The 2021

THE
PINNACLE
By Law Chronicles
Annual Edition
2021
Why Choose THE PINNACLE:-

• Extracted from the trusted resources .
• Compilled with topics most relevent for CLAT.
• Included a checklist just to ensure you are in correct lane.
• Reduces time wastage in searching topics individually.
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INDEX
1) Israel-Palestine
2) Farmers protest +Farm Bills
3) Suez Canal Blockage
4) Myanmar Military coup
5) Lakshadweep sedition
6) G7 summit
7) Afghanistan India
8) Delhi LG case
9) OTT regulation
10) Taliban-Afghanistan
11) Brexit Deal
12) Myanmar refugees
13) Space tourism
14) Facebook-Australia
15) Google France Antitrust
16) Delta Variant
17) BIMSTEC
18) Armenia genocide
19) Yemen Crisis
20) South China Sea Dispute
21) US Capitol Attack
22) Nobel price 2020
23) BRICS- Asean -RCEP
24) Indo china border Dispute
25) Pangong tso agreement
26) Hong kong protests
27) Crypto vs Digital currency
28) Mars Missions
29) CREW 2
30) COP
31) Union Budget 2021
32) Twitter Conflict with india
33) Indo pak cease fire agreement
34) Places of worship act
35) OECD
36) FATF Retains Pakistan on Grey List
37) Delimitation in J and K
38) China as a security risk
39) Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan : cross border tensions
40) Currency swap
41) Genocide in Namibia
42) Article 311
43) NATO to exit Afghanistan along with US
44) Climate breakthrough summits
45) Kappa Variant: Covid-19
46) Council of Ministers 2021 July
47) Atmanirbhar Bharat: Concerns
48) Lambda Variant of Covid-19
49) Financial Stability Report: RBI
50) Supreme Court’s Ruling on ONORC System for Migrant Workers

ISRAEL PALESTINE CONFLICT
Why in News
India, the United States and several other countries have called for calm and restraint amid
escalating tensions and violence between Israel and Palestinian militants.
Dozens of people have been killed in clashes and airstrikes since the violence broke out,
including a 30-year-old Indian woman in Israel who was killed in a rocket attack by Palestinian
militants from Gaza.
Key Points
India’s Stand: At the UN Security Council meeting, India expressed deep concern at
the clashes and violence in Jerusalem and called on both sides to avoid changing the
status-quo on the ground.
o India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, stressed the need to immediately
resume direct peace talks and commitment to a two-state solution.
US Stand: The US President has also called for de-escalation of the deadly violence that
has claimed dozens of lives.
o However, the US added that Israel has a right to defend itself if it is attacked by
thousands of rockets.
Response by the Arab World: Iran, Qatar and Turkey completely support the Palestinian
cause and are backing Hamas.
o UAE and Saudi Arabia are almost de facto allies of Israel.
Israel - Palestine
The Conflict: It is linked to the age-old tussle over identity and land starting with
Jerusalem.
o In the first Arab Israel war of 1948, the Israelis captured the western half of the city,
and Jordan took the eastern part which Israel later captured and annexed.
 Since then, Israel has expanded settlements in East Jerusalem.
 The Palestinians want to make East Jerusalem the capital of their yet to be
formed state.
 Israel sees the whole city as its “unified, eternal capital”, whereas the Palestinian
leadership denies for any compromise unless East Jerusalem is recognised as the
capital of future Palestinian state.
o The Palestinians are facing the threat of eviction from Sheikh Jarrah, a
neighbourhood in east Jerusalem. Their land is to be given to the Jewish settlers.
 Moreover, the Israeli armed forces have recently attacked the Al-Aqsa Mosque
ahead of a march by Zionist nationalists.
 The Al Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest shrine for Islam after Mecca and Medina.
 It created a fear for the followers, all over the region and the radicals began to
call for defending the Al Aqsa Mosque.
o Also, earlier this year (2021), the Central Court in East Jerusalem upheld a decision
to evict four Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah in favor of Jewish
settlers.
 The issue remains unresolved and potentially inflammable.
o The current outbreak of violence is the most severe one since 2014 involving the
rocket-firing by the Palestinians and the air-strikes conducted by Israelis in retaliation.
Factors Triggering the Conflict
Hamas in Rule in Palestine: Hamas, found in 1987, is a violent offshoot of Egypt's Muslim
Brotherhood seeking "to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine" through
violent jihad.
o The Palestinian President is quite old age and hence, senile and unable to fight for the
cause.
o So, Hamas is the more radical faction of the Palestinians which has now started
retaliating.
o The so-called president authority of Palestine is neither conducting elections, nor
functioning properly, the dictatorship of the Hamas and Israeli seizure of territories
and limitations is aggravating the Palestinians.
Political Instability in Both the States: There is incapability and stagnation in the
leadership structures on the both sides thus leading to too many groups getting out of
control, who are resorting to maximum violence.

o Moreover, Israel has had 4 elections in the last two years and all of them were
inconclusive. The Prime Minister of Israel has retained his post but only in a caretaker
form.
Divided Israel: The Israelis are all highly divided.
o The Arabian Israelis who are just 20% of the population, identify with the
Palestinians due to the same ethnicity.
o The Arabian Israelis and the far-right community of Israel are engaging in civil war like
activities inside the country.
Issues with the Palestinian People: The ground sentiments of the Palestinians are also
changing, the majority of them saying they do not want a two state solution.
o It is also not decided if Hamas will rule over the Palestinian state or the Fatah or
neither of these.
 The Palestinians have been a divide lot between between the Hamas and the
Fatah and the two are moving on the different tracks which is the main reason
for the defeat of the ultimate Palestinian cause.
 United Palestine with the help from the Arab world and the other countries could
have achieved much more than it is achieving now.
o They are geographically separated by Israeli territory so it is not a viable state
anymore, plus, the land going into the Jewish hands is further aggravating the
Palestinians.
The US Losing its Significance in the Region: The US is preventing the meeting from taking
place at the UNSC for Palestinian cause and completely recognises the rights of Israelis to
defend themselves.
o The US President recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s de facto capital also became a
major problem.
o The US, under President Joe Biden, does not have much leverage on Israel, unlike the
US under Donald Trump who clearly supported Israel. They are trying to be more
even handed.
 Although the current administration in the US has talked about being neutral,
it hasn’t invested much diplomatic energy in this conflict.

SUEZ CANAL BLOCKAGE
Why in News
Suez Canal, one of the world’s most critical transit routes, got blocked due to a large
container vessel, the MV Ever Given. Run by Evergreen Company This has caused enormous
disruption to global shipping.
This temporary closure has been very expensive for global trade, as it is estimated that the
loss per hour is almost $400 million. The negative impact on the intricate and delicately
balanced global supply-chain and oil prices will impose additional costs on the customer
globally.
Suez canal closure leads to a cascading downstream disruption of trade and economic
consequences. This aspect points to the fragility of global trade and needs to strengthen
them.
All 25 crew member were Indian.
Suez Canal: Background
The origins of the Suez Canal go back to the ancient period and the first waterway was
dug during the reign of Senusret III Pharaoh of Egypt (1874 BC).
o However, this rudimentary canal was abandoned due to silting and reopened several
times in the intervening centuries.
The modern Suez was built in the mid-19th century through efforts by the French and
opened for navigation on November 17, 1869.
In 1858, the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company was tasked to construct and operate the
canal for 99 years, after which rights would be handed to the Egyptian government.
Located in Egypt, the artificial sea-level waterway was built between 1859 and 1869
linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
The Suez Canal is pivotal in connecting Europe and Asia, as it negates the need to navigate
around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and thus cutting distances by up to 7,000 km.
The Suez Canal put Egypt at a strategic junction between Asia and Europe. In the wave of
assertion by colonies and quasi-colonies, Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the canal in
1956.
o In order to protect the corporate interests that hinged on the Canal, Britain, France,
and Israel invaded Egypt. This war was termed the Suez Crisis 1956.

Significance of the Suez Canal
Enabler for Colonisation: The construction of the Suez Canal was a tectonic
development for global maritime connectivity and impacted colonial history in a definitive
manner.
o The rise of the British Empire was enabled considerably by this canal.
Life-line of Global Trade: The canal continues to be the lifeline for all trade between the
West and East as 10% of the global trade passes through it every year.
o The value of goods shipped through the canal is estimated to be $9.5 billion daily
and the canal generates a major share of the revenue for the Egyptian
government.
One of Global Choke Points: The Suez along, with the Panama canal (that links the Pacific
and Atlantic oceans), are the two most critical canals in the global maritime domain along
with the Volga-Don and the Grand Canal (China).
Impact of Suez Closure
The Suez situation could compound issues for a supply chain already under pressure from
the pandemic and a surge in buying.
The closure could affect shipments of oil and natural gas from the Mideast to Europe.

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MYANMAR MILITARY COUP
Why in News
Recently, the Myanmar military has grabbed power in a coup - the third time in the nation’s
history since its independence from British rule in 1948.
 A one-year state of emergency has been imposed and democratically elected

leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained.
 ‘Coup’ is generally described as a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from
a government.
Myanmar
Location:
o Myanmar, also known as Burma, is in South East Asia and neighbours Thailand, Laos,
Bangladesh, China and India.
Demography:
o It has a population of about 54 million, most of whom are Burmese speakers, although
other languages are also spoken. The biggest city is Yangon (Rangoon) but the capital is
Nay Pyi Taw.
Religion:
o The main religion is Buddhism. There are many ethnic groups in the country,
including Rohingya Muslims.
Polity:
o The country gained independence from Britain in 1948. It was ruled by the armed
forces from 1962 until 2011, when a new government began ushering in a return to
civilian rule.
o In the 2010s, the military regime decided to transition the country towards
democracy. Although the armed forces remained powerful, political opponents were
freed and elections were allowed to be held.
o The NLD won the 2015 election, the country’s first free and fair election participated
by multiple parties, and formed the government, raising hopes that the country is on
its way to full transition to democracy.

Key Points
About the Military Coup:

o In the November 2020 parliamentary election, Suu Kyi’s party National League for
Democracy (NLD) secured the majority of the seats.
o In the Myanmars’ Parliament, the military holds 25% of the total seats according to
the 2008 military-drafted constitution and several key ministerial positions are also
reserved for military appointees.
o When the newly elected Myanmar lawmakers were to hold the first session of
Parliament in 2021, the military imposed a state of emergency for one year citing
massive voting fraud in the parliamentary elections.
Global Reaction:
o China: ‘All parties in Myanmar will properly handle their differences under the
constitution and legal framework to maintain political and social stability’.
o USA: The USA President threatened to reimpose sanctions on Myanmar following a
coup by the country’s military leaders and called for a concerted international
response to press them to relinquish power.
o ASEAN Countries: ASEAN’s current chair, Brunei, called for ‘dialogue among parties,
reconciliation and the return to normalcy’.
 Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia expressed concern, while Thailand, Cambodia,
and the Philippines noted that this was Myanmar’s ‘internal affair’.
o India’s Reaction:
 India supports the process of democratic transition in Myanmar.
 Though India has expressed deep concern over recent developments in
Myanmar, cutting off from the Myanmar military is not a viable option as India
has significant economic and strategic interests in Myanmar and its
neighbourhood.
India’s Strategic interests in Myanmar and its relations with Myanmar Military:
o India’s Relationship with Myanmar Military:
 India’s military-diplomatic outreach to Myanmar became a cornerstone of its Act
East policy.
 On the eve of the recent visit of the Foreign Secretary Chief of the Army Staff to
Myanmar in 2020, Myanmar handed over 22 Indian insurgents from across the
border and it was decided to ramp up the sale of military hardware to Myanmar,
including 105 mm light artillery guns, naval gunboats and more recently,
lightweight torpedoes.
 Recent example of cooperation is that Myanmar has begun to vaccinate itself
with the 1.5 million doses of Covid vaccine sent by India, while putting China’s
3,00,000 doses on hold.
o India’s Interests in Myanmar:
 Infrastructure and Connectivity: India has cultivated several infrastructure and
development projects with Myanmar, which it sees as the “gateway to the East”
and ASEAN countries:
• Operationalisation of the crucial Sittwe port in Myanmar’s Rakhine state by
2021 is committed.
• India assists infrastructure projects such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand
trilateral highway and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project.
o The Kaladan project will link Kolkata to Sittwe in Myanmar and then
from Myanmar’s Kaladan river to India’s north-east.
• The two countries signed the Land Border Crossing Agreement in
2018, which allowed bona fide travellers with valid documents to cross the
border at two international points of entry/exit- Moreh-Tamu and
Zokhawthar-Rih.
o Security: India has been concerned over some militant groups like the United
National Liberation Front (UNLF) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland
(NDFB) from the North-East region taking shelter in Myanmar.
 Indian needs perpetual support and coordination from Myanmar for
the maintenance of security and stability along its North East border areas.
o Rohingya Issues: India is committed to ensuring safe, sustainable and speedy return
of Rohingya refugees from refugee camps of India and Bangladesh.
 Building on the progress made under the Rakhine State Development
Programme (RSDP), India has recently proposed to finalise projects under phase-
III of the programme, including setting up of a skills training centre and upgrading
of agricultural mechanisation.
o Investment: With Indian investments of over USD 1.2 billion, Myanmar holds
considerable importance than any other country in South Asia.

o Energy: The two countries are also expanding partnership in the area of energy
cooperation.
 Recently, India approved an investment of over USD 120 million in the Shwe Oil
and Gas project.

LAKSHADEEP SEDITION
Why in News
The latest Draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, 2021, for the creation of a
Lakshadweep Development Authority (LDA) is widely resented by the people of Lakshadweep.
Key Points
About:
o Constitution of Lakshadweep Development Authority:
 It empowers the government, identified as the administrator, to constitute
Planning and Development Authorities under it to plan the development of any
area identified as having “bad layout or obsolete development”.
• The authority would be a body corporate with a government-appointed
chairman, a town planning officer and three ‘expert’ government nominees
besides two local authority representatives.
 These authorities are to prepare land use maps, carry out zonation for type of
land use and indicate areas for proposed national highways, arterial roads, ring
roads, major streets, railways, tramways, airports, theatres, museums etc.
 Only cantonment areas are exempted from this.
o Defines ‘Development’:
 It defines development as the carrying out of building, engineering, mining,
quarrying or other operations in, on, over or under land, the cutting of a hill or
any portion thereof or the making of any material change in any building or land
or in the use of any building or land.
o Fees for Changing Zones:
 It stipulates that islanders must pay a processing fee for zone changes.
 It implies that localities would be required to pay fees to gain approval to alter
zones as per the development plan, as well as fees for permission to develop
their own land.

o Penalties:
 It establishes penalties such as imprisonment for obstructing the development
plan's work or workers.
People’s Concern:
o Real Estate Interests:
 People suspect that this might have been issued at the behest of ‘real estate
interests’ seeking to usurp the small holdings of property owned by the
islanders, a majority of them (94.8% as per the 2011 census) belonging to
the Scheduled Tribes (ST).
 Proposals to bring real estate development concepts such as ‘transferable
development rights’ to the island have raised people's fear of forced migration
en masse.
o Forcible Relocation & Eviction:
 It vests such powers with the authority that it can prepare comprehensive
development plans for any area and relocate people regardless of their will.
 It provides for forcible eviction, puts the onus on the owner to develop his
holding as per the plan prepared by the authority as also to heavily penalise
them in the event of non-compliance.
o Destruction of Culture:
 The island community is a close-knit group with families living in close
proximity. The regulation will destroy the way of life practised by them for
generations.
o Ecological Concerns:
 It is neither ecologically sustainable nor socially viable and the people’s
representatives were not consulted before drafting it.

G7 SUMMIT
Why in News
Indian Prime Minister addressed the 47th G7 Summit 2021 through video conferencing.
Earlier, the Finance Ministers from the G7 nations reached a landmark accord setting
a Global Minimum Corporate Tax Rate (GMCTR).
Apart from India, Australia and South Korea were also invited to participate in the
proceedings of the summit as “guest countries”.
This year’s summit was hosted by the UK. The last G-7 summit was in France in
2019, with last year’s event in the US canceled due to the pandemic.
Group of Seven (G7)
It is an intergovernmental organisation that was formed in 1975.
The bloc meets annually to discuss issues of common interest like global economic
governance, international security and energy policy.
The G7 countries are the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US.
o All the G7 countries and India are a part of G20.
The G7 does not have a formal constitution or a fixed headquarters. The decisions taken
by leaders during annual summits are non-binding.
Key Points
Build Back Better for the World Project:

o It is aimed squarely at competing with China’s trillion-dollar Belt and Road
infrastructure initiative, which has been widely criticised for saddling small countries
with unmanageable debt but has included even G7 member Italy since launching in
2013.
o It will collectively catalyse hundreds of billions of infrastructure investment for low-
and middle-income countries (in Asia and Africa) and offer a values-driven, high-
standard and transparent partnership with G7.
Democracies 11:

o Signed off on a joint statement (Democracies 11) by G-7 and guest countries on
“open societies” that reaffirm and encourage the values of freedom of
expression, both online and offline, as a freedom that safeguards democracy and
helps people live free from fear and oppression.
 The statement also refers to politically motivated internet shutdowns as one of
the threats to freedom and democracy.
 While the statement is directed at China and Russia, India has been under
scrutiny over Internet curbs in Jammu and Kashmir even as the Government is
locked in a face-off over its New IT rules 2021 with tech giants.
o Democracies 11 is facing threats to freedom and democracy from rising
authoritarianism, electoral interference, corruption, economic coercion, manipulation
of information, including disinformation, online harms and cyber attacks, politically
motivated internet shutdowns, human rights violations and abuses, terrorism and
violent extremism.
Carbis Bay Declaration:
o The G7 signed the Carbis Bay Declaration. It is aimed at preventing future
pandemics.
o The G7 also pledged over 1 billion coronavirus vaccine doses for poorer nations with
half of that coming from the United States and 100 million from Britain.
 11 billion doses are needed to vaccinate at least 70% of the world’s population
by mid-2022.
o The doses would come both directly and through the international COVAX program.
Climate Change:
o Renewed a pledge to raise their contributions to meet an overdue spending pledge
of USD 100 billion a year to help poorer countries cut carbon emissions.
o Promised to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
o Pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Against China:
o The G-7 statement which was not signed by India and other outreach countries hit
out at China on “human rights and fundamental freedoms” in Xinjiang (Uyghur
Muslims) and Hong Kong, and the unilateral attempts to change the status quo in
the South China Sea.

o It also called for a transparent and timely World Health Organization’s Covid origins
study in China.
 India had also called for the same in a statement during the World Health
Assembly.
India’s Stand:
o India is a natural ally for the G7 countries in defending the shared values from a host
of threats stemming from authoritarianism, terrorism and violent extremism,
disinformation and economic coercion.
o Expressed concerns that open societies are particularly vulnerable to disinformation
and cyber-attacks.
o It sought the support of the grouping to lift patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines.
o Planet’s atmosphere, biodiversity and oceans cannot be protected by countries acting
in silos, and called for collective action on climate change.
 India is the only G-20 country on track to meet its Paris commitments.
o Developing countries need better access to climate finance, and called for a holistic
approach towards climate change that covers mitigation, adaptation, technology
transfer, climate financing, equity, climate justice and lifestyle change.
o Highlighted the revolutionary impact of digital technologies on social inclusion and
empowerment in India through applications such as Aadhaar, Direct Benefit Transfer
(DBT) and JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar- Mobile) trinity.
Evolution of the G-7
When it started in 1975—with six members, Canada joining a year later—it represented
about 70% of the world economy.
And it was a cosy club for tackling issues such as the response to oil shocks.
Now it accounts for about 40% of global gdp.
Since the global financial crisis of 2007-09 it has sometimes been overshadowed by the
broader g20.
The G-7 became the G-8 in 1997 when Russia was invited to join.
In 2014, Russia was debarred after it took over Crimea.

What’s in it for India?
India has long called for reforming global institutions and groupings to reflect modern-day
geopolitical realities.
Trumps’ offer to expand G7 fitted into New Delhi’s idea of being part of the global high
table.
With an assertive China looming, the US is calling all like-minded countries to partner in
dealing with Beijing.
If Biden and Johnson want to take the leap forward and constitute a global democratic
alliance of 10-11 countries, it will be an important signal.
India is likely to get vaccines from the US — both directly as well as through COVAX. Initial
estimates suggest India will get about 2 to 3 million vaccines in the first tranche.

