Weekly Current Affairs

(19 Oct to 25 Oct)

 Quotes by Martin Luther King Jr

"Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education."

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

"Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power;
religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals
mainly with values. The two are not rivals."

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and
convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the
oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a
single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

“Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by
size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.”

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 General Studies II

Poll spending ceiling

Why in news?

The Law Ministry has increased the ceiling on poll expenditure for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections by 10%. The
move follows a recommendation by the Election Commission in view of curbs imposed during the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic.

State-wise ceiling

The ceiling on poll expenditure varies across States, with candidates in Assembly
elections in bigger States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu now allowed
to spend up to ₹30.8 lakhs as against ₹28 lakhs earlier.

For a candidate contesting a Lok Sabha poll in these States, the revised ceiling on
poll expenditure is now ₹77 lakh instead of the earlier amount of ₹70 lakh.

Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and a few Union Territories, based on the size of
their constituencies and population, have a lower ceiling on poll expenditure  For a Lok Sabha candidate it is now
₹59.4 lakhs those contesting an Assembly can spend up to ₹22 lakhs.

The last time the expenditure ceiling was enhanced was in 2014 just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Broadcast Audience Research Council

Why in news?

The fake TRP case registered by the Mumbai police, which

raised several questions about media ethics.

About Broadcast Audience Research Council

Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India is a joint industry body founded by stakeholder bodies that
represent Broadcasters (IBF), Advertisers (ISA) and Advertising & Media Agencies (AAAI). It is also the world's
largest television measurement science industry-body.

It uses Audio Watermarking technology to measure viewership of TV channels, and the system also allows
measurement of time-shifted viewing and simulcasts.

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The company was incorporated in 2010 and is based in Mumbai, India.It currently measures TV Viewing habits of 197
million TV households in the country, using 44,000 sample panel homes. This will go up to 50,000 in the next couple
of years, as mandated by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

It is guided by the recommendations of the TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting.

What is TRP?

Anyone who watches television for more than a minute is considered a viewer. A viewer can be as young as a two-
year-old.

The TRP or Target Rating Point is the metric used by the marketing and advertising agencies to evaluate this
viewership.

In India, the TRP is recorded by the Broadcast Audience Research Council using Bar-O-Meters that are installed in
televisions in selected households. As on date, the BARC has installed these meters in 44,000 households across the
country.

Audio watermarks are embedded in video content prior to broadcast which are not audible to the human ear, but
can easily be detected and decoded using dedicated hardware and software.

The households are randomly selected.As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, these
households rotate every year maintaining
the representativeness of the panel.

Some stats
What is the controversy?
It is claimed that households were being
paid to manipulate the TRP.
Way Forward
Of the total revenue of about ₹66,000 crore,
about 40% is attributable to advertising and
60% to distribution and subscription
services. Many channels have argued that
the subscription rates, which are controlled
by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI), should be raised so that TV
channels are not forced to serve the lowest
common denominator.
In today’s world of hyperconnectivity, India
should become self-reliant enough to
manufacture bar-o-meters connected to the
Internet securely which give us not only
channel-wise, but also programme-wise and
hour-wise data. Netflix and YouTube already do this.
a. About 760 million-800 million individuals view TV in India
per week.
b. TV penetration in rural India is about 52%, in urban India
it is about 87%. Of this DTH (Direct to Home) is used by
about 70 million-80 million households, cable is used by
60 million, and terrestrial by about 10 million-20 million
households.
c. About 550 million individuals tune into the TV daily and
spend roughly 3.45 hours per day watching TV.
d. The industry boasts of more than 800 channels across
various genres.
e. Of the total revenue of about ₹66,000 crore, about 40% is
attributable to advertising and 60% to distribution and
subscription services.
f. India’s total advertising market is $10 billion-$12 billion,
of which digital advertising is about $2 billion, according
to Dentsu in 2020.

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Ofcom or the Federal Communications Commission, the two main independent regulators in the U.K. and the U.S.,
respectively, they consist usually of government-appointed officials along with distinguished members from the
corporate world. India can replicate this model in place of self regulation of BARC . Its better to have an independent
authority established by a constitutionally elected government.

Custodial Torture in India

“Custodial torture is a regressive element in Indian criminal justice system”

When it comes to custodial torture, India (like most other countries ) suffers with the
Roman dilemma: "Who will guard the guardians".

Custodial death of Jayaraj and Bennix , arrested allegedly for keeping their mobile
phone shop open longer than allowed under Covid-19 lockdown rules. In 2003 ,
custodial death of Khwaja Yunus raised the same questions on police.

