CURRENT AFFAIRS

FROM
DEC 31- JAN 6

NO NAME OF THE TOPIC PAGE

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 NO
GENERAL STUDIES FIRST PAPER- INDIAN HERITAGE
AND CULTURE,HISTORY &GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD
AND SOCIETY
INDIAN HISTORY
1 BHIMA-KOREGAON BATTLE
INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE
2 CHHAU DANCE
3 ARANMULA KANNADI
PLACES IN NEWS
4 DZUKOU VALLEY
5 STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR
GEOGRAPHY
6 TIDE–RAINFALL FLOOD QUOTIENT
INDIAN SOCIETY
7 MALAYALI TRIBES
8 POLICY ON SCHOOL BAG 2020
9 TAMPON TAX
GENERAL STUDIES SECOND PAPER-
CONSTITUTION,POLITY, GOVERNANCE,SOCIAL JUSTICE
AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
POLITY AND CONSTITUTION
10
ANTI DEFECTION LAW
11
FREEDOM TO RELIGION
12
CENTRAL VISTA REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
13 ARMED FORCES (SPECIAL POWERS) ACT-AFSPA
GOVERNANCE
14 NATIONAL DATABASE ON SEXUAL OFFENDERS (NDSO)
15 PRAGATI
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
16 CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR(CPEC)
17 INDIA -UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL (UNSC)
18 IRAN- FORDOW FUEL ENRICHMENT PLANT
19 JAPAN TO JOIN ‘FIVE EYES’
20 INDIA-LITHIUM TRIANGLE NATIONS
21 UN RESOLUTION ON ROHINGYAS
GENERAL STUDIES THIRD PAPER-ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, BIO
DIVERSITY, SECURITY AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT

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 INDEX

INDIAN ECONOMY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

22 NATIONAL COMMON MOBILITY CARD (NCMC)
23 DIGITAL PAYMENTS INDEX(DPI)
24 TOYCATHON-2021
25 FACELESS TAX ASSESSMENT SCHEME
ENERGY SECTOR
26 MODIFIED SCHEME TO ENHANCE ETHANOL DISTILLATION
CAPACITY
AGRICULTURE
27 VAZHAKULAM PINEAPPLE
INFRASTRUCTURE
28 LIGHT HOUSE PROJECTS (LHPs)
29 SAGARMALA SEAPLANE SERVICES (SSPS)
30 THE KOCHI-MANGALURU LNG PIPELINE
ENVIRONMENT AND BIO DIVERSITY
31 MALAI MAHADESHWARA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
32 PONG DAM
33 THE KOLAR LEAF-NOSED BAT
34 DIBRU-SAIKHOWA NATIONAL PARK
35 DEEPOR BEEL
36 SLOTH BEAR CORRIDOR IN MOUNT ABU
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
37 FACIAL RECOGNITION
38 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION POLICY (STIP)
39 TiHAN-IIT
40 BIRD FLU
41 KALA-AZAR
42 FSSAI –TRANS FATTY ACIDS
43 METAL CO2 BATTERY
44 AKASH MISSILE

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 GENERAL STUDIES FIRST PAPER- INDIAN HERITAGE
AND CULTURE, HISTORY &GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD
AND SOCIETY
INDIAN HISTORY

1. BHIMA-KOREGAON BATTLE ANNIVERSARY

WHY IN NEWS?

LAKHS OF PEOPLE, MAINLY DALITS, MARCH TO

JAYSTAMBH ON JANUARY 1 EVERY YEAR TO MARK THE
ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE FOUGHT BETWEEN
BRITISH AND PESHWA FORCES IN 1818 ON THE BANKS OF
THE BHIMA RIVER, ABOUT 30 KM OUTSIDE PUNE.
The 203rd anniversary of the historic Bhima Koregaon battle today
saw a bunch of senior political leaders, including Maharashtra Deputy
Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, paying
tributes today at the memorial site near Pune even as COVID-19-related
restrictions kept others from making the annual pilgrimage.
Visiting memorial, Minister Athawale said he would write to the
education minister to include the history of Bhima Koregaon battle
in textbooks

HISTORY OF BHIMA KOREGAON BATTLE

Bhima-Koregaon, a small village in Pune district of Maharashtra, has

a rich Maratha history.
Two hundred years ago, on January 1, 1818, a few hundred
Mahar soldiers of the East India Company, led by the British,
defeated the massive Peshwa army, led by Peshwa Bajirao II, in
Koregaon.
Mahar relates this battle to their self-respect because they were
insulted by the Peshwa Baji Rao II on their identity and caste when
they offered their services to the Peshwa. The Mahars then took the
job with the British and fought the war on their behalf.

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 The soldiers of the Peshwa defeated and it was the first historic
step towards making India free of caste and democracy "which
happened almost two hundred years ago.
The pillar was erected by the East India Company in memory of
those who fought the battle. The names of the Mahar soldiers who
unknowingly brought an end to the Peshwa rule in 1818 are inscribed
on the pillar.
This battle ended the Peshwa System and the British got the
power over that region.

SIGNIFICANCE

Dr Ambedkar viewed the war victory as one of Dalits' (Mahar) over

the Peshwa Brahmin.
This battle has, since, attained legendary stature in Dalit history. The
Dalits who follow BR Ambedkar view this battle as a victory of Mahars
over the injustice and torture meted out to them by the Brahminical
Peshwas.
Mahar and other backward classes from Maharashtra and other
parts of the country organised at Bhima Koregaon every year on
January 1 to commemorate years of courage, valour and sacrifice of
their ancestors with courage and sacrifice.
Dalit Ambedkarites draw inspiration from this victory at Bhima
Koregaon. Ever since Bhima-Koregaon Ranstambh Seva Sangh (BKRSS)
was formed, they regard the stambh or pillar as a site of their valour and a
symbol of their place in the political diaspora.

WHAT HAPPENED AT BHIMA KOREGAON ON JANUARY 1,

2018?

2018 marked the 200th year of battle and hence there was a larger
gathering at Bhima Koregaon as compared to previous years.
During the celebrations there were violent clashes between Dalit and
Maratha groups, resulting in the death of at least one person and injuries
to several others.

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SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/include-bhima-koregaon-
battle-in-textbooks-athawale/article33474439.ece

INDIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE

2. CHHAU DANCE

CONTEXT

CHHAU DANCE, WITH ITS MARTIAL ORIGIN AND STRENUOUS

BODY MOVEMENTS, WAS ONCE A STRICTLY-GUARDED MALE
DOMAIN. NOW SEVERAL ALL-WOMEN TROUPES ARE ALL THE
RAGE.

WHAT IS CHHAU DANCE?

Chhau dance is a tradition from eastern India that enacts episodes

from epics including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, local folklore
and abstract themes.

It is an acrobatic martial art based dance form inscribed in UNESCO

Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

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 The word chhau probably comes from chhauni(camp), and the art
form was arguably invented to keep the foot soldiers war ready.

Its origin is traceable to indigenous forms of dance and martial

practices.

Energetic martial art movements are basic feature of Chhau Dance.

The martial movements and mock fights subsequently took the shape of
dance, becoming popular in the chota Nagpur region.

In all form of Chhau, the story is narrated through body movements,

which makes it physically demanding.

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Chhau dance is intimately connected to regional festivals, notably the

spring festival Chaitra Parva.

Its vocabulary of movement includes mock combat techniques, stylized

gaits of birds and animals and movements modelled on the chores of
village housewives.

Chhau is taught to male dancers from families of traditional artists or

from local communities.

Chhau is an integral part of the culture of these communities.

It binds together people from different social strata and ethnic

background with diverse social practices, beliefs, professions and
languages.

INSTRUMENTS USED IN CHHAU DANCE

The dance is performed at night in an open space to traditional and folk

melodies, played on the reed pipes mohuri and shehnai.

The reverberating drumbeats of a variety of drums dominate the

accompanying music ensemble.

TYPES OF CHHAU DANCE

Its three distinct styles hail from the regions of Seraikella, Purulia
and Mayurbhanj, the first two using masks.

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 Mayurbhanj Chhau Dance does not use masks.

Purulia chhau practised in the purulia district of West Bengal.

The other two varients, Mayurbhanj and Seraikella chhau, which are
practised in the Odisha and Jharkhand respectively.

Earlier, female roles were performed by male artists. Now it is the other
way around.

However, increasing industrialization, economic pressures and new

media are leading to a decrease in collective participation with
communities becoming disconnected from their roots.

THE CHHAU MASK

Charida is famous for the Chhau masks used in the Purulia Chhau dance.

Charida, is a village of 308 skilled mask makers of the celebrated

dance form of the region, Chau dance. This quaint village in the land of
red soil is located at the scenic foothills of the Ayodhya Hills, about 5 km
from Baghmundi.

The Chhau Mask in Charida has received the Geographical Indication

(GI) tag in 2018.

The expression in the mask’s face is researched intently and portrays

minute nuances of the character.
It needs extremely high artistic perfection and detailed knowledge of
mythology and the epics for the artist to make the right mask depicting
the appropriate mood.

TYPES OF CHHAU MASK

The masks are classified as babu masks (chiefly of gods like Shiva,
Narayana Ganesha Kartik Krishna); bir or hero masks(central character
or hero of the story) ); bhoot or ghost masks; (used for demons like
Ravana, Mahishasura )animal masks (of tiger, lion, buffalo, or monkey
heroes like Bali and Sugriva from the Ramayana), nari or women masks
(for Durga, Parvati, Saraswati and the like); and bird masks (for
peacock, swan, Jatayu etc.)

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MATERIALS USED FOR MASK MAKING

The wide eyed masks are made of pulp, painted with indigenous
colours and decorated with peacock feathers, zari (gold and silver
embroidery) and jute – used to make knitted eyebrows and thick
hair on the demon masks.

MAINS BACKGROUNDER

Sangeet Natak Academy (India’s National Academy) recognizes only

eight classical dances of India, however, the Ministry of Culture
considers Chhau Dance as a classical dance of India, making the total
number of classical dances in India as nine.

In 2010 Chhau dance inscribed in UNESCO Representative List of

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

UNESCO’S REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF THE INTANGIBLE

CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY.

A total of 13 Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements from India

have been inscribed till date on the UNESCO’s Representative List of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

For inclusion of an element in the UNESCO’s Representative List of

Intangible Cultural Heritage, the state parties are required to submit
nomination dossier on the relevant element for evaluation and
examination of the UNESCO Committee.

The Ministry of Culture has appointed the Sangeet Natak Akademi,

an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture, as nodal
office for matters relating to the intangible cultural heritage including
for preparation of the nomination dossiers for the Representative List of
UNESCO.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) accordingly makes necessary

interaction with the stakeholders, experts/officials etc. prior to finalization
of the dossier in respect of element identified for the nomination.

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 Since the year 2013-14 a scheme titled “Scheme for Safeguarding the
Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of
India” with the aims and objectives of professionally enhancing
awareness and interest in Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH),
safeguarding, promoting and propagating it systematically.

REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL

HERITAGE OF HUMANITY

Year of
S.No. Intangible Cultural Heritage in INDIA
Inscription
1. Tradition of Vedic chanting 2008
2. Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana 2008
3. Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre 2008
4. Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal 2009
Himalayas, India
5. Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala 2010
6. Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan 2010
7. Chhau dance 2010
Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts
8. in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region, Jammu and Kashmir, 2012
India
9. Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur 2013
10. Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the 2014
Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab, India
11. Yoga 2016
12. Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nowrouz, Nawrouz, Nauryz, 2016
Nooruz, Nowruz, Navruz, Nevruz, Nowruz, Navruz
13. Kumbh Mela 2017

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SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/society/women-dancers-have-entered-the-male-
bastion-of-chhau-and-are-going-places/article33472385.ece

3.ARANMULA KANNADI

Aranmula kannadi, meaning the Aranmula mirror, is a handmade

metal-alloy mirror, made in Aranmula, a small town in
Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India.
The Aranmula Kannadi is made employing the lost wax technique or
bell-metal casting. While the exact composition is still a secret,
researchers say that it is high tin bronze, an alloy of copper and tin (no
glass is used in making the mirror).
In the lost wax technique, the mould is made with wax and molten
bronze/brass is poured into it to acquire the desired shape.

FEATURES OF ARANMULA KANNADI

It is a front surface reflection mirror that produces a sharp undistorted

image. So, the image you see of yourself in the mirror is very clear.
Since the alloy can withstand corrosion, the mirror can last for
generations.