INDIA-AFGHANISTAN
Why in News
USA President has envisaged a New Peace Initiative (Plan) to decide on the roadmap for peace
in Afghanistan.
Under the plan, the USA proposed a regional conference under the United
Nations auspices with foreign ministers of the USA, India, Russia, China, Pakistan and
Iran to discuss a “unified approach” on Afghanistan.
Key Points
USA President’s New Peace Initiative:

o Delay in Withdrawal of Troops: This peace plan has kept open the possibility that the
USA troops, currently deployed in Afghanistan, might stay on for a longer time.
 Under the earlier USA- Taliban Deal, the USA had promised to withdraw all
troops by May, 2021.
o Immediate Action: The USA is pressing the Taliban to accept an immediate
agreement to reduce violence for 90 days that will provide the space for the peace
initiative.
o Inclusive Process: The USA will not be “dictating terms” to the Afghan parties,
but facilitating an inclusive interim government, an agreement on the “foundational
principles” for a new political order, and a “permanent and comprehensive
ceasefire”.
o Turkey’s Role: The USA is asking Turkey to convene a meeting of the government in
Kabul (capital of Afghanistan) and the Taliban to finalise a peace settlement.
o Unified Approach: The USA asked the United Nations to convene a meeting of
the foreign ministers from China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, India and the United
States to develop a “unified approach” to peace in Afghanistan.
India’s Role in Peace Process Through “Unified Approach”:
o India is an important player in the peace process – it has also been acknowledged by
the USA.
o India supports all efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan which
are inclusive and Afghan-led, Afghanowned and Afghan-controlled.
o India has invested heavily in infrastructure developments, training security forces and
supplying them with necessary equipment.
o India has a major stake in the stability of Afghanistan since it has invested
considerable resources in Afghanistan's development.
o India hopes to have a role in setting the terms especially concerning terrorism,
violence, women’s rights and democratic values.
India’s Interest in Afghanistan:
o Economic and Strategic Interest: Afghanistan is a gateway to the oil and mineral-
rich Central Asian republics.
 Anyone who is in power in Afghanistan controls the land routes connecting India
with Central Asia (via Afghanistan).
o Developmental Projects: The massive reconstruction plans for the country to offer a
lot of opportunities for Indian companies.
 Major projects include the Afghan Parliament, the Zaranj-Delaram Highway,
and the Afghanistan-India Friendship Dam (Salma Dam).
 Also India’s assistance of more than USD 3 billion in projects, hundreds of small
development projects (of schools, hospitals and water projects) have cemented
its position in Afghanistan.
o Security Interest: India has been the victim of state-sponsored terrorism emanating
from Pakistan supported terrorist group operating in the region (e,g. Haqqani
network). Thus, setting up a friendly government in Afghanistan can help tackling
Pakistan supported terrorism.
Challenges:
o The Afghan government as well as Taliban are unwilling for any power sharing.
 Taliban is even not willing to give up its sanctuaries in Pakistan. Nor will it accept
any dilution of the strict Islamic system that it wants to enforce.
o Also, the Taliban is fragmented or divided internally. It is composed of various
regional and tribal groups acting semi-autonomously.
 Therefore, it is possible that some of them may continue to engage in violence
impacting the peace process and dialogue.

DELHI L.G. CASE
Why in News
Centre government proposed a Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi

(Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the parliament. According to the central government, the bill seeks
to amend the law relating to the running of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and give effect
to the interpretation given by the Supreme Court judgments on Delhi’s governance structure.
However, many constitutional experts are of the view that the proposed bill is the very antithesis
of what the Court has said. They held that the Bill, if it becomes law, will wholly undermine the
Court’s efforts to strengthen the elected government vis-à-vis the appointed Lieutenant
Governor.
Major Amendments Proposed
Change in Definition of Government: It defines the term “government” in the context of

laws made by the legislative assembly to be the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) of Delhi, not
the elected government.
Expanding Powers of L-G: It expands L-G’s powers by requiring the elected government to
seek L-G’s opinion on specific matters. Furter, it is left to L-G to define these “matters”
through a general or specific order.
Weakens Legislative Assembly: It weakens the powers of the assembly by prohibiting it
from making rules for its committees on day-to-day administration.
Supreme Court on Delhi Governance Structure
Background: The 69th amendment to the Constitution of India inserted Article 239AA, which
declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be administered by a L-G who works on ‘aid and advice
of elected legislative assembly.
However, the ‘aid and advice’ clause pertains only to matters on which the elected
Assembly has powers under the State and Concurrent Lists, but with the exception
of public order, police, and land.
Further, the Article 239AA also notes that L-G has to either act on the aid and advice of
the Council of Ministers, or he is bound to implement the decision taken by the President
on a reference being made by him.
Also, Article 239AA, empowers the L-G to refer a difference of opinion on ‘any matter’
with the Council of Ministers to the President.
Thus, this dual control between L-G and the elected government leads to power tussle,
which was referred to the Supreme Court in 2018.
Supreme Court Judgement: The Constitution Bench verdict of July 4, 2018, held that the L-G
has not been entrusted with any independent decision-making power.
The Court clarified that the power to refer “any matter” to the President did not mean
that “every matter” .
In other words, the LG cannot refer any matter to the President; he has to employ
“constitutional objectivity” and exercise this power in the rarest of rare situations for
sound and valid reasons.
Thus, his concurrence is not needed in every matter, and he can refer matters to the
President only in exceptional situations and not in a “routine or mechanical manner”.
Note
Justice Chandrachud in NCT vs UOI case, 2018 mentioned the term “constitutional
objectivity” as the key to checks and balances between the legislature and executive.
Constitutional objectivity ensures that the two operate within their allotted spheres since
“legitimate constitutional trust” is based on distribution and separation of powers with
denial of absolute power to anyone functionary being the ultimate goal.
Arguments Against the Bill
Against the Spirit of Supreme Court Judgement: The Bill seeks to declare that in the
context of legislation passed by the Delhi Assembly, all references to the ‘government’
would mean the “Lieutenant Governor”.
o The guiding principle behind the judgment was that the elected government should
not be undermined by the unelected administrator. The Bill takes away almost all the
powers of elected representatives.
o Thereby, the bill contradicts the 2018 judgment, which unambiguously clarifies that
the council of ministers with the chief minister at its helm is the executive head of the
government of Delhi.
Rollback of Representative Government: By conflating the government of Delhi with L-G,
the bill blurs the distinction between the elected government and L-G.

o Further, by requiring L-G’s opinion before the elected government can take executive
action, it effectively renders the elected government powerless.
o Moreover, the clause that declares void any rule that empowers the Assembly or its
Committees to discuss any matter of day-to-day administration or conduct enquiries
amounts to a rollback of representative government.
Centralising India’s Federal Polity: Recently, the central government has taken several
steps that undermines the spirit of federalism (Three Farmers’ laws, Revocation of Article
370, etc.). The bill represents yet another step toward centralizing India’s federal polity.
o A recent report held that such bills could strengthen the international perception
of India becoming an electoral autocracy.

OTT REGULATION
Why in News?
The government has brought video streaming over-the-top (OTT) platforms under the ambit of
the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. These platforms were so far under the purview
of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Over-The-Top Platforms
OTT or Over-the-Top platforms are audio and video hosting and streaming services such
as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar etc, which started out as content hosting
platforms but soon branched out into the production and release of short movies, feature
films, documentaries and web series themselves
These platforms offer a range of content and use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to suggest
users the content they are likely to view based on their past viewership on the platform.
Most OTT platforms generally offer some content for free and charge a monthly
subscription fee for premium content which is generally unavailable elsewhere.
OTT Platforms and India
India is currently the world’s fastest growing OTT (over-the-top streaming) market, and is
all set to emerge as the world’s sixth-largest by 2024.
o At present, the OTT platform’s valuation stands at 35 billion INR, with nearly 500
million internet users, expected to grow at 8% per year.
In January 2019, eight video streaming services had signed a self-regulatory code that laid
down a set of guiding principles for content on these platforms which prohibited five
types of content. This includes:
o Content that deliberately and maliciously disrespects the national emblem or national
flag.
o Any visual or story line that promotes child pornography.
o Any content that “maliciously” intends to outrage religious sentiments.
o Content that “deliberately and maliciously” promotes or encourages terrorism.
o Any content that has been banned for exhibition or distribution by law or court.

Issues with OTT Platforms
Content regulation: There is no law or autonomous body to monitor and manage the
digital contents provided on these OTT platforms and it is made available to the public at
large without any filter or screening.
Unlike television, print or radio which follow guidelines released by governments, OTT
platforms classified as digital media or social media, had little to no regulation on the
choice of content they offered, the subscription rates, certification for adult movies and
others.
Regulation of OTT Content
In a move that will have a far-reaching impact, the Union government has brought Over
The Top (OTT) platforms, or video streaming service providers such as Netflix, Amazon
Prime and others, under the ambit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The latest order covers “Digital/Online Media”, including “films and audio-visual
programmes made available by online content providers” and “news and current affairs
content on online platforms”.
It will give the government control over these platforms, which were unregulated till now
as there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content.
Online content providers come under the legal framework of the Information Technology
Act 2000 but, unlike print and broadcast media, were not directly under any Ministry.
However, there are no details yet on how the government will regulate it. But it is learnt
that the Programme Code that governs content on TV and which found an outlet in the
Cable Television Network Regulation Act, 1995, may serve as a template to frame rules for
online content.
Impact of regulation: The regulation of OTT could also mean that these platforms would
have to apply for certification and approval of the content they wish to stream.
o This in itself could give rise to many conflicts as most OTT platforms have content that
could otherwise be censored by the certification boards in India.

TALIBAN AND AFGHANISTAN
Why in News
Recently, the US troops departed from the biggest airbase in Afghanistan after the 20-year-
long war, effectively ending their military operations in the country.
Key Points
Background:
o On 11th September 2001, terrorist attacks in America killed nearly 3,000 people.
 Osama Bin Laden, the head of Islamist terror group al-Qaeda, was quickly identified
as the man responsible.
o The Taliban, radical Islamists who ran Afghanistan at that time, protected Bin
Laden, and refused to hand him over. So, a month after 9/11, the US launched
airstrikes against Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom).
o After the attacks, the NATO coalition troops declared war on Afghanistan.
o The US dislodged the Taliban regime and established a transitional government in
Afghanistan.
Reason for US Pull Back:
o The US had reached the conclusion long ago that the war was unwinnable.
o The US administration had sent a representative to the first-ever meeting between
the Taliban and the Afghan government that was hosted by Pakistan in Murree in
2015.
 However, the Murree talks did not progress.
o Doha Talk: The US appointed a special envoy for Afghanistan with a mandate to
directly negotiate with the Taliban. They held talks with Taliban representatives in
Doha that led to the February 2020 agreement between the US and the insurgents.
 Before the Doha talks started, the Taliban had maintained that they would hold
direct talks only with the US, and not with the Kabul government, which they did
not recognise.
 The US effectively accepted this demand when they cut the Afghan government
off the process and entered direct talks with the insurgents.
Terms of Agreement between the US and the Taliban:
o It dealt with four aspects of the conflict — violence, foreign troops, intra-Afghan
peace talks and the use of Afghan soil by terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the
Islamic State (the IS has an Afghan unit).
o In the agreement, the US administration promised that it would withdraw all
American troops from Afghanistan by 1st May, 2021.
 The deadline has been pushed to 11th September 2021.
o The Taliban promised to reduce violence, join intra-Afghan peace talks and cut all ties
with foreign terrorist groups.
India’s reach out to the Taliban:
 India made contacts with the Taliban in Doha.
 This signals a late but realist acknowledgement from the Indian side that the
Taliban would play a critical role in Afghanistan in the coming years.
o India has three critical areas in dealing with the Taliban.
 Protecting its investments, which run into billions of rupees, in Afghanistan;
 Preventing a future Taliban regime from being a pawn of Pakistan;
 Making sure that the Pakistan-backed anti-India terrorist groups do not get support
from the Taliban.
o In the past, India chose not to engage the Taliban (New Delhi had backed
the Northern Alliance) and the costs were dear when the Taliban was in power.
 In November 2001, the Northern Alliance took control of the Afghanistan capital
Kabul. The Northern Alliance fought a defensive war against the Taliban
government and were being helped by the US and other countries that agreed with
it, including the UK.

INDIA IN AFGHAN PEACE PROCESS
Why in News
Recently, the USA President has envisaged a New Peace Initiative (Plan) to decide on the
roadmap for peace in Afghanistan.
Under the plan, the USA proposed a regional conference under the United
Nations auspices with foreign ministers of the USA, India, Russia, China, Pakistan and
Iran to discuss a “unified approach” on Afghanistan.
Key Points
USA President’s New Peace Initiative:

o Delay in Withdrawal of Troops: This peace plan has kept open the possibility that the
USA troops, currently deployed in Afghanistan, might stay on for a longer time.
 Under the earlier USA- Taliban Deal, the USA had promised to withdraw all
troops by May, 2021.
o Immediate Action: The USA is pressing the Taliban to accept an immediate
agreement to reduce violence for 90 days that will provide the space for the peace
initiative.
o Inclusive Process: The USA will not be “dictating terms” to the Afghan parties,
but facilitating an inclusive interim government, an agreement on the “foundational
principles” for a new political order, and a “permanent and comprehensive
ceasefire”.
o Turkey’s Role: The USA is asking Turkey to convene a meeting of the government in
Kabul (capital of Afghanistan) and the Taliban to finalise a peace settlement.
o Unified Approach: The USA asked the United Nations to convene a meeting of
the foreign ministers from China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, India and the United
States to develop a “unified approach” to peace in Afghanistan.
India’s Role in Peace Process Through “Unified Approach”:
o India is an important player in the peace process – it has also been acknowledged by
the USA.
o India supports all efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan which
are inclusive and Afghan-led, Afghanowned and Afghan-controlled.
o India has invested heavily in infrastructure developments, training security forces and
supplying them with necessary equipment.
o India has a major stake in the stability of Afghanistan since it has invested
considerable resources in Afghanistan's development.
o India hopes to have a role in setting the terms especially concerning terrorism,
violence, women’s rights and democratic values.
India’s Interest in Afghanistan:
o Economic and Strategic Interest: Afghanistan is a gateway to the oil and mineral-
rich Central Asian republics.
 Anyone who is in power in Afghanistan controls the land routes connecting India
with Central Asia (via Afghanistan).
o Developmental Projects: The massive reconstruction plans for the country to offer a
lot of opportunities for Indian companies.
 Major projects include the Afghan Parliament, the Zaranj-Delaram Highway,
and the Afghanistan-India Friendship Dam (Salma Dam).
 Also India’s assistance of more than USD 3 billion in projects, hundreds of small
development projects (of schools, hospitals and water projects) have cemented
its position in Afghanistan.
o Security Interest: India has been the victim of state-sponsored terrorism emanating
from Pakistan supported terrorist group operating in the region (e,g. Haqqani
network). Thus, setting up a friendly government in Afghanistan can help tackling
Pakistan supported terrorism.
Challenges:
o The Afghan government as well as Taliban are unwilling for any power sharing.
 Taliban is even not willing to give up its sanctuaries in Pakistan. Nor will it accept
any dilution of the strict Islamic system that it wants to enforce.
o Also, the Taliban is fragmented or divided internally. It is composed of various
regional and tribal groups acting semi-autonomously.
 Therefore, it is possible that some of them may continue to engage in violence
impacting the peace process and dialogue.

BREXIT DEAL
Why in News
The European Parliament has ratified the post-Brexit trade deal between the European
Union and the United Kingdom (UK).
 The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is a free trade agreement
signed in December 2020, between the EU, the European Atomic Energy
Community (Euratom) and the United Kingdom (UK).
 The deal was ratified nearly five years after Britain decided to leave the European
Union. It has already been ratified by the UK Parliament.
Key Points
About the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA):

o Provisionally Enacted: This deal was provisionally enacted in January 2020 in order
to minimize trade disruptions between the EU and the UK.
 Provisional approval was set to expire on 30th April 2021, so the European
Parliament’s ratification ensures that the flow of trade between the EU and the
UK will continue uninterrupted.
o Key Provisions:
 Level Playing Field: It essentially means that in order to trade with the EU’s
single market, the UK will have to follow the same rules and regulations to
ensure that it does not have an unfair advantage over other EU businesses.
 Rules of Governance: These will dictate how any deal is enforced as well as the
penalties that will be imposed if one party violates the terms of a mutually-
approved agreement.
 Fishing Rights: The agreement gives free access to EU fleets to fish in UK waters,
including up to six miles off the shoreline for a five-year transition period. At the
end of the transition, everything will return to normal arrangements and the UK
will have full control over its waters.
 Framework for Policing: It also provides for a framework governing law
enforcement matters, which will allow UK and EU policing agencies to coordinate
in the future.
 Agreement addresses other key aspects of international trade,
including intellectual property protections and road transportation provisions.
o Limitations:
 The important sectors of the UK economy, such as legal and financial services,
were left unaddressed.
 Currently, legal and financial service companies based in the UK are subject to
the same restrictions as other firms outside of the EU.
European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK):
o The United Kingdom is an island nation in northwestern Europe.
o It is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
o The United Kingdom borders one European Union member state: Ireland.
o Relations between the EU and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland (UK) date back to the foundation of the European Communities (EU
predecessor) in 1957.
o The UK was a member state of the European Union after joining it in 1973, until it
became the first country to voluntarily end its membership on 31st January 2020
after a referendum was held in 2016.
North Ireland Issue:
o Geographically, Northern Ireland is part of Ireland. Politically, it’s part of the UK.
o Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that has a border with an EU
nation, Ireland. It has been called the “problem child” of Brexit.
o An open Irish border, over which people and goods flow freely, underpins the peace
process, allowing people in Northern Ireland to feel at home in both Ireland and the
UK.
o The insistence of Britain’s government on a “hard Brexit” that took the country out of
the EU’s economic order meant the creation of new barriers and checks on trade.
o Both Britain and the EU agreed that the border could not be in Ireland because of the
risk that would pose to the peace process.
 The alternative was to put it, metaphorically, in the Irish Sea between Northern
Ireland and the rest of the UK.
 That arrangement has alarmed British unionists, who say it weakens Northern
Ireland’s place in the UK and could bolster calls for Irish reunification.

MYANMAR REFUGEES
Why in News
The High Court of Manipur has ordered safe passage to seven Myanmar nationals, stranded
at a border town in Manipur, to travel to the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) in New Delhi.
The seven nationals entered India secretly after the military coup in Myanmar.
The coup returned Myanmar to full military rule after a short span of quasi-
democracy that began in 2011, when the military, which had been in power since 1962,
implemented parliamentary elections and other reforms.
Key Points
Observation made by Manipur HC:

o Although India has no clear refugee protection policy or framework, it does grant
asylum to a large number of refugees from the neighbouring country.
 India usually respects UNHCR’s recognition of the status of such asylum seekers,
mainly from Afghanistan and Myanmar.
o Though India is not a party to the UN Refugee Conventions, it is a party to
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights of 1966.
o Article 21 of the Constitution encompasses the right of non-refoulement.
 Non-refoulement is the principle under international law which states that a
person fleeing persecution from his own country should not be forced to return
to his own country.
India-Myanmar Border:
o Bordering States: India and Myanmar share a 1,643 km border and people on either
side have familial ties.
 Arunachal Pradesh shares 520 kms.
 Nagaland shares 215 kms.
 Manipur shares 398-km.

 Mizoram shares 510-km.
 The border along the four states is unfenced and porous.
o Free Movement Regime (FMR):
 A Free Movement Regime (FMR) exists between India and Myanmar.
 Under FMR, every member of the hill tribes, who is either a citizen of India or a
citizen of Myanmar and who is resident of any area within 16 km on either side
of the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB) can cross the border with a border pass (with
one-year validity) issued by the competent authority and can stay up to two
weeks per visit.
o Recent Influx of People from Myanmar:
 India already has a lot of Rohingya migrated from Myanmar.
• Rohingyas are ethnic Muslims of Myanmar living in Rakhine province in the
Arakan region.
• About 1,68,000 Rohingyas had fled Myanmar since 2012, when clashes with
Buddhists erupted in the trouble-torn Arakan region.
 Since the Myanmar Army seized power on 1st February 2021, there has been an
influx of people into India’s north eastern states.
• Many of them are democracy activists belonging to the Chin ethic group, or
policemen who said they disobeyed orders to shoot at protesters.
India’s Stand on Refugees:
o India has welcomed refugees in the past, and on date, nearly 3,00,000 people here
are categorised as refugees. But India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee
Convention or its1967 Protocol. Nor does India have a refugee policy or a refugee
law of its own.
o This has allowed India to keep its options open on the question of refugees. The
government can declare any set of refugees as illegal immigrants — as has happened
with Rohingya despite the UNHCR verification — and decide to deal with them as
trespassers under the Foreigners Act or the Indian Passport Act.
o The closest India has come to a refugee policy in recent years is the Citizenship
Amendment Act, 2019, which discriminates between refugees on the basis of religion
in offering them Indian citizenship.