In India, the structures that enable police brutality date back to the British Raj, when the colonial government used
bullets, torture and branding as criminals to discipline the lowest strata of Indians, including tribals, Dalits and
Muslims.

After Independence, the police departments continued to be brutal, prejudiced and bereft of scientific policing
techniques. The law mandates that people should only be detained for offenses punishable by up to seven years in
prison when it is necessary.

In the last three years, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has received nearly 5,300 complaints
of custodial deaths (police and prison).While government data recorded 1,727 deaths in police custody between 2000
and 2018, only 26 police officials were convicted.

Why such incidents continue to happen?

1. Response of People:
a. Due to illiteracy ,especially legal illiteracy , many Indians are not aware of rights of a convict. Thus ,they
accept the torture as part of the investigation.
b. Indians seek accountability selectively . For Example - Hyderabad police's enounter in the ‘Disha’
case(December 2019) led to celebration as 'quick justice'. On the other hand , this custodial case is being
protested against.
c. The use of torture is also often justified by police people as being required to teach ‘hardened criminals’
on behalf of society.
2. Lack of commitment from legislature:
a. India, still do not have a domestic law that enables torture prosecution by accounting for the
particularities of custodial torture.
b. Failure to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture(UNCAT) (only 19 countries to have not adopted it).
3. Role of judiciary:
a. The Supreme Court of India has laid down many measures to prevent torture and fix accountability, but
these judgments are rarely followed.
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4. Role of executives:
a. The law mandates an independent magisterial inquiry, which have happened in only about 20% of
custodial deaths.
b. Prosecution of police officials for custodial torture requires the sanction of the government , which is
granted selectively.
c. The system incentivises torture by seeking convictions without modernising the police force.
d. Impunity - Police know that the chances of being held accountable are slim.
5. Draconian laws:
a. Current laws facilitate such torture, such as through the admissibility of confessions as evidence under
the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which
continues refurbished as the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

Supreme Court on torture:

Scholars have called the Supreme Court of India as the only institution working towards police reforms in the Indian
state.

In Raghbir Singh v. State of Haryana (1980), the Court was "deeply disturbed by the diabolical recurrence of police
torture resulting in a terrible scare in the minds of common citizens that their lives and liberty are under a new peril
when the guardians of the law gore human rights to death."

Francis Coralie Mullin v. Union Territory of Delhi (1981) and Sheela Barse v. State of Maharashtra (1987): Court
condemned cruelty and torture as violative of Article 21.

D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal (1997) - Guidelines were passed to try and secure two rights in the context of any
state action — a right to life and a right to know.

Nilabati Behera v. State of Odisha (1993) - The Right to life and liberty guaranteed under Art 21 is a precious right
and it should not be denied to convicts, under-trials or other prisoners in custody, except according to procedure
established by law. However, there is no express provision in the constitution which empower the Courts to award
monetary compensation, in the case of fundamental right violation . The Supreme Court for the first time, in this
case, held that compensation can be demanded against the state in the case of human right violation.
Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006) - The court pushed through new legislation for governing police forces to be
passed by States across India. Several States remain in contempt of the Supreme Court’s judgment

In 2010, a weak Prevention of Torture Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha later sent it to a Select
Committee for review in alignment with the UNCAT. But the Committee’s recommended law, submitted in 2012,
never fructified, as the then UPA government allowed the Bill to lapse.

In 2016, Ashwani Kumar, a senior advocate and former Union Minister of Law, sought the enactment of a torture law
via a Supreme Court petition.

By 2017, the Law Commission had submitted its 273rd report and an accompanying draft torture law. But the
Supreme Court dismissed the petition on grounds that the government cannot be compelled to make a law by
mandamus; treaty ratification was a political decision; and that it was a policy matter.

In 2015, Under CJI TS Thakur,

1. Stern directions were given to set up SHRCs
2. The as yet unused power of setting up human rights courts under Section 30 of the NHRC Act was directed to be
operationalised.
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3. All prisons had to have CCTVs within one year

What should be done?