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ORIGIN OF ARANMULA KANNADI

The Royal Chief of Aranmula, in the 16th century, invited eight families
of artisans from Tamil Nadu to make ornaments and musical instruments.
As they were making a crown for the deity, the mirror formed
accidentally during metal casting.
When they showed it to the chief, he was so impressed that he
incorporated it in the eight auspicious objects used in the worship of the
deity.
They are considered to be one of the eight auspicious items or
"ashtamangalyam" that play a role in the entry of the bride at a wedding
venue.
The Aranmula mirror received a geographical indication (GI) tag in
2004-05.

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/aranmula-mirrors-are-getting-a-
makeover-courtesy-of-a-leading-designer/article33471117.ece

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PLACES IN NEWS

4. DZUKOU VALLEY

WHY IN NEWS?

FIRE SPREADING IN ECOLOGICALLY-SENSITIVE DZUKOU

VALLEY OF MANIPUR-NAGALAND

The fire broke out on December 29 on the Nagaland side at Dzukou,

situated atop 2,452-metre, and it started spreading towards Manipur
the next day.

The fire was raging so much that it could be seen from Nagaland's
capital Kohima, situated about 30 km away.

LOCATION

Dzukou Valley -sometimes spelled Dzükou Valley or Dzüko Valley- sits

high amongst the clouds, at 2,452 meters above sea level, straddling the
border of Nagaland and Manipur in northeast India.

FEATURES OF DZUKOU VALLEY

Dzukou Valley is most famous for its multicolored carpets of flowers that
bloom in summer, most notably the Dzukou lily which is found only in
Dzukou Valley.

Perched at a height of 2,450 m, it attracts adventure and nature lovers for its
scenic beauty and rich flora.

Dzukou Valley, about 30 km from Nagaland’s capital Kohima, is a popular

trekking destination known for its lilies and biodiversity.

It is also home to the endangered Blyth’s tragopan — Nagaland’s state

bird.

There are some disputes between Manipur and Nagaland which also
lays claim to the valley.

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REASON FOR THE FIRE SPREAD

It has periodically been threatened by forest fires, which tend to spread

quickly due to prevalent wind conditions and are difficult to fight because
of the inaccessible terrain around the valley.

In 2006, a forest fire destroyed 20 kilometers of forest in the valley

before it was contained. The ongoing 2020–21 Dzüko Valley wildfires
destroyed an estimated 200 acres of forest land, as well as significant
flora in the valley itself.

Tribal people’s burn down forest areas for hunting the terrified wild
animals and doing shifting cultivation.

SOURCE:

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/fire-spreading-
in-ecologically-sensitive-dzukou-valley-of-manipur-
nagaland/articleshow/80086238.cms

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 5. STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR

WHY IN THE NEWS?

SPAIN AND UK REACH DRAFT DEAL ON POST-BREXIT STATUS

OF GIBRALTAR

Under terms of the last-minute accord announced on the eve of New

Year by Gibraltar and Spain, the tiny territory would become part
of the Schengen passport-free zone, which covers 26 European
countries (most of the 27 EU members, along with Norway, Iceland,
Switzerland and Lichtenstein).
The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more
than 400 million EU citizens, as well as too many non-EU nationals,
businessmen, tourists or other persons legally present on the EU
territory.
Gibraltar voted strongly to remain in the European Union during the
referendum, and its unique situation could lead to difficulties in Brexit
negotiations due to the Spanish claim on Gibraltar, the large
contribution of on-line gambling, offshore banking and duty-free
shopping to the Gibraltar economy, and the strong likelihood that
Gibraltar will cease to be a part of the single market.

Gibraltarians reacted with relief and caution after Spain and United
Kingdom reached a deal allowing the territory to become part of Europe’s
passport-free zone to keep movement fluid on its border with Spain.

Some 15,000 people, mainly Spanish, pour into Gibraltar, a tiny British
territory on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, from Spain every
day to work, accounting for half of its workforce.

Thousands more tourists go through the single checkpoint on the

frontier every day, mostly day-trippers from Spain drawn in part by
Gibraltar’s duty-free shopping.

STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR

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 Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean
to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar and Peninsular
Spain in Europe from Morocco and Ceuta (Spain) in Africa.

Although Gibraltar is small, it is strategically important because of its

location, standing only 12 miles from the north coast of Africa.

The UK has a military base there, including a port and airstrip. It

was an important naval base during World War Two.

Gibraltar’s location on the Strait also gives it important access to

commercial shipping, oil transportation and military-related transport.

STRATEGIC LOCATION AND IMPORTANCE

Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean

to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar and Peninsular
Spain in Europe from Morocco and Ceuta (Spain) in Africa.

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory.

It is located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It is bordered to

the north by Spain.

Spain (initially Castile) controlled the territory from 1462 to 1704.In

1704 it was seized by an Anglo-Dutch force from Spain before being
ceded to Great Britain in 1713 and has remained a UK territory ever
since.

Totalling 2.3-sq-mile (5.9 sq-km) in land mass, the territory is dominated

by the 1,300ft high (397m) limestone Rock of Gibraltar.

It is a channel connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean,

lying between southernmost Spain and north westernmost Africa.

Gibraltar’s location on the Strait also gives it important access to

commercial shipping, oil transportation and military-related transport.

After the English Channel, the Strait is the world’s busiest shipping
lane.

CHOKEPOINT

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 A chokepoint is a strategic strait or canal which could be closed or
blocked to stop sea traffic (especially for oil and petroleum transit).
There are eight major oil chokepoints throughout the world, and a
closure or disruption to any one of them could cause unpredictable price
fluctuations

These are:

1. Strait of Gibraltar

2. Panama Canal

3. Strait of Magellan

4. Strait of Malacca

5. Bosporus and Dardanelles

6. Suez Canal

7. Strait of Hormuz

8. Bab el Mandeb

SOURCE:

https://telanganatoday.com/post-brexit-status-of-gibraltar

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GEOGRAPHY

6. TIDE–RAINFALL FLOOD QUOTIENT

CONTEXT

A NEW MEASURE THAT CAN PREDICT WHETHER A CITY IS

PRONE TO RAIN- OR TIDE-BASED FLOODING

FURTHER DETAILS OF DEVICE

A team from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay devised a new

metric or measure called the Tide–Rainfall Flood Quotient.

The device is used to understand if a coastal city is more prone to

floods caused by tidal events or extreme rainfall

It is very important to understand the main driver of the flooding

events for effective disaster management.

The above method used the past rainfall data, tidal data, and
topography of the region you can apply this framework to pinpoint
the major factor at play.

METHOD AND OUTCOMES OF THE STUDY

The team selected three geographically diverse flood-prone coastal

regions – Mithi Catchment in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Jagatsinghpur
District in Odisha, and Greater Chennai Corporation in Tamil Nadu to
test their new metric.

Research showed Chennai was rainfall dominated and Mithi catchment

was storm-tide dominated

The flood maps for Chennai showed that rainfall contributed to the
flooding, especially in the northern and central regions.

While the inland areas can be flooded due to the heavy rainfall, the
coasts are threatened by the impact of tidal surges.

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 The new method helped classify these regions into ‘storm-tide
dominated’ or ‘pluvial (rainfall) dominated’ regions.

In Mithi, they found a devastating impact of storm-tide reaching even up

to a distance of 7 km from the coastal boundary.

With Jagatsinghpur, high rainfall inundated several areas in the central

region.

The flatness of the terrain prevented easy drainage of the flood-water into
the Bay of Bengal, which further increased the flooding

The flood maps for Chennai showed that rainfall contributed to the
flooding, especially in the northern and central regions.

Though there was storm-tide in the eastern coastal region, it was in the
‘low’ hazard category.

The above study concluded that Mithi catchment was ‘storm-tide

dominated’, while Jagatsinghpur and Chennai were ‘pluvial
dominated’.

The metric can help disaster management experts in framing better

flood risk management systems directed towards long term planning.

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/a-new-measure-that-can-predict-
whether-a-city-is-prone-to-rain-or-tide-based-flooding/article33482930.ece

INDIAN SOCIETY

7. MALAYALI TRIBES

WHY IN THE NEWS?

GIANT ROCK BEE HONEY, A UNIQUE VARIANT OF HONEY,

SOURCED FROM MALAYALI TRIBES OF TAMIL NADU, GOT
ADDED TO TRIBES INDIA COLLECTION.
The campaign had been launched 8 weeks back by Tribal Cooperative
Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) under
Ministry of Tribal Affairs in order to source as many effective, natural,

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 and attractive products from diverse indigenous tribes across the country
so that these can reach a wide variety of audience.

TRIBES INDIA E-MARKETPLACE

Tribes India e-marketplace, India's largest handicraft and organic

products marketplace which aims to connect 5 lakh tribal enterprises to
national and international markets; showcases tribal produce and
handicrafts, making them accessible to customers across the country.

ABOUT MALAYALI TRIBES

Malayali is a tribal group from the Eastern Ghats in North Tamil Nadu.
With a population of around 3,58,000 people they are the largest
Scheduled tribes in that region.
The tribal are usually hill farmers and they cultivate different types
of millet.
The name derives from malai-alam meaning "hill-place," denoting an
inhabitant of the hills.
They are the largest Scheduled Tribe in Tamil Nadu.
They are divided in to three groups: the Periya Malayalis ("big"
Malayalis) who live in the Shevaroys, the Nadu Malayalis ("middle"
Malayalis) from the Pachaimalais, and the Chinna Malayalis ("small"
Malayalis) from the Kollaimalais.
The Malayalis have not, however, like the Todas of the Nilgiris, any
claim to be considered as an ancient hill tribe, but are Tamil speaking
people who migrated from the plains to the hills in comparatively recent
times, probably during the middle of eighteenth century.

LANGUAGES USED

They speak Tamil language and the Tamil script are used by them
for both inter-and intra-group communication.

FOOD HABITS

Mostly they are non-vegetarians. Their staple food consists of ragi, rice,
samai (millet), jowar, horse-gram, groundnut and wild yams. Only the
men consume local varieties of alcoholic drinks.

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TRIFED(TRIBAL CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING FEDERATION OF
INDIA)

TRIFED was established in August 1987 under the Multi-State

Cooperative Societies Act, 1984 by the Government of India as a
National level Cooperative body.
Under the administrative control of the then Ministry of Welfare of India,
TRIFED is mandated to ringing about socio-economic development of
tribal community of the country by institutionalising the trade of Minor
Forest Produce (MFP) & Surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) collected/
cultivated by them.
TRIFED is an organization now under Ministry of Tribal Affairs and
is engaged in marketing development of tribal products including
tribal art and craft under the brand name “TRIBES INDIA”.
TRIFED plays the dual role of both a market developer and a service
provider, empowering them with knowledge and tools to better their
operations in a systematic, scientific manner and also assist them in
developing their marketing approach.
TRIFED is involved actively in capacity building of the tribal people
through sensitisation and the formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs).
TRIFED is engaged in training the tribal peoples in several activities, so
that they can effectively carry them out.

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SOURCE:

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/giant-rock-bee-honey-
added-to-tribes-india-collection20201228185112/

8. POLICY ON SCHOOL BAG 2020

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Union ministry of education announced the ‘Policy on School Bag

2020’ in line with the New Education Policy 2020.

WHY POLICY IS NEEDED?

In educational circles, the weight of school bags has been a subject of

debate for several years.
Child counsellors, psychologists and educationists have often highlighted
that heavy bags have negative consequences for the health and well-
being of students.
The NCERT (National Council of Education Research and Training),
through several surveys and studies, found that carrying heavy bags was
bad for students’ health and resulted in stunted growth, especially for
those in pre-primary and primary classes.

ABOUT THE POLICY

Released by the National Council of Educational Research and Training

(NCERT).
According to the policy, the total weight of a student’s school bag (for
students from class 1 to 10) should not be more than 10 per cent of
their body weight.
For class 1, the bag weight should be between 1.6 kg and 2.2 kg, for
classes 2 to 5 between 1.7 kg and 2.5 kg, for classes 6 to 8 between 2 kg
and 3 kg, for classes 9 and 10 between 2.5 kg and 4 kg, and 3.5 kg to 5
kg for classes 11 and 12. Parents, on their part, can ensure that
children carry only the books and notebooks required by their time
tables.
As per the policy’s recommendations, school authorities are required to
conduct a meeting at the beginning of the academic year to ensure a fair
distribution of textbook weight per day for classes 1 to 12. This would be
followed through the year.

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 The ministry has also recommended that schools monitor the weight of
the bags on regular basis.
Besides monitoring the weight of the bags, the schools can use digital
diaries so that the physical diaries can be made thinner. Practice
questions and assignments can be made available through email.
Besides monitoring the weight of the bags, the schools can use digital
diaries so that the physical diaries can be made thinner. Practice questions
and assignments can be made available through email

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/doe-circular-asks-teachers-to-
check-weight-of-school-bags/article33497012.ece

9. TAMPON TAX

WHY IN THE NEWS?

