets of USA, UK, Germany, France, rights).There is the need to step up investments,
Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan and especially in research and development to
Australia. The main items exported belong ensure India’s self-reliance in critical sectors.
to the segment of home furnishing, which * India should prioritize working towards
constitutes about 90% of our total handloom enhancing technological capabilities in areas
exports. such as electronics and 5G, developing a skill
• Handloom is unparalleled in its flexibility and ecosystem for these sectors and creating
versatility, permitting experimentation and protocols and partnerships with countries for
encouraging innovations. The strength of cooperation in technology.
Handloom lies in the introducing innovative * India should focus on augmenting its design
designs, which cannot be replicated by the and innovation capability given its vast scope
Power loom sector. and potential.
• Handloom forms a part of the heritage of India * India should work towards establishing
and exemplifies the richness and diversity of our end-to-end value chains within India, given
country and the artistry of the weavers. that such an approach will not only bring
Steps proposed: additional income but also shield from any
potential value chain disruption and ensure a
• A committee consisting of all relevant
more secure production chain for India.
stakeholders like weavers, trainers, equipment
makers, and marketing experts should be formed * The government should facilitate measures
to recommend ways to achieve the target set for to help reduce cost of doing business. This
handloom exports. will ensure higher productivity among Indian
industries and will render such products price
• Measures should be taken to increase the
competitive in the international markets.
production capacities of handloom sector from
the current Rs. 60,000 crore to over Rs. 1.25 lakh * Only a robust financial sector could support
crore to increase exports. a robust economy and in this direction it is
necessary to take appropriate measures to
• An e-commerce portal will help the handloom
help the ailing financial sector in India.
weavers and handicraft artisans sell their
products directly. This will not only help the
artisans realize better prices for their products Indian Economy and issues relating to growth and
but will also help increase their market reach
both within India as well as other countries. development- Social security
• The Design Resource Centre in Tamil Nadu 18. Improving social security for workers
can provide design inputs to promote export » Mains: Impact of the pandemic on working
of handloom products by facilitating product population; Measures to be taken to improve
diversification and adaptation to meet modern their status
market requirements.
Context:
• Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour’s
Indian Economy and issues relating to growth and report on the impact of the pandemic on rising
development unemployment.
17. Improving the prospects of Indian domestic Impact of the pandemic:
industries • The COVID-19 crisis in India had come in
the backdrop of pre-existing high and rising
» Mains: Measures to be taken to improve the
unemployment.
prospects of Indian domestic industries
• The report notes the devastating impact of the
Context:
pandemic on the labour market.
• Annual session of the Confederation of Indian
* The PLFS quarterly bulletin for April-June 2020
Industries (CII).
showed the unemployment rate in urban areas
Major deliberations during the session: for those above 15 years at 20.8%, an increase
• The session attended by major industrialists from 9.1% in January-March 2020.
of India and the Indian prime Minister, many • This would have led to job losses and significant
suggestions were made for further improving income losses particularly in the informal sector
the prospects of the Indian domestic industries. threatening the survival of millions of workers
* India should focus on indigenous research, and their families.
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• Global Manufacturing Risk Index, 2021 brought Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) as Phase 1
out by real estate consultant Cushman & * Bengaluru Mumbai Industrial Corridor (BMIC)
Wakefield has ranked India as the second-most
sought-after manufacturing destination globally. * Extension of CBIC to Kochi via Coimbatore
* The first spot is occupied by China. * Hyderabad Nagpur Industrial Corridor (HNIC)
• The index assessed the most advantageous * Hyderabad Warangal Industrial Corridor
locations for manufacturing among 47 countries. (HWIC)
• The rankings are determined based on four * Hyderabad Bengaluru Industrial Corridor
parameters: the country’s capability to restart (HBIC)
manufacturing, business environment, operating * Odisha Economic Corridor (OEC)
costs, and the risks.
* Delhi Nagpur Industrial Corridor (DNIC)
* Operating cost competitiveness has been
Significance:
India’s biggest strength in the assessment.
• Industrial corridors are conceived to foster global
manufacturing, investment destination hubs and
Governmental schemes / Programmes / initiatives smart cities with the best in-class infrastructure.
22. National Industrial Corridor Programme • They have the potential to unleash the
manufacturing potential in the country and
» Prelims: National Industrial corridor Programme- raise its contribution to GDP by creating quality
Aims and provisions infrastructure ahead of demand.
» Mains: Significance of the initiative
Context: Governmental schemes / Programmes / initiatives
• 11 Industrial Corridors with 32 Projects to be
developed in 4 phases in the country as part of 23. SAMRIDH Scheme
National Industrial Corridor Programme (NICP). » Prelims: SAMRIDH scheme
About the National Industrial Corridor Programme Context:
(NICP):
• The “Start-up Accelerators of MeitY for pRoduct
• The National Industrial Corridor Programme Innovation, Development and growth
(NICP) has been conceived to promote world (SAMRIDH)” programme was launched recently.
class manufacturing facilities and develop
Details
futuristic industrial cities in India.
• The program aims to create a conducive platform
• It is under the Department for Promotion of
to Indian Software Product start-ups to enhance
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
their products and secure investments for
• The broad objective of NICP is to provide plug scaling their
and play infrastructural facilities for setting up
• The programme is being implemented by MeitY
large scale manufacturing units.
Start-up Hub (MSH).
• The National Industrial Corridor Development
• Not only will the program provide funding
and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) under the
support to the start-ups, but it will also help in
DPIIT is the overarching institutional framework
bringing skill sets together which will help them
to implement the programme.
to become successful.
• Under the programme, land parcels are
• The government will support start-ups and
developed for immediate allotment to
entrepreneurs in the most challenging phase
manufacturing units.
which is the initial risk phase.
• The programme aims to develop new industrial
• The scheme will focus on accelerating 300 start-
cities as “Smart Cities” and converge next
ups by providing customer connect, investor
generation technologies across infrastructure
connect, and international immersion in the next
sectors.
three years.
• The 11 Industrial Corridors being developed are:
• Also, an investment of up to Rs. 40 lakh to the
* Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) start-up based on its current valuation and
* Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) growth stage will be provided through selected
accelerators.
* Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC)
• It will also facilitate equal matching investment
* East Coast Industrial Corridor (ECIC) with Vizag by the accelerator/investor.
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Significance of Sub-Mission on Fodder and Feed: Ensure availability of green fodder:
Increasing productivity, reducing costs: • A major challenge in the feed sector emanates
• The lack of good quality feed and fodder impacts from the fact that good quality green fodder is
the productivity levels of cattle. only available for about three months during the
year.
• The revised scheme has been designed with the
objectives of increasing productivity, reducing • The ideal solution to deal with the scarcity is to
input costs. ferment green fodder and convert it into silage.
• Livestock is the major source of cash income for • The idea is that farmers should be able to grow
about 13 crore marginal farmers and is insurance the green fodder between two crop seasons and
in the event of crop failure. About 200 million entrepreneurs can then convert it into silage and
Indians are involved in dairy and livestock sell it at nearby markets at one-tenth of the price
farming. of concentrate/dry feed ensuring affordable
quality fodder to dairy farmers.
• The Sub-Mission on Fodder and Feed recently
announced by the Indian government is • The large-scale production of silage will bring
important from the perspective of poverty down the input cost for farmers since silage is
alleviation. much cheaper than concentrate feed.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
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* Co-operation in tackling maritime threats from troop contributing countries. Currently around
non-state actors and natural disasters 5000 Indian personnel have been deployed
across nine missions.
* Conservation of maritime environment and
marine resources. This gains all the more • Peacekeeping would play a crucial role in India’s
significance amid reports of pollution from vision of ensuring international peace and
plastic waste and oil spills. security.
* Promoting maritime connectivity based on Details:
global norms and standards. This would help • The Security Council adopted a “Presidential
boost maritime trade Statement” underscoring the importance of
• The UNSC also adopted a ‘Presidential [India’s] peacekeeping, the complexities and challenges
Statement’ which reaffirmed that the United of the environment in which it occurs and the
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea importance of existing and new technologies to
(UNCLOS) establishes the legal framework for protect peacekeepers.
maritime activities. • A four-point framework was outlined for securing
Measures taken by India: the safety of peacekeepers.
• SAGAR (‘Security and Growth for all in the * Deployment of proven, cost-effective and
Region’) is an 2015 Indian framework for regional field-serviceable technologies
maritime security. * Availability of sound information and
* SAGAR is aimed at strengthening economic intelligence
and security connections with regional * Continuous technological improvements and
maritime nations. their availability
• India had resolved its maritime boundary * Capacity building and training of peacekeepers
issue with neighbour Bangladesh is line with with regard to technology
International norms and laws.
Initiatives announced by India:
UNITE Aware:
International Relations: Bilateral, regional and
• The External Affairs Minister announced the
global groupings and agreements involving India
rollout of ‘UNITE Aware’.
and / or affecting India’s Interests
• This is a technological platform developed in
4. Peacekeeping operations partnership with the UN to help enhance the
» Prelims: UNITE AWARE safety of UN peacekeepers.
» Mains: India’s contribution in peacekeeping • UNITE Aware will provide terrain information and
operations; Framework for ensuring safety of “improve situational awareness”for peacekeepers
peacekeepers by allowing for visualizing, coordinating and
monitoring of peacekeeping operations on a real
Context: time basis.
• Indian External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, MoU with UNCAP:
recently presided over a United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) open debate on technology and • A Memorandum of Understanding between
peacekeeping.’. India and the UN in support of the “Partnership
for Technology in Peacekeeping” initiative and
Background: the UN C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations
UN Peacekeeping missions and India’s role: (UNCAP) has also been announced by India.
• India is one of the top troop contributors to * UN C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations is
the U.N. peacekeeping missions and thus a key located in Entebbe. Uganda.
priority has been to ensure the safety of the • This will help meet the training needs of
Indian peacekeeping personnel. peacekeeping forces in line with available
* Peacekeeping has been earmarked as a technological capability and future requirements
priority area of focus for India month-long as well.
UNSC presidency.
• India has been a pioneer in UN Peacekeeping.
Deploying more than a quarter of a million
troops over the years to as many as 49 UN
peacekeeping Missions, Serving under the blue
flag, 175 gallant Indian soldiers have made the
supreme sacrifice, the largest number among
International Relations: Bilateral, regional and Lanka’s moves to allow Chinese submarines
global groupings and agreements involving India to dock in its ports. India is wary of increasing
and / or affecting India’s Interests Chinese presence and influence in the
neighbouring island nation of Sri Lanka.
5. India, Sri Lanka and Maldives to collaborate on
• Maldives’s engagement with members of the
security Quad including India, United States, Japan and
» Mains: Security co-operation- focus areas and Australia has been growing over time, especially
their significance for India in the area of defence cooperation. The Quad
is itself viewed as an alliance to counter the
increasing assertiveness of the Chinese in the
Context: region.
• Deputy NSA-level meeting of India, Sri Lanka and International Relations: India’s bilateral relations
the Maldives.
6. India-Russia defence relations
Details:
» Prelims: S-400; RELOS; INDRA exercise and 2+2
• India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have identified mechanism
“four pillars” of security cooperation.
» Mains: Robust defence ties between India and
* Marine Safety and Security Russia
* Counter-terrorism and Deradicalization Context:
* Human trafficking and Organised Crime • The article analyzes the robust defence ties
* Cyber security between India and Russia.’.
• Specific proposals for cooperation in each area, Details:
including joint exercises and training were also Major defence supplier:
discussed in the meeting.
• India may have seen a strategic tilt towards the
• In the previous NSA level talks between the two US in the last decade, but Russia continues to be
countries, the three countries agreed to expand a large supplier of defence equipment to India.
the scope of intelligence sharing.
* India went ahead and finalized the S-400 air
Significance for India: defence system deal with Russia despite the
Maritime security in the strategic Indian Ocean threat of sanctions from U.S. under the CAATSA
Region: regime.
• This meeting marked the revival of NSA-level Collaboration in defence production:
trilateral talks on maritime security in the Indian • Unlike the seller buyer relationship that India
Ocean Region after a gap of six years and will enjoys with other defence suppliers, Russia has
help build on the ‘Colombo Security Conclave’ also involved in large scale technology transfer
architecture which seeks to promote maritime and joint development ventures with India in the
security in the Indian Ocean Region. realm of defence technology.
Boost to India’s image as a net security provider in • India and Russia are exploring possibilities of co-
the region: operation and collaboration in using India as a
• Sri Lanka and Maldives have a strategic location production base for exporting to third countries
in the Indian Ocean region and their co-operation of Russian-origin equipment and services.
will be inevitable for India in the region. 2+2 mechanism:
• The initiative will also help India build on its • India and Russia have agreed to establish a
image as a net security provider in the Indian "2+2 ministerial dialogue" between foreign and
Ocean Region. defence ministers to add further momentum to
China factor: the bilateral strategic partnership.
• The initiative, grounded in military and security • Russia now has become part of a small group
collaboration, assumes all the more significance of countries with whom India has 2+2 dialogue
in the wake of the current geostrategic dynamic of foreign and defence ministers. India has such
that India shares with Sri Lanka and the Maldives. mechanism with the US, Japan and Australia.
* India has aired security concerns over China • What is significant is Russia is the first non-Quad
being awarded development projects in Sri member country with which India will now have
Lanka’s northern province close to India’s the 2+2 mechanism.
border. India has also strongly criticized Sri
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Military exercises: reset the ties that have been under strain.
• India and Russia have been undertaking periodic Fine balancing of India’s relations:
bilateral exercises (Exercise INDRA) to strengthen • It is also indicative of India’s traditional approach
mutual confidence and interoperability between to relations with Iran, wherein India has sought
the armed forces and enable sharing of best to maintain ties with Iran even in the face of
practices between the contingents of both the opposition from Iran’s adversaries, namely the
countries. United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel. It will seek
• India and Russia are also seeking to expand to balance its ties with Iran with that with the
cooperation in Central Asia and the possibility of U.S., Saudi Arabia and Israel.
supplementing bilateral exercises with trilateral • India will continue to walk its tightrope between
and multilateral ones. its traditional ties with Iran and the growing
Proposed agreements: strategic partnership with Washington.
• India and Russia are expected to conclude Co-operation on the Afghanistan issue
the bilateral logistics agreement, Reciprocal • The visits come amidst rapid developments
Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS), and in Afghanistan, with the U.S. completing the
a Navy-to- Navy cooperation memorandum pull-out of troops and the Taliban increasing its
of understanding (MoU) during the upcoming attacks on Afghan cities.
Russian Defence Minister’s visit to India.
• The developments concerns both India and Iran
Co-operation on Afghan issue: as a Taliban controlled Afghanistan could pose
• India and Russia have also agreed to co-operate serious security threat for Iran and India.
and align their approaches to the possible threats • Also notably India and Iran are the two regional
of rise of extremist ideology, drug trafficking, powers which have been left out of the “Troika
organized crime and the flow of refugees that plus” meeting of U.S.-Russia-China and Pakistan
could arise from the rapidly evolving situation in scheduled in Doha to discuss Afghanistan’s
Afghanistan.’. future.
• India and Iran will have to cooperate more closely
International Relations: India’s bilateral relations on Afghanistan to secure their interests.
• The U.K. supports a permanent seat for India on • Sri Lanka has been complaining of increasing
the Security Council. protectionism and limited market access in India.
On Climate Change: Details
• Climate action remains a top priority in the U.K.- • Sri Lanka’s Integrated Country Strategy for India
India relationship. proposes building connectivity between the two
• U.K. is a partner in Indian-led International Solar nations, promoting trade and investment, as well
Alliance. as religious exchanges.
Indo-pacific strategy: * The report recommends speeding up the
West Container Terminal project that Sri Lanka
• U.K.’s Integrative Review of Security, Defence, offered after cancelling the ECT project, as well
Development and Foreign Policy has indicated a as the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm and other
strong Indo-Pacific ‘tilt’. pending projects involving India.
International Relations: Relations between India * It advocates an inter-agency committee on
and neighbouring countries-Sri Lanka trade, investment and tourism to increase
foreign direct investment from India as well as
9. India Sri Lanka bilateral relations exports from Sri Lanka.
» Mains: Strain in bilateral relations * The strategy paper advises promoting
Context exchanges of Buddhist and Hindu scholars as
• Sri Lanka’s new High Commissioner-designate well as Sri Lankan Catholic pilgrims..
to India through the nation’s new “Integrated Conclusion:
Country Strategy” for India aims to restore ties • Bound by geography, economics, culture, history
with it.’ and democratic values, India-Sri Lanka bilateral
Background relations hold immense potential as well as
• In recent years, the Indo-Sri Lanka bilateral significance for both nations.’
relationship has been increasingly dominated
by a transactional approach that has resulted in
a growing trust deficit between the two nations. International Relations: Effect of policies and
politics of developed and developing countries on
• The bilateral relationship has been under strain India’s interests / diaspora
over a number of issues.
10. The Abraham Accords as India’s West Asia Bridge
Cancelled port project:
» Prelims: Abraham Accord; Zayed Talwar naval
• In February 2021 Sri Lanka had scrapped the East
exercises; Duqm port
Container Terminal project of Colombo signed in
2019 with India. » Mains: Significance of Abraham Accord for India
and challenges
• This came amid other signs of China gaining the
upper hand in infrastructure deals in Sri Lanka. What are Abraham Accords?
Fishermen’s issue: • The Abraham Accords are a joint statement
made between Israel, the United States and the
• A major source of concern for the bilateral
United Arab Emirates on August 13, 2020.
relations has been the conflict in the Palk Bay.
• It is the first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years.
• Sri Lankan fishermen object to Indians using
bottom trawlers and fishing illegally along • The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain agreed to
their coast. There have been arrests of Indian establish full diplomatic ties with Israel as part of
fishermen which has led considerable backlash a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land
in India. sought by the Palestinians for their future state.