 Ensure accountability.
 India should ratify the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment
 Strictly enforce laws and guidelines on arrest and detention set out in the Code of Criminal Procedure.
 As suggested by the Law Commission of India, if a person dies in police custody the burden should be on the
police to show that they are not responsible for it rather than the prosecution to prove that the police caused
the death.
 Stringent legal framework that is aligned with and committed to the principles of international law under the
UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) to which India has been a signatory since 1997, and a watertight
enforcement mechanism that deters such practices.
 Policing should upgrade to newer technologies, like DNA analysis, narcoanalysis, ensuring video recording of
investigations, installing closed-circuit television cameras inside police stations
 Police should follow vital processual safeguards:
o All officials must carry name tags and full identification,
o arrest memo must be prepared,
o containing all details regarding time and place of arrest,
o attested by one family member or respectable member of the locality
o The location of arrest must be intimated to one family or next friend,
o details notified to the nearest legal aid organisation and arrestee must be made known of each
o all such compliances must be recorded in the police register,
o he must get periodical medical examination,
o inspection memo must be signed by arrestee also and all such information must be centralised in a
central police control room.

The post independent India envisaged police , not as a force but as a service. Also the society needs to
upgrade its social-moral standards because as rightly held by Sardar Patel, "a society gets a police
system that it deserves...policemen are not aliens and come from the society itself ...they reflect
our own social values"

Abraham Accords
Why in news?

On October 23, 2020 Sudan joined the Abraham Accords agreeing to normalize ties with Israel.

The United States agreed to remove Sudan from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (U.S. list), lifting coinciding
economic sanctions, and agreed to advance discussions on debt forgiveness.

Oman has postponed a decision to normalize ties with Israel until after the 2020 United States presidential election.

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What is Abraham Accords?

The Abraham Accords was initially a joint

statement of Israel, the United Arab Emirates and
the United States, reached on August 13, 2020 and
subsequently also used to refer collectively to the
Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization
agreement and the Bahrain–Israel normalization
agreement.

This was the first time any Arab country had

normalized relations with Israel since Egypt in 1979
in Jordan in 1994.

The original accords were signed by

1. Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin

Rashid Al Zayani,
2. UAE's Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and
3. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- on September 15,
2020 at White House in Washington, D.C.

The peace treaty with UAE is officially titled as Abraham Accords Peace
Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization
Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel

The peace deal between Bahrain and Israel was officially titled Abraham Accords: Declaration of Peace,
Cooperation, and Constructive Diplomatic and Friendly Relations

The accords are named after the patriarch Abraham, regarded as a prophet by both the religions of Judaism and
Islam, and traditionally considered a shared patriarch of the Jewish and Arab peoples.

 What is the deal?

o The UAE will establish diplomatic relations with Israel in return for President Binyamin Netanyahu
committing to give up a stated plan to annex the West Bank, the main territory of a state that the
Palestinians want.
o The UAE becomes the third Arab nation to recognise Israel after Egypt (in 1979) and Jordan (1994).
o Delegations from the two countries will meet to set in motion bilateral ties in investment, tourism, direct
flights, security, telecommunications, tech, energy, healthcare, culture, the environment, etc.

Why is this important?

 This move is significant because with
the exception of Jordan and Egypt,
Israel does not have diplomatic
relations with Gulf Arab states owing
to its long-standing conflict with
Palestinians. Israel had signed peace
agreements with Egypt in 1979 and
with Jordan in 1994. However, despite
Israeli newspaper Haaretz : a "general, symbolic statement
of intentions" and referred to the three documents signed
as "a bunch of statements in support of global peace of the
type normally made by winners of the Miss Universe
pageant."

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 the absence of official diplomatic relations, Israel has been engaging with its neighbours with regard to
issues like trade.
 Also,this improvement in relations between Israel and the UAE may be an attempt by the US and Israel to use
the leverage to urge other Gulf Arab states to alienate Iran.
 The deal is important for Netanyahu as well as Trump , who face domestic challenges due to mishandling of
Corona Situation.

India and Abraham Accords

Israel’s detente with Egypt and Jordan did not have any major impact on India as our ties with them were relatively
insignificant.

However, now India has stronger, multifaceted and growing socioeconomic engagements with Israel and the Gulf
countries.

1. Over eight million Indian diaspora in the Gulf

2. Remittances - Annually nearly $50 billion
3. Annual merchandise trade of over $150 billion
4. Sourcing of nearly two-thirds of India’s hydrocarbon imports, major investments, etc.

Official Reaction of India

Ministry of External Affairs : "We have followed the Abraham Accords signed in Washington DC by UAE, Bahrain,
Israel and the US. India has always supported peace and stability in West Asia which is our extended neighbourhood.
As such, we welcome these agreements for normalisation of relations between Israel and UAE and Bahrain."

"We also continue our traditional support for the Palestinian cause and hope for early resumption of direct
negotiations for an acceptable two-state solution,"

India has welcomed the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel, calling both its strategic
partners.

In general, the Israel-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) breakthrough widens the moderate constituency for peaceful
resolution of the Palestine dispute, easing India’s diplomatic balancing act.