POST BREXIT, U.K. ABOLISHES ‘TAMPON TAX’

WHAT IS MEANT BY TAMPON TAX?

"Tampon tax" is a popular term used to call attention to tampons,

and other feminine hygiene products, being subject to value-added
tax or sales tax, unlike the tax exemption status granted to other
products considered basic necessities.

Proponents of tax exemption argue that tampons, sanitary napkins,

menstrual cups and comparable products constitute basic, unavoidable

23 | P a g e
 necessities for women, trans men, and other people who experience
menstruation, and thus should be made tax exempt.

BACKGROUNDER

European Union law had prevented member states from reducing the rate
of value-added tax below 5%, meaning the period products were treated
as luxury items and not essentials.
Until December 31, the UK was a part of the EU, where period products
such as sanitary napkins and tampons are classified as non-essential, and
member states are required to levy a 5 per cent tax on them.
The UK began 2021 by abolishing a 5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT)
on women’s sanitary products, often referred to as the “tampon tax” and
which many activists had described as sexist.
In 2001, the British government led by the Labour Party – which
currently sits in the opposition– had moved sanitary products to the 5 per
cent tax slab, which was the lowest possible rate under EU regulations.
Then in 2015, the Conservative Party government led by former Prime
Minister David Cameron established a ‘Tampon Tax Fund’ which
allocated the funds generated from VAT on period products to projects
supporting vulnerable women and girls. As per a government website,
the UK has so far donated 47 million pounds to charities from the
VAT collections since then.
In the Republic of Ireland, however, there is no VAT on such products
despite the country being an EU member. This is because Ireland’s tax
rates were in place before the EU imposed its own tax laws, the report
said.
Scotland, which is a part of the UK, made history in November 2020 by
becoming the first country in the world to make period products free
of cost to those who need them.

SIGNIFICANCE

It now joins the list of countries which have already eliminated this tax,
which includes India, Australia and Canada. The measure is part of a
wider UK government effort called ‘End Period Poverty’.

24 | P a g e
 The British government has estimated that the move to abolish the
tampon tax would save the average woman about 40 pounds during her
lifetime.
The removal of the tax has thus been praised by women’s right activists
and Brexit proponents at the same time.

SOURCE:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-the-uks-decision-to-abolish-
the-tampon-tax-is-significant-7131123/

GENERAL STUDIES SECOND PAPER- CONSTITUTION,POLITY,

GOVERNANCE,SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS INDIAN POLITY AND CONSTITUTION

10.THE ANTI-DEFECTION LAW

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Congress through its advocates complained about the delay of over a year
and a half by the State Assembly Speaker to decide the disqualification
petitions filed against 10 Congress MLAs who defected to the BJP in July
2019. The Supreme Court Bench scheduled the case for hearing in the
second week of February.

ANTI DEFECTION LAW AND TENTH SCHEDULE

The anti-defection law, referred to as the Tenth Schedule, was added

to the Constitution through the Fifty-Second (Amendment) Act, 1985,
again amended in by the 91st amendment of the Constitution in 2003.

The law applies to both Parliament and State Assemblies.

A member incurs a disqualification under the defection law if:

 He voluntary gives up the membership of the political party on

whose ticket he is elected to the House;

 He votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any

direction given by his political; party;

 Any independently elected member joins any political party;

25 | P a g e
  Any nominated member joins any political party after the
expiry of six months.

The disqualifications under the 10th schedule are decided by the

Chairman in the case of Rajya Sabha/Legislative Council and Speaker in
the case of Lok Sabha/Legislative Assembly (and not by the President or
Governors).

The decision of the Chairman/Speaker in this regard is subject to

judicial review.

ADDITIONAL POINTS

The Constitution has limited the powers of the court to judicially review
the Speaker’s order under the Tenth Schedule.

An order of the Speaker under the Tenth Schedule could be subject

to judicial review only on four grounds: mala fide, perversity,
violation of the constitutional mandate and order passed in violation
of natural justice

Indian law allows a person to be sworn in as Minister and provides six

months for the person to be elected to either of the Houses. However, “if
MLAs are disqualified for defection, they cannot become Ministers till
they are successfully elected as legislators.”

In the light of the existing constitutional mandate, the Speaker is not

empowered to disqualify any member till the end of the term.

However, a member disqualified under Tenth Schedule cannot be

appointed Minister or hold any remunerative political post till the date on
which the term of his office as such member would expire or till the
person is elected to either of the Houses, whichever is earlier.

91st Amendment act of Indian constitution also state that person who
is disqualified under anti-defection law (Schedule 10th of Indian
constitution) shall not be appointed as a minister nor hold and
remunerative political post from the period of disqualification.

Legislators may change their party without the risk of disqualification in

certain circumstances.

26 | P a g e
 The law allows a party to merge with or into another party provided
that at least two-thirds of its legislators are in favour of the merger.
In such a scenario, neither the members who decide to merge, nor the
ones who stay with the original party will face disqualification.

The law does not specify a time-period for the Presiding Officer to
decide on a disqualification plea.

Courts can intervene only after the Presiding Officer has decided on the
matter, the petitioner seeking disqualification has no option but to wait
for this decision to be made.

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/supreme-court-schedules-goa-mlas-
defection-case-for-february-second-week/article33495817.ece

11.FREEDOM TO RELIGION

CONTEXT:

Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Saturday approved the Dharma Swatantrya

(Religious Freedom) Bill 2020.
Previously, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have passed similar
laws.

WHAT’S SIMILAR IN ALL THE BILLS?

A common feature of all three laws is the declaration of such marriages

as “null and void” and the penalising of conversions done without the
prior approval of the state.

WHAT’S DIFFER IN ALL THE BILLS?

They differ in the quantum of punishment prescribed, and in attributing

the burden of proof that a conversion is lawful.

27 | P a g e
MADHYA PRADESH(MP) DHARMA SWATANTRYA (RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM) BILL 2020.

The new law nullifies the Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam law of 1968.
The bill aims to prevent conversion by marriage.
In addition, the bill also seeks to prohibit religious conversion by
financial 'allurement', fraudulent, and forceful means.
Section 3 of the bill states anyone found guilty of abetment to religious
conversion shall face imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of not
less than Rs 25,000.
Attempt to hide one’s religion will be punishable by imprisonment of
three to 10 years and a fine of at least Rs 50,000.
If a minor or a woman from Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste
categories is forced into conversion, the perpetrator will be imprisoned
for two to 10 years and fined up to Rs 50,000. Blood relatives of victims
of such religious conversion can file a complaint, the bill further states.
Provision for the imprisonment of five to 10 years and fine of at least Rs
100,000 is being made for attempting mass religious conversion (of two
or more persons).
The MP Law requires a 60-day prior “declaration of the intention to
convert” to the District Magistrate for conversion to be valid, following
which a couple from different religions can be legally married.

WHO CAN INVESTIGATE?

Under Section 4 of the MP Law states that there cannot be an investigation by a

police officer except on the written complaint of the person converted or the
person’s parents/siblings.

No police officer below the rank of a sub-inspector can investigate an offence

under the law.

BURDEN OF PROOF

The MP Law places on the person converted the burden of proving

that the conversion was done without any coercion or illegality.

THE UTTAR PRADESH PROHIBITION OF UNLAWFUL

CONVERSION OF RELIGIOUS ORDINANCE, 2020

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 The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion
Ordinance, 2020 was promulgated on November 27, 2020. The
Ordinance specifies the procedure for undergoing religious conversion
and prohibits unlawful religious conversion.
The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion
Ordinance, 2020, is aimed at preventing any form of unlawful
conversion actuated by elements of misrepresentation, force, undue
influence, coercion, allurement, etc., and the Constitution of India
abhors any form of forceful conversion particularly in matters of
religion.
The proposed law cleared by the Uttar Pradesh cabinet defines
punishment and fine under three different heads. Those found guilty of
conversion done though “misrepresentation, force, undue influence,
coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means” in contravention
of the law would face jail term of one to 5 years, and a minimum fine
of Rs 15,000.
In case, such conversion is of a minor, a woman from the Scheduled
Caste or Scheduled Tribe, then those found guilty would have to face a
jail term from three to 10 years, with a minimum fine of Rs 25,000.
On the other hand, if such conversion is found at the mass level, then
those guilty would face jail term from three to 10 years, with a minimum
fine of Rs 50,000.
The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religious
Ordinance, 2020 too requires a 60-day notice but also requires the
Magistrate to conduct a police inquiry to ascertain the real intention
behind the conversion.

WHO CAN INVESTIGATE?

The UP law allows the same people as allowed by the MP Law to file
a complaint.

BURDEN OF PROOF

The UP law goes further, placing this burden of proof on people who
“caused” or “facilitated” the conversion and not on the individual.

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THE HIMACHAL PRADESH FREEDOM OF RELIGION ACT, 2019

The Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019 that came into
effect recently, requires a 30-day prior “declaration of intention to
convert”.
It replaced the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2006.

The proposed Bill prohibits conversion by misrepresentation, force,

undue influence, coercion, inducement, marriage or any fraudulent
means.

According to the Act, “no person shall convert or attempt to convert,

either directly or otherwise, any other person from one religion to
another by use of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion,
inducement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage; nor shall
any person abet or conspire such conversion”.

The Act does not cover a person re-converting to his “parent

religion”.

All offences under the Act are cognizable and non-bailable. The violator
can be punished with a prison term ranging from one to five years, along
with a fine.

In case the victim is a minor, woman or member of a Scheduled Caste or

Tribe, the imprisonment may extend up to seven years.

Failure to declare the conversion in advance can also result in an

imprisonment of up to two years.

WHO CAN INVESTIGATE?

The Himachal law says that prosecution cannot be initiated without

the prior sanction of an officer not below the rank of a sub-divisional
magistrate.

BURDEN OF PROOF

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 The Act says that the burden of proof as to whether a religious
conversion was not effected through force or fraud lies on the person so
converted, or the person who has facilitated the conversion.

JUDICIAL PRONOUNCEMENT REGARDING INTERFAITH

MARRIAGES AND FORCIBLE CONVERSIONS

● The Rev Stanislaus vs Madhya Pradesh case: Supreme Court said Article
25 does provide freedom of religion in matters related to practice, profess and
propagate, but the word propagate does not give the right to convert and
upheld the laws prohibiting Conversion through force, fraud, or allurement.

● Based on the above case it is clear that forcible conversion or conversion

through fraud and allurement is against the Right to Freedom of Religion.

● Sarla Mudgal case: The court had held that the religious conversion into
Islam by a person from non-Islamic faith is not valid if the conversion is done
for the purpose of polygamy.

● Lily Thomas case: In this case Court observed that marrying another
woman after converting to Islam is punishable under the bigamy laws.

● Hadiya Case: Supreme Court said that the right to marry a person of one’s
choice is integral to Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution

IN 2015, THE LAW MINISTRY SAID PASSING OF ANY LAW ON

RELIGIOUS CONVERSION IS PURELY A “STATE SUBJECT”
AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT HAS NO ROLE IN IT.

SOURCE:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/religion-conversion-bill-bjp-
7129285/

12.CENTRAL VISTA REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

WHY IN THE NEWS?

The Supreme Court gave permission to the Central Vista redevelopment

project in a 2:1 verdict.

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 The Rs. 20,000 crore Central Vista redevelopment project proposes to
build a new Parliament that will be three times bigger than the existing
93-year-old heritage building.
It held that the central government’s change of land use for the project in
the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 is also a lawful exercise of its powers.
The court said the change is a “a case of minor modification”. The
change in land use will not have any actual reduction of area available
for public use.
The court held that “taking legitimate steps/actions swiftly and as per the
timelines because of the nature of the proposal cannot be termed as
having been done in haste”.

THE CENTRAL VISTA REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

The existing buildings for Parliament, various offices of the central

government, the residence of the prime minister and also the vice-
president’s house, in the view of the government, have been found to be
inadequate.
New buildings will be constructed along the Rashtrapati Bhavan-
India Gate stretch of the Rajpath in New Delhi.
The new Parliament Building Complex, triangular in shape spread over
64,500 square metres, is described as the pivot of the Central Vista
project design.
It is to be much bigger than the existing Parliament building and will
be able to house 1,224 Members of Parliament.
The increased capacity of the chambers has been provisioned for keeping
in mind future increase in the number of MPs.
Currently, the Lok Sabha has 545 MPs and the Rajya Sabha 245.
The new Parliament building will be equipped with the latest digital
interfaces as a step towards creating 'paperless offices'.

