18 & 19-AUGUST-2021

The Hindu News Analysis – 18th & 19th August 2021 – Shankar IAS Academy
S. Page Number*
News Articles
No. C B D H T
1 Keeping an eye on China’s expanding nuclear stack (Editorial) 8 6 6 10 6

2 Centre to boost oil palm farming 12 10 10 14 10

3 RBI unveils financial inclusion index (18-09-2021) 16 14 12 12 12

4 RBI to buy ₹25,000-cr. of bonds Aug. 26 14 12 14 16 12

5 The script of the new endgame in Afghanistan (Editorial) (18-09-2021) 10 8 6 6 6

6 For a bountiful harvest (Picture) 10 8 8 12 8

7 Lab for genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 samples on anvil 5 - - - -

8 Vector-borne diseases haunt tribal pockets of Bhadrachalam - - - 9 -

9 Wetland waddle (Picture) (18-09-2021) 14 12 10 10 10

10 Prelims Practice Questions

@ end of the video
11 Mains Practice Questions
*C – Chennai; B – Bengaluru; D – Delhi; H – Hyderabad; T – Thiruvananthapuram
Pg: 8 – C;
Pg: 10 – H;
Pg: 6 – B, T, D;
 Part A—Preliminary Examination
Paper I - (200 marks)
 Current events of national and international importance.
• India first tested its nuclear capability -
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-III
1974

General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, • Sixth country - detonate a nuclear weapon.
Social Justice and International relations.
 India and its neighborhood- relations. • Controlled testing in 1998 - India declared

 Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing itself a state armed with nuclear weapons.
countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
• 2019 SIPRI Yearbook - 130 to 140
PAPER-IV
warheads.
General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development,
Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster
Management.
 Role of external state and non-state actors in creating
challenges to internal security.
India’s Nuclear Doctrine

1. Building and maintaining a credible minimum deterrent Nuclear Command Authority = Political
Council + Executive Council
2. "No First Use".
• Political Council : Chaired by the
3. Nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive
Prime Minister
and designed to inflict unacceptable damage
 Sole body which can authorize
4. Nuclear retaliatory attacks can only be authorised by
the use of nuclear weapons
the civilian political leadership through the Nuclear
Command Authority.” • Executive Council : Chaired by the
National Security Advisor
5. “Non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear
weapon states. However, in the event of a major  Provides inputs for decision

attack against India or Indian forces anywhere by making by the Nuclear Command

biological or chemical weapons, India will retain the Authority.

option of retaliating with nuclear weapons.”

• India - pacifist strategic culture inspired by
Gandhian nonviolence.

• India is a reluctant nuclear power.

• Nuclear state out of compulsion of security.

Authours views

• China has been expanding its nuclear

weaponry.

• China has even failed to enter into a nuclear

agreement

• India is in close proximity to China - disturb

the strategic balance between the two
countries.
Pg: 12 – C;
Pg: 14 – H;
Pg: 10 – B, T, D;
 Oil Seeds
Part A—Preliminary Examination
• 9 annual oilseed crops - primary source of
Paper I - (200 marks)
vegetable oil.
 Current events of national and international
importance.  7 are edible oilseeds.

PAPER-IV  Groundnut, rapeseed & mustard, soybean,

General Studies-III: Technology, Economic sunflower, sesame, safflower and niger.
Development, Bio diversity, Environment,
Security and Disaster Management.  2 are non-edible oilseeds.

 Food processing and related industries in India  Castor and linseed.

- scope’ and significance, location, upstream
 Secondary sources of vegetable oil.
and downstream requirements, supply chain
management.  Cottonseed, rice bran, coconut, Tree Borne
Oilseeds (TBOs) and Oil Palm.
Issue Palm Oil

• India is one of the major oil seeds grower • Palm oil - 33% of global oils produced from

and importer of edible oils. oil crops in 2014.