Economic fallout of the Israel-GCC synergy –

The economic complementarity between Gulf (UAE and Bahrain) and Israel . Israel has strengths in defence, security
and surveillance equipment, arid farming, solar power, horticultural products, high-tech, gem and jewellery, and
pharmaceuticals. Gulf offers Tourism, real estate, investment, energy and financial service .Israel has the potential
to supply skilled and semi-skilled manpower to the GCC states, particularly from the Sephardim and Mizrahim
ethnicities, many of whom speak Arabic. Israel is known as the start-up nation and its stakeholders could easily fit in
the various duty-free incubators in the UAE.

Till now , India has been the preferred source of manpower, food products, pharmaceuticals, gem and jewellery,
light engineering items, etc. Indians are also the biggest stakeholders in Dubai’s real estate, tourism and Free
Economic Zones.

India must explore a scope for a profitable trilateral synergy, rather being competed out. India cannot take its
preponderance as a given.

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Way forward

Nothing in West Asia is monochromatic , the Israel-GCC ties may provoke new polarisations between the Jihadi fringe
and the mainstream.

The possibility of the southern Gulf becoming the new arena of the proxy war between Iran and Israel cannot be
ruled out.

Thus ,India would have to be on its guard to monitor and even pre-empt any threat to its interests in the Gulf.

India – Taiwan
There were reports that India and Taiwan are considering going forward with talks on a trade deal.

Taiwan

Taiwan has only 15 diplomatic allies, all smaller nations. However, it issues its
own passports, has a foreign minister and maintains its own military and legal
system. Economically, it is an important hub in the global high-tech supply
chain.

Taiwan was incorporated into China under the Qing Dynasty later in the 17th
century, but was not given formal status as a Chinese province until 1885.

A decade later, it was transferred to Japan, which ruled it as a colony until the end of World War II. It then split again
from China in 1949 after Chiang Kai-shek relocated his Nationalist government to the island after being driven off the
mainland by Mao Zedong’s communists.
Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be annexed by force if it deems necessary. It demands that Taiwan
recognize the 1992 consensus that it says recognized Taiwan and the mainland as part of a single Chinese nation,
though defined separately as the People’s Republic of China or the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name.

India’s relations with Taiwan:

India and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations but since 1995, both sides have maintained representative
offices in each other’s capitals that function as de facto embassies.

India has officially backed the “one-China principle”, whereby countries formally recognise and have diplomatic ties
only with China.

In 1995, New Delhi set up the India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei to promote interactions between the two sides
and to facilitate business, tourism, and cultural exchanges. The India-Taipei Association has also been authorized to
provide all consular and passport services. In the same year, Taiwan too established the Taipei Economic and
Cultural Center in Delhi.

In 2018, India and Taiwan signed an updated bilateral investment treaty. Trade has grown substantially from $1
billion in 2000 to $7.5 billion in 2019.

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Recently posted highly regarded diplomats as de facto envoys in each other’s capitals, signalling a desire to give
impetus to their ties. India named Gourangalal Das, diplomat handling relations with the US and Taiwan appointed
Baushuan Ger, who was director general of the department of East Asian and Pacific affairs and had served in the
US.

October,2020 - The revival of the India-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Forum .

In October,2020, the Centre gave its approval to firms including Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group, Wistron Corp,
and Pegatron Corp as the government looks to attract investment worth more than Rs 10.5 lakh crore ($143 billion)
for smartphone production over five years.

Economic Relations

So far, Taiwan has 2.3 billion US dollars' investment in India.

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) offices were set up in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and
Chennai in 2018 to expedite trade relations between the two nations.

The bilateral trade, which stood at $1 billion in 2000,

has now touched $7 billion in 2019.To compare this
with China, Taiwan's trade with China is around $160
billion. India is Taiwan's 17th largest trading partner.

The Indian exports to Taiwan include iron, steel, mineral

fuels, oil seeds, maize and organic chemicals. The
imports from Taiwan are mostly computer chips,
electrical equipment, plastics, machinery and tools.

Taiwan provides India an opportunity to de-couple from the

Chinese economy as it offers strong complementarities and
with changing political equations, this is the apt time for
India and Taiwan to engage in serious trade negotiations

Policy complementarity - Taiwan hopes for a 20 per cent

year-over-year growth in trade with India in the backdrop
of the New Southbound Policy (NSP) that was formulated in
2016 and India’s Act East Policy. India can provide huge market, human resource , minerals . While Taiwan can
contribute in gterms of technology transfer, quality education, cyber security , semi-condutors, 5G.