ESTIMATED TIME PERIOD OF COMPLETION

The new Parliament building complex is expected to be complete by

2022.
The Central Vista project has a work completion deadline of 2024.

HISTORY OF LUTYENS’S DELHI

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 At his coronation as Emperor of India on December 12, 1911, Britain’s
King George V had announced, “We have decided upon the transfer of
the seat of the Government of India from Calcutta to the ancient Capital
of Delhi.”
Thereafter, a 20-year-long project to build modern New Delhi was
spearheaded by architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
They built Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhavan, North and South
Blocks, Rajpath, India Gate, National Archives and the princes’
houses around India Gate. New Delhi was unveiled in 1931.

SOURCE:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/central-vista-project-approved-
supreme-court-verdict-explained-7133395/

13.ARMED FORCES (SPECIAL POWERS) ACT-AFSPA

WHY IN THE NEWS?

THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS HAS DECLARED ENTIRE

NAGALAND AS 'DISTURBED AREA' UNDER THE ARMED
FORCES (SPECIAL POWERS) ACT.
This enabled the continuation of the controversial AFSPA which
empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest
anyone without any prior warrant.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has been in force
in Nagaland for several decades.

33 | P a g e
ARMED FORCES (SPECIAL POWERS) ACT-AFSPA

The Act came into force in the context of increasing violence in the
Northeastern States decades ago, which the State governments
found difficult to control.
It gives the armed forces the power to maintain public order in
“disturbed areas”.

POWERS GIVEN TO THE ARMED FORCES

They have the authority to prohibit a gathering of five or more persons in

an area, can use force or even open fire after giving due warning if they
feel a person is in contravention of the law.
If reasonable suspicion exists, the army can also arrest a person without a
warrant; enter or search premises without a warrant; and ban the
possession of firearms.
Any person arrested or taken into custody may be handed over to the
officer in charge of the nearest police station along with a report detailing
the circumstances that led to the arrest.

WHAT IS A “DISTURBED AREA” AND WHO HAS THE POWER TO

DECLARE IT?

A disturbed area is one which is declared by notification under

Section 3 of the AFSPA.
An area can be disturbed due to differences or disputes between members
of different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or
communities.
The Central Government or the Governor of the State or
administrator of the Union Territory can declare the whole or part of
the State or Union Territory as a disturbed area.
A suitable notification would have to be made in the Official Gazette.
As per Section 3, it can be invoked in places where “the use of armed
forces in aid of the civil power is necessary”.
The Ministry of Home Affairs would usually enforce this Act where
necessary, but there have been exceptions where the Centre decided
to forego its power and leave the decision to the State governments.

WHICH STATES ARE, OR HAD COME UNDER THIS ACT?

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 It is effective in the whole of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur (excluding
seven assembly constituencies of Imphal) and parts of Arunachal
Pradesh.
The Centre revoked it in Meghalaya on April 1, 2018. Earlier, the
AFSPA was effective in a 20 km area along the Assam-Meghalaya
border.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the impact of AFSPA was reduced to eight
police stations instead of 16 police stations and in Tirap, Longding and
Changlang districts bordering Assam.
Tripura withdrew the AFSPA in 2015.
Jammu and Kashmir too have a similar Act.

ABOUT NAGA ISSUE

The NSCN-IM has been fighting for ‘Greater Nagaland’ or Nagalim

— it wants to extend Nagaland's borders by including Naga-
dominated areas in neighbouring Assam, Manipur and Arunachal
Pradesh, to unite 1.2 million Nagas.
In 2018, the government informed Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Home Affairs in Rajya Sabha that it signed a
framework agreement with the National Socialist Council of
Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) after it agreed on a settlement
within the Indian federation with a “special status.”
Article 371A, which guarantees special constitutional status to
Nagaland, could also be extended to Naga-inhabited areas in
neighbouring Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/afspa-extended-in-
nagaland-for-6-more-months/article33455385.ece

GOVERNANCE

14.NATIONAL DATABASE ON SEXUAL OFFENDERS (NDSO)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

In a controversial decision, the Centre has decided to give companies,

including state-owned ones, access to the national database of crimes

35 | P a g e
 and criminals across the country for the purpose of background
checks, people familiar with the development said.
Currently, companies have to make such requests to the police.
Having access to this repository of data on arrests, convictions, ongoing
investigations, court cases, and lists of proclaimed offenders, companies
will be able to verify people’s criminal history on their own before hiring
them.
Having access to this repository of data on arrests, convictions, ongoing
investigations, court cases, and lists of proclaimed offenders,
companies will be able to verify people’s criminal history on their own
before hiring them.
Right now, only the government and police have exclusive access to
this crucial and sensitive data.
As part of the project, companies will have access to database of
National Data Centre (NDC), National Database on Sexual Offenders
(NDSO) and Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) for which
they will have to pay a prescribed fee. The fee amount has not been
decided yet, the people cited above said.

MAINS BACKGROUNDER

WHAT IS NATIONAL REGISTRY OF SEX OFFENDERS?

The national registry of sex offenders has a database of offenders

convicted under charges of rape, gang rape, Protection of Children
from Sexual Offences and eve teasing.
The Criminal Law Act, 2018, provides for a national registry of sexual
offenders.
The Ministry of Home Affairs launched the National Database on
Sexual Offenders (NDSO) on 20th September 2018.
This online facility is exclusively for the use of law enforcement
agencies having access to Inter-operable Criminal Justice System
(ICJS).
NDSO is a central database of sexual offenders in the country which is
being maintained by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

WHAT DOES IT CONTAINS?

The National Database of Sexual Offenders (NDSO) has names and

aliases, travel and immigration documents, employment information,
36 | P a g e
 professional licenses, vehicle information, criminal history,
photograph, fingerprints, DNA samples, Aadhaar card numbers and
voter IDs, they added.
The data will be stored for (a) 15 years for those posing low danger, (b)
25 years for those posing moderate danger and (c) lifetime for habitual
offenders involved in violent crimes like gang-rapes.
U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, South Africa and Trinidad &Tobago
are some of the other countries having similar databases.
National registry on sex offenders – comprising those convicted on
charges of rape, gang rape, child sex abuse and eve teasing – has
crossed 1 million names recently.

SOURCE:

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pvt-firms-psus-set-to-get-access-
to-crime-database/story-4JqLbe8qgtOuVSujVl3n9O.html

15.PRAGATI

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the thirty-fourth PRAGATI

interaction recently.
Projects of the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways and Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs were discussed. 
In the previous 33 PRAGATI interactions, 280 projects, along with 50
programmes/schemes and grievances across 18 sectors have been taken
up.

WHAT IS PRAGATI (PRO-ACTIVE GOVERNANCE AND TIMELY

IMPLEMENTATION)?

It is a platform which enables the Prime Minister to discuss the issues

with the concerned Central and State officials with full information
and latest visuals of the ground-level situation.
It was launched in 2015 and has been designed by the Prime Minister’s
Office (PMO) team with the help of National Informatics Center
(NIC).
It is a three-tier system (PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and Chief
Secretaries of the States).
The three objectives of PRAGATI are:
37 | P a g e
  Grievance Redressal
 Programme Implementation
 Project Monitoring
The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest technologies:
Digital data management, video-conferencing and geo-spatial
technology.
It promotes cooperative federalism as it brings on one platform the
Secretaries of Government of India and the Chief Secretaries of the
States.

SOURCE:

https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1684793#:~:text=Prime
%20Minister%20Shri%20Narendra%20Modi,programmes%20and
%20grievances%20were%20reviewed.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

16.CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR(CPEC)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Officials from China and Pakistan met in Urumqi for the second
meeting of the Joint Working Group on International Cooperation
and Coordination under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or
CPEC.
The meeting was aimed at taking stock of the CPEC as it turns five.
CPEC is a clutch of projects with an estimated value of $62 billion.

WHAT IS CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (CPEC)?

It is China’s most ambitious Belt and Road Initiative project that

aims to build a network of roads, railway lines and power projects
throughout Pakistan.
It also aims at strengthening the economic ties between China and
Pakistan. By the end of 2018, according to the Chinese government, 22
early harvest projects were completed or were under construction, with a
total investment of $18.9 billion.

38 | P a g e
 CPEC eventually aims at linking the city of Gwadar in South Western
Pakistan to China’s North Western region Xinjiang through a vast
network of highways and railways.
The CPEC is a part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Silk Road
Economic Belt and the 21st Maritime Silk Road projects, two
development plans that seek to deepen Mainland China's economic
cooperation with a number of Asian and European countries.

IMPLEMENTATION OF CPEC

The proposed projects are financed by heavily-subsidised loans that are

disbursed to the Government of Pakistan by Chinese banking giants.
Loans from CPEC were about $5.8 billion, accounting for 5.3% of
Pakistan’s total foreign debt. India has voiced concerns about the CPEC
plan.
Most completed projects are standalone energy and transport projects. In
October 2019, Pakistan established a CPEC Authority under its
Ministry of Planning to speed up the execution of several projects that
were mired in delays. A slew of projects were inaugurated in 2020.

WHY DID INDIA STAY OUT OF BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE?

One main reason why it has stayed out of the Belt and Road Initiative
is because it includes projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part
of a corridor connecting Xinjiang with Pakistan.
The official Long-Term Plan describes the region as belonging to
Pakistan, and even uses Pakistan’s favoured term of “AJK” for the
region.

MAINS BACKGROUNDER

Launched in 2015, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a

series of roads, railways, pipelines, hydropower plants and other
development projects, being built from between China and Pakistan.
The CPEC will connect China’s largest province Xinjiang with
Pakistan’s Gwadar port in Balochistan.
The economic corridor between China-Pakistan is a flagship
program of One Belt One Road (OBOR).

39 | P a g e
 This extends beyond mere economic activity, however, and includes
establishing a whole host of rules, from cultural exchange to the
movement of people.

ONE BELT ONE ROAD (OBOR)

One Belt One Road (OBOR) is an ambitious project that focuses on

connectivity and cooperation among multiple countries spread across
the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. OBOR spans about 78
countries.
Initially announced in the year 2013, the project involves building
networks of roadways, railways, maritime ports, power grids, oil and
gas pipelines and associated infrastructure projects.
The project covers two parts.
1. Silk Road Economic Belt: It is land-based and is expected to
connect China with Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Western
Europe.
2. 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: It is sea-based and is expected
to connect China’s southern coast to the Mediterranean, Africa,
South-East Asia and Central Asia.
The policy is significant for China since it aims to boost domestic
growth in the country. Experts have noted that OBOR is also a part
of China’s strategy for economic diplomacy.

INDIA’S STAND ON CPEC

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, which passes through

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The corridor threatens territorial
integrity of India.
In fact, when the Chinese entered into an agreement with Pakistan in
1963 to build the Karakoram Highway in the Pakistan occupied
Kashmir (PoK) region, India had vociferously objected to it on the
very question of sovereignty.
The region through which the highway was to pass belonged to India and
has been under the illegal occupation of Pakistan.

40 | P a g e
 The Chinese side, thus, has full knowledge of India’s concerns about the
region.
The CPEC today passes through the same region of PoK called Gilgit
Baltistan (GB).

INDIA’S CONCERN REGERDING CPEC AND OBOR

India has time and again raised its concerns over Chinese activity in
the region, the latest being in 2011 when information came out about
the presence of thousands of Chinese troops in the region.
CPEC gives China a foothold in the western Indian Ocean with the
Gwadar port, located near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, where
Chinese warships and a submarine have surfaced.
Access here allows China greater potential to control maritime trade in
that part of the world – a vulnerable point for India, which sources more
than 60 percent of its oil supplies from the Middle East.
China has already been using countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh to dump their products in India, and there is a huge bilateral
trade deficit between China and India.
India is not keen on this, especially because of a lack of structures in
terms of customs and other clearances on border areas.
While China wants to use third country routes to supply its products
to India, it does not allow Indian services or certain other products
access to its own market.

41 | P a g e
SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/cpec-the-corridor-of-
uncertainty/article33482456.ece

17.INDIA -UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL (UNSC)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

 India is set to begin its two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of

the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The event will be marked
by the installation of the Indian tricolour at the stakeout during a special
ceremony.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

 For the 8th time India has been selected as a non-permanent member for
the 2021-22in the 15 nation UNSC.
 India won the eighth term in an election last June securing 184 of the
192 votes cast.
 It was last on the council in a two-year term ending 2012. Its previous
terms were 1950-1951, 1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985
and 1991-1992.

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  India was the endorsed candidate from the Asia-Pacific States.
 Non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms - so every year,
General Assembly elects five non-permanent members out of the total
10 India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico will join non-permanent
members with Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Tunisia
and Vietnam.
 India will be UNSC President in August 2021 and will preside again for a
month in 2022.
 Presidency of the Council is held by each of the members in turn for one
month, following the English alphabetical order of the Member States'
names
 India's priorities for UNSC tenure by the five priorities under the
overarching theme of NORMS: New Orientation for a Reformed
Multilateral System

1. New Opportunities for progress,

2. An Effective response to international terrorism,

3. Reforming the multilateral system

4. A comprehensive approach to interational peace and security,

5. Promoting technology with a human touch as a driver of solutions

 India comes into the Security Council as the largest democracy

representing 1/6th of humanity and with a strong commitment to
reformed multilateralism, rule of law, a fair and equitable international
system and to peace, security and development.

UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL(UNSC)

 It has primary responsibility, under the UN Charter, for the maintenance

of international peace and security.
 The Security Council is made up of fifteen member states, consisting
of five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United
Kingdom, and the United States—and ten non-permanent members
elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly on a regional basis.
 "Veto power" refers to the power of the permanent member to veto
(Reject) any resolution of Security Council.

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  The unconditional veto possessed by the five governments has been seen
as the most undemocratic character of the UN.

SOURCE:

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-starts-un-security-council-
term-vowing-to-speak-against-terror/story-
p4mBE9oPo8cIWVO0ceFeyL.html#:~:text=India%20began%20its%20eighth
%20term,of%20global%20peace%20and%20security.

18.IRAN- FORDOW FUEL ENRICHMENT PLANT

WHY IN THE NEWS?

 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has revealed that Iran

plans to enrich uranium to up to 20 percent purity at Fordow Fuel
Enrichment Plant.
 It would take Iran’s nuclear enrichment program to pre-2015 levels, when
it entered the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the
P51 countries.
 Iran was prohibited enrichment at the Fordo facility until 2031. It also
committed to converting the underground facility into a nuclear, physics
and technology centre.
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  The move is the latest of several recent announcements by Iran to the
International Atomic Energy Agency that it plans to further breach the
deal, which it started violating in 2019 in retaliation for Washington’s
withdrawal from the agreement and the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions
against Tehran.

MAINS BACKGROUNDER

THE JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION (JCPOA)

 The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a detailed, 159-

page agreement with five annexes reached by Iran and the P5+1 (China
France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United
States) on July 14, 2015.
 The nuclear deal was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution
2231, adopted on July 20, 2015.
 Iran’s compliance with the nuclear-related provisions of the JCPOA will
be verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) according
to certain requirements set forth in the agreement.
 On May 8, 2018, President Trump announced that the United States
would withdraw from the JCPOA and reinstate U.S. nuclear sanctions
on the Iranian regime.

The International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA)

 The International Atomic Energy Agency is the world's central

intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the
nuclear field. Set up in 1957 with headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
 The IAEA, or the International Atomic Energy Agency, is widely known
as the world's "Atoms for Peace and Development" organization within
the United Nations family.
 It works for the safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and
technology, contributing to international peace and security and the
United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

ENRICHED URAINUM

Enriched uranium is produced by feeding uranium hexafluoride gas

into centrifuges to separate out the most suitable isotope for nuclear
fission, called U-235.

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 Low-enriched uranium, which typically has a 3-5% purity of U-235,
can be used to produce fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.
Highly enriched uranium has a concentration of 20% or more and is
used in research reactors.
Enriched uranium can be used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear
bombs. Weapons-grade uranium is 90% purity.

FORDOW FUEL ENRICHMENT PLANT (FFEP)

Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) is Iran's second pilot

enrichment plant (the first is the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz).
The site was originally a tunnel facility associated with Iran's paramilitary
organization, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and is
located buried in a mountain near the city of Qom.
Following the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in
2015, the FFEP was restructured as a research center under monitoring
by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
 According to the IAEA, Iran has not used the plant for uranium
enrichment since reporting began in November 2013.
 Iran has not publicly acknowledged any new construction at Fordow,
whose discovery by the West in 2009 came in an earlier round of
brinkmanship before world powers struck the 2015 nuclear deal with
Tehran.
 While the purpose of the building remains unclear, any work at Fordow
will likely trigger new concern in the waning days of the Trump
administration before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden.

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SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-tells-iaea-it-plans-to-enrich-
uranium-up-to-20-at-fordow-site/article33475780.ece

19.JAPAN TO JOIN ‘FIVE EYES’

WHY IN THE NEWS?

 Japan is on its way to become the ‘sixth eye’.

 Japan would provide key inputs on Chinese clampdown on Uyghurs

WHO ARE UIGHURS?

 Uyghurs are Turkic-speaking Muslims who live in China's autonomous

Xinjiang region, in the country's north-west.

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  Many Uyghur communities also live in countries neighbouring China,
such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan
 Xinjiang is technically an autonomous region within China — its
largest region, rich in minerals, and sharing borders with eight countries,
including India, Pakistan, Russia and Afghanistan.
 According to leaked Chinese government documents, there was a
clampdown on Uighurs and other Muslims in the country’s western
Xinjiang region.

JAPANESE INTERVENTION

Japan seeks to maintain friendly ties with China — its largest trading
partner — without hurting relations with its top security ally, the United
States.
Based on the information gathered from Japan, the Trump administration
placed a series of sanctions on Beijing for human rights violations against
Uyghurs, such as visa restriction on Chinese officials, heightening
bilateral tensions.

THE FIVE EYES (FVEY)

Five Eyes is a network of five nations -- Australia, Britain, Canada,

New Zealand and the US who collaborated to better respond to
increasing threats by North Korea and China.
The Five Eyes (FVEY) is the biggest intelligence alliance of the world,
comprising five Anglophone countries the United States, the United
Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
These countries are signatories to the UKUSA Agreement for their
cooperation in signal intelligence. The alliance or network monitors the
electronic communications of citizens and foreign governments.

SOURCE:

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/japan-to-join-five-eyes-to-check-
china-s-clampdown-on-uyghurs/story-Fanlw3x3hlDKBKn6yaiRkK.html

20.INDIA-LITHIUM TRIANGLE NATIONS

CONTEXT

India looks at lithium reserves in Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.

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 India recently inked pact with an Argentina to jointly prospect lithium as
Argentina has the third largest reserves of lithium
India is also exploring options in Chile and Bolivia, two other top
lithium-producing countries.

WHAT IS LITHIUM?

Lithium, a silver-white alkali metal, is crucial building block

of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that power electric
vehicles, laptops and mobile phones.
Currently, India is heavily dependent on import of lithium cells and
China, Hong Kong and Vietnam are the top three nations exporting
batteries to India.

LITHIUM TRIANGLE

Lithium Triangle is an intersection of Chile, Bolivia and

Argentina, known for high quality salt flats.
Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, Salar de Atacama in Chile and Salar de
Arizaro in Argentina contains over 45%of known global lithium
reserves.
Beneath Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat lies the world’s
greatest lithium deposits.
Bolivia, one of South America’s poorest countries, envisions development
by harvesting lithium on an industrial scale from underground saltwater
brines.

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SOURCE:

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-china-relation-argentina-lithium-
reserves-economic-growth-rate-7131626/

21.UN RESOLUTION ON ROHINGYAS

WHY IN THE NEWS?

 Bangladesh has expressed happiness over the UN resolution on

Rohingyas adopted at the 75th General Assembly.
 China and Russia stood beside Myanmar while India and Japan
refrained from voting a draft resolution on the situation of human rights
of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar.

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  Russia, China, Belarus, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Vietnam,
Zimbabwe and Myanmar themselves were the nine countries that voted
against the resolution, i.e. in Myanmar's favour.
 A total of 26 countries, including India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Singapore,
abstained from voting on the resolution.

BACKGROUND

 Bangladesh and Myanmar had signed a repatriation deal in November

2017 followed by a physical agreement in January 2018 to facilitate the
return of Rohingyas to the Rakhine province.
 However, there has been no success in the repatriation of Rohingyas
despite two failed attempts in the past.
 Currently, more than a million Rohingya are living in refugee camps in
Bangladesh after fleeing the military crackdown in the Rakhine province
of Myanmar in August 2017.

UN ADOPTS RESOLUTION FOR URGENT SOLUTION OF ROHINGYA

CRISIS

The United Nations has adopted a resolution calling for the urgent
solution of the Rohingya crisis.
The resolution tabled by the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC)
and European Union (EU) was adopted by a majority of 132
countries voting in favour, 9 against and 31 abstentions.
The resolution has taken some new developments into account such as
the provisional order of the International Criminal Court of Justice and
the issue of disenfranchisement of the Rohingya and other minorities.
The resolution called for specific action on the part of Myanmar to
address the root cause of the Rohingya crisis including granting them
citizenship and ensuring safe and sustainable return to their homes by
creating a conducive environment.
The resolution appreciated the government of Bangladesh for the
humanitarian act of providing shelter to the displaced Rohingyas.
It called upon other countries to support Bangladesh in its humanitarian
effort.

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WHO ARE ROHINGYAS?

The Rohingya people are stateless, Indo-Aryan ethnic group who

reside in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

There were an estimated 1 million Rohingya living in Myanmar before

the 2016–17 crisis.

An estimated 625,000 refugees from Rakhine, Myanmar, had crossed the

border into Bangladesh since August 2017. The majority are Muslim
while a minority are Hindu.

Described by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted

minorities in the world.

The Rohingya population is denied citizenship under the 1982

Myanmar nationality law. 

SOURCE:

http://newsonair.com/News?title=Bangladesh-expresses-happiness-over-UN-
resolution-on-Rohingyas&id=407201

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 GENERAL STUDIES THIRD PAPER-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, BIO DIVERSITY, SECURITY AND
DISASTER MANAGEMENT

INDIAN ECONOMY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

22.NATIONAL COMMON MOBILITY CARD (NCMC)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

PRIME MINISTER LAUNCHED NATIONAL COMMON MOBILITY

CARD (NCMC) FOR DELHI METRO
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs of the Government of India
(MoHUA) have further informed that there is the provision of storing
money on the card (in the Global Wallet or Card Wallet).
NCMC will allow entry and exit from metro stations with the help of a
smartphone, known as the automatic fare collection (AFC) system. In the
upcoming Delhi Metro Phase-IV project, the AFC system will fully
accept NCMC.
In order to ensure a seamless travel across metros and other transport
systems in addition to retail shopping and purchases, MOHUA had come
out with NCMC Program.
NCMC will be upgraded on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022.

NATIONAL COMMON MOBILITY CARD (NCMC)

National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) - One Nation, One Card for
transport mobility is an initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs to enable seamless travel by different metros and other transport
systems across the country besides retail shopping and purchases.
The Indigenous Automatic Fare Collection System based on One Nation
One Card Model is the first of its kind in India.
NCMC is an automatic fare collection system.
It will turn smartphones into an inter-operable transport card that
commuters can use eventually to pay for Metra, bus and suburban
railways services.
Idea of NCMC was floated by the Nandan Nilekani committee set up by
the Reserve Bank of India.

53 | P a g e
BENEFITS OF NATIONAL COMMON MOBILITY CARD(NCMC)

 NCMC Ecosystem offers the value proposition for customers as they

need not to carry multiple cards for different usage.
 Users can utilize this for payments across all segments including metro,
bus, railways, suburban, parking, smart city, toll, retail
 It Help government in digitization of low value payments and reduced
cost for the entire ecosystem

All new metro and transit payments would be made interoperable through
NCMC.

SOURCE:

https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/national-common-mobility-card-
everything-explained-in-detail-1754547-2020-12-30

23.DIGITAL PAYMENTS INDEX (DPI)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

 The RBI has constructed a composite Digital Payments Index (DPI) to

capture the extent of digitisation of payments across the country.

ABOUT DIGITAL PAYEMENTS INDEX

 The RBI-DPI has been constructed with March 2018 as the base period.
 The DPI for March 2019 and March 2020 work out to 153.47 and 207.84
respectively, indicating appreciable growth.
 The RBI-DPI comprises five broad parameters: Payment Enablers,
Payment Infrastructure – Demand-side factors and Supply-side factors,
Payment Performance and Consumer Centricity
 RBI-DPI shall be published on RBI’s website on a semi-annual basis
from March 2021 onwards with a lag of 4 months.
 India’s UPI payments had shot up 82% in the current fiscal year’s Q2
along with a 99% jump in value from the year-ago period, according to
the Worldline India Digital Payments report.

WHAT IS DIGITAL PAYMENT?

Digital payment is a transaction that takes place via digital or online

modes, with no physical exchange of money involved.

54 | P a g e
 Banking Cards, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).
Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS), Mobile Wallets etc are major
methods of digital payment.

SOURCE:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/rbi-comes-up-with-
digital-payments-index/articleshow/80063199.cms

24.TOYCATHON-2021

WHY IN THE NEWS?

 Govt launches Toycathon-2021 to promote indigenous industry

 Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women and Child Development
(MWCD), Ministry of Textile, Ministry of Commerce and Industries,
Ministry of MSME, Ministry of I&B and All India Council for Technical
Education (AICTE) have jointly launched Toycathon-2021 and
Toycathon Portal.