• Domestic consumption of edible oils in India • Detergents, plastics, cosmetics and biofuels.
has increased substantially.
• leading consumers - India, China, and the

 18.90 million tonnes in 2011-12 European Union (EU).

 Per capita consumption of vegetable oils at • India - 94.1% of its palm oil is used in food

the rate of 16 kg/year/person. products especially for cooking.

• Substantial portion of our requirement of • India’s Palm oil imports are almost 60% of

edible oil - import of palm oil from its total vegetable oil imports.

Indonesia and Malaysia. • India’s dependence on expensive imports has

driven retail oil prices to new highs.
Solution National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)

• India has to exploit its domestic • Strengthen our self-reliance in edible oil.
resources to maximize its
• Investment of Rs. 11,000 crores in the edible oil
production of Palm oil.
ecosystem.
• Oil Palm is the highest vegetable oil
• Increase oil palm acreage by an additional 6.5 lakh
yielding perennial crop.
hectares - 2025-26
 Area expansion, quality planting
• Grow production of crude palm oil to 11.2 lakh tonnes
materials, irrigation and proper
by 2025-26 and up to 28 lakh tonnes by 2029-30.
management - enhance palm oil
production in the country. • Important objective of this scheme is to ensure
self-sufficiency in edible oil production.
• Achieve edible oil security for the
country.
• Aims to reduce our import dependence from
60% to 45% by 2024-25.

 Increasing our domestic edible oil production

from 10.5 million tonnes to 18 million tonnes.

 70% growth target of domestic edible oil

production.

• Our farmers will get all needed facilities -

quality seeds to technology.

• Expand the cultivation of our other traditional

oilseed crops.

• Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

• Special focus to the North east region and

the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
 Financial Inclusion Index

• An Index covering domains like banking,

investments, insurance, postal as well as the
pension sector.

• RBI is planning to release this index every July.

• Financial inclusion for 2019-20 - 54%

• An increase from around 43% in 2017 - meaning

more people are financially included.

Pg: 16 – C
Pg: 14 – B
Pg: 12 – H, D, T;
Financial Inclusion
Financial exclusion - Reasons
• Concept of financial inclusion was first
• Distance from banking infrastructure.
introduced in India in 2005 by the Reserve
Bank of India. • Social barriers.

• It is the process of ensuring access to • Inconvenience in banking infrastructure.

financial products and services needed by • Literacy constraints.

vulnerable groups at an affordable cost in a
transparent manner by institutional players.
Need for Financial Inclusion
To achieve financial inclusion - PM Jan Dhan
• Increased reliance on informal financial Yojana
sources - debt trap risk.
• Around 192.1 million zero balance accounts
• Access to government services and subsidies. have been opened.

• To strengthens the economy and the banking • Accompanied by 165.1 million debit cards.
system.
• A life insurance cover of Rs 30,000.
• Reduction in cash based economy as more
• Accidental insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh.
transactions can be made formal or digital.

• Improve productivity.

• Reduce income inequality.

• Other financial inclusion schemes in India

 Jeevan Suraksha Bandhan Yojana

 Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana

 Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana

 Stand Up India scheme

 Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes under

the social-sector initiatives

 Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)

 Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

 Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY)

 Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme (CEGS) for

scheduled castes, and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.
 Government Securities or G-Sec

• Tradeable instrument issued either by the Central Government

or the State Governments.

• Acknowledges Government’s debt obligation.

• Issued through auctions conducted by RBI on E-kuber.

Primary market

• Market where securities are offered to the public for subscription

to raise capital or fund.

Secondary market

• Securities are traded after being initially offered to the public in

the primary market and/or listed on the Stock Exchange.