What should India do?

Inspite of positive public sentiments and collaboration of universities, till date, government-to-government
interactions remain minimal and limited in scope. India remains cautious in elevating political ties and China factor
looms large.

New Delhi maintains a studied silence on the matter.

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India can negotiate a possible trade deal with Taiwan without violating China’s one-China principle, the way
countries such as New Zealand and Singapore have done.

knowledge in space technology , India can look at strengthening military expertise of Taiwan by offering training to
their Air force , as a nation that is to occupy the chair of the WHO’s Executive Board from January 2021, India should
try and use this post to fight for Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Assembly (WHA).

India should de-hyphenate its Taiwan policy from its relations with China. Economic and cultural relations with
Taiwan can go parallel with India-China ties. India is a sovereign country and Beijing cannot dictate how New Delhi
manages its commercial relations.

Taiwan, on an average, offers around 100 scholarships to Indian university students each year. As of 2019, there are
around to 2,398 Indian students pursuing higher education in Taiwan.

Taiwan is host to 160 accredited universities , educational cost is just 10 to 15 per cent of fees of universities in the
West

The relationship between the USA and Taiwan has also grown over the last few years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Taiwan way back in 1999 as the BJP general secretary and had even
hosted one of the biggest-ever business delegations from Taiwan in 2011 as Gujarat’s chief minister.

The biggest common point uniting India and Taiwan is the deep concern about China’s growing assertiveness.

With the newly formed quadrilateral (Quad) mechanism between India, Australia, Japan and the US taking shape,
Taiwan can benefit a great deal from this. With Taiwan already well connected with the USA, getting closer to India
may even open new opportunities in terms of trade and strategic benefits.

Taiwan was one of the first to offer India key medical equipment during the pandemic.

India’s ban on Chinese apps and its exclusion of Huawei from its 5G network over security fears also open the door
for Taiwan to further deepen its presence in the Indian telecoms industry, as per The Diplomat.

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 General Studies III

Foreign Direct Investment Inflow

For the period of last 6 years (2014-15 to 2019-20)

Total FDI inflow grew by 55%, i.e. from US$ 231.37 billion in 2008-14 to US$ 358.29 billion in 2014-20.

FDI equity inflow also increased by 57% from US$ 160.46 billion during 2008-14 to US$ 252.42 billion (2014-20).

Financial Year 2020-21 (April to August, 2020)

During April to August, 2020, total FDI inflow of US$ 35.73 billion is received.

It is the highest ever for first 5 months of a financial year and 13% higher as compared to first five months of 2019-20
(US$ 31.60 billion).

FDI equity inflow received during F.Y. 2020-21 (April to August, 2020) is US$ 27.10 billion. It is also the highest ever
for first 5 months of a financial year and 16% more compared to first
five months of 2019-20 (US$ 23.35 billion).

What Is Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)?

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is when a company takes controlling

ownership in a business entity in another country. With FDI, foreign
companies are directly involved with day-to-day operations in the other
country. Thus FDI brings money ,knowledge, skills and technology.

FDI in India

FDI is an important monetary source for India, started in India in the wake of the 1991 crisis and since then, FDI has
steadily increased in the country.

exIndia, today is a part of top 100-club on Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and globally ranks number 1 in the
greenfield FDI ranking.

Routes through which India gets FDI

Automatic route: The non-resident or Indian company does not require prior nod of the RBI or government of India
for FDI.

Govt route: The government's approval is mandatory. The company will have to file an application through Foreign
Investment Facilitation Portal, which facilitates single-window clearance. The application is then forwarded to the
respective ministry, which will approve/reject the application in consultation with the Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce.

Sectors which come under the ' 100% Automatic Route' category are
Agriculture & Animal Husbandry, Air-Transport Services (non-scheduled and other services under civil aviation
sector), Airports (Greenfield + Brownfield), Asset Reconstruction Companies, Auto-components, Automobiles,
Biotechnology (Greenfield), Broadcast Content Services (Up-linking & down-linking of TV channels, Broadcasting

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Carriage Services, Capital Goods, Cash & Carry Wholesale Trading (including sourcing from MSEs), Chemicals, Coal &
Lignite, Construction Development, Construction of Hospitals, Credit Information Companies, Duty Free Shops, E-
commerce Activities, Electronic Systems, Food Processing, Gems & Jewellery, Healthcare, Industrial Parks, IT & BPM,
Leather, Manufacturing, Mining & Exploration of metals & non-metal ores, Other Financial Services, Services under
Civil Aviation Services such as Maintenance & Repair Organizations, Petroleum & Natural gas, Pharmaceuticals,
Plantation sector, Ports & Shipping, Railway Infrastructure, Renewable Energy, Roads & Highways, Single Brand
Retail Trading, Textiles & Garments, Thermal Power, Tourism & Hospitality and White Label ATM Operations.