India overlooking SL’s request for financial support • It was brokered by US President Donald Trump.
• Sri Lanka has expressed disappointment over • It was initially agreed to in a joint statement by
the lack of movement on the requests it made to the United States, Israel and the United Arab
India for assistance, including a debt repayment Emirates (UAE) in 2020.
waiver for three years and a separate currency • Through this, UAE became the third Arab country,
swap for $1 billion to help with economic crisis. after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, to agree
Economic aspects: to formally normalize its relationship with Israel
as well as the first Persian Gulf country to do so.’
• The negotiations for Economic and Technology
Cooperation Agreement have remained
deadlocked.
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Significance of the Abraham Accords for India: * While Saudi Arabia has praised the Accords,
• India welcomed the Abraham Accords, since it its focus is on the resolution of the Palestinian
shares cordial relationship with all the signatories issue.
of the accord. • There are multiple obstacles to the India-Iran
• It was believed then, that India could to gain bilateral relations led by U.S. sanctions against
unprecedented benefits as a result of the accords Iran and the general tensions between Israel, the
which would offer peace and stability in the Gulf and Iran via proxy battles in theatres such as
region. Yemen, Syria and beyond.
• The signing of the Accords has removed a Conclusion:
significant strategic obstacle for New Delhi. • India’s strategic role in West Asia will be reflective
Deepening cooperation in West Asia: of its increasingly important place in the global
order. From its presidency in the UN Security
• India’s efforts towards increasing strategic Council to its role in the Indo-Pacific, India is
footprint in West Asia has been in the expected to be more assertive, diplomatically
development phase. and militarily, in its posturing.
• In 2020, Indian Army chief, visited the UAE and
Saudi Arabia, becoming the first chief of the
Indian Army to do so. International Relations: Effect of policies and
* The foundation for these visits laid in 2017, politics of developed and developing countries on
when a deal was concluded with Muscat for India’s interests / diaspora
access to Duqm Port, including dry dock use 11. Biden govt. non-committal on support for India’s
by the Indian Navy.
UNSC bid
• India recently conducted the ‘Zayed Talwar’ naval
exercises with the UAE off the coast of Abu Dhabi. » Prelims: G4 and Uniting for Consensus (UFC)
group
* This signals further deepening the fast-
developing strategic cooperation between » Mains: India’s bid for permanent seat at UNSC-
the two countries. Arguments in favour; Need for urgent reforms of
UN
• These examples show the developments on the
defence front between India and the West Asian Context
region. • The U.S. position on reforms of the United
• The Arabian Sea and the extended Indian Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Ocean Region (IOR) has taken a position of Details
power in Indian strategic thinking, considering • The previous U.S. administrations in the past have
developments such as the IAF’s visit to Saudi backed India’s bid for a permanent seat at the
Arabia in 2015, hosting visiting Iranian naval UNSC. However, the current Biden administration
warships in 2018, defence of the critical has continued to remain non-committal on the
waterways in and around the Persian Gulf. issue.
The Iran Link: • While the U.S. has offered qualified support for
• Recent, multiple visits by India’s External Affairs enlargement of the UNSC, in terms of permanent
Minister and Defence Minister followed by and non-permanent members, it does not
Iranian Defence Minister’s visit to India highlight support expansion of veto power beyond the
a revitalised strategic cooperation between the permanent members or its alteration.
two countries. * The veto power in the UNSC is exclusive to
• In the backdrop of deepening Afghanistan crisis, the five permanent members: China, France,
Iran, as part of India’s West Asia strategy will play a Russia, the U.K and the U.S.
significant part in India’s outreach in the months • The U.S. has also refrained from saying the U.S.
to come. supported India and other members of the G4
• Connectivity projects such as Chabahar Port and for a permanent UNSC seat.
Chabahar-Zahedan rail project remain critical. * The G4 nations comprising Brazil, Germany,
Challenges: India, and Japan are four countries which
• Not all Arab States have been on board with the support each other's bids for permanent seats
geopolitical shifts resulting from the Accords. on the United Nations Security Council.
• Despite a lot of effort from Israel, Saudi Arabia has • The U.S. has attributed this stance to regional
maintained a distance from this arrangement. disagreements on who should get the seat. The
Uniting for Consensus (UFC) group consisting
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marked by three characteristics — adversarial, support to the Taliban in the form of arms and
competitive and cooperative. ammunition, training, finances and shelter for
Integrated deterrence: the Taliban fighters. This supply chain has helped
Taliban thrive in the fight against the Afghan
• The U.S. is seeking“integrated deterrence”against security forces.
China. The U.S. will be seeking full engagement
of and contribution by the like-minded states of • Legitimised by the U.S. deal, the Taliban also
the region in its endeavour to counter China. reached out to regional players such as China,
Russia and Iran with success.The recognition
offered by these countries to the Taliban only
International Relations: Effect of policies and helped increase its prominence in Afghanistan.
politics of developed and developing countries on Internal divisions:
India’s interests / diaspora • The Afghanistan administration was internally
13. Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan divided based on ethnic lines. The unity
government formed after the U.S. interference
» Prelims: Panjshir valley was not very effective in suppressing the internal
» Mains: Regional and global ramifications of the divisions and putting up a united front against
Taliban takeover of Afghanistan; Challenges and the Taliban forces. This lead to the weakening of
concerns for India. the anti-Taliban coalition.
Context American withdrawal
• After 20 years of war, the Taliban has captured • The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s capital Kabul. involved not just the soldiers and American air
support but also the intelligence agents and
Details contractors who were serving Afghanistan’s war
• This marks the end of a 20-year Western planes and helicopters. This adversely impacted
experiment aimed at remaking the country. the functioning of the Afghan air force, the only
• Taliban said that it would announce the Islamic superiority the Afghan troops had in the war
Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential against the Taliban.
palace. • This allowed the Taliban to overrun vast areas in
• Afghanistan was called the Islamic Emirate of a short period of time. This allowed the Taliban
Afghanistan under the Taliban government that to take the rural districts first and then lay siege
was ousted by the U.S.-led forces after the 9/11 to the cities.
attacks. Lack of resistance from the Afghan security forces
Factors which have aided this rapid accent of Taliban • The overstretched and resource-limited Afghan
to power in Afghanistan security forces were under pressure from the
U.S.-Taliban deal: drying supply lines. The demoralized forces
when given an option to surrender chose it to
• The U.S. Taliban agreement signed in February save their lives
2020, marked the accent of Taliban to prominence
in Afghanistan. • As soldiers surrendered without a fight, cities
after cities fell to the Taliban. Within eight days
* The very fact that the then U.S. administration after the capture of the first provincial capital,
held direct talks with the Taliban bypassing more than half of the provincial capitals were
the Afghan government and signed an exit under the control of the Taliban. Kabul had been
agreement even without taking the elected surrounded by the Taliban on all sides and its fall
government into confidence, gave the Taliban became inevitable.
an upper hand in Afghanistan affairs.
Afghanistan Under the Taliban
* The agreement also failed to extract any
concession from the Taliban towards a political • There are indications of a return to the harsh
settlement in Afghanistan or even a ceasefire. version of Islamic rule Afghans lived under from
This provided the Taliban a sense of victory, 1996 until 2001.
while demoralising the Afghan troops. • The biggest losers in the transition would be
* The U.S. decision to cut down on airstrikes post Afghan women and youth who had political,
the Doha agreement allowed the Taliban to civic, economic and human rights and
regroup across the country. opportunities, and media freedoms under the
Afghan government.
External support:
• Afghans fear that the Taliban could reimpose
• Pakistan has been providing all kinds of the kind of brutal rule that almost eliminated
women’s rights.
• Fear is running high among the ethnic Hazara Central Asian Nations
minority, Shia Muslims who were persecuted by • Some central Asian nations, including
the Taliban and made major gains in education Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan —
and social status over the past two decades. which share borders with Afghanistan — have
• Commercial flights were later suspended after raised concerns over the influx of refugees into
sporadic gunfire erupted at Kabul International their countries after fleeing Taliban regime. They
Airport. are worried Islamic State fighters and other
• Evacuations continued on military flights. fundamentalists as well as religious extremists
could infiltrate into the countries in the guise of
• The immediate challenge is a massive refugees.
humanitarian crisis on account of the hundreds
of thousands of internally displaced who have left * Countries like Uzbekistan and Tajikistan fear
other war zones and taken shelter on pavements that Taliban's hardline religious views could
and parks in Kabul. disturb their secular social fabric.
• Also, there is the panic and rush for passports Northern Alliance:
Alliance
and visas for those who fear for their lives from • Amid a complete takeover of Afghanistan by
the Taliban or their sponsors. the Taliban, a resistance force, led by Ahmad
• There have been reports of revenge killings and Massoud, son of late Afghan politician Ahmad
other brutal tactics in areas of the country the Shah Massoud, is reportedly gathering strength
Taliban have seized in recent days. in Panjshir Valley.
Regional Dynamics: Panjshir valley
Iran • The valley is located north of Kabul in the Hindu
Kush. This was a resistance stronghold against
• Iran’s top concerns include stemming the flow the Soviets in the 1980s and then against the
of migrants and refugees, containing narcotics Taliban in the 1990s.
trafficking, maintaining cross-border trade,
mitigating the threat from the Islamic State • Since it always remained the resistance zone, it
group’s Khorasan branch, sharing water resources was never conquered by any forces -- neither by
and ensuring the safety of Afghanistan’s Shia foreign forces nor by the Taliban.
minority. Resistance
• The Hazaras, who are mostly Shiite Muslims, are • The valley is the epicentre of what is being called
the third-largest ethnic group in mostly Sunni the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan or
Afghanistan. In the past, the Taliban singled the Second Resistance.
them out for persecution
• This is also being called a renewed Northern
China Alliance. Northern Alliance was the coalition
• China indicated it would not consider of rebel groups that opposed the Taliban rule
recognising the new Taliban regime in Kabul between 1996 and 2001.
until a government was formed. Ethnicity
• East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) • The valley is home to over one lakh people
* It is a Uyghur extremist organization founded and many of them are Tajiks. The valley has the
in Western China. country's largest concentration of ethnic Tajiks.
* Its stated goals are to establish an independent Significance
state called East Turkestan replacing Xinjiang • The Taliban have not attacked Panjshir and many
* China’s message has been that it would be believe that it is because of the location of the
open to working with the Taliban but called valley, which makes it a natural fortress.
on the grouping to “make a clean break” from Challenges
its links with terror outfits, particularly the East
Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) that has • In the 1990s, Massoud had the backing of
carried out attacks in China’s Xinjiang region Russia, Iran and India, and the Northern Alliance
was strong across northern and northeastern
Russia provinces.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised the • This time, Panjshir is the only province that stays
United States and the NATO allies for sending out of the Taliban’s control. It’s to be seen whether
refugees from Afghanistan to central Asian Panjshir could hold off the Taliban and Mr. Saleh
countries, and said they pose a direct threat to could muster enough domestic and regional
Moscow.
support to mount a credible challenge to them.
* Russia allows visa-free travel for residents of ex-
Soviet Central Asian countries.
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• The assumption is that effective control means • Considering Taliban’s brutal past, its extremist
the people of the country accept the new regime; ideology, and absence of democratic legitimacy,
if they did not, they would overthrow it. India has the right to withhold de jure (legal)
recognition of the Taliban regime.
• Under this doctrine, it is immaterial how the new
• But, given India’s huge investments in Afghanistan plus” of the United States-Russia-China-
and stakes in the South Asian region, India will Pakistanpushed for an inclusive government
have to find a way to engage with the Taliban. including the Taliban.
• India should adopt a clear policy that it will deal * The alternative grouping of Russia-Iran-China-
with the Taliban simply because it is the de facto Pakistan that formed a “regional arc” (countries
government, not because it is a legitimate one. that have retained their embassies in Kabul)
• This principle should be followed for bilateral * The connectivity quadrilaterals formed by the
relations and also for multilateral dealings such as U.S. and China, respectively, with Uzbekistan-
within the South Asian Association for Regional Afghanistan-Pakistan, that depend heavily on
Cooperation. Taliban protection and Pakistani port access.
Finding India's voice on Afghanistan: • Neither India’s traditional strategic and defence
partner, Russia, nor its fastest growing global
• The article talks about the need for India to strategic partner, the United States, thought it
leverage its unique strengths and remain important to include India about the details of
engaged with Afghanistan. their negotiations with the Taliban leadership.
Context: Concerns:
• In the chaos that has followed the Taliban • The first concern is for Indian diplomats,
takeover of Kabul, India has been relatively silent. personnel and citizens based in Afghanistan, and
• At the UNSecurity Council and UN Human Rights over the past year, since it became clear that the
Council, India has expressed its worries about U.S. troops would leave the country, India has
terrorism, human rights and refugees, but has reduced its diplomatic presence.
not mentioned the Taliban itself even once. • With the Taliban in power, India has other
• In India, the Government appears to be silent, as concerns as well. One worry is that groups such as
thousands of Afghans are fighting for visas. the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammad
could now have more ungoverned spaces to
• The focus is on the task of bringing a few hundred
carry out attacks against India.
Indian nationals back from Afghanistan.
• The Taliban’s control will also mean a bigger
India’s Role in Afghanistan in the Past:
hand for the Pakistani military and intelligence
• In the last 20 years, India had been at the agencies to influence outcomes for the country,
forefront of discussions in Afghanistan and on which will mandate a much smaller role for
Afghanistan. Indian development and infrastructure work that
• India’s role had strengthened in three areas: has won it goodwill over the past 20 years.
* Infrastructure building and development * In addition, trade through Afghanistan under
assistance, encompassing all 34 provinces of a Taliban regime would be routed through
the country; Karachi and Gwadar, and the Indian investment
in the Chabahar port, meant to circumvent
* Building democracy, helping script the Pakistan, may become unviable.
Constitution and hold elections;
• In addition, there is the threat of growing
* Educational investment, allowing thousands radicalisation and space for terror groups in
of young Afghans to study, be trained as India’s neighbourhood.
professionals and soldiers, and become skilled
in India. India has three options:
• India was the first country that Afghanistan • India can support and supply the Anti- Taliban
signed a strategic partnership with. forces with military supplies, including
ammunition and air power, possibly via the
• India is the only country that undertook Iranian route.
ambitious projects such Parliament, the Zaranj-
Delaram Highway, and the Chabahar port • The second would be to accelerate contacts with
project in Iran for transit trade, and by far the one the Taliban.
country that polled consistently highly among * However, this is unlikely to give India much
countries that Afghan people trusted. leverage, given the Pakistan factor, as well as
India’s Role in Afghanistan in the Recent Past: the fact that all regional and donor countries
have already done so.
• No other power from the west to the east has
considered India’s interests while charting its • Finally, India can simply wait and watch, until the
course on Afghanistan. chaos settles.
• India was cut out of several quadrilateral Way Forward:
arrangements: • It is time to accept that India is in need of a new
* The main negotiations held by the “Troika diplomatic strategy.
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• It is necessary for Indian government to publicly • The government must determine the nature
decry an outcome that has clearly worked of its engagement with the new regime in
against India’s interests now. Afghanistan.
• India needs to begin by rallying the United * The question would be whether India should
Nations, to exert considerable influence in its convert its secretive back-channel talks with
own interest, and that of the Afghan republic. the Taliban and with Pakistan in the past few
• At the UNSC, India must assert its distaste of a months into something more substantive.
Taliban-run Afghanistan that seeks to reverse the * A more broad-based and consultative process
gains of the past two decades. of engaging all political parties would be
• India must take a leading role in the debate over required.
who will be nominated to the Afghan seat at the * While not directly dealing with the Taliban,
UN. India must ensure stronger communication
• As Chairman of the Taliban Sanctions Committee with those who are dealing directly, including
(or the 1988 Sanctions Committee), India must leaders such as former Afghanistan President
use its muscle to ensure terrorists such as and former High Council for National
SirajuddinHaqqani and other members of the Reconciliation chief Abdullah Abdullah, who
Haqqani group responsible for brutal suicide have lived in India and retain close links, to
bombings on Indian embassies and consulates ensure its interests.
must not be given any exemptions: on travel, Conclusion:
recourse to funds or arms. • India now faces a threat umbrella to its north,
ART AND
ART CULTURE
AND CULTURE
Art and Culture- Language • The festival is celebrated to mark good harvest
and involves prayers for protection from pests
1. ‘Ancestral Dravidian tongues spoken on Indus Valley and natural calamities.
sites’
• It involves songs, dances and a bunch of rituals
» Prelims: Important Indus valley sites and major performed by people clad in their native attires.
archaeological excavations at these sites; Brahui
and Burushaski languages
Art and Culture - Art forms
• A recent publication has provided crucial
evidence that ancestral Dravidian languages 3. Madur mats
were possibly spoken by a significant population
in the Indus Valley Civilisation. » Prelims: Madur mats- features and associated
region; Important handicraft items associated
• This finding is based on common proto-words with different regions of India.
between the ancestral Dravidian languages and
those documented in Indus Valley Civilization. » Mains: Handicrafts- Significance to economic
growth and development; Measures needed
• This the study claims points to deep linguistic
ancestry between the two regions. Madur mats:
• Brahui is a northern Dravidian language spoken • ‘Masland’ a fine quality madur mat.
primarily by the Brahui people in the central • Madur mats are made of natural fibres.
part of Balochistan Province, in Pakistan and Madurkathi is a rhizome-based plant (Cyperus
in scattered parts of Iran, Afghanistan and tegetum or Cyperus pangorei) found abundantly
Turkmenistan. in the alluvial tracts of Purba and Paschim
Burushaski: Medinipur district of West Bengal.