• Comprises of equity markets and the debt markets - auction or

Pg: 14 – C, D; dealer market.
Pg: 16 – H; • Majority of the trading is done here.
Pg: 12 – B, T
G-sec acquisition programme (G-SAP)
 Segments of the financial markets rely
• RBI commits upfront to a specific amount of
on the G-sec yield curve as a pricing
open market purchases of government securities.
benchmark.
• Purpose - to enable a stable and orderly
• Stable yield curve ensures compatible
evolution of the yield curve amidst the
financial conditions for the economic
comfortable liquidity conditions.
recovery to gain traction.
 Yield - annual percentage rate of return
earned on a security - fluctuates according • For Q1 of 2021-22 - G-SAP of ₹1 lakh

to numerous factors (global markets and crore.

economy)  G-SAP 1.0 - first purchase in April 2021

 Yield Curve - graphical relationship between conducted for an aggregate amount of
yield and maturity - among bonds of different ₹25,000 crore.
maturities and the same credit quality.
• Benefits

 After G-SAP 1.0 - interest rates on

commercial paper, 91-day T-bills and CDs
remained low and range bound.

 Purchase calendar of RBI is known -

provides comfort to the bond market - helps
market participants to bid better in
scheduled auctions and reduces volatility in
bond prices.

• For Q2 of 2021-22 - G-SAP 2.0 of ₹1.20 lakh

crore.

 News - RBI announced to purchase

government securities of ₹25,000 crore.

Pg: 10 – C
Pg: 8 – B
Pg: 6 – H, D, T;
 • News - US troops begun to withdraw from Afghanistan
Part A—Preliminary Examination
 Taliban - fundamentalist Islamic force - ruled
Paper I - (200 marks)
Afghanistan from 1996 until the invasion by US forces
 Current events of national and
in 2001 - is now gaining powers.
international importance.
Part B—Main Examination  Kabul - under the control of the Taliban.

PAPER-III • 1979 - Afghanistan invaded by Soviet

General Studies- II: Governance,
 A centralised government - opposed by insurgent
Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and
International relations. groups - collectively called as Mujahideen.

 India and its neighborhood- relations.
 Bilateral, regional and global groupings
and agreements involving India and/or
affecting India’s interests.
 After long war until 1988 - Soviet failed to restore a
friendly regime.
 1989 - Soviet withdrawal was completed
 1991 - Soviet disintegrated.
• Image of USA as super power - got • Syrian crisis - strong president (Bashar al-Assad)

damaged.  Afghanistan lacks strong leadership

 Did not consider - situation within the  Non-porous borders - Uzbekistan & Tajikistan
Afghanistan and the consequence.
• Collapse of the Afghan state - lead to
• Collapse of organised resistance to Taliban re-emergence of old threats.
- encourage the former terror groups.
 US Troops - defeat terror groups like al
 One among - Gulbuddin Hekmatyar - Qaeda and the Islamic state
favoured Pakistan and also a traditional
 Defeat the Taliban military and rebuild the
opponent of the Taliban.
core institution of the Afghan state
 Re-emergence - lead to political
 Complete withdrawal of the US troops - lead to
instability in the region.
increase in the terror activities in the region.
• India’s disadvantage in this situation -

 The withdrawal of the U.S. from

Afghanistan.

 Growing relationship between China,

Pakistan and Russia.

 Iran under the leadership of Ebrahim

Raisi.

• India - increase its regional ties and should

address all the security concerns.
Pg: 10 – C;
Pg: 12 – H;
Pg: 8 – B, T, D;
 • Tiwa name
Tiwa Tribes
 “The people who were lifted from below”.
• Lalung.
 Prefer the name Tiwa to Lalung.
• Indigenous tribe -Tibeto-Burman race.
 Lalung - Assamese Buranjis (Assamese Chronicles),
• Mainly found in Assam and Meghalaya.
Colonial literature and Constitution of India.
 Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur -
Language
small numbers.
• Tiwa language.
• Only in Assam - Tiwa tribes are
recognized as scheduled tribe.  Tibeto-Burman language of the Bodo-Garo group.

 2011 census - 371,000.  Number of people speaking this language has been
declining in the last few decades.