Sectors which come under up to 100% Automatic Route' category are

1. Infrastructure Company in the Securities Market: 49%

2. Insurance: up to 49%
3. Medical Devices:up to 100%
4. Pension: 49%
5. Petroleum Refining (By PSUs): 49%
6. Power Exchanges: 49%

Government route

Sectors which come under the 'up to 100% Government Route' category are

1. Banking & Public sector: 20%

2. Broadcasting Content Services: 49%
3. Core Investment Company: 100%
4. Food Products Retail Trading: 100%
5. Mining & Minerals separations of titanium bearing minerals and ores: 100%
6. Multi-Brand Retail Trading: 51%
7. Print Media (publications/ printing of scientific and technical magazines/ specialty journals/ periodicals and
facsimile edition of foreign newspapers): 100%
8. Print Media (publishing of newspaper, periodicals and Indian editions of foreign magazines dealing with
news & current affairs): 26%
9. Satellite (Establishment and operations): 100%

FDI prohibition

FDI is strictly prohibited under any route in these industries:

1. Atomic Energy Generation

2. Any Gambling or Betting businesses
3. Lotteries (online, private, government, etc)
4. Investment in Chit Funds
5. Nidhi Company
6. Agricultural or Plantation Activities (although there are many exceptions like horticulture, fisheries, tea
plantations, Pisciculture, animal husbandry, etc)
7. Housing and Real Estate (except townships, commercial projects, etc)
8. Trading in TDR’s
9. Cigars, Cigarettes, or any related tobacco industry
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Wildlife Institute of India
Why in news?

Finance Ministry has recommended that institute be divested of its status as autonomous body of the Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Climate Change .

The institute has an annual expenditure of ₹34 crore that was sourced from
the Environment Ministry. It generated only ₹3.5 crore from consultancy and
advisory services, which went towards paying pensions to employees
appointed before 2004.

The major responsibility of the Institute is to

provide advice to MoEF based on scientific
information on policy and management of the
About Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
country’s Wildlife Resources.
It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of
The Finance Ministry move follows a review by
Environment Forest and Climate change, Government of
its Expenditure Department of 194 India, was established in 1982.
autonomous bodies across 18 Ministries. Of
WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like
them, 109 bodies must be merged into 26, and Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife
government must “disengage” from 23, one Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling,
which is the WII. Ecodevelopment, Ecotoxicology, Habitat Ecology and
In the case of WII, the government will cut Climate Change.
funding to the institute by 25% every year, and
The institute is based in Dehradun, India.
it could become a ‘Deemed University’
engaged in teaching and research. The Central
government could continue to access WII
advisory and training services as a “client”.

National Green Tribunal(NGT)

Why in news?

The 10th anniversary of the National Green Tribunal

About NGT

The National Green Tribunal was established in 2010 , under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and
expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural
resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for
damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-
disciplinary issues.

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The Tribunal is not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be
guided by principles of natural justice.

The idea is to provide speedy environmental justice and help reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts.

The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of
filing of the same.
New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and other four places are Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and
Chennai.

Evolution of NGT

Parliament had passed laws related to the establishment of a National Environment Tribunal (1995) and a National
Environment Appellate Authority (1997) to act primarily as a forum for challenges to environmental clearances
while the Tribunal could award limited amounts of compensation in cases of environmental damage to life or
property. These were limited in terms of jurisdiction, authority, impact, or autonomy.

Need was felt for a tribunal, staffed with judges and environmental experts  would reduce the burden on the High
Courts and the Supreme Court

In M.C. Mehta & Anr. Etc vs Union Of India & Ors. Etc (1986), the then Chief Justice of India, Justice P.N. Bhagwati,
had suggested government of setting up “ Environmental Courts on the regional basis with one professional Judge
and two experts drawn from the Ecological Sciences Research Group keeping in view the nature of the case and the
expertise required for its adjudication with right of appeal to the Supreme court”.

Again in 1999, A.P. Pollution Control Board vs Prof. M.V. Nayudu , the SC expressed the need for a court that was
“a combination of a Judge and Technical Experts” with an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Methodology of NGT

The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 under Section 19 gives the Tribunal power to regulate its own procedure.
Additionally, the Tribunal is not bound by procedure under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 or the Indian Evidence
Act, 1872 and is guided by principles of natural justice.