SPACE TOURISM
Why in News
Recently, a company called Blue Origin concluded the online auction for the first seat on New
Shephard, a rocket system meant to take tourists to space.
 It takes its first human flight on 20th July, 2021, which marks the 52nd anniversary
of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing.
Key Points
New Shephard:
o New Shephard has been named after astronaut Alan Shephard – the first American
to go to space – and offers flights to space over 100 km above the Earth and
accommodation for payloads.
o It is a rocket system that has been designed to take astronauts and research
payloads past the Karman line.
o The idea is to provide easier and more cost-effective access to space meant for
purposes such as academic research, corporate technology development and
entrepreneurial ventures among others.
o It will also allow space tourists to experience microgravity by taking them 100 km
above the Earth.
 Microgravity is the condition in which people or objects appear to be weightless.
The effects of microgravity can be seen when astronauts and objects float in
space.
Karman Line
The Karman line is the internationally recognized boundary of space.
The line is named after Theodore von Kármán (1881–1963), a Hungarian American
engineer and physicist, who was active primarily in aeronautics and astronautics.
o He was the first person to calculate the altitude at which the atmosphere becomes
too thin to support aeronautical flight and arrived at 83.6 km himself.
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) defines Karman Line as the altitude
of 100 kilometres above Earth’s mean sea level.
o FAI is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions
regarding human spaceflight.
However, other organizations do not use this definition. There is no international law
defining the edge of space, and therefore the limit of national airspace.
Space Tourism
o About:
 Space tourism is about humans travelling into space for recreational purposes. It
seeks to give laypeople the ability to go to space for recreational, leisure or
business purposes.
 It will make space more accessible to those individuals who are not astronauts and
want to go to space for non-scientific purposes.
 Three private companies – Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX are now
spearheading the human endeavour to explore space.
 Their progress will decide whether space travel will one day become as accessible as
air travel.
o Previous Space Tourists:
 The first space tourist was US millionaire Dennis Tito, who in 2001 paid USD 20
million to hitch a ride on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to visit the international space
station and spent eight days there.
• After Tito, there were only seven other private citizens who travelled to space
until 2009 when the Russian space agency wound up the business of selling
tickets to private citizens.
 Space Adventures is the only private company to send paying customers to orbital
space so far. In 2004, test pilot Mike Melville became the first private astronaut to
fly beyond the Karman Line.
o Significance:
 Huge Market:
• There is an estimated market of 2.4 million people for such flights.
 Base for Testing:

• It can provide a base for testing supersonic travel between different
destinations on earth, significantly compressing travel time. Besides, it heralds
the entry of the private sector into this arena.
o Concerns:
 Climate Change: Soot or black carbon that results from rocket emissions
accumulated in the stratosphere (approximately 5 to 31 miles above the Earth)
cannot be washed away by rain or winds, as it is in the lower atmosphere. As a
result, black carbon may linger in the stratosphere for years, causing exponentially
more climate change.
 Health: It can cause health concerns as passengers could also face motion sickness
and disorientation, which can affect vision, cognition, balance and motor control.

FACEBOOK-AUSTRALIA
Why in News
Australia has reached out to India among several countries, including Canada, France and the
UK, in a move to stitch a global coalition against tech giants Google and Facebook amid a
faceoff over compensation for sharing news content from media companies on their platforms.
Australia’s proposed law, News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code
Bill 2020, mandates a bargaining code that aims to force Google and Facebook to
compensate media companies for using their content.
The Bill is expected to set a precedent in regulating social media across geographies.
Key Points
Background:
o The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), in its 2019 report,
Digital Platforms Inquiry, noted that there was a fundamental imbalance in the
power between news media and internet platforms.
o Specifically mentioning Google and Facebook, the report said these platforms
had “substantial bargaining power in relation to many news media businesses.”
o It highlighted that media regulation hardly applied to platforms, though they have
been increasingly playing much the same role as the media. The last two decades
have also seen the tremendous rise of the platforms and sharp decline of the
traditional news media.
o The Australian government, reportedly sensing how important it was to have a
strong and independent media environment in a democracy, asked the ACCC to
come up with a draft code, which it did in July 2020.
o After some changes, the Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital
Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Bill was introduced in December 2020.
Australia’s Media Platform Bill:
o Payment to News Outlets: Big tech and social media giants like Facebook and Google
will have to pay local news outlets for using their content.
 Big Tech firms will have to negotiate how much they pay local publishers and
broadcasters for content that appears on their platforms.
o Provision of Arbitration and Fine: An arbiter is mandated to adjudicate if no
agreement is reached and there are also provisions of heavy fines if agreements are
not done.
The Issue Involved:
o The media industry is already benefiting from traffic routed to them by the digital
platforms, and that the proposed rules would expose the Internet companies to
“unmanageable levels of financial and operational risk”.
o Journalism is a public good and a pillar of democracy. Digital platforms piggyback on
its content without sharing the associated costs. The subsequent diversion of
advertising revenue has undermined traditional media, particularly regional
newspapers.
o Paying for news feed in itself appears to be less of an issue for the tech giants, given
that Google agreed to pay news publications in France.
 Google signed a deal with a group of French publishers to make digital
copyright payments for online news content.
o The fight in Australia is in fact, centred on how much control these companies
would be able to retain on their payout process - operational aspects such as
deciding the quantum of payments for news feed sources, and having to reveal
changes in their algorithms.
 France has specifically linked payments to copyright, without putting a forcing
device into the agreements.
 Australia’s code, on the other hand, is almost entirely focused on the bargaining
power of news outlets vis-à-vis the tech majors, and has some coercive features
as well.
The Case of India:
o Policymakers have so far focused on the dominance of intermediaries such as
Google and Facebook, which are positioned in a way that service providers cannot
reach customers except through these platforms.
o A substantial discussion on the impact of intermediary platforms on the health of
news media outlets is yet to begin in any meaningful way.
o According to a FICCI-EY report for 2020, there are 300 million users of online news
sites, portals and aggregators in the country.
 It makes up approximately 46% of Internet users and 77% of smartphone users in
India at the end of 2019.

 With 282 million unique visitors, India is the second largest online news
consuming nation after China.
o In India, digital advertising spends in 2019 grew 24% year-on-year to Rs. 27,900
crore, according to EY estimates, and are expected to grow to Rs. 51,340 crore by
2022.
o In India, the news aggregators are not mandated to make payments to publishers.
 News aggregator is an online platform or a software device that collects news
stories and other information as that information is published and organizes the
information in a specific manner.

GOOGLE FRANCE ANTITRUST
Why in News
US Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an antitrust suit against Google. DoJ alleged
Google for unlawfully maintaining a monopoly in general search services and search advertising.
DOJ claims that Google uses its financial power to pay for mobile-phone manufacturers, carriers
and browsers, to maintain Google as their preset, default search engine and thereby creating a
self-reinforcing cycle of dominance.
These illegal trade practices, if true, results in an unprecedented concentration of market power
in the hands of digital platforms like google. Moreover, current regulations in key international
markets are fragmented, outdated and do not reflect consumer interests and international
market realities in the digital environment.
Therefore, it is time to establish appropriate rules and standards with a holistic mindset, so that
fair competition can be ensured in digital market space.
Alleged Monopolistic Practices By Google
Google is one of the most important businesses in the digital economy. Due to its
innovation it has positioned itself as a leader in the Internet environment worldwide. In
perusal of this Google has established dominant digital products. For example:
o Google’s licensed operating system, Android, rules the smartphone market, while the
Chrome browser has a dominant market share in desktops and mobiles.
o The Android dominance allows Google to charge a whopping 30% commission on
apps listed in the Android Play Store.
o Based on this, Google is alleged of using this dominance to promote other businesses
it controls.
On similar charges, Google was fined a record 4.3 billion euros in the EU for anti-
competitive practices, and told to offer a choice of four default browsers on the Android.
In 2019, Competition Commission of India had held Google guilty of misuse of its
dominant position in the mobile Android market and said the company had imposed
“unfair conditions” on device manufacturers to prevent them from using other operating
systems.

Key Characteristics of the Digital Economy
There are three key characteristics of the digital economy:
Extreme Returns to Scale: The cost of production of digital services is much less than
proportional to the number of customers served.
o Financial Advantage with dominant players in the digital world pushes competition to
the extreme disadvantage to new entrants.
Network Externalities: The mechanics of the digital economy, notably the so-called
network effect, fuel rapid growth of platform companies to unprecedented size, market
power and influence on public opinion.
o The convenience of using a technology or a service increases with the number of
users that adopt it.
o Consequently, it is not enough for a new entrant to offer better quality and/or a
lower price than the incumbent does; it also has to convince users of the incumbent
to coordinate their migration to its own services.
o Network effects could thus prevent a superior platform from displacing an
established incumbent.
Role of Data: The evolution of technology has made it possible for companies to collect,
store, and use large amounts of data.
o Data is not only one of the key ingredients of Artificial Intelligence but also a crucial
input to many online services, production processes, and logistics.
o Therefore, the ability to use data to develop new, innovative services and products is
a competitive parameter whose relevance will continue to increase.
Associated Issues
Economies of Scope: A consequence of these characteristics is the presence of strong

“economies of scope”, which favour the development of ecosystems and give digital
giants like Google a strong competitive advantage.
Asymmetrical Access to Data: With the diversity of the media landscape and the digital
economy, asymmetrical access to data and a lack of transparency harms consumers.
Lack of Options: Global digital platforms have built data ecosystems allowing them to
easily obtain consent in exchange for access to their services.

Antitrust Law in India
Antitrust law, also referred to as Competition law, aims to protect trade and commerce
from unfair restraints, monopolies and price-fixing.
It ensures that fair competition exists in an open-market economy.
The Competition Act, 2002 is India’s antitrust law. It repealed and replaced the
Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act) on the
recommendations of the Raghavan committee.

DELTA VARIANT
Why in News
Recently, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), has warned people
against the new Covid-19 strain ‘Delta Plus’ (DP).There is fear that this new variant may spark
the third wave of Covid-19.
Key Points
About:
o Delta plus (B.1.617.2.1/(AY.1) is a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2
coronavirus formed due to a mutation in the Delta strain of the virus (B.1.617.2
variant). It is technically the next generation of SARS-COV-2.
o This mutant of Delta was first detected in Europe in March 2021.
 The Delta variant that was first detected in India (in February
2021) eventually became a huge problem for the whole world. However,
the Delta Plus variant, at present, is limited to smaller areas in the country.
o It is resistant to monoclonal antibodies cocktail. Since it’s a new variant, its severity
is still unknown.
o People reported symptoms like headaches, sore throats, runny noses, and fever.
o The World Health Organisation (WHO) is tracking this variant as part of the Delta
variant, it is doing so for other Variants of Concern with additional mutations.
Transmissibility:
o It has acquired the spike protein mutation called K417N which is also found in the
Beta variant first identified in South Africa.
 The spike protein is used by SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19, to
enter the host cells.
o Some scientists fear that the mutation combined with other existing features of the
Delta variant could make it more transmissible.
Major Concerns:
o Multiple studies are ongoing in India and globally to test the effectiveness of
vaccines against the Delta plus Covid-19 mutation.
o India's health ministry warned that regions where it has been found "may need to
enhance their public health response by focusing on surveillance, enhanced testing,
quick contact-tracing, and priority vaccination."
o There are worries Delta Plus would inflict another wave of infections on India after
it emerged from the world’s worst surge in cases only recently.
 Just over 4% of Indians are fully vaccinated and about 18% have received one
dose so far.

BIMSTEC
Why in News
Foreign ministers of BIMSTEC (the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation) met in a virtual conference. This is the first ministerial since the globe
has been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
BIMSTEC as a regional organization has achieved a lot in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster
Relief and security, including counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and coastal security cooperation.
However, there are many obstacles that limit the regional body in realizing its full potential.
Highlights of the Meeting
The foreign ministers cleared the draft for the BIMSTEC charter, recommending its early
adoption.
They endorsed the rationalization of sectors and sub-sectors of activity, with each member-
state serving as a lead for the assigned areas of special interest.
The ministers also conveyed their support for the Master Plan for Transport Connectivity,
which will be adopted at the next summit in Sri Lanka.
Preparations have been completed for the signing of three agreements relating to mutual
legal assistance in criminal matters, cooperation between diplomatic academies, and the
establishment of a technology transfer facility.
Evolution of BIMSTEC
BIMSTEC was established as a grouping of four nations — India, Thailand, Bangladesh, and
Sri Lanka — through the Bangkok Declaration of 1997.
o BIMSTEC was expanded later to include three more countries — Myanmar, Nepal,
and Bhutan.
Initially, BIMSTEC didn’t hold much geopolitical weight. This can be reflected by only just
three summits in the first 20 years of its formation.
However, BIMSTEC suddenly received special attention as India chose to treat it as a more
practical instrument for regional cooperation, as SAARC continues to remain defunct.

The BIMSTEC Leaders’ Retreat, followed by their Outreach Summit with the BRICS leaders
in Goa in October 2016, drew considerable international limelight to the low-profile
regional grouping.
At the second swearing-in of the Indian Prime Minister in May 2019, the leaders of
BIMSTEC, not SAARC, were invited as honored guests.
Soon thereafter, the External Affairs Minister observed that India saw a mix of “energy,
mindset and possibility” in BIMSTEC.
Associated Challenges
Unfinished Economic Agenda: BIMSTEC Free Trade Area Framework Agreement, was
signed in 2004, but over 20 rounds of negotiations it is still to be operationalized.
Internal Tussle: A strong BIMSTEC presupposes cordial and tension-free bilateral relations
among all its member-states.
o This has not been the case, given the trajectory of India-Nepal, India-Sri Lanka, and
Bangladesh-Myanmar ties in recent years.
o Moreover, both Nepal and Sri Lanka want the SAARC summit revived. However, India
maintains that terror and talks can’t go hand in hand.
China’s Intrusion: China’s decisive intrusion in the South-Southeast Asian space is causing
a limiting effect on India’s zone of influence.
o Moreover, a renowned Bangladeshi scholar argued at a recent conference that
BIMSTEC would make progress if China is accepted as its principal interlocutor and
partner.
Myanmar Coup: The military coup in Myanmar, brutal crackdown of protesters, and
continuation of popular resistance resulting in a protracted impasse have produced a new
set of border management challenges for India.

ARMENIA GENOCIDE
Why in News
US President officially recognised the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915-
16 as an act of genocide.The Armenian diaspora marks 24th April as Armenian Genocide
Remembrance Day.
Key Points
Genocide (Meaning):
o According to Article II of the United Nations (UN) Convention on Genocide of
December 1948, genocide has been described as carrying out acts intended “to
destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group”.
o Raphael Lemkin, the Polish lawyer, coined the term “genocide” in 1943.
Armenian Genocide:
o The Armenian Genocide is called the first genocide of the 20th century.
o It refers to the systematic annihilation of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire from
1915 to 1917.
o After the First World War broke out in November 1914, the Ottoman Turks
participated in the war, siding with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian empire.
o The Ottoman Turks believed the Armenians would side with Russia in the war. This
resulted in the Ottoman Turks engaging in a mass-removal campaign of Armenians
from the border areas along the Eastern Front.
o On 24th April, 1915, Ottoman Turkish government officials arrested and executed
thousands of Armenian intellectuals. It was the start of the Armenian Genocide.
o Armenian families, including small children, were forced to walk for days without
food, water and shelter in the deserts of Syria and Arabia.
o According to estimates, approximately 1.5 million Armenians died during the
genocide, either in massacres and in killings, or from ill treatment, abuse and
starvation.
Significance of this Recognition:

o The acknowledgement by the US government will have little legal impact on
Turkey, other than becoming a cause for embarrassment for the country and giving
other countries the impetus to also acknowledge the genocide.
 According to the Armenian National Institute, 30 countries officially recognise
the Armenian Genocide.
Turkey’s Response:
o Such moves would only set back the already strained relationship between US and
Turkey, both of whom are North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies.
 Ties between the US and Turkey have been strained over a range of issues that
include Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 defence systems, foreign policy
differences with regard to Syria, human rights and other intersecting legal issues.
o Turkey has acknowledged that atrocities were committed against Armenians, but
denies it was a genocide (which comes with legal implications) and challenges the
estimates that 1.5 million were killed.
India’s Stand:
o India, that has not formally recognised the Armenian Genocide has primarily
adopted this stance in the interests of its wider foreign policy decisions and geo-
political interests in the region.
 India does not have any domestic law on genocide, even though it has ratified
the United Nations Convention on Genocide.
 This was even observed by the Delhi High Court in State v. Sajjan Kumar (2018).
The case concerned the mass killing of Sikhs during the anti-Sikh riots in 1984 in
Delhi — and throughout the country.
Other Related News to Armenia:
o Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict:
 Recently, Russia has brokered a new peace deal between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Both countries have been in a military conflict over the disputed
region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus.
 Nagorno-Karabakh, the centre of the conflict, is located within Azerbaijan but is
populated, mostly, by those of Armenian ethnicity (and mostly Christian
compared to the Shia Muslim majority Azerbaijan).

YEMEN CRISIS
Why in News
Recently, a ballistic missile attack by the Houthis on the Saudi capital Riyadh was destroyed by
the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Iranian-aligned Houthi group.
Key Points
Reasons for Recent Attack:

o Taking Advantage:
 The Houthis are winning, they have made significant advances on the ground,
especially in Jawf province along the Saudi border.
 They are now poised to attack the city of Marib, the last stronghold of the
Yemeni government in the north.
o Iran's Support:
 Iran is involved in Houthi decision making. Tehran (capital of Iran) undoubtedly
wants the Saudi kingdom to remain embroiled in the Yemeni chaos.
 Saudi Arabia and Iran have been engaged in proxy wars with each other for 40
years, since the Iranian revolution. Yemen is now among the victims of that
conflict.
Background:
o Yemen Conflict:
 Since 2014, Yemen has been facing a multi-sided conflict involving local,
regional, and international actors.
 The Houthis, a group of Zaidi Shia Muslims who ruled a kingdom there for nearly
1,000 years, used widespread anger against President Hadi's decision to
postpone long-awaited elections and his stalled negotiations over a new
constitution.
 They marched from their stronghold of Saada province to the capital Sanaa and
surrounded the presidential palace, placing Hadi under house arrest.
o Saudi Arabia's Intervention:

 A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in March 2015, at
Hadi's request, after the Houthis continued to sweep the south and threatened
to conquer the last government stronghold of Aden, prompting one of the
world's worst humanitarian crises ever.
o Ceasefire:
 Yemen Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia-backed forces loyal to the President of
Yemen agreed to a United Nations-mediated ceasefire agreement in 2018.
o Resurgence of Houthi Attacks:
 In 2019 the Yemen's Shia Houthi rebels, violating the ceasefire, attacked Aramco
crude oil production in Saudi Arabia.
Concerns:
o Yemen is strategically important because it sits on a strait linking the Red Sea with
the Gulf of Aden, through which much of the world's oil shipments pass.
o It also worries the West because of the threat of attacks - such as from al-Qaeda or IS
affiliates-emanating from the country as it becomes more unstable.
o The Houthis have escalated cross-border attacks on the kingdom even after
the United States delisted the rebels as terrorists and stepped up efforts to de-
escalate the six-year conflict.
o The conflict is also seen as part of a regional power struggle between Shia-ruled
Iran and Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia.
India’s Interest:
o For India, it is a challenge which cannot be washed away taking into consideration the
oil security and 8 million expats living in the region with more than USD 80 billion of
incoming remittance annually.
Indian Initiatives:
o Operation Rahat:
 India launched a massive air and sea operation to evacuate over 4000 Indian
nationals from Yemen in April 2015.
o Humanitarian Assistance:
 India has provided food and medical aid to Yemen in the past and thousands
of Yemeni nationals have availed of medical treatment in India over the past
few years.