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• Also unlike previous attempts, the hotspot was Earth Observation Satellite intended to be placed
able to ignite a self-sustaining chain reaction, in a geo-synchronous orbit around the Earth.
fusing more hydrogen atoms together and
* EOS was intended to be positioned in the
continuing the process of energy generation.
geostationary transfer orbit initially, and then
Experiment: supposed to reach the final geostationary
orbit based on the satellites own propulsion
• The experiment involved an inertial fusion system.
system (laser driven fusion system).
◊ The geostationary transfer orbits have a
* A tiny pellet of the fuel (deuterium and distance from Earth of 170 km at closest
tritium- heavier isotopes of hydrogen) approach and about 35,975 km at furthest
was placed in a cylindrical thumbnail- approach which is close to the height of the
sized vessel, known as a hohlraum that geosynchronous orbit.
had holes on both faces. Laser beams
were directed through the holes to
strike the walls of the hohlraum. This
caused the hohlraum to emit x-rays
which, in turn, impinged on the pellet
and compressed it. The heated core of
the pellet reached 100 million degrees
temperature to initiate the fusion
reaction.
• Experts have hailed the breakthrough
in maintaining the sustainability of this
reaction and achieving the energy break-
even as a giant step toward the holy grail
of Nuclear fusion energy research.
Additional information: • EOS-03 is capable of imaging the entire country
Tokamak: four to five times every day.
• A tokamak is a device which uses a powerful • Being an earth observation satellite, EOS-03 was
magnetic field to confine plasma in the shape meant to provide almost real-time images of large
of a torus. The tokamak is one of several types of parts of the country and would have been used
magnetic confinement devices being developed for monitoring water bodies, crops, vegetation,
to produce controlled thermonuclear fusion forest cover, and natural disasters such as floods
power. and cyclones. The EOS-03 allowing for quick
monitoring of natural disasters could have
Stellarator: helped provide warnings for natural disasters
• A stellarator is a plasma device that relies primarily such as cyclones, cloudbursts, thunderclouds etc.
on external magnets to confine a plasma. GSLV:
• The GSLV expands to geosynchronous satellite
launch vehicle.
Awareness in the field of Space
• The GSLV Mark II is the largest launch vehicle
2. Earth observation satellite, EOS-3 built by India and is capable of longer ranges and
» Prelims: GISAT series of satellites; Different higher load carrying capacity. Hence GSLV are
types of orbits and launch vehicles-GSLV and used for launching the larger satellites to higher
PSLV; Important space missions of India- NISAR, orbits.
Aditya-1 mission. • The GSLV is basically a three-stage vehicle with
» Mains: Cryogenic propulsion technology- solid, liquid and cryogenic stages respectively.
Potential and challenges * The second liquid fuel powered stage is
Context: powered by the Vikas engine.
• The GSLV-F10 rocket launched with the Earth * The third stage based on cryogenic rocket
Observation Satellite EOS-3 has failed in its engine uses liquid hydrogen and liquid
mission due to a performance anomaly. oxygen.
Background: ◊ The cryogenic stage is supposed to be
more efficient and provides greater thrust
EOS-03 satellite: to propel heavier rockets like GSLV that
• Formerly known as the Geo Imaging Satellite-1 are designed to carry bigger payloads into
or GISAT-1, EOS-3 was the first state-of-art agile space. But these are also more complex than
conventional liquid and solid propellants,
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• The intensity of the absorption varies as a • There are many potential applications.
function of frequency and also the absorbing * This technique can be used to study the insides
medium. of cells and detect even minuscule quantities
• Dark lines are seen in the observed absorption of substances present there.
spectrum of the light passed through the * cules, see an absorption spectroscopy of a
substance, which correspond to the wavelengths single DNA or protein molecule.
of light absorbed by the intervening substance
and are characteristic of the elements present in
it. Science and Technology-Achievements of Indians
in science and technology; indigenization of
• Hence, Absorption spectroscopy is employed
as an analytical tool to determine the presence technology and developing new technology
of a particular substance in a sample and also to 9. Directed Energy Deposition Process
quantify the amount of the substance present.
» Prelims: Directed Energy Deposition (DED)
• Absorption spectroscopy is performed across process and its applications
the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared and
ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy are particularly Context:
common in analytical applications. • Indian scientists have for the first time repaired
Details: aero-engine components through the Directed
Energy Deposition (DED) process.
• The new method uses a variation of absorption
spectroscopy. Details:
• The technique exploits the quantum emission • The scientists from the International Advanced
properties of erbium-doped sodium yttrium Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy &
fluoride nanoparticles. New Materials (ARCI) have indigenously made
powders suitable for the additive manufacturing
* These tiny, nano-sized particles can absorb process called the Directed Energy Deposition
light being shone on them and re-emit red, process.
blue and green light.
• They made the powder using inert gas atomizer
• The emission from these nano particles would available at ARCI by melting unused scrap
be absorbed by substances in the sample. An material.
analysis of the absorption spectrum would reveal
the nature of the absorbing material. • Utilising this, ARCI is developing the Laser-DED
process for the repair of aero-engine components
made of Ni-based superalloy.
• Despite having exceptional properties, they are • Despite it being possible to build full parts with
prone to damage due to extreme operational DED techniques, they are typically employed
conditions. for repairing or adding additional material to
existing objects.
• Manufacturing defects during the casting or
machining process are another major cause of • Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is basically a
rejection, and tons of such unused components 3D printing method which uses a focused energy
are scrapped due to minor defects. source, such as a plasma arc, laser or electron
beam to melt a material which is simultaneously
• This development can significantly reduce repair deposited by a nozzle.
costs and overhaul time.
• The DED process is known by other names,
What is the Directed Energy Deposition (DED) including Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS),
process? Direct Metal Deposition (DMD), Electron Beam
• DED process is an emerging additive Additive Manufacturing (EBAM), Directed Light
manufacturing or 3D printing technique. Fabrication, and 3D Laser Cladding, depending
on the exact application or method used.
• It allows for the creation of objects by melting
the material in powder or as a wire with a focused
energy source as it is deposited by a nozzle on a
surface.
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• Chief executive officer of United Shipbuilding 3. Agencies brace for sharp rise in drug trafficking
Corporation has stated that the first of two » Prelims: Colombo declaration; Golden crescent
additional Krivak class stealth frigates being built and Golden triangle
by Russia is expected to be delivered to India in
the middle of 2023’. » Mains: Factors that could be aiding the spurt in
drug trafficking; associated concerns for India
Background:
Context:
• In October 2016, India and Russia signed an
Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for four • Taliban assert control over Afghanistan.’
Krivak or Talwar class stealth frigates — two to Details:
be procured directly from Russia and two to be
• With the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan,
built by Goa Shipyard Ltd. (GSL) via technology
the Indian anti-drug law enforcement
transfer.
agencies are suspecting a steep surge in
* The Navy currently operates six Krivak class cross-border trafficking of heroin and crystal
frigates. methamphetamine.
Frigates: * Heroin is a depressant and is manufactured
• A frigate is a type of warship. from opium.
* The warships are classified differently based * Methamphetamine is a stimulant that is
on tonnage, weapons, mission definition and mainly used as a recreational drug. The drug
capabilities. is prepared using ephedrine extracted from
Ephedra plants.
• Frigates are naval vessels intermediate between
corvettes and destroyers. • This projection is based on the following recent
reports.
* Destroyers are much smaller than battleships
but larger than frigates. A Destroyer is heavier, * There have been reports of an increase in
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* In the past, anti-India elements have often • Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent also
used the ungoverned border areas between operates under the Taliban umbrella from
Pakistan and Afghanistan near the Durand Kandahar, Helmand and Nimruz provinces.
Line to run terrorist training camps.
Close link between Taliban and Pakistani
* LeT cadres continue to operate in the Kunar, establishment:
Nangarhar and Nuristan provinces, while JeM
fighters are active in the Ghazni, Kandahar and • The close links between the Pakistani
Helmand provinces of Afghanistan. establishment and the Taliban could lead to
severe security challenges for India. The trained
• Despite some assurances from the Taliban and equipped fighters of the Taliban under
leadership on the issue of terrorism, considering Pakistani influence could be diverted towards
the character of the Taliban as an organisation, Indian borders and India could become the
India’s security concerns will persist. target of terror attacks.
• The availability of terrorist safe havens Destabilization of Pakistan:
may significantly complicate Indian
counterinsurgency operations in Kashmir. Indian • There is the threat of the rise of Taliban leading
security officials fear that the emergence of new to destabilisation in Pakistan and could possibly
sanctuaries could embolden terrorist groups lead to the acquisition of nuclear weapons by
currently operating in the disputed region. Such terror organizations.
staging grounds could lead to increased violence Prisoner release:
in the Jammu and Kashmir. • Among the hundreds of prisoners released
Linkage between Taliban and anti-India terror outfits: from Afghan prisons subsequent to the Taliban
• Anti-India terror outfits such as the Lashkar-e- takeover, includes many from the LeT and the
Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) JeM outfits.
have extended active support to the Taliban over Chinese relationship with the Taliban:
the years. • China’s apparent willingness to work with the
* The JeM has been deploying senior Taliban could significantly add to the woes of
commanders and trained cadres for Taliban Indian security planners.
operations. It has also been providing refuge • China’s close relationship with the Taliban could
to the cadre of the Taliban. expand its footprint in the region at the cost of
* The LeT has also been a major source of armed India.
men for the Taliban and the Haqqani Network • China is seeking to fill the power vacuum left by
against the U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan for the withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan by
the past several years. increasing its ties to the Taliban. The evolving axis
• The JeM was founded by Masood Azhar in 2000, between China, Pakistan and Taliban controlled
after his release from an Indian prison along Afghanistan carries geopolitical and strategic
with two others in exchange for passengers on consequences that will reverberate for decades
board the hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC-814. and this does not augur well for India’s security
The hijacked plane had been taken to the then interests
Taliban-controlled Kandahar. Recommendations for India:
• LeT was founded in the Kunar province of • As a precautionary measure, India should scale
Afghanistan in 1987 by Hafiz Saeed and others. up security measures in Jammu and Kashmir and
Haqqani network link: remain vigilant about any threat to its security
• The LeT and JeM leadership have been in along the borders.
contact with top Taliban functionaries through • India should also evaluate the possibility of
the Haqqani Network. Following the Taliban engaging with the new Taliban regime to secure
takeover, the Haqqani network group is now its interests.
controlling security for Kabul. This leads to the • India is currently chairing the crucial Taliban
high possibility of LeT and the JeM operatives and Libya sanction committee and the counter-
getting a base at Kabul and support from the terrorism committee in the UNSC. India should
Taliban. use this opportunity to keep a tab on the Taliban
Taliban and al-Qaeda link: and work to reduce uncertainty for Afghans and
• As per a UNSC report in June, the Taliban and the region.
al-Qaeda continue to be closely aligned, with
Al-Qaeda elements believed to be residing in at
least 15 Afghan provinces.
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information on cyber incidents. • The chaff deployed in the air reflect as multiple
* Forecast and alerts of cyber security incidents targets for the missile guidance systems, thus
misleading the enemy radars or deflecting
* Emergency measures for handling cyber adversary missiles.
security incidents
• Chaff is a critical defence technology and its
* Coordination of cyber incident response importance lies in the fact that very less quantity
activities. of chaff material deployed in the air acts as decoy
* Issue guidelines, advisories, vulnerability to deflect enemy’s missiles for ensuring safety of
notes and whitepapers relating to information the fighter aircraft.
security practices, procedures, prevention, Context:
response and reporting of cyber incidents.
• Development of the chaff technology by
* Such other functions relating to cyber security the Defence Research and Development
as may be prescribed. Organisation (DRDO)
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ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAND
ANDECOLOGY
ECOLOGY
Environmental degradation- Global warming and in annual mean precipitation over India, with
Climate Change more severe rain expected over southern India
in the coming decades. Models also indicate a
1. Sixth Assessment Report by IPCC lengthening of the monsoon over India by the
» Prelims: Paris climate agreement provisions; end of the 21st century.
India’s INDC’s • The interannual variability of the summer
» Mains: Observations and forecasts relevant to monsoon is likely to increase. The monsoon
India in the recent IPCC report; India’s stand on extremes are likely to increase over India and
the issue of climate action; Recommendations South Asia and the frequency of short intense
for way forward rainy days are expected to rise.
Context: • This increases the threat of flooding in India.
• “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Sea level rise:
Basis”- Sixth Assessment Report by the • The Indian Ocean is warming at a higher rate
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change than other oceans. The warming of the ocean
(IPCC). would lead to a rise in sea levels. Relative sea level
Details: around Asia increased faster than global average.
• The report notes with concern about earth • The sea level rise would give rise to challenges
heading towards a temperature rise of 1.5 degrees such more frequent and severe coastal flooding
Celsius over pre-industrial times by the 2030’s in low-level areas, coastal area loss and shoreline
itself. The report predicts that based on existing retreat.
climate action commitments by countries, the * With a long coastline of about 7,517-km
world is on track for global temperature warming coastline, India would face significant threats
by at least 2.7°C by 2100. from the rising seas. Across the port cities of
* The 2015 Paris Climate agreement had sought Chennai, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Surat and
to keep global warming below 2 degrees Visakhapatnam, 28.6 million people would be
Celsius of pre-industrial levels by the turn of exposed to coastal flooding if sea levels rise by
century and endeavouring to limit it to 1.5 50 cm.
degrees Celsius. Impact on Mountainous region:
• The report unequivocally attributes climate • The report predicts that the glaciers in the Hindu
change to unsustainable human activities. Kush Himalayan (HKH) region will keep shrinking
• The report points to the dwindling of Arctic and the snow cover will retreat to higher altitudes.
Sea ice, permafrost thaw, shrinking of glaciers * Notably, the Karakoram glaciers had
as physical evidence of the ongoing global either slightly gained mass or were in an
warming. approximately balanced state.
Concerns: • Glacier run-off in the high mountains will increase
• At present, the Global surface temperature is upto mid 21st century and subsequently run-off
higher by 1.07°C since the pre-industrial era. may decrease due to the loss of glacier storage.
• No part of the inhabited world is left untouched • Extreme precipitation is projected to increase
by the impact of global warming. in major mountainous regions with potential
• The report warns that this degree of global cascading consequences of floods, landslides
warming will give rise to some irreversible effects and glacial lake outbursts.
and will only accelerate sea level rise and worsen Heat extremes:
extremes such as heatwaves, droughts, floods • Heatwaves and humid heat stress will become
and storms. more intense and frequent during the 21st
• High degree of global warming will accelerate century.
climate change and this would have a severe Cyclones:
impact on lives, livelihoods and natural habitats.
• Tropical cyclones will grow stronger and wetter
Observations and forecasts relevant to India: due to global warming.
Rainfall pattern: • This will pose a major challenge to India given
• Global warming is likely to lead to an increase
its vulnerability to cyclones along both the Bay ◊ Developed countries with legacy emissions
of Bengal coastline and the Arabian sea coastline. need to effect deep emission cuts. Developing
nations should also commit themselves to
India’s stand on the issue of climate action:
steeper emissions cuts based on the promise
• India is currently the world’s third largest of support from developed countries.
greenhouse gas emitter, but per capita emissions
◊ The developing countries should be
are much lower.
supported adequately in their climate action
* India has contributed less than 5% of global endeavours in the form of easy access to low
cumulative emissions to date, with per capita carbon technologies through technology
annual emissions a third of the global average. transfer and adequate funding for mitigation
• India has been supportive of climate action. India and adaptation.
has been taking a lot of measures to reduce GHG • The latest scientific assessment must influence
emissions. discussions at the Conference of Parties (COP26)
* India is also the only nation among the G20 meeting in Glasgow scheduled later this year
with commitments under the Paris Agreement and give rise to more climate action from all
that are even 2°C warming-compatible. stakeholders.
* India is on track to achieve its INDCs as per the Major aspects to be considered at the upcoming COP-
2015 Paris agreement. 26:
◊ Reducing the emissions intensity of GDP by Carbon neutrality:
33%–35% by 2030 below 2005 levels • A major theme building ahead of the climate talks
◊ Increasing the share of non-fossil-based is Carbon Neutrality. The goal of carbon neutrality
energy resources to 40% of installed will be critical to ensuring that the earth does
electric power capacity by 2030. India not heat up an additional half a degree by 2100
has committed to installing 450 GW of and will be in line with the temperature targets
renewable energy by 2030 of which 100 GW envisaged under the Paris climate agreement.
is reportedly installed. • The major aspect of discussion would be on
◊ Creation of an additional (cumulative) how many nations can commit to a net zero
carbon sink of 2.5–3 GtCO2e through target and by when. As of now a little over 120
additional forest and tree cover by 2030 countries have committed, with varying degrees
of firmness, to reaching carbon neutrality by
• India has been vocal about climate action based 2050.
on the principle of common but differentiated
responsibility and respective capabilities. India’s * India has not committed to a 2050 plan for
argument has been that developed countries Carbon Neutrality.
have used up far more than their fair share of the Access to finance and transfer of technology:
global carbon budget and hence reaching net
• A major aspect of difference between the
zero alone is not enough, as it is the cumulative
developed countries and the developing
emissions up to net zero that determine the
countries when it comes to climate action
temperature that is reached. On these lines India
has been the provision of climate finance to
has not yet committed to a net zero emission
developing countries from developed countries
timeline.
for adaptation and mitigation.
• India’s nationally determined contribution is to
• The promised $100 billion finance continues to
reduce not absolute emissions but the emission
be outstanding.
intensity of our economy.
Recommendations:
Environmental degradation- Global warming and
• Every country, government, business and
individual must embrace responsibility to keep Climate Change
the goal of 1.5 deg celsius. 2. Permafrost thawing
• The report recommended deep emission cuts » Prelims: Permafrost
and has asked countries to strive to achieve net
zero emissions by 2050. » Mains: Concerns associated with permafrost
thawing
• However, given the opposition being expressed
to the concept of net zero emissions by Permafrost:
developing countries like India, the key to • Areas with ground temperatures that remain
achieving Paris Agreement’s temperature goals below zero degrees Celsius for more than two
would be in pursuing equitable cumulative years are called permafrost. These permanently
emission targets instead of focusing on net zero. frozen grounds are most common in regions with
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62
high mountains and in Earth's higher latitudes— Concerns:
near the North and South Poles (Tundra and
Impact of rainfall on ice sheet melting:
Taiga regions).