 According to 2011 census, only 34,800 people

speak the language of Tiwa.
Festival

• Three Pisu (Bihu), Borot utsav, Sogra phuja,

Wanchuwa, Jonbeel Mela, Kabla, Langkhon
Phuja and Yangli Phuja.  People of Tiwa tribe associate the
bountiful harvest with the higher power
• Wanchuwa festival
from nature.
 Good harvest
 Pray to the higher power to protect their
 Celebrated with songs, dances and a bunch crops from pests and natural calamities.
of rituals.
 Rhythmically move around in a circle with
 Wear their native attires during this bamboo sticks in their hands.
festival.

 Wear plenty of make up in the form of

paste made of rice powder.
Pg: 5 – Chennai edition
 Applications

• Diagnosis of genetic disease even before the baby is

Genetic sequencing or genome born - will allow early medical intervention.

sequencing • Custom made medicines specific for an individual can

bring down the side effects.
• Genome sequencing gene means
determining the order of the four • Recombination of gene or genetic modification.
chemical building blocks called
• Identification of microorganisms.
"bases” - Adenine, guanine,
cytosine, and thymine. • Forensic identification.

• Find the parental lineages in case of medico legal

disputes.

• The assessment of prevalence of a disease or a

condition in a population.
Pg: 9 – Hyderabad
edition
 Part A—Preliminary Examination
Paper I - (200 marks) • News - Many are affected by the

 Current events of national and international importance. vector borne diseases in the remote
 General Science. tribal pockets of Bhadrachalam,
Part B—Main Examination Telangana
PAPER-III
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
Social Justice and International relations. Vectors
 Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the
• Living organisms that can transmit
population by the Centre and States and the
performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, infectious pathogens between humans,
institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection or from animals to humans.
and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
 Issues relating to development and management of  Many of these vectors - bloodsucking
Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, insects.
Human Resources.
 They ingest disease-producing
microorganisms when they suck blood from
an infected host - After replication,
transmitted into a new host.  Burden - highest in tropical and subtropical
areas.
 Once a vector becomes infectious - capable
of transmitting the pathogen - for the  The mortality rate in the poorest
rest of their life during each subsequent population is high - cannot afford the
bite/blood meal. health care services.

 Vector borne disease - human illnesses

caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria
that are transmitted by these vectors.

 Distribution - determined by a complex set

of demographics, environmental and social
factors.
Examples of vector borne diseases
• Prevention -

 Using window screens to keep mosquitoes outside the • The National Vector Borne
place where you are staying. Diseases Control Programme
(NVBDCP)
 Ensuring proper sanitation in the region.
 National level Technical Nodal
 Cleaning the stagnant waters in areas where
office - with Technical Experts.
mosquitoes breed.
 Implementation - under the
 Avoiding contact with the blood, secretions, organs or
Union Ministry of Health and
other bodily fluids of infected people or animals.
Family Welfare.
 Storing food and disposing garbage properly can
prevent rat infestation.

 Sleeping under insecticide treated bed net.

 Getting vaccinated against diseases like yellow fever

and Japan encephalitis.
Functions of the programme
• Directorate of NAMP is the nodal agency for prevention and control of major Vector Borne Diseases.
• The Directorate is responsible for framing technical guidelines & policies as to guide the states for
implementation of Programme strategies.
• It is also responsible for budgeting and planning the logistics pertaining to central sector.
• Monitoring of implementation through regular reports and returns of MIS (management information
systems) is done.
• The Directorate carries out evaluation of Programme implementation from time to time.
• Under National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme the 17 regional offices located at different
states are entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the entomological studies in collaboration with
zonal entomological setup of the state, drug resistance studies, cross checking of blood slides for quality
control, capacity building of the states, etc.
Pg: 14 – C
Pg: 12 – B
Pg: 10 – H, D, T;
  Asia - three species of rhino
• Picture - a pair of one-horned rhinos -
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary - Morigaon ⮚ Greater one-horned rhino

district of Assam ⮚ Javan rhino

• The Greater One-Horned Rhino - one ⮚ Sumatran Rhino

among the five different species of Rhino.
 Only the Great One-Horned Rhino is found in
 The other four India.