WHAT IS MEANT BY TOYCATHON-2021

This is a special kind of hackathon where students and teachers from

schools and colleges, design experts, toy experts and startups will get
together to crowd source ideas for developing toys and games that are
based on Indian culture & ethos and local folklore & heroes.
While this will greatly help India develop into a global hub for toys and
games, it will also help our children to understand the ethos and values of
Indian culture as envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020.

THEME OF TOYCATHON-2021

The Toycathon is based on nine themes viz. Indian Culture, History,

Knowledge of India and Ethos; Learning, Education and Schooling;
Social and human values; Occupations & specific fields; Environment;
Divyang ; Fitness and sport; Out of the box, creative and logical thinking
and Rediscovering/redesigning traditional Indian toys
The Toycathon will have 3 variants of tracks of Junior Level, Senior
Level and Start up Level and will allow participation of students and

55 | P a g e
 teachers from schools, colleges and universities apart from startups and
toy experts

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/govt-launches-toycathon-
2021-to-promote-indigenous-industry/article33502274.ece

25.FACELESS TAX ASSESSMENT SCHEME

WHY IN THE NEWS?

The government’s faceless tax assessment scheme has managed to

deliver about 24,000 final orders since its introduction in August 2020.
The faceless assessment of tax will 'honour honest income tax payers
in the country.
The income tax department has already rolled out pan-India faceless
assessment facilities for all taxpayers from August 2020.

WHAT IS MEANT BY FACELESS TAX ASSESSMENT SYTEM?

Under faceless scrutiny assessment, a central computer picks up tax

returns for scrutiny based on risk parameters and mismatch and
then allots them randomly to a team of officers.
This allocation is reviewed by officers at another randomly selected
location and only if concurred, a notice is sent by the centralised
computer system. All such notices need to be responded to
electronically without the requirement of visiting a tax office or
meeting any official.
The Central Government introduced the Faceless Assessment Scheme to
provide greater transparency, efficiency and accountability in Income
Tax assessments.
It is an attempt to remove individual tax officials’ discretion and
potential harassment for income taxpayers.
All provisions introduced under Faceless Assessment, under the
Income Tax Act, 1961, are introduced to-
Eliminate the interface between the Assessing Officer and the assesses
during the course of proceedings, to the extent that is technologically
feasible

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 Optimize the utilization of resources through the economies of scale and
functional specialization and
Introduce a team-based determination of arm’s length price with
dynamic jurisdiction.
Diluting of patent working discloser rule and its implications for
compulsory license regime

GOVERNING AUTHORITY

The National e-Assessment Center in Delhi will be governing

authority for all communication with taxpayers under the faceless
assessment scheme.
There will be regional centres in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad,
Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru.

HOW IT WILL BENEFIT THE TAXPAYERS?

The intention behind faceless appeals is certainly noble but the

implementation would be the key to ensure all steps are taken to
achieve the desired objective of reducing harassment.
the taxpayer should still have the comfort that he is being fully heard on
his point and the authority is yet approachable, especially in
sophisticated cases, which otherwise involve several hearings and
representations to convince the authorities.
The faceless appeal will provide taxpayers with not only great
convenience, but will also ensure just and fair appeal orders and
minimise any further litigation.
The new system will also be instrumental in imparting greater efficiency,
transparency and accountability in the functioning of the Income Tax
Department

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/faceless-tax-scheme-delivers-
24000-final-orders-pandey/article33495373.ece

57 | P a g e
ENERGY SECTOR

26.MODIFIED SCHEME TO ENHANCE ETHANOL DISTILLATION

CAPACITY

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Cabinet approves modified scheme to enhance ethanol distillation

capacity in the country
An interest subvention of ₹4,573 crore was given a nod for production
of ethanol
Government has fixed target of 10% blending of fuel-grade ethanol
with petrol by 2022 and 20% blending by 2030

What is ethanol?

 Ethanol is basically alcohol of 99%-plus purity, which can be used

for blending with petrol.
 The primary raw material for ethanol production in India is
sugarcane and its by-products.
 Union Cabinet approves modified scheme to enhance ethanol
distillation capacity in the country for producing 1st Generation (1G)
ethanol from feedstocks such as cereals (rice, wheat, barley, corn &
sorghum), sugarcane, sugar beet etc.

WHY IT IS NEEDED?

To deal with surplus stocks of sugar, sugar mills have been exporting
sugar, for which Government has been extending financial assistance.
Moreover, India being a developing country can export sugar by
extending financial assistance only up to year 2023 as per WTO
arrangements.
So, diversion of excess sugarcane & sugar to ethanol is a correct way
forward to deal with surplus stocks.
Diversion of excess sugar would help in stabilizing the domestic ex-mill
sugar prices and will also help sugar mills to get relieved from storage
problems.
It will improve their cash flows and facilitate them in clearance of cane
price dues of farmers; and will facilitate mills to function in the coming
years.

58 | P a g e
MODIFIED SCHEME FOR GRAIN-BASED ETHANOL DISTILLERIES

Total outlay under the interest subvention scheme is ₹8,460 crore.

Cabinet has approved ₹4,573 crore under the scheme today to boost
ethanol distillation capacity to 1000 crore litres for achieving the
target of 20% ethanol blending with petrol by 2030.
Cabinet led by PM Narendramodi approved the expansion of interest
subvention scheme to include grain-based distilleries besides molasses-
based distilleries for production of ethanol.
This will encourage ethanol production from grains like, barley,
maize, corn & rice.
It will also help sugar mills to get relieved from storage problems.
To increase production of fuel grade ethanol, Govt. is also
encouraging distilleries to produce ethanol from maize; & rice
available with FCI.
Government has fixed remunerative price of ethanol from maize &
rice.
With increase in blending levels, dependence on imported fossil fuel will
decrease and will also reduce the air pollution.
With increase in blending levels, dependence on imported fossil fuel will
decrease and will also reduce the air pollution.

Assistance to farmers

The move is also being seen as a helping hand for the sugar sector and
farmers who have been reeling under the pressure of handling excess
produce.
There has been surplus production of sugar in the country since 2010-
11 (except reduction due to drought in sugar season 2016-17).
The production is likely to remain in surplus in the country in coming
years due to the introduction of improved varieties of sugarcane.
It will improve their cash flows and facilitate them in clearance of cane
price dues of farmers.

59 | P a g e
SOURCE:

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/cabinet-approves-modified-scheme-for-
grain-based-ethanol-distilleries-11609324425474.html

AGRICULTURE

27.VAZHAKULAM PINEAPPLE

Twenty tonnes of pineapples were transported from Vazhakulam, known

as the 'pineapple city,' to the Delhi border, where farmers have been
protesting for over three weeks.

Mauritius variety of Vazhakkulam pineapples from Kerala had got

the geographical indication (GI) tag in 2009.

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 It is grown in the districts of Emakulam Kottayam, Pathanamthitta
and the low elevation areas of Idukki district in Kerala.

Vazhakulam pineapple is unique in aroma, flavour and sweetness due to

its high sugar content and low acidity.

It has a shelf life of around 10-15 days.

SOURCE:

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/delicious-solidarity-kerala-farmers-
send-truckload-pineapples-farmers-delhi-140369

INFRASTRUCTURE

28.LIGHT HOUSE PROJECTS (LHPs)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

PRIME MINISTER LAYS FOUNDATION STONE OF LIGHT

HOUSE PROJECTS(LHPs)
LHPs under Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India)
will be constructed at six sites across six States.
GHTC-India under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs intends to get
the best globally available innovative construction technologies through a
challenge process.

LIGHT HOUSE PROJECTS(LHPs)

LHPS are model housing projects with houses built with shortlisted
alternate technology suitable to the geo-dimatic and hazard conditions of
the region.
It will demonstrate and deliver ready to live houses at an expedited pace
within twelve months, as compared to conventional brick and mortar
construction
Houses built will be completely earthquake resistant as they will be
durable and environmentally friendly due to the use of pre-fabricated
materials, Monolithic Concrete Construction, Precast Concrete
Construction System etc.
Affordable housing is fundamental to the health and well-being of people
and to the smooth functioning of the economy.

61 | P a g e
 Earlier, govt had also approved development of affordable rental
housing complexes (ARHCS) for urban migrants and poor as a sub-
scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)
Technology suitable to the geo-climatic and hazard conditions of the
region. It delivers Ready to Live-in Houses in minimum time and
minimum cost with high-quality of construction in a sustainable manner.
Use of Six Distinct Innovative Technologies for each selected site
a. Indore (Madhya Pradesh) - Prefabricated Sandwich Panel System
b. Rajkot (Gujarat) - Monolithic Concrete Construction System of France for
disasters resilient houses.
c. Chennai (Tamil Nadu) Precast Concrete Technology from the U.S. and
Finland to construct the houses faster and cheaper.
d. Ranchi (Jharkhand) - Germany's 3D Construction System where each room
will be made separately and the entire structure will be added in the same way
as Lego Blocks toys.
e. Agartala (Tripura) - New Zealand's Light Gauge Steel Structural System &
Pre-Engineered Steel Structural System which can withstand major earthquake
risk.
f. Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) - Pre-constructed Wall Technology from Canada
that does not require plaster and paint, the already prepared complete walls will
be used to build houses.
A Technology Transition from conventional brick and mortar
construction to alternative, green and sustainable construction systems
through the introduction of cutting-edge technologies, innovative building
materials and processes.
LHPS will serve as live laboratories for planners, architects, engineers
and students will be able to learn and experiment.

Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC- India)

 The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has already launched a “Global
Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC- India)”.

The challenge has three components viz.

o Conduct of Grand Expo-cum-Conference,

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 o Identifying Proven Demonstrable Technologies from across the
globe and
o Promoting Potential Technologies through the establishment of
Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators- India (ASHA-I)
for incubation and accelerator support.

AFFORDABLE SUSTAINABLE HOUSING ACCELERATORS – India

(ASHA-India)

ASHA India initiative aims to provide a platform to promote the

potential future modern technologies developed in India, by the way of
incubation and acceleration support, in order to foster an environment
of R&D in the modern construction technology within the country.

PMAY-U Mission

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) Mission has been

designed to achieve the vision of “Housing For All by 2022”.
In order to recognize the outstanding contribution by States,
UTs,Urban Local Bodies and beneficiaries, the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs has introduced annual awards for excellence in
implementation of PMAY-Urban.

SOURCE:

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1684801#:~:text=The
%20Light%20House%20Projects%20(LHPs,at%20such%20a%20large
%20scale

29.SAGARMALA SEAPLANE SERVICES (SSPS)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is initiating the ambitious

Project of Sagarmala Seaplane Services (SSPS) with potential airline
operators.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is initiating the process of
commencing operations of the Seaplane services, on the select routes,

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 under a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) framework through prospective
airline operators.

The project execution and implementation would be through Sagarmala

Development Company Ltd (SDCL), which is under the administrative
control of the Ministry.
Several destinations are envisaged for seaplane operations.
The proposed Origin-Destination pairs under Hub and Spoke model
include various islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep,
Guwahati Riverfront & Umranso Reservoir in Assam, Yamuna
Riverfront / Delhi (as Hub) to Ayodhaya etc.
One such Seaplane Service is already in operation between Kevadia and
Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, which was inaugurated by Prime
Minister Modi on 31st October 2020.
To run more such services in the coastal areas or proximity to water
bodies, SDCL is keen to associate with the interested scheduled / non-
scheduled airline operators.

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SOURCE:

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1685966

30.THE KOCHI-MANGALURU LNG PIPELINE

WHY IN THE NEWS?

PM Modi virtually inaugurated Kochi-Mangaluru GAIL pipeline

The 444 km-long Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline will deliver
liquefied natural gas (LNG) sourced from Kochi LNG Terminal
operated by Petronet in Puthuvype, Kochi, India.
Built in 2013, the terminal is South India's first LNG-receiving,
regasification and re-loading terminal with a capacity of five million
metric tonnes per annum.
The natural gas is supplied as regasified LNG (RLNG) through the
pipeline of Gail Authority of India Limited (GAIL).

WHAT IS LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG)?

LNG, a non-toxic liquid, is natural gas that is cooled to a liquid state at

about -162°C (-260°F) that shrinks the volume of the gas 600 times
smaller. That makes it possible to transport natural gas to places far
away from producing regions.
It is turned back into a gas at regasification plants and then piped to
distribution companies, industrial consumers, and power plants.
LNG is now also emerging as a cost-competitive and cleaner transport
fuel, especially for shipping and heavy-duty road transport.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE KOCHI-MANGALURU LNG PIPELINE

Launched in 2009, the pipeline has a transportation capacity of 12 million

metric standard cubic metres per day.
The pipeline will carry natural gas from the Kochi LNT terminal in
Kerala through Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram,
Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts to Mangaluru in
Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.