• Rainfall on an ice sheet is not a healthy sign for an
Permafrost thawing:
ice sheet. Water on ice makes the ice sheet more
• Rapid global warming is accelerating permafrost prone to surface melt as the water is not only
collapse (permafrost thawing) all over the world. warmer than the usual snow but it is also darker
• When thawing, permafrost releases its long- – so it absorbs more sunlight.
buried elements into the environment— its • The rainfall would only increase the rate of ice
organic gas is converted into greenhouse gases sheet melting due to global warming.
(carbon dioxide and the extremely potent
Rise in sea levels:
methane), its mercury can be toxic for humans
and animals. It can also lead to the coming back • The melt water from ice sheets stream into the
to life of thousand-year-old viruses and lead to ocean, causing sea levels to rise.
outbreak of new diseases. * Greenland's ice sheet is the world's second-
• Permafrost thaw pose a significant threat to largest icesheet after Antarctica's . The
infrastructures in the mountainous regions as Greenland ice sheet is two miles thick and
well as the arctic. This could lead to loss of life and covers about 650,000 square miles.
property. • As per available estimates, melting from
Greenland's ice sheet has caused around 25%
of global sea level rise seen over the last few
Environmental degradation- Global warming and
decades. This share is only expected to grow, as
Climate Change global temperatures increase further.
3. Rainfall at Greenland ice summit for first time * Scientists claim the Arctic is warming faster
» Prelims: Atlantic Meridional Overturning than any other region on Earth.
Circulation (AMOC) system. Impact of global climate:
» Mains: Impact of global warming and climate • Increased rainfall and melting of the Greenland
change Ice sheet may be contributing to the observed
Context: slowing down of the Gulf Stream Ocean current
and its influence on the Atlantic Meridional
• Heavy rainfall has been recorded across Overturning Circulation (AMOC) system.
Greenland and there has been the first ever
recording of rainfall at the highest point on the
Greenland ice sheet. Environmental Impact Assessment
* Greenland has recorded the largest amount of
4. Hydropower projects in the Himalayas
rainfall since records began in 1950. Rainfall
was recorded for several hours at the ice » Prelims: Important upstream tributaries of the
sheet’s 3,216-metre summit. Ganga river system
Details: » Mains: Concerns associated with hydropower
projects in Himalayan states like the Uttarakhand;
• The unprecedented rains can be attributed to
Role of such projects in economic growth of the
change in air circulation patterns, indicating the
region and recommendations for way forward.
presence of warm and moist air over Greenland.
Context:
• Also notably, the temperature at the ice cap which
typically remain above freezing temperature • The Environment Ministry, in an affidavit placed
have fallen below the freezing temperature in the Supreme Court, has disclosed that it has
thrice in less than a decade permitted seven hydroelectric power projects in
the state of Uttarakhand to go ahead.
• Experts have warned that the record rains at the
summit of Greenland is not an isolated event and Background:
is part of a string of warning signs with respect • In the aftermath of the devastating Kedarnath
to global warming and climate change. Along floods of 2013, the Supreme Court had halted
with rising floods, fires, and other extremes, the the development of hydroelectric projects in
rains in greenland is one of many “alarm bells” Uttarakhand.
signalling the need to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. • It had called on the Environment Ministry
to review the role played by hydroelectricity
projects in amplifying the natural disasters like power project and the Tapovan Vishnugadh
cloud bursts and floods. project in February, 2021.
• Several expert committees were set up to examine • Also the seismically active Himalayan region is
the role of 24 such proposed hydroelectric prone to earthquakes. A massive earthquake
projects in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi basin which could damage the dams can lead to
of the river Ganga and its tributaries. The first two flash floods and lead to loss of life and property
committees had concluded that the proposed downstream of the dams.
projects could have a significant environmental Threat of climate change:
impact and irreversibly impact the fragile
ecology of the region. • Global warming is expected to intensify the
Glacier retreat and permafrost thaw. Glacier
• Following this adverse observations by the retreat and permafrost thaw are projected to
expert committees, six private project developers decrease the stability of mountain slopes and
impleaded themselves in the case in the SC. increase the number and area of glacier lakes.
They sought their projects to be allowed to be Glacier lakes pose the risk of outburst.
continued given that they were already in various
stages of construction following a clearance from * Environmental experts have attributed the
the environment ministry. glacial melt in Raunthi glacier which had
triggered floods in the Rishiganga river to
• A new committee set up in 2015 recommended global warming.
the projects to be allowed with design
modifications to some. • Also the recent sixth assessment report of the
IPCC has warned of the possibility of increased
Details: instances of cloudbursts.
• The Environment Ministry has given the go ahead * The increased chances of intense spells of
to 7 hydropower projects that are reportedly in rainfall would trigger landslides in the region
advanced stages of construction. threatening the hydropower projects. This
Concerns: places the residents of the region at increased
risk of loss of lives and livelihood.
Impact on the flow of Ganga river:
Counter-arguments:
• The cleanliness of the Ganga River is premised on
minimum levels of water flow in it in all seasons • Hydropower is abundantly available in the
and the proposed hydropower projects in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand and its usage
upstream of the Ganga basin could hinder water becomes critical to the development of the state.
flow in the Ganga River. • Hydropower constitutes a renewable source
Environmental impact of hydropower projects: of power and will be critical to meet India’s
obligations under its Nationally Determined
• The hydro power projects induce severe
Contributions under the Paris Climate
ecological damage to the region.
Agreement.
* The large scale deforestation exercises involved
Recommendations:
in construction leads to land degradation and
desertification in the region. Need for a balance between development and
environmentally sustainability:
* Large scale projects with large storage basins
lead to submergence of large areas of land. • While the hydro power projects in the region have
brought prosperity, they have also increased
* The use of rock blasting and heavy machinery
the vulnerability of the fragile ecosystem of the
during the construction of power projects has
region.
damaged the fragile hills.
• Infrastructural development in the region cannot
* The lack of scientific disposal of construction
come at a heavy environmental cost, given
debris is leading to environmental pollution in
that such growth and development will not be
the river basins.
sustainable.
Exacerbate the vulnerability to natural disasters:
• A balance has to be struck between development
• The fragile ecology of the region is prone to and environmental sustainability.
natural disasters like landslides and Glacial Lake
Adoption of alternative strategies:
Outbursts. The presence of hydropower projects
in such vulnerable regions only increase the • Small run-off hydro power projects with a small
threat to the life and infrastructure in the region. environmental footprint should be promoted in
the region.
* The break in the Raunthi glacier had triggered
floods in the Rishiganga river in Uttarakhand • Other alternatives like solar power should also be
and washed away at least two hydroelectric explored.
power projects- Rishiganga hydroelectric
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Review of policy: is converted to triethyl lead in the body.
• The government must review its policy on hydro This form of lead is responsible for its toxic
power projects. effects.
• The fact that the state of Uttarakhand has its own * Leaded petrol causes heart disease, stroke and
unique environmental challenges needs to be cancer. It also affects the development of the
accounted for adequately in such a policy. The human brain, especially harming children, with
conservation, sustenance of these ecologically studies suggesting it reduced 5-10 IQ points.
fragile regions must be given the highest priority. Studies have noted that the lead toxicity as
being greater in children than in adults.
• The fact that the government has stated that it is
not in favour of greenfield hydropower projects * Leaded gasoline contaminates air, dust, soil,
in the region is a welcome move in this regard. drinking water and food crops.
Campaign against leaded petrol:
• The use of TEL continued for decades despite
Environmental pollution and conservation efforts warnings from public health authorities.
5. Leaded petrol eradicated, says UNEP • While TEL was banned in the U.S. and many
» Prelims: Tetraethyl lead additive-Reasons for European countries by the end of the 20th
its usage and associated concerns; Partnership century, its usage continued in developing
for Clean Fuels and Vehicles; Sources of lead countries. In 2002, almost all low- and middle-
pollution income countries, including some Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development
» Mains: The importance of ensuring clean and (OECD) members, were still using leaded petrol.
green mobility Leaded gasoline was used mainly in Africa and
Context: in other low-income countries. As of 2002, more
than 100 countries were still using leaded petrol.
• The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has
announced the official end of the leaded petrol • The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) began
usage. its campaign to eliminate lead in petrol in 2002
via the global Partnership for Clean Fuels and
Background:
Vehicles (PCFV).
Tetraethyl lead additive:
* The Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles
• Tetraethyl lead (TEL) is an organolead compound (PCFV) was set up in 2002 at the World Summit
with the formula (CH3CH2)4Pb. on Sustainable Development with the aim of
• TEL was first added to petrol in the early 1920s to eliminating leaded petrol globally.
improve the performance of car engines. * UNEP hosted the Secretariat.
* It helped increase the octane rating of the fuel. * The PCFV worked as a public-private
This helped increase the antiknock property partnership that brought all stakeholders
of the fuel that allowed engine compression together, providing technical assistance,
to be raised substantially. This in turn caused raising awareness, overcoming local
increased vehicle performance and fuel challenges and resistance from local oil dealers
economy. and producers of lead, as well as investing in
* The usage of TEL was of particular value in an refinery upgrades.
era of poorly-refined low-octane gasoline. Details:
Harmful effects of usage of TEL: • The end of leaded petrol follows a 19-year
• Lead is a highly toxic chemical for humans. campaign led by the UN Environment
Leaded petrol has caused more exposure to lead Programme (UNEP) led global Partnership for
than any other product worldwide, according to Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV).
the World Health Organization. • Algeria became the last country to stop selling
• The use of tetraethyl lead as a petrol additive leaded petrol in July 2021.
has been a catastrophe for the environment and Significance:
public health. Experts linked its use in vehicles
• The successful eradication of the use of leaded
to premature death, health issues, soil and air
petrol is a huge milestone for global health and
pollution.
environment.
* TEL has contributed to dangerously high levels
* The eradication of the usage of leaded petrol
of lead in human blood.
will help prevent more than 1.2 million
◊ TEL is absorbed rapidly from the skin as well premature deaths annually from heart disease,
as the lungs and gastrointestinal tract and
strokes and cancer and save world economies • Large amounts of plastic waste has been
over $2.4 trillion annually observed in the remote areas of the Sundarbans,
* It is also a major step forward in greening like Gosaba, Mousuni, Bali, Patharpratima and
transport given that it will reduce lead pollution Kultali.
of the environment. It offers an opportunity • Several NGOs, experts, and even officials of the
for restoring ecosystems, especially in urban District Police and the Forest Department have
environments, which have been particularly pointed out that the plastic accumulating on
degraded by this toxic pollutant. the isolated islands of the fragile ecosystem are
• The end of leaded petrol is expected to cause for great concern.
support the realization of multiple Sustainable Concerns:
Development Goals, including good health • Plastics in the sunderbans would have both short
and well-being (SDG3), clean water (SDG6), term as well as long term ecological impact on
clean energy (SDG7), sustainable cities (SDG11), the Sundarbans ecosystem.
climate action (SDG13) and life on land (SDG15).
* The presence of plastic in saline water increases
Way forward: the toxicity of water.
Tackling other sources of lead pollution: * It could also contribute to eutrophication of
• While the eradication of TEL will help eliminate water.
the largest source of lead pollution, urgent action * The ingestion of plastics by the local fauna will
is also needed to stop lead pollution from other adversely impact their health.
sources – such as lead in paints, leaded batteries,
and lead in household items. * The breakdown of plastics in the water will
lead to an increase in microplastics, which
Greening the transport sector: would subsequently enter the food system.
• The fast-growing global vehicle fleet continues * Given that Sunderbans is connected to the
to contribute to air, water and soil pollution, as sea, the increase of plastic in the region could
well as to the global climate crisis. lead to plastic waste entering the ocean.
* The transport sector is responsible for nearly a Recommendations:
quarter of energy-related global greenhouse
gas emissions and is set to grow to one third • The local administration along with the support
by 2050. of local NGOs and locals should organise
cleanliness drives to remove plastic from the
* Around 1.2 billion new vehicles are expected Sunderbans.
to hit the streets between 2015 and 2030.
• There should be regulation of plastic usage in
• Attention should be given to change humanity’s the region and there should be clearly laid out
trajectory for the better through an accelerated guidelines to control the flow of plastic into
transition to clean vehicles and electric mobility. the region. Any such plastic inflow should be
properly disposed off with responsibility for the
collection and disposal placed on appropriate
Environmental pollution and degradation authorities or the NGOs which are involved in
6. Plastic pollution in Sunderbans relief material distribution.
» Mains: Issue of plastic pollution in the Sunderbans; • Proper measures need to be taken to reduce
associated concerns and recommendations single-use plastic usage in the region.
Context: • More eco-friendly alternatives for plastic
packaging should be prioritized.
• Plastic pollution in the sunderbans.
Background:
Environmental Conservation efforts
• Sunderbans has been battered by many cyclones
over the years, with Cyclone Yaas (May 2021) 7. Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules,
being the latest. 2021
• To support the affected people, packaged relief » Prelims: Important provisions in the Plastic
material has been flowing into the Sunderbans. Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021;
Details: Extended Producer responsibility
• The unregulated inflow of relief materials has » Mains: Issue of plastic pollution in India and
resulted in accumulation of plastic waste in the measures being taken to tackle it
Sunderbans.
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Context: Challenges in implementation:
• Government has notified Plastic Waste • In 2018, India won praise globally for asserting
Management Amendment Rules, 2021. that it would eliminate all single-use plastic by
2022. However, policy coherence to achieve the
Background: goal has been lacking.
• India has a staggering annual volume of plastic • The Central Pollution Control Board has reported
waste. that while 22 States have announced a ban on
• It generated about 34 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 single-use plastic, it has had little impact on the
alone. Of this, only about 60% is recycled. crisis of waste choking wetlands and waterways
• Pollution due to single use plastic items has and being transported to the oceans to turn into
become an important environmental challenge microplastic.
confronting all countries.
Details: Initiatives in news
• The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, 8. A circular economy for plastic
sale and use of the following single-use
plastic, including polystyrene and expanded » Prelims: WWF; Extended Producer responsibility
polystyrene, commodities shall be prohibited » Mains: Issue of plastic pollution and measures
with effect from 1st July, 2022: being taken to tackle it; The environmental and
* Ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for economic significance of ensuring a circular
balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream economy for plastic
sticks, polystyrene for decoration; Context:
* Plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, • The proposed India Plastics Pact.
spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or
Background:
packing films around sweet boxes, invitation
cards, and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC Plastic pollution:
banners less than 100 micron, stirrers. • Of the many sustainability challenges that
• From 30 September 2021, the thickness of plastic impact societies, plastic waste remains one of the
carry bags will be increased from 50 microns to most prominent.
75 microns and 120 microns, the statement said * As per a 2021 report commissioned by
adding that this will also allow the reuse of plastic Google- Closing the Plastics Circularity Gap,
carry bags. the world will have to manage more than
• The plastic packaging waste, which is not 7.7 billion metric tonnes of plastic waste
covered under the phase out of identified single over the next 20 years if urgent measures
use plastic items, shall be collected and managed are not taken to address the exponential
in an environmentally sustainable way through rise of plastic waste accumulation in the
the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) of environment.
the Producer, importer and Brand owner (PIBO), Details:
as per Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• The Plastics Pacts model is active in a number of
• For the effective implementation of the EPR, the countries including the U.K., South Africa, and
guidelines for the same have been given legal Australia. It is now being brought to India. This
force through the amendment Rules. will be the first such initiative in Asia. It is being
• The following steps have also been taken to brought to India by The Confederation of Indian
strengthen implementation of Plastic Waste Industry (CII) and World Wide Fund (WWF) for
Management Rules, 2016 and also to reduce the Nature-India
use of identified single use plastic items: • The Plastics Pacts are business-led initiatives and
* States/UTs have been requested to constitute a aim to transform the plastics packaging value
Special Task Force for the elimination of single chain to make them more sustainable.
use plastics and effective implementation of • The plastics have four main targets
Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
* Eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging
* A National Level Taskforce has also been through redesign and innovation.
constituted by the Ministry for taking
coordinated efforts to eliminate identified * Ensure reusability and recyclability of all plastic
single use plastic items and effective packaging
implementation of Plastic Waste Management * Increase the reuse, collection, and recycling of
Rules, 2016. plastic packaging
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• The filters contain electrostatically charged filter October to November season.
media and can capture particles as small as 0.3- Reasons for increasing reliance on stubble burning
10 microns in size.. practice:
* An electrostatic air filter uses static electricity • Stubble burning has become a quick, cheap and
to give particles a positive charge as they efficient way to prepare soil bed for wheat, the
enter the filter. This charge is released as the next crop.
air continues through subsequent layers of
the filter, and results in the particle ultimately Unsuitability as an animal fodder:
getting trapped. • Unlike other crop residues, paddy residue (except
• 1000 cubic metre of air per second could be for basmati variety) are harder to chew, has low
purified by the tower. calorific value and high silica content, all of which
makes it unsuitable for use as animal fodder.
• The smog tower is expected to influence the
air quality of more than 1 km in the downwind Short gap between the two crop seasons
direction. • Another major factor is that Punjab and Haryana
Significance: both enacted laws to protect their rapidly
shrinking groundwater level by forcing farmers
• The smog tower by helping purify polluted air to delay sowing and transplantation of paddy
will help control air pollution in Delhi. from May to June. The delayed sowing led to
* Air pollution in the national capital has been delayed harvesting and left very little time to
an issue of concern of late. Pollution levels ready soil bed for sowing wheat, forcing farmers
in Delhi increase dramatically during winter to burn paddy residue in the field as burning
posing a serious risk to vulnerable and also offers a cheaper and quicker method to get rid of
healthy populations. the residue as compared to the manual clearing
of the field.