 India also continues to facilitate education of a large number of Yemeni nationals
in various Indian institutions.

SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE
Why in News
Recently, China warned off a USA warship sailing near contested Paracel islands in the South
China Sea (SCS).
Key Points
China’s Claim:
o China lays claim to nearly all of the South China Sea, including the Paracel Islands.
 However, Taiwan, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also claim parts of
the region, believed to hold valuable oil and gas deposits.
o It has alleged that the USA warship broke into China’s Xisha (Paracel) island’s
territorial waters without the permission of the Chinese government and accused
USA for “seriously violating China’s sovereignty” and “harming regional peace.”
USA’s Stand:
o The USA has argued that such exercises are in line with international law and
help defend the right of passage through the region amid competing claims by China
and other governments.
o It is in sync with the USA's continuous efforts to counter China’s assertion in SCS.
Recently the USA Navy sent an aircraft carrier group into the South China Sea.
South China Sea
o Location: South China Sea is an arm of western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia. It is
south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of the
island of Borneo.
 It is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by Luzon Strait with
the Philippine Sea.
o Bordering states & territories (clockwise from north): the People’s Republic of China,
the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia,
Singapore and Vietnam.
o Strategic Importance: This sea holds tremendous strategic importance for its location
as it is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (Strait of
Malacca).
 According to the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development
(UNCTAD) one-third of the global shipping passes through it, carrying trillions of
trade which makes it a significant geopolitical water body.
Reasons For Dispute in the South China Sea:
o Contesting Claims Over Islands:
 The Paracel Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.
 The Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei and
Philippines.
 The Scarborough Shoal is claimed by Philippines, China and Taiwan.
o China’s Assertion:
 Since 2010, China has been converting uninhabited islets into artificial islets to
bring it under UNCLOS (examples would include Haven Reef, Johnson South Reef
and Fiery Cross Reef).
 China has been changing the size and structure of the reefs by modifying their
physical land features. It has also established airstrips on Parcel and Spratly.
 Chinese fishing fleets are engaged in paramilitary work on behalf of the state
rather than the commercial enterprise of fishing.
 The US is very critical of this building of artificial islands and terms these actions
of China as building a ‘great wall of sand’.
o Other Issues:
 Undefined geographic scope of the South China Sea.
 Disagreement over dispute settlement mechanisms.
 Undefined legal status of the Code of Conduct (COC) add to it.
 The different histories of distant, largely uninhabited archipelagos of the sea
make the matter more complicated and multifaceted.
India's Stand:
o India has maintained that it is not a party to the SCS dispute and its presence in the
SCS is not to contain China but to secure its own economic interests, especially that
of its energy security needs.
o However, China’s increasing ability to decide and expand its role in the South China
Sea has compelled India to reevaluate its approach on the issue.

o As a key element of the Act East Policy, India has started internationalizing
disputes in the Indo-Pacific region to oppose China’s threatening tactics in SCS.
o Further, India is using its Buddhist legacy to make a strong bond with the Southeast
Asian region.
o India has also deployed its navy with Vietnam in the South China Sea for protection
of sea lanes of communication (SLOC), denying China any space for assertion.
o Also, India is part of Quad initiative (India, US, Japan, Australia) and lynchpin of Indo-
Pacific narrative. These initiatives are viewed as a containment strategy by China

US CAPITOL ATTACK
Why in news
A ceremonial session of Congress to formally declare President-elect Joe Biden’s victory

devolved in an instant into a scene of violence and mayhem in the Capitol on Wednesday when
a pro-Trump mob stormed the building, halting the counting of electoral votes.
What were the protesters targeting?
Allegation of Fraud in Election: Mr Trump has refused to concede the 3 November election,
repeatedly alleging fraud without providing any evidence.
Opposition to results by Republicans: A joint session of Congress was being held to certify
Mr Biden’s election victory on 3 November. The proceedings are usually brief and ceremonial
but Republican lawmakers have been objecting to some results.
Pressure from Trump: For days Mr Trump, who has lost the election, had also been putting
pressure on Mr Pence (acting Vice-President), who is presiding over the session, to block
certification of the result
Mobilisation of Trump Supporters: The protesters arrived at the Capitol from a “Save
America Rally”, where Mr Trump had urged them to support those legislators opposing Mr
Biden’s confirmation.
Obstructing Certification Process: The protestor’s attack on the capitol forced lawmakers to
flee the US Capitol and resulted in the death of one woman, disrupted the process of
certification of Biden as the winner.
Demands of Protestors to restore Trump: The conviction of protestors is that the election
was stolen from President Trump, and the lawmakers inside the building should do their duty
and somehow award the election to him.
Incitement by Trump: Even though Mr Trump recorded a video message on Twitter calling
on supporters to leave the Capitol, but he continued to make unsubstantiated claims that
Democrats had stolen the election. There are also reports of protests at state legislatures
around the country
How is the situation now?
Election result is secured: As lawmakers and staff rushed out, aides grabbed hold of the
boxes containing the Electoral College certificates, making sure that the vandals could not
literally steal the results of the election.

Curfew by Mayor: Troops and police were mobilised in neighbouring states, and the FBI was
deployed to help Capitol police. Mayor of the city announced curfew to help bring the
situation under control.
Action by Social Media Platforms: Trump’s Twitter and Facebook account was locked for 12
hours after he pushed baseless claims about the election, and the social media platform
warned him of permanent ban if he didn’t remove his rule-breaking tweets
Judiciary’s Actions: Multiple state and federal courts, including the US Supreme Court, have
already dismissed or ruled against Trump and his allies in the Republican Party in lawsuits
seeking to change the election results.
Critical Analysis of episode
International Reaction: Several world leader including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson,
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
expressed their shock over the incident.
Shows Unpredictable Behaviour of Mr Trump: His use of tariffs as a political weapon against
trade partners like Europe and China, his divisive rhetoric since long before his election in
2016, and his refusal to accept electoral loss in 2020, are continuation of his unpredictable
behaviour. The violence is unlikely to be the last such challenge by Trump to established US
System.
Sets Dangerous Precedent: Pro-Trump supporters efforts to overturn a U.S. election would
send its democracy into a death spiral.
Investor Sentiment tested: America is a safe haven for financial investors around the world.
The violence puts the United States and its sanctuary status to a serious test
Faith in US Institutions put to test: If Washington gets back to work quickly, faith in U.S.
institutions may be strengthened, else the credibility of US system, which is torchbearer of
Democracy in the world, will be hampered.
Fault lines in Society: Biden has called for peace and unity, but fractures in U.S. society
remain. Pro-Trump supporters are not in mood to accept the defeat of Mr. Trump (that is
partly aided by Trump’s unfounded allegations & rumours). This has further widened the
faultlines in US Society.

NOBEL PRICE 2020
Why in News
The Nobel Prizes regarded as the most prestigious awards given for intellectual achievement
in the world are awarded annually from a fund bequeathed for that purpose by the Swedish
inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel.
It is announced every year for excellence in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature,
Economics, and a distinguished achievement towards humanity – commonly known as the
Nobel Peace Prize.
Physiology/Medicine
The Nobel Prize has been awarded to American medical researchers and virologists Harvey
J Alter and Charles M Rice, and British scientist Michael Houghton for the discovery of
Hepatitis C which was discovered in 1982 by screening millions of DNA samples.
o The discovery of Hepatitis C virus revealed the cause of the remaining cases of chronic
hepatitis and made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of
lives.
Hepatitis:
o Hepatitis refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver.
o It’s commonly caused by a viral infection, but there are other possible causes of
hepatitis like autoimmune responses, medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol.
o There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D, and E.
o World Hepatitis Day is observed each year on 28th July to enhance awareness of viral
hepatitis.
Hepatitis C is caused by the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV).
o The first, (hepatitis A), is transmitted by polluted water or food and generally has little
long-term impact on the patient.
o The second type is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids and represents a much
more serious threat since it can lead to a chronic condition.
o This form of hepatitis is insidious, as otherwise healthy individuals can be silently
infected for many years before serious complications arise.
o It is transmitted through direct contact with infected body fluids, typically through
injection drug use and sexual contact.

Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics for the year 2020 was awarded to three astrophysicists Roger
Penrose from the UK, Reinhard Genzel from Germany, and Andrea Ghez from the USA.
Roger Penrose received half of this year’s prize for the discovery that a black
hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity.
o The theory explains gravity, as objects try to follow a straight line through a universe
whose geometry is warped by matter and energy. As a result, planets, as well as light
beams, follow curving paths.
Genzel and Ghez received the second half of the prize for the discovery of a supermassive
black hole at the centre of the Milkyway galaxy, now known to be the Sagittarius A*.
o It has a mass four million times that of the Sun and is confined to an area roughly the
size of our Solar System.
What is a black hole?
The term ‘black hole’ was coined in the mid-1960s by American Physicist John Archibald
Wheeler.
o Black hole refers to a point in space where matter is so compressed as to create a
gravity field from which even light cannot escape.
o Black-holes were theorized by Albert Einstein in 1915.
All the black holes observed so far belong to two categories:
o One category ranges between a few solar masses and tens of solar masses. These are
thought to form when massive stars die.
o The other category is of supermassive black holes. These range from hundreds of
thousands to billions of times that of the sun from the Solar system to which Earth
belongs.
In April 2019, the scientists at the Event Horizon Telescope Project released the first-
ever image of a Black Hole (more precisely, of its shadow).
o The image was made possible by the Event Horizon Telescope which is a group of 8
radio telescopes (used to detect radio waves from space) located in different parts of
the world.
Gravitational waves are created when two black holes orbit each other and merge.

Chemistry
Emmanuelle Charpentier of France and Jennifer A Doudna of the USA have been
awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors,
one of gene technology’s sharpest tools.
o It is for the first time a Nobel science prize has gone to a women-only team.
The CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors can be used to change the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
of animals, plants and microorganisms with extremely high precision.
o The CRISPR/Cas9 tool has already contributed to significant gains in crop
resilience, altering their genetic code to better withstand drought and pests.
o The technology has contributed to new cancer therapies.
CRISPR Technology
The CRISPR (short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)
technology for gene-editing was first developed in 2012.
It makes gene sequencing very easy, simple and extremely efficient providing nearly
endless possibilities.
o Editing, or modifying, gene sequences is not new and has been happening for several
decades now, particularly in the field of agriculture, where several crops have been
genetically modified to provide particular traits.
The technology replicates a natural defence mechanism in Streptococcus pyogenes that
use a similar method to protect itself from virus attacks.
o A DNA strand, when broken, has a natural tendency to repair itself but the auto-
repair mechanism can lead to the re-growth of a problematic sequence.
o Scientists intervene during this auto-repair process by supplying the desired sequence
of genetic codes, which replaces the original sequence.
Peace
The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the World Food Programme (WFP),
a United Nations (UN) agency, for its efforts to combat hunger, bettering conditions for
peace in conflict-affected areas and preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war and
conflict.
o The WPF is the UN’s primary agency that works upon Eradicating Hunger which is
one the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
o The WFP provided assistance to close to 100 million people in 88 countries who are
victims of acute food insecurity and hunger.
WFP in India: It has been working in India since 1963 where it has focused upon reforms
in the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and provided policy inputs, advocacy
and technical assistance for improving access to food.
o The WFP has proposed unique initiatives like Automatic Grain Dispensing Machine
(Annapurti) and Mobile Storage Units for the effective implementation of TPDS.
World Food Programme
It was established in 1961 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and
the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and became a full-fledged UN
programme in 1965.
Headquarter: Rome, Italy.
Economic Sciences
American economists, Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson have been awarded the Sveriges
Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, 2020 for their work on commercial auctions.
o The award is popularly but incorrectly known as Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences,
(as it is not one of the five Nobel prizes that Alfred Nobel established in his will in
1895, it is not a Nobel Prize).
It was created in 1968 by a donation from Sweden's central bank Sveriges Riksbank to
the Nobel Foundation to commemorate the bank's 300th anniversary and includes a 10
million Swedish kronor award money (₹8.33 crores roughly).
Milgrom and Wilson improved the auction theory and invented new auction formats for
auctioning off many interrelated objects simultaneously, on behalf of a seller motivated
by broad societal benefit rather than maximal revenue.
o Robert Wilson developed the theory for auctions of objects with a common value – a
value which is uncertain beforehand but, in the end, is the same for everyone.
o Paul Milgrom formulated a more general theory of auctions that not only allows
common values, but also private values that vary from bidder to bidder.
o Their work will benefit sellers, buyers and taxpayers around the world. It will help in
auctioning goods and services, such as radio frequencies, which are difficult to sell in
traditional ways.

Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 has been awarded to the USA poet Louise Glück "for
her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence
universal."
o Her poetry focuses on the painful reality of being human, dealing with themes
such as death, childhood, and family life.
o She is the fourth woman to win the prize for literature since 2010, and only the
16th since the Nobel prizes were first awarded in 1901.
The Nobel Prize comes with a medal and a prize sum of 10 million Swedish kronor.
Contribution of Indians
Poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore was the first non-European and Indian to get a
Nobel Prize in 1913 in literature.
India received its first Nobel Prize in physics in 1930, when scientist Sir Chandrasekhara
Venkata Raman was awarded “for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery
of the effect named after him”. This phenomenon is now known as Raman Effect.
Har Gobind Khorana shared his 1968 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with Robert W
Holley and Marshall W Nirenberg. The trio was honoured “for their interpretation of the
genetic code and its function in protein synthesis”.
Mother Teresa won the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. She was a Roman Catholic nun who was
born in Albania. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata and worked all her life
for the poor. She became an Indian citizen as well. She received the prize for her “work in
bringing help to suffering humanity”.
Indian physicist Subramanyan Chandrasekhar was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in
Physics, which he shared with physicist William Alfred Fowler. He was awarded “for
theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and
evolution of the stars”.
Amartya Sen was the winner of the 1998 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences. He
was rewarded “for his contributions to welfare economics”.
India’s first Nobel Prize in the field of chemistry was won by Venkatraman
Ramakrishnan. He received the 2009 Nobel Prize “for studies of the structure and
function of the ribosome”. He shared the award with Thomas A Steitz and Ada E Yonath.

Kailash Satyarthi, along with Malala Yousafzai, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. He
received the honour “for the struggle against the suppression of children and young
people, and for the right of all children to education.”
The Indian-American economist Abhijit Banerjee was awarded the Nobel Prize in
economics along with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer. The trio received the award for
their “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”

BRICS
Why in News
Recently, India virtually hosted the 7th meeting of the BRICS Astronomy Working
Group (BAWG) under the Science, Technology, and Innovation track of the BRICS 2021.
 The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune,

and Department of Science and Technology (DST) coordinated the meeting.
Key Points
BRICS:
o BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies,
namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
o In 2001, the British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC to describe the four
emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
 The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers’
in 2006.
 South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group
adopted the acronym BRICS.
o India has assumed the BRICS Presidency from January 2021.
Structure:
o BRICS does not exist in the form of organization, but it is an annual summit between
the supreme leaders of five nations.
o The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in
accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.
Cooperation Mechanism: Cooperation among members is achieved through:
o Track I: Formal diplomatic engagement between the national governments.
o Track II: Engagement through government-affiliated institutions, e.g. state-owned
enterprises and business councils.
o Track III: Civil society and People-to-People engagement.
Areas of Cooperation:
o Economic Cooperation:
 Agreements have been concluded in the areas of Economic and Trade
Cooperation; Innovation Cooperation, Customs Cooperation; strategic
cooperation between the BRICS Business Council, Contingent Reserve Agreement
and the New Development Bank.
o People-to-People Exchange:
 This seeks to forge new friendships; deepen relations and mutual understanding
between BRICS peoples in the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, diversity and
mutual learning.
 Such People to people exchanges include the Young Diplomats Forum,
Parliamentarian Forum, Trade Union Forum, Civil BRICS as well as the Media
Forum.
o Political and Security Cooperation:
 This is aimed at achieving peace, security, development and cooperation for a
more equitable and fair world.
 BRICS is utilised as a driver for South Africa’s foreign policy priorities including
the pursuit of the African Agenda and South-South Cooperation.
About BRICS Astronomy Working Group:
o It provides a platform for BRICS member countries to collaborate in the field
of astronomy, recommending that the focal points in each country should present
the scientific results of the work being carried out in each country.
o This will help seek funding support to realize the flagship project whenever funding
opportunities are announced by BRICS funding agencies.
o At the meeting, the members indicated future directions of research in this area such
as building network of intelligent telescope and data network, study of transient
astronomical phenomena in universe, big data, artificial intelligence, machine
learning application to process the voluminous data generated now a days due to
enhance multi-wavelength telescope observatory.

ASEAN
Why in News
Recently, China hosted a meeting of foreign ministers from the 10 Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
The meeting marks the 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue.

With this meeting China looks to deepen its economic ties with the region as well as push
back the renewed effort at regional engagement from the US, as well as from the QUAD
(Quadrilateral Framework) grouping.QUAD earlier this year came out with a regional
vaccine initiative.
Key Points
China’s Stand:
o China’s Cultural Diplomacy:
 Reiterated that China and ASEAN should jointly carry forward Asian values in a
subtle dig at the West.
• China in 2014 had put forward the idea that it was for “Asian people to
uphold Asia’s security”.
o Covid-Vaccines:
 China offered ASEAN countries its vaccines as well as closer cooperation on joint
vaccine development and production.
o Maritime Security & Disputes:
 China called for considering the lifting of China-ASEAN ties to comprehensive
strategic partnership and strive for an early agreement on a code of conduct in
the South China Sea.
 China is banking on deep economic links to both offset maritime disputes and
the push among some ASEAN countries for closer defence ties with the US amid
their concerns about China’s growing military footprint in the South China Sea.
o Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership:

 China pushed for the early implementation of the Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership (RCEP), which was signed by China, ASEAN countries,
Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand in November 2020.
• India withdrew from the RCEP largely because of concerns it would open it
up to Chinese goods amid an already wide trade imbalance with China, and
the failure of the agreement to adequately open up to services.
ASEAN’s Importance for China:
o ASEAN plays a key role in Chinese economic and strategic interests.
o The region straddles vital sea lanes of communication that represent China’s access
to the global market, including vital imports of Middle Eastern oil.
o Economically entwined with China, the relatively small nations of the region
also offer ample opportunities for China to advance its influence and weaken what
Chinese strategists perceive as a US (Presence of US) engineered chain of
encirclement around the Chinese mainland.
ASEAN and India:
o Traditionally the basis of India-ASEAN ties has been trade and people-to-people
ties due to shared historical and cultural roots, a more recent and urgent area of
convergence has been balancing China’s rise.
 In 2020, 17th ASEAN-India Virtual Summit was held.
 The 8th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EAS-EMM) was also
held in 2020. It comprises the ten member states of the ASEAN, along with 8
other countries namely Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, the Republic
of Korea, Russia and the USA.
o Both India and ASEAN aim to establish a rules-based security architecture for
peaceful development in the region, in contrast to China’s aggressive policies.
o Like India, several ASEAN members such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and
Brunei have territorial disputes with China, the China factor does form an important
component of the relationship.
o India in 2014 reinvigorated the Look East policy into Act East, with a more strategic
outlook than its previous incarnation, focusing on engagement not just with
Southeast Asian countries but also those in the Pacific.
 The main focus of the Act East policy is on enhancing connectivity between India
and South East Asia.