The Tribunal is vested with the powers of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure for discharging its functions.

Procedure

1. The Tribunal identifies necessary parties as required by the NGT Act, 2010 and requires them to promptly
respond by email which saves time and cost.
2. The Tribunal entertains letter petitions which bring to light instances of substantial environmental damage. A
valid complaint is taken note of even in the absence of any representation from the aggrieved party and response
is sought by email and can be filed even without an advocate.
3. Directions to submit 'factual and action taken' report are issued to identified statutory authorities and/or
experts identified by the Tribunal to investigate the claims of environmental damage.
4. An executable order is passed requiring concerned authority to take steps .

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5. Upon adjudication of claims by the Tribunal, select members or committees, including those comprising former
high court judges, former chief secretaries or subject matter experts may be appointed to ensure timely
execution of the orders, in cases where it is deemed appropriate by the Tribunal.

Some important cases of NGT

1. Saloni Ailawadi versus Union of India & Ors. (2015) - Action against Volkswagen India Private Limited for
employing ‘deceit devices’
2. Harinder Dhingra Versus International Recreation & Amusement Ltd.& Ors (2017) - Illegal drawl of ground
water.
3. Sandeep Mittal Versus Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change &Ors. (2018) - Monitoring
mechanism for compliance of conditions of environment clearance evolved by MoEF&CC.
4. Sandplast (India) Ltd. & Anr. Versus Ministry of Environment and Forest & Ors. (2014) - Improper disposal of
the fly ash by the Thermal Power Plants

Urban Flooding
Previous year questions on the topic

Why in news?

Recent floods in Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Patna .

Reasons behind urban flooding

1. Untimely heavy rains due to a delayed retreat of the monsoon due to climate
change.
2. Unplanned urbanisation :
a. Overburdened drainage, frenzied and unregulated construction, buildings
constructed without paying any heed to the natural topography and hydro-
geomorphology all adds to the damage. This makes urban floods easily
more of a man-made disaster.
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 b. Building activities on wetlands, flood plains and low lands of the city as these areas have a cheaper land
rate.
c. Overlooking environmental regulations in mega-projects. Back in the 2000’s, Delhi’s Akshardham Temple
Complex and Commonwealth Games Village (CWG) were built right on the Yamuna's floodplain.Most of
the Chennai International Airport was built right over the Adyar river’s floodplains, leading to massive
flooding during the 2015 Chennai floods.
d. Our cities have been built with little regard to the natural topography.Regulatory mechanisms like the
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) remains weak.
e. Public bodies’ focus is largely on de-silting of storm water drains before monsoon , but not on building
new drainage infrastructure.
f. Cities like Mumbai struggle with the inadequate urban infrastructure problem, as they have grown
organically, and need to constantly adapt to emerging demands. This is due to explosive growth in the
urban population as well as infrastructure in the recent years. As a result of poor planning, unregulated
construction and mismanagement of environmental resources, water reservoirs and wetlands have
vanished over the years. In Gurgaon, the number of water bodies has reduced to 123 in 2018 from 644 in
1956. Green cover is only 9 per cent, which ideally should have been at least 33 per cent.

3. Rising sea level and high tides - The outfall from storm water drains to the sea is affected by high tides as 42 out
of 45 outfalls lack flood gates, claims a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, tabled in the Maharashtra
state assembly.

How is urban flooding different?

1. In addition to flood risks from water bodies, urban areas face the risk of flooding when drainage systems get
overwhelmed and water backs up onto the streets.
2. Urban areas have high percentages of impermeable surfaces, runoff generated is upto six times higher than
that with a natural land cover.
3. The flood “peak” is also higher . Therefore, properties not in the vicinity of a waterbody are also at a risk of
flooding.
4. Also, cities generally have higher rainfall than the surrounding areas because of the urban heat island effect.
5. Urban areas are centres of economic activities with vital infrastructure which needs to be protected

It is estimated that by 2021 around 44 crore Indians will be living in urban areas. As the urban population increases,
so does the pressure on natural hydrological systems.

What has been done?

1. The Central government has taken various initiatives for

flood management, beginning with the National
Program of Flood Management in 1954.
2. The High Level Committee on Floods (1957)
3. The Ministers Committee on Flood Control (1964)
4. The Rashtriya Barh Ayog (1980)
5. The Task Force on Flood Management/Erosion control
(2004).

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 6. These initiatives mainly focused on riverine floods and described structural methods of flood control, like
dams, embankments, and drainage channels.
7. It was only in 2010 that the issue of urban floods was de-linked from the broader topic of flood control and
management, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued guidelines for the
management of urban floods.