* Construction work, industrial and vehicular
pollution are the major sources of air Mechanized harvesting
pollution. The smoke from stubble-burning • There has been increased cultivation of paddy
in neighbouring states, coupled with in the region and mechanised harvesting leaves
unfavourable meteorological conditions, taller and massive crop residue as against manual
such as calm winds and low temperatures harvesting, which cuts crop close to the ground
only further aggravate the air pollution in and leaves much less residue.
Delhi.
* Paddy is cultivated in 31.49 lakh hectare area
(2020) in Punjab, resulting in the generation of
Initiatives in news about 20 million tons of paddy straw.
• This results in a larger amount of crop residue
10. Punjab govt. to give incentives to industries for which would require longer amount of time to
using stubble decay. The farmers cannot afford to wait for such
» Mains: Reasons for stubble burning and periods and need to clear the field of the crop
associated concerns; Initiatives for tackling the residue for the next crop season.
challenge of stubble burning Details:
Context: • In an effort to check stubble burning menace
• The state government has come up with a slew during the paddy season, the Punjab government
of incentives to promote alternate uses of paddy has come up with a series of incentives for
straw. industries.
Background Fiscal:
Stubble burning • The government would permit certain categories
of industries like sugar mills, pulp and paper mills
• Farmers in the northern states of Punjab and among others to install paddy-straw-fired boilers
Haryana have been indulging in stubble to claim fiscal incentives. A cumulative amount of
burning as an agricultural practice over the ₹25 crore would be provided as fiscal incentives
years. However, its increasing influence in the air to the first 50 existing industries on ‘first come
pollution observed during the winter months first serve’ basis.
in Northern plains region in general and the
National Capital Region of Delhi in particular has Non Fiscal:
resulted in enhanced focus on the practice of • The government would ensure industries
stubble burning. availability of ‘Panchayat’ land for storage of
• Stubble burning is mainly observed during the paddy straw with lease agreement upto 33 years.
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• Sambhar Lake is a wetland of ‘international Economic impact:
importance’ under the Ramsar Convention. • The degradation of the ecosystem threatens the
• The lake is known for being a habitat for a large livelihoods of local people who have always lived
number of migratory species during the winter in harmony with the lake and its ecology.
season. It includes species like the flamingoes, • The salt brine based industry is estimated to be
pelicans and the waterfowls among others. around $300 million.
Details: Conclusion:
• The study notes a reduction of wetland area • There is the need for urgent action to restore
of the lake. The lake has been shrinking with the lake’s ecosystem for protecting the birds and
degradation of soil and water quality. This is said biodiversity as well as the salt production.
to be contributing to a decline in the population
of migratory birds to the lake. Places in news
• The study notes an increase in settlement, 14. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
vegetation cover, salt pan encroachments and
barren land around the lake. » Prelims: Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
Threats: • Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the
southern bank of the Brahmaputra in Morigaon
Mining menace: district in Assam, India. It is primarily a grassland
• Almost 30% of the Sambhar Lake’s area has been and wetland habitat.
lost to mining and other activities, including the • Pobitora is mainly famous for its great Indian One-
illegal salt pan encroachments. This has been horned rhinoceros. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
leading to a shrinking wetland. holds one of the largest Indian rhinoceros
• Sambhar is being choked by illegal salt extraction. populations in Assam.
The proliferating salt pans and illegal borewells • Besides rhinoceros, the other animals are leopard,
have been causing a massive degradation of the wild boar, Barking deer, wild buffalo etc. Assam's
lake ecosystem. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to more
Drying up of the seasonal rivers: than 2000 migratory birds and various reptiles. It
is also an Important Bird Area.
• Sambhar Lake is totally dependent on the
seasonal rivers that flow into it during the
monsoon. But now this water is being sucked
away before it reaches the lake, causing it to dry Places in news
up. 15. Deepor Beel
* The lake receives water from about six rivers, » Prelims: Deepor Beel; Eco sensitive zone
namely Samaod, Khari, Mantha, Khandela,
Medtha, and Roopangarh. Context:
• The farmers in the upper catchment area of the • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and
lake have built surface embankments across Climate Change has notified the eco-sensitive
the rivers, obstructing their downstream flow zone of DeeporBeel Wildlife Sanctuary on the
into the lake. They have sunk tubewells along southwestern edge of Guwahati.
the rivers and laid pipelines to transport water Deepor Beel:
to their fields, choking the rivers and ultimately
• DeeporBeel is one of the largest freshwater lakes
threatening the wetland ecosystem.
in Assam. It is located on the south-western edge
Concerns: of Guwahati, Assam.
Environmental impact: • It is a permanent freshwater lake, in a former
• The degradation of the wetland ecosystem will channel of the Brahmaputra River, to the south
have a marked impact on the migratory birds of the main river.
and biodiversity of the region. • It is a Ramsar Site and an Important Bird Area.
* In 2019, more than 20,000 migratory birds • It sustains a range of aquatic life forms besides
foraging in the Sambhar marshlands had died 219 species of birds.
due to avian botulism.
Threat to Deepor Beel:
• The environmental impact does not augur well
• The beel has shrunk 35% since the 1990s.
for the human settlements in the region in terms
of food and water security. • The wetlands have for decades been threatened
by a railway track which is set to be doubled and
electrified on its southern rim, a garbage dump
and encroachment for human habitation and
commercial units.
• DeeporBeel has been used as a sponge for for the marine ecosystem. They are at the base
Guwahati’s sewage via a couple of streams. of the food chain. Also, when the algae die, they
• The wetlands have also suffered from seepage of are consumed by organisms called decomposers
toxins from a garbage dump. (mostly fungi and bacteria).
Eco Sensitive Zones: • Petroleum fossils: Algae are also responsible for
petroleum. When they die, they sink to the ocean
• Eco Sensitive Zones are fragile areas around floor. Over the years, this layer turns into what we
protected areas declared by the Ministry of know as petroleum.
Environment, Forest, and Climate Change
(MoEFCC). • Industrial and medical usage: Marine algae
have been used as food and medicine for many
• They are areas notified by the MoEFCC around centuries. They are not only used as food but also
Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife used as extracts in food, dairy, cosmetics, and
Sanctuaries. industrial uses. Algae is used as one of important
• The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some medical source due to its antioxidant, anticancer,
kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas antiviral properties.
by regulating and managing the activities Threat to algaes:
around such areas.
• Climate change and global warming- Rise in
• Among activities prohibited in the eco-sensitive water temperature decreases oxygen levels in
zone are hydroelectric projects, brick kilns, the water
commercial use of firewood and discharge of
untreated effluents in natural water bodies or • Ocean acidification
land areas. Significance of the new discovery:
• No new commercial hotels and resorts shall • Research & studies: The newly discovered
be permitted within 1 km of the boundary of species has a giant cell. aving such a giant cell
the protected area or up to the extent of the is advantageous for molecular biologists who
eco-sensitive zone, whichever is nearer, except study cellular processes; as they can see it and
for small temporary structures for eco-tourism manipulate it with the naked eye. For this reason,
activities. Acetabularia is considered a model organism.
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Miscellaneous
20. Milestone in installed renewable energy capacity
» Prelims: Stats related to renewable energy
capacity of India
Context:
• India achieves 100 GW Milestone of Installed
Renewable Energy Capacity.
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HEALTH
Strengthening primary health care system: of 25% relative reduction in overall mortality
• The primary health system needs to be from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, or
strengthened to prevent, diagnose and provide chronic respiratory diseases by 2025
care for NCDs.
* PHC system can tackle up to 80% of health Miscellaneous
needs and can reduce the need for specialized
health care services. Thus strengthening the 2. BCG vaccine: 100 years and counting
primary health infrastructure will help lessen » Prelims: BCG vaccine; TB disease; India’s target for
the burden on hospitals. eliminating TB
• Primary healthcare systems must be adequately » Mains: High TB burden in India-causes and
resourced and trained to ensure that persons associated concerns; Government initiatives
at risk of NCDs receive appropriate screening,
counselling and treatment. The administrations • BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) is a vaccine
should ensure essential NCD medicines and basic against tuberculosis (TB) in humans.
health technologies in all primary healthcare * TB continues to be a major public health
facilities. problem in the world. According to the WHO’s
• Screening for NCDs at the grassroots level and Global TB Report, 10 million people developed
the delivery of locally relevant and contextual TB in 2019 with 1.4 million deaths. India
messages for health promotion and prevention accounts for 27% of these cases.
of NCDs will be a critical intervention in the fight • Currently, BCG is the only licensed vaccine
against the NCDs. The ASHA workers can be available for the prevention of TB. It is the world’s
appropriately trained and equipped to play this most widely used vaccine with about 120 million
role. doses every year and has an excellent safety
* As part of Ayushman Bharat, the Government record.
is supporting the States for strengthening • India is committed to eliminate TB as a public
Sub Centres and Primary Health Centres as health problem by 2025 much ahead of the SDG
Health and Wellness Centres for the provision goal of eliminating TB by 2030.
of comprehensive primary care that includes
preventive and health promotion at the
community level with a continuum of care
approach.
Use of telemedicine:
• There is the need to ensure that those at the
highest risk continue receiving treatment for
NCDs in spite of any future lockdowns or travel
regulations.
• Telemedicine can help maintain a degree of
continuum in healthcare services disrupted
by the pandemic. Also additionally it can help
reduce travel expenses, thus lowering patients’
expenditure burden.
Curtail tobacco and alcohol consumption:
• India’s response plan to address the growing
burden of NCDs must include tobacco and
alcohol cessation activities.
Additional information:
• In 2013, the WHO Global Action Plan for the
Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013–2020
(Global NCD Action Plan) was adopted by the
World Health Assembly to strengthen global and
national responses to prevent and control NCDs.
• The Global NCD Action Plan includes a global
monitoring framework and nine voluntary global
targets to be attained by 2025.
• The World Health Organization has set a target
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Social issues-Related to women and children of them were either sexist or misogynistic.
1. Challenges faced by females in the digital space * Woman journalists are at a great risk of being
under such attacks on their social media
» Prelims: UNCHR platforms. A recent report by UNESCO on
» Mains: Online abuse of women- and gendered online harassment faced by women journalists
misinformation- Associated concerns says that political actors instigate and fuel
online violence campaigns against women
Online abuse of women:
journalists.
• To add to the gender disparity in access to
• This is indicative of the extent of online abuse
internet, women are having to face online abuse.
against women and girls and their vulnerability
• Though even men are targeted online, but the to it.
attacks faced by both sexes are vastly different.
Concerns:
Misinformation/disinformation targets men and
women differently. A large number of young Impact on the girls and women:
women and girls have experienced online abuse • Online abuse can have a devastating impact on
and they are more vulnerable to such abuse. the girl or women who face such abuse.
Forms of online abuse: • It causes tremendous distress. It affects their
• According to a recent report of the Special emotional or physical wellbeing. It results in
Rapporteur on violence against women for the physical, sexual, psychological or economic
United Nations Commission on Human Rights, harm, and erodes self-esteem among the girls
online abuse can involve a variety of activities. and women who face such abuse.
• It can include actions like bullying, trolling, cyber • It can potentially silence women and force
stalking, defamation and hate speech, public women — including journalists and politicians
shaming, and identity theft and hacking, sexual — out of jobs.
harassment and threats of sexual violence, or the Impact on the society:
sharing of intimate images and videos without
permission. • While organised misinformation and trolling
affect women on a personal level, it also has a
Gendered disinformation: significant impact on society.
• Women are more prone to gendered * A healthy democracy is participatory and
disinformation. promotes gender inclusiveness. Sexism and
• Misinformation and sexism have a symbiotic misinformation intimidate women from taking
relationship. Misinformation piggybacks on vocal stands and silences them. As a result of
sexism to discredit vocal women and sexism uses this increasingly hostile online environment,
misinformation to reinforce patriarchal norms. many women self-censor or are driven offline
entirely, out of fears for their safety. This would
Inter-sectional challenges:
deprieve the society of any progressive ideas
• Misinformation like other forms of abuse and coming from such women. This would be
discrimination has inter-sectional challenges. antithetical to a progressive society.
• Organised disinformation and sexism intersect * With the advent of a virtual society offline
with Islamophobia, castetism, religious bigotry violence against women has extended to
and other forms of discrimination. This only online, which makes it easier for people to
increases the impact on women from such commit violence without consequences.
vulnerable sections. Online abuse is a part of gender-based
Vulnerability of women even in high position: violence (GBV).
• Even women in high positions are not spared * The online crisis facing women and girls
from online abuse. threatens global progress on gender equality.
* A 2020 report by Amnesty International noted Lack of measures to address the challenge:
a considerable number of female politicians • Rather than addressing such behaviour, often
receiving hateful mentions on Social media women are asked to either ignore the abusers or
platforms like Twitter. A substantial proportion block such handles.
• The author also criticizes the social media • The report identifies the regional patterns of
platforms of not doing enough to stop such ageing across Indian States and assesses the
incidents. overall ageing situation in India.
Conclusion: • The report presents a deeper insight into how
• Online gender-based violence is just as well India is doing to support the well-being of
destructive as offline violence. its ageing population.
• Online violence against women and girls should • The Index framework includes four pillars:
be accorded necessary attention and addressing Financial Well-being, Social Well-being, Health
online abuse should become a part of the System and Income Security, and eight sub-
feminist discourse. pillars: Economic Empowerment, Educational
Attainment & Employment, Social Status, Physical
Security, Basic Health, Psychological Wellbeing,
Government in itiatives Social Security and Enabling Environment.
• The index highlights that the best way to improve
2. Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana the lives of the current and future generations of
» Prelims: Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana- Provisions older people is by investing in health, education
and employment for young people today.
Context:
• It goes far beyond the adequacy of pensions and
• A Central Sector Scheme namely ‘Rashtriya
other forms of income support.
Vayoshri Yojana’ (RVY) is being implemented
by the Department of Social Justice and Findings:
Empowerment with an objective to provide to • The Health System pillar observes the highest
senior citizens, belonging to the BPL category national average, 66.97 at an all-India level,
and suffering from age-related disabilities/ followed by 62.34 in Social Well-being. Financial
infirmities, with such physical aids and assisted Well-being observes a score of 44.7.
living devices which can restore near normalcy
in their bodily functions. • States have performed particularly worse in the
Income Security pillar because over half of the
About the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana: States have a score below the national average,
• It is a scheme for providing physical aids and i.e., 33.03 in Income Security, which is the lowest
assisted-living devices for senior citizens across all pillars.
belonging to the BPL category. • Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are top-scoring
• Aids such as walking sticks, elbow crutches, regions in Aged and Relatively Aged States,
walkers, tripods, quadpods, hearing aids, respectively.
wheelchairs, artificial dentures, spectacles, etc. • Chandigarh and Mizoram are top-scoring
are provided. regions in Union Territory and North-East States
• It is fully funded by the Central Government. category.
• The scheme is implemented through the Artificial • The Aged States refer to States with an elderly
Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO), population of more than 5 million, whereas
which is the sole implementing agency. Relatively Aged States refer to States with an
Elderly population of less than 5 million.
Government in itiatives
3. Quality of Life for Elderly Index
» Prelims: Quality of Life for Elderly Index-
Parameters
» Mains: The challenges with an ageing population
and measures needed in this direction
Context:
• Quality of Life for Elderly Index released.
Details:
• The Quality of Life for Elderly Index has been
created by the Institute for Competitiveness at
the request of the Economic Advisory Council to
the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
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EDUCATION
Issues relating to Education Impact on education:
1. Why are government schools not the first choice? Impact on the children from poor households:
» Mains: Poor state of government schools in • The public education system is the primary
India- Factors responsible, consequences and option for millions of students in India especially
recommendations for the children coming from poor families.
Context * About 51% students are in government
• In the light of the Patna High Court asking for schools and nearly 10% in aided schools.
data on how many IAS and IPS officers have • Also the government schools have become more
enrolled their wards in government schools, the important as the pandemic takes a toll on the
article analyzes the state of government schools economy, putting fee-charging schools beyond
in India and its impact on education in India. the reach of many and forcing thousands to
Background move to government schools.
Government schools in India: • The poor children who don’t have tuition,
parents to support them at home, or books are
• There are different kinds of government schools most affected by the poor state of government
in India. run schools. This leads to ‘learning loss’ and poor
* The Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), Jawahar ‘learning outcomes’.
Navodaya Vidyalayas and some residential Gender aspect:
schools run by different State governments
are well-resourced, with good infrastructure • The lack of adequate capacity at the secondary
and good teachers. and higher secondary levels in government
schools is a major factor for the sharp fall in
* However the municipal schools and the enrolment beyond the primary level, especially
government schools run by the different Zilla in girls.
Panchayats, are not always as well resourced.
• The lack of transportation, location, lack of toilet
Poor state of government schools: facilities etc., may be preventing teenagers,
• Apart from the elite government run schools, especially girls, from accessing secondary
most government schools in India are mainly education.
characterized by poor infrastructure, lack of well Recommendations:
functioning toilets, drinking water and proper
compound walls. Enhancing public investment in educational sector:
• Low Teacher to Pupil Ratio is a big concern in • Government investment in the educational
government schools. Almost half the regular sector needs to be increased.
teacher vacancies are filled by guest or ad hoc Decentralized approach:
teachers. • Instead of the traditional centralized approach,
• The learning outcomes of children studying in there should be a micro plan for every school,
government schools have been generally low. a larger plan for schools at the district level, and
Contributing factors: then at the State level. The local bodies should
take the lead in this direction.
• Low public expenditure in the educational sector.