RCEP
Why in News
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan recently said that he hoped India would
“reassess” its stand on regional trading agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact that India withdrew from in 2019.
Need for India’s presence in RCEP:
India had “a crucial role” to play in helping the region build an inclusive architecture
at a time of increasing global instability.
Such trade pacts will also give Indian companies a platform to showcase their
strengths across even larger markets.
Besides, Rising U.S.-China tensions were “deeply worrying” for the region with the
pandemic resulting in “heightened tension ”.
What is RCEP?
The RCEP came into force in November 2020 without India. The signatories of the agreement
include 10 ASEAN countries – Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Brunei, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines and 5 key partners (China, Japan, South Korea,
Australia and New Zealand).
Aims and Objectives of RCEP:
To lower tariffs, open up trade in services and promote investment to help emerging
economies catch up with the rest of the world.
To help reduce costs and time for companies by allowing them to export a product
anywhere within the bloc without meeting separate requirements for each country.
It also touches on intellectual property, but will not cover environmental protections
and labour rights .
Why India did not join?
India withdrew from the RCEP largely because of concerns it would open it up to Chinese
goods amid an already wide trade imbalance with China, and the failure of the agreement to
adequately open up to services.
INDO CHINA BORDER DISPUTE
Why in news
India and China have decided to finally reach an agreement on disengagement at Pangong
Lake, which has been at the heart of the recent LAC tensions.
Both sides have agreed to a withdrawal of frontline personnel, armored elements, and
proposed the creation of a buffer zone that will put a temporary moratorium on patrolling in
the disputed lake. China is also asking India to vacate the heights it occupied in an effective
countermove in the Kailash Range.
This disengagement process is a promising start towards restoring peace in the border areas.
However, there are many other issues that needed to be resolved to establish lasting peace.
Major Issues Associated With Disengagement Process
Partial Disengagement: The current disengagement is limited to two places on the Line of
Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh viz. north bank of Pangong lake and Kailash range to the
south of Pangong.
o However, there are three other sites of contention on the Ladakh border where the
PLA had come in — Depsang, Gogra-Hot Springs and Demchok — and talks will be
held to resolve these after the current phase of disengagement is completed.
Unresolved Issue of Depsang Plains: The Depsang plains due to their proximity to the
Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie road, the DBO airstrip, and the Karakoram Pass holds
strategic importance for India when it comes to dealing with China.
o Moreover, the Daulat Beg Oldie road is critical for India’s control over the Siachen
glacier.
o Siachen glacier is the only area on the Indian landmass where China and Pakistan can
physically collude militarily.
o Therefore, the immediate concern is the status of the Depsang plateau where China
has acquired a tactical advantage that can jeopardize India’s access to Daulat Beg Oldi
(DBO) and air assets in that region.
Issue Regarding Creation of Buffer Zone: There are worries that the creation of proposed
buffer zones would lie majorly on the Indian side of the LAC, thus converting a hitherto
Indian-controlled territory into a neutral zone.

o At best, these buffer zones can provide a temporary reprieve but are no alternative to
the mutual delineation of the LAC and a final settlement of the Sino-Indian boundary.
o Further, for the sake of disengagement at the north bank, China is asking India to
withdraw from the important hills it acquired in the Kailash Range.
o Thus, it raises questions about the wisdom of giving up the only leverage India had
against China in Ladakh.
Distrust Between India & China: The events of last year have left enormous distrust,
which remains a hurdle, and China’s actions on the ground have not always matched its
commitments.
o Further, China is wary of India’s attractiveness to the United States and the
Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.
o Owing to the disputed nature of the border and a lack of trust between the two sides,
any perceived violations of ‘no patrol’ zones can lead to deadly outcomes as seen in
Galwan valley in 2020.

PANGONG TSO AGREEMENT
Why in News
Military disengagement agreement signed between India and China. This is the first major
breakthrough to resolve the nine-month-long military stand-off along the Line of Actual
Control (LAC) in Ladakh. Both the Chinese and Indian troops present on the south and north
of Pangong Tso lake already started a “synchronized and organized disengagement”.
Background:
Line of Actual Control is the disputed boundary between India and China. LAC is divided
into three sectors: western, middle, and eastern.
Both countries disagree on the actual location of the LAC. India claims that the LAC is
3,488 km long. But the Chinese believe it is around 2,000 km only.
LAC mostly passes on the land, but in Pangong Tso lake, LAC passes through the water as
well.
The contested area of the lake is divided into 8 Fingers.
Chinese contested that the LAC is at finger 4. But, India’s perceived LAC (Line of Actual
Control) is at finger 8. This led to frequent disputes in the area.
Previously India patrolled on foot up to Finger 8. But there is no motorable road access
from India’s side to the areas east of Finger 4.
China on the other hand already built a road on their side and dominated up to Finger 4.
The recent (in May 2020) standoff on North and South bank of the lake is one such dispute.
During the stand-off, Chinese troops marched to the ridgeline of finger 3 and 4. Indian
forces were forced to stay within finger 3.
But, in August 2020, India obtained some strategic advantages in the region by occupying
certain peaks in the Kailash ranges. After that, Indian troops started positioning in Magar
Hill, Mukhpari, Gurung Hill, etc. This pressurized China to enter into a negotiation.
Later, India and China finally reached to an agreement on disengagement at Pangong Lake.
The agreement was reached in the 9th corps commander meeting held on 24th January
2021.
What are the important points of agreement?
The agreement calls for disengagement along the Pangong Tso region. It includes the
pulling of tanks and troops from both sides.

The troops will return to pre standoff position in a gradual manner on the north and
south banks of the lake.
In the north bank, China will pull back to finger 8 and India will get back to
its Dhan Singh Thapa post near finger 3.
The area between finger 3 and 8 will become a no patrolling zone for a temporary
period.
All the construction done after April 2020 will be removed by both sides
Negotiation of the agreement through military and diplomatic discussions will take place
to decide the patrolling on the area between finger 3 and 8.
What are the reasons leading to the present agreement?
First, India’s strategic advantage and ability to remain strong. China started the standoff in
March and soon captured Finger 4 area. Chinese thought that they were in an
advantageous position both militarily and strategically as compared to India (As the move
coincides with COVID pandemic). China never expected such prolonged opposition from
India. But India achieved this, which resulted into the agreement.
Second, there is also a climatic reason for it. The icy-cold winter in Ladakh with
temperature as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius forced China for an agreement. Chinese
forces are not habituated to such extreme temperature. For example, 10,000 troops from
the Western Theatre Command (WTC) had moved to lower locations due to fatigue and
other complications in January.
Third, sensible diplomacy of India. India handled the pressure from China very well. For
example, handling the Chinese provoking tactics, India did not turn out aggressive at any
point of dispute. All these along with India’s diplomatic will to ban Chinese apps forced
China to engage in talks.
Fourth, International Pressure on China. China’s image in the international arena got
deteriorated due to various reasons like
o China’s opaque way of handling COVID outbreak
o The way China forces its maritime neighbours in the South China Sea.
All these forces along with the standoff deteriorated China’s image. With the nations
recovering from COVID pandemic, China wanted to create a positive image (as Chinese
manufactured goods need markets). So China agreed to disengagement.
Fifth, New Biden-Harris alliance in the US promised greater stability in the South China Sea
region. China cannot afford a conflict on its two fronts (East – South China Sea dispute,
West – India – China standoff). So China agreed to return to pre-stand off position.

Concerns with the disengagement agreement:
First, there is a lack of trust amongst the countries. This restricts them from the attainment
of lasting peace in the region.
Second, Ambiguity with respect to China’s intent. Even the US warned India to remain
vigilant in disengagement.
Third, there is still a higher probability of escalation of violence in the region. For
example, clashes in Galwan Valley started when the troops were pulling back in June last
year.
Fourth, Pangong Tso is just one point of friction. Focus on other areas is also
required. Else the efficacy of this disengagement is also at risk. The other areas include,
o Gogra Post at Patrolling Point 17A (PP17A)
o Hot Springs area near PP15
o PP14 in Galwan Valley
o Depsang Plains, which is close to India’s strategic Daulat Beg Oldie base
According to the present agreement, the discussion on Gogra Post and Hot Springs area will
take place 48 hours after the disengagement at Pangong Tso Lake will complete.
Fifth, there is also an accusation on India for getting into agreement despite being in a
dominant position. They are,
Prior to the standoff, Finger 4 belonged to Indian territory. But in the agreement, India
agreed to move to Finger 3 and not to stay on Finger 4.
Indian troops, after capturing Kailash ranges are now moving back.
But one has to realize following points
1. China moving back to Finger 8 after capturing Finger 4.
2. Focus on long term solution instead of the short term needs.
3. Falling behind itself is like a defeat to China considering its military potential.
4. The area between finger 3 to finger 8 is currently under negotiation.
Suggestions to improve the disengagement:
The immediate focus should be on the disengagement and gradual withdrawal in the
entire region along with the proper implementation of Pangong Tso disengagement
agreement.
Both countries can reach a diplomatic solution like the creation of buffer zones or
demilitarized zone in disputed areas. As the next step of the solution, they can also create
further improvements. Such as Neither side will deploy/patrol/develop infrastructure in
the buffer zone or permitting joint patrolling of troops.
Both the countries should sign an agreement to resolve the conflict in the long run by,
• Accepting and respecting the LAC by both the parties.
• Neither party should attempt to change the status quo unilaterally.
• Both parties should adhere to all the agreements.
Despite the Chinese agreement India always has to remain cautious of earlier Chinese
aggressions such as non-adherence to the principles, frequent violation in the region, creating
infrastructure in disputed areas, etc. Once the disengagement is done India will have to keep
the momentum and move ahead to resolve all the boundary conflicts. That is the only solution
beneficial for both the countries.

HONG KONG CONTROVERSY
Why in News
Draft legislation on national security has been tabled before China’s Parliament which will allow
Beijing to draft national security laws for Hong Kong and also operate its national security
organs in it.
 It will make changes in the Basic Law, the mini-constitution which defines ties
between Hong Kong and Beijing (China’s capital).
Key Points
Basic Law allows Hong Kong to enjoy executive, legislative and independent judicial
power, including that of final adjudication, barring matters of defence and foreign
affairs.
Under Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong has to enact a national security law “to
prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People’s
Government, or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies
from conducting political activities in the Region, and to prohibit political organizations or
bodies of the Region from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies.”
Article 23 aims at preserving national security but it will also allow China’s national
security organs to formally operate and set up institutions in Hong Kong.
Basic law makes it clear that only Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) can make and
repeal laws.
Beijing wants LegCo to pass the new legislation as soon as possible because it
is afraid that if LegCo comes under the control of democrats after elections later in 2020,
it will be hard to implement the legislation.
o Democrats are against this law as it curbs the autonomy of Hong Kong as SAR.
However, Beijing can bypass LegCo if it chooses to and make the national security law
applicable to Hong Kong by inserting this legislation in Annex III of the Basic Law.
o Under Article 18 of Basic Law, national laws can be applied in Hong Kong if they
are placed in Annex III, and must be confined to defence, foreign affairs and matters
outside the limits of autonomy of the region.

o Once listed in Annex III, national laws can be enforced in the city by way of
promulgation (automatically being put into effect) or by legislating locally in the SAR.
Basic Law
Hong Kong was formerly a British colony and was handed over to mainland China in
1997, becoming one of its Special Administrative Regions (SAR).
It is governed by a mini-constitution called the Basic Law, which affirms the principle
of “one country, two systems”.
The constitutional document is a product of the 1984 Sino-British Joint
Declaration, under which China promised to honour Hong Kong’s liberal policies, system
of governance, independent judiciary, and individual freedoms for a period of 50 years
from 1997.
Background
Since 1997, Hong Kong residents have protested many times to protect their Basic Law
freedoms.
In 2003, the first major pro-democracy protest took place when the Hong Kong
government first tried to enact the national security law.
In 2014, over one lakh city residents took part in the Umbrella Revolution to protest
against China’s denial of democratic reforms.
In 2019, the largest protest till now, took place against a proposed extradition law, and
continued with pro-democracy marches even after the legislation was withdrawn.
Impact of the Protests:
o The protests were seen as an affront by mainland China after which the government
started adopting a more hardline approach to foreign policy and internal security
issues.
o The Hong Kong unrest also impacted Taiwan which led to the victory of the
Democratic Progressive Party, which openly opposes joining China.
 China considers the island states as its own but Taiwan opposes the view.

Criticism
The draft law has been criticised by democratic parties in Hong Kong as it undermines
the “one country, two systems” model that gives the SAR a high degree of autonomy.
Hong Kong’s freedoms will be compromised as the law could effectively bring the city
under full control of mainland China.
The new law would ban seditious activities that target mainland Chinese rule, as well
as punish external interference in Hong Kong affairs. This will lead to the revival of the
protests.

CRYPTO VS DIGITAL CURRENCY
Why in News
With the creation of Bitcoin in 2008 till present date, cryptocurrencies have gained much
significance all around the world. The gains made by this sector since the onset of Covid-19
pandemic in January 2020 are astounding; the “cryptomarket” grew by over 500%.
However, in the 2018-19 budget speech, the Finance Minister announced that the government
does not consider cryptocurrencies as legal tender.
Considering the fact India was a late adopter in all the previous phases of the digital revolution
– when semiconductors, the internet and smartphones made their mark, there is a need for a
change in the thoughts and acceptance for these virtual currencies as they mark India’s first step
towards entering the new phase of digital revolution.
Cryptocurrencies
Rise of Cryptocurrencies: The pioneer cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was traded at just $0.0008
in 2010 and commanded a market price of about $65,000 in April 2021.
o Many newer coins have also been introduced since Bitcoin’s launch and their
cumulative market value touched $2.5 trillion by May 2021.
Significance of Cryptocurrencies:
o Corruption Check: As blocks run on a peer-to-peer network, it helps keep corruption
in check by tracking the flow of funds and transactions.
o Time Effective: Cryptocurrencies can help save money and substantial time for the
remitter and the receiver, as it is conducted entirely on the Internet, runs on a
mechanism that involves very less transaction fees and is almost instantaneous.
o Cost Effective: Intermediaries such as banks, credit card and payment gateways draw
almost 3% from the total global economic output of over $100 trillion, as fees for
their services.
 Integrating blockchain into these sectors could result in hundreds of billions of
dollars in savings.
Cryptocurrencies in India: In 2018, The RBI issued a circular preventing all banks from
dealing in cryptocurrencies. This circular was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court in May 2020.
o Recently, the government has announced to introduce a bill; Cryptocurrency and
Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021, to create a sovereign digital
currency and simultaneously ban all private cryptocurrencies.
o In India, the funds that have gone into the Indian blockchain start-ups account for less
than 0.2% of the amount raised by the sector globally.
 The current approach towards cryptocurrencies makes it near-impossible for
blockchain entrepreneurs and investors to acquire much economic benefit.
Issues Associated with Banning Decentralised Cryptocurrencies
Blanket Ban: The intended ban is the essence of the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of
Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021. It seeks to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India.
o However, categorising the cryptocurrencies as public (government-backed) or private
(owned by an individual) is inaccurate as the cryptocurrencies are decentralised but
not private.
o Decentralised cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin aren’t or rather, can’t be controlled by
any entity, private or public.
Brain-Drain: Ban of cryptocurrencies is most likely to result in an exodus of both talent
and business from India, similar to what happened after the RBI’s 2018 ban.
o Back then, blockchain experts moved to countries where crypto was regulated, such
as Switzerland, Singapore, Estonia and the US.
o With a blanket ban, blockchain innovation, which has uses in governance, data
economy and energy, will come to a halt in India.
Deprivation of Transformative Technology: A ban will deprive India, its entrepreneurs
and citizens of a transformative technology that is being rapidly adopted across the world,
including by some of the largest enterprises such as Tesla and MasterCard.
An Unproductive Effort: Banning as opposed to regulating will only create a parallel
economy, encouraging illegitimate use, defeating the very purpose of the ban.
o A ban is infeasible as any person can purchase cryptocurrency over the internet.
Contradictory Policies: Banning cryptocurrency is inconsistent with the Draft National
Strategy on Blockchain, 2021 of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), which hailed
blockchain technology as transparent, secure and efficient technology that puts a layer of
trust over the internet.

MARS MISSIONS
Why in News
Recently, China’s spacecraft Tianwen-1 landed on Mars carrying its first Mars
rover named Zhurong.
It became the third country to land on Mars after the US and Soviet Union.
China's previous ‘Yinghuo-1’ Mars mission, which was supported by a Russian
spacecraft, had failed after it did not leave the earth's orbit and disintegrated over the
Pacific Ocean in 2012.
Key Points
About the Tianwen-1 Mission:

o Launch:
 The Tianwen-1 Spacecraft was lifted off on a Long March 5 rocket, from the
Wenchang launch center in July 2020.
o Three Parts:
 The Spacecraft consists of three parts - the orbiter, the lander and the rover -
which separated in Mars orbit.
 The orbiter will remain in the orbit for scientific operations and to relay signals
while the lander-rover combination has made an autonomous descent and
landing.
• The lander from Tianwen-1 has touched down on Utopia Planitia, a large
plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars.
o Objectives:
 To conduct scientific investigations into the planet’s soil, geological structure,
environment, atmosphere and water.
• The mission will be the first to place a ground-penetrating radar on the
Martian surface, which will be able to study local geology, as well as rock,
ice, and dirt distribution.

China’s Other Space Programmes:
o Chang’e-5 (Moon)
o Tianhe (Permanent Space Station)
Other Mars Missions:
o NASA’s Perseverance Rover
o UAE’s Hope Mars Mission (UAE’s first-ever interplanetary mission)
o India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan:
 It was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh
by Indian Space Research Organisation in November 2013.
 It was launched on board a PSLV C25 rocket with the aim of studying Martian
surface and mineral composition as well as scan its atmosphere for methane (an
indicator of life on Mars).

NASA's Mars 2020 Mission
Why in News
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA’s) Perseverance Rover has landed on
Mars.This was one of the most crucial aspects of the Mars 2020 Mission.
Key Points
About:
o The mission is designed to better understand the geology of Mars and seek signs of
ancient life.
Objectives:
o Assess ancient habitability.
o Demonstrate technology for future robotic and human exploration.
Duration: At least one Mars year (about 687 Earth days).
Mission Steps:
o Collect: Perseverance will collect rock and soil samples in cigar-sized tubes. The
samples will be collected, the canisters will be sealed, and left on the ground.
o Fetch: A Mars Fetch Rover (provided by the European Space Agency) will land,
drive, and collect all samples from the different locations, and return to the lander.
o Transfer: These samples will be transferred to the Mars Ascent Vehicle which will
meet with an Orbiter.
o Return: The Orbiter will carry the samples back to Earth.
Perseverance Rover
About:
o Perseverance is the most advanced, most expensive and most sophisticated mobile
laboratory sent to Mars.
o It is different from previous missions because it is capable of drilling and collecting
core samples of the most promising rocks and soils, and setting them aside in a
"cache" on the surface of Mars.
Launch: 30th July, 2020
Landing: 18th February, 2021
Landing Site:
o Jezero Crater (an ancient river delta that has rocks and minerals that could only form
in water).
Power Source:
o A Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) which converts
heat from the natural radioactive decay of plutonium (Plutonium Dioxide) into
electricity.
Instruments: It carries seven instruments, two microphones and 23 cameras in total in
order to conduct unprecedented science and test new technology on Mars. Few
important instruments are:
o Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilisation Experiment (MOXIE):
 This will use power to produce oxygen using atmospheric carbon dioxide.
 If successful, it can be scaled up to provide the two very critical needs of
humans: oxygen for breathing, and rocket fuel for the trip back to Earth.
o Radar Imager for Mars’ Subsurface Experiment (RIMFAX):
 RIMFAX will provide high resolution mapping and also look for subsurface water
on Mars.
o Mars Helicopter:
 It is actually a small drone to test whether the helicopter can fly in the sparse
atmosphere on Mars. The low density of the Martian atmosphere makes the
odds of actually flying a helicopter or an aircraft on Mars very low.
o Mastcam-Z:
 An advanced camera system with panoramic and stereoscopic imaging capability
will help determine mineralogy.
o SuperCam:
 It can provide imaging, chemical composition analysis, and mineralogy at a
distance.
o Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL):

 An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and high-resolution imager that will provide
capabilities that permit more detailed detection and analysis of chemical
elements than ever before.
o Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and
Chemicals (SHERLOC):
 A spectrometer that will provide fine-scale imaging and uses an ultraviolet (UV)
laser to map mineralogy and organic compounds.
 SHERLOC will be the first UV Raman spectrometer to fly to the surface of Mars
and will provide complementary measurements with other instruments in the
payload.
o Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA):
 Sensors that will provide measurements of temperature, wind speed and
direction, pressure, relative humidity, and dust size and shape.