What should be done?

As per the constitutional provisions, flood management is a state subject and therefore the primary responsibility of
flood management lies with the state governments.

Build away from the floodplain and high flood hazard zones. Use geospatial analysis to find the “lost” urban streams.

In areas where the floodplain has already been encroached, structural flood control measures, like increasing the
stormwater drainage capacity must be taken.

The Smart Cities mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) are great
opportunities for several urban local bodies to plan the cities taking flood risks into account.

Residential and commercial building owners could be incentivized to install green infrastructure options like
rainwater harvesting systems, rain gardens, green roofs, permeable pavement so that impervious areas are reduced
and rainwater will be able to infiltrate the ground easily.

In addition to reducing flood risks, these systems store water for drier seasons and help in recharging groundwater.

Flash Flood Guidance Services for South Asia

Why in news?

India Meteorological Department Commissions Flash Flood Guidance

Services for South Asia

Ministry of Earth Sciences dedicated Flash Flood Guidance services,

first of its kind for South Asian countries namely India, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka
The system assures the member nations the Guidance for flash floods
in the form of Threats (6 hours in advance) and Risks (24 hours in
advance) .

Flash Floods are highly localized events of short duration with a very high peak and usually have less than six hours
between the occurrence of the rainfall and peak flood. There is general lack of flash flood warning capabilities and
capacities of the nations across the world. Recognizing that flash floods have a particularly disastrous impact on lives
and properties of the affected populations, the Fifteenth WMO Congress had approved the implementation of a Flash
Flood Guidance System (FFGS) project with global coverage that had been developed by the WMO Commission for
Hydrology jointly with the WMO Commission for Basic Systems and in collaboration with the US National Weather
Service, the US Hydrologic Research Center (HRC) and USAID/OFDA.

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The Flash Flood Guidance is a robust system designed to provide the necessary products in real-time to support the
development of warnings for flash floods about 6- 12 hrs. in advance at the watershed level with resolution of
4kmx4km for the Flash Flood prone South Asian countries viz. India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

History of Meteorological Services in India

The beginnings of meteorology in India can be traced to ancient times. Early philosophical writings of the
3000 B.C. era, such as the Upanishadas, contain serious discussion about the processes of cloud formation
and rain and the seasonal cycles caused by the movement of earth round the sun.

Varahamihira's classical work, the Brihatsamhita, written around 500 A.D., provides a clear evidence that
a deep knowledge of atmospheric processes. It was understood that rains come from the sun (Adityat
Jayate Vrishti) and that good rainfall in the rainy season was the key to bountiful agriculture and food for
the people.

Kautilya's Arthashastra contains records of scientific measurements of rainfall and its application to the
country's revenue and relief work.

Kalidasa in his epic, 'Meghdoot', written around the seventh century, even mentions the date of onset of
the monsoon over central India and traces the path of the monsoon clouds.

It was in 1636 that Halley, a British scientist, published his treatise on the Indian summer monsoon, which
he attributed to a seasonal reversal of winds due to the differential heating of the Asian land mass and the
Indian Ocean.

India Meteorological Department

In the year 1875, the Government of India established the India Meteorological Department, bringing all
meteorological work in the country under a central authority.The headquarters of IMD were later shifted to
Shimla, then to Poona (now Pune) and finally to New Delhi.

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 Facts for Prelims

NAG Missile
Why in news?

Final user trial of 3rd generation Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) NAG was
carried out at Pokhran range.

ATGM NAG has been developed by DRDO to engage highly fortified enemy
tanks in day and night conditions. The missile has “Fire & Forget” “Top
Attack” capabilities with passive homing guidance to defeat all MBTs
equipped with composite and reactive armour.

The NAG missile carrier NAMICA is a BMP II based system with amphibious capability.

With this final user trial, NAG will enter into production phase.

Kavaratti
Why in news?

Indigenously built Corvette ‘Kavaratti’ to be Commissioned at

Visakhapatnam.

The last of four indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare

(ASW) stealth corvettes “INS Kavaratti” under Project 28
(Kamorta class) is scheduled to be commissioned into the
Indian Navy .

Kavaratti is indigenously designed by the Indian Navy's in-house

organisation, Directorate of Naval Design(DND), and built by
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata in line
with national objective of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. The ship has up to 90% indigenous content.

Kavaratti takes her name from erstwhile INS Kavaratti which was an Arnala class missile corvette. The older Kavaratti
distinguished herself by operating in support of was Bangladesh's liberation in 1971.

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