Ensuring basic facilities:
• Lack of accountability on the part of teachers
has been a major impediment to development • Basic facilities like drinking water, toilet facilities
of government schools in India. Given that there and playgrounds need to be ensured.
is no pressure from parents on the quality of • Improving the infrastructure of government
education in government schools has led to a schools will make them more attractive.
severe slide in its quality. Teacher development:
• Teachers’ professional development is a very • There is the need to create better professional
weak area in government schools. There is severe networks for teachers, because the best teachers
lack of investment in terms of resources or in the continuously learn from each other. Sufficient
planning of institutes. attention needs to be given to professional
development of teachers as this will be a critical
input to improve learning outcome in children.
* The focus should be on supporting slower • The aim behind the scheme is to eradicate
foundational development that allows deeper illiteracy in India.
and more meaningful learning. • This program for adult education is initiated by
• There is a need for skilled teachers. the Department of School Education & Literacy,
Ministry of Education.
• The status of the teacher reflects the socio-
cultural ethos of the society; it is said that no • Over the period of time, the focus of the
people can rise above the level of its teachers”. programme shall also be on the basic literacy
component, i.e. vocational education (skill
* NEP 2020 has entrusted the intellectual development), equivalency, physical and
development of kindergarten children from emotional development, practical arts, applied
underprivileged sections to matriculation- science, or recreation.
pass Anganwadi teachers and helpers.
• This programme will assertively give an
* Anganwadi teachers will not be able to fulfil opportunity to those who have either lost the
the task of developing underprivileged opportunity, or transcended the age of formal
kindergarten students into creators simply education, and now feel a need for learning.
because they lack the expertise to do so.
• The Abhiyan will focus on women, Scheduled
Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) Minorities,
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DISASTER MANAGEMENT
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prioritises heavily engineered structures such
as dams and hydropower that involve rock Water management errors:
blasting, tree felling and inundating large spaces
• The infrastructural interventions such as building
clearly jeopardises the integrity of mountain
embankments and re-routing streams have
slopes. There should be an emphasis on a more
disturbed the conventional pattern of slow water
sustainable model of growth and development
flow. This has lead to faster flow of water leading
keeping in mind the unique characteristics of
to higher potential for damage from the fast
the region. Sustainable tourism and farm-based
moving water.
economy should be encouraged
Indifferent attitude by Nepal:
• Though a small Himalayan State, Himachal
Pradesh, is playing a very crucial role in sustaining • The indifference shown by Nepal on matters of
the livelihoods of downstream areas. The floods and water management in recent years
conservation, sustenance of these ecologically have added to the risks of flooding in North Bihar
fragile regions must become a top priority for region.
India. • The Kosi Treaty of 1954, under which the
embankments in Nepal were established and
maintained, does not make enough provisions
Disaster Management - Floods
for the maintenance of embankments.
2. Floods in Bihar • Also the untimely release of water from Nepal
» Mains: Factors contributing to Bihar’s vulnerability has added to India’s vulnerability to flooding.
to floods; Recommendations Concerns:
Context: • The chronic issue of flooding has rendered over
• Floods in Bihar. five crore people of the north Bihar region in
India and Tarai in Nepal vulnerable.
Background:
• Despite efforts to mitigate the impact of floods,
Floods prone Bihar: people continue to suffer with perennial flooding
• Historically, Bihar has been known to be India’s in north Bihar (the Mithilanchal region).
most flood-prone State. • Despite the significant threat posed by flooding,
• As per Government of Bihar estimates around this does not seem to get the attention it deserves
76% of the population in north Bihar faces the by policymakers.
recurring threat of flood devastation and about Recommendations:
73.06% of the land area is flood affected.
• The annual calamity of floods and its devastating
• Bihar has been experiencing increasing number effects on lives and livelihoods needs greater
of floods over the last few years and also the total attention among the mainstream political and
area affected by floods has also increased during policy establishments.
these years.
• Apart from the continued emphasis on
Factors contributing to Bihar’s vulnerability to floods: infrastructure augmentation in the form of dams
Geographical reasons: and reservoirs, detention basins, embankments
• A large part of north Bihar, adjoining Nepal’s Tarai and channel improvement, Non-structural
region, is drained by a number of rivers that have measures such as floodplain management, flood
their catchments in the steep and geologically forecasting and warning, flood insurance and
nascent Himalayas. financial compensation also needs to be taken
care of adequately.
* About 65% of the catchment area of these
rivers falls in Nepal/Tibet and only 35% of the • There needs to be greater emphasis on
catchment area lies in Bihar. sustainable development.
• These rivers include the Kosi, Gandak, Burhi • India and Nepal will need to establish water
Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla Balan, Mahananda and cooperation as a common cause. This could
Adhwara Group. take the form of a dedicated intergovernmental
panel to study, assess and offer solutions to the
• The high discharge and sediment load in these flooding issue.
rivers makes them extremely vulnerable to
flooding.
• The deposition of stones, sand, silt and sediment Disaster Management - Urban flooding
has led to river beds rising and changing their 3. Urban Flooding
course.
» Mains: Factors contributing to urban floods and
measures needed to be taken to mitigate the
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* The coastal districts of Odisha have witnessed atleast two of these developing into severe
tidal surges of 3.5 metres to 4.5 metres during cyclonic storms.
cyclones. • The North Indian Ocean cyclone season occurs
between April and November, with peaks in late
• A storm surge or tidal surge is a coastal flood April to May and October to November.
phenomenon of rising water commonly • Among the natural disasters, cyclones constituted
associated with low-pressure weather the second most frequent phenomena that
systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as occurred in 15% of India’s total natural disasters
the rise in water level above the normal tidal over 1999-2020.
level, and does not include waves. Vulnerability of India to cyclones:
Significance: Position of India:
• Given the trend of increasing frequency • Given India’s location in the North Indian Ocean
and intensity of the cyclones, raising and and it being surrounded by Indian Ocean on
strengthening of embankments has become a two sides, India continues to remain vulnerable
vital and necessary intervention. to tropical cyclones both on the east and west
coast.
• The embankments would save people from tidal
surges and inundation in future. • The absence of a large landmass between the
Pacific and the Bay allows cyclonic winds to easily
Recommendations: move into the Bay of Bengal. Hence low-pressure
• While strengthening of flood embankments system originating from the Pacific ocean also
should be taken up wherever viable, there is travel towards the Indian coastline.
also the urgent need to permanently evacuate Long coastline:
people from at risk areas.
• The Indian coastline is around 7,500 km and it
includes 96 coastal districts.
Disaster Management - Cyclones • Of India’s 7500 km coastline, almost 5700 km
are highly vulnerable to the impacts of tropical
5. Cyclones
cyclones and related hydro-meteorological
» Prelims: Important cyclones which made landfall hazards and consequently to recurrent loss of life
in India; Cyclone pattern in India. and properties.
» Mains: Vulnerability of India to tropical cyclones; Dense population density:
Concerns and recommendations to mitigate the
• Around 262 million people live in the 96 coastal
impact of tropical cyclones.
districts of India
Background:
• The World Bank and the United Nations (2010)
• Severe cyclones, Tauktae and Yaas made landfalls estimate that around 200 million city residents
on India’s western coast, Gujarat, and the eastern would be exposed to storms and earthquakes by
coast, Odisha, in the month of May 2021, 2050 in India.
respectively.
Impact of climate change:
• Apart from the loss of lives and the displacement
• Tropical cyclones will grow stronger and wetter
of millions, these cyclones caused massive
due to global warming.
damage to infrastructure, agricultural sector,
and houses. As per the Government of India • The increasing sea surface temperatures in the
estimates the economic losses stood at Rs. 320 northern Indian Ocean and the changing geo-
billion (U.S.$ 4.3 billion). climatic conditions in India have led to a rise in
the frequency and intensity of cyclones in the
Cyclones in India:
coastal States.
• According to India Meteorological Department
Concerns:
(IMD), 2013 data, the coastal states of India
account for 7% of the global tropical cyclones. Fatalities:
* The eastern coast has experience more • Cyclones have been the third most lethal disaster
cyclones as compared to the western coast. in India after earthquakes (42%) and floods
The state of Odisha has experienced the most (33%).
number of cyclones. * There has been an appreciable fall in number
• Every year, India experiences an average of of fatalities due to cyclones over the years
around five to six tropical cyclones are formed mainly due to improved early warning
in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea with systems, cyclone forecasting, and better
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HISTORY
Medieval Indian History - Important personalities • Abanindranath Tagore sought to modernise the
Mughal and the Rajput styles in order to counter
1. Dara Shikoh the influence of Western models of art under the
» Prelims: Dara Shikoh’s contribution to literature; colonial regime.
important literary works • He was also the first major exponent of Swadeshi
» Mains: Important personalities in the medieval values in Indian art. His unique interpretation of
period who contributed to religious tolerance swadeshi themes created a new awakening and
heralded a revival of Indian art.
and harmony
• He was also a noted writer, particularly for
Dara Shikohl:
children. Popularly known as 'Aban Thakur', his
• Dara Shikoh was the eldest son and heir-apparent books Rajkahini, Buro Angla, Nalak, and Khirer
of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Putul were landmarks in Bengali language
• He was killed on the orders of his brother children's literature.
Aurangzeb in 1659 after losing the war of Context:
succession.
• Year-long celebrations marking 150 years of
• Dara Shikoh was known for his tolerance and Abanindranath Tagore.
academic aspects.
* He authored the work The Confluence of the
Two Seas (Majma-ul-Bahrain), which argues for Medieval Indian History - Significant events
the harmony of Sufi philosophy in Islam and
Vedanta philosophy in Hinduism. 3. 100th Anniversary of Madras Legislative Council
* He completed the translation of fifty » Prelims: Important acts and their provisions
Upanishads from their original Sanskrit into during the British rule.
Persian in 1657 so that they could be studied Madras Legislative Council:
by Muslim scholars. His translation is often
• The Madras Legislative Council was inaugurated
called Sirr-i-Akbar.
on January 12, 1921. It was set up under the
* He was also a great patron of arts. Government of India Act of 1919.
Alamgirnama: • Its origins can be traced back to the Indian
• Alamgirnama is the court history of Emperor Councils Act, 1861 when it was set up as an
aurangzeb (1658-1707) written by Mirza advisory body through which the colonial
Muhammad Qazim. administration obtained advice and assistance.
• The Indian Councils Act of 1892 expanded the
council.
Medieval Indian History - Important personalities • The Morley-Minto reforms (Indian Councils
2. Abanindranath Tagore Act 1909) officially introduced the method of
electing members to the Council, though it did
» Prelims: Abanindranath Tagore’s contribution to not provide for direct elections.
literature and art (painting)
• Based on the recommendations of the Montague-
» Mains: The advent of oriental art forms and their Chelmsford report, the Government of India
contribution to the national movement Act of 1919 was enacted. The Act enlarged the
Abanindranath Tagore: provincial legislative councils and increased the
strength of elected members to be greater than
• Abanindranath, a nephew of Rabindranath
that of nominated and official members.
Tagore, is considered the leading light of the
Bengal School of Art. • In April 1921, the Madras Legislative Council
adopted legislation to give voting rights to
• Abanindranath Tagore was the principal artist
women.
and creator of the "Indian Society of Oriental Art".
His famous paintings include the iconic ‘Bharat • In 1968, the council’s name was changed to Tamil
Mata’ painting. Nadu Legislative Council when the Madras state
was renamed Tamil Nadu.
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GOVERNANCE
Police Reforms Separating investigative and law and order wings:
1. Towards a more humane police force • The investigative functions and the maintenance
» Mains: Issue of custodial violence and of law and order functions of the police should
recommendations to counter it be clearly demarcated and preferably separate
forces should be allocated. The separate
Context: investigative wing will do more professional
• Recently, Chief Justice of India had expressed investigation and will not use unwarranted
concern at the degree of human rights violations methods like torture to extract confession from
in police stations in the country despite the the accused.
existing constitutional guarantees. * This has been recommended by various
• The CJI had noted that the threat to human commission and committees as well like the
rights and bodily integrity as being the highest National Police Commission (1977-81), the
in police stations. Law Commission in its 154th report (1996) and
the Malimath Committee Report (2003) and
• The CJI noted that the lack of effective legal
even the Supreme Court in Prakash Singh v.
representation at police stations leads to lack of
Union of India (2006).
accountability on the part of the police officers
and this becomes a huge detriment to arrested • Adequately resourced investigative wing in terms
or detained persons. of human resources, funding and infrastructure
can help bridge the large gap in demand and
Background:
availability of investigative officers.
Custodial deaths:
Implementation of guidelines issued in D.K. Basu v.
• As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) State of West Bengal (1996) case:
data, though the number of custodial deaths
• The judgment in the D.K. Basu v. State of West
varies year to year, on average of about 100
Bengal (1996) marks a landmark in the fight
custodial deaths have taken place every year
against custodial violence.
between 2010 and 2019.
• The Supreme Court had laid down guidelines
* Custodial death is the demise of an individual
to check custodial torture and increase
when he is detained or when he is under the
transparency and responsibility of the police
custody of the Police Authorities
officer effecting arrest.
• Of the 100 average cases, about 3.5 persons
* Mandatory providing of information to a friend
allegedly died due to injuries caused by
or relative about the arrest
policemen and can be attributed to custodial
violence. * Compulsory medical examination
Countering custodial violence: * Permission to meet a lawyer
• The article discusses some of the measures that • The right implementation of these guidelines will
can help in addressing the issue of custodial go a long way in addressing the issue of custodial
violence and help improve the human rights violence.
protection regime in police stations. Installation of CCTV cameras:
Reducing arrests: • The lack of effective legal representation at
• The most important measure to reduce instances police stations leads to a lack of accountability on
of custodial violence would be to reduce the the part of the police officers and this becomes a
number of arrests. This would help reduce the huge detriment to arrested or detained persons.
chances of violence in custody. • Installation of CCTV cameras in police stations
• Despite clearly defined laws and judicial will help in checking the violation of human
precedents (Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar, rights in police stations. Mandatory storage
2014) which mandate arrest only in certain facility of audio-video recording for 18 months
circumstances, the police have resorted to must be ensured.
unnecessary arrests at times. • An independent committee could study the
• The Supreme Court in a recent judgment held footage and periodically publish reports of its
that each arrest must be necessary and justified observations.
and that having the authority to arrest is alone
not sufficient.
• Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled • This will provide an impetus to the women to
Tribes, and Other Backward Classes is referred overcome the social barriers to their entering
to as vertical reservation. It applies separately for the mainstream society and go a long way in
each of the groups specified under the law. reducing gender disparity in the country.
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GEOGRAPHY
Geography - Oceanography
* Warm and salty water moves from the south to
1. Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation the north where it cools down and thus gets
denser. When it is heavy enough the water
» Prelims: Atlantic Meridional Overturning sinks to deeper ocean layers and flows back to
Circulation (AMOC); Other thermohaline the south. It carries heat equivalent to a million
circulation systems and their significance nuclear power plants.
» Mains: Causes and impact of the destabilization • Global warming has caused the Arctic to warm,
of AMOC Greenland to melt, rainfall to increase, and the
Context: flow of freshwater into the northern seas to
• A new study published in Nature Climate Change intensify
shows that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Impact of the destabilization of AMOC
Circulation (AMOC) may have become unstable • The destabilization of AMOC could have drastic
over the last century and reached a tipping point. consequences on the global climate.
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC): * It could imply more extreme weather events
• The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation like a change of the winter storm track coming
(AMOC) is a major current in the Atlantic Ocean off the Atlantic, possibly intensifying them.
and can be considered as a large system of ocean * Its slowdown is also associated with an
currents. observed ‘cold blob’ in the northern Atlantic
• AMOC is characterized by a northward flow * The Sahara region will become more drought
of warm, salty water in the upper layers of prone.
the Atlantic, and a southward flow of colder,
deep waters that are part of the thermohaline • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
circulation.. (IPCC) Report suggests that any substantial
weakening of the AMOC would cause a decrease
in marine productivity in the North Atlantic
Geography - Climatology
2. Break in Monsoons
» Prelims: Break in Monsoons: Features and
causative factors.
• During July and August, there are certain periods
when the monsoons become weak. Rainfall
practically ceases over the country outside the
Himalayan belt and southeast peninsula. This is
known as break in the monsoon.
* Rainfall increase along the foothills of
Himalayas, Northeast India and parts of the
Southern Peninsula (Rayalseema and Tamil
• Since it aids in distributing heat and energy, Nadu).
AMOC maintains temperature equilibrium of
Europe and influences world weather. • Middle of August is most prone to ‘breaks’ and
that too longer breaks.
Causes of the destabilization of AMOC:
• The breaks are believed to be brought about by
• Global warming caused by Greenhouse gases is the northward shifting of the monsoon trough
one of the major reasons for the slowing down of (minimum low pressure cell in ITCZ). The axis of
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation the trough lies at the foothills of the Himalayas
• The Atlantic overturning is driven by what the during the break period.
scientists call deep convection, triggered by the Context
differences in the density of the ocean water
• The India Meteorological Department has said
that atmospheric conditions are favourable for
the revival of monsoon in northwest India.
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Places in news
4. Agalega island
» Prelims: Agalega island; Chagos island
Agalega island:
• It is a remote Mauritian island in the south-
western Indian Ocean.
• Agalega, some 12 kilometres long and 1.5
kilometres wide island, is located about 1,100-
km from Mauritius' main island.
MISCELLANEOUS
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PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. Arrange the following in the correct Chronological 4. With reference to the InSight mission, which of the
order of their arrival in India: following statements is/are incorrect?
1. Danes 1. It is part of NASA’s Discovery Program.
2. Portuguese 2. InSight is the first mission dedicated to looking
3. English deep beneath the Martian surface.
4. French Options:
Options: A. 1 only
A. 1-2-3-4 B. 2 only
B. 2-3-1-4 C. Both
C. 2-1-3-4 D. None
D. 1-2-4-3
5. Consider the following statements:
2. Consider the following statements: 1. The Rajya Sabha has no power either to reject or
1. Out of all the European colonial powers that to amend a Money Bill.
came to India, it was the Dutch who had the 2. The Rajya Sabha cannot vote on the Demands
shortest presence in comparison to the Portuguese for Grants.
and the English.