CREW 2
Why in News
Four astronauts were launched to the International Space Station (ISS) from Florida as part of
a collaboration between NASA and SpaceX under the Commercial Crew Program. The mission
is called Crew-2.
Key Points
About the Commercial Crew Program:

o NASA's Commercial Crew Program is a partnership between NASA and private
industry to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
o Unlike previous human spaceflight programs, NASA is a customer buying flights from
commercial providers. The agency does not own or operate the spacecraft.
o The program is helping to lower the cost of spaceflight and potentially create a new
commercial market for humans in space.
o By encouraging private companies to provide crew transportation services to and
from low-Earth orbit, NASA can focus on building spacecraft and rockets meant for
deep space exploration missions.
o Boeing and SpaceX were selected by NASA in September 2014 to develop
transportation systems meant to transfer crew from the US to the ISS.
NASA’s Partnership with SpaceX:
o In May 2020, NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight lifted off for the ISS carrying two
astronauts.
 The aim of this test flight was to see if SpaceX capsules could be used on a
regular basis to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS.
o Demo-2 was followed by the Crew-1 mission in November, which was the first of six
crewed missions between NASA and SpaceX marking the beginning of a new era for
space travel.
o Crew-1 was the first operational flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a
Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS.
o Crew-1 team members joined members of Expedition 64 and conducted microgravity
studies at the ISS.
About the Crew-2 Mission:
o It is the second crew rotation of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and the first with
international partners.
o Out of the four astronauts, two are from NASA and two are from the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA).
o Crew-2 astronauts will join the members of Expedition 65 (65th long duration
expedition to the International Space Station).
 They will stay aboard the ISS for six months during which time they will conduct
science experiments in low-Earth orbit.
o Their central focus during this time will be to continue a series of Tissue Chips in
Space studies.
Tissue Chips:
o Tissue Chips are small models of human organs that contain multiple cell types that
behave similarly to the human body.
o According to NASA, these chips can potentially speed up the process of identifying
safe and effective drugs and vaccines.
o Scientists can use these tissue chips in space to study diseases that affect specific
human organs, which would take months or years to develop on Earth.

COP
Why in News
Recently, the United Arab Emirates announced an offer to host the 28th session of Conference
of Parties (COP 28) to the UNFCCC in Abu Dhabi in 2023.
COP 26 was postponed in 2020 and will take place in Glasgow, UK in November 2021.
Key Points
About UNFCCC:
o The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), signed
in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development also
known as the Earth Summit, the Rio Summit or the Rio Conference.
 India is among the select few countries to have hosted the COP of all three Rio
conventions on climate change (UNFCCC), biodiversity (Convention on
Biological Diversity) and land (United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification).
o The UNFCCC entered into force on 21st March 1994, and has been ratified by 197
countries.
o It is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Agreement. It is also the parent treaty of
the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
o The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) is the United Nations entity tasked
with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change. It is located in
Bonn, Germany.
Objective:
o To achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a
level that would prevent dangerous repercussions within a time frame so as to allow
ecosystems to adapt naturally and enable sustainable development.
The Conference of the Parties (COP):
o COP is the apex decision-making authority of UNFCCC.
o The COP meets every year, unless the Parties decide otherwise. The first COP
meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995.
o The COP meets in Bonn, the seat of the secretariat, unless a Party offers to host the
session.
o The office of the COP President normally rotates among the five United Nations
regional groups which are - Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and
Eastern Europe and Western Europe and Others.
o The President is usually the environment minister of his or her home country. S/he is
elected by acclamation immediately after the opening of a COP session.

UNION BUDGET 2021
The Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs presented the Union Budget 2021-22 in
Parliament, which is the first budget of this new decade and also a digital one in the backdrop
of unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.
Laying a vision for AatmaNirbhar Bharat, this is an expression of 130 crore Indians who have
full confidence in their capabilities and skills.
Budget 2021 comes in the backdrop of the optimism of the economy turning the tide from an
estimated 7.7% contraction in 2020-21.
The Budget proposals for 2021-22 rest on 6 pillars:
• Health and Wellbeing
• Physical & Financial Capital, and Infrastructure
• Inclusive Development for Aspirational India
• Reinvigorating Human Capital
• Innovation and R&D
• Minimum Government and Maximum Governance.
• The fiscal arithmetic provides evidence of this as the total expenditure for 2020-21 is
stated as Rs.34,50,305 crore in the revised estimates, with a capital expenditure at
Rs.4,39,163 crore.
The Budget estimates for 2021-22 states the total expenditure at Rs.34,83,236 crore.
This means an additional spending of just Rs.32,931 crore, which is less than even 1% in a
year of income contraction for a vast majority of the population.
The Economic Survey projects India’s real GDP growth to be 11% in 2021-22, which
is arrived by an implicit assumption of 4.4% inflation and a nominal GDP growth of 15.4%.
This double-digit growth projection is on a very low base and it is important to highlight
the fact that even if these numbers are realised, this growth path would entail a real GDP
growth of 2.4% over the absolute level of 2019-20.
This means that the Indian economy would take two years to reach and surpass pre-COVID-
19 levels.
This echoes the intensity of the abnormal times for the economy — which requires non-
standard policy responses, and which was the expectation from Budget 2021.
Real Concern: No multiplier effects soon:
However, the big bet for growth and employment generation, capital expenditure,
increases by 26% but still accounts for only 15% of the total expenditure.
This increase in capital expenditure, which is expected to be channelised via the
infrastructure push, in turn bears two risks at the moment.
• First, there is the risk of delay in completion, which leads to cost overruns.
• Second, as the life cycle of these projects is long, an inventory of funding needs to the
ready in the pipeline.
• Thus, the immediate multiplier effects to lift the aggregate demand in the economy
might not emanate as quickly as expected.
• Sector-specific targeted proposals, barring production-linked incentives for industry are
few as agriculture and the micro and small industries segment which shores up demand
with their consumption multipliers seem to have been accorded lower priority.
Risk and Regulatory issues are still left wide open:

There are no radical reform proposals for the agriculture sector, with no announcements
with regard to bringing urea under the nutrient-based subsidy regime or rationalising the
Public Distribution System issue prices of food grains.
In fact, the recent growth performance of the sector has led the Finance Minister not to
have any increase in cash transfers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme
(PM-KISAN) from the existing Rs.6,000 per year.
Manufacturing growth, which is expected to be a catalyst in pushing the economy toward
the $5-trillion economy goal (by 2025), would depend entirely on how private investments
pick up.
While the textile sector is the focal point to push employment and industrialisation, a lack
of concrete policies towards export promotion at a time when the exchange rate is
appreciating and a pedalling with tariffs to increase protection is frequent, might
undermine the competitiveness of manufacturing exports.
The creation of a development finance institution addresses one the three issues that
infrastructure provisioning faces in the economy.
While the financing part can be addressed to some extent by this new entity, the other two
execution risk and regulatory issues are still left wide open.
This new institution can be seen as the first step toward cleaning up the financial sector as
the amount set aside for the recapitalisation of public sector banks looks short of the
requirement.
Given the emphasis on start-ups and one-person companies, the stress on the financial
system in the coming years is likely to increase as these firms are more prone to the cycles
in the economy.
Urban unemployment left out:

The growth push of the Budget subsumes the welfare implications, which is the hallmark of
the ‘new welfarism’ model of the present government.
Both employment and demand generation are left largely to the vagaries of growth cycles.
While extending the social security benefits to gig economy workers is a welcome move,
the lack of a concerted plan to tackle urban unemployment might prove costly, given the
demographic profile and pace of urbanisation of the country.
The Budget sets out some grand plans and does not provide the precise mechanisms to
achieve those.
However, it does attempt to spell out some institutional changes in major areas such as tax
administration and provides a push to public sector research and development.
The digital push to Census operations might be a long-term investment towards publishing
vital data about the economy, quickly and in time.
The Budget reveals two interesting aspects of the political economy of policy formulation:
Importantly, the Budget is candid on the fiscal deficit numbers and sets out a slow fiscal glide
path.
However, the resource mobilisation for spending seems to be banking on

disinvestment, privatisation and asset monetisation.
The route for reducing fiscal deficit, from 9.5% to 6.8% of GDP, rests on three
components: the benefit of a stronger denominator because of better nominal
growth, total revenue might get some boost from better tax revenue and compared
to last year, there is a renewed hope for better divestment revenues.
First, it shows how important it is not to have ‘one nation one elections’, as all the
States that are going for elections this year get enhanced outlays.
o Hence, States would be starved of this one-time bonanza if there is a simultaneous
election.
Second, the reaction of stock markets shows how important it is not to have
disruptive unexpected ‘strikes’ on the economy.
o The stock market which was expecting some shocks reacted positively and looks
relieved from the fear of ad hoc policy thrusts.

TWITTER CONFLICT WITH INDIA
Why in News
Recently, the government of India reprimanded Twitter (micro-blogging website) for not
complying with its order to block more than a thousand accounts for alleged spread of
provocative content and misinformation on the farmers’ protest.
Key Points
Current Issue:
o The Centre has issued notice to the micro-blogging site after it restored more than
250 accounts that had been suspended earlier on the government’s ‘legal demand’.
o The government wants the platform (Twitter) to comply with its earlier order
of 31st January, 2021 by which it was asked to block accounts and a controversial
hashtag that spoke of an impending ‘genocide’ of farmers for allegedly promoting
misinformation about the protests, adversely affecting public order.
o The micro-blogging site reinstated the accounts and tweets on its own and
later refused to go back on the decision, contending that it found no violation of its
policy.
Law Related to Blocking of Internet Services/Content
o Information Technology Act, 2000:
 In India, the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, as amended from time to
time, governs all activities related to the use of computer resources.
 It covers all ‘intermediaries’ who play a role in the use of computer resources
and electronic records.
 The role of the intermediaries has been spelt out in separate rules framed for
the purpose in 2011- The Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines)
Rules, 2011.
o Section 69 of the IT Act:
 It confers on the Central and State governments the power to issue directions
“to intercept, monitor or decrypt any information generated, transmitted,
received or stored in any computer resource”.
 The grounds on which these powers may be exercised are:
• In the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, defence of India, the
security of the state.
• Friendly relations with foreign states.
• Public order, or for preventing incitement to the commission of any
cognizable offence relating to these.
• For investigating any offence.
o Process of Blocking Internet Websites:
 Section 69A, for similar reasons and grounds (as stated above), enables the
Centre to ask any agency of the government, or any intermediary, to block
access to the public of any information generated, transmitted, received or
stored or hosted on any computer resource.
 Any such request for blocking access must be based on reasons given in writing.
Intermediaries as per the IT Act 2000:
o Intermediary is defined in Section 2(1) (w) of the IT Act 2000.
o The term ‘intermediaries’ includes providers of telecom service, network service,
Internet service and web hosting, besides search engines, online payment and
auction sites, online marketplaces and cyber cafes.
o It includes any person who, on behalf of another, “receives, stores or transmits” any
electronic record. Social media platforms would fall under this definition.
Obligations of Intermediaries under the Law:
o Intermediaries are required to preserve and retain specified information in a
manner and format prescribed by the Centre for a specified duration.
 Contravention of this provision may attract a prison term that may go up to
three years, besides a fine.
o When a direction is given for monitoring, the intermediary and any person in charge
of a computer resource should extend technical assistance in the form of giving
access or securing access to the resource involved.
 Failure to extend such assistance may entail a prison term of up to seven years,
besides a fine.
 Failure to comply with a direction to block access to the public on a
government’s written request also attracts a prison term of up to seven years,
besides a fine.

Liability of Intermediaries:
o Section 79 of the IT Act 2000 makes it clear that “an intermediary shall not be liable
for any third-party information, data, or communication link made available or
hosted by him”.
 Third party information means any information dealt with by a network service
provider in his capacity as an intermediary.
o This protects intermediaries such as Internet and data service providers and those
hosting websites from being made liable for content that users may post or
generate.
o Sections 79 also introduced the concept of “notice and take down” provision.
 It provides that an intermediary would lose its immunity if upon receiving actual
knowledge or on being notified that any information, data or communication link
residing in or connected to a computer resource controlled by it is being used
to commit an unlawful act and it fails to expeditiously remove or disable access
to that material.
Supreme Court’s Stand Related to Intermediaries in IT Act 2000:
o In Shreya Singhal vs Union of India (2015), the Supreme Court read down the
provision to mean that the intermediaries ought to act only upon receiving actual
knowledge that a court order has been passed, asking [them] to expeditiously
remove or disable access to certain material.
Reason for Intermediaries to Show Compliance to IT Act:
o International Requirement:
 Most nations have framed laws mandating cooperation by Internet service
providers or web hosting service providers and other intermediaries to
cooperate with law and order authorities in certain circumstances.
o To Fight Cybercrime:
 Cooperation between technology services companies and law enforcement
agencies is now deemed a vital part of fighting cybercrime and various other
crimes that are committed using computer resources.
 These cover hacking, digital impersonation and theft of data.
o To Prevent Misuse of Internet:
 The potential of the misuse has led to law enforcement officials constantly
seeking to curb the ill-effects of using the medium.

INDO PAK CEASE FIRE AGREEMENT
Why in News
India and Pakistan have agreed to observe the 2003 ceasefire agreements along the Line of
Control (LoC) and all other sectors.
The agreement comes in the wake of over 5000 instances of Cross Fire Violations (CFVs)
along the Line of Control (LoC) and other areas in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in 46 fatal
casualties in 2020.
The decision was taken after discussion between the two Director Generals of Military
Operations (DGsMO).
Key Points
2003 Ceasefire Agreements:

o The original ceasefire agreement was reached in November 2003, four years after
the Kargil War (1999).
o The 2003 ceasefire agreement remains a milestone as it brought peace along the LoC
until 2006. Between 2003 and 2006, not a single bullet was fired by the jawans of
India and Pakistan.
o But since 2006, ceasefire violations have become the norm with increasing frequency.
Backchannel Diplomacy:
o Several signs indicate that back channel diplomacy led up to the talks and helped
produce a joint statement between the two sides, beginning with Pakistan Army
chief General's call for resolving the Kashmir issue “peacefully” earlier in the month
of February 2021.
o Pakistan supported India’s five proposals for collaboration at the South Asian level
on containing Covid-19.
o India allowed the aircraft carrying Pakistan Prime Minister a clear passage to Sri
Lanka, where the Pakistani leader declared a USD 50 million defence line of credit for
Colombo.
o However, during these apparent signs of back channel negotiations, both sides have
maintained their respective positions on the Kashmir issue.

 After the Pakistan government moved to provide provisional provincial status
for Gilgit Baltistan in November 2020, India hit out saying Gilgit Baltistan was an
“integral part of India”.
Significance of the Latest Re-commitment to the 2003 Agreement:
o The agreement may contribute to an improvement of the security situation on the
ground in Kashmir.
o India has often alleged that many of the ceasefire violations were aimed at providing
cover to infiltrating militants. Infiltration attempts may now drop, and go some way
in meeting a key Indian demand on cross-border terrorism.
India - Pakistan Recent Developments:
o The two sides last connected at the highest level during the Christmas day of
2015, when Indian Prime Minister landed in Lahore for an unannounced visit to meet
Pakistani Prime Minister.
o Dialogue broke down soon thereafter because of the Pathankot airbase attack of
2nd January, 2016, which was followed by the attack at the garrison in Uri and
the Indian response with a surgical strike along the border.
o Bilateral ties continued to nosedive because of the Pulwama terror attack of
14th February, 2019, and the Balakot operation by India.
Line of Control
o The Line of Control (LoC) emerged from the 1948 ceasefire line negotiated by
the United Nations (UN) after the Kashmir War.
o It was designated as the LoC in 1972, following the Shimla Agreement between the
two countries.
o LoC is demarcated upto the Siachen Glacier (Point NJ9842)- the world's highest
battlefield.
o LoC is delineated on a map signed by the Director General of Military Operations
(DGMO) of both armies and has the international sanctity of a legal agreement.
Back Channel Diplomacy
o The back channel diplomacy is one of the diplomatic tactics practiced by states to
achieve the objectives of foreign policy in solving international disputes outside
official bureaucratic structures and formats.

o It takes place away from the eyes and lenses of the media in order to ensure the
confidentiality of information and keep them away from official and media trading
until they reach the target.

PLACES OF WORSHIP ACT
Why in News
The Supreme Court asked the Centre to respond to a plea challenging the Places of Worship
(Special Provisions) Act, 1991 which freezes the status of places of worship as it was
on 15th August, 1947.
 In agreeing to examine the law, the court has opened the doors for litigation in
various places of worship across the country including Mathura and Varanasi.
Key Points
About the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991:

o It seeks to maintain the “religious character” of places of worship as it was in 1947
except in the case of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, which was already in
court.
Purpose:
o Section 3 of the Act bans the conversion of a place of worship or even a section of it
into a place of worship of a different religious denomination or of a different segment
of the same religious denomination.
o Section 4(2) says that all suits, appeals or other proceedings regarding converting the
character of a place of worship (that were pending on 15th August, 1947) will come to
end when the Act commences and no fresh proceedings can be filed.
 However, legal proceedings can be initiated if the change of status took place
after the cut-off date of 15th August, 1947 (after enactment of the Act).
o The Act also imposes a positive obligation on the State to maintain the religious
character of every place of worship as it existed at the time of Independence.
 This legislative obligation on the State to preserve and protect the equality of all
faiths is an essential secular feature and one of the basic features of the Indian
Constitution.
Exemption:
o The disputed site at Ayodhya was exempted from the Act. Due to this exemption, the
trial in the Ayodhya case proceeded even after the enforcement of this law.

o Besides the Ayodhya dispute, the Act also exempted:
 Any place of worship which is an ancient and historical monument or an
archaeological site covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites
and Remains Act, 1958.
 A suit that has been finally settled or disposed of.
 Any dispute that has been settled by the parties or conversion of any place that
took place by acquiescence before the Act commenced.
Penalty:
o Section 6 of the Act prescribes a punishment of maximum three-years
imprisonment along with a fine for contravening the provisions of the Act.
Supreme Court’s View (in 2019):
o In the 2019 Ayodhya verdict, the Constitution Bench referred to the law and said it
manifests the secular values of the Constitution and strictly prohibits retrogression.
Petition Arguments:
o It has been challenged on the ground that the Act violates secularism.
 It has been argued that the cut-off date of 15th August, 1947 is “arbitrary,
irrational and retrospective” and prohibits Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and
Sikhs from approaching courts to “reclaim” their places of worship which were
“invaded” and “encroached” upon by “fundamentalist barbaric invaders”.
o It is argued that the Centre has no power to legislate on “pilgrimages” or “burial
grounds” which is under the state list.
 However, the government had said it could make use of its residuary
power under Entry 97 of the Union List to enact this law.
 Entry 97 confers residuary powers to the Centre to legislate on subjects that
are not enumerated in any of the three lists.

OECD
Why in News
India and the majority of the members of OECD-G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and
Profit Shifting (BEPS) have joined a new two-pillar plan to reform international taxation rules.
 The two-pillar plan - inclusive framework tax deal on Base Erosion and Profit
Shifting (BEPS)- seeks to reform international tax rules and ensure that
multinational enterprises pay their fair share wherever they operate.
Key Points
About:
o The signatories of the plan amounted to 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing
more than 90% of global GDP.
o The new framework seeks to address the tax challenges arising from
the digitalisation of economies.
o It also seeks to address concerns over cross-border profit shifting and bring in
subject-to-tax rule to stop treaty shopping.
 Treaty shopping is an attempt by a person to indirectly access the benefits of a
tax treaty between two countries without being a resident of any of those.
Two Pillar Plan:
o Pillar One:
 It will ensure a fairer distribution of profits and taxing rights among countries
with respect to the largest MNEs, including digital companies.
 It would re-allocate some taxing rights over MNEs from their home countries to
the markets where they have business activities and earn profits, regardless of
whether firms have a physical presence there.
 According to OECD, more than USD 100 billion of profit are expected to be
reallocated to market jurisdictions each year.
o Pillar Two: It is about minimum tax and subject-to-tax rules (All sources of income
liable to tax without taking account of tax allowances).

 It seeks to put a minimum standard tax rate among countries through a global
minimum corporate tax rate, currently proposed at 15%.
 This is expected to generate an additional USD 150 billion in tax revenues.
Significance:
o It will ensure that large multinational companies pay their fair share of tax
everywhere.
o The two-pillar package will provide much-needed support to governments needing to
raise necessary revenues to repair their budgets and their balance sheets while
investing in essential public services, infrastructure and the measures necessary to
help optimise the strength and the quality of the post-Covid recovery.
India’s Stand:
o India will have to roll back the equalisation levy that it imposes on companies such
as Google, Amazon and Facebook when the global tax regime is implemented.
 It is aimed at taxing foreign companies which have a significant local client base
in India but are billing them through their offshore units, effectively escaping the
country’s tax system.
 The levy at 6% has been in force since 2016 on payment exceeding Rs 1 lakh a
year to a non-resident service provider for online advertisements.
o India favours a wider application of the law to ensure that the country won’t collect
less under the proposed framework than it gets through the equalisation levy.
o India is in favour of a consensus solution which is simple to implement and simple to
comply with.
o The solution should result in allocation of meaningful and sustainable revenue to
market jurisdictions, particularly for developing and emerging economies.
o The Two Pillar Plan justifies India’s stand for a greater share of profits for the
markets and consideration of demand side factors in profit allocation.