⮚ Sumatran rhino  Also known - Indian rhino - largest of the

⮚ Javan rhino rhino species.

⮚ Black rhino and  The greater one-horned rhino - Northern India

and southern Nepal
⮚ White rhino.
 India - Assam, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
 • Conservation status
 Herbivorous
 IUCN Red List - Vulnerable.
 Feed on Plants, Pastureland and Aquatic
plants  Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
 Gestation period - approximately 15 - 16
Flora (CITES) - Appendix I
months
 Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 - Schedule I
⮚ Mothers give birth to one calf every 2 -
3 years.  Assam - estimated 2,640 rhinos in four
protected areas.
 Greater one-horned rhinos - enjoy being
alone except for female with young one. ⮚ Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary,

 Males maintain loosely-defended territories. ⮚ Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park,

⮚ Kaziranga National Park, and

⮚ Manas National Park

• Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary -

 Situated - Morigaon district , Assam.

 Located - 48 km by from Guwahati.

 Pobitora - leopard, wild boar, Barking

deer, wild buffalo etc.

 Home - More than 2000 migratory birds

and various reptiles

 Important Bird Area.

 Practice Question – Prelims
Q1.Which of the following statements is/are Practice Question – Prelims
correct with reference to G-sec acquisition
Q2.Which of the following are applications of
programme?
genome sequencing?
1. It is also known as Open Market
1. Forensic identification of an individual
Operations.
2. Fixing parentage
2. Its purpose is to enable a stable and
orderly evolution of the yield curve 3. Early disease diagnosis
amidst the comfortable liquidity 4. Identification of super bugs
conditions.
Select from the code below.
Select the correct answer from the code
given below. (a) 3 and 4 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
a) 1 only (c) 1, 2 and 3 only
b) 2 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
 Practice Question – Prelims Practice Question – Prelims
Q3.It is a viral disease caused by a Q4.Consider the following statements about
Mosquito-borne flavivirus. This disease is One-Horned Rhinos :
Primarily transmitted by the bite of an 1. Their Gestation period is
infected Aedes aegypti and also through approximately 15 to 16 months.
sexual contact.
2. Their conservation status under IUCN
Which of the following is the above Red list is Vulnerable.
described disease ?
Which of the statements given above
a) Malaria is/are correct?
b) Japanese Encephalitis a) 1 only
c) Yellow fever b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Zika virus d) Neither 1 nor 2
 .
Practice Question – Prelims
Q5.Consider the following statements:
1. Tiwa tribes are mainly found in Assam Answers
and Meghalaya.
Q1. Option (b) – 2 only
2. Tiwa tribes celebrate a festival called
Wanchuwa festival to mark their good Q2. Option (d) – 1, 2, 3 and 4
harvest. Q3. Option (d) - Zika virus
Which of the statements given above Q4. Option (c) - Both 1 and 2
is/are correct?
Q5. Option (c) - Both 1 and 2
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
 Practice Question – Mains
GS – III
Q. Our government has introduced the
National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm
(NMEO-OP) to achieve edible oil security
for the country. Critically analyze the
mission.
(250 words, 15 Marks)
Practice Question – Mains
GS – III
Q. Financial Inclusion is a social issue in India,
holding back India’s economic potential.
Discuss.
(150 Words, 10 Marks)
Practice Question – Mains
GS – II
Q. India’s nuclear doctrine has created an
environment of certainty in the
international arena. In this context,
highlight the major objectives of India’s
nuclear doctrine
(150 Words, 10 Marks)
Practice Question – Mains
GS – II
Q. Discuss about the change in geopolitics
after the withdrawal of USA from
Afghanistan. What are concerns faced by
India in this regard?
(150 Words, 10 Marks)