3. The Rajya Sabha cannot discuss the Annual
2. The first factory founded by the Dutch in India
Financial Statement.
was at Masulipatnam.
3. The Battle of Colachel permanently ended Dutch Which of the statements given above is/are
presence in South India when the Travancore army correct?
defeated an army of the Dutch East India company. A. 1 only
Which of the above statements is/are correct? B. 1 and 2 only
A. 1 only C. 2 and 3 only
B. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
C. 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
6. Who among the following are entitled to Free
Legal Services?
3. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. BPL cardholders
1. The Sun is the largest object in our solar system, 2. A woman is entitled to free legal aid irrespective
comprising 99.8% of the system’s mass. of her income or financial status
2. The diameter of the Sun is 190 times that of the 3. An industrial workman
Earth.
4. A member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled
Options: Tribe
A. 1 only Options:
B. 2 only A. 1 only
C. Both B. 1 and 4 only
D. None C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
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14. Which of the following are the initiatives surrender two of his sons as surety to the British till
undertaken by the Government for the welfare he paid his due.
and upliftment of the minority communities? 3. Mysore entered into a Subsidiary Alliance with
1. USTTAD the British after the Third Anglo-Mysore War.
2. Hamari Darohar Options:
3. Nai Manzil A. 1 only
4. Sakhi Scheme B. 2 only
5. Sanskritik Sadbhav Mandap C. 1, 2 and 3
Options: D. None of the above
A. 1, 2 and 4 only
B. 2, 3, 4 and 5 only 18. Consider the following statements with respect to
C. 1, 2, 3 and 5 only Saubhagya Scheme:
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4 only 1. The scheme was launched to provide free
electricity to all households (both APL and poor
families) in rural areas and poor families in urban
15. Consider the following pairs: areas.
1. Radhakanta Deb — First President of the British 2. Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) is the
Indian Association nodal agency for the scheme.
2. Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty —Founder of the 3. Beneficiary households for free electricity
Madras Mahajana Sabha connections under the scheme are identified using
SECC 2011 data.
3. Surendranath Banerjee — Founder of the Indian
Association Which of the given statements is/are INCORRECT?
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched? A. 1 only
[UPSC 2017] B. 2 and 3 only
A. 1 only C. 3 only
B. 1 and 3 only D. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3 19. Which among the following are applications of
Coir geo-textiles?
16. Which of the given statements with respect to 1. Rainwater Harvesting
project CHAMAN is/are correct? 2. Promoting quick vegetation
1. It is a pioneer project to provide strategic 3. Improvement of sub-grade soil strength in road
development to the horticulture sector in order to pavements
increase farmer’s income.
4. Stabilization of side slopes to check soil erosion
2. Crops such as Rice, Wheat, Mustard and Jute are
assessed under CHAMAN project using remote 5. Construction of roads
sensing technology and satellites. Options:
Options A. 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
A. 1 only B. 2 only
B. 2 only C. 2, 4 and 5 only
C. Both 1 and 2 D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
D. Neither 1 nor 2
20. Consider the following pairs:
17. Which of the given statements is/are INCORRECT? Community sometimes mentioned in the news: In
1. The Battle of Pollilur and the Battle of Porto Novo the affairs of
were fought as a part of the Third Anglo-Mysore 1. Kurd: Bangladesh
war.
2. Madhesi: Nepal
2. As per the Treaty of Mangalore signed after
3. Rohingya: Myanmar
the Third Anglo-Mysore War, Tipu Sultan had to
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary.
matched? [UPSC 2016]
2. ISRO has built a total of eight satellites in the
A. 1 and 2 IRNSS series; of which seven are currently in orbit,
B. 2 only three of these satellites are in Geostationary Orbit
(GEO) while the remaining in Geosynchronous
C. 2 and 3 Orbits (GSO).
D. 3 only Options:
A. 1 only
21. What is 'Project Himank'? B. 2 only
A. It is a high-altitude research station in Himalaya C. Both
B. It is the country’s first robotic telescope located D. None
at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) at
Hanle in Ladakh
C. It is an initiative of the Indian Government to 25. In India, which of the following have the highest
safeguard the Himalayan Quail share in the disbursement of credit to agriculture
and allied activities? (2011)
D. It is a project of the Border Roads Organisation
(BRO) in the Ladakh region A. Commercial Banks
B. Cooperative Banks
22. Consider the following statements with respect to C. Regional Rural Banks
Anaimalai flying frog: D. Microfinance Institutions
1. It is endemic to the southern part of the Western
Ghats.
26. With reference to EOS-03 satellite, which of the
2. Its IUCN status is Endangered. following statements is/are correct?
Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1. It is the first military communication satellite
A. 1 only developed by the ISRO for the Indian defense
forces.
B. 2 only
2. It provides real-time inputs to naval warships,
C. Both submarines and maritime aircraft and networking
D. None capabilities to its naval assets on the high seas.
Options:
23. Which of the following statements is/are correct? A. 1 only
1. Sand is a minor mineral under the Mines and B. 2 only
Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957. C. Both
2. The Act empowers the State Governments D. None
to make rules for regulating the grant of minor
mineral concessions.
3. Central Government is the owner of the minerals 27. Which of the following is/are correctly matched?
underlying the ocean within the territorial waters Islands Country
or the Exclusive Economic Zone of India.
1. Assumption Island Seychelles
Options:
2. Agalega Islands Maldives
A. 1 and 2 only
3. Gaadhoo Island Mauritius
B. 2 and 3 only
Options:
C. 1 and 3 only
A. 1 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 only
24. With reference to Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System (NavIC), which of the following D. 1, 2 and 3
statements is/are incorrect?
1. It is designed to provide accurate position
information service to users in India as well as the
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28. Consider the following statements about 4. Its priority is to achieve SDG-2 by 2030.
Surendranath Banerji: Options:
1. Banerji was the founder of one of India’s first A. 1, 2 and 3 only
political organizations, the Indian National
Association. B. 2, 3 and 4 only
2. Banerji published the newspaper ‘The Bengalee’. C. 2 and 4 only
3. Banerji supported the Morley-Minto reforms D. 3 and 4 only
(1909) but was a critic of the proposed method of
civil disobedience advocated by Mahatma Gandhi.
32. Consider the following statements with respect to
Which of the above statements is/are correct? Abanindranath Tagore:
A. 1 only 1. He founded the ‘Indian Society of Oriental Art’.
B. 2 and 3 only
2. Victory of Buddha is among his famous paintings.
C. 1, 2 and 3
3. He wrote ‘Amar Shonar Bangla’ which helped
D. None ignite a feeling of nationalism amongst people.
Which of the given statements is/are correct?
29. Consider the following pairs:
A. 1 only
Festivals in News State
B. 2 and 3 only
1. Sangai Festival Manipur
C. 1 and 2 only
2. Behdienkhlam Festival Mizoram
D. 1, 2 and 3
3. Hornbill Festival Nagaland
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly
matched? 33. The “Tigray Region” recently in news, borders
which of these countries?
A. 1 only
1. Eritrea
B. 2 and 3 only
2. South Sudan
C. 1 and 3 only
3. Sudan
D. 1, 2 and 3
4. Djibouti
Options:
30. There has been a persistent deficit budget year
after year. Which action/actions of the following A. 1, 2 and 4 only
can be taken by the Government to reduce the B. 3 and 4 only
deficit? (UPSC-2015)
C. 1 and 3 only
1. Reducing revenue expenditure
D. 1 and 4 only
2. Introducing new welfare schemes
3. Rationalizing subsidies
34. Which of the given statements with respect to
4. Reducing import duty PMGDISHA Scheme is/are correct?
Select the correct answer using the code given 1. Its objective is to enhance institutional
below. mechanisms for skills development and increase
A. 1 only access to quality and market-relevant training for
the work force.
B. 2 and 3 only
2. The scheme is applicable only for rural areas of
C. 1 and 3 only the country.
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4 3. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
31. Which of the given statements with respect to the 4. All households where none of the family
UN World Food Programme is/are correct? member is digitally literate will be considered as
eligible households under the Scheme.
1. It was founded at the United Nations World
Humanitarian Summit (WHS). Options:
2. It is headquartered in Rome, Italy. A. 1 only
3. It has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize twice. B. 2 and 4 only
42. Which of the following statements about Pradhan 46. The grouping “extended troika” is seen in news in
Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is/are correct? which of the following contexts?
1. It is a scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum & A. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Natural Gas for providing LPG connections to (RCEP) negotiations.
women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households. B. Afghanistan peace process.
2. The Scheme provides financial support for each C. The Israeli–Palestinian peace process.
LPG connection to the BPL households, interest-
free loan to purchase stoves and refills by Oil D. Abraham Accords.
Marketing Companies.
Options: 47. Consider the following statements:
A. 1 only 1. The territorial sea extends seaward up to 12
B. 2 only nautical miles from its baselines and includes not
only the surface but also the airspace.
C. Both
2. Only civilian foreign ships are allowed innocent
D. None passage through the territorial waters.
3. The U.S. has not ratified the United Nations
43. With reference to 8888 Uprising, which of the Convention on the Law of the Sea.
following statements is/are correct? Which of the given statements is/are correct?
1. It was a series of protests and marches in Hong A. 1 only
Kong.
B. 2 and 3 only
2. It was against mainland China’s proposal to
introduce a new National Security Law. C. 1 and 3 only
Options: D. None of the above
A. 1 only
B. 2 only 48. Marburg virus belongs to which of the following
categories?
C. Both
A. Coronaviruses
D. None
B. Togaviruses
C. Paramyxoviruses
44. Island of Evia recently seen in news is part of which
country? D. Filoviruses
A. Italy
B. Greece 49. Consider the following statements with respect to
ISHAAN UDAY Scheme:
C. Turkey
1. It is a scheme launched for the financial
D. France
turnaround of the Power Distribution Companies
(DISCOMs) owned by the North-Eastern states.
45. Consider the following statements: 2. The scheme is being implemented by the
The parliamentary Committee on public accounts Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
1. Consists of not more than 25 members of the Which of the given statements is/are correct?
Lok Sabha. A. 1 only
2. Scrutinizes appropriation and finance accounts B. 2 only
of the Government.
C. Both 1 and 2
3. Examines the report of the Comptroller and
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Auditor General of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct? 50. Consider the following statements in respect
of Trade Related Analysis of Fauna and Flora in
A. 1 only
Commerce (TRAFFIC):
B. 2 and 3 only
1. TRAFFIC is a bureau under United Nations
C. 3 only Environment Programme (UNEP).
D. 1, 2 and 3 2. The mission of TRAFFIC is to ensure that trade
in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the 53. He started a movement in the Bihar and Jharkhand
conservation of nature. belt in the 19th century under British colonial
rule. As a result of his struggle, the Chotanagpur
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Tenancy Act was passed in 1908. He is also known
[UPSC 2017]
as ‘Dharti Abba’.
A. 1 only
The tribal leader being talked about is:
B. 2 only
A. Kanhu Murmu
C. Both 1 and 2
B. Birsa Munda
D. Neither 1 nor 2
C. Tirut Singh
D. Bar-Manik
51. Consider the following statements with respect to
International Seabed Authority (ISA):
54. Which of these mountain passes is/are located in
1. It is an autonomous international organization Ladakh?
established under the 1982 United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 1. Zoji La
2. It makes binding recommendations to coastal 2. Nathu La
States on matters related to the establishment 3. Bomdi La
of outer limits of the continental shelf extending
beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines. 4. Muling La
3. All mineral-related activities in the international Option:
seabed area beyond the limits of national A. 1 and 4 only
jurisdiction are regulated by ISA.
B. 2 and 3 only
4. ISA is committed to contributing to the timely
C. 1 only
and effective implementation of SDG-6 in
particular. D. 1, 3 and 4
Which of the given statements is/are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only 55. “Momentum for Change: Climate Neutral Now” is
an initiative launched by: (UPSC-2018)
B. 1, 2 and 3 only
A. The Intergovernmental Panel on climate change
C. 1 and 3 only
B. The UNEP Secretariat
D. 1, 2 and 4 only
C. The UNFCCC Secretariat
D. The World Meteorological Organization
52. Global Environment Facility functions as a
financial mechanism for which of the following
convention/s? 56. Which of the given statements with respect to
1. Minamata Convention on Mercury Quality of Life for Elderly Index is/are correct?
2. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic 1. The Index was created by NITI Aayog to shed
Pollutants (POPs) light on problems faced by elderly citizens in India.
3. United Nations Convention on Biological 2. Its framework includes four pillars of Financial
Diversity (UNCBD) Well-being, Social Well-being, Health System and
Income Security.
4. United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) Options:
5. United Nations Framework Convention on A. 1 only
Climate Change (UNFCCC) B. 2 only
Options: C. Both 1 and 2
A. 3, 4 and 5 only D. Neither 1 nor 2
B. 5 only
C. 1, 2 and 5 only 57. Which among the following is/are Earth
D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Observation Satellites?
1. Megha-Tropiques
2. SARAL
3. OCEANSAT
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Options: C. 1 and 2 only
A. 1 only D. 1, 2 and 3
B. 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only 90. ‘Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement
D. 1, 2 and 3 (BTIA)’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context
of negotiations held between India and
A. European Union
87. Which of the given statements is/are INCORRECT
w.r.t Speaker of the Lok Sabha: B. Gulf Cooperation Council
1. It is mandatory for the Speaker to resign from C. Organization for Economic Cooperation and
the political party soon after he/she is elected in Development
order to honour the constitutional obligation of D. Shanghai Cooperation Organization
independence and impartiality.
2. The Speaker is empowered to order the
91. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
suspension of a member from the house and
revoke such an order. 1. In India, sugarcane is grown as a Kharif Crop.
3. When the Lok Sabha is dissolved the Speaker 2. Sugarcane prices are determined by both the
shall vacate his/her office immediately. Centre as well as States.
Options: 3. The Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of
sugarcane is approved by the Commission for
A. 1 and 3 only
Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
B. 2 and 3 only
4. India produces more sugar than it consumes.
C. 1, 2 and 3
Options:
D. 1 only
A. 1, 2 and 4 only
B. 1 and 2 only
88. Which of the given statements with respect to
C. 2 and 3 only
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is/are
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
correct?
1. It was formed by an initiative of India and South
Africa. 92. Which of the following is/are the schemes launched
under National Mission for Enhanced
2. All the QUAD members are among its member
nations. Energy Efficiency (NMEEE)?
3. Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) is a flagship 1. Energy Efficiency Financing Platform (EEFP)
initiative of IORA. 2. Perform Achieve and Trade Scheme (PAT)
4. It has set up the Information Fusion Centre – 3. Ujjwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY)
Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram.
4. Market Transformation for Energy Efficiency
Options: (MTEE)
A. 2 only 5. Framework for Energy Efficient Economic
B. 1 and 3 only Development (FEEED)
C. 1, 2 and 4 only Options:
D. 3 and 4 only A. 2 and 3 only
B. 1, 4 and 5 only
89. Consider the following pairs: C. 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
Festivals Tribes D. 1, 2, 4 and 5 only
1. Wanchuwa Tiwa
2. Nyokum Nyishi 93. The Indian Navy undertook bilateral exercise
3. Myoko Lushai ‘Zayed Talwar 2021’ with
Options: A. Saudi Arabia
A. 3 only B. United Arab Emirates
B. 2 and 3 only C. Qatar
D. Bahrain Options:
A. 1, 2 and 4 only
94. This port is strategically located on South Eastern B. 2 and 3 only
coastline of Oman. It straddles along critical sea C. 1 and 4 only
lanes in Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden. In 2018,
India secured access to this Port for military use D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
and logistical support.
The port being talked about is: 98. Which of the following steps have been taken by
the Government to promote indigenization
A. Port of Khasab
in the defence sector?
B. Chabahar Port
1. Up to 51% FDI is allowed through the Automatic
C. Duqm Port Route in the Defence Sector.
D. Bandar Abbas Port 2. Up to 100% FDI is allowed by Government Route
in the Defence Sector.
95. Which of the following is/are famous for Sun 3. Setting up of Innovations for Defence Excellence
temples? (iDEX) framework.
1. Arasavalli 4. Notifying positive indigenisation list.
2. Amarakantak Options:
3. Omkareshwar A. 3 and 4 only
Select the correct answer using the code given B. 2, 3 and 4 only
below: [UPSC 2017] C. 1, 2 and 4 only
A. 1 only D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only 99. Which of the given statements with respect to
D. 1, 2 and 3 Majuli island is/are correct?
1. It is the nerve centre of neo-Vaishnavite
spiritualism.
96. Which of the given statement/s with respect to
Green Hydrogen is/are INCORRECT? 2. It is the only geo-heritage site in Assam.
1. Hydrogen is labelled Green Hydrogen when the 3. It is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the
carbon emission generated from the production Brahmaputra and a floating wildlife habitat.
process is captured and stored. Options:
2. Pyrolysis is the process followed for its A. 1 and 2 only
production.
B. 2 and 3 only
3. This is the cleanest form of hydrogen generation
C. 1 only
since the by-products are just water and water
vapour. D. 1, 2 and 3
Options:
A. 1 and 3 only 100. With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal
Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements:
B. 2 and 3 only
1. It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour
C. 1 and 2 only
and Employment.
D. None of the above
2. It, among other things, will also impart training
in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital
97. Which of these UNESCO World Heritage Sites in are literacy.
known for the Stone Chariots? 3. It aims to align the competencies of the
1. Mahabalipuram unregulated workforce of the country to the
National Skill Qualification Framework.