FATF Retains Pakistan on Grey List
Why in News
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to retain Pakistan on “increased monitoring
list’.
 “Increased monitoring list” is another name for the Grey List.
Key Points
Background:
o The FATF had issued the 27-point action plan after placing Pakistan on the ‘Grey
List’ in June 2018. The action plan pertains to curbing money laundering and terror
financing.
o During the October-2020 Plenary, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan was given
an extension for full compliance with the 27-point action plan till February 2021.
 It had then not fully complied with 6 of the 27 directives.
o In February 2021, FATF acknowledged Pakistan’s significant progress in combating
terrorism, however it was still to fully comply with three of the 27-point action plan.
 The three points pertained to effective steps in terms of financial sanctions and
penalties against the terror funding infrastructure and the entities involved.
About:
o The FATF said Pakistan had failed to take appropriate action against UN-designated
terrorists such as 26/11 accused Hafiz Saeed and JeM chief Masood Azhar.
However, Pakistan has completed 26 of the 27 action items.
o The FATF encourages Pakistan to continue to make progress to address as soon as
possible the one remaining Countering Finance of Terrorism (CFT)-related item by
demonstrating that Terror Financing investigations and prosecutions target senior
leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups.
o In addition, the FATF has handed down another 6-point list of tasks mainly on
money laundering actions to be completed as well.
 Pakistan is expected to amend its Money-Laundering Act, crackdown on
Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) like real estate
agencies and gemstone traders, confiscate and freeze assets of money
laundering entities and monitor businesses for proliferation financing, with
sanctions for non-compliance.
Significance:
o In Pakistan's case, the FATF has taken cognisance of the inaction against several
banned organisations involved in raising funds for terror activities and those linked to
global terrorists like Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s
Hafiz Saeed and its operations chief Zaki-Ur Rahman Lakhvi.
o On several occasions, India has also raised the involvement of elements within
Pakistan in a number of terror cases, including the 26/11 Mumbai and Pulwama
attacks.
o Perpetual containment of Pakistan on the grey list of FATF would further pressurise
Pakistan to take adequate measures to prevent such terrorist attacks on India from
its soil.
o Unlike the next level “blacklist”, greylisting carries no legal sanctions, but it attracts
economic strictures and restricts a country’s access to international loans.
 Pakistan’s Foreign Minister had estimated a loss of $10 billion annually to the
Pakistani economy for every year Pakistan has been on the greylist.
Financial Action Task Force
About:
o It is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris.
o The FATF assesses the strength of a country’s anti-money laundering and anti-terror
financing frameworks, however it does not go by individual cases.
Objectives:
o To set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and
operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other
related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
Headquarters:
o Its Secretariat is located at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris.
Member Countries:

o The FATF currently has 39 members including two regional organisations — the
European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council. India is a member of the FATF.
Lists under FATF:
o Grey List:
 Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and
money laundering are put in the FATF grey list.
 This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.
o Black List:
 Countries known as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) are put in
the blacklist.
 These countries support terror funding and money laundering activities.
 The FATF revises the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries.
Sessions: The FATF Plenary is the decision making body of the FATF. It meets three times
per year.

Delimitation in J and K
Why in News
Recently, the delimitation exercise has started in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
 The completion of the delimitation exercise will mark the political process in the
Union Territory (UT) that has been under Centre’s rule since June 2018.
Key Points
Delimitation:
o Delimitation is the act of fixing or redrawing the limits or boundaries of territorial
constituencies (Assembly or Lok Sabha seat) in a country or a province having a
legislative body, as per the Election Commission.
o The delimitation exercise is carried out by an independent high-powered panel
known as the Delimitation Commission whose orders have the force of law and
cannot be questioned by any court.
o The exercise has been carried out over the years to redefine the area of a
constituency-based on its population size (based on the last Census).
o Aside from changing the limits of a constituency, the process may result in change in
the number of seats in a state.
o This exercise also involves reservation of Assembly seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs)
and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in accordance with the Constitution.
Aim:
o The key aim is to have equal representation to equal segments of the population in
order to ensure a fair division of geographical areas so that all political parties or
candidates contesting elections have a level playing field in terms of a number of
voters.
Constitutional Basis for Delimitation:
o Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
o Under Article 170, States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per
Delimitation Act after every Census.
o Once the Act is in force, the Union government sets up a Delimitation Commission.
o However, the first delimitation exercise was carried out by the President (with the
help of the Election Commission) in 1950-51.
 The Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952.
o Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002
under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002.
 There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses.
Delimitation Commission:
o The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in
collaboration with the Election Commission of India.
o Composition:
 Retired Supreme Court judge
 Chief Election Commissioner
 Respective State Election Commissioners.
Delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir:
o The delimitation exercise in J&K in the past has been slightly different from those in
the rest of the country because of the region's special status.
o The delimitation of Lok Sabha seats was then governed by the Indian Constitution in
J&K, but the delimitation of Assembly seats was governed separately by the Jammu
and Kashmir Constitution and Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the People
Act, 1957.
o However, Jammu and Kashmir lost its special status and was divided into two Union
Territories (J&K and Ladakh) after the abrogation of its special status under Article
370, on 5th August, 2019.
o Following this, a special delimitation commission was constituted on 6th March,
2020 to carve out Assembly and Parliament seats in the UT.
Issues with Delimitation:
o States that take little interest in population control could end up with a greater
number of seats in Parliament. The southern states that promoted family planning
faced the possibility of having their seats reduced.
o In 2002-08, Delimitation was done based on the 2001 census, but the total number of
seats in the Assemblies and Parliament decided as per the 1971 Census was not
changed.

o The Constitution has also capped the number of Lok Shaba & Rajya Sabha seats to a
maximum of 550 & 250 respectively and increasing populations are being
represented by a single representative.

China as a security risk
Why in News
The recently held North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit for the first time has
explicitly described China as a security risk.
 The other two threats identified by the NATO 'declaration'

are Russia and terrorism.
Key Points
North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO):

o Formation: NATO was established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called
the Washington Treaty) of 4th April, 1949, by the United States, Canada, and several
Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
 It is headquartered at Brussels, Belgium.
o Political and Military Alliance: NATO's primary goals are the collective defence of its
members and the maintenance of a democratic peace in the North Atlantic area.
 The collective defence principle enshrined in NATO’s Article V states that “an
attack against one ally is considered as an attack against all allies”.
o NATO’s Forces: NATO has a military and civilian headquarters and an integrated
military command structure but very few forces or assets are exclusively its own.
 Most forces remain under full national command and control until member
countries agree to undertake NATO-related tasks.
o NATO's Decisions: A “NATO decision” is the expression of the collective will of all 30
member countries since all decisions are taken by consensus.
Analysis of NATO's Performance:
o Cold War Era: NATO was completely successful in its mission of protecting the “Euro-
Atlantic area” from Soviet expansion and preventing war between the two
superpowers.
 The formation of NATO, and its Soviet counterpart, the Warsaw Pact, in 1955,
inaugurated the Cold War era (approximately 1945 until 1991).

o Post-Cold War Era: When Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, NATO witnessed a
paradigm shift from collective defence, which implied a known adversary, to
collective security, which is open-ended, and might require action against any
number of threats, including unknown ones and non-state actors.
 When the Balkans conflict broke out in 1999, NATO got the chance to prove its
utility in a post-Cold War Europe.
o Mutually Beneficial Arrangement:
 For Europe, it was an attractive bargain where, in exchange for a marginal loss in
autonomy, it enjoyed absolute security at a cheap price.
• Not having to spend massively on defence allowed Europe to focus on
building powerful economies and invest its surplus in a strong welfare state.
 NATO also offered the added bonus of keeping Germany down, historically a
major factor for peace and stability in the region.
 A collective military force organised and managed by the Europeans themselves
may offer a way out of American oversight and occasional bullying.
• However, it carried the danger of one or two of the stronger and wealthier
states, such as Germany or France, dictating terms to the smaller ones, a
danger attractively absent in the NATO arrangement.
NATO and China:
o NATO leaders declared China a constant security challenge and said the Chinese are
working to undermine global order.
 This is in sync with US President efforts to get allies to speak out with a more
unified voice against China’s trade, military and human rights practices.
 The US’ growing conviction is that China is a threat to its global supremacy and
must be contained.
o However, both France and Germany sought to put some distance between NATO’s
official position and their own perception of China.
 NATO’s European member states may view China as an economic rival and
adversary, but they are unconvinced by the American line that it is an outright
security threat.
o China's Stand: It has urged NATO to “view China’s development rationally, stop
exaggerating various forms of ‘China threat theory’ and not to use China’s legitimate
interests and legal rights as excuses for manipulating group politics artificially creating
confrontations”.
NATO and Russia:
o Tensions with Russia are an inevitable outcome of NATO’s bid to expand eastward
into what Russia considers its sphere of influence.
 Trying to bring countries such as Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova under the NATO
umbrella has led to a confrontation with Russia.
o As Russia sought to protect its interests by “annexing” Crimea and stationing troops
in Georgia and Moldova, NATO accused it of acting irresponsibly and breaking
the “rules-based international order”.

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan : cross border
tensions
Why in News
Ceasefire on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan appeared to be holding after a day
of intense fighting between the two countries that has killed about 40 people and wounded
about 175.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan belong to the central asia region. Other countries of the region are
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Key Points
Background:
o Both nations have claimed the area around the water supply facility in Kok-Tash, a
dispute dating back decades to when they were both part of the Soviet Union.
o The current configuration of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border is the product of Soviet
mapmakers drawing the dividing lines for Soviet republics, after the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics (USSR) collapsed in late 1991.
o The meandering boundary between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is particularly tense as
over a third of its 1,000-km length is disputed. Restrictions on access to land and
water that communities regard as theirs have often led to deadly clashes in the past.
International Response:
o Russia and European Union (EU) welcomed the ceasefire deal and emphasised
the need for a lasting and peaceful solution.
Importance of Central Asia for India:
o Political:
 India has a very wide array of interests in Central Asia covering security, energy,
economic opportunities etc.
 Security, stability and prosperity of Central Asia is imperative for peace and
economic development of India.

 Central Asia serves as a land bridge between Asia and Europe, making it
geopolitically axial for India.
 Both India and Central Asian Republics (CARs) share many commonalities and
perceptions on various regional and world issues and can play a crucial role in
providing regional stability.
o Economic:
 The region is rich in natural resources such as petroleum, natural gas, antimony,
aluminum, gold, silver, coal and uranium which can be best utilized by Indian
energy requirements.
 Central Asia has huge cultivable areas lying barren and without being put to any
productive use, offering enormous opportunity for cultivation of pulses.
 CARs are fast getting linked to the global market for production, supplies of raw
materials and services. They are also increasingly getting integrated into
the East-West Trans-Eurasian transit economic corridors.
Indian Initiatives:
o India intends expansion of International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to
Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
 It will act as a vital gateway to access Eurasian markets and optimally
operationalize its use, requiring a Central Asian state joining the project as a
direct stakeholder.
o India-Central Asia Dialogue:
 India has proposed setting up of ‘India-Central Asia Development Group’ to take
forward development partnership between India & Central Asian countries.
 This group will help India to expand its footprints in the resource-rich region
amid China’s massive inroads and to fight terror effectively, including in
Afghanistan.
India-Kyrgyzstan
Political:
o India has enjoyed strong bilateral ties with Kyrgyzstan since 1991.
o India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Kyrgyzstan in
1992.

Culture & Economic:
o Since 1992, the two countries have many agreements, including on Culture, Trade
and Economic Cooperation, Civil Aviation, Investment Promotion and Protection,
Avoidance of Double Taxation, Consular Convention etc.
Military:
o In 2011, the joint ‘Khanjar’ series of exercises was started.
Indian Diaspora:
o In Kyrgyzstan, about 9,000 Indian students are studying medicine in various medical
institutions in the country. Also, there are many businessmen living in
Kyrgyzstan who are involved in trade and several other services there.
Strategic:
o The Kyrgyz leaderships have been largely supportive of India’s stand on Kashmir.
o They also support India’s bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC).
India-Tajikistan
Political:
o India and Tajikistan elevated bilateral relations to the level of a Strategic Partnership
in 2012.
o Tajikistan supported India’s membership to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) and also permanent membership of an expanded UNSC.
o India supported Tajikistan's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2013.
Culture & Economic:
o Trade between two sides is not to expectations despite efforts from both countries,
due to more transit time and lack of readily accessible trade routes.
o Despite limitations, trade in food processing, mining, pharmaceuticals, textiles, skill
development, science & technology, Information Technology, culture and tourism are
continued between two countries.

India’s Assistance:
o India delivered major food assistance in 2001-02. To overcome a crisis caused by an

unprecedented harsh winter in January-February 2008, India gave a grant of USD 2
million (USD 1 million as cash assistance and USD 1 million in kind, such as power
cables, generators and pump sets).
o India provided 2 million doses of oral polio vaccine through the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in November 2010.
o In March 2018, India gifted 10 Russian-made ambulances to various regions of
Tajikistan drawing substantial media coverage and appreciation from high offices.
Indian Diaspora:
o The total number of Indians is estimated at about 1550, out of which more than
1250 are students.

Currency swap
Why in News
Bangladesh cleared a USD 200 million currency swap facility for Sri Lanka, to help boost its
economy.
Key Points
About:
o The word swap means exchange. A currency swap between the two countries is
an agreement or contract to exchange currencies with predetermined terms and
conditions.
o In the present context, a currency swap is effectively a loan that Bangladesh will give
to Sri Lanka in dollars, with an agreement that the debt will be repaid with interest
in Sri Lankan rupees.
o Central banks and Governments engage in currency swaps with foreign
counterparts to meet short term foreign exchange liquidity requirements or to
ensure adequate foreign currency to avoid Balance of Payments (BOP) crisis till
longer arrangements can be made.
 For Sri Lanka, this is cheaper than borrowing from the market, and a lifeline as it
struggles to maintain adequate forex reserves even as repayment of its external
debts looms.
o These swap operations carry no exchange rate or other market risks as transaction
terms are set in advance.
 Exchange rate risk, also known as currency risk, is the financial risk arising
from fluctuations in the value of a base currency against a foreign currency in
which a company or individual has assets or obligations.
Unusual for Bangladesh:
o Bangladesh has not been viewed so far as a provider of financial assistance to other
countries. It has been among the most impoverished countries of the
world, and still receives billions of dollars in financial aid.
o But over the last two decades, it has managed to elevate its economy itself
majorly, and in 2020, was the fastest growing in South Asia.

 The country has managed to pull millions out of poverty. Its per capita income
just overtook India’s.
o This may be the first time that Bangladesh is extending a helping hand to another
country, so this is a landmark of sorts.
Sri Lanka’s Approach to India:
o In 2020, the President of Sri Lanka requested India for a USD 1 billion credit
swap, and separately, a moratorium on debts that the country has to repay to India.
o But India-Sri Lanka relations have been tense over Colombo’s decision to cancel a
valued container terminal project at Colombo Port, which made India put off the
decision.
o Earlier, in July 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended a USD 400 million
credit swap facility to Sri Lanka, which the Central Bank of Sri Lanka settled in
February. The arrangement was not extended.
RBI’s Framework for Swap Facilities for SAARC:
o The SAARC currency swap facility came into operation on 15th November, 2012.
o The revised framework is valid from 14th November, 2019 to 13th November, 2022.
o The RBI can offer a swap arrangement within the overall corpus of USD 2 billion.
o The swap drawals can be made in US dollar, euro or Indian rupee. The framework
provides certain concessions for swap drawals in Indian rupee.
o The facility will be available to all SAARC member countries, subject to their signing
the bilateral swap agreements.
o The presumption was that only India, as the regional group’s largest economy,
could do this. The Bangladesh-Sri Lanka arrangement shows that is no longer valid.

Genocide in Namibia
Why in News
Germany for the first time has recognised that it committed genocide against the Herero and
Nama people in present-day Namibia during its colonial rule over a century ago.
Background
Between 1884 and 1890, Germany formally colonised parts of present-day Namibia.
Tensions quickly rose as local tribes saw the German settlers as a threat to their land and
resources.
The conflict reached a boiling point in 1904, when the Herero nation, a primarily pastoral
community, rebelled against the Germans, and were closely followed by the Nama tribe.
Between 1904 and 1908, German colonial settlers killed tens of thousands of men, women
and children from the Herero and Nama tribes after they rebelled against colonial rule in
what was then called German South West Africa.
While Germany has previously acknowledged the atrocities, they refused to pay direct
reparations for many years.
After five years of negotiations between the two countries as they attempted to “heal the
wounds”, Germany has promised financial support with a fund of €1.1 billion ($1.2
billion) to help aid community projects in Namibia
Negotiations
The atrocities committed in what was then known as German South West Africa have been
described by some historians as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Since 2015, the two countries have been negotiating an agreement. This was meant to
combine an official apology by Germany as well as some sort of financial package.
Namibia rejected the reparations offered by Germany, claiming that their offer was
“unacceptable”.
Germany was also reluctant to use the term “reparations” to describe the financial aid they
were planning to provide.
In 2018, as a gesture of goodwill, Germany returned the human remains of some Herero
and Nama tribe members, which were used during the colonial-era in experiments to assert
the superiority of the European race.

Finally, Germany acknowledged the killings as genocide and in light of Germany’s historical
and moral responsibility, asked Namibia and the descendants of the victims for
forgiveness.
Future Course of Action
Germany’s financial package worth 1.1 billion euros will be paid separately to existing aid
programmes in the country over the next three decades.
The majority of the total sum will go towards projects relating to land reform, rural
infrastructure, water supply and professional training.
Legal Status
Genocide was first recognised as a crime under international law in 1946 by the United
Nations General Assembly.
It was codified as an independent crime in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide Convention).
The Convention has been ratified by 149 States (as of January 2018).
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has repeatedly stated that the Convention
embodies principles that are part of general customary international law. This means that
whether or not States have ratified the Genocide Convention, they are all bound as a
matter of law by the principle that genocide is a crime prohibited under international law.
The ICJ has also stated that the prohibition of genocide is a peremptory norm of
international law (or ius cogens) and consequently, no derogation from it is allowed.
Prevention of Genocide
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan outlined a five-point action plan for preventing

genocide:
o Prevent armed conflict, which usually provides the context for genocide;
o Protect civilians in armed conflict, including through UN peacekeepers;
o End impunity through judicial action in national and international courts;
o Gather information and set up an early-warning system; and
 Take swift and decisive action, including military action.

ARTICLE 311
Why in News
Recently, a police officer was dismissed from the service by Mumbai Police Commissioner
under Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution without a departmental enquiry.
Key Points
Article 311:
o Article 311 (1) says that no government employee either of an all India service or a
state government shall be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to the
own that appointed him/her.
o Article 311 (2) says that no civil servant shall be dismissed or removed or reduced in
rank except after an inquiry in which s/he has been informed of the charges and
given a reasonable opportunity of being heard in respect of those charges.
o People Protected under Article 311: The members of
 Civil service of the Union,
 All India Service, and
 Civil service of any State,
 People who hold a civil post under the Union or any State.
 The protective safeguards given under Article 311 are applicable only to civil
servants, i.e. public officers. They are not available to defence personnel.
o Exceptions to Article 311 (2):
 2 (a) - Where a person is dismissed or removed or reduced in rank on the ground
of conduct which has led to his conviction on a criminal charge; or
 2 (b) - Where the authority empowered to dismiss or remove a person or to
reduce him in rank is satisfied that for some reason, to be recorded by that
authority in writing, it is not reasonably practicable to hold such inquiry; or
 2 (c) - Where the President or the Governor, as the case may be, is satisfied
that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold such
inquiry.

Other Recent Case Related to Use of Article 311(2) Subsections:
o Recently, the Jammu & Kashmir administration set up a Special Task Force
(STF) to scrutinise cases of employees suspected of activities requiring action under
Article 311(2)(c).
 Three government employees, including two teachers, were fired using the
Article.
Options to Dismissed Employee:
o The government employee dismissed under these provisions can approach either
tribunals like the state administrative tribunal or Central Administrative Tribunal
(CAT) or the courts.
Other Related Constitutional Provisions:
o Part XIV of the Constitution of India deals with Services under The Union and The
State.
o Article 309 empowers the Parliament and the State legislature to regulate the
recruitment, and conditions of service of persons appointed, to public services and
posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of any State respectively.
o According to Article 310, except for the provisions provided by the Constitution, a
civil servant of the Union works at the pleasure of the President and a civil servant
under a State works at the pleasure of the Governor of that State (English doctrine of
Pleasure).
 But this power of the Government is not absolute.
o Article 311 puts certain restrictions on the absolute power of the President or
Governor for dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of an officer.