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 It will help India to achieve its target of 15% share of natural gas from
current 6% and vision of "One Nation-one Gas Grid" moving towards
Gas based Economy.
It will help clean energy access to the transportation sector by
increasing compressed natural gas (CNG) stations from 1,500 to
10,000 as expected, curbing air pollution.
It connects four lakh houses in the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi
districts in Coastal Karnataka region providing piped natural gas.
GAIL's Pipeline is already supplying natural gas to MCF (Mangalore
Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd) and is expected to cater to 10 city gas
distribution companies including OMPL and MRPL (ONGC Mangalore
Petrochemicals Ltd and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd
respectively) paving the way for domestic piped natural gas (PNG)
connections to households.
The connectivity from Kochi to Mangaluru will improve the capacity
utilisation of the terminal, that is currently five million tonnes.
Petronet LNG Ltd is expecting a 30-40 % increase in capacity utilisation
from 20 % (less than 1.5 million tonnes).

ONE NATION, ONE GAS GRID

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 The Indian Power system for planning and operational purposes is
divided into five regional grids.
One Nation, One Gas Grid refers to the integration of these regional
grids thus establishing a National Grid for providing energy produced by
natural gas to various stakeholders like the central government, the state
governments, the public and the private sectors.

SOURCE:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/gas-pipeline-from-kochi-to-
mangaluru-hurdles-crossed-and-why-it-matters-7141149/

ENVIRONMENT AND BIO DIVERSITY

31.MALAI MAHADESHWARA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

WHY IN THE NEWS?

The Forest Department has launched a pilot project to encourage community

farming and help augment farm income of local villagers on the outskirts of
malai mahadeshwara wildlife sanctuary.

Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the

Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.
It is spread over 906.18 sq km – is contiguous to BRT Tiger Reserve,
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
The area was declared as Wildlife Sanctuary in 2013.
It consists mainly of dry deciduous type degrading to scrub forest in the
fringe areas, and is interspersed with patches of moist deciduous, semi-
evergreen, evergreen and shola forests occurring at varying altitudes.
State Board for Wildlife had given its concurrence to declare Malai
Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve in January 2019.
In the justification to declare the sanctuary a tiger reserve, the
authorities have stated that this is a unique geographical zone that
acts as a bridge between the Western and Eastern Ghats.

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SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/community-farming-
launched-to-augment-villagers-income/article33482755.ece

32.PONG DAM

WHY IN NEWS?

More than 1,400 migratory birds were found dead recently due to an
unexplained cause in the Pong Dam area of Kangra district in Himachal
Pradesh.

ABOUT PONG DAM

The Pong Dam is also known as the Beas Dam.

It is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Beas River in Himachal
Pradesh.
The lake created by the dam, Maharana Pratap Sagar, is a renowned bird
sanctuary.
This reservoir or lake is a famous wildlife sanctuary and one of the
international wetland sites declared by Ramsar Convention in India.
The purpose of the dam is water storage for irrigation and hydroelectric
power generation.
It was declared a Ramsar Site in the year 2002.
It is the only place in the country after the Bharatpur sanctuary in
Rajasthan where the red-necked grebe descends every year.
Other visitors include White Fronted Goose, Whooper Swan, Indian
Skimmer, White rumped Vultures, Black bellied Tern.

SOURCE:

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/himachal-over-400-migratory-birds-
found-dead-at-pong-dam-lake-7126828/
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 33.THE KOLAR LEAF-NOSED BAT

WHY IN THE NEWS?

The Karnataka Forest Department, along with the Bat Conservation India
Trust (BCIT), is on a war footing to save the Kolar Leaf-Nosed Bat from
extinction.

DETAILS

It is Scientific Name is Hipposideros hypophyllus.

It is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and caves.

CONSERVATION STATUS

It is endemic to India.
It is found in only one cave in Hanumanahalli village in the Kolar
district of Karnataka, and its population is less than 200 individuals.
It is currently evaluated as critically endangered by the IUCN.

We know very little about this bat – what ecology it thrives in, what its diet is,
its behaviour and what would happen to it if the cropping pattern changes in
the area in which it resides.

There are five species of bats that live in the caves of Hanumanahalli, of which
the Kolar Leaf-Nosed Bat is just one. According to recent estimates, there are
just 150 Kolar Leaf-Nosed Bats left in these caves.

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SOURCE:

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/conservation-plan-on-table-to-save-bat-
species-in-kolar-caves-7125529/

34.DIBRU-SAIKHOWA NATIONAL PARK

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Assam CM sets Jan. 31 deadline to rehabilitate Dibru-Saikhowa

National Park dwellers.

LOCATION

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is a national park in Assam, India,

located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.
It is situated in the south bank of the river Brahmaputra in Assam.

ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

It is the largest swamp forest in north-eastern India.

It is an identified Important Bird Area (IBA) having more than 382
species of Birds, some of which are Greater Adjutant Stork, Lesser
Adjutant Stork, Greater Crested Grebe etc

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 It is most famous for the rare white-winged wood ducks as well as feral
horses.
The forest type comprises semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests,
littoral and swamp forests and patches of wet evergreen forests.
Maguri Motapung wetland is a part of the Reserve.

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/deadline-set-for-rehab-of-
assam-national-park-dwellers/article33455521.ece

35.DEEPOR-BEEL

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Recently, District administration has prohibited community fishing at
Deepor Beel to prevent overexploitation of shrinking wetland
To prevent fishing, excavation and construction in and around the Deepor
Beel, Kamrup (M) district administration has imposed Section 144 CrPC
prohibiting the assembly of more than five people at the Assam’s only
Ramsar site.

WHAT IS IT?
It is a freshwater lake considered as one of the large and important
riverine wetlands in Brahmaputra Valley of lower Assam
It is Assam's only Ramsar site and is also selected as one of the
Important Bird Area sites by Birdlife International.
ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE
DeeporBeel in Assam is a large natural wetland with biological and
environmental importance due to its inherent biodiversity and
ecological services.
DeeporBeel is a perfect habitat for large numbers of residential water
birds, and seasonally harbours large numbers of migratory
waterfowl each year.
It is also home to the largest nesting colony of Greater Adjutants. It
was declared as an internationally important wetland and included in
the Directory of Asian Wetlands.
ECOLOGICAL THREATS

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 The recent years have seen changes in land use cover in and around the
Beel with illegal encroachments and unplanned developments coming up.
The inflow of wastewater from Guwahati city to this wetland has
degraded its water quality making it hazardous for the aquatic flora and
fauna.
Earlier the natural feeding canal of the wetland was the river
Brahmaputra. Now due to construction of canals and national highway,
the natural water inflow has been permanently stopped.

SOURCE:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/community-fishing-
banned-at-assam-ramsar-site/article33478646.ece
36.SLOTH BEAR CORRIDOR IN MOUNT ABU

WHY IN THE NEWS

Union Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change notified the limits
of an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary in
Rajasthan, bordering the state of Gujarat.

ECO-SENSITIVE ZONE (ESZ)

An ESZ is meant to serve as a “shock absorber” between the sanctuary

and its adjoining areas, protecting the animals and restricting human
activity close to the sanctuary.

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LOCATION

Mount Abu is the only hill station between Rajasthan and Gujarat in
southern Aravalli, India’s oldest fold mountain range.
Rising from 300 metres to 1722 metres above sea level, Mount Abu’s
unique ecosystem is home to sloth bears, leopards, jungle cats, striped
hyenas, porcupine, and other wildlife. In 1960, 326 square km of this
forested hilly terrain within Rajasthan’s Sirohi district was declared the
Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS).

DETAILS OF ECOSENSITIVE ZONE

The Jessore sanctuary’s northern boundary coincides with the boundary

of Gujarat state, so it was up to Rajasthan to provide the corridor for the
bears.
The ESZ extends 6.08 km to the south-west, covering some part of the
area that sloth bears frequent; although this length seems a good distance,
it extends only over a narrow neck of the hills.
The Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Gujarat is just about 10 km from
the southern edge of Mount Abu and bears routinely use this corridor
across the two states.
A census in 2016 estimated the bear population in this region, comprising
the two sanctuaries, to be 350.
More bears were found in Mount Abu than in the sloth bear
sanctuary in Gujarat.

ECOLOGICAL THREATS

In recent years, increasing encroachment of sloth bear habitat has

heightened human-animal conflict and caused deaths of both humans
and bears.
Though the Mount Abu WLS-Jessore corridor is mentioned in the ESZ
notification, it does not have any legal protection. The bears, nocturnal
creatures, do not usually come into conflict with human populations.
Yet, they can be ferocious when there are cubs.

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SOURCE:
https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/will-the-latest-sloth-bear-corridor-in-
mount-abu-serve-its-purpose/

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

37.FACIAL RECOGNITION
CONTEXT:
Rapid deployment of facial recognition system by the government without
any law in place poses a huge threat to privacy rights and freedom of
speech and expression, say experts
ABOT FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY

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 Facial recognition is a biometric technology that uses distinctive
features on the face to identify and distinguish an individual.
From the first cameras that could recognise faces in the mid-1960s up to
now, facial recognition has evolved in many ways- from looking at 3D
contours of a face to recognising skin patterns.
With machine learning, the technology has become capable of sorting out
types of faces
AUTOMATED FACIAL RECOGNITION SYSYTEM
AFRS works by maintaining a large database with photos and videos of
peoples’ faces. Then, a new image of an unidentified person — often
taken from CCTV footage — is compared to the existing database to find
a match and identify the person.
The artificial intelligence technology used for pattern-finding and
matching is called “neural networks”.
Automated Facial Recognition System can play a very vital role in
improving outcomes in the area of Criminal identification and
verification by facilitating easy recording, analysis, retrieval and sharing
of Information between different organisations.
While fingerprints and iris scans provide far more accurate matching
results, automatic facial recognition is an easier solution especially for
identification amongst crowds.
The integration of fingerprint database, face recognition software and
iris scans will massively boost the police department’s crime
investigation capabilities.
It will also help civilian verification when needed. No one will be able to
get away with a fake ID.
It will also help civilian verification when needed.
It also plans to offer citizen services, such as passport verification,
crime reporting, online tracking of case progress, grievance reporting
against police officers etc.
Challenges
Infrastructural Costs: Technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Big
Data are costly to implement. The size of stored information is extremely
large and requires huge network & data storage facilities, which are
currently not available in India.
Currently, to store the government data from the National Informatics
Centre (NIC) and other agencies, international cloud servers are used.
As the data collected may be used in the court of law during the course of
a criminal trial, the reliability and the admissibility of the data along

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 with standards and procedure followed would be taken into
consideration. Hence, the authenticity of the data is crucial.
Threat against Right to Privacy: Government although plans to address
the question of privacy through the legal framework like data privacy
regime, but keeping in mind the objectives it aims to achieve with the use
of such technology, it comes into conflict with one another.
In the absence of data protection laws, Indian citizens become more
vulnerable to privacy abuses. As it is sensitive data, it has tremendous
potential of being misused.
Hence, the constitutional mandate of right to privacy needs to be
safeguarded along with the nature of technology, addressing the fears of
invasion & surveillance.
Inherent Challenges: Over the time, the face may have different-different
facets, for example, somebody has grown a beard, or the age has
changed from the last taken photo, or somebody might have covered the
face so as to escape from getting captured in the CCTVs. This becomes
one of the challenging tasks to overcome.
SOURCE:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/facial-recognition-technology-law-
yet-to-catch-up/article33458380.ece
38.SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION POLICY (STIP)
WHY IN THE NEWS?
Release of Draft 5th National Science, Technology, and Innovation
Policy for public consultation
The fifth S&T policy of India is being formulated at a crucial juncture
when India and the world are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM OF THE POLICY

The new Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy aims to bring
about profound changes through short-term, medium-term, and long-
term mission mode projects by building a nurtured ecosystem that
promotes research and innovation on the part of both individuals and
organizations.
It aims to foster, develop, and nurture a robust system for evidence and
stakeholder-driven STI planning, information, evaluation, and policy
research in India.

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OBJECTIVE OF THE POLICY
The objective of the policy is to identify and address strengths and
weaknesses of the Indian STI ecosystem to catalyse socio-economic
development of the country and also make the Indian STI ecosystem
globally competitive.
To achieve technological self-reliance and position India among the top
three scientific superpowers in the decade to come.
To attract, nurture, strengthen and retain critical human capital through
a people centric' STI ecosystem
To double the number of Full-Time Equivalent researchers, Gross
Domestic Expenditure on R&D (GERD) and private sector contribution
to the GERD every 5 years;
Build individual and institutional excellence in STI with the aspiration to
achieve the highest level of global recognitions and awards in the coming
decade.
To March ahead on a sustainable development pathway to include
economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability
for achieving an "Atmanirbhar Bharat".