2. Konark Sun Temple
Which of the statements given above is/are correct
3. Pattadakal ?
4. Hampi
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A. Only 1 C. 3 only
B. Only 2 D. 2, 3 and 4 only
C. 1 & 3 only
D. All of the above 111. Which of the given statements best describes
the recently launched “Yuktdhara” portal?
108. Which of the following statements regarding a. A portal launched for planning, coordination,
Malabar Naval Exercise is/are correct? execution and monitoring of Skill Development
Initiatives.
1. It focuses on Passage Exercises amongst the 4
Quad countries. b. An online repository of assets created under
various national rural development programmes
2. It started in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between such as MGNREGA, Integrated Watershed
the Indian and US navies. Management Programme etc.
3. Japan joined the exercise in 2015. c. A platform for effective enforcement of the no
Select the correct option from below: child labour policy.
A. 1 & 2 d. A data repository for all the meteorological
missions of ISRO and deals with weather-related
b. 1 & 3 information, oceanography, and tropical water
C. 2 & 3 cycles.
D. All of the above
112. Consider the following statements with
109. Consider the following statements regarding respect to Chakmas and Hajongs:
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner 1. They came to India from Bhutan after being
for Refugees: displaced due to the submergence of their land
1. The Statute of the Office of the United Nations due to the construction of the Kaptai dam.
High Commissioner for Refugees was adopted by 2. Chakmas are predominantly Buddhists and
the United Nations General Assembly in 1950. Hajongs are Hindus.
2. The High Commissioner reports annually to the 3. They are both identified as Particularly Vulnerable
General Assembly. Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
3. The work of the High Commissioner shall be of Which of the given statements is/are correct?
an entirely non-political character. A. 1 only
Which of the above statements is/are correct? B. 2 and 3 only
A. 1 & 2 C. 2 only
B. 1 & 3 D. 1, 2 and 3
C. 2 & 3
D. All of the above 113. “SARTHAQ” often in news is:
A. An initiative launched to improve the proficiency
110. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact included which of the in reading and numeracy among children in the
following? (UPSC-2020) age group of 3 to 9 years.
1. Invitation to Congress to participate in the B. An implementation plan for school education
Round Table Conference launched in pursuance of the goals of National
2. Withdrawal of Ordinances promulgated in Education Policy 2020.
connection with the Civil Disobedience Movement C. National teachers’ platform built to host Open
3. Acceptance of Gandhiji’s suggestion for enquiry Educational Resources (OER) and tools for teachers
into police excesses in schools, teacher educators in Teacher Education
Institutes (TEIs) and student teachers.
4. Release of only those prisoners who were not
charged with violence D. An initiative to provide skills and right
competencies to women so that they can take up
Select the correct answer using the code given gainful employment.
below:
A. 1 only
B. 1, 2 and 4 only
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2. Two Krivak class stealth ships are being built with D. 2 and 3 only
technology transfer from Russia by Goa Shipyard
Ltd. (GSL) under ‘Make in India’.
3. Krivak class frigates have been inducted into 118. Consider the following statements with
the Indian Navy under the Talwar class and the Teg respect to Nidhi companies:
class.
1. It is a type of company in the Indian non-banking
Options: finance sector, recognized under section 406 of
A. 1 only the Companies Act, 2013.
B. 1 and 3 only 2. Its core business involves lending and borrowing
C. 2 only money between its members or shareholders.
D. 1, 2 and 3 Options:
A. 1 only
116. In the efforts to meet the goals of the Paris B. 2 and 3 only
Agreement, the ‘Climate Action and Finance C. 1 and 2 only
Mobilization Dialogue’ (CAFMD) is a part of the D. None of the above
partnership between India and
A. European Union 120. In the context of the developments in
B. United Kingdom Bioinformatics, the term ‘transcriptome’, sometimes
C. United States of America seen in the news, refers to [UPSC 2016]
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129. Which of the following statements is/are right 133. Consider the following statements:
about Drone Rules 2021? 1. Upstream Oil and Gas Industry includes the
1. The total number of forms that were to be filled searching for potential underground or underwater
has been reduced. crude oil and natural gas fields.
2. The government has done away with the need 2. Companies that handle operations in the
for a security clearance prior to the issuance of a Upstream oil and gas sector are closest to the
registration or licence. customers.
3. Foreign ownership has been discontinued. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Options: A. 1 only
A. 1 and 2 only B. 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only C. Both
C. 1 and 3 only D. None
D. 1, 2 and 3
134. A ‘black hole’ is a body in space which does not
130. What was/were the object/objects of Queen allow any radiation to come out. This is due to its
Victoria’s Proclamation (1858)? A. Large Size
1. To disclaim any intention to annex Indian States. B. Small Size
2. To place the Indian administration under the C. Low Density
British Crown. D. High Density
3. To regulate East India Company’s trade with
India.
135. With reference to Balance of Payments, which
Select the correct answer using the code given of the following constitutes/constitute the Current
below. Account? (UPSC 2014)
A. 1 and 2 only 1. Balance of trade
B. 2 only 2. Foreign assets
C. 1 and 3 only 3. Balance of invisibles
D. 1, 2 and 3 4. Special Drawing Rights
Select the correct answer using the code given
131. Consider the following statements: below.
1. Ten Degree Channel separates the Nicobar A. 1 only
Islands from the Andaman Islands. B. 2 and 3
2. Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve is included in C. 1 and 3
the list of Man and Biosphere Program of UNESCO.
D. 1, 2 and 4
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A. 1 only
136. Which one of the following supercontinent
B. 2 only existed during the late Neoproterozoic era?
C. Both A. Rodinia
D. None B. Vaalbara
C. Panthalassa
132. The Battle of Jamrud was fought between D. Pangaea
A. British Empire against the Konbaung Dynasty
B. Timurids under Babur and the Afghans under 137. Consider the following statements:
Ibrahim Lodi
1. BCG vaccine is currently the only licensed
C. Gorkhali army of the Kingdom of Nepal and the vaccine for TB
British forces of the East India Company
2. Farther a country is from the equator, the higher
D. Emirate of Afghanistan and the Sikh Empire is the efficacy of BCG Vaccine
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
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145. Who among the following Mughal emperors 149. With reference to Partnership for Clean Fuels
shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to and Vehicles (PCFV), Which of the following
the album and individual portraits? [UPSC 2019] statements is/are correct?
A. Humayun 1. It is the European Union’s (EUs) action to curb air
pollution by cars
B. Akbar
2. It is the only global-scale effort dedicated to
C. Jahangir
cleaner air and lower greenhouse gas emissions
D. Shah Jahan from road transport through the introduction of
cleaner fuels and vehicles
146. Which of the following is/are the Mountain Options:
railways of India and are designated as UNESCO A. 1 only
World Heritage Site?
B. 2 only
1. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
C. Both
2. Nilgiri Mountain Railway
D. None
3. Kalka–Shimla Railway
4. Kangra Valley Railway
150. Brominated flame retardants are used in
5. Matheran Light Railway many household products like mattresses and
Options: upholstery. Why is there some concern about their
use? (UPSC 2014)
A. 1, 2 and 3 only
1. They are highly resistant to degradation in the
B. 2, 3 and 4 only environment.
C. 1, 3, 4 and 5 only 2. They are able to accumulate in humans and
D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 animals.
Select the correct answer using the code given
below.
147. Consider the following statements:
A. 1 only
1. They are a fine variant of shawls spun from
cashmere wools. B. 2 only
2. These shawls were indicators of wealth and C. Both 1 and 2
part of a rich woman’s dowry in India, Nepal and D. Neither 1 nor 2
Pakistan.
3. It has been registered under Geographical
Indications registry of India
The above statements best describe:
A. Shahtoosh shawl
B. Kani Shawl
C. Pashmina shawl
D. Paisley shawl
ANSWER KEYS
1 B 21 D
2 D 22 A
3 A 23 D
4 D 24 B
5 B 25 A
6 C 26 D
7 D 27 A
8 A 28 C
9 D 29 C
10 B 30 C
11 A 31 C
12 C 32 C
13 A 33 C
14 C 34 B
15 B 35 C
16 A 36 D
17 C 37 B
18 A 38 C
19 D 39 C
20 C 40 B
41 A 61 B
42 C 62 C
43 D 63 A
44 B 64 B
45 B 65 B
46 B 66 D
47 C 67 C
48 D 68 A
49 D 69 D
50 B 70 A
51 C 71 A
52 D 72 B
53 B 73 A
54 C 74 A
55 C 75 B
56 B 76 A
57 C 77 D
58 A 78 A
59 B 79 D
60 B 80 D
81 C 101 B
82 A 102 A
83 C 103 A
84 B 104 B
85 C 105 D
86 A 106 A
87 C 107 D
88 B 108 C
89 C 109 D
90 A 110 B
91 A 111 B
92 D 112 C
93 B 113 B
94 C 114 D
95 A 115 C
96 C 116 C
97 A 117 B
98 B 118 D
99 C 119 B
100 C 120 B
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121 A 141 B
122 B 142 D
123 C 143 C
124 D 144 D
125 A 145 C
126 A 146 A
127 D 147 C
128 A 148 C
129 A 149 B
130 A 150 C
131 C
132 D
133 A
134 D
135 C
136 A
137 C
138 C
139 B
140 C
GS Paper 1
social Issues
1. Remembrances of mass killings and collective violence can play an important part in societies seeking forgiveness for the
crimes they committed against humanity and resolving that they will never let those terrible events happen again. Comment. (15
marks, 250 words)
2. Gender parity in the Army is happening at a slow pace, and is mostly led by the courts. Explain the statement with the help of
relevant examples. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
3. Sexism and misinformation intimidate women from taking vocal stands and are antithetical to a progressive society. Elaborate.
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
Geography
1. Discuss the effect of climate change on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). (10 Marks, 150 Words)
GS Paper 2
Polity
1. Write a note on Assam- Nagaland border dispute. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
2. OBC reservation in All¬-India Quota medical seats puts an end to a discriminatory policy. Critically analyze. (250 words; 15
marks)
3. The criminalization of begging is a result of colonial elitist view. Instead, it should be viewed as a socio-economic welfare
problem. Critically analyze in the light of the recent observations of the Supreme Court. (250 words; 15 marks)
4. The nature of the division of powers in India and the EU brings the unions into conflict with their constituent parts? Analyse.
(250 words; 15 marks)
5. Write a detailed note on ‘Right to Strike’ in the Indian context, with focus on essential workers and security forces. (250 words;
15 marks)
6. Attempts to curb the growth of ‘Games of skill’, by making it illegal or classifying it as gambling are misdirected. Do you agree?
Substantiate. (10 Marks, 250 Words)
7. ‘To change 50% reservation limit is to have a society which is not founded on equality but based on caste rule’. Critically analyse.
(10 marks, 150 words)
8. Should States have their own flags in India? Critically Examine. (15 Marks, 250 Words) (GS 2 Polity)
9. Tribunals must not be seen as an extension of the executive. Justify. (15 marks, 250 words)
10. It is vital that important pieces of legislation are scrutinized by standing committees, which will have the advantage not only
of eliciting replies from the executive but also inputs from the wider civil society, before the statute is framed. Justify. (15 marks,
250 words)
11. Judicial reforms are the need of the hour, as the current appointment process to the Supreme Court remains opaque. Critically
Evaluate. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
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12. The implementation of the National Automated Facial Recognition System in India lacks adequate safeguards. Comment. (15
marks, 250 words)
13. Partisan political gains should not be the motivation for a fresh census. A renewed vision for a just and united India, where all
divides are reduced must guide the discussion on a caste census. Justify. (15 marks, 250 words)
14. Technology can be a game changer, but it is not a panacea for the ills plaguing courts. Examine. (10 marks, 150 Words)
15. Does the first-past-¬the-¬post system lead to political polarisation? Critically evaluate. (15 marks, 250 words)
16. The recent appointment of nine judges to the Supreme Court at one go is a welcome sign of cooperation between the judiciary
and the executive. It augurs well for diversity and representation. Comment. (250 words; 15 marks)
17. Illustrate the differences between horizontal and vertical reservation, while making a case for reservations for women and
transgender persons in government jobs and education. (250 words; 15 marks)
18. Women’s security must not be predicated on restrictions of their rights and freedoms. Comment. (15 marks, 250 words)
Governance
1. A timely, inclusive, and sustainable digital transformation can serve as a panacea for socio-economic divides. Explain. (10 Marks,
150 Words)
2. Denial of access to credible data not only weakens governance, it also denies the citizens the basic right to hold the govt
accountable. In the light of the Statement, examine the importance of data in policymaking. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
3. India requires a police force that is responsive and respected and not one that is feared. Discuss the need for reforms and
suggest measures. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
Education
1. Should schools be reopened amidst the pandemic? Critically Examine. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
2. Indian students studying overseas and those seeking to go abroad face many COVID-related challenges. Discuss. (10 Marks,
150 Words)
Health
1. Should the vaccine quota for private hospitals be ended? Critically Evaluate. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
2. India should have a COVID booster dose vaccination policy guided by evidence. Discuss. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
3. Strengthening the primary healthcare system will help tackle the burden of non-communicable diseases. Discuss. (10 Marks,
150 Words)
International Relations
1. Examine the evolving American strategy in the Indo-Pacific. How does it impact Indian interests? (250 words; 15 marks)
2. UNCLOS is almost universally lauded for laying down laws and rules whose wide acceptance it is believed has greatly reduced
the number, frequency and potential for inter-state conflicts that would otherwise have taken place. Comment. (10 marks, 150
words)
3. India’s leadership on maritime security has boosted its standing as a key player in the shared commons. Substantiate. (10 marks,
150 Words)
4. Explain the challenges faced by India since its Independence on the security front. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
5. The signing of the Abraham Accords has helped India remove strategic obstacles and has aided defence cooperation. Analyse.
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
6. Periodic attacks on the Chinese workers in Pakistan paints a grim picture for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
project. Discuss the possible reasons for such attacks. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
7. India does not have the luxury of distance from the ticking bomb in its neighbourhood. Discuss in the context of emerging
security dynamics in South Asia. (250 words; 15 marks)
8. There is a sense that Washington’s strategic role in the broader Asia region has diminished following its chaotic withdrawal from
Afghanistan. Evaluate, how it affects Indian interests and broader stability in Asia? (15 marks, 250 words)
GS Paper 3
Economy
1. Discuss the findings of the third annual round of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (250 words; 15 marks)
2. Closing down the old coal power plants using age as the only criteria can prove to be counter-productive. Analyse. (10 Marks,
150 Words)
3. It is time to formulate a wage employment-based national urban livelihood scheme similar to MGNREGS. Explain the statement
with relevant examples. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
4. India’s structural reforms for growth must also reflect on equity considerations. Discuss. (10 marks, 150 Words)
5. Critically examine the draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
6. Explain why the usage of LPG cylinders remains low despite many flagship schemes and programmes. (150 words, 10 marks)
7. Adopting Industry 4.0 technologies would make MSMEs more efficient and competitive. Do you agree? Justify. (15 marks, 250
Words)
8. Discuss the rationale behind the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP). Also analyse, whether the asset monetisation push
needs careful calibration to evade future hazards. (15 marks, 250 words)
1. What do you understand by ‘Genome Sequencing’? Discuss the advantages and limitations of Genome Sequencing. (15 Marks,
250 Words)
2. Of late, billionaire entrepreneurs have ventured into space and nuclear domains through ambitious initiatives. To what extent
can these ventures benefit mankind? (250 words; 15 marks)
3. Illustrate with examples how ISRO’s failure to launch EOS-3 satellite will have its impact on the upcoming missions. (10 Marks,
150 Words)
1. The IPCC’s new findings provide powerful evidence and potential indicators of climate change that are inevitable and
irreversible. Discuss the strategies for mitigation of climate change. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
2. Landslips in Himachal Pradesh point to the need for a new development paradigm. Analyze. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
3. Serious implementation of new plastic waste rules can address the problem of waste. Comment. (15 marks, 250 words)
4. Infrastructure development and eco-conservation should go hand-in-hand. Discuss in the context of proposed infrastructure
development in the Himalayan region. (15 marks, 250 words)
5. India is setting a global example in meeting its Nationally Determined Contributions. Illustrate. (15 marks, 250 words)
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Disaster Management
1. Floods in Bihar have caused extensive damage. Discuss the possible reasons and suggest structural, non-structural and
cooperative measures with Nepal to deal with floods. (15 Marks, 150 Words)
2. With a rise in the frequency of devastating cyclones, India needs to look at long-term mitigation measures. Discuss. (150 words,
10 marks)
Essay Topics
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
Candidate details:
• Name: Suresh Kumar Jagat
• AIR: 556 (CSE 2017)
• Optional Subject: Geography
Personal Details:
• Hometown: Korba, Chhattisgarh
• Education: B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Raipur
• Work Experience:
» 3.5 years in NTPC Ltd.
» 2 years in Central Water Commission (ESE- 2013)
» Indian Railways Traffic Service (CSE-2016)
• Hobbies: Watching movies, spending time with children, travelling
Interview Details:
• Chairman of the Interview board: Air Marshal Ajit Bhonsle sir
• Duration: 25 – 30 minutes
Based on DAF:
• Questions based on previous work experience in Central Water Commission (CWC)
» What are the challenges faced by the water sector in India?
» Data on water availability in India.
• How would your previous work experience help in civil service?
• Questions based on home town/home state
» Information about native place
» What do you know about custodial death in the jails of Chhattisgarh and what needs to be done?
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AUGUST - 2021
126
Economy:
• Banking fraud, reasons and solution?
• How to confiscate the assets of a person?
• Letter of Understanding vs letter of credit?What are smart cities?
• Tell me something about Financial resolution and deposit insurance bill?
• Demonetisation effect on the economy.
• What are the important Railway sector reforms?
• What is Telgo Train?
International Relations:
• How do you see the international relations of India with neighbouring countries considering the water disputes?