CLIMATE BREAKTHROUGH
SUMMITS
Why in News
Recently, world leaders convened at the Climate Breakthroughs Summit to demonstrate

progress in critical sectors of the global economy, including steel, shipping, green hydrogen and
nature.
Key Points
About:
o This is a collaboration between the World Economic Forum, Mission Possible
Partnership, the United Nations Climate Champions, and the United Kingdom (COP
26 Presidency).
o It aims to demonstrate the need for systemic change to accelerate the global
transition to a zero-carbon economy.
 The “Zero carbon economy” refers to the green ecological economy based on
low energy consumption and low pollution, where emissions are compensated
by absorption and removal of greenhouse gases (net-zero).
o One of its key campaigns is the ‘Race to Zero’ campaign that mobilises support of 708
cities, 24 regions, 2,360 businesses, 163 investors, and 624 higher education
institutions to move towards zero-carbon recovery for a sustainable future.
Highlights of the Summit:
o The United Nations made a call for coordinated action to secure global net-zero
emissions and fulfill its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius
compared to pre-industrial levels by 2050.
o Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping line and vessel operator, joined Race
to Zero with the commitment to halving the emission by 2030.
o As many as 40 health care institutions worldwide have committed to halving
emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.
 These 40 institutions represent more than 3,000 health care facilities in 18
countries.

o The transitions of individual companies and institutions such as these are being
supported by sector-wide plans, reflected in the revised Climate Action Pathways,
launched with the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action.
 The pathways set out sectoral visions for achieving a 1.5°C resilient world in
2050, providing a roadmap to help countries and non-State actors alike to
identify actions needed by 2021, 2025, 2030 and 2040 to deliver a zero-carbon
world in time.
Significance:
o Decarbonizing both heavy industry (aluminium, concrete and cement, chemicals,
metals and mining, plastics and steel) and light industry (consumer goods, fashion,
ICT and mobile, and retail) is technically and economically feasible.
o This can be done through reducing materials and energy use; increasing their
productivity; and decarbonising production processes while implementing
transitional solutions such as natural climate solutions where direct emissions
reduction cannot be achieved.

KAPPA VARIANT: COVID-19
Why in News
Recently, two cases of the Kappa variant of Covid-19 have been recorded in Uttar Pradesh (UP).
 According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Kappa is one of the two Covid-19
variants, the other being Delta, first identified in India.
 Earlier a new variant Lambda was reported from Peru.
Key Points
About:
o As India raised objection over the B.1.617.1 mutant of the novel coronavirus being
termed an “Indian Variant”, the WHO had named this variant ‘Kappa’ and B.1.617.2
‘Delta’ just as it named various variants of the coronavirus using Greek alphabets.
 The Delta and Kappa variants are actually siblings, the direct descendants of a
variant that earlier used to be referred to as the double mutant, or B.1.617.
o It is still listed among ‘variants of interest’ and not ‘variants of concern’ by the WHO.
Variants of Interest:
o They are SARS-CoV-2 variants with genetic changes that are predicted or known
to affect virus characteristics such as transmissibility, disease severity, immune
escape, diagnostic or therapeutic escape.
o Examples: Lambda, Iota, Eta and Kappa variants.
Variant of Concern:
o A variant for which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe
disease (e.g., increased hospitalizations or deaths), significant reduction in
neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination,
reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.
o Examples: Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants.

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS 2021 JULY
Why in News
Prime Minister expanded and reshuffled his Council of Ministers (COM). The Prime Minister
now has 77 ministers, nearly half of them new.
Key Points
About:
o Article 74 of the Constitution deals with the status of the council of
ministers while Article 75 deals with the appointment, tenure, responsibility,
qualification, oath and salaries and allowances of the ministers.
o The COM consists of three categories of ministers, namely, cabinet ministers,
ministers of state, and deputy ministers. At the top of all these ministers stands the
Prime Minister.
 Cabinet Ministers: These head the important ministries of the Central
government like home, defence, finance, external affairs and so forth.
• Cabinet is the chief policy formulating body of the Central government.
 Ministers of State: These can either be given independent charge of ministries/
departments or can be attached to cabinet ministers.
 Deputy Ministers: They are attached to the cabinet ministers or ministers of
state and assist them in their administrative, political, and parliamentary duties.
o At times, the COM may also include a deputy prime minister. The deputy prime
ministers are appointed mostly for political reasons.
Constitutional Provisions:
o Article 74 (COM to aid and advise President): The advice tendered by Ministers to
the President shall not be inquired into in any court.
 The President may require the COM to reconsider such advice and the
President shall act in accordance with the advice tendered after such
reconsideration.

o Article 75 (Other Provisions as to Ministers): The PM shall be appointed by the
President and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice
of the PM.
 The total number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the COM shall
not exceed 15% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha.
• This provision was added by the 91st Amendment Act of 2003.
 A minister who is not a member of the Parliament (either house) for any period
of six consecutive months shall cease to be a minister.
o Article 77 (Conduct of Business of the Government of India): The President shall
make rules for the more convenient transaction of the business of the Government of
India, and for the allocation among Ministers of the said business.
o Article 78 (Duties of Prime Minister): To communicate to the President all decisions
of the COM relating to the administration of the affairs of the Union and proposals
for legislation.
o Article 88 (Rights of Ministers as Respects the Houses): Every minister shall have the
right to speak and take part in the proceedings of either House, any joint sitting of the
Houses and any Committee of Parliament of which he may be named a member. But
he shall not be entitled to vote.
Responsibility of Ministers:
o Collective Responsibility:
 Article 75 clearly states that the COM is collectively responsible to the Lok
Sabha. This means that all the ministers own joint responsibility to the Lok Sabha
for all their acts of omission and commission.
o Individual Responsibility:
 Article 75 also contains the principle of individual responsibility. It states that the
ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President, which means that the
President can remove a minister even at a time when the COM enjoys the
confidence of the Lok Sabha.
 However, the President removes a minister only on the advice of the Prime
Minister.
Council of Ministers in States
o The Council of Ministers in the states is constituted and functions in the same way as
the Council of Ministers at the Centre (Article 163: COM to aid and advise Governor)
and Article 164: Other Provisions as to Ministers).
ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT: CONCERNS
Why in News
The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) has released a report titled ‘Road to a UK-India Free Trade Agreement:
Enhancing the Partnership and Achieving Self-reliance’.
 According to the UKIBC annual Survey on Doing Business in India, 77% of UK companies believe that
the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign is an “opportunity” rather than a challenge.
 However, the council emphasized that some of the reforms under the self reliant programme could
have negative consequences for the UK and all multinational companies.
Key Points
Opportunity Offered by Atmanirbhar Abhiyan

o The programme should be viewed as an extension of the “Make in India” campaign,
launched in 2014, as they share the aim of securing manufacturing investments from
domestic and international business.
o The package offered a range of financial support measures for the weaker sections of
India’s society, for micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs), and for
the agriculture sector, creating fair market platforms, easing rules for
businesses and a range of other solutions to support the economy.
o The campaign has opened up several sectors for foreign investors, including defence,
atomic energy, agriculture, insurance, healthcare and civil aviation.
Concern Raised:
o Curtail International Trade and Investment: Certain aspects of the programme have
the potential to curtail international trade and investment, such as increased tariffs,
non-tariff restrictions on imports, and import substitution.
 Non-tariff Barrier is a trade restriction, such as a quota, embargo or sanction,
that countries use to further their political and economic goals.
 Countries can use non tariff barriers in place of, or in conjunction with, standard
tariff barriers (like Custom Duty).
o Ad-hoc Policy Change by DISCOMS: DISCOMS- power distribution companies- adopt
to ad-hoc changes to renegotiate power purchase agreements in case of renewable
energy sector.

o Policy Issues: Difficulties in India’s Intellectual Property enforcement regime, gaps in
pharma sector regulations, drug price controls, and norms related to data
localisation and governance.
 Data localisation (i.e. storing data within the boundaries of the country) may
restrict the ability of local companies to compete in the global marketplace by
limiting access to the global supply chain.
 This isolation may result in reduced investment and access to capital and
customers.
o In Space Sector: To open the Space sector to private investors was a significant step
but there was, however, a ‘lack of clarity’ about several aspects related to the
procedures.
 Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) provides
a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure.
o In Defence Sector: The import embargo on the 101 items of defence equipment is
planned to be implemented over a period of four years until 2024.
 Also changes in the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 are expected to
ensure that no item in this list is imported beyond the cut-off date.
 This may impact foreign investment in India.
Suggestion:
o Build a Strategy for the Future:
 A long term approach that considers regional supply chains and location
decision-making is needed to succeed.
o India Should Become Increasingly Open to Free and Fair Trade:
 India should attract investors due to its strengths rather than by using tariffs as
a tool to push international businesses to invest and make in India.
o Focus on Developing and Supporting Innovators:
 Focus on STEM, digital, creative and critical thinking skills that will build leaders
and workers who can innovate and solve problems.
 India should also develop an innovator-friendly intellectual property policy and
enforcement regime.
o Digital and Data:

 With digital and data services increasingly important in global trade, there is an
opportunity for India to fully integrate with other major democratic markets.
 India should continue to harness and actively invest in the opportunities
that Artificial Intelligence, digital technology and data present to achieve its
growth potential.
o Put Sustainability at the Center of India’s Trade and Investment Strategy:
 If shaped properly, trading arrangements can help support the poor and protect
the environment.
 Countries and trade blocs are cognisant of this fact and are
increasingly integrating sustainability and human rights into their trade
agreements and strategies.
Atmanirbhar Bharat Programme
The programme was launched by the Prime Minister in May 2020 with an economic
stimulus package - worth Rs 20 lakh crores aimed towards achieving self-reliance.
o The announced economic package was 10% of India’s Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) in 2019-20.
o The amount includes packages already announced at the beginning of the lockdown
incorporating measures from the RBI and the payouts under the Pradhan Mantri
Garib Kalyan Yojana.
o The package is expected to focus on land, labour, liquidity and laws.
Aims
o It aims towards cutting down import dependence by focussing on substitution while
improving safety compliance and quality goods to gain global market share.
o The Self-Reliance neither signifies any exclusionary or isolationist strategies but
involves creation of a helping hand to the whole world.
o The Mission focuses on the importance of promoting “local” products.

LAMBDA VARIANT OF COVID-19
Why in News
After the cases of Delta Variant of Covid-19 continuously rising, a new variant called Lambda
Variant (LV) is emerging as a new threat.
 Lambda Variant is dominant in Peru, India has not yet reported any case of LV.
Key Points
About:
o The strain was first identified in Peru in December 2020. Lambda is the dominant
variant in the South American country with 81% samples found to be carrying it.
o Until recently, it was largely concentrated in a handful of South American
countries, including Ecuador and Argentina, but since April it has been detected in
more than 25 Countries.
o Previously known by its Formal Scientific Name C.37, the World Health Organisation
(WHO) designated this variant seventh and the newest Variant of Interest (VOI).
 Another four have been designated as ‘variants of concern’.
Variant of Interest:
o This means that the genetic changes involved are predicted or known to affect
transmissibility, disease severity, or immune escape.
o It is also an acknowledgement of the fact that the variant has caused significant
community transmission in multiple countries and population groups.
Variant of Concern:
o A variant for which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe
disease (e.g., increased hospitalizations or deaths), significant reduction in
neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination,
reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.
o There are four – Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta – which have been designated
as “variants of concern”, and are considered a bigger threat.
 These were all recently named after letters of the Greek alphabet to avoid
linkage with the country of their origin that had been happening until then.
Concerns:
o LV has at least seven significant mutations in the spike protein (the Delta variant has
three) which could have a range of implications, including the possibility of increased
transmissibility or enhanced resistance to antibodies, created either through natural
infection or vaccination.
 It is the coronavirus spike protein that binds to a human protein to initiate the
process of infection.
o The LV has greater infectivity than the Alpha and Gamma variants (known to have
originated in the UK and Brazil respectively).
o A study also reported decreased effectiveness of the Chinese Sinovac
vaccine (Coronavac) against the Lambda variant.

FINANCIAL STABILITY REPORT: RBI
Why in News
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the 23rd issue of its Financial Stability Report (FSR).
The FSR which is published biannually reflects the collective assessment of the Sub-
Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC - headed by the
Governor of RBI) on risks to financial stability and the resilience of the financial system.
The Report also discusses issues relating to development and regulation of the financial
sector.
Key Points
Impact of Covid-19 Second-Wave:

o The impact of the Covid-19 Second-Wave on the balance sheets of Indian banks has
been less than what was projected before and capital buffers are reasonably
resilient to withstand future shocks.
 A capital buffer is required reserves held by financial institutions put in place by
regulators. These are designed to provide banking organizations with the means
to support the economy in adverse situations.
o Covid-19 Second-Wave has dented economic activity, but monetary, regulatory
and fiscal policy measures have helped curtail the solvency risk of financial entities,
stabilise markets, and maintain financial stability.
 Solvency risk is the risk of being unable to absorb losses, generated by all types
of risks, with the available capital.
Global Recovery:
o Sustained policy support, benign financial conditions and the gathering momentum
of vaccinations are nurturing an uneven global recovery.
o Policy support has helped in shoring up financial positions of banks, containing non-
performing loans and maintaining solvency and liquidity globally.
New Risks:
o While the recovery is underway, new risks have emerged which are:
 Nascent and mending state of the upturn (Revival of Economy).
 Economy Vulnerable to shocks and future waves of the pandemic.
 International commodity prices and inflationary pressures.
 Global spillovers amid high uncertainty.
 Rising incidence of data breaches and cyber attacks.
Gross Non-Performing Asset Ratio:
o The Gross Non-Performing Asset (GNPA) ratio of India’s Scheduled Commercial
Banks (SCBs) may climb by the end of 2021-22 to as much as 11.2% under a severe
stress scenario, from 7.48% in March 2021.
 The GNPA ratio of SCBs may increase to 9.8% by March 2022 under the baseline
scenario.
o While banks’ exposures to better rated large borrowers are declining, there are
incipient signs of stress in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and
retail segments.
o The demand for consumer credit across banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies
(NBFCs) has decreased, with some deterioration in the risk profile of retail borrowers
becoming evident.
 Retail Loans are provided to purchase property, vehicles or other assets such as
essential electronics.
CRAR & PCR:
o Banks have managed to capitalise themselves well during 2020-21 aiding them
in maintaining adequate capital adequacy even under stress situations.
o The Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of SCBs increased to 16.03% and
the Provisioning Coverage Ratio (PCR) stood at 68.86% in March 2021.
Restructuring of Loans:
o During 2020-21 the RBI had introduced a one-time restructuring scheme to aid
borrowers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
o The scheme was to be invoked by December 2020 and implemented within 90 days
for retail borrowers and 180 days for corporate borrowers.
o By March 2021, 0.9% of total bank advances (loans) were under restructuring.
 MSMEs had the highest restructure ratio at 1.7%.
 Corporate borrowers had a restructured ratio of 0.9% of total advances.
 0.7% of total retail advances were restructured.
Suggestions:
o Balance Sheet Stress:
 Banks need to reinforce their capital and liquidity positions to fortify
themselves against potential balance sheet stress.
o Policy Support:
 Sustained policy support and simultaneous increased fortification of capital and
liquidity buffers by financial entities is important.
o Financial Needs:
 Stronger capital positions, good governance and efficiency in financial
intermediation can be the touchstones of this endeavour so that financing needs
of productive sectors of the economy are met while the integrity and soundness
of banks and financial institutions are secured on an enduring basis.

SUPREME COURT’S RULING ON
ONORC SYSTEM FOR MIGRANT
WORKERS
Why in News
Supreme Court directed all states and Union Territories (UT) to implement the One Nation, One
Ration Card (ONORC) system by 31st July 2021.
 The scheme allows migrant labourers covered under the National Food Security Act
(NFSA) to access food at any fair price shop with his or her ration card in any part of the
country.
Key Points
Right to Food:
o The fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution may be
interpreted to include the right to live with human dignity, having the right to
food and other basic necessities.
Importance of Migrants:
o There are around 38 crore workers engaged in the unorganized sectors (National
Statistics Office (NSO) data of 2017-2018).
o These unorganized workers did not have any permanent source of employment and
have engaged themselves in small time vocations and occupations at various places
away from their native places.
o Contributions of these labourers towards different projects, industries, make
considerable additions in the economic development of the country.
Database:
o Criticized the Labour Ministry for not completing the work of the Rs 45.39-
crore National Database for Unorganised Workers (NDUW) portal to register and
identify migrant workers.
 The Court had ordered the Ministry to finalise the NDUW module way back in
2018.

o Directed the States/UTs to register establishments and license contractors under
the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of
Service) Act, 1979 and ensure that they provide the authorities complete details of
the workers employed with them.
Redetermination of Beneficiaries under NFSA:
o Directed the Centre “to undertake exercise under Section 9 of the National Food
Security Act, 2013” to re-determine the total number of persons to be covered under
Rural and Urban areas of the State.
ONORC System
Background:
o Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, about 81 crore people are
entitled to buy subsidised food grains - rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg, and coarse
grains at Re 1/kg – from designated fair price shops.
o However, NFSA beneficiaries were not able to access their PDS (Public Distribution
System) benefits outside the jurisdiction of the specific fair price shop to which they
have been assigned.
o By introducing ONORC, the idea was to reform the PDS, which has been historically
marred by inefficiency and leakages.
Launch:
o ONORC was launched in August, 2019.
Aim:
o The ONORC scheme is aimed at enabling migrant workers and their family
members to buy subsidised ration from any fair price shop anywhere in the country
under the NFSA.
o To promote this reform in the PDS, the government has provided incentives to states
and also set a precondition for additional borrowing by states during the Covid-19
pandemic last year.
Technology Used:
o ONORC is based on technology that involves details of beneficiaries’ ration card,
Aadhaar number, and electronic Points of Sale (ePoS). The system identifies a
beneficiary through biometric authentication on ePoS devices at fair price shops.

o The system runs with the support of two portals - Integrated Management of Public
Distribution System (IM-PDS) and Annavitran.
 While the Annavitaran portal maintains a record of intra-state transactions -

inter-district and intra-district - the IM-PDS portal records the inter-state
transactions.
ONORC Coverage:
o Till date, 32 states and UTs have joined the ONORC, covering about 69 crore NFSA
beneficiaries.
o Four states are yet to join the scheme - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and West Bengal.
o While inter-state ration card portability is available in 32 states, the number of such
transactions is much lower than that of intra-district and inter-district transactions.
Benefits:
o Under the ONORC, the beneficiaries from one state can get their share of rations in
other states where the ration card was originally issued.
o ONORC will also give the beneficiaries the opportunity to opt for the dealer of their
choice.
o It will be particularly beneficial for women and other disadvantaged groups, given
how social identity (caste, class and gender) and other contextual factors (including
power relations) provide a strong backdrop in accessing PDS.
o This will help achieve the target set under SDG (Sustainable development
Goals) 2 (Ending hunger by 2030). Also, it will address the poor state of hunger in
India, as highlighted by the Global Hunger Index, where India has been ranked 94 out
of 107 countries.

Sources
https://www.drishtiias.com/
https://www.insightsonindia.com/
https://www.civilsdaily.com/
https://indianexpress.com/
https://www.thehindu.com/
https://thewire.in/
https://theprint.in/
https://www.firstpost.com/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
https://www.theguardian.com/international
https://www.nytimes.com/

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Factors Triggering the Conflict

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Suez Canal: Background

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 A one-year state of emergency has been imposed and democratically elected

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About the Military Coup:

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Evolution of the G-7

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USA President’s New Peace Initiative:

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Centre government proposed a Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi

Major Amendments Proposed

Change in Definition of Government: It defines the term “government” in the context of

Supreme Court on Delhi Governance Structure

Arguments Against the Bill

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OTT Platforms and India

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Regulation of OTT Content

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USA President’s New Peace Initiative:

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About the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA):

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Observation made by Manipur HC:

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There are three key characteristics of the digital economy:

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Highlights of the Meeting

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