FURTHER DETAILS
The new policy, STIP, revolves around the core principles of being
decentralized, evidence-informed, bottom-up, experts-driven, and
inclusive.
National STI Observatory will be established as a central repository for
all kinds of data related to and generated from the STI ecosystem
Indian Science and Technology Archive of Research (INDSTA) will be
developed to provide access to the outputs of all publicly-funded research
All the public and private entities will set up an STI unit with a
minimum earmarked budget to pursue STI activities and expand the
financial landscape of the STI ecosystem
Atomic, Defence, Space Units will identify projects that they can work on
and build jointly with private companies and academia to strengthen the
local innovation ecosystem

Earlier, four major policies have been implemented before this: Scientific
dutia (SP9) Policy Resolution 1958 (SPR 1958), Technology Policy Statement
(TPS) 1983 STP2003, and STIP 2013
SOURCE:

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https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/sti-policy-science-technology-
innovation-policy-atmanirbhar-bharat-5th-national-sti-policy-7135888/

39.TiHAN-IIT
WHY IN THE NEWS?
 The foundation stone of ‘TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad’, India’s first Testbed
for Autonomous Navigation Systems (Terrestrial and Aerial) has been
laid recently.
 The Department of Science and Technology (DST) had sanctioned Rs.
135 crores to IIT Hyderabad (IIT-H) under the National Mission on
Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to set up a
Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation and Data
Acquisition Systems (UAVs, RoVs, etc.)
DETAILS
TiHAN-IIT HYDERABAD
The Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation Systems for
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Remotely Operated Vehicles at IIT
Hyderabad, known as 'TiHAN Foundation' has been incorporated as a
Section-8 company by the institute in June 2020.
TiHAN Foundation is a multi-departmental initiative, including
researchers from Electrical, Computer Science, Mechanical and
Aerospace, Civil, Mathematics, and Design at IIT Hyderabad with
collaboration and support from reputed institutions and industry.
What are Cyber Physical Systems (CPS)?
They are a new class of engineered systems that integrate computation
and physical processes in a dynamic environment.
CPS encompasses technology areas of Cybernetics, Mechatronics,
Design and Embedded systems, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data,
Artificial Intelligence (AI) among others.

National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS):

To harness the potential of this new wave of technology and make

India a leading player in CPS, the Union Cabinet approved NM-
ICPS in 2018.
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 It had a total outlay of INR 3,660 crores for a period of five years.
The mission implementation would develop and bring:
 Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) and associated technologies within reach
in the country,
 adoption of CPS technologies to address India specific National /
Regional issues,
 produce Next Generation skilled manpower in CPS,
 catalyze Translational Research,
 accelerate entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem development in CPS,
 give impetus to advanced research in CPS, Technology development and
higher education in Science, Technology and Engineering disciplines,
and
 place India at par with other advanced countries and derive several
direct and indirect benefits.
SOURCE:
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/iit-hyderabad-sets-up-
tihan-iit-testbed-for-autonomous-navigation-systems/article33445307.ece
40.BIRD FLU
WHY IN THE NEWS?
Kerala on alert after bird flu in two districts
Kerala was placed on high alert after an outbreak of bird flu was
confirmed in some of the districts.
The presence of the H5N8 subtype of the Influenza A virus was
reported in ducks in many districts.

WHAT IS BIRD FLU?

Bird flu is an infectious disease in birds caused by avian influenza
type A viruses. It may cause mild to severe illness or sudden death in
birds. Domestic poultry like chickens are particularly vulnerable.
Bird flu, also known as Avian influenza (AI), is a highly contagious
viral disease affecting several species of food-producing birds (chickens,
turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, etc.) as well as pet birds and wild birds.

TYPES OF BIRD FLU

 Influenza viruses are grouped into three types; A, B, and C.

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  Only type A is known to infect animals and is zoonotic, meaning it can
infect animals and also humans.
 Type B and C mostly infect humans and typically cause mild disease.
 Avian influenza virus subtypes include A(H5N1), A(H7N9), and
A(H9N2).

SIGNS IN INFECTED BIRDS

 Lack of energy and appetite
 Combs and wattles of chickens turn
 purplish
 There is discharge from the nose, and coughing and
 sneezing
 Head region and legs
 swell
TRANSMISSION TO HUMANS
 Avian influenza viruses do not usually infect humans but may sometimes
betransmitted to humans who have contact with infected poultry and their
secretions and faeces, or contact with contaminated surfaces.
 Occasionally mammals, including humans, may contract avian influenza.
FURTHER DETAILS
Five of eight samples airlifted to the National Institute of High Security
Animal Diseases, Bhopal, tested positive for the virus.
Culling of ducks in the infected regions would be undertaken as per
Central guidelines.
Bird flu outbreaks have been affecting poultry around the globe for
decades, and culling of infected birds has been a common measure to
contain the spread.
While it can prove lethal for birds, the H5N8 strain of avian influenza
has a lower likelihood of spreading to humans compared to H5N1.
Avian Influenza outbreaks can lead to devastating consequences for the
country, particularly the poultry industry.
Farmers might experience a high level of mortality in their flocks, with
rates often around 50%.

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SOURCE:
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-is-bird-flu-and-how-severe-is-
the-latest-outbreak-in-india-7133945/

41.KALA-AZAR

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare chaired an event to

review the status of the disease Kala-Azar in the four states of Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

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 Kala Azar is the 2nd largest parasitic killer in the world after
Malaria and results in a 95% fatality rate if the patients are not
treated.
Additionally, up to 20% of the patients who are correctly treated and
cured, develop a skin condition called Post-Kala-Azar Dermal
Leishmaniasis (PKDL) which surfaces within months to years after
treatment.
These patients can contain large amounts of parasites in their skin lesions,
making them an important source of transmission.
There are 54 districts in four states namely Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar
Pradesh, and West Bengal that are currently affected by Kala-azar
with sporadic cases in other states like Assam, HP, J&K, Kerala,
Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.

MAINS BACKGROUNDER

LEISHMANIASIS

The leishmaniasis are a group of diseases caused by protozoan parasites

from more than 20 Leishmania species.
These parasites are transmitted to humans by the bites of the infected
female phlebotomine sandfly, which feed on blood to produce eggs.
Some 70 animal species, including humans, have been found as natural
reservoir hosts of Leishmania parasites.
Most people infected by the parasite do not develop any symptom at all in
their life.
Therefore, the term leishmaniasis refers to the fact of becoming sick due
to a Leishmania infection and not the mere fact of being infected with the
parasite.
There are 3 main forms of leishmaniases – Visceral leishmaniasis
(VL) (also known as kala-azar, which is and the most serious form of
the disease), Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) (the most common), and
Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (ML).
Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis is usually a sequel of visceral
leishmaniasis that appears as macular, papular or nodular rash usually on
the face, upper arms, and other parts of the body.
The disease affects some of the poorest people on earth, and is associated
with malnutrition, population displacement, poor housing, a weak
immune system and lack of financial resources.
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 Leishmaniasis is linked to environmental changes such as deforestation,
building of dams, irrigation schemes, and urbanization.
Leishmaniasis is climate-sensitive as changes in temperature, rainfall and
humidity can have strong effects on vectors and reservoir hosts by
altering their distribution and influencing their survival and population
sizes.
In 2018, more than 95% of new VL cases reported to WHO occurred in
10 countries: Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Kenya, Nepal,
Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.

KALA-AZAR (VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS, VL)

Kala-azar is characterised by bouts of fever, weight loss, anaemia,

and an enlargement of the spleen and liver that shows up as a pot
belly.
Often, cases of kala-azar are mistaken as malaria. The disease is
debilitating and almost always fatal when left untreated.
Kala azar is largely a disease of the poor. It has been endemic to four
states in India – Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.
India has been trying to eliminate kala azar for decades but with little
success.
In 2014, the government launched the Kala Azar Elimination
Programme with support from international agencies to eliminate the
disease by 2017.
The programme focusses on the four endemic states and has been on the
verge of eliminating the disease but has been struggling to cross the finish
line.
Eliminating kala azar in India is defined as achieving an annual
incidence of less than one case per 10,000 people at the sub-district
level.
India first set itself a target to eliminate kala azar in 2010, then in 2015
and then in 2017.
The kala azar elimination programme also expects Accredited Social
Health Activists or ASHAs to send people who have had fever for more
than two weeks to a hospital.
Kala Azar is one of the most neglected tropical diseases.

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NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASE (NTD)

There are four primary criteria that define an illness as a neglected tropical
disease (NTD):

First, there is a significant burden of mortality and morbidity.

Secondly, a majority of incidents occur in the world’s tropical and sub-
tropical regions, and it particularly impacts the poor.
Thirdly, the disease is amenable to treatment, as well as prevention.
Finally, the overall level of investment in research addressing the disease,
from prevention to diagnosis to treatment and rehabilitation, is
exceptionally low in comparison to its impact.

Some of the neglected tropical diseases identified by WHO are:

Buruli ulcer
Chagas disease
Dengue and Chikungunya
Dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease)
Echinococcosis
Foodborne trematodiases
Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
Leishmaniasis
Leprosy (Hansen's disease)
ymphatic filariasis
Mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis and other deep mycoses
Onchocerciasis (river blindness)
Rabies
Scabies and other ectoparasites
Schistosomiasis
Soil-transmitted helminthiases
Snakebite envenoming
Taeniasis/Cysticercosis
Trachoma
Yaws (Endemic treponematoses)

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SOURCE:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/harsh-vardhan-reviews-status-
of-kala-azar-disease-in-4-states/videoshow/80033198.cms

42.FSSAI –TRANS FATTY ACIDS

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Food Safety And Standards Authority Of India (FSSAI) slashes limit

for Trans Fatty Acids (TFA) levels in foods
FSSAI has capped the amount of FFA in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and
2% by 2022 from the current permissible limit of 5%.
This is in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) aim of global
elimination of Transfats by 2023.
Revised regulation applies to edible refined oils, vanaspati (partially
hydrogenated oils), margarine, bakery shortenings, and other mediums of
cooking such as vegetable fat spreads and mixed fat spreads.

TRANS FATS

Trans fats are unsaturated fats produced from vegetable oils and are
commonly used in the preparation of margarine and commercially baked
or fried foods

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 There are two forms of trans fat - naturally occurring and artificial
trans fats. Artificial trans fats are man-made fats produced through a
chemical process called hydrogenation
Naturally occurring trans fats can be found in many animal products,
including milk and meat.
Trans fats are associated with increased risk of heart attacks and
death from coronary heart disease.
As per WHO, approximately 5.4 lakh deaths take place each year
globally because of TFA intake.

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/fssai-slashes-limit-for-trans-fat-
levels-in-foods/article33486031.ece

43.METAL CO2 BATTERY

CONTEXT:

An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad professor Chandra

Shekha Sharma will be working on a metal CO2 battery which can reduce
satellite’s payload mass leading to reduction in the cost of planetary
missions.
He was awarded with SwarnaJayanti fellowship by the Ministry of
Science and Technology.

DETAILS OF THE PROJECT

This project is touted to help boost India’s Mars mission.

Professor Sharma demonstrated the technical feasibility of a Lithium-
CO2 battery in a simulated Mars atmosphere.
This study was published in the journal Elsevier’s Materials Letters and
an Indian patent was filed for it.
It aims at using the Lithium battery for surface landers and rovers by
using Carbon Dioxide abundantly available in the atmosphere.
This will help to reduce the mass and volume of launchers.

SOURCE: RAJYASABH TV SCIENCE MONITOR

AKASH MISSILE

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WHY IN THE NEWS?

Cabinet Approves Export of Akash Missile System to friendly countries.

Under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat, India is growing in its capabilities of
manufacturing wide variety of Defence platforms and missiles.
Akash is country’s important missile with over 96 percent indigenisation.

ABOUT AKASH MISSILE

AKASH is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile system with a range

of 25 Kms to protect vulnerable areas and vulnerable points from air
attacks.
AKASH Weapon System can simultaneously engage Multiple Targets in
Group Mode or Autonomous Mode.
It has built in Electronic Counter-Counter Measures (ECCM) features.
The entire weapon system has been configured on mobile platforms.
AKASH Weapon Systems has been inducted and is operational with the
Indian Air Force (IAF) as well as the Indian Army (IA).
It was developed as part of the Integrated Guided-Missile Development
Programme (IGMDP) other than Nag, Agni, Trishul, and Prithvi
missiles.

SOURCE: RAJYASABH TV

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